Joe Jencks ~ 2018 April 8 ~ Woods Hole Folk Music Series ~ Woods Hole, MA
Joe Jencks accompanying himself on guitar and bouzouki
Set List
Working for the Railway - Let Me Sing You A Song - Let It Rain - Automechanically Declined - song for Martin Luther King (title unknown) - Who Will Speak For Me - Shuttle and Loom - instrumental (bouzouki) - One Piece At A Time - Going Home - Everybody Sings The Blues ... intermission ... St. Christopher - a cappella Irish ballad (title unknown) - Why Are The Guns Still Firing - I Have Seen Freedom Being Born - Goodnight Irene - Rose of Tralee - Given Myself To Love - Lady of the Harbor - Fireflies ... encore ... What a Wonderful World
This setlist has also been posted to www.setlist.fm. Song title corrections are welcome.
Review
Joe Jencks was a member of the extraordinary folk trio known as Brother Sun. Now that that trio is no more, Joe is carrying on their tradition of well-sung, melodic, touching, meaningful, and sometimes funny folk tunes.
Joe accompanied himself on guitar and on bouzouki, an instrument that looked somewhat like a guitar but had a sweet, trebly tone something like a mandocello. He also sang a cappella on one or two songs, and played one instrumental on the bouzouki.
The 21 song set included solo songs by Joe, including one that he had just written (a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.), songs by Brother Sun, and a rich variety of covers, including a heartfelt, beautiful rendition of Louis Armstrong's "Wonderful World" as the encore. Joe has many strengths, ranging from his very strong vocal delivery, reminding me of Vance Gilbert, his musicianship on both instruments, and the sincerity and joy in his delivery. He told wonderful stories, ranging from a humorous tale of his father trying to explain to him as a child how an internal combustion engine works, to the other extreme, a story of his participation in a musical workshop for wounded veterans. Joe also has the look, with long curly hair cascading down his back; and he boasted to the audience that he has lost 30 pounds since the start of the calendar year.
This was the last concert for the season at the Woods Hole Folk Music Society, and unfortunately the management of the series has decided that next season will be their last. It takes dedicated people to keep a series like this going, and the Woods Hole folks have done a marvelous job for almost 40 years.
Click for 2018 Concert Page with links to all 2018 concerts ... Click for Main Concert Page with links to all years