Jukebox: McGuinn, Crowell are persuasive in both folk, country

Folk and country may seem miles apart, but remember it was country superstar Johnny Cash who broke TV’s boycott of folksinger Pete Seeger by inviting him on his own show, and Harlan Howard’s description of country as “three chords and the truth” applies just as readily to folk. Both folk and country revere similar traditions of simple structures and sympathetic storytelling, and both Roger McGuinn and Rodney Crowell, who both are playing here, though not together, make music in both styles.

If McGuinn came to country from folk music, and from folk music via the explosive impact of Gram Parsons on the Byrds, McGuinn now seems to regard it all as one thing. His solo shows feel folkie. Tonight at The Egg, he’s likely to go “Eight Miles High” (based on a hard-bop John Coltrane sax lick), muse on his own spotlighted life in “So You Want to be a Rock ’n’ Roll Star,” urge patience in “Turn Turn Turn,” turn to “My Back Pages” and salute “Mr. Tambourine Man” but also go up to the country with “Hickory Wind” or “Chestnut Mare.”

Carlo Wolff, former Metroland editor and previously my Gazette reviewing partner, saw McGuinn recently in Cleveland and said he was “altogether stunning.”

Show time for Roger McGuinn tonight at The Egg (Empire State Plaza) is 8 p.m. Admission is $28. Phone 473-1845 or visit www.theegg.org.

Rodney Crowell and his acoustic trio — violinist/singer Jenny Scheinman and guitarist/singer Will Kimbrough — play folk and country on Thursday at The Egg. Years before Crowell ever played here, former Knickerbocker News reporter Steve Webb claimed Crowell had more stage presence than any performer he’d ever seen. Crowell has proved Webb right at the Van Dyck and at The Egg.

Since swapping substantial mainstream country stardom for fearless folk-style candor on his 2001 breakthrough “The Houston Kid” album, Crowell has continued on a formidable roll, reuniting his great 1970s band the Cherry Bombs in 2004, turning topical with “The Outsider” in 2005 and then stripping down to basics with his new album “Sex and Gasoline” and the acoustic tour he brings to The Egg on Thursday.

Scheinman released her self-named vocal debut album and her fifth instrumental collection “Crossing the Field” this year and played the Friehofer’s Jazz Festival at SPAC in June. Kimbrough has a new band called Daddy and has released the solo albums “This” and “Home Away.” Scheinman has said Crowell encouraged her to become a singer as well as a fiddler — so did Norah Jones — and Scheinman accompanied Crowell on a recent “World Café” broadcast available at www.rodneycrowell.com. Kimbrough accompanied Crowell in his last Egg show several years ago and opened for him. On Thursday, Scheinman opens. Show time is 7:30 p.m. Admission is $25.

Folk folks

The New York Folklore Society hosts “The Folk Music Revival: Politics and Community” on Saturday at the Clark Auditorium of the New York State Library and Museum (Empire State Plaza, Albany). Starting at 10:30 a.m., it includes a discussion by keynote speaker Suze Rotolo with folk impresarios Andy Spence (Old Songs), Wanda Fischer (WAMC’s Hudson River Sampler) and Sarah Craig (Caffe Lena.)

Bob Dylan’s former girlfriend, Rotolo is the author of “A Freewheelin’ Time: A Memoir of Greenwich Village,” and is shown in “Bob Dylan Through the Eyes of Joe Alper,” a book assembled by Joe’s son George of photos shot mainly in Schenectady and Saratoga Springs.

A second discussion, “Folk Scare! Politics and the Folksong Revival,” brings together Oscar Brand, Josh White Jr., Sonny Ochs (concert promoter and sister of the late Phil Ochs) and Jaye Alper (shown in her father Joe’s book and a folk archivist in her own right).

Peter Siegel’s “Friends of Old Time Music” film (under construction) will be shown, and John Roberts and Tony Barrand will perform “The Songs of Rudyard Kipling.” Registration is $25 for Society members, $30 for others. Phone 346-7008 or e-mail info@nysfolklore.org.

Lee, new venue

Jazz pianist Lee Shaw brings her trio — bassist Rich Syracuse and drummer Jeff Siegel — to a new venue on Saturday: the Guggenheim Auditorium at the Rensselaerville Meeting Center (63 Huyck Rd. off Route 85, Rensselaerville).

An elfin figure who often sits on an Ottawa phone book placed on the piano bench, Shaw is a giant talent whose exceptional career has perhaps never been busier.

The Rensselaerville Meeting Center is launching a new concert series (details to be announced) with Saturday’s show, and it could hardly begin in better hands.

A 6:30 p.m. reception with hors d’oeuvres and cash bar in the adjacent Huyck House estate will precede the 8 p.m. concert. Arriving in time for the reception will provide a foliage-intensive Kodachrome drive. Admission to both reception and concert is $20, $18 for students. Phone 797-5100 ext. 612 or e-mail frontdesk@rmeetingcenter.com.

Figgs and more Figgs

This weekend, local favorites the Figgs return to Valentines (17 New Scotland Ave., Albany) where they’ve played many a show — in fact, way more than that.

Tonight, the Erotics and the Charlie Watts Riot open, starting at 9 p.m. On Saturday, the Sabre Complex (ex-Luxury Flats) opens for the Figgs. Both shows are downstairs. Phone 432-6572 or visit www.valentinesalbany.com for more information.

Other shows

Saturday’s Palace Theatre show by the Trey Anastasio Band is sold out, but Phish is reuniting and Anastasio said before his last Palace show that he wants to keep all his bands going, all the time, so more chances will come.

Rootsy folk-rockers Railroad Earth play tonight at 8 p.m. at Revolution Hall (425 River St., Troy) with new songs from “Amen Corner.” Admission is $25. Phone 274-0553 or visit www.revolutionhall.com.

The bold Boston stringband-plus Crooked Still plays on Sunday at The Egg, improvising like a jazz group on bluegrass fiddle tunes and Celtic dances. Show time is 7 p.m. Admission is $20.