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Mississippi John Hurt
John Hurt first recorded in 1928 and saw no commercial success from his efforts. His record, however, became well known, though many new fans assumed he was dead. He was surprised to find, in 1963, that his work had influenced blues musicians around the world and made him a legendary figure. He played the Newport Folk Festivals of 1963 and 1964 and graced the stage at Caffè Lena with one of his last concerts before his death in 1966. |
Mississippi John Hurt |
Skip James |
Skip (Nehemiah) James
Born in Yazoo City, Mississippi, Skip James worked on plantations and in lumber camps as he developed his unique, eerie style of Delta Blues, mastering both guitar and piano.
He recorded eighteen songs in 1931 that deeply influenced generations of blues players, from Robert Johnson to Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. "Rediscovered" in 1964, he was featured at the Newport Folk Festival. James played at the Caffè in 1965. |
Arlo Guthrie
In 1967, at the Newport Folk Festival, Arlo Guthrie premiered "Alice's Restaurant" and instantly stepped out of the long shadow cast by his father, Woody Guthrie. In 1969, Arlo performed at The Woodstock Music and Arts Festival and since then has toured around the world performing with family and friends, including many collaborations with Pete Seeger. Arlo and Lena were very close friends and he has played several benefits and shows at the Caffè. |
Arlo Guthrie |
Ramblin' Jack Elliot photographer unknown |
Ramblin' Jack Elliot
"He sounds more like me than I do," Woody Guthrie famously said about Jack Elliot, his longtime friend and protégé. Elliot was an inspiration and mentor to a young Bob Dylan and was an important link between Woody Guthrie's generation and the folk revival in America and Europe in the 19'60s. Ramblin' Jack played at the Caffè many times during the '70s and '80s. |
More....
"Compiled and edited by Jocelyn
Arem, Caffè Lena historian/Board of Directors with special thanks to
the Saratoga History Museum"
This project is made possible by the generous support of The Sparkplug Foundation & Skidmore College’s President’s Discretionary Fund
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