WPCNR Center Stage. By John F. Bailey. October 28, 2007 UPDATED WITH NEW PIX: George Grove, Bill Zorn and Rick Dougherty, The Kingston Trio flew into town from out of the past and into future Saturday night to pack the Irvington Town Hall Theatre lifting everybody up with their toe-tapping uplifting classic folk song memories as fresh and meaningful as tomorrow.

The six strings sung, the banjo twanged and plucked and energized,  the three voices celebrating the trio’s 50 years on the road were 20 years old again! And so were we!

Kingston Trio on The MTA at Westco's Gala Saturday night in a packed Irvington Town Hall.

Chester Day -- the Westco Honoree with Bill Zorn, Rick Dougherty and George Grove of America's Trio -- the Kingston Trio at the after-show party at Il Sorriso Ristorante in Irvington.

 The occasion was Westco Productions – the 28 years running local theatre innovators’  -- annual Gala  honoring Westchester’s “Quiet Icon,”  Chester Day, the President and Treasurer of one of America’s most inspiring cemetaries, Kensico.  Day, a major supporter of Westco over its 28 years, was described as a model for a successful businessman, and a  man who goes about doing good and giving back, in the words of Westco Productions Board President, Steven Sledzik. He received the annual Westco Crystal Star “The Westie” award from founder Susan Katz.

Steven Sledzik, President of the Board of Directors left, and Susan Katz, right, "First Lady of Westchester Theatre," founder of Westco Productions listen as Mr. Day accepts his "Westie"

Mr. Day in accepting the award was very self-deprecating, as is his style, and praised Westco Productions performances for ailing children, its Healing Walls program and educational original performances of historical plays in the county’s schools, and community theatre groups for the underprivileged and the disabled. Mr. Day himself is a member of the Westchester County Association and the Westchester Business Council. He is President of the Metropolitan Cemetary Association.

The concerts Westco Productions stages fund its community activities which include Theater for Young Audiences (one hour musical productions), Creative Theatre Workshops “Broadway Babes” and “Magic To Do Players” (for the disabled),  Slater Center Theatre, their Bedside Buddies program and Healing Walls initiative creating hospital atmosphere that heals. To learn more of these activities go to www.westcoproductions.org.  (Coming up this spring are  The New Christy Minstrels, The Lettermen and Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals.)

George Grove, Bill Zorn, Rick Dougherty up close and personal, transform the Irvington Town Hall Theater into a college dorm lounge and everybody joined in.

 The Trio came to party  because they are  Chester Day’s favorite group and the obvious, "can do no wrong” favorite of the expectant crowd of clapping, eager aficionados of the Trio classics – from “Scotch and Soda” to “Tom Dooley” to the always timely, “MTA.”

The Trio, is perhaps the most infectiously good-natured feel-good folk group you can hear live – every thing strings nothing electric. It's old-fashioned driving masterful guitar and banjo pickin and pluckin from down in the haller.

Incongruously, the group is so spirited and vibrant in their style, harmony and youthful vigor they make songs about hanging, dying  and shipwrecks (The Ruben James  is a stirring tribute), celebrating the sadness and the emotion, weirdly fun.

The trio, tight, smooth, informal, irreverent, respectful of their past,  delivered an easy-going winning two hour show that dusted you off,  polished you up, lifted your spirit and sent you out there believing that a guitar and a song can change the world.

“ Bravo-ed “ back by the audience who seemed to have not felt this good in years,  the trio topped the evening with two encores sounding eerily like the group sounded 50 years ago –their “ Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” first encore resonated with meaning – as relative today to war as it was 50 years ago.  They closed the happy night  with a spirited, as American as Apple Pie version of The Road to Freedom – and that had me, at least ready to pick up a picket sign!

Susie The K Gets the Soiree on the Way and welcomes the throng.

Romping on stage after founder Susan Katz’s introduction, the Trio started strumming in a masterfully casual show, with the picking fingers of America’s "Troubadours Forever" launching into Darling Cory,’ then “You’re gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone.” And on into the night they sang.

The Trio introduced Mr. Day to the packed house. Mr.Dougherty sung an ode to Mr.Day, based on the Beatles' Yesterday, which began "Chester Day, came to see the Kingston Trio play...." a memorable musical recognition.

 The group, originally founded fifty years ago as a calypso group,delivered Zombie Jamboree and Bimini with “island flare,” and Mr. Grove playing a mean conga drum. The favorite “MTA” had the house joining in on the chorus, “Did he ever return, no, he never returned”  with the Trio earning big laughs when they sang, “Charlie’s wife through the open window, hands him a Starbuck’s as the train comes rushing through.”

The irrepressible Bill Zorn, a native of Bridgeport, Connecticut, longtime member of the New Christy Minstrals before hooking up with the Trio, showed great humor, but the best joke of the evening was George Grove’s way of explaining what a jukebox was to the young people in the audience. Grove said  “It’s like a giant IPOD.” Kudos for that line!

Mr. Zorn (right) soloing with the stylish bass player  Paul Gabrielson (left) on the Number 1 Jukebox requested song of all time, the Trio’s Scotch and Soda. Mr. Zorn, should he wish it has a career as a crooner, (sounding a lot like Vic Damone or Jack Jones on Scotch and Soda), if he wants one. Garbrielson’s  mellow bass counterpart to Zorn’s styling of this song comparing love to the buzz of  scotch and gin, had us slightly older guys all remembering how a woman can make you feel.

The Trio gives you chills with the  haunting memory, Long Black Veil. They polish up all the feelings these old folk classics preserve and make you feel them again. Rick Dougherty told me afterwards the Trio has a great repertoire and the thrill of singing the over 400 songs the Trio has to select from for every concert, and reintroducing to new audiences again and again never grows old. “They’re classics,” he says. The songs continue to be because the Kingston Trio keeps them living for everyone who hears them.  And they make you feel alive, too!

Asked if the Trio ever gets tired of performing the same songs, Dougherty said that first and foremost he was a musician, and you don’t become a musician to make a lot of money. You become a musician because you like to play, and if you’re lucky you might become successful at it. Dougherty said performing the Trio songs gave the group tremendous feedback, playing to audiences that love the songs, he said. He never gets tired of it.  A musician likes to play.

Asked if the group rehearses he said they don’t sometimes they conference call, and they pick and choose from their large repertoire, but of course every concert has to have at least the 10 or so songs people expect to hear.

Rick Dougherty duetting with Ozzie Ashburn, a member of the Westco Board at the Westco swank soiree at Il Sorriso Ristorante just down the block from the old Town Hall theatre held after the show. Dougherty likes to sing so much, he was dueting with Ms. Ashburn on Tura Lura Lura as the party approached midnight.

Dougherty with Ashburn and Bernedette Vinci, Director of Finance for Westco.

Afterwards the Trio hung out and stayed at at the after party at Il Sorriso Ristorante Italiano where Mr. Day, the Westco Honoree of the night was feted for his support of Westco.  

Bill Zorn with Carol Greenburg, another Westco Director as the Trio mingled in the mosh.

Susan Katz, left with Mr. Day and his wife Laurie, Bill Zorn, Rick Dougherty and George Grove. 

Peter Katz, Senior Anchor of White Plains Week and the publisher of Aviation Monthly,  smoozing with Mr. Dougherty and Brenda Starr of The Flash.

Susan Katz with the Guest of Honor.

I tell you this – the songs are American classics that celebrate the unique American character and nowhere is this brought out more than in their last song, The Road to Freedom. A song made popular in the early 60s, it sends the message that freedom and liberty have to be fought for again and again, and well it makes you want to go out and look for a good cause to work for. 

Members of the Trio mingled with the guests until all guests had left in a most gracious manner as if they were the hosts. What class and style these performers have!

When I left their concert, their songs, their music, their passion for the music, made this old cynic think everything was possible again.

The way the Trio sings is as bracing and up lifting as when you first heard a kid with a guitar strumming in a college lounge, rec room, or coffee house. Their sound makes you want to come on and listen and sing along because the songs make you feel so damn good!

Will the Trio go on forever?

There's a good chance. Mr. Dougherty says his 7 year old son wants to sing in the trio. He now sings Tom Dooley, only Mr. Dougherty says the little boy sings it, "Hang down your head Tom Doodley".