Ron Coden,
left, and Josh
White Jr.

Diversified Leprechaun

R

on Coden got a surprise
in April when the Motor
City Music Awards hon-
ored him as the best
local folk musician of
1992.
He jokes that the
award "made my mother
very
happy,"
but
acknowledges that he
was "very touched by it. I
figured that they'd only
consider people who are
doing straight folk mate-
rial...I work in the folk
vein. I do show tunes
and some popular songs
that are considered folk
music by now. So I'm
very happily surprised
by the award."
Folk music aficionados
remember Mr. Coden's
early days at the Raven
Gallery on James
Couzens and Outer
Drive. He began his solo
career there in 1961, and
was a regular at the club
for many years. With the
demise of the Raven and
othei folk venues in

Rod Coden has
been packing
them in since
the early '60s.
Now he's singing
to the next
generation.

AARON HALABE

SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Detroit, Mr. Coden has
diversified.
These days, in addition
to musical engagements
in local restaurants and
coffeehouses, he per-
forms commercial voice-
overs, arranges chil-
dren's concerts and per-
forms for corporate
shows and holiday par-
ties.
His
past
credits
include a starring role in
"Hot Fudge," the locally

produced and nationally
syndicated children's
television show. His
voice-over work includes
radio spots for Hungry
Howie's Pizza and Seven-
Eleven convenience
stores. Mr. Coden says
he's done the "voices" of
everything from a turkey
to race car.
Although he appreci-
ates the career diversity
commercial work offers,
he prefers to strum his
guitar and use his voice
to sing. He and two
musical colleagues form
what's known as the Ron
Coden Show, which per-
forms in local restau-
rants. The show offers
selections from the 1960s
folk repertoire, including
music of the Kingston
Trio, the Weavers and
Arlo Guthrie.
The trio also mixes in
a few Broadway show
tunes, some country
music and the more con-
temporary songs of Neil

Diamond, Bob Dylan and
Dan Fogelberg.
Mr. Coden regularly
packs them in at 1( cal
Irish pubs. Self-named
the "Jewish Lepre-
chaun," he's a familiar
sight at the Old
Shillelagh in Greektown
and at Cowley's Old
Village Inn in Farming-
ton. "The Irish lounges
are the last place where
you can really draw huge
crowds. The folks really
love their Irish music."
When Mr. Coden broke
on the music scene dur-
ing the beatnik era of the
late '50s and early '60s,
folk music had wider
appeal. The genre now
maintains a small, dedi-
cated group of followers.
But the music no longer
reflects the voice of a
social and political con-
science.
"There was a time
when I was political in
the '60s, during the war 61

CY)

CT)

-

CO

LLI

LEPRECHAUN page 62