Freight and Salvage 1968-69 Performers: Update

Earlier this year we published our attempt to identify every performer at Berkeley's Freight and Salvage for 1968 and 1969. We did a fairly good job (if I do say so myself), and it fit in nicely with our project to document the Berkeley music scene in its entirety from 1966 to 1969. Of course, once something is published on the Web, all sorts of new and fascinating information arrives in the mailbox. A full update of the Freight and Salvage Performance List remains in the future. However, at the end of the list we made a list of performers unknown to us, and asked for help in identifying them. I have been fortunate to have many details filled in, in many cases by the performers themselves, and I present them here.

A word of caution: if you haven't read the complete list, it won't be clear why I am simply filling in certain performers. The ones listed here are performers that were unknown to me at the time of publication (April 2009), but whom I have now found out about. Of course, when I list their first Freight performance it refers to the first performance listed on a calendar or ad.

A word of constraint: This post will not correct and update every entry in the Performance List, but that remains ongoing. Thanks to those correspondents who have given me information, and we will be providing a full update of the listing when the decks clear. In the meantime, this post should serve as an interim list. Anyone with additional memories, insights, corrections or revelations should feel free to contact me or Ross, or (better yet) post a comment.

Mike and Debby (first Freight show August 9, 1968)
"Debby" was Debby McClatchy, who writes

yes, it was me.  What great memories you have dredged up.Mike was Michael Finbar Heintz, who played guitar and mandolin, I played guitar.  We played the Freight almost once a month in those days.  A generic coffeehouse duo, mostly trad, Irish, and old-time influenced material. Carter Family, fiddle tunes, Clancy Brothers, etc, with lots of close harmonies.  With Larry Fitzpatrick on squeezebox we were also the Sunshine Ceili Band, playing Irish bars in San Francisco.  We left the Bay Area in early 1969 to live and work in Ireland; hence our disappearance from the Freight calenders.

Dave Allen (first Freight show August 17, 1968)
George Ball reports

Dave Allen - a multi-instrumentalist and singer whose solo act reminded me both of Pete Seeger and Jimmy Stewart, although he didn't look like either of them. Also performed in ensembles or street bands, playing whatever instrument was needed.

Wanda Ultan (first Freight show, December 6, 1968), now La Wanda Ultan, still lives in Berkeley.

George Ball (first Freight show, December 7, 1968)
George Ball (for it is he) describes himself as

George Ball (myself) - guitar player and singer. Solo act was comprised of vintage country tunes, original songs, and pop standards. Also enjoyed playing in impromptu ensembles on the Tuesday hoot nights.

Carl Dukatz (first Freight show February 6, 1969)
Tony Marcus reports

Carl Dukatz worked as a guitar repairman at Lundbergs, the well known fretted instrument shop in Berkeley that operated from 1959 on. He later moved to Reno (ca. 1978?), where he had a guitar store (SilverState Music) for some years.

Sunny Goodier (first Freight show March 20, 1969) sang traditional Carter Family sorts of music, often with musical partner Katy Jako (who was partnered at the time to Jim Ringer).

Jose's Appliances (first Freight show April 3, 1969)
George Ball reported that Jose's Appliances

was a trio formed and led by Hank Bradley.  Their signature song was a mock commercial for Jose's Appliances sung to the tune of the Star Spangled Banner, performed a cappella. Dave [Allen] was very mechanically minded and was adept at repairs of cars and all kinds of things, so much so that Hank Bradley made him an honorary member of Jose's Appliances and awarded him the shirt monogrammed "Jose".

Hank Bradley's brother (David) was apparently a member of the trio. An apocryphal story circulates that the name came from some bowling shirts found at a thrift shop. A band was formed so they could wear the bowling shirts.

George Inskeep (first Freight performance June 1, 1969) was an airline pilot who was also a bluegrass bass player, most notably with Vern and Ray.

While I am refraining from a confusing post that corrects and updates every listing--it would be unreadable--I appreciate all the ongoing input, and we will issue an updated listing, sometime in the future.

[Graphic: Freight and Salvage Calendar, November 1969, courtesy of Andrea]