52 pickups

1 of 52 assembles artists for hunger

by Michael Caito

Steve Maciel has 22 of 52 weeks already booked in Rhode Island, and Pete Seeger's already confirmed for a show in New York. Paul Geremia's appearing in East Greenwich at the Odeum in a few, and after that James Montgomery. Maciel gave a recent update of the anti-hunger organization which is aligning the musical community to donate performances, royalties and a host of other cut-the-crap point-blank attacks on the elusive demon. It's the second go-round running such an organization for the newly minted author Maciel, whose independently-published, 12-years-in-the-making players' primer Workin' the Circuit is due April 4.

Q: How long have you been involved in The 1 of 52 Artist Hunger Network?

A: A little over a year or so. I did have it together about a decade ago. I ran it for about three years, but ran into a lot of logistical and organizational problems. When I decided to kick it off again, Iset it up a little differently, even though the program itself is really simple and the artists the can get involved in any number of ways. I'm asking for a little bit more of an up-front commitment now. By asking them to be involved on an annual basis, I'm asking people for a career commitment, and I take it even one step further. If they want to be 1 of 52, and have their time one of the weeks of the year in their state to them, if they decide for any reason not to do it any more, Iask that they help find a replacement for their week. By asking that crucial question, I hate to say it weeds out, but it really brings in the people that are committed. The beauty of it is, there's very little gray area; it's either something you want to do and want to be involved in or not. I know in my heart that there are at least 52 artists in every state who are going to look at this and say, "Wow, you're doing the right thing here, and it's something we wanna be involved with."

Q: One of the primary beneficiaries to this point has been the RI Community Food Bank.

A: The first time Idid it, about a decade ago, I was directing the funds toward the Feinstein World Hunger Program at Brown. When Idecided to kick it off again I consulted with Alan, and we had decided to rein it in more on a local level, because "world hunger" can seem an [esoteric] thing -- very far out of everybody's mental grasp anyway -- and we decided to focus in on hunger in America and North America. The next logical step up from the [Rhode Island Food Bank] is Second Harvest. Imerely suggest where the artists place their funding, but another thing that's good about the program is the flexibility: they can donate to any hunger organization they wish. And they make their checks or whatever they decide to do directly payable to that organization, too.

Q: Compare and contrast the levels of hunger, its degrees of acuteness, between a decade ago and today.

A: We saw a lot more famine then, and that's when Bob Geldof stepped in and started Live Aid. In America, believe it or not, the hunger problem has gotten worse than it was during that time period. Taking Third World famine aside and focusing back on America's hunger, that situation has not really improved, since you have a lot more working poor now where corporate America is really downsizing. In America it really comes down to you don't see people dropping dead in the streets from famine. Famine is only the tip of the iceberg -- it's only 10 percent of the total hunger problem. What you see here is called chronic persistent hunger. The effects of the hunger comes down to malnutrition, and these kids just aren't being fed properly. Due to that lack of nutrition, there is so much more disease, and even deaths, where the cause is hunger and something else.

Q: What of school programs? Should they be expanded?

A: School lunch programs are great, school breakfast programs are great. They do help alleviate immediate hunger problems, and I have to admit we in 1 of 52 focus in on the immediate fact of hunger, not how to end actual causes of it, which are far-reaching into poverty and socio-economic political reasons. But Ido believe that by turning the attention on America's arts community in focusing on this problem, [you'll] inspire a groundswell of participation from the public because they'll want to follow in the footsteps of their artist heroes. Then we can at least bring hunger as we know it under control. If we can do that, it'll cure a great feeling of helplessness, that recurring thought of"If we can't even feed our own people in this land of plenty what can we do? What can we accomplish?" If we can only get to that point where we can look around and see "OK, is everybody fed here? Great. Then let's move on and turn our attention to a new problem that needs it."

Second Harvest have a pretty good grip on the situation on a daily basis in that it has a program to actually save that which would've gone to waste and feed people with it. They also have some very good long-term goals, such as a program called Hunger Has A Cure, which I'm in the process of studying now. It's very far-reaching: getting the right kind of legislation out there for jobs, Habitat [for Humanity], the Women Infant and Children's (WIC) Program, school lunch programs. Those are the kind of in-place programs that need to be properly funded.

The Odeum hosts Paul Geremia on the 24th, and James Montgomery on the 31st. For info, e-mail endhunger @aol.com.

Pendragon

STARS & BARS. Fifteen years ago Pendragon formed, and since then they've put lore back in folklore, speaking fervently and beautifully about bygone eras even while immersing themselves in the reclamation of the Blackstone River they so dearly love. Their latest Beyond Borders --A Celtic Journey will be feted at at the Celebration of Irish Culture at Trinitys Rep and Brewhouse on the 16th, at Chan's on St. Patrick's Day, and again in The First Annual Guinness Irish Music Festival at Bootleggers on the 21st. Joining the 'Dragons on the 21st are Black 47, stepdancer Kevin Doyle, Paddy Keenan, Skip Healy, Tony Cuffe, Eric Armour wielding his bagpipes and Kev Fallon.An assemblage worth hearing, and I'd be remiss in not saying that a well-pulled black and tan is a thing of beauty, too.

Two events for classical fans keep the weekend bubbling:on Friday the RIC Wind Ensemble with the College's Chorus join in a program called Wind Songs; on the 23rd, the RIC Symphony Orchestra perform William Grant Still's Afro-American Symphony and more. The Philharmonic work through Bartok, Ravel and Kodaly in an evening that could easily be called "Buda, Meet Pest," but then that's exactly why I'm not in charge of naming such things. "Bolero" you know, but peruse the program's other Hungarian underpinnings. Guest violist Roberto Diaz is one of the best in the world. 'Nuff said.

Indigo Jazz Ensemble uproot the trad jazz book at the Century Lounge with the Smoking Jackets, and the same room hosts Rounds IIIand IV of the '98 WBRU Rock Hunt semis. Blues Outlet, featuring an Army Captain, Chicago Vin, Harmonica Robert Marsella and more, hit Dave's Bar & Grill on Post Road Saturday, Dean Petrella celebrates his new CD's release Sunday at the Met, and eyes open for a brandy-new festival being pulled together by Chuck Wentworth. The Austin Lounge Lizards, Northern Lights, Slaid Cleaves, Salamander Crossing and Swampgrass hit the Odeum April 5 in a fund-raiser for this first-ever Escoheag Roots Music and Dance Festival at Stepping Stone on Labor Day Weekend. Joining Wentworth in promoting the new venture is Winterhawk veteran organizer Mary Tyler Doub of Grey Fox Bluesgrass Inc.; confirmees for Labor Day weekend include Doc Watson, Geno Delafose andFrench Rockin' Boogie, Steve Riley andthe Mamou Playboys, Tim O'Brien & the O'Boys, Austin Lounge Lizards, Candye Kane & the Swinging Armadillos, Balfa Toujours, Big Sandy & the FlyRite Boys and Northern Lights.