Judy Collins Is Coming to Joe's Pub

Iconic singer, songwriter, author and activist Judy Collins, the 2019 recipient of the Joe's Pub Vanguard Award & Residency, continues her takeover with an eight-night run, November 18-27, celebrating her latest album Winter Stories. A collaboration with critically acclaimed Norwegian folk artist Jonas Fjeld, and masterful bluegrass band Chatham County Line, Winter Stories is a collection of songs that capture the sounds and feeling of the winter season. Fjeld and Chatham County Line will join Collins for this 10-show run. The year, which has been a combination of her own concerts and those of artists mentored and influenced by Collins, will conclude with a performance by Fay Wildhagen on December 11.

Tickets for Winter Stories and Fay Wildhagen are available online here and here respectively, by phone (212-967-7555) and in-person at The Public Theater's box office (425 Lafayette, NYC).

Continuing an incredibly prolific period, Winter Stories (November 29, Wildflower Records/Cleopatra Records) is Collins's fourth new album in as many years. The album is a collection of originals, new collaborations and classics including Collins evergreens like "Mountain Girl," a re-recording of Fjeld's poignant "Angels In The Snow," and a rendition of Joni Mitchell's "The River." The first single, "The Blizzard," was originally written as a 7-minute opus, but later truncated. On Winter Stories, fans can finally hear it recorded in its full majesty. The artists also cherry-picked songs they've longed to record throughout the years, including Jimmy Webb's "The Highwaymen," which Collins has performed live with Stephen Stills, and Stan Rodger's "North West Passage." For the sessions, Fjeld contributed the newly-penned "Frozen North," and the stunning title track which features the masterful vocal interlace of Collins and Fjeld. i??

Jonas Fjeld is a beloved Norwegian artist, known internationally for his trio Danko/Fjeld/Andersen, featuring The Band's Rick Danko. Chatham County Line has been a staple of the North Carolina music scene for nearly two decades.

The Vanguard Award & Residency, which celebrates the work and influence of an icon of American popular culture, is one of many initiatives that furthers The Public's commitment to nurturing and celebrating artists at all levels. Collins is honored for her legendary career inspiring audiences with her sublime vocals and boldly vulnerable songwriting, but also her fierce activism and mentorship to many artists. Collins remarked, "I am happy to say that in the 50 years since I stepped onto the stage of the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, my relationship with The Public Theater has never ended as a performer and audience. I look forward to this year's glorious Vanguard events to come."

Judy Collins evoked both the idealism and steely determination of a generation united against social and environmental injustices in the 1960s. Five decades later, her luminescent presence shines brightly as new generations bask in the glow of her iconic 50-album body of work, and heed inspiration from her spiritual discipline to thrive in the music industry for half a century.

With several top-ten hits and gold- and platinum-selling albums, the award-winning singer-songwriter is esteemed for her imaginative interpretations of traditional and contemporary folk standards and her own poetically poignant original compositions. Her stunning rendition of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" from her landmark 1967 album, Wildflowers, has been entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Collins's dreamy and sweetly intimate version of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns" won "Song of the Year" at the 1975 Grammy Awards.

In 1961, she released her masterful debut, A Maid of Constant Sorrow, which featured interpretative works of social poets of the time such as Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, and Tom Paxton. This began a wonderfully fertile 35-year creative relationship with Jac Holzman and Elektra Records. Collins became a lynchpin of the Greenwich Village folk community, bringing singer-songwriters to a wider audience, including Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, and Randy Newman.

Singer-songwriter Stephen Stills met Collins, known for her piercing ocean blue eyes, 50 years ago. Their tumultuous love affair would later be immortalized by Stills with his composition "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," performed by Crosby, Stills & Nash on their landmark debut. Both visionary artists would go gone to shape modern music, but their short fiery union remains a transformative era for the two artists. Last summer, the folk icons celebrated the golden anniversary of their formative time together with a joint tour marking their first time sharing a stage.

Prolific as ever, Collins released a collaborative album with writing partner, Ari Hest, Silver Skies Blue, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album in 2017. In 2015, she released Strangers Again, which invited a cast of icons and young talents to sing with her, including Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne, Jeff Bridges, and Glen Hansard,

She remains a vital artist, enriching her catalog while balancing a robust touring schedule. Now 79, she is as creatively vigorous as ever, writing, touring worldwide, and nurturing fresh talent. She is a modern day Renaissance woman - an accomplished painter, author (Cravings, Sanity & Grace and Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: My Life in Music) filmmaker, record label head, musical mentor, and social activist, working with UNICEF and speaking out on mental health and suicide prevention. She continues to create and inspire, giving audiences a lifetime of beautiful music.

Photo Credit: Stephen Sorokoff