Jack Nissenson
Encyclopedia
Jack Nissenson was a member of the Mountain City Four
, a Canadian
folk music
group, based in Montreal
and active in the 1960s. In addition to Nissenson, the group consisted of Peter Weldon, Kate McGarrigle
and Anna McGarrigle
.
Before the Mountain City Four
, Peter Weldon and Jack Nissenson were members of a traditional folk band called Pharisees
. When Weldon and Nissenson met the McGarrigle sisters, they formed the Mountain City Four
.
Nissenson recorded an early concert performed by Bob Dylan
at the Finjan Club on Victoria street in Montreal in July 1962. He made the recording with an old British-made reel-to-reel tape recorder, so the quality of the recording is exceptional. This recording remains as one of the most sought-after early recordings of Bob Dylan with collectors and fans.
Nissenson moved to Toronto
in 1975. During the 1980s Jack sang and played guitar with a political folk group in Toronto called Bread and Roses.
Jack Nissenson is currently living in Montreal and continues to play folk music as a solo singer and with a group called "The What Four" (with Peter Weldon, Marvin Segal, John Knowles and often Jane McGarrigle). He is also a storyteller and belongs to a group called Word of Mouth Productions with storytellers Dylan Spevack-Willcock, Sarah Comrie, and John David Hickey.
Mountain City Four
The Mountain City Four were a Canadian folk music group, based in Montreal and active in the 1960s. The group consisted of Jack Nissenson, Peter Weldon, Kate McGarrigle and Anna McGarrigle....
, a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
group, based in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and active in the 1960s. In addition to Nissenson, the group consisted of Peter Weldon, Kate McGarrigle
Kate McGarrigle
Kate McGarrigle, CM was a Canadian folk music singer-songwriter, who wrote and performed as a duo with her sister Anna McGarrigle....
and Anna McGarrigle
Anna McGarrigle
Anna McGarrigle, CM is a Canadian folk music singer/songwriter who wrote and performed as a duo with her sister, Kate McGarrigle, until Kate's death in 2010.-Musical career:...
.
Before the Mountain City Four
Mountain City Four
The Mountain City Four were a Canadian folk music group, based in Montreal and active in the 1960s. The group consisted of Jack Nissenson, Peter Weldon, Kate McGarrigle and Anna McGarrigle....
, Peter Weldon and Jack Nissenson were members of a traditional folk band called Pharisees
Pharisees
The Pharisees were at various times a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews during the Second Temple period beginning under the Hasmonean dynasty in the wake of...
. When Weldon and Nissenson met the McGarrigle sisters, they formed the Mountain City Four
Mountain City Four
The Mountain City Four were a Canadian folk music group, based in Montreal and active in the 1960s. The group consisted of Jack Nissenson, Peter Weldon, Kate McGarrigle and Anna McGarrigle....
.
Nissenson recorded an early concert performed by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
at the Finjan Club on Victoria street in Montreal in July 1962. He made the recording with an old British-made reel-to-reel tape recorder, so the quality of the recording is exceptional. This recording remains as one of the most sought-after early recordings of Bob Dylan with collectors and fans.
Nissenson moved to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 1975. During the 1980s Jack sang and played guitar with a political folk group in Toronto called Bread and Roses.
Jack Nissenson is currently living in Montreal and continues to play folk music as a solo singer and with a group called "The What Four" (with Peter Weldon, Marvin Segal, John Knowles and often Jane McGarrigle). He is also a storyteller and belongs to a group called Word of Mouth Productions with storytellers Dylan Spevack-Willcock, Sarah Comrie, and John David Hickey.