Review of Jonny hahn's "Thinking Without A Permit"

     This year I saw Johnny at Folk Life along with a standing room only crowd
in the Center House Theatre. Often Johnny sings quietly on the street, so
 the percussiveness of the piano dominates his performances. It was a
treat to hear Johnny mic'd and to know exactly what he's saying. You can
also hear Jonny singing on his new CD "Speaking Without a Permit"
        While Jonny's piano playing is often upbeat and whimsical, but his lyrics
are often serious. He is an uncompromising critic of the powers that be
Politics are very important to Jonny. And his songs reflect this. On the
first track, "Marching Off to the Middle East" he comments on the
changing rationales for the Iraq War. On "You've Got My Attention" he
comments on how 911 has been exploited by authorities. "So now a person
becomes suspect/If he's a muslim if she protests." On "Spy on You" Jonny
sarcastically states "I'll spy on you if you spy on me" and for one tune
he pretends to be Dick Cheney.
        Johnny shows his tender side on "The Magic In You," a song of reminiscent
love. On "Stop the World," he gets in touch with nature. "There's a
creature here I've never ever seen before/Black body, red legs right out
of ancient lore/Now mind you I ain't scared but I just did see/Two
fearsome looking beetles staring straight back out at me/" And on the
hilarious "Little Mouse" he directs his ire at an unwelcome housemate who
leaves evidence of her presence in his silverware drawer. Plays the
keyboard as if he is trying to imitate a mouse's foot steps.
        Music is also important to Jonny, so much so that he realeases
instrumental albums and plays in a variety of styles. On "Post Election
George W. Bush Blues" he mixes a western saloon sound with a swing beat.
This piece could get you dancing. Or get you riled up at "W"
        On "Living In A Fog" Jonny juxtaposes bass and treble notesin contrasting
rhytm. It creates the illusion that people are playing piano together.
                The closing number, "Say it over and Over" is like a mantra put to music
with extensive soloing, "Trust will enter our lives/Justice will walk
with us/"
If you like biting political satuire combined with energetic piano playing, 
you might want to check out jonny's new cd, "Thinking Without a Permit."

By Greg Spence Wolf

WWW.JONNYHAHN.COM

GETTING TO KNOW JOE FULTON
	Joe Fulton has been playing fiddle at the Pike Place Public Market and at farmers markets
since January 2002. Before that he busked in Iowa city, Austin Texas and New Orleans.
	He says that the Pike Place Market is the best place he's ever busked. "It seems like the
place where buskers get the most respect."
	He says that at first he didn't like the rules at Pike Place but now he thinks they are good
because they give everybody a chance to play. He likes the Pike Place Market Performer's Guild
too because the guild put on the Buskersı Festival and because the guild gives musicians a
chance to speak as a "unified voice." 
	Fulton is classically trained and has been playing fiddle for 20 years. At the market he plays
mostly Celtic and Appalaichin fiddle tunes.
He says his favorite song to play is Ashoken Farewell because it is so pretty.
Others are moved by his rendition as well. Fulton says, "One day I was playing Ashoken
Farewell at the Clock and someone came up to me and said that that song reminds him of
what's important in life."
	Other songs Joe does well are Turkey in the Straw, Puff the Magic Dragon,
Angeline The Baker and The Tennesee Waltz.
	Joe is often accompanying other musicians. He is in high demand at the Pike Place Market.
He's been spotted playing with fellow guild members Marvin Brost, Justin Kuhn, Jim Hinde,
David McKesson amongst many others. 
	Although Joe has no solo recordings available for sale, he is features on cdıs recorded by
Two Chord Terry and the Broken Strings, Greg Spence Wolf and the Tall Boys. In 2004 The Tall
Boys appeared at The Northwest Folklife Festival. 
	Joe can play many instruments including mandolin, guitar, bass and piano. In fact his first
job was playing bass in a seventies cover band. He was also a mandolin player in New Orleans.
"I was playing in New Orleans down by the river in a big group of people. After awhile
everybody took off except me and this banjo player so we all split up the money and we got
about $10 each. Everybody left who was listenning except this one couple. We played two
songs for them and they gave us a twenty dollar bill and then another twenty dollar bill."
	Joe asked the banjo player, "Should we split the money with the other people."
	He said to Joe, "My lips are sealed."
	Joe's advice to up and coming buskers is, "Sometimes you make money and sometimes you
don't. But keep doing your best and don't worry too much about money."

By Greg Spence Wolf

ITHACA'S SWING KIDS
	Bill Borgida says, "I started teaching Swing Kids during school breaks 2 years ago in 1996.
Partly through the suggestion of a schoolteacher friend, Mary Bronfenner, who works at
Dewitt Middle School. Thirty kids participated in the initial classes."
	But before even this "Ramona Staffeld started taking classes with her parents and she was
showing it to her friends." At the same time Skye Humphries-Seely was learning it with his
Mom, Sue Seely. By the next year a bunch of kids from ACS where Ramona goes to school, were
interested as well as kids from Ithaca High and Lansing."
	"The energy appeals to kids alot. They're uninhibited, open to learning and enthusiastic."
	Simnia Singer-Sayada , 15, is an ACS student. She says, "My dad's been dancing for over 5
years and he finally got me to take some lessons. I've been dancing almost 2 years, I took
West Coast Swing and Lindy and others."
	"I was one of the first Swing Kids. Me Skye, Lucy and Kate." 
I started because my dad convinced  me. He started showing me how much fun it was. He took
me to the dances. Once I started it was so much fun. Having him at home to practice with helps."
	Ramona Staffeld says she first got involved in swing dancing, "About three years when Sue
Seely told me about a Steven Mitchell workshop. I was doing alot of figure skating at the time.
At first I felt a little strange because it was a bunch of adults and I was 12. I was the only
young kid doing it."
	"Then the teachers Leonard and Katherine came to town over two years ago in the fall. I
began to really like it. I mainly danced with my parents before then. When Basie's bunch, a
group of young performers from Sweeden, came, that's when I decided that it was really fun.
They really inspired me to dance more. That summer I danced as much as I could."
	Then her big break came. "That fall Bill asked me to teach the Swing Kids classes with him.
	Around December I started teaching other classes with Bill. It became a big part of my life,
it became what I was doing. I started travelling to teach in places like Albany."
	According to Bill "Last September alot of kids (were interested) who had worked before so
we had a Swing Kids I and Swing Kids II for the first time. At the end of fall semester Swing
Kids II became so strong that we decided we could become a performing group in January of 98.
	Ramona says "This spring Frankie Manning came to Ithaca to teach for the whole weekend. I
was his partner for teaching and demonstrating."
	Frankie Manning was one of the original Lindy Hoppers at the Savoy ballroom in Harlem in
Harlem in the 1930's. Back then he was a swing kid. Some of today's popular swing moves are
credited to being Frankie Manning's invention.
	He was impressed by Ramona's dancing, so, he called Ramona this past May and according to
Ramona he,  "Asked me if i would do the opening number with him at the Lincoln Center for
Midsummer Night's Swing. It was a big dance with a band and a lesson taught by Frankie. That
was an honor, an event that I'll never forget."
	Not everyone has gotten to become a star from their experience, but, they say they get alot
out of participating in the group.
	Simnia says that she gets, "Fun and exercise from Lindy Hop. It's a nice little group, it's a
family thing, I didn't know people as well before, even though they were in my classes at school."
	Jenna says "I got to know alot more people. We've gotten to be much better friends. It's good
music, it's fun, it's good to do something that has history to it. I've learned alot about the
thirties."
	All three of them are in the performing group which Simnia  says has been pretty busy this
summer. "We did a performance at the Ithaca Festival, the Corn Hill arts festival, we
performed at the Spencer Van-Etten High School graduation. We also do shows for nursing homes - they
enjoy them very much."
	Ramona feels that the biggest break for the group was when, "The Rhythm Hot Shots...the
premier Lindy performing group in the world, came to do a show at the Statler Auditorium. We
got to open the show for them. I think that was a big stride for us. It was a breakthrough. We
felt really good about it. There were lots of people there. Our performing group is becoming
popular, I'm really proud of the other members of the group."
	Bill concurs, "I think that they have become very proficient at a very difficult dance. They've
attained a high skill level. Theyıve entertained 100's of people in the community."
	But they don't need to be in front of a crowd to dance, Simnia says that the Lindy Hop is
addictive, "We're just always doing it. If you see us in the hallway at school or the grocery
store, were dancing."
	Simnia  says "Swing music is really alive. But, you can swing dance to anything." She says
they've even done it to rap music, but, "Swing music makes you move. It has alot of tempo and
it has breaks."
	Jenna  says that, "It has a beat, but something else. Rap has a beat, but swing gets in your
body and it makes you want to swing around."
	Ramona says that, "It also has a very lazy and relaxed feeling. It came out of the Charleston,
but it changed the rhythm. It flows, it's got bounce, it's energetic and has a driving beat.  Once
you really like it you're hooked.  It's a celebration of life, it doesn't matter how old you are.
Frankie's 84 and Iım 14. It gives you energy."
	Bill gave a more technical definition, "The way the rhythm section is played. The way the
drum divides the tune up and the walking bass," all give a song swing. Also, "It emphasizes the
off beats and doesn't break up time evenly."
	Ramona's mother Andrea Staffeld put it this way, "The Lindy hop couldn't happen without
that big band sound. Itıs the body's response to it." and, "Thereıs alot of joy in the dance."
	Bill's advice to anyone who wants to learn more about swing is to listen to Count Basie.
	If you would like to see the Swing Kids in action they will performing at Taughannock Park
on August 22 during the Ithaca Ageless Jazz Band performance.
	According to Bill new classes will begin in mid September and 
minimum age is 12 years old.
	Jenna says "I want to keep getting better. If I were famous I would want swing to be part of
my work. I'd like to be part of a performing group." Ramona also plans to carry on with Lindy
Hop, she says, "I'd love to teach and perform and become part of a performing group."
	But you don't need to be a performer to be a Lindy hopper. Each Monday night at the City
Health Club thereıs a Lindy Hop dance party ($2) and on Wednesdays thereıs a swing dance
party ($3) at City Health Club. Ramona says, "Alot of people dance just for fun and are really
friendly."
	Both events are smoke and alcohol free and open to people of all ages. Teens also get in for
half price on Wednesdays. 
	If you would like more information about upcoming Swing Kids classes you can
contact Bill at 273 - 0126 or Borgida@dancing.org
Published in "The Ithaca Child"