Steve Earle, Jackson Browne and Others Perform at the Annual John Henry's Friends Benefit

Steve Earle, Jackson Browne, Margaret Glaspy, Teresa Williams and Larry Campbell

Steve Earle can count on his friends. So can the Keswell School, where Earle’s 14-year-old son has found a second home since he was three years old. For this reason, Earle and City Winery hosted the 10th Annual John Henry's Friends Benefit at the Town Hall on November 4. Proceeds from the event support the Keswell School, a non-profit institution in New York City specifically dedicated to educating children and young adults with autism.

Earle’s son, John Henry, was diagnosed with autism at 19 months. At the Keswell School, John Henry and his fellow students daily receive education and other supportive services. The institution, which uniquely offers its students a 1:1 teaching staff, was in financial distress until Earle raised the school’s profile via his annual fundraisers 10 years ago.

Michael Dorf

After introductory remarks by Michael Dorf, founder and CEO of City Winery, Earle welcomed the audience and introduced his invited guest musicians. This year’s fundraiser presented performances in the round by Earle, Jackson Browne, Margaret Glaspy, and Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams. After years of framing the fundraiser as a regular concert with individual performances, Earle explained that in recent times he was inspired by Emmylou Harris to restage these concerts as a “guitar pull.”

A guitar pull is a southern tradition where an intimate circle of acoustic guitarists alternate playing songs round-robin style, with the other musicians playing along. The “pull” notion originated from the possibility that there would be only one guitar among the group, so one musician might have to “pull” it away from another to get a turn. During a guitar pull, each musician plays one original composition or an interpretation of another artist’s work, then passes the opportunity to the next person in the circle.

Steve Earle

Steve Earle

Earle began the evening’s music with his signature “The Galway Girl,” followed by Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams performing “Ride with Me,” Margaret Glaspy singing “Memories,” and Jackson Browne, who performed at Earle's first benefit, covering J.D. Souther’s “Jesus in 3/4 Time.” The informal setting allowed each artist to reflect aloud on their choice of songs. Especially touching interludes included the artists reminiscing on their recently deceased musician friends, Browne on J.D. Souther and Campbell and Williams on the Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh.

Each artist performed four songs during the two-hour session. Collaborations were sometimes planned, sometimes spontaneous. As has become an annual tradition since Graham Nash performed at the second fundraiser nine years ago, the evening closed with an ensemble rendition of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Teach Your Children.”

Jackson Browne

Jackson Browne

Setlist

1. Steve Earle, “The Galway Girl”
2. Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, “Ride with Me”
3. Margaret Glaspy, “Memories”
4. Jackson Browne, “Jesus in 3/4 Time” (J.D. Souther cover)
5. Steve Earle, “Transcendental Blues”
6. Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, “That's the Way You Make Me Feel”
7. Margaret Glaspy, “Get Back”
8. Jackson Browne, “My Opening Farewell”
9. Steve Earle, “When I Fall” (with Stacey Earle)
10. Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, “That's All It Took”
11. Margaret Glaspy, “Fruits of My Labor” (Lucinda Williams cover))
12. Jackson Browne, “Far from the Arms of Hunger”
13. Steve Earle, “Copperhead Road”
14. Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, “Attics of My Life”
15. Margaret Glaspy, “I Am Both”
16. Jackson Browne, “A Little Too Soon to Say”
17. Ensemble, “Teach Your Children” (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover)

Margaret Glaspy 

Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams with Margaret Glaspy

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John Henry’s Friends at the Town Hall (2023)

The 7th Annual John Henry’s Friends Benefit at the Town Hall (2021)

John Henry's Friends at the Town Hall (2019)

Steve Earle & Friends at the Town Hall (2016)

Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams

Steve Earle, Jackson Browne, Margaret Glaspy, Teresa Williams and Larry Campbell

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The Manhattan Beat reports on New York City's live music circuit. All articles are written by Everynight Charley Crespo. All photographs are taken by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise.

For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right of the The Manhattan Beat home page and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music."

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