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Jesse Winchester auditions at The New Penelope

Black and white photo of singer Jesse Winchester with medium length black hair, moustache and trimmed beard holding guitar at a café with patrons seated next to the stage.

Image: Jesse Winchester performing at the Yellow Door coffeehouse, 1968. Erik Slutsky (photographer), copyright 1968. Courtesy of Erik Slutsky

 

Credit: ARCMTL collection. Interview was conducted in Montreal on November 26, 2015 with Allan Youster by Louis Rastelli, Director of ARCMTL.
Duration: 0:34 min

Here’s an excerpt of an interview with Allan Youster, former doorman of The New Penelope on Sherbrooke Street, describing Jesse Winchester’s infamous first audition at The New Penelope. 

Transcription:

Louis Rastelli: Do you remember when Jesse Winchester first showed up to [the Sherbrooke location]?

Allan Youster: Actually, I was lucky enough to see him when he first came! He came in, for what, I didn’t know — it was an audition. He sang three songs — “Yankee Lady”, “Black Dog” and the other one I can’t remember. And he had the tremolo turned up high for “Black Dog.” That’s when Gary… and I mean just… And I was there going, “oh my god, what the hell?” And then the thing is he would write new songs all the time. Every time this guy would come in — I have a new song, a new song… Always new songs!