Join PFS in welcoming Bob Zentz for a PFS House Concert!
Bob Zentz began performing professionally in his native Norfolk, Virginia, in 1962, in "The Troubadours," with James Lee Stanley. In his college years, Bob was a founding member of The College of William & Mary's "Minutemen" singers from 1962-64, and president of the Old Dominion College Folk Music Society from 1965-66.
After the 1971 San Fernando earthquake literally shook him out of bed, Bob packed up and returned home to Norfolk, with a dream of creating a special place for people who loved traditional music and acoustic sounds as much as he did. He named it for the man who embodied his ideal of the singer, and the song -- the late Norfolk country singer William Conrad Buhler, immortalized by Bob in song as "Ramblin' Conrad ... a veteran, a wino, a handyman, an ex-con, a backstreet minstrel and a bar-room troubadour."
Over the years, Bob participated in many folk ventures, near and far. He began teaching folk music classes in Old Dominion University’s Rainbow Program in 1971; he created and ran the "Old Dominion Folk Festival" from 1972-81; and became a fixture at the Virginia State Fair beginning in 1980, appearing for his 28th year consecutive year as resident performer in the Heritage Village in October 2009. He appeared on PBS's long-running program "A Prairie Home Companion" in 1982, and crewed and performed aboard Pete Seeger's Hudson River sloop "Clearwater," helping to repair the Hudson River and spreading the word about preserving our waterways, from 1989-91. Bob's recording of his composition, "Horizons," was selected in 2006 to be on a tribute to environmental author and pioneer Rachel Carson on the centenary of her birth, entitled "Songs for the Earth."
As a performer, Bob is a prolific musician, playing several dozen instruments in a repertoire of more than 2,000 songs. His albums span the genres of folk, traditional, Celtic and maritime music and beyond, and his recordings also appear on other artist compilations. As a songwriter, he is celebrated by fans and peers alike; dozens of performers have covered his original compositions, three of which have been published in "Rise Up Singing," Sing Out Magazine's award-winning community songbook.
Two of the most storied songwriters of the 20th century praised Bob's work, each in his own way. Upon hearing Bob's first release, Mirrors and Changes, country legend Johnny Cash was moved to send the young artist an encouraging letter, saying, "Mirrors and Changes ... is one of the finest works I've heard by any artist." And in 2007, at a symposium at the Library of Congress' American Folklife Center honoring members of the Seeger family for their contributions to American music, music legend and humanitarian Pete Seeger asked Bob, "Are you still writing those good songs? Your songs get around!"
Today, Bob has no intention of slowing down. He continues to perform nearly every week the year, much of it on the road, and has followed up the 2007 release of his sixth album, "Closehauled on the Wind of a Dream," with the new CD "Horizons" in January 2010. He carries his "informances," rich with "edu-tainment," to elementary school students with his "Homemade Music" program; to K-12 teachers as an instructor for the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT); and to elders as a program developer and leader for Elderhostel along the Intracoastal Waterway.
From schools to concert halls, festivals to fairs, museums to libraries, and everywhere in between, Bob is dedicated to a life of presenting, performing and introducing traditional music and its derivatives to those who are already fans ... and those unaware of its existence.
PFS and the hosts ask that guests act in a respectful manner and be considerate of the performers and other attendees--if you do not, you may be asked to leave by PFS staff or the hosts.
Advance registrations for this performance are REQUIRED.
Admission is free for PFS members and $10 for non-members.
Venue is located at the Greenberg Residence near the Overbrook Station section of Philadelphia, PA. Precise address given the Friday before the event or when tickets are sold out, whichever comes first! The address will also appear on the confirmation immediately after purchasing your ticket!
Please bring something to share! Pot luck at 3:00pm, music at 3:30 pm.
