There are intervals during your lifetime which will always be remembered as nostalgic high points. Quite often there was inspirational music as a backdrop. Songs and performers can move your spirit even decades after you first heard them. It makes you feel young again, if only for a brief moment.

The Pursuit of Happiness Café and Music Club in Liberty, NY (1985-1990) became the most exciting entertainment in the region. You would have been hard pressed to find a small club anywhere in the Northeast that hosted such a roster of prodigious talent. In fact, it was probably better than any small venue in New York City.

First there were the famous – the list is too long to present in a letter: Roger McGuinn, who played as if there were two guitars at once, Mick Taylor, the Rolling Stones guitarist for a time, Levon Helm of The Band, Dr. John, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Richie Havens.

Then the slightly less well known but perhaps yet more talented: Rambling Jack Elliott, a true master, Robin Williamson of The Incredible String Band, Johnny Copeland, Texas Blues with an African tinkle, Tony Trishka, avant-garde banjo, Gene Clarke of The Byrds who wrote better songs than Dylan and gave riveting performances to match.

In the late eighties, these musicians from the sixties, for whatever reason, felt compelled to get on a club circuit which ran through Connecticut, New York State and possibly elsewhere. In retrospect, this should be remembered as the golden age of the pop music club. The world has changed so much since then that you wonder if it could ever happen again.

Allan Frank

Phillipsport