Live In Monterey

The man affectionately known as “The Mayor of MacDougal Street” was portrayed as a dour character in the Coen brothers’ film Inside Llewyn Davis, which was based loosely on Van Ronk's life. But the real-life Dave Van Ronk was a generous sort who let other folk singers crash on his couch. Van Ronk would’ve loved to have been better known, but naked career ambition wasn’t appealing to the man who loved the blues, folk songs, gospel tunes, and rags. This performance at a Monterey, Calif., church on April 4, 1998, is obviously 30-plus years after the big folk boom in Greenwich Village, but Van Ronk is in excellent form. He plays with the passion, humor, and dexterity that made him a revered figure in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. Many well-known songs like “Jesus Met the Woman at the Well,” “Cocaine Blues,” “Candy Man,” “He Was a Friend of Mine,” “St. James Infirmary," and “Four Strong Winds” make this showcase a memorable one, but lesser-knowns such as “I’ve Had My Fun” and “Losers” are just as powerful and essential coming from a true musical legend.