From the Hills to the Coffeehouse 

An Exploration of American Folk Music

Often know as “traditional” or “roots music”, American Folk Music encompasses numerous genres, including bluegrass, country music, gospel, Appalachian folk, blues, Cajun and Native American music. The American folk music revival is a phenomenon in the United States that began during the 1940s and peaked in popularity in the mid-1960s, but in many ways has never lost its appeal. The Oxford Community Arts Center seems to be the center of a mini-revival…offering children’s Folk Music and Folk Guitar classes for children and Dulcimer classes for adults this spring (all taught by Susan Pepper).

Now an American Folk Songs concert on Wednesday, February 8th at 7:30 pm…. just for grins and a $5 suggested donation. American Folk Songs: From the Hills to the Coffeehouse features Oxfords own folk music historian, Allan Winkler and friends, Dave Edmundson, Jonathan Levy and Dennis Sullivan.

This diverse group of friends and musicians bring an interesting mix of talent, experience and personality to the concert. Distinguished, author, historian and professor at Miami University, and guitar player, Allan Winkler started the informal, un-named, ever-changing ensemble about a decade ago to play at Colligan History Series programs on the Hamilton Campus, wrote a book on folk legend Pete Seeger, and has shared his stories of stories of marathon jam sessions in the master’s living room and performed in Helsinki, Finland, Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaa, Tanzania on behalf of the U.S. State Department.

Banjo player, Dave Edmundson, who has been performing one kind or another of folk music in southwest Ohio since the mid ‘60s, travelled with his folk band Brothers Million to New York City to record Paul Simon’s . “Leaves That are Green Turned to Brown.

Dennis Sullivan, senior director for Miami’s Business International Programs, brings some big city sounds to the concert. During his student days he was as a folk singer in Greenwich Village, playing at some of the lesser-known Greenwich Village clubs, like Cyclop’s Cave and the Third Side, and met folk singer Phil Ochs.
Jonathan Levy, harmonica player, and geology professor, just happens to be the youngest of the group. Levy says he likes to play blues, rock, reggae and bluegrass and confesses that although he doesn’t play much folk, he “did once see James Taylor at an airport.” 

The Oxford Community Arts Center is located at 10 South College Avenue in Oxford, OH. For additional information please visit www.oxarts.org , call 513-524-8506 or email info@oxarts.org,