Bob Franke
Legendary songwriter of wise and spiritually generous songs

May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society
3800 East Genesee St, Syracuse, N.Y.
(just inside the Syracuse city limits from Dewitt)

Friday, May 16, 2008
8 p.m. / $12.
For reservations, email tickets@folkus.org or call (315) 440-7444.

Bob Franke is at the peak of his considerable craft, brimming with the wise and spiritually generous songs for which he is best known. His are the kind of songs that really do have the power to change the world by being taken into the lives of people. Franke often deals with political and personal themes, touching hearts with his emotionally driven, yet understated songs. He also excels at inspirational tunes that carry a strong message without being preachy. The deep compassion and humility of Franke's songwriting makes him a moving performer.

"It's his integrity. I always think of Bob as if Emerson and Thoreau had picked up acoustic guitars and gotten into songwriting." -- Tom Paxton

Many of Franke's songs, such as "Hard Love" and "Beggars to God," are considered classics, fueled by his deep faith and the life lessons learned from his 30-odd years of playing everywhere from concert halls to street corners. Acclaimed by his peers as a "songwriter's songwriter," Franke has written songs that have been recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary as well as David Wilcox, John McCutcheon, Sally Rogers, Lui Collins, Garnet Rogers, and June Tabor. Perhaps more important, they've been sung in song circles, at weddings, at funerals, and around campfires all over the world. Seasoned veterans and novices alike are drawn to the complex, warm-hearted spirituality and captivatingly clear-cut melodies of Franke's songs.

" . . . a singer-songwriter unsurpassed for his lyrical grace . . . one of our wisest and most spiritually graceful songwriters." -- The Boston Globe

Franke began his career as a singer-songwriter in 1965 while a student at the University of Michigan. He was one of the first to perform at the now famous Ark Coffeehouse in Ann Arbor. After graduating in 1969 with a degree in English literature, he moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has made New England his home. Franke has recorded a number of albums with much well-deserved critical acclaim. "Brief Histories" was named one of the ten best albums of 1989 by Boston Globe critic Scott Alarik and was nominated as an Outstanding Folk Album by the 1990 Boston Music Awards. "In This Night" was named #1 Acoustic Recording of 1991 by WUMB-FM (Boston) and was nominated as Outstanding Folk Album by the 1992 Boston Music Awards. His "The Heart of the Flower," was named one of the Boston Globe's top ten folk albums of 1995 and "Long Roads, Short Visits" became one of WUMB-FM Boston’s top ten recordings of 1997. Among his live radio credits are A Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage, Our Front Porch, Sandy Bradley's Potluck, Folk Scene, West Coast Weekend, and Bound for Glory.

"...a standard of songs that most writers can only dream about, and admire in drop-jawed silence." -- Folk Roots

When he isn't writing or touring, Franke leads workshops in songwriting at music festivals and music camps. He was the artistic director of the Singer-Songwriter Project of 1999's Bethlehem Steel Festival. In August of 1990 Bob wrote a set of songs for a ballet of "The Velveteen Rabbit," commissioned by the ODC Dance Company of San Francisco. He has composed three cantatas and a number of hymns for the Church of St. Andrew in Marblehead, Mass. He wrote a harvest cantata for the Marblehead Eco-Farm in 1996.

"In the folk singer-songwriter realm, Franke is simply the best." -- Express, Berkeley, CA

The Folkus Project's new songwriter series . . .

Top musicians from Central New York share their original songs. Featured this month . . .

Colin Aberdeen

Jazz Central
441 E. Washington Street, Syracuse

Thursday, May 22, 2008
7:30 p.m. (doors open at 7) / $7
For reservations, email showcase@wordsandmusic.info.

Sponsored by the Folkus Project, the Words and Music Songwriter Showcase series features established and emerging artists of all genres in an up-close-and-personal acoustic setting.

"This region has so many talented and creative musicians who don't find enough opportunities to share their original music in a real listening-room atmosphere," says series host Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, a singer-songwriter, author (Rock Troubadours), NPR contributor (All Things Considered), and founding editor of Acoustic Guitar magazine. "This series is all about celebrating and building the music community."

Each monthly show includes a featured artist performing a full set, plus four songwriters in the round; plus special guests...surprise collaborations...and the Soundbite of the Night, where Rodgers shares a memorable moment from his extraordinary archive of interviews with artists such as Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Jerry Garcia, Ani DiFranco, and Dave Matthews.

Appearing on May 22 are:

Colin Aberdeen founded two award-winning Central New York bands: the raucous old-time blues band the Westcott Jugsuckers, the first band to play the world-famous Dinosaur BBQ, and Los Blancos, which performs what is referred to as "a mongrel mix of American roots music." Aberdeen plays blues, rags, and originals and has toured all over the country and as far away as Australia sharing his love of American roots music. He has performed with musical luminaries such as Hubert Sumlin, David Bromberg, Roy Book Binder, Terrance Simien, Bernard Allison, Ronnie Earl, Merl Saunders, Double Trouble, and Govt. Mule. www.myspace.com/losblancos

Mark Nanni has played keyboard and accordion with Los Blancos for ten years. He also performs with his own band, The Intention, as well as playing solo piano gigs, recording, producing, and teaching. www.myspace.com/marknanni

Willie "Taters" Mavins is a singer and songwriter who performs with the band Quick Change the acoustic duo Ken and Willie. For ten years he hosted the open mic at Syracuse's famed Orange Grove.

Rory O'Bannion is a folk-rock songwriter whose influences include the Beatles, Tommy Makem, Bob Dylan, and Richard Thompson. He performs regularly in Central New York region and occasionally in the Boston/New England area. www.myspace.com/roryob

Host Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers is a singer-songwriter, author, and contributor to NPR’s All Things Considered. Music journalist Andy Ellis (Guitar Player, Frets) calls Rodgers’ brand-new solo CD, Humming My Way Back Home, “folk music with a serrated edge...a magical blend of storytelling and driving flattop guitar.” www.jeffreypepperrodgers.com

For artist links and song samples, updates, and more details, see: www.myspace.com/wordsandmusicshowcase

The Words and Music Songwriter Showcase is a program of the CNY Jazz Arts Foundation, and is made possible with funds from the DeFrancisco Arts and Cultural and Heritage Grants of the Cultural Resources Council.