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Jackson Lynch
photo credit: Eli Smith

Since selling out the first festival in 2009, the event has grown and continues to sell out venues each year. This year’s festival will be held in the largest location to date and over the course of three days they will present 30 bands, a variety of workshops, a family-style square dance, jam sessions, film screenings, vendors and contests. The mainstage will be framed by the historic and stunning William Jay Bolton designed stained glass windows of St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church.

The festival begins on Friday evening April 17 at 8pm when blues guitarist and old-time fiddler Jackson Lynch takes the stage. The rest of the evening will feature of blend of locals and traveling artists that represent the broad spectrum of music that makes up this folk scene. From Rhode Island comes Horse-Eyed Men, brothers Noah and Dylan Harley who describe their music as “disgruntled Americana and country.” Jazz and ragtime pianist Terry Waldo and his Rum House Band will take the stage along with locals Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton and Feral Foster – two of the prominent folk artists arising from this new Brooklyn scene.  Feral plays host to a regularly scheduled “Roots and Ruckus” session at Jalopy.

The legendary Michael Hurley will be appearing on Friday night. A mainstay of the 60s and 70s Greenwich Village folk scene, Michael is now living in Oregon but is returning “home” for the fest. Michael’s highly entertaining music was often considered to be on the fringe of the folk scene, but he recorded some classic albums including a legendary collaboration with the Holy Modal Rounders. It is fitting to see Michael as part of the Brooklyn Folk Festival as he encompasses the spirit of individuality and creativity that is prevalent in the current folk Brooklyn folk scene.

Peter Stampfel
photo credit: Eli Smith

Michael Hurley is one of a handful of established artists who have been embraced by the Brooklyn folk scene and will be appearing at the festival.  Attending folk events in Brooklyn, one notices that there is a mix of generations attending these shows and it may be one of the few folk scenes in the country where the average age is closer to college years instead of retirement years. The “veterans” who appear regularly at the Brooklyn Folk Festival and places like Jalopy are not only respected, but welcomed into the fold. It is not unusual to see these artists playing together and learning from each other.  Peter Stampfel, a member of the aforementioned Holy Modal Rounders, has appeared regularly at Jalopy with his “Ether Frolic Mob” where they push the boundaries and shake the cobwebs out of the classics.   At this year’s Brooklyn Folk Festival, Peter will be appearing on Sunday evening with Jefferey Lewis, a local musician and comic book artist/writer who has recorded with Peter.

Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton
photo credit: Bill Steber

While it is still rather young and growing, the Brooklyn folk scene has put the spotlight on a number of outstanding musicians, some who are now gaining national attention.  At the top of the list is Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton. Any given performance from Jerron might include several old timey songs, country blues, early jazz and pop songs from the ’20s and ’30s, Irish jigs and more.  I find it hard to believe that Jerron is only 25 years old. The wealth of knowledge and the sheer number of songs that he knows is staggering. His virtuosity on instruments like the guitar, banjo and piano along with his vocal styling and stage presence makes each time he takes the stage an event. He dresses and uses the vernacular of the old-time country blues songsters with a dash of hokum that takes the audience back to a different era.  While his stage persona may be an act, the “Blind Boy” moniker is not.  Jerron has a congenital condition that has rendered him legally blind. His vision might be limited, but his musical skills, encyclopedic knowledge and gift of patter help paint a vivid picture of another time and place.  Born in South Central Los Angeles, Jerron is from Cajun descent and is part African-American and Native American, and he is also an Orthodox Jew. He discovered music through his parents and especially his grandparents and was exposed to a variety of styles. He picked up his first traditional instrument at the age of 12 and was absorbing a variety of traditional music styles. After graduating high school, he began attending Marist College before transferring to the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in Greenwich Village. He eventually dropped out as he had more of a desire to study early jazz and traditional music as opposed to the contemporary styles.  He is a rising “star” in folk circles and an artist that you do not want to miss.

Other locals who will be performing at this year’s festival include the Hoodoo Honeydrippers, the Whiskey Spitters, the Four O’Clock Flowers, Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues, Wyndham Baird and others. Artists traveling into town for the event include Bruce Molsky, Frank Fairfield, the Cactus Blossoms and Suzy and Eric Thompson.

Another crowd favorite is Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens. Naomi grew up in Alabama where she sang with her sisters in church. Naomi came to NYC in early 1960s and she found a gig singing soul/funk music at a Brooklyn night club. She would be rediscovered in the 1990s by Daptone Records who would release recordings of Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens. Their energetic and inspiring music will be heard on Saturday evening at this year’s festival.

With a “neighborhood” as diverse and culturally rich as Brooklyn, you can be certain that the folk music scene reflects the various styles and cultures that can be found in the borough. At this years festival you will hear Middle and Near Eastern music from Souren Baronian and Band, Mande Balafon music from Guinea as performed by Famoro Dioubate, Klezmer/Jewish music of Belarus from Litvakus as well as Hawaiian/tropical music by King Isto’s Tropical String Band.

John Cohen
photo credit : Eli Smith

This year’s festival will include a workshop titled Treasures from the Archive Roadshow produced by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress collections and celebrating the centennial of the birth of folklorist Alan Lomax. This workshop will take place on Sunday afternoon at 4:15pm that will be moderated by Folklife Center folklorist Nancy Groce. Panelists will include the Down Hill Strugglers, New Lost City Rambler /folklorist/photographer John Cohen, folklorist and musician Ernie Vega, and Grammy Award-winning musician and folklorist Art Rosenbaum. They will perform songs and tunes that can be found in the various collections at the American Folklife Center. There are plans to have The Roadshow tour the country this year, appearing at festivals, performing arts centers, colleges and universities. The Roadshow will also feature museum-style panel display with more information about the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.  Also on Sunday, there will be screenings of rare folk music films created by Alan Lomax.

There are a number of other interesting workshops scheduled over the course of the weekend including one called Folk City!, a look at the folk revival that took hold in 1930s in NYC. This workshop will be led by curator Stephen Petrus, from the Museum of the City of New York. The Museum is planning an exhibition on the folk revival that will open in June.

One of the most unique events is the infamous Banjo Toss. A procession will begin in front of the church on Sunday afternoon to the canal where participants will see who can toss a banjo the furthest in the Gowanus Canal. Yes, there are some who may find this offensive, but it is done with reverence and humor and could only happen in Brooklyn!

It may be cliche, but there is truly something for everyone at the Brooklyn Folk Festival. With the larger space, it is hopeful that more people will come to check out this amazing folk scene that is taking place. It may seem like a local secret right now, but I suspect that the great music being played in Brooklyn is due to be discovered by audiences across the country. For more information, visit their website at www.brooklynfolkfest.com.

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