Fifty years ago, Café au Go Go, an incubator of talent that ranged from rock, jazz, folk and stand-up comedy with performers such as Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane, B.B. King, Joni Mitchell, Cream, Muddy Waters, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, George Carlin and Lily Tomlin, opened its doors to the Greenwich Village scene. Though the Café lasted just over five years, it made a lasting impression to those who frequented the venue and those who only know it through history. In honor of the would-be 50th anniversary, Greenwich House Music School has launched an eight-week tribute series commemorating the Café’s eclectic past.
“The Café au Go Go Revisited festival pays homage to the ingenuity and imagination of our one-time neighbor,” says Rachel Black, Director of Greenwich House Music School, whose vision to honor this period of Greenwich Village’s artistic history led to the production of the festival. “That spirit is at the heart of the work we do at Greenwich House and is reflected in the line-up for this inaugural festival.”
Ms. Black has invited Jennie Wasserman, previously of Carnegie Hall and Joe’s Pub and currently a member of the programming team at Jazz at Lincoln Center, to book the Café au Go Go Revisited festival. Assembling an impressive line-up of artists covering the fields of jazz, blues, folk, chamber pop, Americana, classic soul and R&B, reflecting the diversity of programming that made Café au Go Go great, Ms. Wasserman did not disappoint.
Live performances begin March 6 at Greenwich House Music School, 46 Barrow Street, and will continue every Thursday through April 24, all starting at 8pm. Tickets to all shows are available online or in person at Greenwich House Music School. Performances are general admission, first come first seated, and open to all ages.
Café au Go Go Revisited Performance Schedule:
March 6: Dom Flemons and Eli “Paperboy” Reed make their formal debut as a live duet, in this evening of acoustic blues, gospel and country favorites.
March 13: Falu, a Mumbai-born singer known for her fusion of rock, jazz, funk and traditional Indian music, explores the classical side of her musical heritage.
March 20: Pharaoh’s Daughter brings psychedelic and pop sensibilities to their blend of Hasidic, Middle Eastern, African, Eastern European and Mediterranean influences.
March 27: Michael Daves and Tony Trischka will play new and traditional bluegrass music (including excerpts from Trischka’s new album, “Great Big World.”).
April 3: Julia Haltigan, a New York native, will present modern songs in the West Village singer-songwriter tradition.
April 10: “Getz Au Go Go” Revisited: With the influential Stan Getz album “Getz Au Go Go” as inspiration, New York’s top Brazilian musicians will explore highlights of 60s bossa nova.
April 17: David Amram and The Amigos Band. “Renaissance Man of American Music” Amram returns to his Village roots, alongside his newest quartet of collaborators.
April 24: Deva Mahal. The daughter of folk-blues legend Taj Mahal performs blues and R&B grounded in the 60s Southern Soul tradition.
