 Jay
Mankita
"...one of the half dozen best songwriters
today!" -Pete Seeger
A masterful guitarist
and singer/songwriter – Jay Mankita is quirky, original,
and rooted in the traditions of acoustic folk and Americana music,
from blues to bluegrass, from ragtime to country swing. A natural
entertainer, Jay has been playing in clubs, coffeehouses and festivals
for over 25 years.
His songs are journeys through the human condition,
sung with honesty, compassion, and humorous insight. Jay’s
concerts are moving and intimate; provocative, irreverently funny,
and musically refreshing.
With the October 2004 release
of his long awaited CD project ‘Morning Face’, Jay
will delight long time fans and make many new ones. The album
features guitar and vocals, plus mandolin, concertina, and cello,
and offers Jay’s unique perspective on personal authenticity
and courage.
Jay’s songs have
appeared in Sing Out! Magazine, been heard on both NPR and Pacifica
Radio, and have been performed and recorded by national touring
artists such as Kim and Reggie Harris, Magpie, Tony Barrand, Dean
Stevens, Nancy Tucker, and Pat Humphries.
Past Performances include:
The Town Crier, The Eighth Step, Club Passim, Somerville Theater,
Harvard Folk Festival,
Festival of Funny Songwriters, Café Lena, The Globe Theater,
Clearwater Revival,
Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center,
South Florida Folk Festival,
The Turning Point, The Potters House, The Folkway, Godfrey Daniels,
Peoples’ Voice Café,
Mine Street Coffeehouse, Boston Harbor Festival, Scranton University,
Wheaton College
University of Cincinatti, IMAC. . .
"Jay's songs are thoughtful, humorous, provocative, and engaging.
He reveals a great deal of feeling for serious issues, seasons
them with a bit of humor, and weaves his own unique style of guitar
playing throughout. Treat your audience to some Jay Mankita!"-Kate
Patton, Director, Globe Theater
"he alternates complexity, simplicity, and hilarity, leading
us to the most beautifully obvious conclusion; that we're all
human, we're all in this together, and it's not so bad after all."-Margie
Rosenkrantz, Director, The Eighth Step
"The blending, in fact, is what makes Mankita such an outstanding
performer . . . Even within individual verses of the same song,
Mankita will shift his voice from a Brombergian growl to a soft
and mellow falsetto; pull his tempo from allegretto to a dramatic
legato; from Windham Hillian wallpaper background to a snapping
fret-slapping blues style. With his assortment of styles and voices,
you never find your mind wandering." -Jeremy Bloom, Schenectady
Daily Gazette
"Jay Mankita is a diamond in the rough -The
Woodstock Times
"Jay Mankita jumps up and down with a big grin on his face,
playing incredible guitar, getting everyone laughing. Moments
later, he's doing a dead serious song with no accompaniment. Come
hear this guy, I think he's one of the half dozen best songwriters
today."-Pete Seeger
For bookings, CD orders, or
for more info, contact:
Download some of Jay Mankita's songs in MP3
format:
or Jay's new anti-Bush anthem:
For more info:
Jay Mankita
(800) 268-9148
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