Folk singer-songwriter Dave Mallett returns to the University of Maine at Presque Isle for a special coffeehouse-style performance at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3, in the Campus Center. Accompanied by his band, Mallett will perform songs from his new album Celebration, as well as works from his decades-long career. All are invited to attend this event; donations will be accepted at the door to go toward future cultural arts programming.
A beloved Maine troubadour whose career has spanned four decades and resulted in 17 albums, Mallett is known for his carefully written, poetic offerings. His body of work has provided material for an eclectic list of artists that includes Alison Krauss, Pete Seeger, Hal Ketchum, Emmylou Harris, and John Denver.
In keeping with the coffeehouse theme, couches, cocktail tables and chairs will be available for seating throughout the performance space. There will be assorted cookies, scones, muffins, banana bread and assorted chocolates available for purchase, and UMPI will provide complimentary coffee, tea, hot chocolate, punch and water.
Mallett found his true musical calling while he was studying theater at the University of Maine. He discovered the music of singer/songwriters like Gordon Lightfoot and Bob Dylan and soon began to write his own songs. A turning point in Mallett’s career came in 1975, after he discovered that Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary had moved to Blue Hill, Maine and was opening a recording studio.
“That was back in the days when a recording studio was sort of like Oz,” he said. “It was a foreign land. I wanted to see his studio, so, I called him up and said, ‘Can I come visit?’”
Within six months of their initial meeting, Mallett found a true mentor in Stookey. In addition to producing Mallett’s first three albums, Stookey helped to bring his tune, “The Garden Song”, to the attention of influential folksinger Pete Seeger who included it on his 1979 album, Circles And Seasons. John Denver soon recorded the song and took it to the top ten in the adult contemporary charts in the late 1970s.
Since then, he has toured widely, spent time songwriting in Nashville, and performed in notable venues from The Kennedy Center to The Newport Folk Festival to A Prairie Home Companion.
Recognized by the Bangor Daily News as one of the most memorable Mainers of the 20th Century, Mallett has performed throughout America and Europe. His “Garden Song” has become an American folk classic. Billboard has said of the singer, “Mallet is a first-rate folk singer and writer. His portraits and townscapes are camera sharp, and his knowledge of his subjects is profound.”
The public is invited to attend this special performance; donations will be accepted at the door to assist with future cultural events. For more information, please call UMPI’s Community and Media Relations Office at 768-9452 or email info@umpi.edu.
