The first thing I did after checking into my hotel in Greenwich Village on Saturday (was there for the NYU Hyperlocal Conclave) was head over to Washington Square, which I know at one time was famous for its folk music (including Bob Dylan playing there for a time). I didn’t know what I’d find, but it seemed like a good place to take make some photos.
Near the end of my hour or so in the park, I found this gentleman playing banjo under the Washington Arch. It only took a few bars to realize he was something special.
He is Morgan O’Kane, originally from Virginia, but a resident of New York for the past 11 years.
I bought his latest CD and it is every bit as good as I hoped it would be. O’Kane has a sound that is authentic to the kind of scratchy 78s Harry Smith compiled but with touch of grunge, giving O’Kane’s sound a very contemporary edge. O’Kane is traditional without being pastiche. That is an accomplishment that takes a heart and soul for the music and a real talent to pull it off.
See all of my photos of O’Kane on VuFindr.
Here’s a few of the videos of OK that can be found on YouTube and his web site.
Love this guy, saw him in Washington Square park and was transported to the Ozarks and beyond.
Thank you Morgan O’kane for being….