New Jersey Folk Music Revival Book Signing and Music

PPA is excited to host an afternoon of music and a book signing by Michael Gabriele, author of New Jersey Folk Revival Music History & Tradition ( https://www.facebook.com/NJFolkRevivalMusic/ ). PPA’s visitor center will be open and light refreshments will be available. This event is free to the public and is family friendly.

Music will be provided by the Greater Pinelands Dulcimer Society.
Their members desire to preserve folk instruments, among which the Appalachian Mountain and hammered dulcimers stand out. The extended dulcimer family also includes other well-known instruments, like autoharp, banjo, bozouki, bass fiddle, folk harp, mandolin and penny whistle. You will hear a variety of playing styles, from old-time mountain music to Irish jigs and airs.

Schedule of Events:

1:15 PM – 2 PM – Mountain Dulcimer Performance

2 PM – 2 :30 PM – Michael Gabriele – Talk and Q & A

2:30 PM – 4 PM – Greater Pinelands Dulcimer Society Jam

More information about the author:

“New Jersey Folk Revival Music – History and Tradition” is a new book written by New Jersey author and historian Michael Gabriele and published by Arcadia Publishing/The History Press. The book—190 pages with over 80 photos—provides a narrative on the evolution, traditions and history of folk revival music in New Jersey.

The story begins in the colonial days of tavern revelers and fiddle players in the 1700s and moves to the advent of the “Guitar Mania” phenomenon in the mid-1800s; to monumental recordings made at the Victor studios in Camden during the early 1900s; to the activities of legendary artists such as Joan Baez, Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan; to the achievements of world-class New Jersey musicians.

The book also provides extensive information on the magical acoustic sounds heard throughout New Jersey’s Pine Barrens over the years. Sammy Giberson, the legendary, wayfaring fiddler from the mid-1800s; the Pinehawkers and their performance at the 1941 National Folk Festival; the Albert brother’s “homeplace” cabin in the Waretown woods, which served as the inspiration for today’s Albert Hall; and the exploits of musician and author Merce Ridgway Jr. are included among the tales from the Pine Barrens.

Folk revival music is a “living history” that builds upon time-honored traditions, which date back more than 300 years. The book documents the Garden State’s vast contributions to this musical genre and examines the effects of folk revival music on local history and culture, as well as how it has changed lives—those on stage and those in the audience.

This is Gabriele’s third book on Garden State history published by The History Press. A lifelong New Jersey resident, he’s a 1975 graduate of Montclair State University and has worked as a journalist and freelance writer for four decades. He’s a member of the executive board of the Nutley Historical Society and serves on the advisory board of the Clifton Arts Center.

Questions? Call us at 609-859-8860
https://www.facebook.com/NJFolkRevivalMusic/