Talkin' Bob Porco blues
Quote-unquote:
''I would like to say something TO Mike Porco, because as far as I'm concerned, in my memory and in my soul, he still lives and I would like to say 'thank you Mike! A poor kid from the hills of Puerto rico become somebody. Your help and advice was an inspiration to me. His advice was 'keep going.'
He encouraged me and by playing Gerde's, I became somebody.''
~ José Feliciano, 11.3.14
cuz I got to play all different kinds of music
and all i had to do was play
and i thought that was wonderful!
what a wonderful gift!
to have musical talent
and
have other individuals ask me to play.
~Bruce Langhorne, 7.6.13
they think ya know something because you've been around long enough and they'd say 'Arlo, what do i have to do to be a musician?'
i would just look at em
i say you want to be a musician?
quit doing everything else
just don't do it
and if you starve to death, you will have starved to death a musician.
~Arlo Guthrie 8.9.13
I ran into Mike on the street one day he said, 'Johnny! Why you no work for me no more.?" And I said 'I gotta get paid too. You don't pay me enough.'
He was very cheap.
But….he loved the music…He had the best venue,
……what was so phenomenal about gerdes was that a lot of the great blues artists:
Lightnin' Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, Roosevelt Sykes, Jesse Lonecat Fuller, Babe Stoval…played at Gerdes. And they all stayed around the corner at the broadway central hotel……The blues scene in New York was Gerde's folk city. ….where else could you see Roosevelt Sykes??!!
~John P. Hammond
🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
It's not your ordinary documentary. Yes, it will educate the world in the ways of the Porco clan, and yes it will educate Folk enthusiasts all about Gerde's, but the inspiring message will make you cheer. Musicians have a place in this world. Always have. Always will. The 'less' famous are all part of the whole. Someone watching this will one day change the world with a song.
🥂 It’s pay-what-you-wish!! What more could you want?
Substack deserves a moderate price. It’s only fair for their automation application.
🚧If you’re reading this on (my blog folkcityatfifty.blogspot) or some app or another platform in the internet of things, I will probably re-post parts of this email on my Facebook etc where ever I normally post by my grandfather’s name, Mike Porco.
Substack is making it fast and easy for content creators to post emails and entries.
🛺It’s a low-frills website
BUT they are doing reminding, welcoming, transacting and following up with my subscribers without me pressing any buttons.
You can join in the wee hours of the morning
And start watching the GerdesFolkCityDoc while the world sleeps.
The emails and service is all on THEM, NOT ME.🎼🎼
⏰ In November, I decided that the GerdesFolkCityDoc will be presented AS IS.
I made many directors cuts over the years. I got pretty good with the software to edit. I kept it very LO-FI and analog. At least now it looks like many other indie documentaries we’ve all seen before…
Except for my ‘noodling’ or ‘notes to self’ visible right on screen.
What do ya want for pay-what-you-wish??
“It’s actually quite good!”—Quote from anonymous source
If you find some entertainment in the GerdesFolkCityDoc- which I guarantee to all music lovers and researchers- feel free to join the monthly or buy the yearly subscription. I’m very grateful for however you pay.
🪡🧵I’ve sewn together a solid story for any viewer to watch and catch the drift.
It the full story as told from multiple people. A complete stranger and the most staunch Folk Revival student will be wowed.🍿🍿🍿