Award-winning singer-songwriter and global citizen Eli Lev's
empathic writing and infectious folk-based sensibility has
been his universal passport into our collective hearts.
Over the last five years, the Maryland-based artist released
his epic debut, Four Directions, which compiles four
conceptual EPs (All Roads East 2017, Way Out West 2018, Deep
South 2019, True North 2021) into one 20-song statement. The
indigenous traditions he learned during his time as an eighth
grade English teacher on the Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona
were his inspiration for the critically-acclaimed tune tome.
Together, the series imaginatively and intrepidly connects
spheres and generations within a body of work that is
irresistibly uplifting, emotionally resonant, and
down-to-earth authentic.
Eli grew up in the diverse suburb of Silver Spring, Maryland,
where a blending of incongruous backgrounds made an indelible
impact on his pan-culture perspective. Prior to music calling
Eli, he studied in Bloomington, Indiana, taught in the US, and
lived in Tel Aviv and Andorra, before returning to the US to
get a Master's Degree in English Education.
Now, Eli is setting out on new adventures. His latest release,
Walk. Talk. Dance. Sing., is an inner travel monologue from
the pandemic and beyond. It vibrantly blends Eli's classic
acoustic guitar and upfront vocal aesthetic with refreshingly
diverse sounds, spanning pop, lo-fi rock, electronic, indie,
folk, and Caribbean-kissed musicality. The refreshing
five-song collection compiles his songwriting during the
pandemic, capturing the highs, lows, and all the emotions in
between during our global crisis. The new EP's eclectic flair
is also an homage to the life-changing power of classic
mixtapes, and how a broad array of exposure to new sounds can
send someone on a lifelong journey.
Here's a sneak preview of Eli Lev
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night for $25? Your name,
logo and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Martha Naylor for
info
Martin Decato started playing music in 5th grade when he
decided to try his hand at the violin. He played in the school
orchestra until 9th grade when he started taking fiddle
lessons, and started playing guitar at age 13. In 1987 while
playing in Cross Country Bluegrass; they won the Florida State
Bluegrass Championship. He and the bands he played in were
members of the Florida Country Music Association and earned
such titles as Band of the Year in 2001 for Polk County,
Instrumentalist of the year in 2001 for Polk county, Band of
the Year runner up for the State of Florida in 2001, and
Instrumentalist of the Year runner up for the State of
Florida, and in 2002 earned Band of the year for Polk County,
and Male Vocalist runner up for Polk County. In the summer of
2001, he toured with Grand Ole Opry Legend Charlie Louvin.
Martin moved from Florida to New Hampshire in 2003, and has
found his niche with the Stovepipe Mountain Band, and is also
available for solo work.
Andrew Brozek is a singer, songwriter and
multi-instrumentalist currently based in Hanover, New
Hampshire.
Andrew has been playing guitar for over half of his life
— starting at the age of 11 — and he's been
singing for even longer. Andrew's currently studying music at
Dartmouth College, with a focus on songwriting and
performance.
Although he was raised on classic rock and pop-country, he
eventually found his passion for Folk, Americana, and
Bluegrass. He loves the elegance and simplicity of acoustic
music, and is dedicated to making his instruments an extension
of himself. Though he no longer identifies with the genres of
his youth, this past exposure has resulted in his unique
perspective on music. And while he is only beginning to
establish himself as a songwriter, the fingerprints of
songwriters who came before him can be found all throughout
his music.
Here's a sneak preview of Andrew Brozek
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night for $25? Your name,
logo and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Martha Naylor for
info
Mark Mandeville and Raianne Richards are clearly inheritors of
a timeless legacy, creating music that is both original and
evocative of a rich tradition. Blending distinctive voices and
a wide range of accompaniment (guitar, harmonica, ukulele,
clarinet, penny whistle, electric bass), their songs have been
well-received by audiences around the eastern United States
and Canada since 2010. Transcending the genre of folk
Americana, their music echoes inspiration from traditional
folk duos and singer/songwriters like Ian & Sylvia, Kate
Wolf and Neil Young – combining beautiful harmonies and
a lyrical intensity, while establishing a unique sound of
their own.
“The best part of their performance is the undeniable
chemistry Mark and Raianne have together; they play with a
comfortability and trust that can only come with years of
partnership. They allow enough space in their musical bond to
for us to settle in and witness some serious songwriting and
playing.” – Fred Knittel, WXPN (Philadelphia)
"McKelvie has carved himself a niche as a songwriter,
combining a rapid delivery with stream-of-self-consciousness
writing in a manner so singular that it is never in question
whose songs are being played." — Impose
"McKelvie very clearly knows how to write a pop song and has
decided to fill his with all sorts of unexpected magic."
— Independent Clauses
Here's a sneak preview of Jake McKelvie
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Rick and Nancy Marsh
NOV 22
NO COFFEEHOUSE
Happy
Thanksgiving
(early)
DEC 13
Holiday Open Mic
Come sing with us
Come sing and play with us for a musical magical night
All songs welcome
Holiday and secular alike
Play what moves you
We really love original songs but covers are fine, and if
you'd care to lead us in a singalong that's terrific too.
Tonight‘s Emcees:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Anonymous
This completes our Fall Schedule
That's all for now but stay tuned, more is coming in 2025.
"He's funny. He's also as serious as an ax handle." - Peter
Mulvey
Dylan Patrick Ward is a folk misfit from Vermont's dirty
south. Equal parts compassionate and irreverent, his songs
delve into the minds and lives of oddballs, outcasts, misfits
and people on the brink.
He has a sharp sense of humor and an instinctive sympathy for
the underdog, and has been compared to great musical humorists
like John Prine and Randy Newman, as well as
indie-rock/antifolk legends like the Mountain Goats and Paul
Baribeau.
Since arriving on the scene in 2021, he's become increasingly
respected as a writer and performer, and has shared the stage
with beloved acts like Bill Callahan, Peter Mulvey, Jeffrey
Lewis, Guy Davis, Michael Schneewais and others.
Here's a sneak preview of Dylan Patrick Ward
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Cosy Sheridan has been called "one of the era's finest and
most thoughtful singer/songwriters" She first appeared on the
national folk scene in 1992 when she won the songwriting
contests at The Kerrville Folk Festival and The Telluride
Bluegrass Festival. Since then she has released 10 cds,
written a one-woman-show and her music has appeared in books
and film. She has taught songwriting, guitar and performance
workshops at music camps for the past 15 years, including The
Puget Sound Guitar Workshop and The Swannanoa Gathering. She
is the director of The Moab Folk Camp in Moab, Utah.
"Her user-friendly musical philosophy sets her happily apart
from the myopic, self-involved songwriters... she is a
wonderfully lively, very funny and enormously amiable
entertainer with a keen and wicked eye for the excesses of our
fast-food, tv-happy and noisome culture." - The Boston Globe
"A Buddhist monk in a 12-step program trapped in the body of a
singer/songwriter." - The Albuquerque Journal
"Sheridan is frank, feisty, sublimely and devilishly funny.
She fuses myth with modern culture, Persephone with Botox." -
Cornell Folksong Society
Ian Galipeau is an indie-rock songwriter for hopeful cynics.
If you cry at It's A Wonderful Life, despise every TV news
channel, and have a moderate-but-not-crippling sense of
anxiety about climate change, there's a good chance you'll
appreciate his lyrics. And his lyrics are where his obsession
lies - he is not an artist who can just write a simple love
song, or a breakup song. He's compelled, for better or worse,
to use songs to explore something out-of-the-ordinary.
Sometimes it's a meditation on writers block, or the nostalgia
of parenthood, or the perspective of a Ray Bradbury
character... but there's always some fragment of the
unexpected. Musically, he leans toward indie-rock, but there
are also strands of retro-pop and Americana that will keep you
on your toes.
Ian is based in Keene, NH. He's been performing across New
England since 2010, and has shared the stage with national
touring acts including Arc Iris and Dietrich Strauss. He
released two sister-EPs, titled Raze/Raise, in March of 2018,
and followed with the full-length album Like We Were Never
Here At All in September 2022.
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Tom Pirozzoli is well known, much respected on the New England
and on the national music scene. Tom's songs have been
recorded by artists as varied as Tonto's Big Idea, Willy
Porter, and Pam Prior. His co- writes with Willy Porter have
been performed in Carnegie Hall, at Madison Square Garden and
The Royal Albert Hall. Original songs recorded by Tom in the
1980's with the Fast Folk Music Magazine (New York) are in the
Smithsonian collection. Tom's skills as a performer and
singer-songwriter were honored by Musician Magazine as a
winner in their "Best Unsigned Band" contest.
"Pirozzoli offers a vision of the exotic places he visits
and straight from the heat sentiment through his songs… a
low enchanting voice and a prolific knack for writing
lyrics."
— NH Seacoast
Here's a sneak preview of Tom Pirozzoli
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Robyn Macy
MAR 8
Piper Dumont
Piper Dumont
Piper Dumont is a folk singer songwriter from Colorado. She
got her start playing classical violin and grew up
accompanying her dad to bluegrass jams where she experimented
with fiddle. A guitar gifted for her birthday spurred her
interest in songwriting and she began recording songs during
lockdown in her parents' basement. She has since released one
EP and several singles. Taking inspiration from her classical
and bluegrass roots, as well as contemporary influences, her
songs weave tales about herself and the world around her.
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
White Mountain Ceilí Band is Dexter Harding on the tenor
banjo, Fiona Howell on the flute, Siena Kaplan-Thompson on the
fiddle, and Mike Levine on the guitar and occasional
concertina. They play Irish, Scottish and Cape Breton
instrumental music with warmth and joy, as well as the
occasional song.
Dexter first came to Irish music when he played for contra
dances around the valley, and the session at May Kelly’s
deepened his focus on the Irish tradition.
Fiona grew up playing flute through Mountain Top Music Center,
and went on to study music at Loyola University. While in New
Orleans she began playing at Irish sessions, and now plays and
sings with a few groups around New England.
Siena grew up playing classical violin and viola and switched
to fiddle in college when she discovered the Boston Scottish
and Cape Breton music scene.
Mike has played a wide range of musical styles, from classical
to rock, and more recently bebop. He and Siena have both
enjoyed branching out into Irish music with the White Mountain
Ceilí Band.
Here's a sneak preview of The White Mountain Ceili Band
Wes Aldrich's songs speak to the introvert as he vocalizes the
struggles of daily life through his music. With his soft
melodies and poignant lyrics, he's reaching out to connect to
the disconnected. To help create a safe space for all of us to
be vulnerable.
Inspired by the likes of John Prine, Ryan Adams, Alice in
Chains, and more, his music has a distinct familiarity while
still maintaining his originality.
Since 2010 Wes Aldrich has been writing, recording, and
producing music at Carriage House Studios, in Southern New
Hampshire. Playing and touring in the band's Hug the Dog and
Ballroom Sofa, he's had the opportunity to gig all over the
US, including SXSW festival in Austin, TX, CBGB Festival in
NYC, The Knitting Factory Los Angeles, CA, and more.
After releasing his 2021 solo album "Bullies and Saints", he
decided to put a deeper focus on his solo career. In 2022 he
produced a second full production EP called "Balance" where he
plays bass, guitar, keys, and did all of the vocal
parts/arrangements. He's now ready to share his work from the
last two years and he's hitting the road again, excited to
reconnect with music listeners.
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
For over half a century SKIP GORMAN has enjoyed singing,
playing and performing an impressive and varied palette of
traditional American and Celtic folk music. As an accomplished
singer, guitarist, fiddler and mandolinist, Gorman has
completed over 18 recordings of old time cowboy songs, fiddle,
mandolin, bluegrass and been featured on many others, and
established his own record label, Old West Recordings.
His recordings have earned a prestigious NAIRD (INDIE) award,
and been selected as a top ten folk pick of the year by
Amazon.com. Filmmaker Ken Burns has used Skip's original music
on four of his celebrated documentaries. He has appeared on
Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion, toured with the
US Embassy in Chile, Argentina and Paraguay, performed at
World Fiddle Day in Co. Kerry, Ireland, and taught at numerous
music camps in America and the British Isles.
"Skip Gorman has mastered the rare sound which can only be
created by those who have grown up listening to traditional
American folk music." — Hal Cannon, Founder Western
Folklife Center & Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Elko, Nevada
Off The Cuff is a semi-acoustic instrumental and vocal
quartet, interpreting 100 years of great music from the 20s to
the 20s.
Off The Cuff has been delighting audiences across southern New
Hampshire and surrounding areas for over 20 years. Cuff plays
at the crossroads of American music, where bluegrass meets
swing, jazz meets blues, and folk, rock and country become
pals. Cuff blends these elements with tight vocal harmonies
and instrumental arrangements to "Cuff" each song, give it
that Off The Cuff touch.
Audiences love this music - Americana at its fullest! Whether
a bluegrass tune or an old jazz standard, a pop tune or a
nugget by some little known songwriter, the music touches a
familiar chord in everyone, whether they grew up dancing to
the big bands or to rock bands. It is music that each
generation has managed to share; a part of the American
musical soul. The music is upbeat, energetic, and fun, and The
Cuffers have a great time playing and interacting with the
audience.
In October, 2008 Off The Cuff released its first CD,
"Cuffed… At Last!" Recorded live at the Caleidh House
in Westmoreland, NH, the CD contains 14 songs covering a broad
range of styles that highlight the diversity and variety of an
Off The Cuff performance.
Here's a sneak preview of Off The Cuff
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Eve Pierce is making a name for herself all over the Monadnock
region. She's such a versatile singer that she can perform in
a variety of situations with a huge repertoire to draw from:
she's at home with the music of Harold Arlen, Taylor Swift,
Ella Fitzgerald, Elton John, Brandy Carlise; jazz classics,
'60's and 70's folk rock, contemporary pop, and her own
inimitable original compositions.
With Gordon Peery she has found an accompanist who is able to
dance, as it were, on the keyboard (or guitar), finding just
the right groove for engaging song delivery
The result is a musical journey that takes you all over the
place, but ends up leaving you right at home.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Anonymous
This completes our Spring Schedule
That's all for now but stay tuned, more is coming in the fall.
"A BANJO-GUITAR ROMANCE" ROOTS - INFUSED CONTEMPORARY FOLK
Monique Byrne and Andy Rogovin perform moving and
inspirational songs that are sometimes joyful, sometimes
wistful, and oftentimes, poignant, and that reflect a mutual
passion for life, family and humanity. Their intimately
blended vocal harmonies are mixed with an expressive and
unique instrumental style that is best described as "a
banjo-guitar romance." Crowes Pasture’s style of intimate and
soulful folk transports and connects listeners through
universal experiences in their “skillfully crafted, emotional
songwriting” (Chris Eastburn, award-winning composer).
Crowes Pasture has made waves with two EPs and three
full-length albums in just six-years time. Their CD, "Slow It
Down", was released in June 2019 at the legendary Club Passim.
Since its release, the title track earned Crowes Pasture a #1
song, and the album debuted at #5 on the Folk Alliance
International Charts. Since the release of their first album,
"Edge of America," the duo has had eight Top 10 Songs on the
Folk Charts, including "Take Back the Red White and Blue"
(January 2022), their cover of Mary Gauthier's "Mercy Now"
(June 2019), and the timely and topical song, "Quarantine"
(January 2021).
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Martha Naylor
Would you like to sponsor a night for $25? Your name,
logo and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Martha Naylor for
info
Joel Cage is an award winning veteran singer/songwriter from
Boston. Once a member of the internationally acclaimed rock
& roll group Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, Joel
has been performing regionally and nationally as a soloist for
the past 2 decades. He has performed at some of the most
prestigious folk & acoustic venues & festivals in the
country, including the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas where
he was awarded top prize in the Kerrville New Folk
Competition.
A virtuoso guitarist and an impassioned vocalist, Joel Cage's
music is both evocative and raucous. He spans the gamut from
sounding like a full rock band to 'hear your own heartbeat'
intimacy.
Joel Cage is also a master interpreter of other people's
music, spanning a wide field of musical genres, garnering him
the oft used moniker "Acoustic Rock Song Stylist."
Here's a sneak preview of Joel Cage
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Judy Thackaberry
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Anonymous
OCT 13
E J Tretter
E J Tretter
E J Tretter, a volunteer with the Sunapee Coffeehouse team for
six or seven years, is also a gifted singer, songwriter and
guitarist.
He has been playing the guitar for fifty years, has played
numerous styles in different bands, and has performed as a
solo artist.
He has crafted many original songs, displaying a somewhat
unique perspective on the individual's journey through life's
challenges and rewards.
As a finger picking guitarist he's also written instrumental
pieces in the style of John Fahey and Leo Kottke.
As someone who learned to play guitar in the 1960's and
1970's, there's lots of nostalgia in his playlist of cover
songs.
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Considered a master of American roots music, Scott Ainslie
brings a wealth of personal and musical history to the stage.
With engaging stories he provides historical context for a
repertoire of Delta Blues and ragtime guitar, gospel, and
music of the banjo and fiddle traditions of the Southern
Appalachians. Coming of age during the Civil Rights era,
Ainslie studied with elder musicians on both sides of the
color line. With a deep affinity for cross-cultural exchange,
he plays this music with affection, authority and power.
Armed with vintage guitars, a fretless gourd banjo, a
homemade one-string diddley bow, and carefully chosen
historical and personal anecdotes of his encounters with
senior musicians across the South, Ainslie brings the
history, roots music, and sounds of America alive.
Scott Ainslie literally wrote the book on the Mississippi
Delta Blues legend,“Robert Johnson/At the Crossroads”.
Exploring the African and European roots of American music
and culture in every concert,“he
lives in the groove ...” says the
Durham NC Spectator.
With almost four decades of performing festivals, concert
halls, coffeehouses, colleges, and house concerts, along with
a half dozen acclaimed CDs, Bernice Lewis has built a solid
national fan base. She is also a published poet, a producer,
and an educator extraordinaire. Lewis — who studied
vocal improvisation with Bobby McFerrin, guitar technique with
Alex DeGrassi and Guy van Duser, and songwriting with Rosanne
Cash and Cris Williamson — has been a featured performer
on NPR’s
Mountain Stage program, as well as at the Kennedy
Center.She has a forty-year old daily yoga practice, loves
good coffee, and her religion is the Grand Canyon.
“Bernice is a voice full of light and hope. She is one
of the keepers of the flame of Real Songwriting.” - Rosanne Cash
“Bernice’s life is filled with beautiful, deep
things, and she writes beautifully and deeply about them.
‘Good Kind of Love to Be In’ is wonderful; spoke
right to my heart! Great, jazzy cover of ‘A Case of
You.’ Musically and vocally, she has new wings with the
genres she’s been exploring.” -Dar Williams
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
The Lake Sunapee, NH region has always had more than its share
of musicians. Maybe it's the mountain air or maybe it's the
scenery, but something keeps them coming back. Just ask Click
Horning, New London's singer songwriter who left when he was
seventeen for the Big Apple. Twelve years, a record contract
and an album later it was time to come back. Early influences
were Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, Peter Paul & Mary, as
well as rock and roll and R&B that he listened to growing
up.
Click's music has taken him across the country several times,
to the Rockies and to the deep south . Click has produced two
more solo albums and two albums with his band Night Kitchen ,
a "get up and dance" band composed of Click on lead vocals and
rhythm guitar, Gerry Putnam on lead guitar, Dinty Child on
electric rhythm guitar and keyboards, Dana Flewelling on drums
and Dave Doran on bass.
Click began playing guitar at boarding school, influenced by
other guitar playing students, one in particular being Gram
Parsons. Click persuaded his grandmother to finance a
bottom-of-the-line Gibson guitar (a combination birthday and
Christmas gift). "I had been spending all my spare time
practicing on a friends guitar, but soon found I had to have
my own."
He began playing folk songs, but after hearing Gram and
writers like Bob Dylan, he decided to try his hand at writing
songs. "It was the perfect blending of poems and music that
intrigued me. I've always loved lyrics that tell a story."
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Martha Naylor
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Richard “Gil” Patton
Gil's interactive community chat and music live stream
can be found Monday nights on:vaughn.live/gil_on_vl
DEC 22
Holiday Open Mic
Come sing with us
Come sing and play with us for a musical magical night
All songs welcome
Holiday and secular alike
Play what moves you
We really love original songs but covers are fine, and if
you'd care to lead us in a singalong that's terrific too.
Tonight‘s Emcees:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
A CoffeeHouse Fan
This completes our Fall Schedule
That's all for now but stay tuned, more is coming in 2024.
Open Mic Nite at the Sunapee CoffeeHouse is the perfect
opportunity for local musicians to showcase their talents and
for music lovers to discover new artists. Whether you're a
seasoned performer or just starting out, we welcome all levels
of experience to take the stage. Our intimate setting and
supportive atmosphere make it the perfect place to share your
music with a friendly audience. Don't miss this chance to be a
part of the musical magic at the Sunapee CoffeeHouse —
we can't wait to hear what you've got! And who knows, maybe
you'll even be the one to create that magic.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Tonight‘s Emcees:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night for $25? Your name,
logo and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Martha Naylor for
info
Drawing from 50s and 60s pop, American Songbook standards, and
much more, this vibrant duo channels and fuses these
influences through two voices, a guitar, and violin to bring
you a mixture of original songs and dusted off covers from the
past.
The two consist of Brad Bensko on Vocals and Guitar, and
Kathleen Parks (of Twisted Pine) on Vocals, and Five-Stringed
Fiddle.
Click Horning also known as "Click" is a singer, guitarist and
composer
The Lake Sunapee, NH region has always had more than its share
of musicians. Maybe it's the mountain air or maybe it's the
scenery, but something keeps them coming back. Just ask Click
Horning, New London's singer songwriter who left when he was
seventeen for the Big Apple. Twelve years, a record contract
and an album later it was time to come back. Early influences
were Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, Peter Paul & Mary, as
well as rock and roll and R&B that he listened to growing
up.
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Tonight‘s Emcees:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night for $25? Your name,
logo and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Martha Naylor for
info
"Dana Robinson is a multi-instrumentalist and
singer-songwriter from Cabot,Vermont who combines an
openhearted singing style, with wry humor and astute
observations about community and place.
Seven Days writes, “Dana is a master storyteller,
spinning his yarns with the precise skill of an artisan loom
weaver.”
Here's a sneak preview of Dana Robinson
Tonight‘s Emcees:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night for $25? Your name,
logo and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Martha Naylor for
info
Randy Miller and Jane Orzechowski are both recipients of
numerous music and arts awards including the Folk Heritage
Award from the Governor and the NH State Council on the Arts.
They are both icons in the world of traditional Celtic Music
and Contradance.
Gordon Peery provides piano accompaniment for a wide variety
of singers and instrumentalists in many genres of music,
including fiddle tunes of Celtic, French Canadian and New
England origin, American Songbook, jazz, blues, rock and roll,
and folk.
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Tonight‘s Emcees:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night for $25? Your name,
logo and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Martha Naylor for
info
On her website Jennifer Curtin says:
“My name is Jennifer and I live in the wilds of central
Vermont with my husband Jim and two kids, Finbar and Maeve. I
have always had a passion for singing and making music of all
kinds. Recently, with the help of Colin McCaffrey, I released
a recording of traditional and contemporary Celtic & British
Isles songs titled "Comfort for the Comfortless". I hope that
you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it (which was a
lot!). May the songs inspire you to go out and make your own
music – or at least sing in the shower!”
The press says:
“Curtin has a lovely voice and “Comfort for the Comfortless”
is an apt title, as this album never jars the senses nor makes
promises it can’t keep. Instead we have a fine singer at home
in a genre of music that emanates from lands far across the
sea.”
Erin Ash Sullivan is a Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter
who loves a good storytelling song. Drawing from the lives of
others as well as her own experiences as a daughter, wife,
mom, and artist, Erin's songs harness language in unexpected
ways to reveal the world through others' eyes.
“Melodic, fresh, and easygoing, with storytelling
prowess on full display…recalling the likes of Joni Mitchell
and Joan Baez.” – Unxigned
Here's a sneak preview of Erin Ash Sullivan
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Tonight‘s Emcees:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Eric and Janet Peirce (pronounced "purse")
Fans of live acoustic music
Claremont, NH
Bonnie Waters is a songwriter and performer from the New
England area (Vermont/New Hampshire), whose music includes:
Folk, Pop, Celtic, and Blues, with a focus on New
Consciousness themes. Melodic, soulful, and often haunting -
Music from the Heart.
Here's a sneak preview of Bonnie Waters
Tonight‘s Emcees:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night for $25? Your name,
logo and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Martha Naylor for
info
MAY 12
Carl Beverly
Carl Beverly
Carl Beverly is a songwriter from Warner, New Hampshire who
recently completed his solo CD “Ordinary Life.” He has been
writing and perfecting his distinctive finger picking style
for the past ten years. His songs reflect the sorrow and joy
of life, family, friends, and nature. Beverly's passion for
songwriting led him to form the Brook House Songwriters'
Circle which provides community and inspiration to other local
songwriters. When he's not writing, Beverly is a frequent
performer at area coffee houses, open mics.
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Tom Pirozzoli is well known, much respected on the New England
and on the national music scene. Tom's songs have been
recorded by artists as varied as Tonto's Big Idea, Willy
Porter, and Pam Prior. His co- writes with Willy Porter have
been performed in Carnegie Hall, at Madison Square Garden and
The Royal Albert Hall. Original songs recorded by Tom in the
1980's with the Fast Folk Music Magazine (New York) are in the
Smithsonian collection. Tom's skills as a performer and
singer-songwriter were honored by Musician Magazine as a
winner in their "Best Unsigned Band" contest.
"Pirozzoli offers a vision of the exotic places he visits
and straight from the heat sentiment through his songs… a
low enchanting voice and a prolific knack for writing
lyrics."
— NH Seacoast
Here's a sneak preview of Tom Pirozzoli
Tonight‘s Emcees:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Tom Pirozzoli
This completes our Spring Schedule
That's all for now but stay tuned, more is coming in the fall.
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Tonight‘s Emcees:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night for $25? Your name,
logo and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Martha Naylor for
info
Cosy Sheridan has been called "one of the era's finest and
most thoughtful singer/songwriters" She first appeared on the
national folk scene in 1992 when she won the songwriting
contests at The Kerrville Folk Festival and The Telluride
Bluegrass Festival. Since then she has released 10 cds,
written a one-woman-show and her music has appeared in books
and film. She has taught songwriting, guitar and performance
workshops at music camps for the past 15 years, including The
Puget Sound Guitar Workshop and The Swannanoa Gathering. She
is the director of The Moab Folk Camp in Moab, Utah.
"Her user-friendly musical philosophy sets her happily apart
from the myopic, self-involved songwriters... she is a
wonderfully lively, very funny and enormously amiable
entertainer with a keen and wicked eye for the excesses of our
fast-food, tv-happy and noisome culture." - The Boston Globe
"A Buddhist monk in a 12-step program trapped in the body of a
singer/songwriter." - The Albuquerque Journal
"Sheridan is frank, feisty, sublimely and devilishly funny.
She fuses myth with modern culture, Persephone with Botox." -
Cornell Folksong Society
Tonight‘s Emcees:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night for $25? Your name,
logo and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Martha Naylor for
info
OCT 14
EJ Tretter
EJ Tretter
This will be my fourth time performing at the Sunapee
Coffeehouse, although it will be my first time since joining
the team of volunteers that makes this music venue work so
well. In these past few years that I've been helping out ,
I've been audience to an amazing array of talented
singer-songwriters and musicians. I've watched and listened
closely, and learned some things.
I've been playing guitar since I was thirteen years old and
have been writing songs since I was around twenty two, give or
take a year. I write about life lessons, loved ones, and the
changes, challenges and rewards that fill up the years. (
contrary to persistent rumors, I also have a lighter side ).
After forty-plus years of writing and guitar playing, it's
still fun. And there are always new things to discover with
both music and lyrics.
Thanks to all the Sunapee Coffeehouse folks; volunteers,
audience regulars, all friends..........E J Tretter
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Geoff Bartley (1948 - ?) is a folk-blues guitar player
singer-songwriter and recording artist. His last two CDs,
2009's "Put the Big Stone Down" and 2011's "Mercy for the
Dispossessed", went to No. 1 on folk radio. In the 1980s,
Geoff won four guitars at the National Fingerpicking
Champion-ships. Some of his songs and co-writes have been
recorded by other artists in New England, Canada, Ireland, and
Nashville, and some are included in the Smithsonian Folkways
Recordings of the Fast Folk Musical Magazine collection in
Washington, D.C.
Since 1994 Geoff has played guitar and sung harmony for folk
treasure Tom Paxton. In 2007, Geoff's song A Letter from
Prison about Nelson Mandela was recorded by the progressive
bluegrass band, The Infamous Stringdusters, on their CD "Fork
in the Road" on Sugar Hill. Subsequently, that recording was
used in the independent 2008 Lionsgate film "The Lucky Ones".
Songs and instrumentals he has written have been used on the
History Channel, Animal Planet, the Learning Channel, the
Discovery Channel, the National Geographic Channel, NOVA and
Nature on PBS and other cable networks, in private and
commercial films and documentaries, and in private and
commercial advertising in the US and other countries.
The folk press has called him a world-class guitarist, a
brilliant songwriter and the prophet and spiritual godfather
of the Boston folk scene.
Dylan Patrick Ward: "Lyrically clever as hell, wicked funny,
wicked dark. Monsters, death, and mayhem. Fear, weirdness, and
alienation, all wrapped up in love."- Mark Piepkorn, Stage 33
Live, Bellows Falls, VT.
Dylan Patrick Ward has never drank 100 beers in one day, but
sometimes he feels like a snowman made of slush from the side
of the road, slowly melting as winter turns to spring, so his
songs are autobiographical...in a way.
After years spent trying his hand at acting, stand-up, sketch
comedy, film making, fiction writing and cartooning, and many
failed attempts at starting bands, Dylan found his niche in
the age-old art of sitting alone with a guitar and writing
songs.
Equal parts humor and heart, Dylan's highly specific, melodic
tales of lovable losers draw from a wide range of influences,
chief among them John Prine, the Mountain Goats, Nikolai Gogol
and The Simpsons.
He comes from a part of Vermont he affectionately refers to as
“the dirty south”, where Dickensian odd-balls are more common
than farmers and ski bums. He fits in...about as well as he
would anywhere I guess.
Here's a sneak preview of Dylan Patrick Ward
2ND HOUR
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs.
Amber Wilds is a progressive folk band that blends sensitive
instrumentals with evocative lyricism. The group draws
influence from American roots and contemporary genres,
blending them into songs of modern-day relevance with lyrics
that remind us to find the beauty in the wilds.
Bandleaders Devon Gardner and Adam Gurczak play as a duo, as
well as in compliments of three or four with other local
musicians. After many moons of quarantine, the band is finally
hitting the stages in 2022 with a slew of new releases
underway.
Tonight‘s Emcees:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
A live music lover
DEC 9
“A Bowl of Merry”
with Steve Schuch, Kathy Lowe and Kent Allyn
Join three celebrated musicians as they fill your holiday
bowl with instrumentals and songs, both original and
traditional. Their festive trio, duo, and solo arrangements
are sure to delight listeners' ears and warm the hearts of
all.
Steve Schuch
- A Grammy-nominated composer, singer, guitarist, and
violinist. He has performed and recorded with Windham Hill
guitarist Will Ackerman, folk legend Pete Seeger, and his own
Celtic ensemble, The Night Heron Consort.
Kathy Lowe
- Singer, song writer, recording artist, guitarist and
dulcimer player. Her Seasonal Holiday CD of original carols,
“Wishing You Peace,” has become a family favorite for 20
years. Raised in a Vaudeville /Circus family, one never knows
what she's going to do next. Visit her intriguing world of
"Petreflection Photography" and comedic "Qathy Quarantina"
videos.
Kent Allyn
Kent Allyn
Kent Allyn
- He's the best side guy player in NH. On bass, guitar and
piano, Kent has played with Ben Baldwin and the Big Note
(since 1976), Susie Burke, Cosy Sheridan, Cormac McCarthy,
Kathy Lowe, Steve Schuch, The Renovators, and The Rushmores.
He's taught private music lessons at Berwick Academy in Maine
since 1989. A claim to fame: Steve Tyler's grandmother gave
him piano lessons. She would say to him, “Kent, I didn't come
here to hear you practice."
Tonight‘s Emcees:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night for $25? Your name,
logo and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Martha Naylor for
info
This completes our Fall Schedule
That's all for now but stay tuned, more is coming in 2023.
Dylan Patrick Ward: "Lyrically clever as hell, wicked funny,
wicked dark. Monsters, death, and mayhem. Fear, weirdness, and
alienation, all wrapped up in love."- Mark Piepkorn, Stage 33
Live, Bellows Falls, VT.
Dylan Patrick Ward has never drank 100 beers in one day, but
sometimes he feels like a snowman made of slush from the side
of the road, slowly melting as winter turns to spring, so his
songs are autobiographical...in a way.
After years spent trying his hand at acting, stand-up, sketch
comedy, film making, fiction writing and cartooning, and many
failed attempts at starting bands, Dylan found his niche in
the age-old art of sitting alone with a guitar and writing
songs.
Equal parts humor and heart, Dylan's highly specific, melodic
tales of lovable losers draw from a wide range of influences,
chief among them John Prine, the Mountain Goats, Nikolai Gogol
and The Simpsons.
He comes from a part of Vermont he affectionately refers to as
“the dirty south”, where Dickensian odd-balls are more common
than farmers and ski bums. He fits in...about as well as he
would anywhere I guess.
Here's a sneak preview of dylan Patrick Ward
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo and
link could be right here. Plus it defrays our costs for
the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
JAN 14
NO SHOW
Tonight's Open Mic has been cancelled due to inclement weather
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo and
link could be right here. Plus it defrays our costs for
the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
Bill Brink has been playing music for over 20 years. He enjoys
playing many different styles of music using 6 and 12 string
acoustic guitar as well as bass and electric guitar, banjo,
harmonica, kazoo, mandolin and washboard.
In addition to having an extensive collection of cover songs,
he also has many of his own that he has written and produced
since the early 90's and is still writing and recording today.
He has received accolades from people such as Richie Havens,
John Sebastian, and Tom Ghent.
His songs have been played across the globe.
Vermont's WCAX TV news channel used one of his recorded songs
for an on-air photo montage. Vermont Public Radio purchased a
song to feature on their radio station and most recently, a
local business asked to use one of his recordings for a
commercial ad.
In addition to writing and performing, Bill, along with his
wife June, produce music and videos, organize local music
events and host live social media performances.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo and
link could be right here. Plus it defrays our costs for
the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
FEB 4
NO SHOW
Tonight's show has been cancelled due to inclement weather
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo and
link could be right here. Plus it defrays our costs for
the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
FEB 11
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in. Sign up
on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo and
link could be right here. Plus it defrays our costs for
the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
In the early days, Mike played bass while Jan sang lead and
played guitar. They could often be found kicking around the
Boston music scene. They received airplay on several of the
city’s radio stations and were nominated for a Boston Music
Award in 2001. They have shared the stage with The Black
Crowes, Corey Glover, Fuel, Feeder, and Hum as well as playing
the Boston leg of The Vans Warped Tour. Their songs are on
numerous compilations alongside the likes of G. Love and
Special Sauce, Jack Johnson, Burning Spear, and The Mighty,
Mighty Bosstones. Their music has been licensed to television
shows on ABC, VH1, MTV, ESPN, and ESPN 2.
Mike and Jan bought land in rural Vermont in 2003 and started
building their home, doing most of the work themselves. This
is where the humble seeds of The Milkhouse Heaters were
planted. Mike bought an acoustic guitar, and began writing
Americana songs. With Jan on bass, they honed their sound and
played their first show as The Milkhouse Heaters in 2010.
Mike and Jan have added several notches to their musical belt,
including closing for Billy Bragg as part of a WOOL Black
Sheep Radio fundraiser and opening for Fred Eaglesmith at The
Shoulder to the Plough concert, which benefitted the farmers
devastated by Hurricane Irene. Two of their songs are featured
on The Shoulder to the Plough CD, which was recorded live at
the Rockingham Meeting House in 2011. Since then, The
Milkhouse Heaters have been playing nearly every weekend
around New England and were invited to play the 14th Annual
Roots on the River Festival.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo and
link could be right here. Plus it defrays our costs for
the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
The Occasional Jug Band is a trio of versatile musicians who
bring high enthusiasm and years of professional musical
performance to a repertoire packed with traditional jug band
favorites, blues, fiddle tunes, Cajun two-steps, and popular
tunes with an irresistible ragtime twist. We are: Mary Jo
Slattery (vocals, guitar, uke, washboard), Andy Stewart (
fiddle, harmonica), and Joseph Stallsmith (vocals, 4 string
banjo, uke, guitar, kazoo/jug). Our song selection has a bit
of everything for people of all ages and encourages audience
participation at every turn.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo and
link could be right here. Plus it defrays our costs for
the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
FEB 25
NO SHOW
Tonight's show has been cancelled due to inclement weather
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo and
link could be right here. Plus it defrays our costs for
the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
Lara Herscovitch is singer-songwriter-poet-performer gem. As
described in The Boston Globe, she brings "a luminous voice
and a buoyant stage presence… big-hearted lyrics
embrace the sum of life… Herscovitch's music blows on
the embers of a lagging spirit or a dormant creative life."
Lara leads with authenticity, integrity, humor and heart.
Sound Waves Magazine described her music as "expertly written
prose... songwriting at its best… good for your ears
AND your soul." Acoustic Live in New York City added, "She
possesses not only a huge reservoir of musical talent and a
voice with a bell-like clarity, but a keen sense of global
concern and a fierce intellect… It might seem too good
to be true, but true it is."
Here's a sneak preview of Lara Herscovitch
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Judy Thackaberry
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Anonymous
MAR 11
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in. Sign up
on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo and
link could be right here. Plus it defrays our costs for
the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
White Mountain Ceilí Band is Dexter Harding on the tenor
banjo, Fiona Howell on the flute, Siena Kaplan-Thompson on the
fiddle, and Mike Levine on the guitar and occasional
concertina. They play Irish, Scottish and Cape Breton
instrumental music with warmth and joy, as well as the
occasional song.
Dexter first came to Irish music when he played for contra
dances around the valley, and the session at May Kelly’s
deepened his focus on the Irish tradition.
Fiona grew up playing flute through Mountain Top Music Center,
and went on to study music at Loyola University. While in New
Orleans she began playing at Irish sessions, and now plays and
sings with a few groups around New England.
Siena grew up playing classical violin and viola and switched
to fiddle in college when she discovered the Boston Scottish
and Cape Breton music scene.
Mike has played a wide range of musical styles, from classical
to rock, and more recently bebop. He and Siena have both
enjoyed branching out into Irish music with the White Mountain
Ceilí Band.
Here's a sneak preview of The White Mountain Ceili Band
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Al Peterson
Retired Sunapee School Music Teacher and Sunapee
Cruises Captain
Joel Cage is an award winning veteran singer/songwriter from
Boston. Once a member of the internationally acclaimed rock
& roll group Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, Joel
has been performing regionally and nationally as a soloist for
the past 2 decades. He has performed at some of the most
prestigious folk & acoustic venues & festivals in the
country, including the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas where
he was awarded top prize in the Kerrville New Folk
Competition.
A virtuoso guitarist and an impassioned vocalist, Joel Cage's
music is both evocative and raucous. He spans the gamut from
sounding like a full rock band to 'hear your own heartbeat'
intimacy.
Joel Cage is also a master interpreter of other people's
music, spanning a wide field of musical genres, garnering him
the oft used moniker "Acoustic Rock Song Stylist."
Here's a sneak preview of Joel Cage
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Sponsored by Victor Reno with greetings from Caher
Cottage in Connemara!
New England area Singer-songwriter Chris LaVancher released
his third full-length album in November 2021 - “After The
Flood” a collection of songs full of heart from a seasoned and
skilled craftsman mining life's subject matter - family
challenges, work, love and love lost, childhood memories, and
finding one's place in the universe. Chris's performance
evokes a mini-movie festival in your head, complete with a
full soundtrack. He writes cinematic, character-driven songs.
His song Nostalgia from his second album, Big Fat Love,
received an honorable mention in the 2018 Woody Guthrie Folk
Festival Songwriting Contest. In 2014 Chris was selected as a
Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist and performed on
the main stage. Chris grew up in the hills of North Central
Pennsylvania where he learned to observe the many wonderful
characters that inhabited that little town.
The Lied To's are Susan Levine and Doug Kwartler, two
Massachusetts-based singer-songwriters who joined musical
forces in 2014, released their self-titled debut cd at the
legendary Club Passim in February 2015, and have been playing
together ever since. Taking their name from the revered Everly
Brothers song, "When Will I Be Loved," The Lied To's (Susan
Levine and Doug Kwartler) collaborate to put the challenges of
relationships squarely under their musical microscope with a
formidable blend of folk, rock and country-tinged music. Susan
has been a finalist at the Kerrville Folk Festival, the Rocky
Mountain Folks Fest, and the International Songwriting
Competition, among others. She also was a Tri-Centric Showcase
artist at the 2008 Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference
(NERFA). Doug has had his songs placed on television shows,
including CSI , All My Children, The Young and The Restless,
Dark Blue, and was an emerging artist at the Falcon Ridge Folk
Festival. Doug is also a respected music producer who owns and
runs Hollow Body Recording Studios in Chelmsford, MA.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Chris LaVancher is sponsored by:
Al Carruth
The Lied To's are sponsored by:
Bob White
APR 8
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in. Sign up
on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Sponsored by Victor Reno with greetings from Caher
Cottage in Connemara!
Cormac McCarthy is regarded by fellow musicians and fans alike
as one of New England’s finest songwriters. He writes and
sings of a heartfelt, sometimes funny, sometimes desperate,
sometimes glorious world of common people, struggles, hope,
relationships, madness, and love. He sings the poetry of real
life with a silky baritone voice and just enough grit.
“A distinctive songwriter with a warm, powerful, inherently
melodic baritone, a fine guitarist and a devastating wit ...
enormous writing gifts, capable of putting chills into your
spine or a silly grin on your face..." - Jeff McLaughlin, The
Boston Globe
I've been remiss in not mentioning that my friend folksinger
Cormac McCarthy's album "Collateral" was my favorite album of
2013. Man does he ever hand the bullshit back to its rightful
owners. Barry Crimmins--Political Satirist and comedian
“A leading light of the urban songwriter revival…”Curious
Thing” is a soft-spoken triumph.” - Scott Alarik, Boston Globe
“…a new McCarthy recording is a major listening event, one to
spend considerable time savoring…” - Arthur Wood, Folk Wax
“Cormac McCarthy is the closest thing New England’s ever come
to having our own Woody Guthrie” - Martin England, Portsmouth
Herald, NH
"Top ten Concerts ...- Bob Dylan, Ani DeFranco, Cormac
McCarthy...Next time he comes within 100 miles, you must go
hear him!" -The Boston Phoenix
Fingerstyle Guitarist Ken Bonfield has performed throughout
the United States for over 25 years. Based in Gloucester,
Massachusetts, Bonfield is a regular at guitar festivals,
concert series, and acoustic venues across North America, and
has released eight albums. His latest, Parting Gifts, is an
ensemble effort that features Bonfield on standard guitar,
baritone guitar, and reentrant tuned guitar along with the
otherworldly talents of Raymond Gonzalez on piano, nylon
string guitar, percussion and synths, and Bluegrass
multi-instrumentalist, Tim Crouch on mandolin, violin, cello
and upright bass.
Although he came out of the 1960’s folk tradition, Bonfield
was closely associated with new-age music in the mid 90's.
Today his sophisticated Americana compositions feature a solid
dose of Celtic, jazz, and traditional folk influences that
might best be described as American Baroque.
Bonfield's work and calling is inspired by a deep love for the
beauty, the sound, and the craft of the acoustic guitar. In
his open-hearted, welcoming concerts, workshops and master
classes, he shares new guitar dimensions and sonic
explorations with his listeners.
Due to a vicious bout of tendinitis Bonfield can no longer
play steel string guitar, and now performs on his unique
baritone nylon string guitar and standard nylon string guitar
in an array of alternate tunings.
Bonfield has been a featured performer at some of the finest
acoustic venues, coffee houses, music festivals, and guitar
festivals in North America such as Club Passim, Eddie's Attic,
Uncle Calvin's, Be Here Now, Acoustic Sounds Cafe, Kent State
Folk Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Montreal Guitar
Festival, Newport Guitar Festival, and Healdsburg Guitar
Festival, appearing with a wide range of icons and
contemporary artists ranging from Arlo Guthrie to John
Mayer,and includes songsmiths Garnet Rogers, Pierce Pettis,
Dee Carstensen, Cosy Sheridan, and guitar legends Larry
Corryell, Adrian Legg, Adam Miller, Ed Gerhard, Muriel
Anderson, Stephen Bennett, Tim Sparks, Dakota Dave Hull, and
countless others.
Monique Byrne and Andy Rogovin perform original music and
eye-opening covers that reflect a mutual passion, sense of
discovery and celebration of life. Their tightly blended vocal
harmonies are mixed with an expressive instrumental style that
is best described as a "banjo-guitar romance."
Crowes Pasture's style of escapist folk transports and
connects listeners through universal experiences in their
"skillfully crafted, emotional songwriting" — Chris
Eastburn, Award-Winning Composer
NYFA (New York Foundation For The Arts) grant recipient Fred
Gillen Jr has released eleven full-length albums, to great
critical acclaim. He has performed all over the U.S. and
Europe as a solo artist. From 2017 to 2019 he was music
director of the Group The Greenheart, traveling to Nepal four
times and India once, performing concerts to raise awareness
of environmental activism. His songs have been featured on
ABC's "All My Children," NPR's "Car Talk," CMJ's New Music
Marathon Sampler, and in 2012 his version of Woody Guthrie's
"I Ain't Got No Home" was featured on "Pete Remembers Woody,"
a collection of Pete Seeger's spoken stories about Woody
Guthrie. interspersed with various artists' renditions of
Guthrie's songs. Like Seeger and Guthrie, Gillen's lyrics
often reflect both the hope and despair of the human
condition, while his music illustrates the diversity of
influences in the air when he was growing up in the 1970's.
His live performances are spontaneous and full of
storytelling, and he enjoys audience participation.
Here's a sneak preview of Fred Gillan
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Sponsored by Victor Reno with greetings from Caher
Cottage in Connemara!
MAY 13
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in. Sign up
on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo and
link could be right here. Plus it defrays our costs for
the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
Tom Pirozzoli is well known, much respected on the New England
and on the national music scene. Tom's songs have been
recorded by artists as varied as Tonto's Big Idea, Willy
Porter, and Pam Prior. His co- writes with Willy Porter have
been performed in Carnegie Hall, at Madison Square Garden and
The Royal Albert Hall. Original songs recorded by Tom in the
1980's with the Fast Folk Music Magazine (New York) are in the
Smithsonian collection. Tom's skills as a performer and
singer-songwriter were honored by Musician Magazine as a
winner in their "Best Unsigned Band" contest.
"Pirozzoli offers a vision of the exotic places he visits
and straight from the heat sentiment through his songs… a
low enchanting voice and a prolific knack for writing
lyrics."
— NH Seacoast
Perhaps it is best to learn about Josh Hall in his own words:
My musical roots are uncommon for a singer-songwriter.
Described as a Zen-Metal-Freak-Jazz Guru, I am a classically
trained guitarist whose playing style owes as much to Barrios
and Tarréga as Mustaine and Monk. I am an Alternative Folk
Artist whose songs engage the listener to feel and think
deeply, to find the reverence in everyday life, and to
question the stories that define so much of the modern world.
I was born and raised in New Hampshire but my musical life has
taken me all over the world, from the Finger Lakes to Mt. Etna
to the Narmada River. And although I have chose the life of a
Music Educator and have taught music to thousands of students
in Hanover, NH over the past 23 years, I maintain an active
performance calendar that showcases my original music for
audiences looking for folk music in the spirit of Dylan,
Cockburn, and Taylor.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo and
link could be right here. Plus it defrays our costs for
the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
This completes our Winter/Spring Schedule
That's all for now but stay tuned, more is coming in the fall.
Lara Herscovitch is singer-songwriter-poet-performer gem. As
described in The Boston Globe, she brings "a luminous voice
and a buoyant stage presence… big-hearted lyrics
embrace the sum of life… Herscovitch's music blows on
the embers of a lagging spirit or a dormant creative life."
Lara leads with authenticity, integrity, humor and heart.
Sound Waves Magazine described her music as "expertly written
prose... songwriting at its best… good for your ears
AND your soul." Acoustic Live in New York City added, "She
possesses not only a huge reservoir of musical talent and a
voice with a bell-like clarity, but a keen sense of global
concern and a fierce intellect… It might seem too good
to be true, but true it is."
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Judy Thackaberry
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo and
link could be right here. Plus it defrays our costs for
the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
Nationally acclaimed performer, composer, arranger, and
educator, Jamie Laval is hailed as "One of North America’s
finest practitioners of traditional Scottish music" (San Jose
Mercury News). Laval's unique approach to traditional Celtic
music blends the simplicity of an ancient art form with
stunning virtuosity and contemporary flair that resonates with
families, youth, seniors, and devotees of ethnic, jazz, and
classical music.
Currently making his home in Tryon, North Carolina (near
Asheville), Laval grew up in the Pacific Northwest where he
received his musical training at the Victoria Conservatory of
Music. During the early years of his career he was a member of
the Northwest Chamber Orchestra, the Seattle Opera, and the
Victoria Symphony. At that time Laval recorded numerous movie
and television sound track recordings including the solo for
Emmy-nominated theme song Everwood which aired weekly for two
years on The WB. Laval collaborated on Dave Matthews' platinum
album Some Devil and gave a private performance for Her
Majesty the Queen.
Warmth, vitality, and spontaneity mark the performances of
Susie Burke and David Surette, and have earned them a
reputation as one of the finest acts on the lively New England
folk scene. Susie's beautiful, complex voice and David's
graceful, nimble-fingered string playing combine to yield a
unique blend of contemporary, traditional, and original folk
and acoustic music. Together since 1988, Susie and David have
built a loyal following for their music, through a steady
series of concerts and well-received recordings.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Al Peterson
Retired Sunapee School Music Teacher and Sunapee
Cruises Captain
OCT 8
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in. Sign up
on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo and
link could be right here. Plus it defrays our costs for
the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
The music of The Twangtown Paramours has been called
“Sophisticated Americana”, and is a hybrid of the Nashville
and Austin music scenes. This husband ‘n wife acoustic duo is
known for their well-crafted and award-winning songs,
top-notch lead singing, and fine harmonies. They have
performed at nationally recognized venues such as Uncle
Calvin’s in Dallas, Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, and the
Bluebird Café in Nashville. They have opened for Joe Ely,
Claire Lynch, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Carrie Newcomer, and Kim
& Reggie Harris, amongst others.
The Twangtown Paramours were chosen three times (2011, 2013,
and 2016) to be finalists in the prestigious Kerrville New
Folk contest and were winners of the Michael Terry People’s
Choice Award in the Wildflower Music Festival Songwriter
Contest in 2012. In February, 2011,the Twangers were named
Artists on the Verge for 2011 by the Bluegrass Special
Magazine.
The Twangtown Paramours are currently working on their third
album. Their last record was released to radio in 2012 and
reached #2 on the Folk DJ Chart. John Platt of WFUV in New
York City listed the album in his top 10 for the year; Lilli
Kuzma of WDCB in Chicago listed the album in her top 5 for the
year; and Deep Roots Magazine listed the album at #7 for the
year. All the recorded music of the Twangtown Paramours can be
heard on over 100 Folk, Americana, and independent country
station world-wide.
The duo is looking forward to performing at the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire commemoration in NYC in March of 2017.
Their song, “Chains” was written to bring attention to the
circumstances of that fire and of others like it. One of their
newest songs, “Stars Without a Heaven” has not yet been
released to the public, but a demo version of the song is
already being played in a few holocaust museums, including
Yadvashem in Israel.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo and
link could be right here. Plus it defrays our costs for
the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
Doug Farrell and Beth Eldridge are each accomplished NH-based
musicians, singer/songwriters, and performers. They both sing
and play multiple instruments in their engaging frequent live
performances in NH, VT, and MA. Their diverse styles
complement one another and their evolving original acoustic
sound will bring a smile to your face, rhythm to your feet,
and leave you wanting for more.
Their influences run from traditional/roots to Americana -
country, singer/songwriter, folk, blues, and rock - with the
focus on the songs, lyrics, and vocals.
Singer/songwriter/guitarist Lenny Solomon's style has been
compared to early Bob Dylan, Guy Clark, and Jerry Jeff Walker.
Solomon began his career in the late 1960s. A fixture at the
now defunct Idler Coffeehouse in Harvard Square, Cambridge, he
regularly performed there on Friday nights for over eight
years. The Idler was a training ground for songwriters such as
Geoff Bartley, Paul Rishell, Spider John Koerner, and Ric
Ocasek. During these years as a solo performer he shared bills
with many touring performers including Chris Smither, Carolyn
Hester, Bonnie Raitt, and Spider John.
From the 1980s through the mid-1990s, Solomon continued to
write, but rarely performed in public. He chose rather to
raise his family and work in environmental research at Harvard
University. From 1978 though 2009 he managed a research
program that investigated ozone depletion in the stratosphere
and more general climate change issues.
In 1997 Solomon got back into performing and formed a
folk/country band appropriately enough called Solomon.
Performing his original material, Solomon has released one EP
and five CDs. Since the onset of Covid, he has been performing
solo. His full length albums are available on his website.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Bob White
NOV 5
CoffeeHouse Crew
CoffeeHouse Crew
The CoffeeHouse Crew are the folk who labor behind the scenes
to bring our shows to the CoffeeHouse stage. Nobody gets rich
so it's all done for the love of the music. And many are fine
performers in their own right
Here are some of the denizens of the CoffeeHouse who will
escape onto the stage to give us some fine music this Friday.
Al Carruth is a gnome living in north Newport – a luthier of
exceptional skill to match his musical skills and wonderful
singing
EJ Tretter is an exceptional singer /songwriter with a
beautifully gentle musical style and lovely, meaningful
lyrics!!
Doc Rogers is a living breathing survivor of the great folk
scare. Thumbpicker, folksinger and lover of traditional
country music.
Vic Reno has been playing all sorts of music most of his
life, but since 2014, nothing but traditional Irish music.
Vic will be accompanied by Newport’s Celtic and Contradance
fiddle master, Jane Orzechowski.
Judy Thackaberry is best known as our principle emcee but as
a vocalist she truly must be heard.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Al Peterson
Retired Sunapee School Music Teacher and Sunapee
Cruises Captain
Bluegrass Gospel Project alums Taylor Armerding, Andy Greene,
and Kirk Lord have come together to present original,
time-honored, and contemporary Americana music to venues
throughout New England. Showcasing compelling, intricately
braided vocals, richly textured instrumental work, and solid,
innovative rhythm, the three band members bring decades of
performing experience to the stage. Through their many years
of musical collaboration, they speak soulfully with one voice.
It's a new day, and The Revenants have arrived. We'd love to
share our musical stories with you.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Liz & Ken Tentarelli
NOV 19
NO COFFEEHOUSE
CHURCH PIE SALE
NOV 26
NO COFFEEHOUSE
Thanksgiving Aftermath
&
Recovery
DEC 3
No Show
We are very sad to announce that Bill Staines will be unable
to perform as planned.
DEC 10
Santa
CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY OPEN MIC AND SING-ALONG
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Al Peterson
Retired Sunapee School Music Teacher and Sunapee
Cruises Captain
DEC 17
RANDY MILLER, JANE ORZECHOWSKI AND FRIENDS
Randy Miller and Jane Orzechowski are both recipients of
numerous music and arts awards including the Folk Heritage
Award from the Governor and the NH State Council on the Arts.
They are both icons in the world of traditional Celtic Music
and Contradance.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
The Naylor Family
This completes our Fall Schedule
That's all for now but stay tuned, more is coming in the fall.
Geoff Bartley (1948 - ?) is a folk-blues guitar player
singer-songwriter and recording artist. His last two CDs,
2009's "Put the Big Stone Down" and 2011's "Mercy for the
Dispossessed", went to No. 1 on folk radio. In the 1980s,
Geoff won four guitars at the National Fingerpicking
Champion-ships. Some of his songs and co-writes have been
recorded by other artists in New England, Canada, Ireland,
and Nashville, and some are included in the Smithsonian
Folkways Recordings of the Fast Folk Musical Magazine
collection in Washington, D.C.
Since 1994 Geoff has played guitar and sung harmony for
folk treasure Tom Paxton. In 2007, Geoff's song A Letter
from Prison about Nelson Mandela was recorded by the
progressive bluegrass band, The Infamous Stringdusters, on
their CD "Fork in the Road" on Sugar Hill. Subsequently,
that recording was used in the independent 2008 Lionsgate
film "The Lucky Ones".
Songs and instrumentals he has written have been used on
the History Channel, Animal Planet, the Learning Channel,
the Discovery Channel, the National Geographic Channel,
NOVA and Nature on PBS and other cable networks, in
private and commercial films and documentaries, and in
private and commercial advertising in the US and other
countries.
The folk press has called him a world-class guitarist, a
brilliant songwriter and the prophet and spiritual
godfather of the Boston folk scene.
Singing two part harmonies with their own style and
energy, from songs you will remember fondly, “Oxford &
Clark” make an entertaining duo performing Americana music
made famous by entertainers like: Johnny Cash, Hank
Williams, Roger Miller, The Kingston Trio, The Everly
Brothers and many more.
Rob Oxford and Dave Clark have been performing in the
tri-state area since they met in 2012 at a performance
venue in Quechee, VT. With their upbeat unique on-stage
personalities and tight harmonies they draw you into their
performance for an experience you are sure to remember and
enjoy.
Some places they have performed are: The NH Building at
the Eastern States Expo, Quechee Balloon Festival, Glory
Days of the Railroad, Bedford NH town concert series and
many more.
Sierra & Andrew are a musical duo from Plum Island,
MA. The duo unites soulful vocals and dynamic guitar work
for a wide-ranging repertoire of original and cover songs.
Sierra & Andrew have been writing and performing
together for 10 years, and they comprise half of the
original rock band, Unnamed Colors.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Judy Thackaberry
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
The Newport Health Center,
Newport, NH
FEB 7
NO COFFEEHOUSE
Cancelled due to
inclement weather
FEB 14
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs. Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
Martin Grosswendt has been exploring the roots and
branches of American acoustic music for more than 40
years. A master of pre-war blues and other southern
traditional music, his fingerpicking, bottleneck playing
and singing amaze and move audiences, critics and
musicians alike. He’s known at festivals, concert venues
and music camps across the U.S., and his instrumental and
vocal skills are matched by his knowledge of the music’s
sources and creators, whose stories he weaves into every
performance. He’s also a dedicated and passionate teacher,
committed to keeping the music alive. Get to know Martin
Grosswendt’s music — you’ll be glad that you did.
In the world of American roots music, Martin Grosswendt is
a national treasure. He’s authentic in performance,
generous in teaching, and genuine to the core. He has an
old soul. No way could he be the great musician he is
without one. — Phil Zimmerman, musician,
photographer and author of Bluegrass Time
He's one of the best fingerpickers I ever heard play.
— David Bromberg
Zak Trojano is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, a
finger-style guitar player, a fly-fisherman, and a beer
drinker. He watches more than he talks, the guy at the end
of the bar nursing a drink while the afternoon light
angles in, letting the conversation pile up around him
like snowfall. He grew up in New Hampshire, outside of
town in a cabin built by his parents. His father was a
drummer who held down a regular country gig, and nights
after work he would loosen his tie and show his son the
finer points of Ginger Baker and Elvin Jones. In New
Hampshire they drove around in trucks, and Prine and Dylan
cassettes showed up in most of those trucks. Zak made
Eagle Scout, got his knots down. Then it was college and
out, wandering the country from the desert Southwest to
Great Plains until he ran out of money, washing windows to
work up the bus fare home. After a while it seemed like he
ought to write some songs, and he did: heavy songs with a
light touch; an AM radio throwback voice and an intricate
finger-style technique framed by a drummer’s rhythm and
sharpened by years of immersion in the work of players as
various as John Fahey, Merle Travis, and Chet Atkins. In
over a decade writing, recording, and performing music
professionally - sharing studios and stages with his band
Rusty Belle, or supporting touring acts like Chris
Smither, Kris Delmhorst, Jeffrey Foucault, and Peter
Mulvey - Zak Trojano has evolved his own thing: a warm
baritone paired with an old Martin guitar, floating above
spare lines of cello and lap steel, horns and brushes,
with a deceptively simple lyricism that on repeated
listening shows that the fellow at the end of the bar
doesn’t say much, but he’s worth hearing.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Kathy Lowe
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
The Newport Health Center,
Newport, NH
MAR 6
CoffeeHouse Crew
CoffeeHouse Crew
The CoffeeHouse Crew are the folk who labor behind the
scenes to bring our shows to the CoffeeHouse stage. Nobody
gets rich so it's all done for the love of the music. And
many are fine performers in their own right
Here are some of the denizens of the CoffeeHouse who will
escape onto the stage to give us some fine music this
Friday.
Al Carruth is a gnome living in north Newport – a
luthier of exceptional skill to match his musical skills
and wonderful singing
EJ Tretter is an exceptional singer /songwriter with a
beautifully gentle musical style and lovely, meaningful
lyrics!!
Doc Rogers is a living breathing survivor of the great
folk scare. Thumbpicker, folksinger and lover of
traditional country music.
Vic Reno has been playing all sorts of music most of his
life, but since 2014, nothing but traditional Irish
music. Vic will be accompanied by Newport’s Celtic and
Contradance fiddle master, Jane Orzechowski.
Judy Thackaberry is best known as our principle emcee
but as a vocalist she truly must be heard.
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs. Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
COFFEEHOUSE CANCELED
The outbreak of COVID-19 has led the Sunapee Community
CoffeeHouse to cancel the remainer of our Winter / Spring
Season. We do this out of concern for the health, safety
and well being of our community and our volunteers.
We hope that you are all safe and well. Please take good
care of yourselves and endeavor to maintain equanimity as
best you can. We will come out to play once again when it
is deemed safe to do so.
One of the most unique guitar players/vocalists, whose
style bridges virtually all genres, brings forth his new
singer songwriter release "Simple Man." His credits
include two #1 songs as a jazz guitarist, his own line of
Pulaski furniture called "Rhythm and Home," and tour
credits that span the globe. With ten albums as a jazz and
blues guitarist under his belt, the new album "Simple Man"
adds his incredibly unique and soulful voice to the mix.
The new album "Simple Man" features eleven songs. Four
co-written with Nashville writers Cara Hogan and country
music veteran Steve Dean. Dean’s writing includes #1 hits
for Reba Mcentire, Rodney Atkins, Waylon Jennings, George
Strait, Alabama, and many more. The album brings together
soulful Americana, retro country twang, sweet melody, and
from the heart emotion. Grammy award winning producers Ben
Wisch (Marc Cohn) and Billy Hume (Infamous Stringdusters)
bring their refined producing and mixing skills to this
album. Eddie Gore (RCA Studio C, Nashville) and Ryan
Youmans (Amber Sound) contributed mixing as well.
The Nashville and New York musicians also shine on this
release. Michael Webb (Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlisle)
brings the keyboards, Andy Ellison (Jon Pardi) adds the
pedal steel guitar, Chris Marshak (Steve Winwood) lays
down the groove, Alex Wright (Brett Eldridge), Pat Falco,
Jon Preddice(Miles to Dayton), Sean Michael Ray, Benjie
Porecki, Christian Dorn also showcase their talents on the
new release.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
The Newport Health Center,
Newport, NH
MAR 20
Wash hands & stay healthy
COFFEEHOUSE CANCELED
The outbreak of COVID-19 has led the Sunpee Community
CoffeeHouse to cancel tonights' show. We do this out of
concern for the health, safety and well being of our
community and our volunteers.
Guitarist Glenn Roth amazes audiences with his fluid
fingerstyle originals, jaw-dropping chops, and engaging
shows. Glenn’s “delicate, accomplished solo guitar work”
has led to tours nationally and internationally, including
annual tours throughout the mid- and southwest and a stint
throughout Europe with the Master Guitar Tour. Glenn’s
classic, melodic approach to fingerstyle guitar, virtuosic
skills, and compelling compositions, have won him fans
worldwide. “Fans of animated fingerstyle acoustic guitar
will be impressed by Roth's ability to hold sway with
sheer virtuosity.”
A literal “underground sensation,” Glenn performs
regularly as a licensed musician in the renowned Music
Under New York program, performing his compelling solo
guitar originals and ingenious arrangements for thousands
of commuters throughout Manhattan. His YouTube series,
Busker TV, chronicles his adventures.
When not touring or bringing his music to the masses in
Grand Central and throughout the MTA, Glenn performs
frequently at clubs, coffeehouses, and house concerts
throughout his home state of Connecticut and across the
northeast.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
Ken Lelen performs legendary love songs and plays vintage
acoustic guitars for an authentic back-in-the-day sound.
By marrying amusing anecdotes, memorable melodies and
charming lyrics, his concerts are a hit for public
libraries, life-care communities, museums, social clubs,
arts & cultural facilities and senior centers. In the
last 20 years he's played 2,000 concerts on the East Coast
that combine romantic, musical and historic themes with
great American swing and jazz, his effusive vocals &
deft guitar work.
Vintage Music Concerts Hand-crafted ragtime, jazz & swing — sophisticated
music for adults to celebrate love — lost, found, denied
or discarded. Concerts full of amusing anecdotes,
memorable melodies, clever lyrics and vintage acoustic
guitars.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
NYFA (New York Foundation For The Arts) grant recipient
Fred Gillen Jr has released eleven full-length albums, to
great critical acclaim. He has performed all over the U.S.
and Europe as a solo artist. From 2017 to 2019 he was
music director of the Group The Greenheart, traveling to
Nepal four times and India once, performing concerts to
raise awareness of environmental activism. His songs have
been featured on ABC's "All My Children," NPR's "Car
Talk," CMJ's New Music Marathon Sampler, and in 2012 his
version of Woody Guthrie's "I Ain't Got No Home" was
featured on "Pete Remembers Woody," a collection of Pete
Seeger's spoken stories about Woody Guthrie. interspersed
with various artists' renditions of Guthrie's songs. Like
Seeger and Guthrie, Gillen's lyrics often reflect both the
hope and despair of the human condition, while his music
illustrates the diversity of influences in the air when he
was growing up in the 1970's. His live performances are
spontaneous and full of storytelling, and he enjoys
audience participation.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
Crowes Pasture is the Boston-based acoustic duo of Monique
Byrne and Andy Rogovin.
The duo brings leather and lace harmonies to classic and
contemporary folk music in a style that draws from
old-time, folk and bluegrass traditions, including such
artists as Gillian Welch/David Rawlings, Ian & Sylvia
and the Civil Wars.
The duo’s eponymous full-length CD was released in May of
2016, and made the list of Top Folk Albums of June 2016 as
compiled on Folkradio.org. The album debuted at #20, and
continued to chart in July and August, based on 13,000
plays per month, on 140 radio programs playing folk,
Americana and bluegrass music across the country.
Songs from Crowes Pasture's latest CD can be heard on folk
radio stations across the U.S. and on four continents.
Tom Pirozzoli is well known, much respected on the New
England and on the national music scene. Tom's songs have
been recorded by artists as varied as Tonto's Big Idea,
Willy Porter, and Pam Prior. His co- writes with Willy
Porter have been performed in Carnegie Hall, at Madison
Square Garden and The Royal Albert Hall. Original songs
recorded by Tom in the 1980's with the Fast Folk Music
Magazine (New York) are in the Smithsonian collection.
Tom's skills as a performer and singer-songwriter were
honored by Musician Magazine as a winner in their "Best
Unsigned Band" contest.
"Pirozzoli offers a vision of the exotic places he
visits and straight from the heat sentiment through his
songs… a low enchanting voice and a prolific knack for
writing lyrics."
— NH Seacoast
LINDA SUSSMAN is a Long Island, NY-based singer/songwriter
whose music blurs the lines of contemporary folk and
blues. With vocals reminiscent of Joan Baez infused with
shades of Joni Mitchell and a strong fingerpicking guitar
style with a touch of slide, Linda delivers her songs
straight from the heart — honoring the human spirit,
celebrating triumphs, rallying for justice, and some just
for fun.
Linda has shared her music over the years at a wide range
of venues, from NYC’s West Vil-lage folk scene to social
justice fundraisers, coffeehouses, house concerts, and
more. She inspires audiences to sing along on her
hard-driving relationship-rebuilding song “Layer Me Up,”
groove to her “Truckload of Blues” tune, check in at a
personal level on “The Change,” and at times step away
from the daily news in “Let’s Just Boogie.” She typically
tours as a so-lo artist, though back at home she also
performs with any combination of her five-piece band, the
Linda Sussman Collective.
“Chasin’ That Train,” from her 2019 album “Pass It On
Down,” ranked No. 5 on the Roots Mu-sic Report’s Top 50
Contemporary Folk Chart in mid-Nov. 2019, while the title
track, “Pass It On Down,” was No. 10 and three others were
in the top 15. The album itself ranked No. 18 on RMR’s
Contemporary Folk Album Chart. “Pass It On Down” is
Linda’s fourth full-length album of original music and
follows “Every Road” in 2018; tracks from both albums can
be heard on radio programs across the US, UK, Canada, and
Europe.
"Linda Sussman makes music worth listening to. Her songs
are timely, insightful and pre-sented with passion and
conviction. She makes the personal universal and the
universal personal.” — DJ Ron Cooke, KTAL (Las
Cruces, NM)
“Good old-fashioned singer/songwriter values…stylishly
couched in an all-embracing musi-cal idiom…” — David
Kidman, FATEA Music Magazine (UK)
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
White Mountain Ceilí Band is Dexter Harding on the tenor
banjo, Fiona Howell on the flute, Siena Kaplan-Thompson on
the fiddle, and Mike Levine on the guitar and occasional
concertina. They play Irish, Scottish and Cape Breton
instrumental music with warmth and joy, as well as the
occasional song.
Dexter first came to Irish music when he played for contra
dances around the valley, and the session at May Kelly’s
deepened his focus on the Irish tradition.
Fiona grew up playing flute through Mountain Top Music
Center, and went on to study music at Loyola University.
While in New Orleans she began playing at Irish sessions,
and now plays and sings with a few groups around New
England.
Siena grew up playing classical violin and viola and
switched to fiddle in college when she discovered the
Boston Scottish and Cape Breton music scene.
Mike has played a wide range of musical styles, from
classical to rock, and more recently bebop. He and Siena
have both enjoyed branching out into Irish music with the
White Mountain Ceilí Band.
Marc's life has been about pursuing twin passions:
creating and recording his American roots songs, and
exploring remote areas of the desert and mountain West.
After signing his first publishing contract while in law
school, he fronted rock bands and performed regularly in
New York City clubs like CBGB, Wetlands, and The Knitting
Factory. All through this period, he'd find ways to get
into the West, picking up details from fellow wilderness
junkies about off the beaten path locales and filing them
away for future reference. On one of these trips, he
became intrigued by the cover of THE BIG IT, a book of
short stories by A.B. Guthrie he found on a revolving
paperback rack in a Navajo reservation trading post. It
got him thinking about using his travels to create a set
of songs in the cultural tradition of writers like Guthrie
and visual artists like John Ford and Frederick Remington.
Marc and Co-Producer Mike Ricciardi now present RIDE, ten
cinematic recordings reflecting his romantic connection to
the American West and exploring the value of its myths to
contemporary culture.
Marc's performed at Austin's South by Southwest Music
Festival and The Kerrville and Falcon Ridge Folk Festivals
and has opened shows for Bob Dylan and other national
acts. His song THE LAST ONE was a staple of Richie Havens’
concerts for years and has been quoted in the NY Times and
featured on The CBS Evening News.
Bluegrass Gospel Project alums Taylor Armerding, Andy
Greene, and Kirk Lord have come together to present
original, time-honored, and contemporary Americana music
to venues throughout New England. Showcasing compelling,
intricately braided vocals, richly textured instrumental
work, and solid, innovative rhythm, the three band members
bring decades of performing experience to the stage.
Through their many years of musical collaboration, they
speak soulfully with one voice.
It's a new day, and The Revenants have arrived. We'd love
to share our musical stories with you.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor
Doc Rogers
Thumbstyle Country, Blues and Folk
This completes our Winter/Spring Schedule.
Booking for Fall opens March 1 and booking for Winter/Spring
opens the previous October 1
Meeting in 2012 via a chance YouTube sighting and fueled
by a once-in-a-lifetime musical chemistry and friendship,
Canadian-American Roots-Folk duo Dan Frechette and Laurel
Thomsen are “prodigious players with songwriting that sets
them apart.” Now touring in support of their recently
released fourth album, Driving By Candlelight, they
combine soaring violin, diverse guitar styles, compelling
storytelling, a dash of harmonica and humor, and unique
vocal rapport for a dynamic, engaging, polished
performance.
Beyond the synchronicity of their meeting, Dan and
Laurel’s backgrounds, musical palates, and even their
personalities, make both an unexpected and extraordinary
match. Fans note the sense that one is witnessing an
outpouring of color, creativity, and artistry far more
textured than the sum of its parts. Though each artist had
a drastically different style of musical training and were
influenced by contrasting musical backgrounds, their
commensurate dedication, experience, and the ways in which
they inspire each other to grow and evolve musically, make
Dan and Laurel a dynamic and unstoppable team.
Hey got her start in the Lower East Side’s edgy
singer-songwriter scene in the early part of this century,
in the days before the gritty, artistic neighborhood was
taken over by real estate speculators.
Inspired by the fearlessness and sardonic humor of classic
punk, the catchiness and wit of 60s Brill Building pop and
the quirky fun of new wave, Hey quickly gained a following
in bars and listening rooms in New York including the Fast
Folk Cafe, CB’s Gallery, the Bottom Line, Rockwood Music
Hall and the Slipper Room. She’s shared the stage with
artists including David Massengill, Jack Hardy, Ellis
Paul, to name a few.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
Jes Raymond and Jakob Breitbach have been traveling the
world making music together for more than 10 years. They
have distilled the essence of their musical partnership
into a sound that honors the geniuses of chemistry,
tradition and innovation. They are a powerful duet,
combining skillful flatpicking and clawhammer banjo with
virtuosic fiddle, time polished harmonies and top shelf
songwriting. They have been finalists in the prestigious
Telluride, Rockygrass and Freshgrass Band competitions,
and were awarded the JackStraw Artist Award and Seattle
City Artist Award. Jes and Jakob draw from the deep well
of American Roots music for a modern sound that aims to
truly stir the spirit with light-hearted rusticity,
haunting elegance, and so much soul.
"This Modern acoustic group pairs a love for traditional
genius with innovative instincts. The result is a fresh,
cohesive catalog of music distinguished by playful twang,
artful arrangements, and tight, thick harmonies." —
NORTHWEST MUSIC SCENE
Pretty Saro, burst into the Boston bluegrass scene in
early 2016, shaking up the definition of American roots
music. Since then the four-piece string band has crafting
their invigorating blend of contemporary songwriting,
burnin’ bluegrass traditionals, and pop sensibilities into
a sound that is uniquely their own. Dynamic arrangements
and high-energy performances enhance the Saro’s (sair-ohs)
stories of commitment and desertion, taking the listener
on a journey through their personal experiences.
Pretty Saro draws their inspiration from acoustic giants
such as Nickel Creek, Crooked Still, Hot Rize, and John
Hartford to name a few. Maxfield Anderson (mandolin),
Devon Gardner (fiddle), Alex Formento (guitar), and Joe
Everett (bass) bring together their wide array of musical
backgrounds, to create music that follows in the footsteps
of their heroes, without fear of wandering off the beaten
path.
The band has appeared on stages throughout the Northeast
at FreshGrass Festival, Joe Val Bluegrass Festival, Grey
Fox Bluegrass Festival, Club Passim, Daryl’s House Club,
and is currently coming off a win in the 2018 Telefunken
Band Competition at Podunk Bluegrass Festival.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Doc Rogers
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
grace brockway and Greg Young
OCT 11
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs. Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
Acoustic guitar & mandolin duo Lindsay Straw &
Jordan Santiago create a sound defined by sparse, driving
arrangements, adventurous improvisation, and love of
tradition. Lindsay comes from a traditional music
background, having spent years performing at Celtic
festivals and playing in Irish sessions. She brings
British ballads and Irish jigs and reels to the table.
Jordan taps into his experience as a bluegrass and jazz
musician, bringing American fiddle tunes, original
material, and unrestrained vocal harmonies into the mix.
Together, they seek to combine and express themselves
through the best elements of their Celtic, bluegrass, and
jazz languages.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Judy Thackaberry
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
Fingerstyle Guitarist Ken Bonfield has performed
throughout the United States for over 25 years. Based in
Gloucester, Massachusetts, Bonfield is a regular at guitar
festivals, concert series, and acoustic venues across
North America, and has released eight albums. His latest,
Parting Gifts, is an ensemble effort that features
Bonfield on standard guitar, baritone guitar, and
reentrant tuned guitar along with the otherworldly talents
of Raymond Gonzalez on piano, nylon string guitar,
percussion and synths, and Bluegrass
multi-instrumentalist, Tim Crouch on mandolin, violin,
cello and upright bass.
Although he came out of the 1960’s folk tradition,
Bonfield was closely associated with new-age music in the
mid 90's. Today his sophisticated Americana compositions
feature a solid dose of Celtic, jazz, and traditional folk
influences that might best be described as American
Baroque.
Bonfield's work and calling is inspired by a deep love for
the beauty, the sound, and the craft of the acoustic
guitar. In his open-hearted, welcoming concerts, workshops
and master classes, he shares new guitar dimensions and
sonic explorations with his listeners.
Due to a vicious bout of tendinitis Bonfield can no longer
play steel string guitar, and now performs on his unique
baritone nylon string guitar and standard nylon string
guitar in an array of alternate tunings.
Bonfield has been a featured performer at some of the
finest acoustic venues, coffee houses, music festivals,
and guitar festivals in North America such as Club Passim,
Eddie's Attic, Uncle Calvin's, Be Here Now, Acoustic
Sounds Cafe, Kent State Folk Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk
Festival, Montreal Guitar Festival, Newport Guitar
Festival, and Healdsburg Guitar Festival, appearing with a
wide range of icons and contemporary artists ranging from
Arlo Guthrie to John Mayer,and includes songsmiths Garnet
Rogers, Pierce Pettis, Dee Carstensen, Cosy Sheridan, and
guitar legends Larry Corryell, Adrian Legg, Adam Miller,
Ed Gerhard, Muriel Anderson, Stephen Bennett, Tim Sparks,
Dakota Dave Hull, and countless others.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
A 2017 finalist in both the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest and
the Philadelphia Songwriters Project Songwriting
Competition, Lynne Taylor has been an important musical
voice in New England for nearly 30 years. Her music has
evolved as she has, and is always pushing conventions and
boundaries in the realm of social and personal awareness.
Her lyrics range from dark and moody to hopeful and
uplifting. She is different from any of her contemporaries
– there is really no comparison to be made, either
musically or lyrically. The daughter of a folk musician
and a poet, Lynne grew up in Kent, Ohio during the sixties
and seventies, and absorbed the social consciousness of
that time. She has always felt that music was her calling.
She began writing her own songs at the age of fourteen,
and has been performing professionally ever since in a
wide variety of genres ranging from bluegrass to punk rock
and everything in between. Always, Lynne’s music is
characterized by poignant, brutally honest songwriting
combined with powerful vocals and unique piano
accompaniment. A staple on the music scene in her adopted
hometown of Newburyport, MA, she has been performing
professionally across the eastern US since 1985.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Al Carruth
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
NOV 8
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs. Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
Rod Abernethy’s double album “The Man I'm Supposed
To Be” reached No.9 in June 2018 and No.35 for the
year 2018 on Folk Alliance International’s Folk DJ chart.
He is an authentic southern folk troubadour, master
acoustic guitarist and award-winning soundtrack composer
for film, TV and video games.
Rod has returned to his early roots writing both songs and
instrumentals that harken back to his early folk artist
days with new songs that revolve around family, friends
and places across his home state of North Carolina. Rod’s
guitar instrumentals evoke styles of his favorite guitar
players like Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges and Tommy
Emmanuel.
"Of course, it helps that Rod Abernethy is so darned good,
a true troubadour who lays his life out in pure
songwriting and some of the best acoustic guitar I have
heard."
— Derek Maul - Light, Grace, Invitation and Promise
Abiding by a love for adventure, Corner House finds
purpose and solace in the beauty of earth and music.
Clinging whole heartedly to studied traditions, the Boston
based band has tended to write and arrange music liberally
comprised of Irish, Scottish, Appalachian stringband, and
bluegrass influences. The singular roots music scene of
Boston, MA has long been a destination for musicians
seeking level footing to build upon. On winter eves most
suited for warm tea and blankets, Ethan Hawkins (guitar),
Louise Bichan (fiddle), Ethan Setiawan (mandolin), found a
musical home in one another. In the fall of 2017, Corner
House had debuted at FreshGrass Festival in North Adams,
MA and were making preparations to record an EP and tour
Scotland, which they did in the summer of the following
year. Returning from overseas, the three found the
illustrious cellist, Casey Murray, living just down the
street and invited the contra-dance influenced player to
join the fold.
"It’s this balance of simplicity and grace with the actual
technical prowess….that really impresses." — Red
Line Roots
“...ferocious fiddle, with a couple of the most talented
and exciting young string players in the US right now. Any
corners you get to turn with them are going to be
unexpected fun.” — Darol Anger
From Tokyo to Rome and venues across the US, Ed Gerhard’s
music has touched audiences all over the world. Performing
on 6-string, slide guitar or Acoustic Hawaiian Lap Slide
(Weissenborn), Gerhard’s virtuosity, generosity and humor
shine through. His distinctive touch is unmistakable.
Whether performing a lush, sensual ballad or a haunting,
bitter lap steel melody Gerhard will mesmerize. His
connection with his audience is palpable.
Gerhard’s releases have all received high praise from
critics and guitar fans worldwide, including the Boston
Globe Critic’s Poll “Top Ten Albums of the Year.” In 2010
Ed’s CD “Luna” chosen by Acoustic Guitar Magazine’s 20th
Anniversary List of 240 Essential Albums “This soulful
album of original compositions rich in melody, chordal
complexity and stylistic variety proves why Gerhard is
considered to have the most exquisite acoustic guitar tone
on the planet.”
Gerhard was awarded a GRAMMY ® for his inclusion on the
compilation CD “Henry Mancini; Pink Guitar.” He arranged
and performed “Moon River.” His guitar work can be heard
on CDs by Arlo Guthrie, Jorma Kaukonen and Bill Morrissey
and is featured in the Ken Burns’ films “Mark Twain” and
“The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.”
Along with players like Ben Harper and David Lindley,
Gerhard’s unique approach to the Weissenborn is playing a
significant role in reinvigorating interest in this
somewhat esoteric but beautiful instrument. Ed composes
and arranges music for solo Weissenborn with beautiful
melodies, complex chords and moving bass lines, unusual
for an instrument that normally serves an accompaniment
role.
“Gerhard is no superficial tone painter, no bluffer,and no
aesthetic lightweight . . . the beauty of the sound became
the sharply circumvented truth. This is a precious quality
and makes Gerhard a rare ambassador.” — Urs Grether,
Basellandlschaftliche Zeitung (Newspaper), Basel,
Switzerland
“Gerhard does not write instrumentals— he writes songs
only a guitar can sing.” — Boston Globe
“I am glad to be living in the time of such a great
guitarist, when a single note can say so much.” — Seymour
Duncan, Seymour Duncan Pickup
Internationally acclaimed folk band Windborne is a group
of vocal chameleons who specialize in close harmony
singing, shifting effortlessly between drastically
different styles of traditional music within the same
concert. Their musical knowledge spans many continents and
cultures, but they remain deeply rooted in American folk
singing traditions. Praised for “the purity of their
voices, strength of their material, and attention to
detail in their arrangements,” Lynn Mahoney Rowan, Will
Thomas Rowan, Lauren Breunig, and Jeremy Carter-Gordon
share a vibrant energy onstage – their connection to each
other and to the music clearly evident. They educate as
they entertain, telling stories about the music and
explaining the characteristics and stylistic elements of
the traditions in which they sing.
Stunningly powerful vocal harmony floods the room as the
four Windborne singers present Song on the Times, their
project of working class movements for peoples’ rights
from the past 400 years, sung for today struggles. The
group was catapulted to new heights when clip of them
singing in protest outside Trump tower went viral:
Bill Staines, a New England native, has been singing his
songs and delighting audiences for more than forty years.
Singing mostly his own songs, he has become one of the
most popular and durable singers on the folk music scene
today, performing nearly 200 concerts a year. He weaves a
blend of gentle wit and humor into his performances. Over
the decades, you have heard Bill singing on Garrison
Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion , HBO's award winning
series Deadwood , and Public Radio's Mountain Stage .
"His gentle lilting voice, spacious melodies and
common-chord lyrics give his songs a homespun grace that
often belies his mastery of the folk form. He is such a
pure pleasure too, people forget to notice how damn good
at the job of singer-songwritering he really is."
- New England Folk Almanac
Marc Shapiro and Billy Corbett are a new-old-time duo
rooted in the hills of Vermont and New Hampshire. Marc and
Billy forage from a collection of traditional and newer
tunes and stew them in a broth of bluegrass and folk.
Building on a friendship that began many years ago, Marc
Shapiro (banjo, guitar, vocals) and Billy Corbett
(mandolin, guitar, vocals) quickly established themselves
on the New Hampshire and Vermont music scenes, playing
listening rooms, farmers markets, weddings, radio shows
and bluegrass festivals.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor
Doc Rogers
Thumbstyle Country, Blues and Folk
FEB 8
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs. Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
The Franco-American duo, which includes singer/songwriter
Eleanor Kleiner and multi-instrumentalist Elie Brangbour,
craft richly immersive folk-rock brimming with evocative
lyrics, nature imagery, perspectives from travel, and a
panoramic musicality that encompasses traditional folk,
indie rock, classic rock, and 1960s pop and rock n’ roll.
The twosome has garnered favorable comparisons to Cowboy
Junkies, Over the Rhine and Aimee Mann.
"The Whispering Tree tastily combine wistful folk, mellow
rock and pinches of gypsy jazz and bluegrass into a
compelling compilation of tightly written tunes" —
Keyboard Magazine
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
Davey Davis is a 7th generation Vermonter who grew up on a
farm in the shadow of Mt. Ascutney. His songs and poetry
emanate from a deep love of the land.
Working various jobs in machine shops and as a ski
instructor, fly fishing guide and trail builder, Davey’s
songwriting easily taps the lyrical nuances of nature and
the stark realities of rural life, with an eye towards the
human characters inhabiting it.
Lindsey Schust is a New Hampshire based
singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and drummer. Her
group, founded in 2011, plays a blend of Country, Folk,
Bluegrass, and some Afro-Cuban styled songs. The
repertoire includes original songs like "Hippie Hill"
and "Country Way". The band is made up of family and
friends, with Grace Schust (drums and vocals), Jim
Schust (acoustic guitar), Paul Currier (Mandolin, Dobro,
Fiddle & vocals), Jim Connell (bass & vocals),
Robert Grasmere (harmonica), and Jesse Schust
(percussion). Expect a lively evening of songs, stories,
and fun!
Will Hatch is a singer-songwriter from Hopkinton, New
Hampshire. Illustrating a nuanced take on classic
American themes, Hatch’s songs feature honest lyrics
about heartbreak and loss, reality and desire. Despite
his melancholic introspection, there is a silver lining.
Spinning spider webs on guitar and banjo, his songs meld
poetry with detailed finger picking. Fans of Townes Van
Zandt and Leonard Cohen, or guitar greats Mississippi
John Hurt and Doc Watson, will appreciate Hatch’s style.
Hatch tours New England as a solo act when not playing
with his band Will Hatch & Co
Traditional Irish music (the jigs, reels, slides and
songs) are intimately connected to the history and culture
of the Irish. It is a part of the soul of a people who
have come through incredible hardship and struggles.
An Irish “seisiun” is a gathering of accomplished
musicians who not only know many of the traditional Irish
tunes and songs, but often know a lot about Ireland – it’s
history and culture. There is often one or two people (the
especially accomplished musicians) who are informal
leaders. One or two folks will start a tune (music without
singing) and everyone who knows the tune will join in –
tunes are often played in sets of two or three tunes in a
row.
There is often discussion between sets and tunes about
where the tunes came from and who may have written or
performed it originally.
Come see and hear what real Irish sessions are like as
played by some of the finest Irish music musicians
anywhere.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
Joyce Andersen is a veteran musician who has enjoyed a
varied 20 year career as side-gal, session player,
singer-songwriter, and band leader. Her live shows and
recordings showcase her versatility as a vocalist and
violinist who thrives on writing and interpreting songs
across many genres from old-time, rock & Americana, to
folk, pop, & swing. She started getting critical
acclaim and radio play in the folk world with her first
full length CD "The Girl I Left Behind" (2000) for it's
songwriting, breadth of styles and her unique ability to
harmonize her vocals with her violin. Her latest CD
"SWERVE!" (Oct. 2011), marks the invention of her
innovative new "violin troubadour" sound which reflects
her strengths as an improviser, and her new found interest
in using technology (loops, effects etc.) to harness new
sonic landscapes and launch into extended psychedelic
jams. Andersen has made 9 CDs: 5 solo and 4 with husband
and folk virtuoso, Harvey Reid. She lived and toured out
of Boston, Nashville, and NYC before returning to her
native New England in 2000 where she lives with her
husband and their two boys, in York, ME. Andersen's music
has brought her from the coffeehouses and taverns of her
native New England, national & international touring
as a solo artist and with husband, Harvey Reid,
Childsplay, and a host of other artists in her side-gal
days. She even made it to Carnegie Hall and the Conan
O'Brien show.
And Minnesota Public Radio says "Youth and strength flow
through her voice. She's got power and conviction. . .
She's writing new songs and retelling old stories, and
there's" still something mysterious in her music that
sounds like comes from an ancient and pure source."
Cosy Sheridan has been called "one of the era's finest and
most thoughtful singer/songwriters" She first appeared on
the national folk scene in 1992 when she won the
songwriting contests at The Kerrville Folk Festival and
The Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Since then she has
released 10 cds, written a one-woman-show and her music
has appeared in books and film. She has taught
songwriting, guitar and performance workshops at music
camps for the past 15 years, including The Puget Sound
Guitar Workshop and The Swannanoa Gathering. She is the
director of The Moab Folk Camp in Moab, Utah.
Seventeen year old Quentin Callewaert has only been on the
music scene for a few years now, but he is creating a
major buzz as one of the most gifted guitarists around.
Classically trained, Quentin’s interest in fingerstyle
acoustic guitar was inspired by Doc Watson, Merle Travis
and Tommy Emmanuel. He is also a gifted singer with a
refreshingly bluesy voice that compliments his blend of
Americana, gospel and bluegrass.
It’s been an extremely busy year for this
singer/guitarist, performing full shows in venues all
across the North East. In order to find out how truly
versatile this young musician is, you will simply have to
hear him play!
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Doc Rogers
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Liz and Ken Tentarelli
APR 12
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs. Storytellers also welcome!
As local supergroups go, Daddy Long Legs sure keep a low
profile. The band features three of Vermont's finest
acoustic players. First and foremost is violinist David
Gusakov. Gusakov was a member of Burlington's progressive
bluegrass pioneers Pine Island in the late 1970s,
presently plays with gypsy-jazz outfit Swing Noire and has
logged time in just about every great local acoustic band
in between. He's joined by banjo whiz Rick Ceballos and
multi-instrumentalist Matt Witten, who are equally
regarded in Vermont trad, old-time and bluegrass circles.
With engaging stage presence and masterfully-crafted
music, Boston-based Matt & Shannon Heaton offer
well-travelled Irish music from the heart. Steeped in
sessions in County Clare and brewed in the acoustic music
scenes of Chicago & Boston, their
flute/guitar/bouzouki instrumentals and sweet
husband-and-wife harmony singing draw deeply from the
Irish tradition.
The Heatons also gently incorporate the Thai music Shannon
learned in school as a kid and rootsy Americana sounds
that surrounded them during their three years in
bluegrass-haven Boulder, Colorado.
Since their move to Boston in 2001, the Heatons have
become an integral part of Boston’s vibrant trad music
scene. (Shannon co-founded the Boston Celtic Music Fest in
2003.)
Shannon was named 2016 Massachusetts Cultural Council
Traditional Artist Fellow. The Irish American News dubbed
her Female Musician of the Year (2009) and Live Ireland
nominated her Female Musician of the Year 2010 and 2011.
She's been compared to Alison Krauss and Altan's Mairéad
Ní Mhaonaigh for her combination of vocal grace and
instrumental prowess on Irish flute, whistles and
accordion. She is also an acclaimed arranger and composer,
and has published two instructional Irish music books.
In addition to his acclaimed work as an Irish accompanist
on guitar and bouzouki, Matt has also received multiple
Massachussetts Cultural Council Grants for his work with
kids (he's got two CDs of original rockabilly-tinged music
for children and discerning parents). He fronts surf-rock
band Electric Heaters and also holds a master's degree in
classical guitar. For his creative chording and driving
grooves, Matt has been called "a combination of Bill
Frisell and Arty McGlynn."
Matt and Shannon are poised, passionate American
performers with Irish roots and universal appeal. They are
comfortable onstage and have a warm connection with their
audiences. They move listeners with their love of
traditional music (and each other), and their sense of
adventure and fun in exploring new directions and
possibilities.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Kearsarge Marines
MAY 17
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs. Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
The Hollands! are an internationally touring family band
with roots in the US and Australia. They are seasoned
performers and are known for engaging audiences and
rousing a sing-a-long with their intimate merrymaking.
They are 21st-century nomadic travelers and frolic in the
Americana, Folk revival scene.
By the end of their performance, audiences will feel like
they are part of the band. This is the experience and
magic that happens when The Hollands! come to town.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Martha Naylor
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
Phoebe Legere is family-friendly and fun. Her songs are
spiced with Cajun, blues, country, folk, jazz, and Native
American music. Phoebe Legere is a rollicking blues piano
player, an award-winning Cajun accordion player, a
folk-blues guitar stylist, a powerhouse vocalist, and an
award-winning songwriter. Phoebe Legere is a standard
bearer of the Acadian/Abenaki Renaissance. Legere has
appeared on National Public Radio, CBS Sunday Morning,
ABC, NBC, PBS and Charlie Rose. Phoebe Legere is the
descendant of Mayflower travelers, Native Americans,
Whalers, Voyageurs, Ministers, and Wizards. She is a
spellbinding storyteller, seamlessly weaving tales of
ghosts, giant moose, magic fish, flying Abenakis, and
shape-shifting trees into her mesmerizing musical
celebration of New England history.
"Her voice will take your breath away." - NPR
"She is the real deal." - Providence Journal
"Reminiscent of Edith Piaf...Jerry Lee Lewis" - (NY
Times)
...and Frank Zappa." - (Billboard)
"Legere is an expressive and versatile singer whose voice
ranges from a dark and earthy alto to a gorgeous dazzling
high soprano.She combines intelligent lyrics and a fusion
of French musette, Cajun, pop, rock, folk and jazz into a
"roots alternative" stew. - Washington Post
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
Julie Snow is a Boston-based singer-songwriter whose songs
are infused with heart and humanity. Starting with songs
recorded by Lui Collins in the late 1970's and early 80's,
it has been her goal to both entertain and inspire, above
all hoping to create connection through her music. Her
early songs have been recorded by a variety of folk
artists, but Julie has recently released No Ordinary Love,
her second album of her own songs. Her music is funky,
funny, and full of love.
"I’ve been a fan of Julie Snow’s songs for a very long
time. Her writing is clever, insightful, witty, and her
grooves are simply gorgeous!" — Brooks Williams
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Bob White
This completes our Winter/Spring Schedule.
Booking for Fall opens March 1 and booking for Winter/Spring
opens the previous October 1
The award winning Ameranouche (pronounced
uh-Mare-uh-noosh) plays a passionate style of music they
call “Gypsy Flamenco Swing.” They are veterans of the
Newport Jazz Festival, Djangofest Northwest, Muzikfest
Bethlehem, PA and the National Press Club. The name is
derived from two words: American and Manouche, the gypsy
tribe of guitarist Django Reinhardt. The rip-roaring
ensemble is a super force of hot acoustic Gypsy inspired
music mixing Flamenco, Bebop and Jazz swing influences.
Played on traditional French jazz guitars, the music is
rhythmic, vigorous, and elegant. Whether they’re playing a
musette waltz from 1930 or an Andalusian inspired original
tune, Ameranouche’s Gypsy Flamenco Swing style is a fresh
and highly enjoyable new sound for the 21st century.
Gypsy Flamenco Swing is about coming together and
celebrating our shared humanity. Ameranouche is committed
to connecting deeply with its audience and sharing joy and
peace through its live shows and recorded albums.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Judy Thackaberry
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Kearsarge Marines
SEP 14
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs. Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
Andrew Dunn is a songwriter from Jersey, where talent
seems to grow in the fertile soil. His poignant wit and
infectious melodies are staples of his canon of memorable
story songs drawn from everyday theater of life moments.
Raised in the Raritan Valley of central New Jersey, he
spent years playing trumpet for school marching band
before discovering the acoustic guitar and songwriting in
his late teens.
Finding his instrument, he quickly found his network and
graduated from Rowan University with a music education
degree while trading notes, swapping songs and gigging
with rising folk singers of the time, Antje Duvekot,
Jackie Tice and Gregg Cagno, among others. He was an
invited participant on the songwriting compilation,
Southside Sunday Nights, Vol. 1, which included John
Gorka, the preeminent songwriter of that time. Andrew
spent over a decade as a school music teacher while honing
his passion for rock and roll, country and folk into an
acoustic folk-pop sound all his own.
Dunn has now left the classroom for the stage. In the
troubadour tradition, he has been carving his way back as
a factory worker, a carpenter, and a Triple-A driver
composing lyrics and melodies between calls. His keen and
often surprising observations deconstruct life's
complexities, framing them like a poet journeyman on a
building site. A favorite on the NJ folk scene, Andrew has
been repeatedly featured on the legendary stages of The
Folk Project and Godfrey Daniels. He has opened for folk
icon, Judy Collins and shared songwriting nights with
veteran songwriters Tice, Bill Hall, and former Melanie
sideman, Ron Heacock.
The music, like his point of view, is full of space and
completely irresistible. His songs have been called
“rare…with a gravity akin to James Taylor.” Dunn’s latest
CD, House Above the Factory, reintroduces his momentum as
an artist and places an Americana shine on his unique
panorama of everyday experiences.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Judy Thackaberry
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
The Lake Sunapee, NH region has always had more than its
share of musicians. Maybe it's the mountain air or maybe
it's the scenery, but something keeps them coming back.
Just ask Click Horning, New London's singer songwriter who
left when he was seventeen for the Big Apple. Twelve
years, a record contract and an album later it was time to
come back. Early influences were Bob Dylan, Gordon
Lightfoot, Peter Paul & Mary, as well as rock and roll
and R&B that he listened to growing up.
Click's music has taken him across the country several
times, to the Rockies and to the deep south . Click has
produced two more solo albums and two albums with his band
Night Kitchen , a "get up and dance" band composed of
Click on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Gerry Putnam on
lead guitar, Dinty Child on electric rhythm guitar and
keyboards, Dana Flewelling on drums and Dave Doran on
bass.
Click began playing guitar at boarding school, influenced
by other guitar playing students, one in particular being
Gram Parsons. Click persuaded his grandmother to finance a
bottom-of-the-line Gibson guitar (a combination birthday
and Christmas gift). "I had been spending all my spare
time practicing on a friends guitar, but soon found I had
to have my own."
He began playing folk songs, but after hearing Gram and
writers like Bob Dylan, he decided to try his hand at
writing songs. "It was the perfect blending of poems and
music that intrigued me. I've always loved lyrics that
tell a story."
The Click Horning Trio is: Click on acoustic guitar and
vocals, Joanie Horning on bass, Justin Ferren on lead
guitar, and an occasional gig with Harley Walker on Drums.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Doc Rogers
Tonight‘s Sponsor
Doc Rogers
Thumbstyle Country, Blues and Folk
OCT 5
No Show Tonight
Tonight's show was 'overtaken by events'.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Judy Thackaberry
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
OCT 12
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs. Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
Doug Farrell, Steve Dionne, and Jack Henry are each
accomplished NH musicians, singer/songwriters, and
performers who together are - Decatur Creek. The 2016
addition of Beth Eldridge (The Bradford Bog People and The
Hardtacks) on fiddle, vocals, and guitar has taken the
band to another level. Their diverse styles complement one
another and the group's evolving original acoustic sound
will bring a smile to your face, rhythm to your feet, and
leave you wanting for more. Doug and Steve handle most
lead vocals and guitar with forays on harmonica,
percussion, and mandolin (Doug). They have written most of
the songs posted to date (except Southbound Train and
Rain- by Jack, and Main Street - co-written by Jack and
Doug) and most of the band's original tunes. Jack handles
the bass, most harmony vocals, some lead vocals, rhythm
and lead guitar, dobro, electric lap steel, and
high-string guitar, so far...! Beth shines on the fiddle
and adds rhythm guitar along with her solid lead and
harmony vocals. The band's influences run from
traditional/roots to Americana - country,
singer/songwriter, folk, blues, and rock - always with the
focus on the songs, lyrics, and vocals.
Special Note:
Decataur Creek will be playing up in the sanctuary on
October 19. You can still enter through the back door as
usual. Signs will direct you to the sanctuary.
Formerly from Nashville, The Rough & Tumble now find
themselves living full time on the road, in a 16ft camper
with an 85 lb puppy named Puddle. If you ask Mallory
Graham or Scott Tyler how their lives ended up this way
they’ll likely respond, "with careful planning,
spreadsheets and shoddy cell phone service."
On their new album, We Made Ourselves a Home When We
Didn’t Know (February 2018), the Americana duo retrace
their mileage back to their footsteps and explore the
struggle between going home and being home already when
there's no other home and everywhere is home. The R&T
know how the tread wears down on the tires when you play
140 shows in year cross-country. They’re willing to stop,
should the music run out of them and the road end, but
until then, they are likely cross referencing a
spreadsheet to play your town.
Rupert Wates was born in London and studied at Oxford
University. He has been a full time songwriter since the
late 1990s, when he signed a publishing contract with
Eaton Music Limited. His contract required him to write
material in all kinds of styles and genres, for all kinds
of artists. He worked extensively with Jazz vocalist Liz
Fletcher, and wrote the album 'Blue Afternoons' (Mainstem,
2002) specially for her voice. Moving in 2001 to Paris,
Wates formed his own quartet and began playing live
regularly. In fall 2006 he came to the US. He is now based
in New York City and Colorado.
Since coming to the US, Wates has won more than 30
songwriting awards.
His music is an eclectic mix of acoustic, melodic
art/folk, with flavors of jazz, vaudeville and cabaret. He
has released seven solo CDs. They have been very well
reviewed in the online press and tracks from them have
been played on radio all over the world. Wates' songs have
been recorded by other artists in the UK, Canada and the
US. In 2015, Nashville-based performer Roxie Rogers
released Crazy Puzzle, an album of songs from Wates' back
catalog
Despite Wates' British background, and underpinning the
universality of his music's appeal, Folk and Acoustic
Music Exchange has called him "a prime figure in American
music'' and goes on: "This is one gifted sonofabitch... If
you're not hip to this guy yet you're missing out."
Audiences everywhere respond to Wates' brand of melodic
art/folk—haunting songs that ring true.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor:
Bob White
NOV 9
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in.
Sign up on site with the host for your 15 min or three
songs. Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno
for info
NOV 16
Doc Rogers
Alan "Doc" Rogers and the Coffeehouse Crew
“Doc” Rogers is a fine guitar picker and
singer from the old school American folk/blues tradition.
With a gentle sense of melody and an insistent thumb
laying down a steady beat, his husky and comfortable
vocals deliver the story of the song with a disarming
directness. His performances have easy-chair charm, and
dry Yankee wit.
Doc has been a student of the Southeastern American guitar
styles for over 40 years. He delivers renditions of songs
from Mississippi John Hurt, to Doc Watson, to the Prairie
Home Companion's Pat Donohue, with equal confidence and
skill. His repertoire starts in the 30's in the deep
south, and covers blues, country and old timey tunes and
then skips to the 60's, 70's and even 80's with tunes from
the Great Folk Scare, covering artists such as Tom Paxton,
Van Ronk and the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. And while
performing in the apres ski circuit in Colorado during the
70's, he even picked up pop/rock tunes from the Dead, the
Beatles, and the Eagles, always adding his subtle but
confident twists to the tunes he has adopted as his own.
———
Rounding out the evening for the second hour are the
“CoffeeHouse Crew” all of whom do yeoman work to keep this
coffeehouse alive and running, each of whom is a fine
musician in his/her own right. Miss them at your peril.
This will be a truly eclectic mix and it should be a
rollicking good time.
Considered a master of American roots music, Scott Ainslie
brings a wealth of personal and musical history to the
stage. With engaging stories he provides historical
context for a repertoire of Delta Blues and ragtime
guitar, gospel, and music of the banjo and fiddle
traditions of the Southern Appalachians. Coming of age
during the Civil Rights era, Ainslie studied with elder
musicians on both sides of the color line. With a deep
affinity for cross-cultural exchange, he plays this music
with affection, authority and power.
Armed with vintage guitars, a fretless gourd banjo, a
homemade one-string diddley bow, and carefully chosen
historical and personal anecdotes of his encounters with
senior musicians across the South, Ainslie brings the
history, roots music, and sounds of America alive.
Scott Ainslie literally wrote the book on the
Mississippi Delta Blues legend,“Robert Johnson/At the Crossroads”.
Exploring the African and European roots of American
music and culture in every concert,“he
lives in the groove ...” says the
Durham NC Spectator.
From sold out tours of Japan, to festivals in Italy and
venues across the US, Ed Gerhard's music has touched
audiences all over the world.
Performing on 6-string, slide guitar or Acoustic Hawaiian
Lap Slide, Gerhard's virtuosity, generosity and humor
shine through. His distinctive touch is unmistakable.
Whether performing a lush, sensual ballad or a haunting,
bitter lap steel melody Gerhard will mesmerize. His
connection with his audience is palpable.
Gerhard's nine releases have all received high praise from
critics and guitar fans worldwide, including the Boston
Globe Critic’s Poll “Top Ten Albums of the
Year.” Ed's CD “Luna” chosen by Acoustic
Guitar Magazine's 20th Anniversary List of 240 Essential
Albums. “This soulful album of original compositions
rich in melody, chordal complexity and stylistic variety
proves why Gerhard is considered to have the most
exquisite acoustic guitar tone on the planet.”
— Acoustic Guitar Magazine
Gerhard was awarded a GRAMMY® for his inclusion on the
compilation CD “Henry Mancini; Pink Guitar.”
He arranged and performed “Moon River.” His
guitar work can be heard on CDs by Arlo Guthrie and Jorma
Kaukonen and is featured in the Ken Burns' films
“Mark Twain” and “The National Parks:
America's Best Idea.”
“…[his] recordings and live performances have
established him as one of the most exciting of the
guitarist-composers.” — Scott Alarik, Boston Globe
“I am glad to be living in the time of such a
great guitarist, when a single note can say so
much.”
— Seymour Duncan
“Gerhard is no superficial tone painter, no
bluffer, and no aesthetic lightweight. …the
beauty of the sound became the sharply circumvented
truth. This is a precious quality and makes Gerhard a
rare ambassador.”
— Urs Grether , Basellandlschaftliche Zeitung
(Newspaper), Basel, Switzerland
Hiroya is a one-of-a-kind composer, guitarist and
singer-songwriter from Kyoto, Japan. He began playing the
five-string banjo when he was thirteen, and took up the
guitar shortly after.
In 2000, Hiroya received a scholarship to Berklee College of
Music and came to the United States. He formed own group in
Boston "INTEROCEANICO (inter-oceanic)" which consists of
unique musicians from different continents including Latin
Grammy Colombian singer Marta Gomez. The group released
three acclaimed records ("The Other Side of the World",
"Confluencia" and "Where the River Shines"). Hiroya released
two solo albums ("Heartland" and "Places") from Japanese
record label 333 discs.
Hiroya has been leading concerts internationally including
several appearances at Blue Note in New York City with his
group and Japanese National Television(NHK). Hiroya
performed, recorded and shared stage with Esperanza
Spalding, The Kennedys, Joe Jencks(Brother Sun), Michael
League (Snarky Puppy), Brooks Williams and Jim Kweskin.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Vic Reno
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
JAN 12
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in. Sign
up on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
Rachael Kilgour is a Minnesota-born, Boston-based songwriter
and performing artist whose sincere, lyric-driven work
bravely walks the line between personal and political. The
2015 grand prize winner of the esteemed international
NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition and
2017 winner of the Kerrville New Folk Contest, Kilgour has
been featured at NYC’s Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center in
Washington D.C. and by the ASCAP Music Cafe at the Sundance
Film Festival. A versatile performer, Kilgour has shared
stages with the likes of indie artists Haley Bonar &
Jeremy Messersmith as well as folk legends Greg Brown,
Cheryl Wheeler & Catie Curtis.
Kilgour’s third album, Rabbit in the Road, is due out March
3rd, 2017 on NewSong Recordings. It was produced by Catie
Curtis, engineered by Crit Harmon in his home studio and
mixed by Gar Ragland at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in
Asheville, NC. The album takes an intimate and often painful
look at the failed marriage and loss of family. Kilgour’s
writing and delivery cut deep, with resolute simplicity.
Sorrow, rage, resilience, and compassion exist side by side
within a series of honest and memorable melodies. The
collection of work stands tall on a foundation of
vulnerability and opens the door to moments of profound
connection.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Judy Thackaberry
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
JAN 26
Second Wind
Second Wind
Terry Ray Gould
& Suzi Hastings
Classy, sassy and always fun, Second Wind is the popular
music duo of Terry Ray Gould (guitar and vocals) and Suzi
Hastings (vocals, hand percussions and guitar). They have a
modern sound with classic roots, playing a wide range of
music people love from classic folk/rock, easy listening,
blues, country and modern pop.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Judy Thackaberry
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
With almost four decades of performing festivals, concert
halls, coffeehouses, colleges, and house concerts, along
with a half dozen acclaimed CDs, Bernice Lewis has built a
solid national fan base. She is also a published poet, a
producer, and an educator extraordinaire. Lewis — who
studied vocal improvisation with Bobby McFerrin, guitar
technique with Alex DeGrassi and Guy van Duser, and
songwriting with Rosanne Cash and Cris Williamson —
has been a featured performer on NPR’s
Mountain Stage program, as well as at the Kennedy
Center.She has a forty-year old daily yoga practice, loves
good coffee, and her religion is the Grand Canyon.
“Bernice is a voice full of light and hope. She is one
of the keepers of the flame of Real Songwriting.” - Rosanne Cash
“Bernice’s life is filled with beautiful, deep
things, and she writes beautifully and deeply about them.
‘Good Kind of Love to Be In’ is wonderful; spoke
right to my heart! Great, jazzy cover of ‘A Case of
You.’ Musically and vocally, she has new wings with
the genres she’s been exploring.” -Dar Williams
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Doc Rogers
Tonight‘s Sponsor
Doc Rogers
Thumbstyle Country, Blues and Folk
FEB 9
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in. Sign
up on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Storytellers also welcome!
Tom Pirozzoli is well known, much respected on the New
England and on the national music scene. Tom's songs have
been recorded by artists as varied as Tonto's Big Idea,
Willy Porter, and Pam Prior. His co- writes with Willy
Porter have been performed in Carnegie Hall, at Madison
Square Garden and The Royal Albert Hall. Original songs
recorded by Tom in the 1980's with the Fast Folk Music
Magazine (New York) are in the Smithsonian collection. Tom's
skills as a performer and singer-songwriter were honored by
Musician Magazine as a winner in their "Best Unsigned Band"
contest.
"Pirozzoli offers a vision of the exotic places he visits
and straight from the heat sentiment through his songs… a
low enchanting voice and a prolific knack for writing
lyrics."
– NH Seacoast
Tom with be joined by acclaimed (truly) Vermont fiddler
player, Patrick Ross. Patrick is a 5th generation fiddler
whose national performances include the Kennedy Center and
The Grand Ole Opry This is a rare opportunity to see Patrick
play (it’s kinda being done on a 'special favor' basis). Be
sure to come out - it absolutely promises to be a great
evening.
Vermont born, fifth generation fiddle player, Patrick Ross
won the Vermont-State Fiddle Championship at age fourteen.
He has performed at the Grand Ole Opry and shared stages
with Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Paul McCartney. In 2012,
he was invited to perform at both the Calvin Coolidge
Theater and The Library of Congress and The Kennedy Center
for Performing Arts.
"It’s not just the technical expertise or the mastery of
an amazing variety of styles that puts Vermont fiddler
Patrick Ross several steps above and beyond practically
all other players; Ross’s eclectic taste and raw energy
make sparks and create musical magic every time his bow
hits the strings."
- Robert Resnik – VPR
Lara Herscovitch is a modern American
songwriter-poet-performer gem, creating masterful
contemporary folk with blues, pop and jazz influences.
Former Connecticut State Troubadour, she writes, sings and
leads with authenticity, integrity, humor and heart,
delivering performances that inspire, inform, uplift and
entertain. Sound Waves Magazine described her music as
“expertly written prose… songwriting at its
best… good for your ears AND your soul.”
Delivered with a voice Performer Magazine called “clear and
smooth like expensive liquor,” Acoustic Live in New York
City added, “She possesses not only a huge reservoir
of musical talent and a voice with a bell-like clarity, but
a keen sense of global concern and a fierce intellect... It
might seem too good to be true, but true it is.”
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Cathy Todd
Tonight‘s Sponsors:
Steve and Sharon Wood
Claremont, NH
MAR 2
NO COFFEEHOUSE
Cancelled due to
inclement weather
MAR 9
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in. Sign
up on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
MAR 16
IRISH "SEISIUN"
St. Patrick's Day.
Traditional Irish music (the jigs, reels, slides and songs)
are intimately connected to the history and culture of the
Irish. It is a part of the soul of a people who have come
through incredible hardship and struggles.
An Irish “seisiun” is a gathering of accomplished musicians
who not only know many of the traditional Irish tunes and
songs, but often know a lot about Ireland – it’s history and
culture. There is often one or two people (the especially
accomplished musicians) who are informal leaders. One or two
folks will start a tune (music without singing) and everyone
who knows the tune will join in – tunes are often played in
sets of two or three tunes in a row.
There is often discussion between sets and tunes about where
the tunes came from and who may have written or performed it
originally.
For this Irish session we will have the following very
special performers –
Skip Gorman on fiddle
Jane Orzechowski on fiddle
Deanna Stiles in flute
Grant Taylor on flute
Tim Travers on button accordion
Vic Reno on guitar and others
Come see and hear what real Irish sessions are like as
played by some of the finest Irish music musicians anywhere.
Take a step back in time, meet, and listen to the Bradford
Bog People. Often aired on New Hampshire Public Radio’s Folk
Show, the BBP present mostly traditional acoustic music from
the Appalachian Mountains, on banjo, fiddle, guitar, and
mandolin. Beautiful harmonies and clogging, too. Beth
Eldridge, Tii McLane, and Woody Pringle.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Doc Rogers
Tonight‘s Sponsor
Doc Rogers
Thumbstyle Country, Blues and Folk
MAR 30
NO COFFEEHOUSE
CHURCH EVENT
APR 6
Bob and Sarah Amos
Bob and Sarah Amos
This popular father-daughter musical duo presents a wide
ranging program of original and traditional songs in an
intimate and engaging style. Singer-songwriter-guitarist Bob
Amos has written and recorded over 100 songs on 12 CDs over
the past 30 years. His songs reflect a variety of influences
and styles including folk, bluegrass, blues, celtic, pop and
rock-a-billy. Vocalist Sarah Amos has been singing
professionally for the past 10 years, and currently performs
with her father in the bluegrass band Bob Amos &
Catamount Crossing. Stepping outside of their regular
bluegrass setting, in their duo shows Bob and Sarah perform
a wider selection of songs from Bob’s diverse musical
catalog, often adding in some of their favorite traditional
tunes as well.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Doc Rogers
Tonight‘s Sponsor
Doc Rogers
Thumbstyle Country, Blues and Folk
APR 13
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in. Sign
up on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Storytellers also welcome!
White Mountain Ceilí Band is Dexter Harding on the tenor
banjo, Fiona Howell on the flute, Siena Kaplan-Thompson on
the fiddle, and Mike Levine on the guitar and occasional
concertina. They play Irish, Scottish and Cape Breton
instrumental music with warmth and joy, as well as the
occasional song.
Dexter first came to Irish music when he played for contra
dances around the valley, and the session at May Kelly’s
deepened his focus on the Irish tradition.
Fiona grew up playing flute through Mountain Top Music
Center, and went on to study music at Loyola University.
While in New Orleans she began playing at Irish sessions,
and now plays and sings with a few groups around New
England.
Siena grew up playing classical violin and viola and
switched to fiddle in college when she discovered the Boston
Scottish and Cape Breton music scene.
Mike has played a wide range of musical styles, from
classical to rock, and more recently bebop. He and Siena
have both enjoyed branching out into Irish music with the
White Mountain Ceilí Band.
Mark Mandeville and Raianne Richards are clearly inheritors
of a timeless legacy, creating music that is both original
and evocative of a rich tradition. Blending distinctive
voices and a wide range of accompaniment (guitar, harmonica,
ukulele, clarinet, penny whistle, electric bass), their
songs have been well-received by audiences around the
eastern United States and Canada since 2010. Transcending
the genre of folk Americana, their music echoes inspiration
from traditional folk duos and singer/songwriters like Ian
& Sylvia, Kate Wolf and Neil Young – combining
beautiful harmonies and a lyrical intensity, while
establishing a unique sound of their own.
“The best part of their performance is the undeniable
chemistry Mark and Raianne have together; they play with a
comfortability and trust that can only come with years of
partnership. They allow enough space in their musical bond
to for us to settle in and witness some serious songwriting
and playing.” – Fred Knittel, WXPN (Philadelphia)
This group of experienced musicians adds their special touch
to an eclectic mix of classic and new Rock, Blues, Folk,
Swing, Country and more... with funky grooves, lots of soul
and harmony! You’ll hear songs you know and love and songs
you don’t know, but will love! The group’s members consist
of Judy Blake on vocals, Ken Hamshaw on guitar and vocals,
and Danny Solomon on bass.
Listeners always comment on the wide variety. Dragonfly
covers songs from the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon,
Sting, Rolling Stones, Lyle Lovett, Rolling Stones, Shawn
Colvin, Joan Osborne, Michael Jackson, Darius Rucker, and
even Queen. The list goes on and on and they are continually
adding new material. Some songs are covered as originally
recorded and some are presented with new and original
arrangements.
Singer, songwriter, Judy Blake has been performing many
styles with various groups for more than 20 years. She is a
former lead singer for The Nines, The Kingsnakes, and
Halcyon and performs as a soloist in addition to singing
with the band. Ken Hamshaw is a well known guitar and bass
player as well as a singer, who has been performing
professionally with numerous groups and for many community
events for his entire adult life. Ken is a former member of
The Nines and currently a member of Crazy Love, in addition
to Dragonfly. Danny Solomon has a lifetime history with
music as a performer and recording artist/producer/engineer.
He has been playing piano since he could walk and electric
bass for over 20 years. In addition to Dragonfly, Danny can
be seen and heard playing with national Kirtan artists
around the country and beyond..
Jimmy Sferes and Jennifer White have discovered an uncommon
synergy, blending clear and luscious harmonies with complex
and imaginative guitar playing. Their fun and engaging live
performances feature an eclectic and soulful combination of
blues, roots and rock. Their song "Small Stuff" won an Honor
Award in the Great American Song Contest, and they have
appeared on Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion"
radio program as well as the Hallmark Channel's New Morning
TV show. Derek Blackmon from Indie-Music.com says that
Sferes & White have, "vocal harmonies that work so well
together it sounds almost too good to be true." There latest
collaborative project was to produce the closing song and
instrumental soundtrack for the soon to be released modern
western "Out of the Wild."
White grew up in a musical family but was a relative late
bloomer to the professional music scene. Her first studio
effort for the Narrow Gauge Band was produced by Doug
Haywood (bass player and background vocalist for Jackson
Browne); she has also performed in acapella groups and
country rock bands. Sferes played his first guitar at
thirteen and during his diverse music and recording career
has opened for the likes of David Wilcox, Delbert McClinton,
Blues Traveler, Larry Coryell, Richard Elliott, and America.
Warmth, vitality, and spontaneity mark the performances of
Susie Burke and David Surette, and have earned them a
reputation as one of the finest acts on the lively New
England folk scene. Susie's beautiful, complex voice and
David's graceful, nimble-fingered string playing combine to
yield a unique blend of contemporary, traditional, and
original folk and acoustic music. Together since 1988, Susie
and David have built a loyal following for their music,
through a steady series of concerts and well-received
recordings.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Doc Rogers
Tonight‘s Sponsor
Doc Rogers
Thumbstyle Country, Blues and Folk
This completes our Winter/Spring Schedule.
Booking for Fall opens March 1 and booking for Winter/Spring
opens the previous October 1
Alex Smith is a 23-year-old folk singer from the Adirondack
Mountains in Northern New York. He is currently touring
behind his third record, Hamilton County, and sings honest,
thought-provoking songs of modern times while paying homage
to the musical traditions of the past.
"Alex is a wonderful poetic writer who captures words
full of meaning, matching them with creative music that
creeps quietly into the past at the same time as dancing
with the present and sneaking a peek at the future."
- Bob Everhart: National Traditional Country Music
Association
"Alex is a natural storyteller with a rich voice who is
creating poignant songs rooted in the heritage of his
Adirondack home." - Sarah Craig, Caffe Lena
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Deb Blesedel
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
Geoff Bartley (1948 - ?) is a folk-blues guitar player
singer-songwriter and recording artist. His last two CDs,
2009's "Put the Big Stone Down" and 2011's "Mercy for the
Dispossessed", went to No. 1 on folk radio. In the 1980s,
Geoff won four guitars at the National Fingerpicking
Champion-ships. Some of his songs and co-writes have been
recorded by other artists in New England, Canada, Ireland,
and Nashville, and some are included in the Smithsonian
Folkways Recordings of the Fast Folk Musical Magazine
collection in Washington, D.C.
Since 1994 Geoff has played guitar and sung harmony for folk
treasure Tom Paxton. In 2007, Geoff's song A Letter from
Prison about Nelson Mandela was recorded by the progressive
bluegrass band, The Infamous Stringdusters, on their CD
"Fork in the Road" on Sugar Hill. Subsequently, that
recording was used in the independent 2008 Lionsgate film
"The Lucky Ones".
Songs and instrumentals he has written have been used on the
History Channel, Animal Planet, the Learning Channel, the
Discovery Channel, the National Geographic Channel, NOVA and
Nature on PBS and other cable networks, in private and
commercial films and documentaries, and in private and
commercial advertising in the US and other countries.
The folk press has called him a world-class guitarist, a
brilliant songwriter and the prophet and spiritual godfather
of the Boston folk scene.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Vic Reno
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
Ken Bonfield is an internationally recognized performer and
composer of American fingerstyle acoustic guitar
instrumentals played on guitars of his own design
commissioned from master luthier; Alan Carruth.
In his open-hearted concerts, workshops and masters'
classes, he shares with listeners new guitar dimensions and
sonic explorations. His compositions are performed with his
"chamber ensemble " of handcrafted instruments
ranging from standard 6 string guitars to an 11-string harp
guitar. Bonfield's work and calling is inspired by a deep
love for the beauty, the sounds, and the craft of the
acoustic guitar.
Ken Bonfield's instrumental guitar work patently avoids the
incessant noodling… instead melody is king and Bonfield's
gifted fingers flesh out a beautiful cavalcade of notes that
are at times reminiscent of a human voice singing and often
soaring." Frank Rabey, Mountain Xpress
“Ken Bonfield is a child of Leo Kottke. He shares Kottke's
intricate finger picking techniques and casts them in an
intimate setting that he calls, American Baroque.” John
Diliberto, Host of PRI’s Nationally Syndicated show Echoes
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Al Carruth
Tonight‘s Sponsors:
Anonymous
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
Kaitlyn Raitz (cello, vocals) and Ben Plotnick (fiddle,
vocals) have been making folk music for the majority of
their lives. Though they’ve only started playing Folk,
Bluegrass, Appalachian and Stringband music together this
past year, they have a combined musical resume that speaks
to a lifetime of dedication to these styles and more.
Individually, they’ve made their respective marks playing
with countless artists across North America. From Jazz, to
Country, to Classical, and everywhere in between, they’ve
appeared on dozens upon dozens of professional albums.
They’ve played in bars for 10 people, or at festivals for
40,000.
The relationship between the violin and the cello is age-old
and has been proven time and time again, but as soon as
Kaitlyn and Ben began to play and sing together, it became
clear that something was different. Decades of experience as
chamber musicians helped them to blend instantly, but it’s
their spontaneous, energetic yet subtle approach to folk
music that sets them apart.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
OCT 13
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in. Sign
up on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Tonight‘s Sponsors:
EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
Castlebay treats an audience to a musical journey through
time and across the Atlantic as they interweave timeless
songs, spritely dance tunes, and haunting aires inspired by
the spirit of our rich nautical and Celtic heritage.
Exuberant vocals are supported with Julia Lane's unique
self-taught, award-winning Celtic harp style, and Fred
Gosbee's expertise on 12-string guitar, violin and
woodwinds. Their deep appreciation for the unique character
of their home state of Maine, as well as the Celtic lands,
Castlebay blends history, legend and experience into their
personable performance style.
Robyn’s musical journey began in the nineteen sixties during
"the Great Folk Scare." Early influences included
listening to the music of Dave Van Ronk and Mississippi John
Hurt whose finger-picking seemed to be just this side of
magical. Over all the years, her love of the fingerstyle
blues has persisted and expanded.
After college and grad school, a decades long engineering
career interrupted Robyn’s musical pursuits but after a
lapse of many years, she returned to music with
enthusiasm, studying voice with Karen Simpson and guitar with Jimmy
Sferes. Robyn has studied briefly with Harvey Reid. During the past ten years Robyn has performed at open
mics in Sunapee, Andover and Warner, playing both covers and
some original material. Robyn is therefore a newcomer to the
stage, with tonight’s debut performance being the
fulfillment of a dream many years in the making. She aims to
make it a good one.
Beyond the blues, Robyn loves songs with some emotional heft
and she frequently sings songs that tell a story. Songs that
are poignant, wistful, funny, or gritty all reach out to
her. So, look for some traditional fingerstyle blues, some
covers that may pull the heart strings and some original
songs as well.
Rounding out the evening for the second hour are the
“CoffeeHouse Crew” all of whom do yeoman work to keep this
coffeehouse alive and running, each of whom is a fine
musician in his/her own right. Miss them at your peril. This
will be a truly eclectic mix and it should be a rollicking
good time.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor
Mary Anne Levesque
NOV 10
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in. Sign
up on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
Crowes Pasture is the Boston-based acoustic duo of Monique
Byrne and Andy Rogovin.
The duo brings leather and lace harmonies to classic and
contemporary folk music in a style that draws from old-time,
folk and bluegrass traditions, including such artists as
Gillian Welch/David Rawlings, Ian & Sylvia and the Civil
Wars.
The duo’s eponymous full-length CD was released in May of
2016, and made the list of Top Folk Albums of June 2016 as
compiled on Folkradio.org. The album debuted at #20, and
continued to chart in July and August, based on 13,000 plays
per month, on 140 radio programs playing folk, Americana and
bluegrass music across the country.
Songs from Crowes Pasture's latest CD can be heard on folk
radio stations across the U.S. and on four continents.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsors:
EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
Harmony Hotel "soothes the soul with unique blends of
voices, instruments, and musical styles" and combines the
talents of four of the Upper Valley's best loved musicians.
Cindy Mahler Geilich, singer/songwriter/guitar and uke
player, was voted one of the Upper Valley's Music Legends
for having the most listened to and downloaded music on the
YHMedia website; David Indenbaum, stand-up bass player, also
a member of Jeannie and the Hi-tops; Karen Harris,
vocals/percussionist; Corey Unger, lead guitar, also a
member of the Shugarmakers. The combination of eclectic
covertunes, memorable originals, fantastic harmonies, unique
rhythms and instrumentals makes Harmony Hotel a musical
experience you don't want to miss. This concert is dedicated
to Laurianne Jordan, our bandmate and friend, whose music
and spirit will live on in us forever.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
DEC 15
CHRISTMAS OPEN MIC
&
SING-ALONG
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Tonight‘s Sponsor
Nancy Graham
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
This competes our Fall Schedule.
Booking for Fall opens March 1 and booking for Winter/Spring
opens the previous October 1
From the mountains of northern New Hampshire comes the
unique blend of harmonies and guitars of Kathy Bennett and
Thom Perkins. They perform songs with stories and music
inspired by everyday lives, about lost loves, lost lives and
real life adventure, coupled with haunting harmonies and
memorable arrangement of vocals and guitar.
Their music is a regular feature on New Hampshire Public
Radio Folk Show and Maine’s folk radio standard WERU. They
have performed on the stages of The Cold River Radio Show,
Ossipee Valley Music Festival, The Medallion Opera House,
Acoustic Artisans, The Flying Monkey Performance Center,
Cambridge’s famed Passim’s, and Stone Mountain Arts Center.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Judy Thackaberry
Tonight‘s Sponsor
David Brown
JAN 13
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in. Sign
up on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
Etna Old Time is a new-old-time duo rooted on the banks of
Mink Brook in Etna, NH. The band forages from a collection
of traditional and newer tunes and stews them in a broth of
bluegrass and folk. Building on a friendship that began in
college, Marc Shapiro (banjo, guitar, vocals) and Billy
Corbett (mandolin, guitar, vocals) became Etna Old Time in
2014, and released an EP Organized Labor that December,
along with quickly becoming established on the New Hampshire
and Vermont music scenes, playing farmers markets, weddings,
radio shows and bluegrass festivals. In 2015, Etna Old Time
ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to raise money to
produce their first album, entitled 'Lo the Old Pine, which
was released in early 2016. The Concord Monitor called 'Lo
the Old Pine "a smart, sweeping, well-constructed album
jammed tight with banjos and mandolins and a level of
harmonies that does not come around very often."
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
The Page Turners, Carolyn Kendrick and Jake Howard, are an
award-winning group (2016 Freshgrass Best Duo) who have a
strong foothold in the acoustic music scene. They became
musical friends as students of Berklee College of Music, and
started playing together through the Berklee American Roots
Program. From those experiences, they began to play music
together more and grew from goofy friends who loved BBQ and
bluegrass, into goofy band mates as well. The Page Turners
write sharp and adept original music and put new twists on
old favorites. They like to blend their love of bluegrass,
whiskey-fueled old-time, country music, swing, and fearless
song-writing into one all-purpose seasoning of good ole'
fashioned Roots Music.
Testimonial: "The Page Turners harness the best
and deepest parts of bluegrass and old-time sounds as their
own unique springboard for some wonderful new music. I love
what Carolyn and Jake are doing and can't wait to hear
more!" — Bruce Molsky
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
With engaging stage presence and masterfully-crafted music,
Boston-based Matt & Shannon Heaton offer well-travelled
Irish music from the heart. Steeped in sessions in County
Clare and brewed in the acoustic music scenes of Chicago
& Boston, their flute/guitar/bouzouki instrumentals and
sweet husband-and-wife harmony singing draw deeply from the
Irish tradition.
The Heatons also gently incorporate the Thai music Shannon
learned in school as a kid and rootsy Americana sounds that
surrounded them during their three years in bluegrass-haven
Boulder, Colorado.
Since their move to Boston in 2001, the Heatons have become
an integral part of Boston’s vibrant trad music scene.
Matt and Shannon are poised, passionate American performers
with Irish roots and universal appeal. They are comfortable
onstage and have a warm connection with their audiences.
They move listeners with their love of traditional music
(and each other), and their sense of adventure and fun in
exploring new directions and possibilities.
Three local woman, Susan Cancio -Bello, Nicole Densmore and
Laurie Reeder of Folk Fusion Classics from Indigo Girls,
Paul Simon, Kate Wolf, and others along with a selection of
Celtic ballads.
Zak Trojano is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, a
finger-style guitar player, a fly-fisherman, and a beer
drinker. He watches more than he talks, the guy at the end
of the bar nursing a drink while the afternoon light angles
in, letting the conversation pile up around him like
snowfall. He grew up in New Hampshire, outside of town in a
cabin built by his parents. His father was a drummer who
held down a regular country gig, and nights after work he
would loosen his tie and show his son the finer points of
Ginger Baker and Elvin Jones. In New Hampshire they drove
around in trucks, and Prine and Dylan cassettes showed up in
most of those trucks. Zak made Eagle Scout, got his knots
down. Then it was college and out, wandering the country
from the desert Southwest to Great Plains until he ran out
of money, washing windows to work up the bus fare home.
After a while it seemed like he ought to write some songs,
and he did: heavy songs with a light touch; an AM radio
throwback voice and an intricate finger-style technique
framed by a drummer’s rhythm and sharpened by years of
immersion in the work of players as various as John Fahey,
Merle Travis, and Chet Atkins. In over a decade writing,
recording, and performing music professionally - sharing
studios and stages with his band Rusty Belle, or supporting
touring acts like Chris Smither, Kris Delmhorst, Jeffrey
Foucault, and Peter Mulvey - Zak Trojano has evolved his own
thing: a warm baritone paired with an old Martin guitar,
floating above spare lines of cello and lap steel, horns and
brushes, with a deceptively simple lyricism that on repeated
listening shows that the fellow at the end of the bar
doesn’t say much, but he’s worth hearing.
This will be my third time performing at the Sunapee
Coffeehouse, although it will be my first time since joining
the team of volunteers that makes this music venue work so
well. In these past few years that I've been helping out ,
I've been audience to an amazing array of talented
singer-songwriters and musicians. I've watched and listened
closely, and learned some things.
I've been playing guitar since I was thirteen years old and
have been writing songs since I was around twenty two, give
or take a year. I write about life lessons, loved ones, and
the changes, challenges and rewards that fill up the years.
( contrary to persistent rumors, I also have a lighter side
). After forty-plus years of writing and guitar playing,
it's still fun. And there are always new things to discover
with both music and lyrics.
Thanks to all the Sunapee Coffeehouse folks; volunteers,
audience regulars, all friends..........E J Tretter
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Martha Naylor
Tonight‘s Sponsors:
Robyn Macy &
Anonymous
"Thank you for all that he does, and a good
performer"
Joyce Andersen is a veteran musician who has enjoyed a
varied 20 year career as side-gal, session player,
singer-songwriter, and band leader. Her live shows and
recordings showcase her versatility as a vocalist and
violinist who thrives on writing and interpreting songs
across many genres from old-time, rock & Americana, to
folk, pop, & swing. She started getting critical acclaim
and radio play in the folk world with her first full length
CD "The Girl I Left Behind" (2000) for it's songwriting,
breadth of styles and her unique ability to harmonize her
vocals with her violin. Her latest CD "SWERVE!" (Oct. 2011),
marks the invention of her innovative new "violin
troubadour" sound which reflects her strengths as an
improviser, and her new found interest in using technology
(loops, effects etc.) to harness new sonic landscapes and
launch into extended psychedelic jams. Andersen has made 9
CDs: 5 solo and 4 with husband and folk virtuoso, Harvey
Reid. She lived and toured out of Boston, Nashville, and NYC
before returning to her native New England in 2000 where she
lives with her husband and their two boys, in York, ME.
Andersen's music has brought her from the coffeehouses and
taverns of her native New England, national &
international touring as a solo artist and with husband,
Harvey Reid, Childsplay, and a host of other artists in her
side-gal days. She even made it to Carnegie Hall and the
Conan O'Brien show.
And Minnesota Public Radio says "Youth and strength flow
through her voice. She's got power and conviction. . . She's
writing new songs and retelling old stories, and there's"
still something mysterious in her music that sounds like
comes from an ancient and pure source."
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsor
Robyn Macy
MAR 10
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in. Sign
up on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
MAR 17
IRISH "SEISIUN"
St. Patrick's Day.
Traditional Irish music (the jigs, reels, slides and songs)
are intimately connected to the history and culture of the
Irish. It is a part of the soul of a people who have come
through incredible hardship and struggles.
An Irish “seisiun” is a gathering of accomplished musicians
who not only know many of the traditional Irish tunes and
songs, but often know a lot about Ireland – it’s history and
culture. There is often one or two people (the especially
accomplished musicians) who are informal leaders. One or two
folks will start a tune (music without singing) and everyone
who knows the tune will join in – tunes are often played in
sets of two or three tunes in a row.
There is often discussion between sets and tunes about where
the tunes came from and who may have written or performed it
originally.
Called "one of New England's best songwriters" by The Boston
Globe, Terry Kitchen writes songs that are portraits of
ordinary people and emotions, captured with extraordinary
compassion, honesty and humor. He has been performing on
coffeehouse and folk festival stages since the 1990s,
releasing ten CDs including his latest, The Post-American
Century, which reached #19 on the national Folk-DJ chart.
His songs have won the Mid-Atlantic and USA Song Contests
and been runner-up in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.
His 2013 novel Next Big Thing, based on his experiences with
the '80s Boston band Loose Ties, was called "a great debut
novel" by The San Francisco Book Review. Terry's superb
guitar playing, warm audience rapport and wide-ranging songs
(from "The Seven-Eleven Overture" about small town life, to
"The Bonny Lights of Cavendish," about English orphans sent
to Canada, to "Sequel," a sequel to Paul Simon's "America")
guarantee an enjoyable experience for all.
"Terry Kitchen begins where Tom Waits and Elvis Costello
merge and leave off."-Vance Glbert
"Terry Kitchen's songs deftly reveal the human heart in all
its grace and contradictions."-Si Kahn
Bringing fresh energy to traditional Celtic music, Jordan
was first recognized as part of New Hampshire’s musical
culture at the age of 12, when he was the youngest member of
the delegation representing the state in Washington, D.C.
for The Smithsonian Folklife Festival. He grew up on a
combination of contra dances and Celtic music, releasing
multiple recordings and performing regularly around the
state until leaving for college in Middlebury, VT. After
graduating, Jordan spent time in both New York City and
Ireland, exploring musical possibilities and honing his
craft. He then began to carve out a career for himself back
home in NH, touring with multiple rock bands while
continuing to develop his unique approach to traditional
Celtic music.
With various groups, he has opened for Irish music legends
Tommy Makem, Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfetones,
country superstars such as Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels
and Uncle Kracker, and classic rockers Blues Traveler, The
Marshall Tucker Band and Little Feat. He has toured
nationally with the Adam Ezra Group (winner of five New
England Music Awards including "Band of The Year") and
appeared as a guest musician with other nationally touring
bands including The Mallett Brothers, Yarn, The Lost
Trailers, Roots of Creation and Hot Day At The Zoo.
Jordan performs more than 200 shows a year with various
bands at venues of all sizes, mostly in the Northeast.
OctoPladd is a band that plays music. Their music is
melodious and heartfelt while also funky and occasionally
goofy, not unlike their name (a complicated story they’d
have to tell you in person). United by their roots in
bluegrass, they draw on myriad influences to produce
Appalachian melodies tempered with chromaticism and groove.
The quartet combines the sweeping lines of Julian Pinelli’s
violin with the snap and groove of mandolinist Ethan
Setiawan. Sam Leslie adds tasteful guitar sauce, supported
by the powerhouse Noah Harrington on bass. They met in
Boston’s thriving roots music scene and their hope is to
create music with an electric edge to its acousticality.
“OctoPladd comprises four of the most exciting instrumental
voices now emerging in the acoustic string band world, a
collection of monstrous young talent united in their mastery
of their craft and their commitment to the improvisatory
moment. They’re updating the string band sound, and I’m
excited to hear what they come up with!” — Joe K Walsh
“Remarkably talented young pickers” — Bluegrass Today
Sixteen year old Massachusetts native Quentin Callewaert has
been playing guitar since he was nine. He played his first
concert when he was ten and has played at many events and
venues since then. Despite his young age, he has already
shared the stage with many great guitarists such as Pete
Kennedy, Stephen Bennett, Trace Bundy and Tommy Emmanuel.
Lyle Lovett saw one of his videos and was so impressed that
he invited Quentin to meet him when he played on Cape Cod a
few years ago. They have met a few times since and it was
Lyle who encouraged Quentin to start singing.
In order to find out how truly versatile this young musician
is, you will simply have to hear him play!
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Tonight‘s Sponsors:
Robyn Macy &
Anonymous
MAY 19
Skinner & T'witch
SKINNER & T'WITCH
Skinner & T'witch are an original, contemporary, folk,
acoustic duo with strong vocals, driving rhythms, and a
flash of flamenco. Their music moves through a range of
eclectic range of styles and influences, including folk,
jazz, the music hall, musical theatre and the satirical
tradition. Fans of great vocal harmony should be sure to
check out Skinner & T'witch.
Halcyon Canaans is dedicated to the preservation of an
ancient breed of dog, the Canaan Dog. This AKC
recognized breed is a member of the herding group. They
range from 35 to 55 pounds. Smart and independent these
dogs are not for everyone. Information available
always, puppies available occasionally.
Rupert Wates was born in London and studied at Oxford
University. He has been a full time songwriter since the
late 1990s, when he signed a publishing contract with Eaton
Music Limited. His contract required him to write material
in all kinds of styles and genres, for all kinds of artists.
He worked extensively with Jazz vocalist Liz Fletcher, and
wrote the album 'Blue Afternoons' (Mainstem, 2002) specially
for her voice. Moving in 2001 to Paris, Wates formed his own
quartet and began playing live regularly. In fall 2006 he
came to the US. He is now based in New York City and
Colorado.
Since coming to the US, Wates has won more than 30
songwriting awards.
His music is an eclectic mix of acoustic, melodic art/folk,
with flavors of jazz, vaudeville and cabaret. He has
released seven solo CDs. They have been very well reviewed
in the online press and tracks from them have been played on
radio all over the world. Wates' songs have been recorded by
other artists in the UK, Canada and the US. In 2015,
Nashville-based performer Roxie Rogers released Crazy
Puzzle, an album of songs from Wates' back catalog
Despite Wates' British background, and underpinning the
universality of his music's appeal, Folk and Acoustic Music
Exchange has called him "a prime figure in American music''
and goes on: "This is one gifted sonofabitch... If you're
not hip to this guy yet you're missing out."
Audiences everywhere respond to Wates' brand of melodic
art/folk—haunting songs that ring true.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
Termed, ‘a prominent guitarist,’ by the New York Times and
praised by The Washington Post for his ‘astonishingly
florid’ improvisations, David Rogers presents an evening of
solo guitar music with strong leanings towards jazz, world,
folk and classical music.
An endorsing artist for GHS Strings, his music has been
featured in major guitar magazines such as Fingerstyle
Guitar in the United States and Akustic Gitarre, in Germany.
His solo and ensemble performances have been broadcast on
American National Public Radio and Bayrische Rundfunk.
David will play a program of Spanish, Flamenco, Up-Tempo
Latin, original settings of Leonard Cohen, Rolling Stones,
Roxy Music songs, as well as music by the Beatles, J.S. Bach
and original compositions. He will also be premiering an
original setting of Tim Buckley’s stunning Song to the
Siren.
For over five years, rising folk-stars The Bombadils have
been enchanting audiences around the world with their unique
fusion of traditional, world and progressive folk.
Endearingly described as “chamber folk,” the group of
cinematic storytellers have intertwined their musical chops
rooted in classical and jazz music (all trained at
Montreal’s esteemed McGill University) around an
approachable performance style that takes listeners on a
journey through history and towards the future of Canadian
folk.
Each hailing from their own unique corner of Canada, group
members Sarah Frank (fiddle, banjo, vocals), Luke Fraser
(guitar, mandolin, vocals), Alan Mackie (bass, vocals) and
Anh Phung (flutes, harmonica, vocals), first bonded over a
shared curiosity and love of traditional music – but have
since solidified their friendship with over 50,000
kilometers of touring and countless performances together.
“The Bombadils have all the elements of a great band – a
high level of musical proficiency, deep respect for the
traditional roots of their material and an engaging
repertoire which holds the attention of the listener from
beginning to end.”- Amy Gajadhar, Canadian Folk Music
magazine
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
“The power of one person and one instrument – engaging and
exciting in itself. I believe that’s the root of folk
music”.
With her third album, Apartments For Lovers, Shawna Caspi
taps right into those folk roots, stripping away the session
musicians and elaborate arrangements of her previous records
in favour of a simple, authentic sound – her solo guitar and
voice. The result is a collection of songs that is close-up
and honest, showcasing her warm vocals, classically-trained
fingerstyle guitar playing, and intimate songwriting in a
genuine, powerful way.
On Apartments For Lovers, Shawna creates delicate, quiet
moments that are vulnerable and accessible even when she’s
writing about someone else. Her songs are snapshots –
moments that may appear small, but which subtly carry weight
and offer greater depth thanks to her well-crafted lyrics.
“Some musicians make songwriting sound less of a craft and
more of a life affirming obsession. Caspi’s compositions
stand out as beautiful, complex and intricate…” – NOW
Magazine, NXNE preview
For 15 years, Shawna has been playing the guitar she bought
at the Ottawa Folklore Centre, one of Canada’s best loved
music stores. This cherished instrument has accompanied her
on tour throughout Canada and the United States, where she
has played festivals including the Blue Skies Music
Festival, the Summerfolk Festival, the Deep Roots Music
Festival, and the Ottawa Grassroots Festival. It was also
her constant companion as she played on the long haul trains
between Montreal and Halifax and between Vancouver and
Toronto as part of the VIA Rail On Board Entertainment
Program.
Shawna’s Canadian folk roots are an intrinsic part of who
she is. In fact, Shawna as a solo musician is exactly who
she is as a person – warm, inviting, a storyteller, a
traveller, an authentic artist. “And at the heart of
everything”, she says, “I’m just a really big music fan”.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
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and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Harvey Reid is most
widely known for his peerless acoustic fingerstyle guitar
work, but is also a former bluegrass picker, a versatile and
engaging singer, a powerful lyricist, a solid mandolin and
bouzouki player, and a seasoned performer and entertainer.
His 6-string banjo work is unmatched, and he is certainly
among the best autoharp players ever. Reid has honed his
craft over the last 40 years in countless clubs, festivals,
streetcorners, cafes, coffeehouses and concert halls across
the nation, and absorbed a vast repertoire of American music
and woven it into his own colorful, personal and distinctive
style. He has released 25 highly- acclaimed independent
albums on Woodpecker Records that showcase his mastery of
many instruments and styles of acoustic music, from hip-folk
to country, slashing slide guitar blues to bluegrass,
old-time, Celtic, ragtime and even classical.
Reid’s skills and versatility on the guitar alone mark him
as an important voice in acoustic music. He won the 1981
National Fingerpicking Guitar Competition and the 1982
International Autoharp Contest. He recorded the first album
ever of 6 & 12-string banjo music, and his 1990 album Steel
Drivin' Man, was chosen by Acoustic Guitar Magazine as one
of 10 Essential Folk CD’s of all time, along with Woody
Guthrie and other hallowed names. His music was included in
the blockbuster BBC TV show Musical Tour of Scotland, and
Reid was featured in the Rhino Records Acoustic Music of the
90’s collection, along with a “who’s who” line-up of artists
including Richard Thompson, Jerry Garcia & Leo Kottke.
Reid has never ventured into the mainstream, and has
operated“below the radar” of the music business, but his
reputation as a musician’s musician is widespread. He has
been a featured act at many of America's premier concert
clubs and festivals. Radio DJ’s and critics nationwide are
discovering his remarkable recordings, and they regularly
show up on radio playlists and end-of-the year favorites
lists. Music fans coast-to-coast flock to catch his exciting
performances.
You’ll find elements of the traditional troubadour, the
modern poet-songwriter, the American back-porch picker, the
classical virtuoso, and a bit of Will Rogers style dry humor
and satire. Reid has a vast repertoire of traditional and
contemporary songs, and weaves them seamlessly together with
his own compositions and wry humor.
The music of The Twangtown Paramours has been called
“Sophisticated Americana”, and is a hybrid of the Nashville
and Austin music scenes. This husband ‘n wife acoustic duo
is known for their well-crafted and award-winning songs,
top-notch lead singing, and fine harmonies. They have
performed at nationally recognized venues such as Uncle
Calvin’s in Dallas, Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, and the
Bluebird Café in Nashville. They have opened for Joe Ely,
Claire Lynch, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Carrie Newcomer, and Kim
& Reggie Harris, amongst others.
The Twangtown Paramours were chosen three times (2011, 2013,
and 2016) to be finalists in the prestigious Kerrville New
Folk contest and were winners of the Michael Terry People’s
Choice Award in the Wildflower Music Festival Songwriter
Contest in 2012. In February, 2011,the Twangers were named
Artists on the Verge for 2011 by the Bluegrass Special
Magazine.
The Twangtown Paramours are currently working on their third
album. Their last record was released to radio in 2012 and
reached #2 on the Folk DJ Chart. John Platt of WFUV in New
York City listed the album in his top 10 for the year; Lilli
Kuzma of WDCB in Chicago listed the album in her top 5 for
the year; and Deep Roots Magazine listed the album at #7 for
the year. All the recorded music of the Twangtown Paramours
can be heard on over 100 Folk, Americana, and independent
country station world-wide.
The duo is looking forward to performing at the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory Fire commemoration in NYC in March of
2017. Their song, “Chains” was written to bring attention to
the circumstances of that fire and of others like it. One of
their newest songs, “Stars Without a Heaven” has not yet
been released to the public, but a demo version of the song
is already being played in a few holocaust museums,
including Yadvashem in Israel.
Tonight‘s Emcees:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
OCT 21
KATE MACLEOD
Her voice has been said to sound as pure as water from a
mountain stream. And while singing from the Wasatch
Mountains in Utah, her highly acclaimed songs often precede
her as other artists sing them on stages across the country.
Her songs compel music publications such as Sing Out!
Magazine to claim that Kate MacLeod "channels the spirit of
the great Carter Family classics." She has opened for
artists such as Rosanne Cash, Dan Fogelberg and Greg Brown,
but performs winning concerts of her own across the country.
Her songwriting style and live performances display an
unbreakable link between traditional music and cutting-edge
contemporary songwriting. Kate has written music based on
historic events and personalities, a collection of songs
based on books, and some commissioned for cultural projects.
Whether in a song or on her violin, she captures our
history, our landscapes, and our lives in the varied music
that she creates. This is no more obvious than in current
projects she is developing. 2016 marks the release of her
songbook, including music notation, chords, and lyrics, of a
large collection of her original songs, many of them
inspired by people and places that she has come across while
traveling. Kate is also compiling a book of original
violin/fiddle pieces.
The Lake Sunapee, NH region has always had more than its
share of musicians. Maybe it's the mountain air or maybe
it's the scenery, but something keeps them coming back. Just
ask Click Horning, New London's singer songwriter who left
when he was seventeen for the Big Apple. Twelve years, a
record contract and an album later it was time to come back.
Early influences were Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, Peter
Paul & Mary, as well as rock and roll and R&B that
he listened to growing up.
Click's music has taken him across the country several
times, to the Rockies and to the deep south . Click has
produced two more solo albums and two albums with his band
Night Kitchen , a "get up and dance" band composed of Click
on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Gerry Putnam on lead
guitar, Dinty Child on electric rhythm guitar and keyboards,
Dana Flewelling on drums and Dave Doran on bass.
Click began playing guitar at boarding school, influenced by
other guitar playing students, one in particular being Gram
Parsons. Click persuaded his grandmother to finance a
bottom-of-the-line Gibson guitar (a combination birthday and
Christmas gift). "I had been spending all my spare time
practicing on a friends guitar, but soon found I had to have
my own."
He began playing folk songs, but after hearing Gram and
writers like Bob Dylan, he decided to try his hand at
writing songs. "It was the perfect blending of poems and
music that intrigued me. I've always loved lyrics that tell
a story."
The Click Horning Trio is: Click on acoustic guitar and
vocals, Joanie Horning on bass, Justin Ferren on lead
guitar, and an occasional gig with Harley Walker on Drums
Lindsay Straw
"Hearken(s) back to more innocent times, of Greenwich
Village and pure folk." (The Living Tradition)
Lindsay Straw is a singer, guitarist, and Irish bouzouki
player who performs traditional songs and tunes from the
British Isles. Originally from Montana, she began to explore
Boston’s Irish and folk music scenes while studying film
scoring at Berklee College of Music. Her debut solo album My
Mind From Love Being Free was released on May 1, 2015. She
is a 2015 recipient of Club Passim’s Iguana Fund Grant,
which will enable her to make her second album in 2016.
Lindsay has impressed with her tender singing voice and an
extensive repertoire that is rooted in the Scottish and
Northern Irish traditions, but which also delves into
contemporary songwriters like Richard Thompson and Bob
Dylan. She has also drawn praise for her sensitive, agile
accompaniment on bouzouki and guitar at many a local session
and in concert as a member of the Irish quartet The Ivy
Leaf, with piper Joey Abarta, and with fellow guitar &
bouzouki player Owen Marshall.
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
NOV 11
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in. Sign
up on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
After two decades of performing part-time and regionally,
Craig served as the full-time accompanist/co-arranger for
three-time Juno Award winner David Francey, starting in the
fall of 2006. He co-produced Francey's "Right of Passage"
which won a best album Juno. He toured heavily for nearly 5
years, showcased by David for his own writing and
performance skills. With the release of his folk-DJ charting
album of original songs, "The Spokes Man," Craig returned to
the stage much more as a solo artist. He has also toured
internationally with the highly and widely acclaimed
Gaelic-Americana artist, Kyle Carey.
"In concert, Werth shines as a natural story-teller,
humorous and poignant, with a keen eye for all our foibles
and passions. His instrumental accompaniment is as
brilliant as his songwriting. He is a true performer, a
captivating player and singer, not to be missed." - David
Francey
Tonight‘s Emcee:
TBD
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
DEC 9
CHRISTMAS OPEN MIC
&
SING-ALONG
SPECIAL SHOW LOCATION
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? Your name, logo
and link could be right here. Plus it defrays our
costs for the evening!
email:
Vic Reno for
info
Special Show Location
"The Sunappee Livery Building" (58 Main St., Sunapee
Harbor, Sunapee, NH 03782)
This completes our Fall Concert Schedule
Stay tuned: we'll be posting our Winter/Spring season soon.
Booking for Fall opens March 1 and booking for Winter/Spring
opens the previous October 1
Considered a master of American roots music, Scott Ainslie
brings a wealth of personal and musical history to the
stage. With engaging stories he provides historical context
for a repertoire of Delta Blues and ragtime guitar, gospel,
and music of the banjo and fiddle traditions of the Southern
Appalachians. Coming of age during the Civil Rights era,
Ainslie studied with elder musicians on both sides of the
color line. With a deep affinity for cross-cultural
exchange, he plays this music with affection, authority and
power.
Armed with vintage guitars, a fretless gourd banjo, a
homemade one-string diddley bow, and carefully chosen
historical and personal anecdotes of his encounters with
senior musicians across the South, Ainslie brings the
history, roots music, and sounds of America alive.
Scott Ainslie literally wrote the book on the Mississippi
Delta Blues legend,“Robert Johnson/At the Crossroads”.
Exploring the African and European roots of American
music and culture in every concert,“he
lives in the groove ...” says the
Durham NC Spectator.
Marylou Ferrante is an artist who performs pre-war blues
from the 1920's & 30's on guitar, mandolin & banjo. She
covers major artists from the delta to east coast piedmont
style players such as Tommy Johnson, Charlie Patton, Memphis
Minnie, Lottie Kimbrough, aka "Kansas City Butterball",
Irene "Chocolate Brown" Scruggs and mandolin players such as
Yank Rachell. Steeped in traditional music Marylou's
performances bring to life these artist with their stories
and songs.
Marylou was described by music critic and writer, Daniel
Gewertz, in the Boston Herald, as the Bay State's finest
female acoustic blues interpreter.
"Marylou is a killer. I have watched her grow, and now she's
taking over. Blues lovers look out!"... GUY DAVIS
On her website Jennifer Curtin says:
“My name is Jennifer and I live in the wilds of central
Vermont with my husband Jim and two kids, Finbar and Maeve.
I have always had a passion for singing and making music of
all kinds. Recently, with the help of Colin McCaffrey, I
released a recording of traditional and contemporary Celtic
& British Isles songs titled "Comfort for the Comfortless".
I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it
(which was a lot!). May the songs inspire you to go out and
make your own music – or at least sing in the shower!”
The press says:
“Curtin has a lovely voice and “Comfort for the Comfortless”
is an apt title, as this album never jars the senses nor
makes promises it can’t keep. Instead we have a fine singer
at home in a genre of music that emanates from lands far
across the sea.”
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Vic Reno
Would you like to sponsor a night? $25 gets your logo
and link here, plus it pays for our rental costs for
the evening!
First you’ll notice her voice. Then you’ll hear the colorful
images painted in her songs, which take you back to your
favorite places and remind you of what’s right in the world.
Jen Hajj comes from a tiny mountain town in Southern
California, where the pinecones are bigger than your head
and Max the Golden Retriever is Mayor. She is a former zoo
educator, and spent a lot of time on the road with hawks,
falcons and owls before discovering her voice as a
songwriter. Jen is a recent winner of the Tucson Folk
Festival Songwriters contest, and has performed as a
finalist in many others.
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in. Sign
up on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? $25 gets your logo
and link here, plus it pays for our rental costs for
the evening!
FEB 19
Judy Blake & Friends
JUDY BLAKE & FRIENDS (Dragonfly)
This talented band, all long time, experienced pros, covers
an eclectic mix of classic and new Rock, Blues, Folk,
Country and Bluegrass, with funky grooves, rich vocals and
stellar harmonies! With Judy Blake on vocals and percussion,
Ken Hamshaw on guitar and vocals, and Danny Solomon on bass.
Singer, songwriter, Judy Blake has been performing many
styles with various groups for 15 years. She is a former
lead singer of The Nines, The Kingsnakes, and Halcyon,
performing many different styles. Kenny Hamshaw is a well
known guitar and bass player as well as a singer, who has
been performing with numerous groups and for many community
events for his entire adult life. He is currently a member
of The Nines, Crazy Love and is always busy with many side
projects. Danny Solomon has a lifetime history with music as
a performer and recording artist/producer/engineer. He has
been playing piano since he could walk and electric bass for
over 15 years. He can be seen and heard playing at Kirtans
around the country and beyond. Known as Judy, Ken, &
Danny for many years, Dragonfly has been playing and
performing as a band, since 2011.
HILTON PARK is an award winning family trio noted for their
earthy, emotionally expressive and superbly crafted
Americana, Folk & Blues. Father/son team Bruce and Conor
Hilton combined with family friend Gregg Pannier earned a
2015 New England Music Award for “Best In State: Maine”.
Hilton Park's brand of Americana music, which they have
dubbed "Kin Folk", is authentic and endearingly classic,
with enough modern grit to captivate today’s audience.
Stylish and confident 3-part vocal harmonies fill the
repertoire, combining the ‘blood harmony’ only heard in
family acts (from the Everly Brothers to the Avett Brothers)
with a melodic skill often compared to Crosby, Stills and
Nash. Their songwriting style shows New England savvy, yet
with roots in the Deep South.
“Hilton Park’s new album ‘Strings’ tells its story with a
warm, family tenderness that everything is going to be okay
so long as you listen closely… like a sweet flowing fabric
that catches warm breezes as it dries on the line out back
of your summer home. From rowdy saloon bustling ballads, to
soft, candied flowering story, there is something for
everyone in this album.” - Megan Gazzo, The Equal Ground
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Deb Blesedell
Would you like to sponsor a night? $25 gets your logo
and link here, plus it pays for our rental costs for
the evening!
For over a decade, Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards
have resonated with the lover of Americana, old country, and
harmony singing, commanding crafted melodies and poignant,
introspective lyrics, backing them with delicate
arrangements on ukulele, clarinet, guitar and banjo. Over
the years, Mandeville & Richards have shared the stage
with acts like Garnet Rogers, Melanie Safka, Eric Brace
& Peter Cooper, John Gorka, Willie Watson, Pierce
Pettis, Pokey LaFarge, Joan Osborne, Mustard's Retreat,
Atwater & Donnely, Antje Duvekot, The Low Anthem, David
Wax Museum, Deer Tick and Brownbird.
"The best part of their performance is the undeniable
chemistry Mark and Raianne have together; they play with a
comfortability and trust that can only come with years of
partnership. They allow enough space in their musical bond
to for us to settle in and witness some serious
songwriting and playing." - Folkadelphia, WXPN
Tonight‘s Emcee:
Judy Thackaberry
Tonight‘s Sponsor
David Brown
"Off the grid for four years"
MAR 11
OPEN MIC NIGHT
The Tradition continues, Stop by to listen or join in. Sign
up on site with the host for your 15 min or three songs.
Storytellers also welcome!
Tonight‘s Emcees:
Al Carruth & EJ Tretter
Would you like to sponsor a night? $25 gets your logo
and link here, plus it pays for our rental costs for
the evening!
Lynne Taylor has been an important musical voice in New
England for nearly 30 years. Her music has evolved as she
has, and is always pushing conventions and boundaries in the
realm of social and personal awareness. Her lyrics range
from dark and moody to hopeful and uplifting. She is
different from any of her contemporaries – there is really
no comparison to be made, either musically or lyrically. The
daughter of a folk musician and a poet, Lynne grew up in
Kent, Ohio during the sixties and seventies, and absorbed
the social consciousness of that time. She has always felt
that music was her calling. She began writing her own songs
at the age of fourteen, and has been performing
professionally ever since in a wide variety of genres
ranging from bluegrass to punk rock and everything in
between. Lynne’s music is characterized by poignant,
brutally honest songwriting combined with a powerful vocals
and unique piano accompaniment. A staple on the music scene
in her adopted hometown of Newburyport, MA, she has been
performing professionally across the northeastern US since
1985.
Blessed with a warm personality and down-home comfort on
stage, Andrew McKnight's powerful and entertaining
performances are like one man theatre; the songs are woven
together with humorous stories and poetic drama, and the
musical soundscape traverses influences from Appalachia,
tasteful slide and jazzy blues, feisty anthems, rustic folk,
and even a little fancy flatpicking on a Carter Family tune.
While his guitar is clearly the foundation for a concert,
the touches of native American cedar flute, resonator
guitar, djembe (African hand drum) and even mandolin add
delightful and mesmerizing embellishments to the show. Fans
of Darrell Scott, John McCutcheon and Richard Shindell will
find much to like in Andrew's songs and stylings.
"The skillful songwriter's interest in history is revealed
in songs such as the Civil War ballad "The Road to
Appomattox" and the soldier's elegy "Wind Whispers Your
Name."...he avoids stridency by crafting vignettes told
from the point of view of those in pain and keeps dourness
at bay ... He also works in true folkie tradition,
updating lyrics to classic material such as "Worried Man
Blues" or reworking Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" to place
himself mano-a-devil."
- The Washington Post
"With a voice reminiscent of Don McLean, McKnight
traverses from old-time Appalachian tunes to contemporary
folk and blues, all backed up by his dead-on guitar
playing"
- The Boston Globe
Bill Staines, a New England native, has been singing his
songs and delighting audiences for more than forty years.
Singing mostly his own songs, he has become one of the most
popular and durable singers on the folk music scene today,
performing nearly 200 concerts a year. He weaves a blend of
gentle wit and humor into his performances. Over the
decades, you have heard Bill singing on Garrison Keillor's A
Prairie Home Companion , HBO's award winning series Deadwood
, and Public Radio's Mountain Stage .
"His gentle lilting voice, spacious melodies and
common-chord lyrics give his songs a homespun grace that
often belies his mastery of the folk form. He is such a
pure pleasure too, people forget to notice how damn good
at the job of singer-songwritering he really is."
- New England Folk Almanac
For over five years, rising folk-stars The Bombadils have
been enchanting audiences around the world with their unique
fusion of traditional, world and progressive folk.
Endearingly described as “chamber folk,” the group of
cinematic storytellers have intertwined their musical chops
rooted in classical and jazz music (all trained at
Montreal’s esteemed McGill University) around an
approachable performance style that takes listeners on a
journey through history and towards the future of Canadian
folk.
Each hailing from their own unique corner of Canada, group
members Sarah Frank (fiddle, banjo, vocals), Luke Fraser
(guitar, mandolin, vocals), Alan Mackie (bass, vocals) and
Anh Phung (flutes, harmonica, vocals), first bonded over a
shared curiosity and love of traditional music – but have
since solidified their friendship with over 50,000
kilometers of touring and countless performances together.
“The Bombadils have all the elements of a great band – a
high level of musical proficiency, deep respect for the
traditional roots of their material and an engaging
repertoire which holds the attention of the listener from
beginning to end.”- Amy Gajadhar, Canadian Folk Music
magazine
WOODCHUCKS' REVENGE "warms folk with sparks of bluegrass,
country and blues." (Vox, Burlington, VT) This group, whose
name used to embarrass our children (so we kept it)
comprised of husband and wife Peter and Kristina Cady, with
Sandy Morse and Mike Lussen, presents an engaging mix of old
and new folk, ranging from Carter Family mountain songs and
New England fiddle tunes to modern western ballads. We even
toss in a few of our own parodies, including "Two Below" and
"Mama Fried'.
Playing guitars, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, bass and bodhran,
the Woodchucks entertain their audiences with humor,
history, and a variety of traditions from the Amertican folk
scene.
"Once again the Woodchucks' phenomenal versatility shows
itself, as it does in their concerts. Those who have
attended know that roaring laughter is almost guaranteed,
yet there are also moments when they touch on matters of
the heart and the pains of living with the same degree of
timing, finesse and understanding."
Rutland, VT, Herald
A special combination: the drive of bluegrass and the
original lyricism of folk, delivered by one of the finest
female vocalists in the region. Vocalist Colby Crehan brings
this sound to audiences with the Vermont band PossumHaw.
Formed in 2004 by husband-wife team Ryan (banjo player) and
Colby Crehan and lead guitarist Charley Eiseman, the group
has evolved into a well-oiled machine with stunning vocal
harmonies and stellar acoustic instrumentation. Mandolinist
Stephen Waud joined the group in 2009 and bassist Mitch
Barron in 2013.
Jazz and blues influences weave through a repertoire of
original music fueled by Crehan's skilled songwriting.
Crehan’s song “Road to Mora” was named Vermont Song of the
Year, and Crehan named Vermont Vocalist of the Year (Tammie
Awards, Times-Argus).
In addition to finely-crafted music provided by the entire
band, front man Ryan Crehan makes audiences feel right at
home with wonderful stage presence and wry humor. PossumHaw
is what the Northeast folk and bluegrass music scene is all
about—excellent original acoustic live music delivered with
skill, sincerity, and personality.
It's no surprise that Buffalo, NY born and bred songwriter
Davey O. has been described by Buffalo News critic Jeff
Miers as having "a journalist’s eye for detail and poet’s
ear for the well-turned observation". Embarking on a
decade-plus journey that has resulted in a collection of
justly-earned, highly introspective songs, Davey crafts pure
Americana that is not of the social and political
consciousness, but drawn from the deep well of experience
and human emotion - no hackneyed story lines, no insincere
polish, just an unflinching poet's look at life with the
characters woven in seamlessly.
Armed with his Gibson guitar, a battered straw cowboy hat
and a no apologies rust-belt work ethic, Davey puts rubber
to asphalt, entertaining attentive, diverse audiences at
listening rooms, coffeehouses, nightclubs, festivals,
colleges and universities throughout the Northeast, Midwest,
and Atlantic U.S. - performances that result in engagement
and communion between performer and audience through story
and song.
Haley is a pedal and lever harpist based in Boston. In 2013,
she completed her Master's Degree in Scottish Music at the
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Since her return to the US, she has launched a whirlwind
career of freelance harping. In September 2013 she took
first place at the US National Scottish Harp Competition and
founded the first Celtic Harp department at New Haven's
Neighborhood Music School. In 2014, she released her first
EP-length recording, titled "Valentia Suite," in
collaboration with British composer Michael O'Sullivan. She
keeps a busy schedule of performing, composing and teaching.
Currently she is gathering traditional and original material
for her next full-length recording.
Emcee Needed
Would you like to sponsor a night? $25 gets your logo
and link here, plus it pays for our rental costs for
the evening!
This competes our Spring Schedule, but join us for our
Summer Concert Series at the Sunapee Livery Building
Booking for Fall opens March 1 and booking for Winter/Spring
opens the previous October 1
