"A musical night spent in Dave's apartment equaled twelve years of higher education. He was the Godfather of the last fifty years of the folk scene. They named a street after him in New York City. Hell, yes…. they should have named a cathedral. I miss him." -- Tom Russell
"He was passionate and stinging, sang like a soldier of fortune and sounded like he'd paid the price. Van Ronk would howl and whisper, turn blues into ballads and ballads into blues. I loved his style." -- Bob Dylan
"His writing is potent and finely crafted… his performances are good theatre, more like the great European cabaret singers (Bruant, Brel, Piaf, Aznavour) than any American I can think of….his guitar work sounds more like a piano and he sings more like a horn… hell, when I grow up, I think I'd like to be like Dave Van Ronk." -- Rosalie Sorrels
Dave Van Ronk 1936-2002) was a folksinger, guitarist, songwriter and acoustic musician who enjoyed a long and fiercely independent career. He was pivotal in bringing the music of the past (early jazz, Child ballads, Furry Lewis, Bessie Smith, Rev. Gary Davis) to new audiences and in mentoring and influencing performers such as Bob Dylan, Tom Paxton and Joni Mitchell. A self-educated high school drop out, in the tradition of Charles Dickens, Mark Twain and Eugene V. Debs, he brought a high level of literacy to the young folk revival, both musical and literary. His repertoire included Jelly Roll Morton, W. B. Yeats and Brecht & Weill. His album 'liner notes' were like short books. His memoir, The Mayor of MacDougal Street became the inspiration and departure point for the Coen brothers' film Inside Llewyn Davis (its title taken from a pivotal Van Ronk album). But the film isn't a documentary or a bio, it's a work of fiction. Chico Schwall and friends bring you a taste of the big musical palette, the cool stylings and mighty musical heritage of Dave Van Ronk.
Look for such classics, classical performed, as "Sunday Street", "Hang Me, Oh Hang Me", "House of the Rising Sun", "Losers", "One Meatball", "Zen Koans Gonna Rise Again", "Tell Old Bill", "I Buyed Me a Little Dog", "One of These Days", St James' Infirmary", "If I Had it to Do All Over Again (Babe, I'd Do It All Over You)", "Blue Chante", "Alley Oop", "Midnight hours Blues" and more.