Six Degrees of ...McKendree Spring
McKendree Who?
When I stopped off at Underdog Records a few weeks back, I came across a record by McKendree Spring, the one called 'Tracks' with a cover of Dylan's 'The Man in Me.' And for some reason that was enough for me to pick it up and take it home.
Now I sort of understand why.
Our friends Gregg and Laura were just here visiting. They used to live in Pittsburgh but moved away when Gregg entered seminary to become an Episcopal priest. We see them as often as we can and enjoyed a long vacation weekend together recently. One morning, over coffee, Gregg was sifting through the records I had cleaned and sleeved the night before, a stack of ten or twelve new or recent additions to my collection. When he came across McKendree Spring, he stopped and carefully studied the back of the sleeve. The band, comprised of lead singer Fran McKendree, bass player Fred Holman, guitarist Martin Slutsky, and violinist Michael Dreyfus (Andy Newmark plays drums on the album) was obscure at best, so I wondered aloud why he had decided to study the McKendree Spring album out of all of them.
"I wonder if its the same Fran McKendree?" Gregg uttered softly, more to himself than anyone.
"You know Fran McKendree?" I said? Shocked that anyone would recognize this band that released a few albums many years ago to no particular commercial effect and faded from view.
"Well, sort of, not really. I met him about six months ago when he came to play at the seminary. He is a friend of one of the professors and a musical leader in the Episcopal church. Strange to see this here today. What made you buy this, Paul?
I explained that it had a Dylan cover on it, which is sometimes enough of an excuse for me to buy an otherwise unknown record, especially if the price is right. "Turns out," I concluded, "its a pretty good record!"
I pulled out my IPhone and Googled Fran McKendree and found my way to his biography on CD Baby: "Fran McKendree grew up in rural Connecticut where he began to play guitar and reluctantly sing. In high school, a trio he’d joined won a talent contest, first prize being a slot on a folk music radio show, and he was hooked. He began his professional career playing at coffee houses in and around Syracuse University. Moving to the Glens Falls area of NY he formed "McKendree Spring," a four-piece folk-rock ensemble that the legendary promoter/manager Bill Graham dubbed "one of the best unknown bands in the world."
The band toured with some of the most exciting artists of the 70's, beginning early in their career with several weeks at NY's famous 'Bitter End.' where they shared the bill with an amazing array of talent - from the Everly Brothers to James Taylor. McKendree Spring developed a loyal following, spending the next several years touring the US, the UK and Canada, sharing the stage with everyone from the Average White Band to Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. The band played many memorable venues as well, including Carnegie Hall, the Fillmore East, and with the late Billy Preston, the first ever rock concert at Radio City Music Hall. With the [tiny, but hey, nice to be included! ] McKendree Spring exhibit in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum in Cleveland, Ohio is an attribution that says: “Experimental and innovative, McKendree Spring mixed blues, folk and country with a progressive musical vision." The group eventually disbanded in 1975, and each of the members went on to pursue varied careers.
Fran's 'varied career' began by signing the next year to Arista Records and recording with some of the finest session players in the NY/Toronto music scene. He wasn't touring during this time but did play a few memorable events, foremost among them, a gig in NY's Central Park with Jimmy Cliff headlining [yes, a bit of a stylistic mismatch, but it sure was fun! ]. Fran was, however, finding this an increasingly challenging time in his life.
One day, while walking around his New York City neighborhood looking for inspiration, Fran discovered a small Episcopal church. The next Sunday he and his wife, Diana, went to see what it was all about....finding an engaging, faithful, outreach minded and artistic gathering of seekers. It was a breakthrough for Fran, opening a new spiritual path which led him to heed the call to to take some time for reflection. He and Diana moved to a small town on Cape Cod, where, setting aside his music, he began to work with youth, build houses, make furniture [remember the 'varied career?'], eventually feeling a deep longing to make music again. Emerging from this soul searching period he began to work under the aegis of the Episcopal church. He has continued to develop and explore his calling; doing concerts, as music leader and coordinator for conferences, keynote presenter, mentor, and workshop leader. He has released several CDs, as well as producing recordings for other artists at his Teerivane Studios in Hendersonville, NC, where he and Diana now live."
Not sure this explains why I was drawn to bring McKendree Spring's album home with me that day. Who would have guessed that my friend would have met him just a few months before. But it does confirm the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon theory of life.
Although in this case it is six degrees of Fran McKendree.
Now, if I can only figure out if guitarist Martin Slutsky is related to artist Robert Slutsky - co-author of the seminal architectural essay 'Transparency: Literal and Phenomenal....'
More McKendree Dylan covers:
McKendree Spring covered John Wesley Harding on their 1969 self-titled LP (MCA-277), and Fran McKendree sings Ring Them Bells on his 2008 CD "Rise"
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So I'll forget about quibbling with your statement in the Jimmy Page post about my man Robert Plant (i.e. "aging rockers doing boring stripped-down roots", etc.) & just say that this was a sweet story... As a seeker myself, I enjoy reading about people's life journeys and the unexpected turns they can take when the inquiry is sincere.
Also enjoyed meeting Laura and Gregg, and singing along with Gregg's guitar. He's got a good ear.
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Don't know about Martin Slutsky (who, BTW, won an Emmy in later life!), but resident violinist Dr. Michael Dreyfuss (he of the white hair) is related to actor Richard Dreyfuss (younger brother!). And I remember that picture from the back of "Get Me To The Country" (one of two albums they did for Pye Records, and the first MKS album I bought [and one I wish they'd reissue!]). Great story!
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Thanks for your comment, Jerry.
I love knowing that Michael Dreyfuss is Richard's younger brother!
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in the mid to late 60's i worked at crystal Lake Lodge just north of Lake George. the family who owned the hotel was the Slutsky family. Martin's dad was one of the wonderful brothers and sisters(well Libby could be a little intimidating at times) who owned the Lodge. i have fond memories of Mckendree Spring playing at the Lodge in those early years and having heard the electrified violin for the first time and what was a doctor doing screwing around with a band. what i didn't know until reading your blog today was that he was Richard Dreyfuss' brother.
thanks for a trip down memory lane that had many good memories.
do they have a club date coming up?
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Bob--
I chanced on this blog site and your comment in a search for a childhood friend and 9-yr summer campmate, Noah Slutsky. In the very early '50s I went with Noah to his folks' Crystal Lake Lodge between the end of school and start of camp. We were then 11 or 12 and Martin, of whom Noah was fiercely protective, perhaps 7.
Recently, there has been some resumption of activity on the part of other campers, and in that connection I have been trying to locate Noah once again. So I take the liberty of responding to your posting in hopes that you might be able to provide a live connection to the relicts of the Slutsky family--ideally to Noah himself, but in this age of social networking, Martin or any other contact may work as well in reducing the degrees of separation!
Thanks for your patience with an old man.
Best,
Tony Roberts
Maine
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I just saw this post. Noah Slutsky is my second cousin and last I heard he lives in New York City. If you truly wish to find him I'm sure I can contact some of my family members to help you locate him. The last time I saw him was in 1997 when my grandmother Sylvia Slutsky passed away.
Deborah Halpern
Westchester County, New York
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I found this post by googling Crystal Lake Lodge. My grandmother and her sisters owned Crystal Lake Lodge and my father Arthur worked there during the summers. Any chance you knew him?
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For whatever reason, I have had more response to this posting than almost any other. Look up McKendree Spring on facebook - not sure what their tour plans are, but I think they are releasing digi singles via CD Baby.
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