tSongwriter continues labor tradition with anti-war themes

The Orcas Grange will host a New York City folksinger-songwriter and friend of Sharon Abreu and Mike Hurwicz to perform songs from the last century of social activism, as well as his own compositions.

George Mann says his performances are “powerful and funny takes on the state of the nation.”

Abreu and Hurwicz will join Mann on July 18. They’ve appeared in several Orcas Center productions and also with the legendary folksinger Pete Seeger and for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa. Sharon is also known as the operatic fiddler, and Michael is one of The Parking Angels.

This summer, Mann released his CD “Into the Fire,” which features 12 new songs, including one he wrote in Moran State Park when he visited Orcas Island in 2002, “This Beautiful Child.”

A former union organizer, Mann is also the producer of the documentary film, “A Union Man.”

As a folksinger, he has toured for years. Mann is also the musical partner and chauffeur of 91-year-old dynamo Julius Margolin. A former merchant seaman, World War II veteran and film electrician, Julius is labor editor for his union newsletter. Mann and Margolin perform a variety of original songs and favorites from the past century of folk music, combining social and labor history with songs – and a dose of slapstick – wherever they perform. From picket lines and union events to cafés and concert settings, George and Julius have been singing together since 1998.

Mann and Margolin are also songwriters, and their songs are strong commentaries on many contemporary issues, from gun violence (“Too Many Guns”), the aging process (“Don’t Let Age Get You Down”), and the plight of the working poor (“We Demand A Living Wage”) to the hardships facing workers (“Respect Construction Workers” and “Somebody Robbed the Pension Plan”).

They have released three CDs, “Young and Younger,” “Miles to Go Before We Sleep” and “Just A Few Bad Apples”), and have produced the “Hail to the Thief!” CD compilations featuring folk artists singing in protest of the Bush administration with artists such as Tom Paxton, Utah Phillips, Anne Feeney, Billy Bragg and others. The latest CD in this series, “Farewell to the Thief,” is scheduled for July 2008 release.

Audience members of all ages can get a taste of labor history and the stories behind some of America’s best-loved songs. For more information about George Mann, go to www.georgemannmusic.com.

The concert at Orcas Grange will be Friday, July 18 at 8 p.m. Suggested admission is $5 to $10, and Mann says, “All welcome, regardless!”