Original Greenwich Village folkie Art Podell is turning 90, and he plays Boulevard Music this week, so he told the News about what he has in store for Culver City…
When and how did you start playing, writing and performing?
As a pre-teen in summer camp, one of the counselors played guitar and sang folk songs. The songs touched me…Burl Ives, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger. I immediately demanded a guitar from my family and my uncle Jack came through. I learned all those songs within the next year after summer camp.
Describe your sound…
I don’t have one of those ‘great voices’ but I play guitar well, and my sound is honest. Sometimes I come up with some pretty good ideas, lyrics, melodies. I’m grateful for those moments.
What are your career highlights so far?
Recording contract with Columbia Records very early on with my first singing partner, we were ‘Art and Paul’. We toured the country and were the very first folk singing act to play at the Troubadour. I wrote lots of songs for The Smothers Brothers, Glen Yarbrough, and Rod McKuen and others. Became one of the founding members of the New Christy Minstrels and toured the world. We have a Grammy for our work that I was a key part of. Today, I host “Roots Music and Beyond” on KPFK FM radio here in Los Angeles, and I have a column in Folkworks, a folk music online publication. I continue to perform as a solo artist and with a local group “In The Big Round” with good friend performers. In fact The Big Round will be coming to Boulevard Music in November.
Do you have any recorded music available?
Yes, all of the New Christy Minstrel albums, two Art and Paul albums and a recent album (2014) called “From The Village To The Canyon – A Folksinger’s Journey.” Also, lots of individual performances on YouTube.
Have you performed at Boulevard before? Any memories?
Yes, several times, although this show is totally different. I love the audience at Boulevard. They are so appreciative.
What can we expect from the set this time?
This show is a celebration of key moments in my journey. Some hysterically funny while at the same time historically entertaining. It’s also my ninetieth birthday. Can you imagine? It’s hard for me to fathom. I still play softball and feel like a kid, except I injured my right calf muscle two weeks ago while running for a fly ball. I play in a senior league with some remarkable folks every Tuesday. I play right field.
What else do you have coming up?
I’ll be entertaining at a fund-raiser for the online folk music magazine “Folkworks” fund-raiser for a few songs, and I’ll be returning to Boulevard Music with my friends in “…The Big Round” (Tracy Newman, John Zipperer, Severin Browne, Craig Lincloln, Ken Holme, and Kevin Kelso) in early November.
Art Podell performs at 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 10 at Boulevard Music. More info on the show at boulevardmusic.com.
Elsewhere this week
Culver City’s music venues have a full calendar of entertainment this week. For the Cinema Bar, that includes the Hot Club of Los Angeles (every Monday), Open Mic Night every Wednesday, and more. For more information, go to thecinemabar.com.