Pete Seeger, Natalie Merchant, Jay Unger, Molly Mason (this SUNDAY!)

[mdmc]

http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2006/05/19/features_goentertainment-19gomusic-05-19.html

Seeger, Natalie Merchant, Molly Mason, Jay Ungar and others will perform at the Ulster Performing Arts Center Sunday in a benefit for Bill Vanaver, who recently suffered a heart attack. Vanaver and his wife Livia are the founders and choreographers of the Vanaver Caravan, which educates through music and dance. He was also Merchant's "American Folk Music and Dance" professor at Bard College. Proceeds from the show will go to Vanaver and his wife.

If you Go! ...

What: Natalie Merchant, Pete Seeger, Jay Ungar, Molly Mason and others

Where: Ulster Performing Arts Center, 601 Broadway, Kingston

When: 7 p.m. May 21

Tickets: $50

Call: 339-6088

Visit: www.upac.org

[OneBlueSky]

1. great show . . . but don't expect much singing from Pete . . .

I ran into Pete at a Clearwater festival about ten years ago, after not having seen him for several years, and he told me then that his voice was "90% shot" . . . as he confirms in the linked article . . .

"I don't have much voice left, but there are a few songs I hope to get the audience singing. What I do is what they call in church "lining out the hymn." I give the words to the crowd and they sing the song and I play their accompaniment."

so Pete will be the chorus leader, and you'll the chorus . . . come to think of it, that's what he does best, so go and enjoy if you're in the area . . . :)

[mdmc]

2. pete actually sang at my church fundraiser

he no longer does all the pitch parts of "in the jungle the mighty jungle the lion sleeps tonight" but he still performs.

I think that his voice has gotten better in the last decade. He was really suffering from lyme disease back then.

He plays all the time in the area. We usually help with the singing!

Thanks for the post. I'll let ya know how the show was.

peace!

[OneBlueSky]

3. glad to hear he got some of his voice back . . .

for Pete, singing is like breathing -- something he MUST do . . . I know for a time he had Tao doing the vocals while he strummed, so if he's gotten enough voice back to actually sing in public, that's great! . . . should add several years to his life . . . :)

PLEASE report back on the show . . . I'd love to hear about it . . . (I'd attend myself, but my car would never make that trip) . . .