PocoNotes Newsletter 2013-1: April, 2013

Hey, all! We just returned from Fur Peace Ranch guitar camp in Pomeroy, Ohio, where we spent 72 hours with three of the biggest names in the music world – Jorma Kaukonen, Steve Earle and G. E. Smith…AND Martin Guitar reps, Dick Boak and Craig Thatcher…AND 30 of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. Although it was our eighth and ninth trips (respectively), it was the first time we were there when the temperatures weren’t 100 degrees in the shade. In fact, quite to the contrary, it snowed…but with the good company, awesome food and incredible music, the weather didn’t make a bit of difference. Still, hopefully, by the time you receive this, Spring will finally have sprung in your neck of the woods – and, like us, you’ll soon be trading cold Winter evenings of hibernation for hot Summer nights of good music with good friends.

Here at PocoNotes, we are launching the Summer of 2013 with some old friends of our own when Jim Gavenus and Roy Book Binder join us at another old "friend", Scranton’s historic Tripp House, on June 22nd and 23rd with a very special case of the “Summertime Blues”…The Faces and Voices of The Blues…Too, to be exact.

For those of you who don’t know the back story, this is our first ever “second annual” event…prompted – initially – by a case of insomnia that led NOT to counting sheep but to counting memories that this journey we call “PocoNotes” has brought into our lives. So…a few telephone calls were made, pieces fell into place and it was so well received that we immediately decided to…do it again! The best thing about “second chances” is the opportunity to repeat the things that worked really well, tweak a few things that can be done even better…and give Jim and Roy each a chance to show what they do best by broadening the scope to include folk, ragtime, bluegrass, country…and rock ‘n’ roll-ing out another artistic masterpiece.

Our “Faces” artist, Jim Gavenus, is someone that we met early in this journey…and we instantly knew he was a star! So, it was only a matter of time before we found a way to add his incredible visual art to what we are doing musically. For those of you who don’t know Jim, he is an acclaimed documentary photographer whose work is exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide…and, most recently, seen by an estimated 40 million viewers on The 55th Annual Grammy Awards. His intimate and poignant images and storytelling cover a wide range of subjects and have earned him the Gordon Parks Documentary Photographer of the Year Award, as well as an esteemed place in the North Carolina Bluegrass Hall of Fame. With an emphasis on the music industry, Jim has photographed more than 30 Hall of Fame musicians on – and behind – some of the finest stages in the music world, and his images appear for Sony Music, Columbia Records, Lost Highway Records, Merlefest and FarmAid. He travels extensively to lecture, exhibit and expand his portfolio…and is passing his passion for photography along to his students at Luzerne County Community College as well as through innovative photography workshops. In fact, one of Jim’s students, Chad Casterline, has been PocoNotes’ go-to photographer since we first met him in 2007 photographing - of all people - Roy Book Binder. Coincidentally, Chad and Roy also share an October 5th birthday. Cool, huh?

We met our “Voices” musician, Roy Book Binder, at Fur Peace Ranch in 2007…and this is his “hat trick” appearance for PocoNotes. Of course, when he ISN’T playing for us (smile), he is touring the world with countless Blues legends and, after 50 years…and still going strong, he has become a legend himself. In fact, it’s been said that, in his travels, Roy has seen millions of faces…and has rocked them all. “The Book” learned his craft from Reverend Gary Davis, the blind Harlem street preacher and musical mentor to numerous Blues lovers. He has shared the stage with notables such as Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King, John Jackson, Sonny Terry, Doc Watson, Ray Charles, Brownie McGhee and Hot Tuna. He has appeared on TNN’s “Nashville Now” over 30 times with the best that the world of country music has to offer and has performed at hundreds of festivals over the years, including The National Storytelling Festival, The Chicago Blues Festival, The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, The King Biscuit Blues Festival, The 50th Annual Philadelphia Folk Festival and, for nearly two decades, at Merlefest as the host of the Acoustic Blues Stage. Roy is listed in the “Book of Blues Who’s Who” and is a master storyteller with an eclectic body of work that covers not only the Blues but also country, bluegrass, ragtime, folk and popular songs that originated in the legendary Tin Pan Alley. 

Yes...separately and together, Jim and Roy are more than just “Faces” and “Voices”…more than just The Blues…and, most importantly, more than merely our friends. They are two of our personal heroes, so it's an honor to create an event that will showcase their talent and combined years of dedication to bringing the music forward from its humble origins to the present - and future - generations. 

Since the devil is in the details…here are some details for you to ponder:

The photo exhibit, which is free and open to the public, can be viewed on Saturday from 12:00 Noon to 6:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 12:00 Noon to 4:00 p.m. It will feature iconic images from Jim’s extensive portfolio and will debut several acquisitions from his most recent photo shoots. If all goes according to plan, Jim will also add a special element that will help his images tell their stories (as if they don’t already do a great job all by themselves!) Jim has also graciously agreed to add a photography workshop to the weekend’s events, which is scheduled for Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will also be free and open to the public…of all ages and levels of experience. Just let us know that you’re coming…so that we can be plan accordingly.

Wait…there’s more!

In the spirit of HOW this music came about, we will be hosting “Porch Time” on Saturday afternoon from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and invite any and all of you to bring an instrument, pull up a chair and “pick and grin” with Jim and Roy as they bring the music to life through songs and stories. Then, you can plan to stick around…because Saturday evening will be all about Roy’s concert when the doors will open at 7:30 p.m. for his 8:00 p.m. all-ages show. Then, everyone is invited to return on Sunday afternoon when Roy leads a guitar workshop from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. that is - yep - free and open to the public and geared toward aspiring guitarists of any skill level or simply enthusiasts interested in learning more about this master’s “tales from the road.” 

Okay…now for ticket information.

To start, they are on sale - right now - at www.PocoNotes.com or (888) 800-POCO and will be available - shortly - in Downtown Scranton at Nada & Co. at 137 Wyoming Avenue and at Duffy Accessories at 218 Linden Street. They are $25 in advance for adults; however, in light of our commitment to all-ages, multi-generational events, we are offering Seniors and Students a “two-fer” discount of 2 for $25…with no charge for children 12 years old and younger who attend with an accompanying adult. In addition, to show our gratitude for their dedication and service to our country, we are inviting all members of the military and their families to attend as our guests…and, if we know in advance, we will be sure to give them preferred seating, too. However, speaking of seats…since our shows are intended to be intimate listening events, seating at the Tripp House will be extremely limited…so we hope that you’ll get your tickets early. Any remaining tickets – if there ARE any remaining tickets - will be sold at the door for $30. However, wherever you buy them, be sure to see us at the event to get your PocoNotes Loyalty Card punched...or, if you haven't received one, just let us know and we'll "catch you up" on prior purchases. 

One final - and important - note is that this project is supported in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, which is administered by The Pocono Arts Council, as well as by a Lackawanna County Arts and Culture Grant, a program of the Lackawanna County Commissioners and the Lackawanna County Council on Arts, Culture and Education This is powerful stuff for two people, who are simply trying to do their part to make the world a kinder place…through music!! 

For more information about who we are, what we are doing – and why, stop by www.PocoNotes.com or visit us on Facebook. If you’d like to know more about the artists, you can find Jim at www.GavenusPhoto.com and Roy at www.RoyBookBinder.com. For more information about the cool venue, stop by www.TrippHouse.com. Of course, you can always call us (888) 800-POCO (7626) with questions. We'd love to hear from you.

That's it! Thank you for ALL of the respect you've already shown the local, regional and touring musicians we've hosted. Regardless of whether they travel by tour bus, church bus or Greyhound bus, they deserve - and have - all of our support in an industry that's getting increasingly difficult to navigate every day. Simply by attending a live event, you become part of a musician's journey. You're already part of ours!

Be good to each other...and we'll see you at the show!

Peace...really!

Dolores & Pat "It's About the Music!"

"Music is a moral law.  It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, and life to everything.”
~ Plato


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