I remember seeing Richie Havens a few times in the 60s. He was pretty much a fixture in the Boston and Cambridge coffeehouses back in the day. It was great seeing him in those small clubs. He performed on campus in a coffeehouse setting when I was in college and I was just feet away from him. Some folks I knew had been at house gatherings where he performed and said that he was a very nice, gentle soul. He would sometimes perform with teeth and sometimes without. It really changed his look and persona. With teeth, he had sort of a militant bearing and without, a kind of old-times bluesy look. His singing was great either way and his playing, while a bit unorthodox and actually kind of simple, was extremely effective. He remains a favorite of mine with some of his old stuff and some of his new stuff on my car iPod.
As a warning, though, don't get his CD of Beatles and Dylan tunes. Although that was some of my favorite material from his performances, the CD is terrible. Horrible production, with him singing along to a cheesy rhythm box. Really a disservice to an outstanding musician. All his other stuff is great, however.
