Fans of old-timey and bluegrass music are in for a rare treat on Monday night when the legendary and seldom seen York brothers–Fiddlin’ Frank and Mandola Joe–bring their String Messengers to the Cornelia Street Café in a Schizoid Music program devoted to Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music, an indispensible compendium of ballads, blues, hymns and dance tunes from the days of the Great Depression.
The Yorks will be joined by their extended family of Jeff York (slide guitar), Jon York (vye-o-la), Sharon (harmony vocals) and Pete York (harmony vocals and guitar), Ratzo B. York (bass), and Jim Murphy (guitar, vocals and string figures).
Admission is $10 for the entire evening plus a one-drink minimum per each of the two sets which–Frank York promises–will each be completely different.
Doors open at 8:30 pm. If you’ve never seen Fiddlin’ Frank and the gang in action, don’t miss it. Remember this is the man of whom Vasser Clements once said: “Big guy. Long hair. Kind of looks like Cochise? Never heard of him.”