News
Happy Holidays & Tour News !
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Dear Friends,
Happy Holidays!
I hope this finds you well and in good spirits! I myself am filled with a sense of deep gratitude at the moment. As my 15th year on the road full-time comes to a close, I reflect on the countless communities and people with whom I have shared the journey. I ponder friends new and old, and remember those who have passed. It is a gift and a blessing to be a thread in the great tapestry of Folk music. And I thank you for another exceptional year on the road.
I used to pray for fewer problems. I think I have come to understand that it is probably more useful to pray for greater capacity, for the ability to handle whatever comes my way. Every year on this journey brings new challenges, and still every year brings new mentors and more people from whom I learn, and with whom I share the challenges.
I am grateful for my family, my friends, and my band-mates. And I am grateful for the multitude of volunteers that make the Folk universe function. From running the concerts and booking the acts, to managing PR, setting up the sound system and tearing it back down again at midnight, setting up chairs, baking brownies and carrot cake, hosting performers in your homes, selling our music and singing our songs, and the DJs who keep Folk music alive on the airwaves; you are the axis around which the world of Folk turns. None of us would be doing this without you. Thank you!!!
We said goodbye to some heroes and mentors this year, chief among them for me, my uncle Bob and Pete Seeger. I will miss them both in different ways, as will many. My uncle Bob really introduced me to the great tradition of Folk singer-songwriters. I owe him a lot. And part of how I pay that forward is by doing my best to honor the spirit of Pete, in my work and life. I have included here a link here to a song I wrote in honor of Pete, for those that missed it earlier in the year.
(Uncle Bob & Aunt Beryl in FL a few years back.)
(Pete Seeger in 1955, testifying before congress.)
2016 promises many good things. But there’s still a few joyous occasions remaining yet this year. Please look at the gig calendar below for both Solo and Brother Sun concert dates near you: Chicago, Seattle, Vashon Island, Port Townsend, Victoria BC, New England, Florida, Alabama, and more.
Also, for those still considering traveling with me to Ireland next October, I have a handful of slots left on the trip, but they are going fast. If you are interested in visiting Ireland with a small group focused on music, culture, and lesser-known historical sights, this may be the trip for you. Please send inquiries to joe@joejencks.com, and put Ireland 2015 in the title.
(Fuchsia in Ireland)
Last but not least, I would like to wish you and yours a blessed and peaceful holiday season. Ever mindful of the many who hunger not just for food or shelter, but also for safety, equity, and justice, I pray for the continued opening of hearts and minds that we may reach for a society that leans ever more toward compassion, empathy and understanding.
As we celebrate light in the darkness with Christmas Trees, Chanukah Lights, Solstice Celebrations and Yuletide Fires, may the light of hope and love be present in your heart and in your home.
Yours in Song,
-Joe Jencks
Happy Holidays!
I hope this finds you well and in good spirits! I myself am filled with a sense of deep gratitude at the moment. As my 15th year on the road full-time comes to a close, I reflect on the countless communities and people with whom I have shared the journey. I ponder friends new and old, and remember those who have passed. It is a gift and a blessing to be a thread in the great tapestry of Folk music. And I thank you for another exceptional year on the road.
I used to pray for fewer problems. I think I have come to understand that it is probably more useful to pray for greater capacity, for the ability to handle whatever comes my way. Every year on this journey brings new challenges, and still every year brings new mentors and more people from whom I learn, and with whom I share the challenges.
I am grateful for my family, my friends, and my band-mates. And I am grateful for the multitude of volunteers that make the Folk universe function. From running the concerts and booking the acts, to managing PR, setting up the sound system and tearing it back down again at midnight, setting up chairs, baking brownies and carrot cake, hosting performers in your homes, selling our music and singing our songs, and the DJs who keep Folk music alive on the airwaves; you are the axis around which the world of Folk turns. None of us would be doing this without you. Thank you!!!
We said goodbye to some heroes and mentors this year, chief among them for me, my uncle Bob and Pete Seeger. I will miss them both in different ways, as will many. My uncle Bob really introduced me to the great tradition of Folk singer-songwriters. I owe him a lot. And part of how I pay that forward is by doing my best to honor the spirit of Pete, in my work and life. I have included here a link here to a song I wrote in honor of Pete, for those that missed it earlier in the year.
2016 promises many good things. But there’s still a few joyous occasions remaining yet this year. Please look at the gig calendar below for both Solo and Brother Sun concert dates near you: Chicago, Seattle, Vashon Island, Port Townsend, Victoria BC, New England, Florida, Alabama, and more.
Also, for those still considering traveling with me to Ireland next October, I have a handful of slots left on the trip, but they are going fast. If you are interested in visiting Ireland with a small group focused on music, culture, and lesser-known historical sights, this may be the trip for you. Please send inquiries to joe@joejencks.com, and put Ireland 2015 in the title.
Last but not least, I would like to wish you and yours a blessed and peaceful holiday season. Ever mindful of the many who hunger not just for food or shelter, but also for safety, equity, and justice, I pray for the continued opening of hearts and minds that we may reach for a society that leans ever more toward compassion, empathy and understanding.
As we celebrate light in the darkness with Christmas Trees, Chanukah Lights, Solstice Celebrations and Yuletide Fires, may the light of hope and love be present in your heart and in your home.
Yours in Song,
-Joe Jencks