Dear Friends In Music,

As 2021 winds down, I am keenly aware of the strength and joy of community, the extraordinary power of music, and the sadness in my heart for those friends who are no longer with us. To dwell in loss is to miss the present moment. To ignore the solemnity of the moment is to not really be paying attention. Striking a balance, that is the key. To that end, I light candles every morning and remember those who are in my heart that day, those who are struggling, those who bring joy to my life, those who have passed, and those people and things for whom and which I remain genuinely grateful.

The music world lost some giants this year from Folk artists such as Anne Feeney, Nanci Griffith, Bill Staines, Scott Alarik, and Paddy Maloney (The Chieftains) to more widely known composers and performers like Stephen Sondheim, Charlie Watts, Don Everly, and Jazz songwriter Dave Frishberg. I have many friends and a couple family members who were on this planet a year ago, who are now gone. But I think Phil Ochs summed it up well in his song, When I’m Gone.

There's no place in this world where I'll belong when I'm gone
And I won't know the right from the wrong when I'm gone
And you won't find me singin' on this song when I'm gone
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here

To that end, I will keep singing on these songs!

Friday December 10th, 8:00 PM CT / 9:00 PM ET/ etc. Adjust for your time zone.
LIVE and Livestreamed from Two Way Street Coffee House in Downers Grove, IL Ticketing and streaming links can be found on their website: https://twowaystreet.org
Special Guest – Taiwanese Ruan player and fabulous musician, Tzu-Tsen Wu. We discovered in rehearsal that the Ruan and the Bouzouki are tuned exactly the same!

Saturday December 18th at 7:30 PM ET/ 6:30 CT/ etc. Adjust for your time zone.
Joe Jencks ~ On A Midwinter’s Night ~ Annual Holiday Concert
LIVE & Livestreamed from 6 On The Square in Oxford, NY
https://www.6onthesquare.org
*** Please note, Nancy Morey will be checking the reservations up to and during the show – but to make her life easier, PLEASE reserve your ticket link at least 2 hours before showtime if possible. Sliding scale for the Live-Stream, pay what you can. This concert will be broadcast on Zoom, not YouTube, FYI. So, you will need to get the link in advance. A few in-person tickets are still available if you want to and are able to be in the live audience.

New music, old favorites, good community, and genuine camaraderie. May your holiday season be filled with all of these and more. May you know more joy than sorrow, may you find moments of peace, and may you hold gratitude as a true companion.

Thank you for your many forms of kindness and support, and for counting me as part of your community, just as I continue count you as part of mine.

Happy Holidays,

~ Joe Jencks (12-10-21)



PS. My radio show, My Highway Home, Episode 3.9 ~ Songs and Stories of The Season will broadcast on Folk Music Notebook this Sunday – December 12th at 6:00 PM ET & again at 11:00 PM ET (3:00 PM PT & 8:00 PM PT) Adjust for your time zone. The show will re-broadcast on Wednesday December 15th at 12 Noon ET/ 9:00 AM PT www.folkmusicnotebook.com

PPS. Save the date: January 6th, 2022 at Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, NY: Joe Jencks & Crys Matthews LIVE in Concert. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/joe-jencks-and-crys-matthews-tickets-220134065917


A happy 2021 memory... Rock Pond, Pharaoh Lakes Wilderness - in the Adirondacks

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