Folks,
Finally. Here's all the report that's fit to print.
I flew into Tulsa on Tuesday, July 8 for the pre-festival tribute to Bob Childers held at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa that night. Performers were Jimmy LaFave, Joel Rafael, the Burns Sisters, The Red Dirt Rangers and others. Proceeds from the show were donated to Bob’s sons, Zach and Jesse, to help with family expenses. Drove back to Norman, OK after the show and stayed at BeckyG’s.
Picked up my rental car in Norman the next morning and headed to Okemah. Hooked up with Richard and Jela at the motel and headed into town for dinner at the Brick Street before the Wednesday night opening show at the Crystal theater: Country Joe McDonald’s one-man, two-act tribute to Woody Guthrie. Country Joe read Woody’s words, sang, and told stories. He ended with an encore number – his famous song whose familiar chorus “One, two, three, what are we fighting for?” had the crowd singing along. It was a great way to start the festival.
Thursday morning I headed to the Brick Street again for several daytime shows. The three sets that I managed to get in were all really really good: Alexinder Gunn, Jimmy Davis and Emily Elbert. I wish I had taken some notes because now I can’t remember any particular songs. Since I was media chair for the festival this year, work interfered at times, but it’s all good.
Thursday night at the Pastures of Plenty was Rob McNurlin, who I really love, Nancy Apple, David and Adam Amram, Kevin Welch and Butch Hancock. All stellar performances. Amram’s “Okemah Blues” – where he calls everyone up on stage - was over the top.
Friday morning at the Brick I didn’t want to miss Okemah’s own John Fullbright. I absolutely loved his stuff. He must be 18 or 19 years old now – he was still in high school the first time he performed at WoodyFest – and he is so polished for his age that it’s pretty amazing. He ended with a powerful rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “halleluia” – a song I would hear at least two more times before weekend’s end. Next I scurried up the street to catch Audrey Auld at the Crystal. Andrew Harding (who many of you know as Tom Russell’s longtime side-man) played with her. She is just so darn funny and writes such good songs.
Headed next door to the historical society when Audrey finished for the 1pm table reading of a play about Bob Wills (famous musician from Oklahoma) and Woody Guthrie. John Cooper and Brad Piccolo of the Red Dirt Rangers read the two parts. It was very enjoyable and something different to experience at WoodyFest. (See my online photo album in the Photograph forum.)
Although I planned to take in the Red Dirt Rangers and Jon Vezner later that afternoon, work interfered and instead I was an observer as three BBC filmmakers interviewed Sonny Ochs under a big tree in the city park – where Ellis would do his childrens’ show the next day. The BBC is doing a documentary on American folk music and spent a day and a half in Okemah filming musical performances and conducting interviews. The night before, I help arranged an interview with Woody’s sister, Mary Jo at the Pastures of Plenty. All of that was pretty exciting and when I know more about the documentary, I’ll let you all know.
Headed to the Rocky Road Tavern to catch the Burns Sisters who, because they had to leave on Friday, did a couple songs at the open mic at Lou’s at 4:30pm. One was their a cappella “no more silence” - is a powerful and beautiful song.
Friday night highlights were John Gorka’s WoodyFest debut and the Phil Ochs’ tribute which closed the evening. The BBC got most of it on film. It’ll be great if we see even a portion of it in the documentary. Sonny Ochs’ provided narration as each of the performers went ‘round robin twice doing songs. Performers were Jimmy LaFave, John Gorka, John Flynn, Sean Flynn, Red Dirt Rangers, David Amram. Sean Flynn did a killer version of of Phil Ochs’ “I’m gonna say it now” that brought the house down. Proud dad, John, sat quietly behind capturing his son on his cell phone camera which was fun to watch. Towards the end of the set, Sonny Ochs brought out a surprise performer – Anthony da Costa - who did a song he said Sonny had give him to learn 3 hours earlier: “draft dodger”. I think Jela has already mentioned it. The whole Phil Ochs’ tribute was really really wonderful. I must admit I wasn’t that familiar with Phil Ochs and now have a better understanding of how important his legacy is.
Got very little sleep since I had to be back in Okemah at Lou’s Rocky Road Tavern (next door to the Brick Street) at 8am the next morning for the annual can’t miss Mary Jo’s Pancake Breakfast. You all should know/understand that everything in downtown Okemah is a short walk from each other, which is really great. Jela already talked about how emotional it was without Bob Childers’ – and yet his presence was felt. I simply lost it when Jimmy opened with “I’ll fly away”. Wow. And it was Jimmy’s birthday so we sang “happy birthday” to him.
John Gorka did a song he performed the night before: “1913 massacree”. Wow again. And he was wearing a WYEP Pittsburgh t-shirt! Had to get a picture of that!
The breakfast ended with just enough time to hot-foot it next door for Anthony da Costa’s 11am set at the Brick Street. He opened with Dan Bern’s “Jerusalem” which brought the house down. What a very talented and amazingly confident young performer.
As soon as Anthony ended, headed the street to the city park with Richard and Jela where the Red Dirt Rangers were ending their childrens’ set. They hung around and played with Ellis on his first song “the cat came back” then Ellis continued with:
wabi sabi
because it’s there
road trip
the bed song
I like to swing
dragonfly races
As Jela mentioned, little 3-year old Jada was brave enough to stay on stage with Ellis for the last 3 songs. There were several wee folk in the crowd playing harmonica, which is how Jada ended up on stage. Ellis invited the harmonica players up, but they all declined.
My camera battery was almost dead so I had to rest up a bit back at the motel and re-charge my battery…then it was zoom to the Crystal for Sam Baker’s 3pm set. What can I say? He is really good and really funny.
The Saturday night line-up was the Red Dirt Rangers, Joel Rafael, ELLIS PAUL (Yay!), Jimmy Lafave and Judy Collins. Ellis’ setlist:
1. The day the levee broke
2. Once upon a summertime
(both on baby grande piano)
Then Radoslav Lorkovic (on piano except as noted) and Don Conoscenti (on electric guitar) joined him on stage for:
3. 3000 miles
4. Maria’s beautiful mess
5. Alice’s champagne palace
6. Take all the sky you need
7. God’s promise (rain begins)
8. Walking after midnight/change
9. Blacktop train (Rad on accordion)
What can I say about Mr. Paul except that it's never, ever enough!
Jimmy Lafave was his usual swoonworthy self
and it was a pleasure to hear Judy Collins for the first time live.
The Sunday hootenanny to close out the festival was just spectacular. It gets better every year. Almost everyone performed: Joel Rafael, nancy Apple, Rob McNurlin, Amy Speace, Tony Lee Thomas and Jon Vezner (whose solo sets I had missed), Ronny Elliott, David Amram, and also Ellis, who did as mentioned previously “minor key” with Audrey Auld and Monica Taylor on harmony. It ended with the house band and everyone singing Bob Childers’ “walking woody’s road”. Bad news: it’s over for another year.
Good news: only 355 days till 2009 WoodyFest! Be there or be square!
Sunday night, BeckyG, Richard and Jela and I caught DonCon's post-WoodyFest show at The Chouse in Norman, but only managed to stay for the first half since we had early-morning flights. Don also did the Leonard Cohen "halleluia" and it was simply spell-binding. Great closing to a great weekend.
KarenZ
) as well as any and all photos taken in and around Okemah. Safe travels, all.