Sunday Coffeehouse
Valerie Adams of The Point's Sunday Coffeehouse radio program talks to Jeff Miller of the Burlington Coffeehouse about the folk scene, his on-going medical situation and the never-ending search for a permanent home for the nomadic coffeehouse.
My column was due a week ago and here I sit frantically trying to put it all together before I miss yet another deadline. It is amazing to me how quickly I have reverted to my college ways. Wait until the last possible second so that you have absolutely no leeway and feel completely burdened and frustrated by the whole thing and worry about it for two months beforehand and swear that next time it will be different. That is a summary of my college experience.
I had a good long talk with Jeff Miller last night and I thought I'd fill you in about what's going on with Jeff and The Burlington Coffeehouse in this edition of The Sunday Coffeehouse column. Jeff has been running The Burlington Coffeehouse since 1992 when he took over the reins from founder Rachel Bissex. Through the years the Coffeehouse has had many homes, starting out at Noonie's, moving to City Market and presently residing at The Rhombus Gallery on College Street. Jeff is like the postman of the contemporary folk scene in Burlington. Through rain, snow, sleet, illness, hospitals, and the Coffeehouse's occasional homelessness, he has persevered. I've known Jeff for a lot of years and there's one thing I can say for sure about him: there is no one who is more dedicated or who works harder to keep Burlington's folk scene thriving. (Right: Jeff Miller)
Over the last few years, keeping the Coffeehouse alive has been no easy task. In July of 1995 Jeff became seriously ill. After many tests, hospital visits, surgeries (nine in the last two and a half years) he was diagnosed with Retroperitoneal Fibrosis. You're not likely to find many others with this disease as it strikes one in a million. After much research, it was discovered that Retroperitoneal Fibrosis is directly related to asbestos exposure. As Jeff is a builder in his non-folk life, exposure to asbestos is quite likely. He thinks he can trace it back to a job he did in 1993. After many temporary fixes, the big fix (or big operation) is happening in June.
Throughout his illness, the folk community has been right there beside him. There were a bunch of benefit concerts involving, among others, Brooks Williams, Rachel Bissex, Paul Asbell, Dana Robinson, Rik Palieri, Diane Zeigler, Patty Casey and Katherine Quinn. There also was the surprise benefit concert by Dar Williams. Jeff had no idea the concert he was putting on at Contois Auditorium was a benefit until Dar announced it midway through the show. She then proceeded to play "You're Aging Well" and dedicated it to him. At Dar's last Burlington concert in September, she announced that Jeff had given her a gig when no one else would and she publicly thanked him for it.
I think a big part of what keeps Jeff going is the relationships that he has formed with some of these artists like Dar, Richard Shindell, Ellis Paul and many others. "Everyone of these artists that have played at The Burlington Coffeehouse has become a friend. It's extremely satisfying to watch them grow and develop and write incredible material."
I asked Jeff why he was so dedicated as he makes no money, he often has to spend his own money on promotional expenses and it's quite a time consuming "hobby," averaging about twenty hours a week. "I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing people come in and enjoy the music and build their own relationship with the artist. The music makes my heart sing. It makes me a better person."
As I'm typing this, I'm thinking to myself "That's so corny, the music makes me a better person," but those were the exact words that I used when I introduced Nanci Griffith at a concert at The Flynn a few years ago. I think I said, "Nanci's music has made me a better person," and it really has. I think that is such a big part of the beauty of this kind of music...it is music that can heal. Singer-songwriters in the folk genre often write from deep within themselves and the really talented or open ones have a way of communicating that to the audience, often without even trying. The music, the performer, the songs, can all take us to places inside ourselves that we didn't even know were there. I think that is what Jeff and I have in common and that is why he does what he does, and that is why I do my radio show, and why we both put in thousands and thousands of hours - because we have been profoundly affected by the music we play and present.
After some recuperation time this spring and summer, Jeff hopes to get to work on putting together his own first class performance space in Burlington.
"I really feel it's in my destiny to do that."
Do yourself a favor and go hear some live music at The Burlington Coffeehouse.
Upcoming Schedul
2/21/98 Aaron Flinn
2/28/98 Chris Williams
3/13/98 Deb Pasternack3/14/98 Margo Hennebach & Mark Saunders
3/21/98 Anni Clark3/28/98 Les Sampou
4/4/98 Susan Werner
4/18/98 Gerald Harscher
4/24/98 Camp Hoboken Internet Quarter w/Christian Bauman, Linda Sharer, Greg Cagno, & Rachel Bissex
4/25/98 Annie Gallup
5/1/98 Dana Robinson
5/2/98 Keith Greeniger
5/9/98 Zoe Lewis
5/23/98 Ellis Paul
6/6/98 Greg Greenway
For more information about The Burlington Coffeehouse call 864-5888 or 652-1103. ~GC~
Valerie Adams is the host of the long-running radio program "The Sunday Coffeehouse." The show airs from 9AM to 1PM every Sunday morning on The Point (WNCS 104.7 FM.) You can write to Val at Valrose9@aol.com.