Jon Stein |
You
just never know about some folks. Take Jon Stein, for instance.
Within the community at large, he's known as the Jon Stein in "Jon
Stein Piano Services." For two decades, Jon's been providing the
greater Hudson Valley with quality piano tuning, repair, regulating,
and appraisal. Within the local radio community, Stein is known as
the host of the Hootenanny Cafe, a weekly folk music show on WTBQ,
1110 AM. Then there's the world of local live music venues, and Jon
Stein's name pops up again. He's the concert coordinator for
Bodles Opera House
in Chester. My grandmother would have said: "He has his
finger in lots of pots." Gramps might have called him a "dabbler."
Mike Taplinger |
E.C. Lorick |
And, sure enough, Jon's dabbling doesn't stop there. He and a number
of his musician friends showed up on the Bodles stage on May 10th to
open for Tom Rowe and the
Turkey Hollow Consort.
They called
themselves "Folk 'n' Stein," and the enthusiastic crowd enjoyed yet
another side of Jon Stein: the man, the myth, the singer, the
songwriter, and yes, the dabbler. As it turns out, in another life,
Jon wrote and recorded two folk albums: a cassette release entitled
"Ramblin'," and before that, in 1985, an actual long playing record
album called "Sailing Home." (If you don't know what a record album
is, you might be able to see one on display at the Smithsonian!)
Tom Walker |
Kathy Romanoski |
Folk 'n' Stein opened with a powerful original called "Thunder and
Lightening," and their set list included a warm mix of originals and
traditional favorites. Vocalist, Kathy Romanoski, drummer, Tom
Walker, and bass player, E.C. Lorick provided beautiful back-up
harmonies, and lead guitarist, Mike Taplinger played some of the most
tasteful and appropriate licks I've heard in a long time. What's next
for Jon Stein? Who knows? But I suspect that a dabbler's job is
never done.
Tom Rowe |
Folky folks know Tom Rowe. Really folky folks probably know Tom's son,
David,
too. Four years ago, they teamed up and began performing
together, Dad on bass, and David on guitar, banjo, and mandolin.
Their first album together is entitled "Rowe by Rowe." Accomplished
guitarist, Denny Breau played with Tom in high school (Back when there
were lots of record albums!), and so adding him to the "consort" was a
natural fit.
Denny Breau & David Rowe |
Turkey Hollow Consort covered all the bases, playing just the right
mix of originals and tried-and-true crowd pleasers. The banter was
both genuine and entertaining, and the crowd at Bodles was loath to
let them pack up and drive home to Maine.
Kevin Robinson
is a freelance writer/photographer, and
the author of three "Stick Foster" hardback mystery novels.
A former syndicated columnist for
the Detroit Free Press, his byline has appeared over 100 times in
national and regional periodicals. Kevin is a partner at
No Bull Productions,
and his PR credits include promotion and
booking work for several of Kansas City's top blues bands. Kevin can
be reached at nobull@NoBullProductions.com.
|
Ellie Apuzzo owns and operates
Ellie's Consider It Done.
She provides
"on-site oversight for absentee owners" here in the Florida
Keys; and so far, this lifelong New Yorker just can't seem to
get into "Keys time!" Ellie can be reached at
ellie@elliesconsideritdone.com.
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