The Mayor of Macdougal Street

by Van Ronk, Dave

• ISBN13: 9780306814792
• ISBN10: 030681479X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-03-06
• Publisher: Da Capo Pr

Summary

Dave Van Ronk (1936-2002) was one of the founding figures of the 1960s folk revival, but he was far more than that. A pioneer of modern acoustic blues, a fine songwriter and arranger, a powerful singer, and one of the most influential guitarists of the '60s, he was also a marvelous storyteller, a peerless musical historian, and one of the most quotable figures on the Village scene.The Mayor of MacDougal Streetis a first-hand account by a major player in the social and musical history of the '50s and '60s. It features encounters with young stars-to-be like Bob Dylan, Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, and Joni Mitchell, as well as older luminaries like Reverend Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt, and Odetta. Colorful, hilarious, and engaging,The Mayor of MacDougal Streetis a feast for anyone interested in the music, politics, and spirit of a revolutionary period in American culture

Author Biography

Dave Van Ronk (1936-2002) was one of the founding figures of the 1960s folk revival, but he was far more than that. A pioneer of modern acoustic blues, a fine songwriter and arranger, a powerful singer, and one of the most influential guitarists of the '60s, he was also a marvelous storyteller, a peerless musical historian, and one of the most quotable figures on the Village scene. The Mayor of MacDougal Street is a first-hand account by a major player in the social and musical history of the '50s and '60s. It features encounters with young stars-to-be like Bob Dylan, Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, and Joni Mitchell, as well as older luminaries like Reverend Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt, and Odetta. Elijah Wald wrote the acclaimed study of blues legend Robert Johnson, Escaping the Delta. He also wrote the biography Josh White: Society Blues and Narcocorrido: A Journey into the Music of Drugs, Guns, and Guerrillas. He lives in Los Angeles.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Foreword: Back in the Day	xi
Lawrence Block
Prehistory: Youth in the Outer Boroughs	1	(12)
Jazz Days	13	(14)
Folk Roots and Libertarian Anarchy	27	(14)
Washington Square and Beyond	41	(20)
The Guild and Caravan	61	(16)
Where the Real Money Was	77	(6)
Friends and Recordings	83	(16)
Lewis and Clark Revisited	99	(14)
California	113	(12)
The Commons and Gary Davis	125	(16)
The Gaslight	141	(16)
Changing of the Guard	157	(22)
The Blues Revival	179	(16)
The New Song Revolution	195	(16)
The Waning Days of Babylon	211	(14)
Last Call	225	(2)
Afterword	227	(6)
Elijah Wald
Index	233