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Arts & Entertainment

The Sound of ("American Roots") Music Comes to Pearl River

The Homegrown String Band performed to a full room on Sunday at the Pearl River Public Library.

It was anything but quiet at the Pearl River Library on Sunday afternoon after The Homegrown String Band started a hootenanny in the Community Room.

This “homegrown” family quartet, comprised of Georgianne and
Rick Jackofsky and their two daughters, Erica and Annalee, entertained more
than 70 people with their signature style of acoustic folk music, infectious
toe-tapping rhythms, percussive flat foot dancing and homespun storytelling.

Inspired by the rural string bands of the early 20th century, the Jackofsky family, who reside in Rocky Point, NY on the North Shore of Long Island, has been performing together since 1997. Calling themselves “the first family of folk music,” the band consists of husband/father Rick, 54, who plays banjo, guitar, harmonica and sings lead vocals; wife/mother Georgianne, 55, on banjo uke, mountain dulcimer and doumbek (hand drum); and daughters, Erica, 27, on fiddle and vocals, and Annalee, 23, on mandolin, jaw-harp and vocals.

Jim Cassetta, the Program Director at the Pearl River Library, first discovered The Homegrown String Band after he received a CD of their music about five years ago. Since then, this performance marks the third time the band has performed live at the Pearl River Library.

“It’s a different kind of event,” said Cassetta. “Folks are coming out and enjoying a library-sponsored event unlike any other. We are very happy to provide this sort of entertainment to the public.”

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Emil Bahary, of Pearl River, couldn’t agree more.

“It’s a fine way to spend a Sunday afternoon,” Bahary said. “I think it is wonderful that the library holds a function like this for us to enjoy.”

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From the very start, Rick “Rooster” Jackofsky held the crowd’s attention with his natural storytelling ability and encyclopedic knowledge of the history of American roots music. Georgianne, Erica and Annalee had the crowd clapping along to their down-home style of Appalachian clog and buck dancing.

Pearl River resident Dan Radwin, along with his wife Bonny, had only positive praise for the band’s style of music and dancing.

“What a fantastic show!,” Radwin said. “I love that they are family performing together as a unit. It’s wonderful.”

Radwin and his wife had seen The Homegrown String Band perform once before in Valley Cottage.

“When I heard that they were performing at the Pearl River Public Library, I knew we had to go,” Radwin said.

Michelle Gokey, 45, traveled from Garnerville to see the band perform.

“This is my first time seeing them perform. I love this kind of music,” she said. “I’m a country girl at heart.”

From wherever they came and for whatever reasons brought them to the Pearl River Public Library, people seemed to have immensely enjoyed the two-hour show put on by this multi-talented musical family.

One of the many stickers that adorn Janokofsky’s well-traveled guitar case is a quote from Jimi Hendrix: “Knowledge speaks but wisdom listens.” And, people listened intently as this homegrown family band provided an afternoon of knee-slapping, toe-tapping melodic string music.

For more information about the band, visit  www.homegrownstringband.com.

 

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