Jack Hardy has been a central figure in folk music since his arrival in Greenwich Village in 1978. Instrumental in founding the Songwriter's Exchange, the SpeakEasy Musician's Co-op, and Fast Folk Musical Magazine, Hardy has released numerous albums domestically on his Great Divide label, extending into the 21st century with such CDs as Bandolier (2002), Coin of the Realm (2004), Tinker’s Coin: Celtic Anthology (2005), and Noir (2007). Considered a writer's writer, he is known for politics in his songs, Americanized Irish influences, and a preoccupation with mythological imagery, mixed up with standard New York folk & roll. Hardy's 16th album, Rye Grass, arrived on Great Divide in 2009. ~ Richard Meyer, Rovi