Dear Friends,
On the road again...
I am delighted to be sharing some concerts with my dear friend and musical sister from a different mother, Deidre McCalla. We have been friends for nearly 25 years. And in the last three years we have been logging some road-time together and sharing some concerts. ALWAYS a joy.
Tonight (4-25-25) ~ at the Institute for the Musical Arts in Williamsburg, MA. And this one will be live-streamed!
April 25 ~ Joe Jencks & Deidre McCalla in Concert ~ IMA in Williamsburg, MA
Here is the link to the live-stream: https://www.youtube.com/live/NbqDXKCoyQk?si=BHXNKCTo9p0bBUjQ
Additional Concert dates upcoming both solo and with Deidre:
April 26 ~ Joe Jencks & Deidre McCalla in Concert ~ Old Sloop Concerts - Rockport, MA
April 27 ~ Joe Jencks & Deidre McCalla in Concert ~ UU Church of Worcester, MA
May 1 ~ Joe Jencks in Concert ~ Just Right Concerts - Browntown, VA
May 3 ~ Joe Jencks in Concert w/ the D.C. Labor Chorus, Washington, D.C.
May 10 ~ Joe Jencks in Concert ~ Kingston Earth Fair - Kingston, NY
May 15 ~ Utah Philips Tribute & 90th Birthday Celebration at Caffe Lena (Joe Jencks, Rik Palieri, Debra Cowan, Carol Crittenden) ***This concert will also be Live-Streamed on Caffe Lena TV
May 16 ~ Joe Jencks in Concert (Immigrant Rights Benefit) All Souls UU, Brattleboro, VT
May 17 ~ Joe Jencks in Concert ~ Mt. Toby Concerts ~ Leverett, MA
Short Newsletter this time. On the move. Still recovering from the shouldr surgery - but making slow and steady progress. (For which I am grateful).
More info on the May concerts forthcoming. But a few highlights for the moment:
I am headed to South Africa for the first time in late May and into early June. I will write more about that soon, but suffice it to say that i am thrilled ot be visiting the homeland of some of my heroes - including Steve Biko and Nelson Mandela. And to be in a place where people sing in such marvelous ways. Stunnign music and a rich history of Civil Rights and Human Liberation. I am excited to continue being a student of this remarkable nation and their culture, music, and history.
May 3rd, I am honored to share a concert with the D.C. Labor Chorus and SOng Rise in Washington, D.C. This will be an amazing event. If you live in the region - please help spread the word.
Last but not least...
I got a notion in my head a couple years ago that we should have a table at Caffe Lena, named after Utah Phillips. He was friends with Lena, and an integral part of the tapestry of the Caffe Community for decades. MANY thanks to all who pitched in on raising the needed funds for naming the table in his honor. We will formally unveil it on May 15th - Utah's 90th Birthday. And further celebrate with a concert featuring yours truly, Debra Cown, Carol Crittenden, and Rik Palieri. More info is on the Caffe Lena website - and this show will be livestreamed on Caffe Lena TV. I am proud and honored to have a chance to celebrate one of my musical mentors and friends in this way and grateful to Carol, Debra, and Rik for signing on to help out.
A few words here from Utah Phillips:
“Kids are born with a bridge between world time and dream time. And they wander back and forth over that bridge at will, and you never know which end of that bridge you're dealing with your kids at, either. You just gotta be willing to stand with them at that dream time end of the bridge instead of jerk-lining them like we do over to the world time side and then burning the bridge behind them on the presumption, I suppose, that facts are gonna save your ass. Have they? Ain't gonna! Takes a change of heart. And you only do that at the other end of the bridge.” ~ Utah Phillips
AMEN.
In Gratitude & Song,
~ Joe Jencks (4-25-25)
*
