A Letter from Don McLean. By way of Caffè Lena
T he following letter and email are shared with the permission of oral historian, musician and Caffè Lena friend Mark Klempner, and shed light on the Caffè as a conduit for inspiration between musicians. As a young aspiring musician, Mark heard Don McLean perform “American Pie” in a small audience at the intimate Caffè Lena. Mark’s contact with Don at the Caffè led to this letter of musical guidance from the legendary performer to the upcoming songwriter, and greatly influenced Mark’s music career. “I find it interesting that James Taylor had just come out at that time with his first album on Apple Records (he was, I think, the first artist the Beatles signed for their new record company, and almost the last because Apple...
Read MoreRemembering Robert Durand
W e received word tonight that a History Project friend has passed away – Robert Durand was responsible for creating the original Caffè Lena ZBS Radio Shows in the early 1970s, and with the help of Tom Lopez, drew our attention to the archived tapes for preservation and digitization as part of our efforts to document the recorded history of the Caffè. What was most uncanny about this particular History Project meeting was that Robert kindly coordinated the transfer and donation of the original tapes in New York via email from his home far away in Panama. In our email correspondence, Robert shared enthusiastic memories of meeting Lena Spencer for the first time, recording her singing her own song “Lena the Queen of Saratoga” on the ZBS...
Read MoreClarence Ashley at Lena’s
T he following email and archival article comes courtesy of Caffè Lena board member George Ward: “I just stumbled across this Gazette page (“The Schenectady Gazette” in those days) on Google. Interesting that the Greenbriar Boys were also in the neighborhood that weekend. Not beyond Ralph Rinzler to have hustled Tom a Lena gig, especially if they were touring somewhat together. The second volume of ‘Old Time Music at Clarence Ashleys’ was either just out or just coming out, and the world (thanks to Harry Smith, Ralph and others) had discovered Doc Watson and his world by then. Those were Doc’s first recorded appearances. I believe....
Read MoreRemembering Harry Dutcher August 1945-January 2012
W e are saddened this month by the loss of our dear friend Harry Dutcher, a long-time devotee to Lena’s and a quiet rock over the years. Harry knew Lena, helped bail her out many times, and was a strong supporter of the non-profit Lena’s, being on the board, a very supportive neighbor in his 25-year role as Director of The Saratoga Springs Public Library, an active committee member, patron, and folk music enthusiast. We are grateful for Harry’s steadfast belief in the history and mission of Caffè Lena. In 2005 he assisted the Caffè Lena History Project in the creation of Caffè Lena’s 45th Anniversary archival exhibition. This past fall, he remained dedicated to raising grant funding to support Caffè Lena’s...
Read MoreHappy Birthday Lena
L ena Spencer was born Pasqualina Rosa Nargi on January 4, 1923. She died at age 65. Today she would be 89 years old. Happy birthday, Lena. Your Caffè is now 52 years old and still going strong.
Read MoreCaffè Lena Recordings Travel to NYC for Preservation: Part Two
I n 2010 the Caffè Lena History Project uncovered a rare collection of live recordings made at the Caffè from 1960-1975. This at-risk collection includes over fifty reel-to-reel recordings of artists including Pete Seeger, Mike Seeger, Hedy West, Jean Ritchie, and Jerry Jeff Walker performing at Caffè Lena at the height of the folk music revival. The CLHP recognized signs of deterioration on the recordings and the urgent need to catalog and preserve them to ensure their survival. In 2011 a GRAMMY Foundation preservation grant enabled the successful physical transfer of the recordings from Saratoga Springs to Magic Shop Recording Studio in New York City and planning for the preservation of these rare materials. In June we posted a blog about...
Read MoreNewport Jazz and two sons on their jungle gym
H ere is a story from the CLHP archives about the power of community to inspire great art: In the spring of 1960 just before the opening of Caffè Lena, David Wasser was introduced to Bill & Lena Spencer. A local Saratogian with a deep love for folk music, he soon became a weekend regular and gave the couple a 10 watt amplifier to use for their sound system along with their first mic stand and what he describes as “a cheap Shure mic.” When Happy Traum’s wife proved allergic to Lena’s cat Pasha, David’s house became a guest house for performers including Happy, Dave Van Ronk, Hedy West, Barry Kornfeld, Jean Redpath, Molly Scott, Ralph Rinzler and many others featured in early photographs by Joe Alper, who himself housed performers...
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