Tin Pan Alley Cats

Concert at Bridgewater Library  —  May 9, 2014 @ 7:30 pm

Pop tunes from America's finest songsmiths

Vintage guitars from 1920s, 1930s and 1940s

Friends of Bridgewater Public Library will host a free concert by Ken Lelen on Friday, May 9, 2014, at 7:30 pm in the Program Room, 1 Vogt Drive, Bridgewater, NJ 08807. Info at 908-526-4016 and Bridgewater Library website.

Thomas "Fats" Waller
"I'm through with flirtin'; it's just you I'm thinkin' of,
Ain't misbehavin'; I'm saving my love for you."

    Lelen will sing pop tunes composed by America's greatest songsmiths — including George & Ira Gershwin, Richard Rogers & Lorenz Hart, Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields, Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, Jule Styne, Harold Arlen & Yip Harburg, Richard Whiting, Johnny Black, Fats Waller, Hoagy Carmichael and others. In addition to the songs, the musician will offer amusing anecdotes on the composers and lyricists, Tin Pan Alley and music of the mid-20th Century.
      The music program may include such songs as: "The Lady Is A Tramp" (Rogers & Hart), "She's Funny That Way" (Whiting), "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" (McHugh & Fields), "Blue Moon" (Rogers & Hart), "Ain't Misbehavin'" (Waller), "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" (Berlin) and "Over The Rainbow" (Arlen & Harburg).

     "Mr. Lelen is a genial performer, with a pleasant tenor," said the New York Times. "The songs he plays will never go out of date."

     The musician will display and play steel-stringed acoustic guitars from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Made by Gibson, Martin, Regal, Schmidt and other U.S. firms, they produce an authentic, back-in-the-day sound that is striking for its tone, character and sustain without the use of pick-ups or electronic gimmicks.

     "People of all ages love the songs," Lelen said. "And they're pleasantly surprised by the robust sound and classy look of the vintage guitars."

Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart
"Won't go to Harlem in ermine and pearls,
Won't dish the dirt with the rest of the girls,
That's why the lady is a tramp."

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     ©  2014 — Kenneth Lelen — All Rights Reserved

Sunny Side of the Street

Concert at Denville Library  —  April 14, 2014 @ 7:00 pm

Mirthful pop tunes from 1930 - 1939

Acoustic guitars from the same era

Hoosier Hot Shots - Chicago - 1936
"She broke my heart in three places:
Seattle, Chicago and New York"

Denville Public Library will host a free concert by Ken Lelen on Mon., April 14, 2014, at 7 pm in the Theatre, 121 Diamond Spring Rd, Denville NJ. Info at www.denvillelibrary.org and 973-627-6555.

     Lelen will tell amusing tales and sing tunes with memorable melodies and clever lyrics from 1930 - 1939. Composed by Tin Pan Alley's greatest songsmiths, the tunes were meant to soften the Great Depression's sting, offer love advice to threadbare sweethearts and poke fun at society's upper crust, which seemed immune to the era's economic woes.

     In addition to "On The Sunny Side Of The Street," songs may include: "Bye Bye Blues," "The Lady Is A Tramp," "When I Take My Sugar To Tea," "Pennies From Heaven," "She's Funny That Way," "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" and "Over The Rainbow."

     "Mr. Lelen is a genial performer, with a pleasant tenor," said the New York Times. "The songs he plays will never go out of date."

     The musician will play steel-stringed acoustic guitars from the 1920s and 1930s for an authentic, back-in-the-day sound. Made by Gibson, Martin, Regal, Vega and other US firms, they produce music that is striking for its tone, character and sustain without the use of pick-ups or electronic gimmicks.

     "People of all ages love the songs," the musician said. "And they're pleasantly surprised by the robust sound and classy look of the vintage guitars."

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     ©  2014 — Kenneth Lelen — All Rights Reserved

Denville Library event photos

PHOTOS: Mary C. Martin

Ken Lelen with 1932 B&J Serenader

Ken Lelen with 1938 B&D Groton 1