Author(s): Dave Van Ronk

Music

Dave Van Ronk (1936-2002) was one of the founding figures of the 1960s folk revival, but he was far more than that. A pioneer of modern acoustic blues, a fine songwriter and arranger, a powerful singer, and one of the most influential guitarists of the '60s, he was also a marvelous storyteller, a peerless musical historian, and one of the most quotable figures on the Village scene. The Mayor of MacDougal Street is a first-hand account by a major player in the social and musical history of the '50s and '60s. It features encounters with young stars-to-be like Bob Dylan, Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, and Joni Mitchell, as well as older luminaries like Reverend Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt, and Odetta. It is a vivid evocation of a singular time and place - a feast not only for fans of folk music and blues, but for anyone interested in the music, politics, and spirit of a revolutionary period in American culture. The Mayor of MacDougal Street is the inspiration for the Coen Brothers' new film, Inside Llewyn Davis, a fictionalized version of Dave Van Ronk's classic memoir of Greenwich Village in the '60s, and starring Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, and Justin Timberlake. It is tentatively scheduled for release date in late 2013.