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Music et al, Woodstock Music and Art Fair

Bassist Charlie Bilello

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Bassist Charlie Bilello

November 3, 1943 – March 19, 1989
Bassist Charlie Bilello
Charlie Bilello (foreground) playing w Bert Sommer and Ira Stone at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair.
Bassist Charlie Bilello

Bert Sommer’s band

Here is another Woodstock Music and Art Fair performer for whom little can be found.

Charlie Bilello played bass with Bert Sommer that Friday 15 August in Bethel, NY.  Woodstock fan, blogger and autograph hound Jack Lokensky wrote that he has not been able to locate Bilello, but did seek out Ira Stone, the other musician with Sommer that day.

Jlokensky

According to Jlokensky, Stone and his wife Max were part of a fund-raiser the day he met Ira. Their [the Stones’s] set was dedicated to the memory of Bert Sommer. Three of the four songs they played were played by Mr. Sommer as part of his ten song set. “Jennifer”, which was a song written about fellow “Hair” cast member, and future singer, Jennifer Warnes, opened the set. Max then told a story about how Tim Hardin borrowed and made off with Bert Sommer’s guitar just prior to Mr. Sommer’s set. They then played Tim Hardin’s “If I Were a Carpenter”. They played a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “America”, a song which allegedly earned Bert Sommer the first standing ovation of the Woodstock Festival. They concluded with another Bert Sommer original, “Smile”.

Wade Lawrence

Wade Lawrence, the former director and head curator at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts’ Museum, had similar problems finding much about Bilello: Bass player Charlie Bilello hasn’t been heard from for a number of years and is presumed to have retired from the music business or died.

According to a comment made by a “Les” at the West Virginia Surf Report site, “Charlie died in an accident in 1989.”

According to a Facebook comment by Lynda Galindo: Charlie Bilello died n March 1984 when he was hit in a hit and run n West Hempstead New York…

I’ve since found after a communication with Charlie’s son Ryan Bilello said that Charlie died on March 19, 1989.

And another Facebook comment by Sharon Watts:  Charlie was a Sam Ashe music store employee, and on the Zax CD, you can hear Bert correcting himself to say Hempstead (the Sam Ashe branch). 

Sharon also mentions him dying in a hit and run accident.

A Nancy Dunn Kurlish commented on  my post: Here is a pic of Charlie sleeping. He was a friend when I lived in NY. We lost touch.

No photo description available.

In response,  Ryan Bilello  wrote: Hi Nancy Dunn Kurlish, my name is Ryan and Charlie Bilello is my father. Sadly, as Lynda Galindo stated, he passed in 1989 when I was 2 years old and my sister was 6. Thank you for sharing that picture of him as there aren’t many that we have. Please do let me know if you come across any others. All the best! 

Bassist Charlie Bilello

Music et al, Woodstock Music and Art Fair

Bassist Bob Arkin

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Bassist Bob Arkin

Bassist Bob Arkin

Bob Arkin is not as famous as his older brother, actor Alan Arkin. Bob lives and  works as a jazz bassist in New York City.

This younger Arkin also played bass with Arlo Guthrie at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair on August 15, 1969. That misty night. The night that Arlo gleefully announced from the stage that “There’s supposed to be a million and a half people here by tonight. Can you dig that? The New York Thruway is closed, man.”

While neither of those declarations are true, they have become part of that festival’s lore. And though Arlo’s presence at the festival is also remembered, he and his band mates, drummer Paul Motian, guitarist John Pilla, and Arkin, rarely are. Such is the fame of back up musicians. Just ask any member of the Wrecking Crew or the Funk Brothers.  This Arkin has a minuscule internet footprint compared to his famous brother. It may be deliberate as the blogger Jack Lokensky wrote about the time in that he went to the club Arkin was playing and wanted to ask Arkin to sign a poster:  After about an hour or so, the band took a break. I walked up to the performance area, as I progressed I took my poster from its protective tube. I reached the stage like area and standing there with his well worn black suit was Bob Arkin. I placed my poster on the piano and said, “Excuse me, Mr. Arkin?” “Yes”, he replied. “May I please have your autograph?” It was only he and I standing there. I was shocked when he said “no”. The thud that my jaw made when it it the floor resounded around the 1/2 empty club that only had space for 100 people. As I crestfallenly replaced my poster in the tube and turned to walk away, Mr. Arkin said ” sorry” almost as an afterthought. When I returned to the table, I saw Bob Arkin getting a drink from the bar and chatting and laughing with some people at the bar.  Someone commented on that piece: I grew up with Bob Arkin in Los Angeles.  I never knew him as an adult, only in Junior High and High School.  He was always dedicated to his instrument, the bass, and I would see him walking by my home during the week lugging that full sized bass home, a distance of about three miles from school.  We played as young men and I never knew him to be anyting [sic] but respectful of others.  He came from humble beginnings like I did.  I do not have any idea how he fared as an adult but know him as a kind young man. According to the Spirit fan site, from January and February 1967, Arkin was in the pre-Spirit band called Spirit Rebellious #1.  The cdbaby site lists Arkin as having four albums:

  • Notes from in Between the Middle Men
  • Great Expectations
  • String Theory

  • from The Resurrection of Cyrannocio

Bassist Bob Arkin

Nowadays

bassist bob arkin

According to a 2014 New York Times article, Arkin continues to play regularly with a then 91-year-old cantankerous bandleader, Sol Yaged at Grata, a restaurant on East 59th Street in Manhattan.  To keep calm, Arkin walks between sets and chants to himself.

To read more about the Guthrie band at Woodstock, follow this link to Wade Lawrence’s WoodsTALK blog.B

Youtube doc…Intimate look at Bob Arkin’s music life.

His site has more information.

Bassist Bob Arkin
Music et al, Woodstock Music and Art Fair

John Pilla Guitar Woodstock

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John Pilla Guitar Woodstock

John Pilla Guitar Woodstock
John a “few” years ago

John Pilla’s internet footprint is a small one and what there is is usually associated as a guitarist with Arlo Guthrie. The reason I am doing a piece on John is because he played with Arlo at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair.

John Pilla Guitar Woodstock

Incidental references

There are some incidental references such as that made by Dr Eugene Beresin from a June 2012 Psychology Today post: “Growing up in the Philadelphia area, I spent a number of years working as a member of the grounds crew for the Philadelphia Folk Festival. As a teenager, I went to the Philly Folk Song Society, frequented the Main Point, and took guitar lessons from John Pilla, who backed up Doc Watson and Arlo Guthrie among others. In fact, I bought my first real guitar through John who got it from Fred Neil. John said it was an old beat up 1935 Martin, but I found out much later it was really made in 1956.”

John Pilla Guitar Woodstock

John Pilla Guitar Woodstock

All Music dot com

John’s AllMusic credits are also mainly associated with Guthrie, but not just as a guitarist. Pilla has also done photography for albums (e.g., Eric Andersen), engineered albums (e.g. 3 Penny Needle), and produced many of Arlo Guthrie’s albums. The discogs.com site has a similar description of John’s discography.  And an news article from years ago: John Pilla, also a native Philadephian, has, in his nine years as a guitarist, evolved from rock ‘n roll player to one of Philadelphia’s finest folk guitarists. John, who is also a songwriter, has just made a record with Doc Watson (who performed at Central last year) and it due to be released shortly. Previous to his becoming a solo performer and his work with Doc Watson, John was a member, along with Jerry Ricks, of the Johnson City Three. Locally, John has appeared at the 2nd of Autum, the Second Fret, and the Main Point, where he is now appearing with Doc Watson.

Bethel Woods

Bethel Woods has a piece on Arlo Guthrie at its site which includes Pilla. Apparently, John died in 1988 of a heart attack, but if anyone has any more recent or expanded information about John, please comment below or email to woodstockwhisperer@gmail.com

John Pilla Guitar Woodstock

In 2024, John’s son Chris posted a comment for this post. It’s below, but perhaps readers don’t always get to those.

I’m including his comment here as well because someone might have another personal story about John and Chris can see it. A kindness that would certainly be welcome.

My name is Chris and I am John’s son. He and my mother divorced while I was very young and I didn’t reconnect with him very much until I was in my late teens and he was finding out about his heart condition. I love reading some of these because I get to know him a bit more with each story.

Guitar Woodstock,