Dear Friends in Music,

It is my honor and joy to return to Caffe Lena this week for two concerts on Saturday, May 4th. Star Wars Day! May the Fourth be with you! I remember seeing all three original trilogy films in the theater as a kid. A hopeful, heroic story where good, hard-working people triumph over the advance of Totalitarianism and Fascism. Hmmm….Still seems like a useful story.

On May 4th, I’ll be offering a free “Little Folks” show at Caffe Lena at 3:00 PM and a full concert at 8:00 PM. Many thanks to all of the staff and volunteers who keep the wheels on the bus at Caffe Lena. It is the oldest continuously-operating Folk music coffeehouse in the country. Always a marvelous experience. The evening concert will be live-streamed as well, so, if you can’t make it to Saratoga Springs, NY, you can still join us. Go to https://www.caffelena.org for information about how to tap into the stream. I’ll also be debuting a brand-new song!

On Sunday, May 5th, at 4:00 PM, I’ll be performing for Music at The Ridge concert series. It is a marvelous new Folk music series in Danbury, CT. https://musicattheridge.org. Check out their whole lineup. They have some marvelous performers rolling through.

The next two weeks will have me sharing concerts with my beloved friend and colleague, Deidre McCalla. We’re calling this The Allies Tour. Aptly named; we are indeed genuine allies and friends. It’s always a privilege to make music with Deidre. We share songs, harmonies, and plenty of good laughs. We’re doing five concerts on this swing:

5-9-24 ~ Flying Cat Concerts in Indianapolis, IN
5-10-24 ~ The Ark in Ann Arbor, MI
5-11-24 ~ Six String Concerts in Columbus, OH
5-18-24 ~ Renaissance Concerts in Hinsdale, IL
5-19-24 ~ Madison Folk Music Society, Madison, WI

Full concert listings and links can be found under Tour Dates on: https://www.joejencks.com/calendar

On Sunday, May 26th, I will be helping to remember Rev. Charlie Sumners at the Kerrville Folk Festival. A genuine friend and stalwart advocate for so many people over his amazing life.

I hope you had a good May Day. Whether you celebrate International Workers’ Memorial Day, Beltane (one of the four cardinal Celtic/Pagan holidays), or other traditions, I hope the advance of Spring into Summer is bringing you joy! Some good walks in nature have been helping me center in the wonders of the natural world. Good food, good friends, good music, and time connecting to the Earth are a guaranteed way for me to find hopefulness and strength. May this month bring those things to you in abundance.

In Gratitude & Song,

~ Joe Jencks