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Van Ronk --rough-hewn folk
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Review by
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Every year the Lincoln Community Concerts brings in a series
of events running a wide spectrum of entertainment. This year's
series is no exception, it runs from jazz to ballet to a Broadway
musical to a boy's chorus to an opera star, and all presentations
cost only $5.15 for students. This figures out to be a little over
$1. for each concert.
Opening the Concert series on October 20, is the Ramsey
Lewis Trio, followed by the National Ballet of Washington on
November 21, the Broadway musical, Company on February 26,
the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus on March 26, and Metropolitan
Opera tenor Richard Tucker on May 13.
ADMITTANCE TO THE concerts is by season membership
only. There should be a booth opening up in the Student Union
for the sale of memberships pretty soon, or you can gain further
information by calling 423-3254.
The Union Talks & Topics Committee, the Union Concert
Committee, and the East Campus Union Program Council has
brought a three-day program of traditional American Folk to the
campus.
Opening Wednesday, the American Folk Company consists of
Mike Seeger, Grant Rodgers, Booker White, the Georgia Sea
Island Singers and the Blue Ridge Mountain Cloggers.
THE SCHEDULE FOR THE remainder of the program is:
Thursday, a Rap and Jam Session at the Centennial College at 3
p.m. and another Rap and Jam Session at Harper-Schramm-Smith
at 8 p.m. Friday, October 1, finds a concert at 3:30 p.m. on the
north side of the Student Union.
Serving as an entertainment wrap-up for the Time-Out
Conference on Human Sexuality (October 5-8) is Fanny, an
all-girl rock group, in fact, I think they are the only all-girl rock
group on the contemporary music scene.
The Fanny concert-dance will be on Friday, October 8, at
8:30 p.m. in the Union with only a $1 admission charge. As the
Time-Out Conference posters say, "Ya'all come now."
FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED in different types of theatre,
The Little Prince (a TAFY production) featuring high school and
university students and directed by NU graduate student Royal
Eckert, will be presented Thursday. September 30, at 7:30 p.m.
"and Friday, October 1 , at 4 p.m. at Northeast High School and on
Wednesday, October 6, and Friday, October 8, at 4 p.m. and
Thursday, October 7, at 7:30 p.m. at East High School.
Remember James Taylor at Pershing Auditorium on October
13, and Black Sabbath, Edgar Winter and Sweat Hog at the
Auditorium on October 19.
Schadracque Bushido
The lale 5()'s and early 60s
in Greenwich Village saw the
development of many folk
music personalities. Bob Dylan,
Joni Mitchell, and Peter, Paul
and Mary are a few.
But the Village also
spawned good musicians who
never quite made it to the
popular charts.
This is not to say they have
not been influential. Men like
Tom Paxton and Dave Van
Ronk have profoundly
influenced the music of today.
In a new album -called
simply "Dave Van Ronk" Van
Ronk exhibits much of what
he learned in the Village and
much of what he taught others.
The music he plays and
sings has much to recommend
it to a fan of. folk. But
somebody who can't see what
Leadbelly was all about
probably won't like Van Ronk
either.
He is vibrant and alive, but
he is purposely unpolished. His
music is rough-hewn and even
the soft songs have the scrape
of fine sandpaper. But, the
message and feeling are loud
and clear.
The first cut on the album,
Leonard Cohen's "Bird on the
Wire," is performed with a
harsh and raspy voice "like a
drunk in a midnight choir."
The music is polished and
brassy, like Dylan's "Wigwam."
The contrast is striking.
"Fox's Minstrel Show" is a
brassy jazz-folk tune. Van
Ronk's voice is very, very
rough but it fits with the
scenes of violence, larceny and
lechery described in the lyrics.
"Port of Amsterdam" has a
AUDIO TECHNIQUES AND MEASUREMENTS
LEADER: ROBERT BUGLE
The course will give an understanding of
measurements, decors, and techinques available to the
amateur recordist. Included are basic considerations
on component selection, effects and recording
techniques. No basic knowledge of electronics is
assumed. We will start from the beginning.
FIRST MEETING: Monday, October 4, 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Scramm Hall, 1130N. 14th
HOME BREWI NG AND WINE MAKING
LEADER: ROGER WELSCH
Forget those painful memories of Aunt Emma's
sickly sweet elderberry wine or Uncle Ralph's murky,
mind-blurring home brew. It is possible to made very
good wine and beer very cheaply, and with very little
equipment and time. The first two sessions of the
course will deal with wine-making, the last two with
brewing.
FIRST MEETING: Wednesday, October 6, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Women's Residence Hall T.V. Room,
540 N. 16th
POLISH HISTORY
LEADER: MIKE ZGUD
The course would consist of weekly discussions of
general Polish History with the possibility of one or
two guest speakers from the History Department. The
purpose of this course is to learn about something
new, an area which is not often studied.
FIRST MEETING: October 6, 8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Sellelk Quadrange - Fairfield Lounge
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
LEADER: PROF. NURETTIN UZUNOGLU
FIRST MEETING: Wed., Oct. 13, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Nebraska Union
THEATRE WORKSHOP IN ACTING
LEADER: PAUL BAKER
We will begin with imporvisation. Emphasis on
natural acting. Workshop to produce plays as outlet
for acquired acting skills.
FIRST MEETING: Monday, October 4, 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: 210 S. 11th, Lincoln Free Theatre
INTRODUCTION TO WEED-EATING
LEADER: ROGER WELSCH
The purpose of the class will be to introduce the
student to the fantastic range of edible wild plants
available in Nebraska and near Lincoln. Rational might
be economic, dietetic, survival, hanscendental, or idle,
but the food is there for the taking.
FIRST MEETIN: Thursday, October 7, 3 00 p.m.
WHERE: Nebraska Union (will be posted)
CHANGES IN MEETING PLACESDAYSTIMES
Jesus, the Revolutionary - Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m.,
Smith Hall
Women are Beautiful - Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m..
Centennial College, 540 N. 16th
Telepathic Communication - Tuesdays, 3'30
p.m., Selleck Old Ram Room Fantasy and
Science Fiction Fridays, 1:00 p.m., St.
Mark's-on-Campus, 1309 R Mountain
Climbing - Saturday, Oct. 9, 9 a.m.,
Centennial Sun Room
NF
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1
Dave Van Ronk. . .sandpaper-voiced folk singer.
very smooth instrumentation
with a sad accordian
accompaniment. The feeling of
rotting teeth and waterfront
whores comes clearly through
the vocal.
A rag-time twelve string
chant, "Fat Old John" might
be mistaken for a track lifted
from an old Leadbelly 78.
In Joni Mitchell's "Urge for
Going" the pace of the music
and vocal change abruptly.
With a soft and sad voice Van
Ronk shows he can do more
than shout in tune with feeling;
he is a very competent singer.
His guitar work is simple
but effective and the studio
orchestra backing him up does
a good job. However, violins do
seem like unnecessary window
dressing.
"Random Canyon" is a
strange song. The instrumental
is Kingston Trio-type banjo
music, but the lyrics are
strictly drug oriented
psychedelic. Van Ronk is back
in his rough voice and presents
the song delightfully.
"I Think Its Going to Rain
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Today" is done nicely, but
there is nothing extraordinary
about it.
Possibly the high points of
the album come near the end
in the only two songs Van
Ronk wrote himself. "Gaslight
Rag" is a humor tinged song
about the Village and its
musicians. With the heavy
background instrumentation of
the other tracks cut Van Ronk
shows some excellent rag guitar
work.
"Honey Hair" is a simple
ballad of lost love, but it is well
written and effectively
performed. Some of Van
Ronk's metaphors are
extended through entire verses
and are striking. Guitar work is
again good.
There is only one word to
describe his performance of
Bertolt Brecht's "Legend of
the Dead Soldier" and the
word is brutal. The background
music is eerie, the lyrics are
rough and savage, and Van
Ronk's voice conveys a
downright loathing of war. It is
a very good cut for those with
strong stomachs.
The album ends, I'm not
sure why, with a version of
Johnny Mercers
"Ac-cent-tchu-ate the
Positive."
All in all, this is a fine
album and a rare find for lovers
of rough, but not unrefined,
folk music.
We might wish that such an
obviously talented performer
were more well known, but a
lack of popular acclaim
obviously hasn't hailed his
development into one of Ihc
best folk artists in the country.
Special Tap Beer
10c Draw
Budweiser
7-8 Thurs. nights
The
Royal Grove
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PAGE 6
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1971
