Fast Folk Musical Magazine (September 1985, Vol. 2, No. 7): Cafe Lena 25th Anniversary

According to its Web site, Caffè Lena, which opened in 1960 in Saratoga Springs, NY, is widely recognized as the oldest continually running coffee house in the United States. It has served as an important venue for American folk music and emerging and established folk musicians. In 1985, Fast Folk Musical Magazine traveled to Saratoga Springs to record the cafè’s 25th anniversary concert. Performers provided a rainbow of folk music styles ranging from a cappella to instrumental and from traditional to modern. Headlining the concert was Pete Seeger, who led a sing-along of “Somos El Barco/We Are the Boat.” The brothers Happy and Artie Traum on acoustic guitars sang “The Hungry Dogs of New Mexico,” the St. Regis String Band performed a spirited “Texas Gals (Grey Cat on a Tennessee Floor),” and the a cappella group Crossover sang the traditional English folk song “Byker Hill.” The liner notes include an extended article on Caffè Lena and song lyrics.

Track Listing

101	Mole in the Ground Michael Cooney	04:46
102	Texas Gals (Grey Cat on a Tennessee Floor) St. Regis String Band	02:30
103	Blue Heartland Michael Jerling	02:22
104	Sheet Rock the Baby's Room Tom Mitchell	04:42
105	Lakes of the Pontchartrain Carla Sciaky	05:36
106	Sweet Reunion Joan Kosby and Paul Mercer	03:38
201	The Hungry Dogs of New Mexico Happy and Artie Traum	05:16
202	West Rutland Marble Bawn Margaret MacArthur	03:32
203	Moonbow Jem Moore	04:46
204	Byker Hill Crossover	01:58
205	Somos El Barco (We Are the Boat) Pete Seeger	07:28
206	Closing Remarks by Lena Spencer Lena Spencer	02:54