A mix of folky acoustic and searing electric lasted til the next morning
Rain delays required unscheduled acoustic guitar performances by Country Joe McDonald and John Sebastian, the latter there as an audience member but recruited to help out.
But then a band known only in San Francisco took the stage at 12:30 pm. Named for leader Carlos Santana and reputedly tripping on LSD and in front half a million people, they ended their set with one of the pinnacle performances in rock history, instantly vaulting Santana and 20 year old drummer Michael Shrieve into rock immortality.
Young and Very Pregnant Joan Baez Wows at Woodstock
Sweet Sir Galahad was her first really good composition
Miss Baez referred to Woodstock as the eye of the hurricane of that turbulent time, with good reason. She was among the half-millions people who marched on Washington on August 28, 1963, to demand Civil Rights African Americans and other peoples of color, and led them in singing “We Shall Over Come” at the Lincoln Memorial, and she supported peace initiatives throughout the course of the Viet Nam War.
Alfred Hayes’ poem “Joe Hill” set to music by Earl Robinson in 1936, and dedicated to the immigrant labor activist who was framed and executed for murder in 1915.
Here she performs with Jeffrey Shurtleff on vocals and guitar, and Richard Festinger on lead guitar
August 15, 1969, Woodstock Day 1 started with Richie Havens
A lasting legacy of advocacy through music
There is along standing legend that Richie Havens was asked to entertain the crowd for three hours, due to the transportation difficulties of other acts. This was perpetuated by Richie Havens, who was exaggerating when making such a claim. But he did play longer than expected.
… along with myth, legend, and for some an undying idealism regarding all three
The original poster, by David Edward Byrd
And the second poster listing the expected performers list.
This website is perhaps the best single source regarding which artist went on when and what happened when they did. But it does have some myths woven in, e.g. Richie Havens did not perform for three hours, but he did play longer than intended.
Music Writer and Cultural Historian Michael Lydon Has Died
The Rolling Stone Magazine founding editor and NYC music mainstay was 82.
A New Yorker’s New Yorker who lived the hippie life as a Yale educated historian and journalist in the heart of 1960s counter-culture California and London, England, Michael Lydon was a friend and inspiration when I came to know him though his wife and long time collaborator, the composer Ellen Mandel. Michael died on July 30 after a long struggle with Parkinson’s Disease.
An absolute prince of a guy, Michael shall be missed by all who are lucky enough to have known him. I so enjoyed jamming with him at the studio apartment he and Ellen kept as a creative work space near their East Village apartment.
We connected through our lifelong admiration of Bob Dylan, and Duke Ellington. As the first American journalist to interview a young Lennon and McCartney, and then founding editor of Rolling Stone Magazine, who toured with the actual Rolling Stones, and knew Janice, and the Dead, I found it delightful that Michael preferred singing gentle jazz standards, and composed songs in the same vein.
I was privileged to do the art direction for his final CD, coming up with a great many colorful designs before Michael and Ellen made their choice for the disc and cover.
With his long silver ponytail and rakish goatee and mustache, and svelte, debonair attire, Michael seemed less an old hippie than a timeless chevalier, if not a musketeer. I would have cast him as the retired d’Artagnan in Rostand’s “Cyrano” in a heartbeat. But he never lost the ’60s idealism that buoyed his dedication to encouraging others to love and love music.
He was even more cheerful and joyful than his music or his art. And he made others feel that way too. That is what shall remain in us long after grief and sorrow have receded.
Peace, music man, to you, and for Ellen and all who suffer your loss.
Guitar & Friends’ first annual Martinfest was a huge success
A new hotel and many new and old friends
Now under the umbrella of the new not-for-profit Guitars and Friends, Martinfest has been given a new lease on life and it looks like it will be every bit as fun and successful in the coming years as it ever was.
These collages are made up of videos captured during the nighttime song circles by Maury Rutch, interspersed with my personal phone videos, and sublimed with some phone videos from other attendees.
The Phoenix Arises
Martinfest began in 2002 as a gathering of members of the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum, in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Starting this year, the event was planned, orchestrated and successfully put on by a group of Martinfest enthusiasts, with the blessing of the UMGF administrators, who were ready to give up the reigns after more than two decades of laborious love, which set an example we continue to follow.
Under the tireless leadership of Jim Fortmuller, a small planning committee set out to create a new not-for-profit organization, Guitars and Friends, which is dedicated to perpetuating the comradery that keeps bring so many back to share their music and laughter with people they would have never encountered if it weren’t for Martinfest.
For many of us, it is like a family reunion. For others, who are relatively new citizens of Martinfest, it is a rare opportunity to indulge in their love of fine acoustic guitars, while getting a chance to play and sing for the most welcoming, accepting, and non-judgmental group of music lovers one could hope for. Jim Fortmuller is one such singer/songwriter/guitarist.
Jim came to his first Martinfest shortly before the COVID pandemic broke the 19-year streak. But it had heard about it for years from some now-former coworkers. Upon his retirement, he made the pilgrimage and had fantastic time. So much so, that when it seemed there wouldn’t be a Martinfest in 2024, Jim volunteered to help the UMGF admins give it one last go – and then by the sheer will to keep the Martinfest flame lit, Jim took it upon himself to recruit like-minded diehards, and tour some 8 hotels in Eastern Pennsylvania, to find what is clearly the best hotel Martinfest ever had.
The official days were Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, although some people arrived as early as Wednesday, and some left as late as Tuesday. There was an opening night receptions, where people at their first Martinfest were singled out for welcome. And then there were loose song circles in the two conference rooms, and looser jamming in the lobby and a suite we rented as a hospitality room. Earlier that day, many people visited the Martin Guitar factory and museum and took the tour.
On Saturday, many of us attended the Martin on Main street fair in downtown Nazareth. Others stayed in the comfortable climate control of the hotel. On Sunday, we gathered at the long pavilion in Nazareth Borough Park, were we had a memorial sing-along for dearly departed attendees, and enjoyed an open mic, as well as a fun auction to help raise money to cover a portion of our operating costs. But really, it was the all-night party at the hotel that is what we look forward to all day long.
That hotel loved us, and are eager for our return in July of 2026. For more information, please visit guitarsandfriends.org.
To learn more about Martinfest and its uniquely magical spell it casts on so many, who come back year after year after year, here is an old article from its heyday.
Thomas Ripsam’s CEO-11 is an exquisite work of art
The Chief Executive of Martin Guitar has surpassed his sublime CEO-10, which is really saying something
Martin CEO-11 specs include: 14-fret Grand Auditorium body size; solid tonewoods include figured white oak sides and three-piece back; FSC-certified European spruce soundboard with unique New Horizons burst finish and custom inlays and half-herringbone “rope” purfling; European flamed maple binding; two-piece flamed maple neck with dark mahogany stain, and GE Modified Low Oval profile and neck heel; ebony fingerboard with custom abalone inlays and High Performance Taper, 1-3/4″ at the bone nut, 2-1/8″ at 12th fret; ebony bridge with bone saddle and bone pins with abalone dots; ebony headstock face plate with abalone Unalome inlay and open nickle tuners; Fishman Aura electronics with custom-voiced microphone image.
“Gorgeous to see, lovely to hear. The versatility of this acoustic-electric lap piano is immediately evident from its bass-to-treble balance and its clear yet colorful tonal pallet.”
Martin Guitars Like No Other for CFM IV’s 70th Birthday
The new D-18 1955 and 000-18 1955 feature reclaimed spruce tops from Alaska!
As per the company website, “1955 wasn’t just a milestone for the Martin family—it was also the year the folk boom began to sweep across the country. As artists embraced acoustic sounds and heartfelt storytelling, Martin guitars became essential companions, carrying the songs that shaped a generation. It’s fitting that these two guitars, each inspired by iconic 1955 models, mark Chris Martin IV’s own story in the year that changed everything for folk music—and for Martin Guitar.”
Reclaimed Spruce
For the first time, Martin Guitar is offering commercial instruments with soundboards from repurposed wood. Various smaller guitar makers have been doing this for some years now. But it fits in perfectly with Chris Martin’s lifelong concern for the global environment. Fittingly enough, they are offer 70 guitars in each edition.
“This is the first time we’ve used this sustainably sourced spruce, and it’s more than just repurposing materials. It’s about celebrating the strength of nature and the craftsmanship that brings it to life. When you pick up one of these guitars, you’re not just playing music—you’re giving a voice to wood that’s weathered the elements, stood through history, and found its way into your hands.”
Printed Tops Mimic Martins of Old
The 000-18 1955 featured a photo-realistic printing of top of an actual 1955 000-18 —serial number 145102. The new D-18 1955 “draws inspiration from a standout piece of history—a 1955 D-18 from the Skip Maggiora collection. That guitar, serial number 144636, was part of a legendary trove of 150 vintage instruments Skip assembled over a lifetime in the music business.”
Martin introduced printed “distressed” tops on some Standard series models, with less-expensive satin finishes. But here it is used on a limited edition with more than the tops looking like a vintage Martin.
Vintage Vibes
The short-scale Auditorium size 000 has period correct non-scalloped braces. The new D-18 limited edition has non-scalloped, rear-shifted braces, with should provide ample bass, but with greater definition across all registers.
Both instruments have an FSC-certified rosewood fingerboard (Style 18 having rosewood boards and bridges from the late 1940s until the return to ebony in the 20-teens,) and the GE Modified Low Oval neck shaping that was recently added to the Standard Series. But in each case there is a 1-11/16″ width at the nut, rather than the modern 1-3/4″, along with appropriate 2-1/8″ string spacing.
The mother of pearl dot fingerboard markers, brownish tortoise bindings and pickguards, rounded headstocks with vintage-esque Kluson® Waffleback® tuners help make these guitars look very much like 1955 Martins.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Martin
Chris Martin never intended to join the family business, but stepped in during a vulnerable time in the history of the acoustic guitar, and the family-owned business founded by his great, great, great, great grandfather. He charted and then navigated the company through dangerous waters when the popularity of the acoustic guitar was at its all-time low, and then through his own Golden Era when Martin and Eric Clapton joined together to revitalize its their popularity. C. F. Martin IV ultimately achieved glorious success by embracing innovation and modernization, while nurturing and perpetuating his ancestral legacy and the vintage Martin mystique.
These two limited editions stand alongside the new Standard Series designs, and CEO Thomas Ripsam’s recent CEO-11 model as wonderful examples of Martin combining modern technologies, sustainable and in this case reclaimed tonewoods, with construction features that make these guitars more like vintage Martins than anything created during Chris’s years at the head of the company, save only those meticulous Authentic Series reproductions.
Wishing you many happy returns, that is one man’s word on…
Martin D-18 1955 and 000-18 1955 CFM 70th Birthday Guitars
C.F. Martin & Co. aka Martin Guitar has seen fit to release even more Eric Clapton signature models. But these new Claptons set themselves apart in their specifications and in debuting on Sunday, March 30 2025, Clapton’s 80th birthday, while also commemorating the 30th anniversary of the first EC model.
The limited edition 000-42EC 30th Anniversary combines the aesthetic appointments of the Martin’s original Eric Clapton signature model with an “Authentic 1939” neck specifications, likely borrowed from the 000-42 Authentic 1939. With premium grade Adirondack spruce and Guatemalan rosewood, this 2025 signature model is truly a premium level guitar and an instant collector’s item, had at the premium price of $10,999 and limited to 300 guitars.
The more-affordable 000-EC 30th Anniversary is made with Indian rosewood and comes with a Sitka or Lutz spruce top. It does get the 1939 neck shape model like its pricier sibling. Both have a 1-11/16” nut and 2-/18 string spacing, but the 1939 heel and fuller barrel will make the hand feel less cramped than recent Martins with the 1-11/16” nut width, and a Low Profile shape, like the OMJM John Mayer model. The 000-EC retails for $4,999 and has no production limit for this special edition instrument. But Martin dealers may only order it through March 2026.
The 000-EC has no style indicator in the name, because it combines the herringbone top trim and sound hole rosette of the popular 000-28EC with colorful Golden Era Style 42 position markers at frets 5, 7, 9, 12 and 15, just like a 1939 000-42. This may cause some confusion since modern Style 42 models use a vintage Style 45 fingerboard pattern that has markers on frets 1 and 3, including the Standard Series 000-42 and the original 000-42EC model.
At various times over the decades, Eric Clapton has had enormous influence on popular music. But none more so than his 1992 appearance on the hugely popular program MTV Unplugged, where he performed with a rare 1939 000-42 (SS #72234,) and sideman Andy Fairweather Lowe played Clapton’s 1966 000-28 (serial #208511) converted to Style 45 Mike Longworth. That one evening’s performance, and its hugely popular soundtrack album, single-handedly set off a seismic shift in the popularity of the acoustic guitar.
Martin received so many requests for a guitar like the ones featured on MTV Unplugged that it led to the first of many Eric Clapton signature models, 1995’s 000-42EC, a limited edition that was followed the next year by the special edition 000-28EC. The latter remains one of the best-selling Martin models of all time.
Watch my pal Dick Boak tell his tale of designing the original Eric Clapton models
It may be hard for some people to remember just how highly-regarded Eric Clapton was during the first decades of his career, starting with the electric British Blues band the Yardbirds. He left that band to form the first “super group” with bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker, who boldly declared themselves to be “The Cream,” eventually shorted to just Cream. He left that band to return to the Blues in Delaney and Bonnie, before collaborating with Duane Allman on the album Layla by Derek and the Dominoes, and finding time to perform with George Harrison, and John Lennon a short time later. But in all of this, Clapton was playing electric guitars.
In 1995, at age 50, the venerable rock legend garnered countless new fans after he switched his electric guitar for acoustic guitars that resulted in the phenomenal success of his Unplugged performance. At a time when acoustic guitar sales were at an all time low, the most famous electric guitarist in the world reminded us just how awesome acoustic guitars can be, especially in the right hands.
Happy birthday, Eric. Or as they say in France, joyeux anniversaire!
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