Columnist Joe Delaney: Legendary trio breathed new life into folk music

Joe Delaney

Friday, May 18, 2001 | 9:01 a.m.

Joe Delaney's columns appear on Thursdays and Fridays. Reach him at 259-4066 or joe@lasvegassun.com

Peter, Paul & Mary, three folk singers, combined their talents and made their debut at the start of the 1960s in New York City's Bitter End Cafe in Greenwich Village ... Their first album on Warner Bros. label re-energized folk music nationally.

Folk music had its renaissance in the post-World War II years with the Decca label, now MCA, at the forefront with artists such as Burl Ives, Josh White and the Weavers, who had a multimillion-selling single with the Hudie (Leadbelly) Ledbetter classic "Goodnight Irene" coupled with a Yiddish classic, "Tzena Tzena."

The next center for folk music in the late 1950s was San Francisco, led by the Kingston Trio, Limeliters and Smothers Brothers ... They set the standard for Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, who followed and are still active.

Peter, Paul & Mary's first album, in 1962, was on Billboard's Top 10 best-sellers list for 10 months, in the Top 20 for more than two years and remained on the Top 100 list for nearly four years ... Between 1962 and 1970, the trio earned eight gold and five platinum albums, selling out major venues nationwide.

It was in 1970 that the trio decided to pursue individual interests ... Peter Yarrow concentrated on his political activism and solo music projects, which included co-writing and producing a major hit recording for Mary McGregor, "Torn Between Two Lovers."

Paul Stookey had a strong spiritual commitment, which led to his writing "The Wedding Song," plus creating a multimedia firm involved in a variety of children's computer, television and music projects ... Mary Travers recorded five albums, produced, wrote and starred in a series for British television and was in demand as a lecturer and concert performer.

Together again, this is a return engagement this weekend at the Orleans, with a repertoire that includes traditional ballads, plus works by the folk poets of today.

Weekend wrap-up

This is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month ... Be sure to check out the various Clark County library branches and the "Asian Art Now: 2001" exhibition at the LV Art Museum ... Don't miss the Actors Repertory Theatre's production of "Gypsy," this weekend and most of next week (Summerlin Library Theater) ... For laughs this weekend, it's the LV Little Theatre's "Nunsense."

Las Vegas turns 96 in May. The Las Vegas Springs Reserve hosts festivities with exhibits, lectures and guided tours at the place where Las Vegas began, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, at the Desert Demonstration Gardens on Alta, just east of Valley View.

Don Rickles is back at the Stardust this weekend; Wayne Newton resumes there on Sunday ... Saturday at 8 p.m. in the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the Queens of Comedy -- Mo'nique, Adele Givens, Sommore and Laura Hayes -- will hold court ... Nevada Theatre Company's improv group, the Mutiny, performs at 2928 Lake East Drive, 8 p.m. Sunday.

Latin jazz legend, six-time Grammy Award-winner Eddie Palmieri is in concert, 8 p.m. Saturday, Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza ... The Nevada Jazz Orchestra, 18 stalwarts strong, performs at 2 p.m. Sunday, Winchester Center ... There's jazz at Pepper's on Thursdays; Pogo's on Fridays; Swede's Corner, Sundays; and the Riviera Lounge, Saturdays at midnight and twice on Mondays.

Dr. Douglas R. Peterson's Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society commemorates the 100th anniversary of the death of Guiseppe Verdi with a performance of his "Manzoni Requiem," performed by a cast of 190, including the Musical Arts Chorus, LV Academy Singers and the Premiere Chorale from California, Sunday at 3 p.m. in UNLV's Ham Hall ... See you next Thursday.