Long before Dylan electrified Newport and folk-rock became a cultural phenomenon, Greenwich Village was already alive with legendary artists and timeless songs. Some of these voices went on to become household names, while others remained away from the spotlight, despite shaping and fueling one of the most legendary music scenes of the twentieth century.

In the smoky cafés and crowded clubs of MacDougal Street, artists such as Fred Neil, Karen Dalton, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Patrick Sky, Tim Hardin, Bonnie Dobson, Richie Havens, and Dave Van Ronk, among dozens of others, created a musical community whose influence still echoes through American music today, as the Village scene continued to evolve, inspiring new generations of songwriters and reshaping the sound of folk music.

This special evening celebrates gems as well as overlooked voices of the Village folk scene, revisiting the songs and creative collaborations—from iconic classics to lesser-known treasures—that made this scene one of the most influential moments in modern songwriting.

Featuring:

David Massengill Storyteller, songwriter, and picture-book maker David Massengill “emigrated” from Bristol, Tennessee, to the Greenwich Village folk scene in 1976 with a dulcimer and a dream of bohemian nirvana. He became a key figure in Jack Hardy’s Fast Folk movement, the legendary songwriting community that helped launch and connect artists such as Suzanne Vega and Shawn Colvin and produced 115 issues of The Fast Folk Musical Magazine, now preserved in the Smithsonian collection.

David’s songwriting ranges from haunting Appalachian-inspired ballads to tender love songs and powerful political narratives. His songs have been recorded by Joan Baez, David Bromberg, The Roches, Lucy Kaplansky, Tom Russell, Nanci Griffith, and his mentor Dave Van Ronk, who famously said that David “took the dull out of dulcimer.” His body of work includes six albums, numerous publications, a movie score (Boudicca Bites Back), and educational programs. In 2016, the Southern Folklife Collection at UNC-Chapel Hill invited him to archive his work alongside friends and heroes such as Dave Van Ronk, Bill Morrissey, and Mike Seeger.

Miranda Hardy

Singer-songwriter and fiddler Miranda Hardy grew up immersed in the Greenwich Village folk tradition. The youngest daughter of legendary songwriter Jack Hardy, founder of the Fast Folk community, she spent years traveling and performing alongside him from New York City clubs to pubs across Ireland. She can be heard singing harmonies and playing fiddle on Jack’s final album, Rye Grass (2009).

Carrying forward that legacy while developing her own voice, Miranda released her debut album Reverie (2022), blending folk storytelling, poetic lyrics, subtle humor, and family harmonies. Her second album, The Price of Happiness, created with Alex Crossland and longtime folk producer Mark Dann, explores the balance between tradition and reinvention.

Continuing the community spirit of Fast Folk, Miranda also hosts Songwriter Night, a welcoming space where artists share new songs, collaborate, and help keep the Village songwriting tradition alive.

John Kruth

John Kruth is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and author whose work spans folk, jazz, and experimental music. A longtime figure in the New York music scene, he has performed and recorded with artists including Allen Ginsberg, John Cale, and Hal Willner. Kruth is also the author of several acclaimed books on American music and culture, including To Live's To Fly - The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt, and Bright Moments: The Life and Legacy of Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

Bert Lee

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and novelist Bert Lee has been part of the American folk scene since the late 1960s, performing with the iconic bands Richard Cam and later with Bert and the Central Park Sheiks and continuing as a solo artist. A beloved figure in the New York folk community, he is known for his warm deep knowledge of traditional and contemporary folk music, and masterful fingerpicking style.

Today, Bert continues to perform and host events dedicated to keeping the spirit of the Village alive, aiming to create spaces where established artists and new generations of songwriters can share songs, stories, and traditions.

Fabio Fantuzzi

Fabio Fantuzzi is an author, curator, scholar, and singer-songwriter whose work explores the intersections between music, poetry, and visual arts, with a particular focus on the folk and blues traditions of Greenwich Village. He is the author and co-editor of several books, including Bob Dylan and the Arts and Norman Raeben (1901–1978): The Wandering Painting, the first comprehensive catalog and exhibition dedicated to Bob Dylan’s painting teacher and mentor, whose ideas influenced albums such as Blood on the Tracks and Street-Legal.

As a musician, Fabio has performed and recorded in both Italy and the United States, sharing the stage with numerous artists connected to the Village folk tradition, including Christine Lavin, David Amram, David Massengill, Elijah Wald, Rob Stoner, Scarlett Rivera, Terre Roche, Erik Frandsen, Beppe Gambetta, and many others. He has released several albums, including Da sponda a sponda, a musical adaptation of Luciano Cecchinel’s poetry collection, winner of the 2020 Viareggio-Répaci Prize for Poetry.

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