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First Friday Folk Series Showcasing World Class Folk Music & Increasing Awareness for The Bay Area Women’s Center
By Scott Baker
As a national touring folk artist, Jen Cass can tell some great stories of performances she has witnessed. Also as a woman that has painted an amazing mosaic of not just music, but parenting, being a wife, and political worker/activist, Cass has danced a ballet around many different aspects of life and has succeeded, smiling throughout them all. Just this past year Cass joined the board of the Bay Area Women’s Center, fulfilling yet another dream. Tying together her chance to raise awareness of sexual assault and domestic violence through the Women’s Center and her life of music and touching people’s lives, the vocalist is now hosting First Friday Folk at Westminster Presbyterian in Bay City. She can both raise money for the organization and bring in like-minded folk musicians that she has been in awe of showcasing to the Great Lakes Bay Region.
Beginning in November of 2009, Cass kicked off her idea at another local church, First Presbyterian in Bay City with her pal from the North East, Randall Williams. “Some (artists) are from Michigan, Greg Greenway’s from Massachusetts, Randall Williams is from Maine,” said Cass. “So they’ll be from all kinds of different places in the world, but their common theme is they are performers that have really stopped my heart, made me sit down and want to hear more.” Greenway continued the series at the new venue a few weeks ago. “(He’s) Someone who has such integrity, such ability and also has a message that’s consistent with what the woman’s center is about,” stated Cass. “Everyone I’ve asked across the board has said yes (they’d play). It’s just a question now of how to fit them in on a First Friday as the series goes forward. We have to make sure we’ve got enough people coming to these events to make it financially viable. We did great with Greenway and we think if we can develop Westminster as our home, we’ll get a following and people will keep coming. We really, really like it there. So far, everybody has left with a sense of amazement and commitment to return, because there’s not a lot of great acoustic music coming through Bay City.” Each First Friday show is free with a suggested donation of $10, which goes to the Women’s Center. “Next month’s show is Jen Sygit with Sam Corbin from Lansing—Feb. 5,” said Cass. “They bring that ‘star-power’ to each others show. Jen is breathtakingly talented, she truly is. She’s an extraordinary songwriter, a multi-instrumentalist and has a voice that is ethereal and indescribable and evokes the ghost of Patsy Cline. To boot she’s a hoot…she’s hilarious. It’s going to be a great show.” “In all of them, I expect every show’s going to have their individual ‘wow-factor.’ There’s stuff that bowls you over in all of what these people do.” Each artist that Cass has chosen also shares her views with the Bay Area Women’s Center ethics. “I’ve always wanted to be on the board for the Women’s Center. I raised it with them that it might be a nice way to do two things for the community; to raise awareness of the need within the community for continued services for domestic violence and sexual assault within our small town, but also to bring a gift to the community in the form of great music. That’s needed. To put the two together—to bring socially conscious and politically aware artists in that are willing to support the Mission and then the Mission get the publicity it needs with a crowd that might not otherwise hear their message. It was a way to marry two of my big interests in life together and hopefully create some positive stuff for both sides.” During Greenway’s performance this month, he was backed by Cass and the Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy Choir, along with local jazz great and teacher Mike Brush. Both Cass and Greenway spent three days together performing, culminating with the show at Westminster. “He went home feeling like it was one of the best show’s he’s ever done. He loved the venue, the choir that I got to sing backup, and he loved the crowd. He just loved it. “My husband works at SASA with Mike Brush. When I got Greenway to commit to a date, I called Mike and said, ‘I know this may be a lot to ask, but wouldn’t it be great if you and the choir got involved in this show, because so much of (Greenway’s) music is arranged with a full chorus.’ I’ve seen Greenway play many, many times and every time I’ve seen him play he’s by himself or with maybe one back-up singer. I thought with Mike Brush—being the incredible gifted talent that he is, the SASA choir being so great, and the message of Greenway’s music being so in-keeping with what they’re trying to do at SASA, I thought this might be a great opportunity all around. Mike said, “Send me the music and I’ll listen to it.” And he loved it. Between Greg and Mike they worked out the choral parts and got it in writing. They were able to get it to the choir in time for them to learn the songs.” The names that Cass is dropping for future performances are enough to even possibly draw attention from around the state for their sheer star-power alone. “March comes Drew Nelson who is also from Michigan, but he has such an interesting background,” said Cass. “He served in the Military, has toured internationally, and has charted internationally. He has the respect and admiration of just about everybody in folk (music). Top names in folk want him to record their songs, he’s great. “Jill Jack’s going to come up. She’s the most decorated female artist ever in the history of the Detroit Music Awards and is a phenomenal talent. We’ve got Joe Jencks coming in who is a powerhouse talent in the socially conscious/politically active folk scene. Rod and Annie Capps (as well)—just great folks. I want to bring David Wilcox in—his schedule’s a little more difficult to navigate. I’m hopeful as we continue here that I’ll be able to get more of the top-shelf names like an Ani DiFranco or a Dar Williams or John Gorka, Cheryl Wheeler. I’m fired up. We can tell them, ‘You can come and you will sell CD’s—you will make money.’ I think Greenway can testify to that. He sold CD’s hand-over-fist.” As for Cass performing at the events, she said that will be in the works as well, but her priority lies in getting the word out about First Friday Folk. “There’s so much excellent music that’s happening here (in Michigan) and people don’t know it,” Cass said in disbelief. “They have no idea. Someday, somewhere down the line I’ll play, but I want to make sure it’s well established and heading in the right direction before I do that.” With the support of the venue, Cass looks forward to having another outlet for acoustic musicians. “I’m real happy that we kicked off with such a big crowd, even though it was a really bad weather day. I hope people will spread the word, bring their friends and that it can continue to be a way of supporting the Woman’s Center.” Check out www.firstfridayfolk.com which should be up by print time. For more information, log into www.bawc-mi.org/ as well. First Friday Folk will be the first Friday of each month at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 103 East Midland St., Bay City, (989) 686-1360.
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“As
I have toured throughout the folk world, I have had a handful of people
that have really blown me away,” Cass admitted during a phone interview
last week. “I think as musicians, as you travel and get to meet other
musicians, your standards start to get different. Your standards start
to change and you have to really get somebody that knocks your socks off
before you want to bring them to your town. What I did was I looked for
all those people that over the course of the last ten years of touring
have stopped me in my tracks with a performance and made me sit down and
listen. Those are the people that I’m bringing in. Across the board it’s
just top-notch, phenomenal people.”