Featured Artists of the Hootenanny Cafe Radio Show

Since meeting at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 1991, Mark Viator & Susan Maxey have been on a musical journey through the clubs and venues of Austin and across Texas, through the Rocky Mountains, the American West, and Louisiana. Along the way they’ve succeeded in drawing from their divergent musical backgrounds. For Mark, it's the rhythms of his Cajun origins, country blues, singer-songwriters, and for Susan, classic country twang and Texas storytellers. Somehow, they have succeeded in developing a sound that is both roots driven and original. They incubated their approach by playing and singing with such Austin artists as Jim Stringer, Slaid Cleaves, Jane Gillman, Marce Lacouture, Steven Fromholz, Bobby Bridger, the Flying A’s, and many others, developing their craft and paying their dues. Mark and Susan’s songwriting is a poetic extension of the lives they lead. Listen closely and you can hear the questions that haunt them, the people and landscapes that inspire them. Their songs are full of emotion and heart, as they question the greater purpose of their paths. Musically and lyrically their songs are full of life and energy. Mark’s guitar playing, especially his slide work, has gotten him recognition through the years. Susan’s voice has been called “one of Austin’s unsung treasures.”  Their most recent record, Where the Road Leads, was released in 2020. “Mark and Susan have a rare ability to bring the listener into their musical world.  With a mix of Louisiana and Texas music, their southern soul makes the music shine.” – Mike Penard, Radio ISA, France “Mark Viator & Susan Maxey have put out a string of quality albums over the years.  Their latest, “Where the Road Leads,” is full of heartfelt, homespun songs with Texas twang and Cajun spice, inviting and satisfying – like a great meal with friends.”  — Slaid Cleaves, Recording Artist

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Twin Kennedy is a Nashville-based identical twin country/roots duo originally from the small town of Powell River, BC in Canada. With Carli on guitar and vocals and Julie on fiddle and vocals, these sisters have been described as "Nothing Short of Awesome!" (Cashbox Magazine). Twin Kennedy’s acoustic show has been a hit across North America, and the twins were recently honored as Distinguished Alumni at the University of Victoria. 3-time CCMA nominee, VIMA winner, and Grand Prize Winner in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Twin Kennedy is known for their sibling harmonies, heartfelt songwriting and high energy show that blends their classical training with their country roots. Most recently, Twin Kennedy released their album “Homebound”, which was featured by media across North America including Billboard, The Country Network, The Bluegrass Situation and CMT. Their single "Wise Woman" won the East Coast Music Award and MusicNL Award for Video of the Year. In the words of the Nashville Examiner, “Twin Kennedy is 100% made for the stage and made to entertain!”

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Steve Madewell has been a working musician for more than fifty years.

He has performed throughout Ohio with destination shows in multiple states and several other countries.

He also enjoyed a career in the public sector working for regional park systems where he supervised and directed a host of park operations including land acquisition and environmental education. He has worked on the development of dozens of park facilities and been involved with the permanent protection of thousands of acres of open space.

While still actively engaged with conservation organizations he concluded a remarkable conservation career to focus on writing, recording, and performing music.

Steve’s songs have a deeply personal edge to them. He uses music as a tool to celebrate his appreciation of nature. His songs frequently feature a story set in a well described landscape or place. This gives the listener a sense that they are visiting the setting through the music.

He has three solo albums, Rivers and Trails, Arrow Creek, and Hometown Blues.

Hometown Blues was released in October 2021 and is being played on and in rotation of dozens of folk radio stations across the US, Canada, and the UK.

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Sue Horowitz is a singer-songwriter with a story to tell. She currently splits her time between Ithaca, NY and York Beach, ME and loves living by the water. She grew up in New Rochelle, NY. In her past lives, she has worked as director, instructor and consultant in the field of Speech Language Pathology, been a religious school director, youth worker and song leader, worked in special education, taught guitar, and volunteered in her community. Sue is married to Rob, an oncologist and hospice physician, has 2 wonderful grown children with awesome partners, and is a serial owner of labrador retrievers. Although she was always involved in performing and leading music and singing, Sue became a late bloomer in composing, in her 40s. Sue has released 3 Jewish spiritual albums, "Eleven Doors Open" (2016-recorded in Boston), "In the Water" (2010- recorded in Nashville), and "The Power and the Blessing" (2013-recorded in Nashville). Sue has a wonderfully successful career in the Jewish worshop community, which she describes as "the best job ever". Over the last 15 year, she has been an artist in residence at communities, homes, and conferences throught the country. Her music has been published in many resources such as "Songs of Jewish Protest", "Ruach", "CCar Hagaddah", "Manginot" and "WCN Women's Voices" She was honored to be chosen as the Women Cantor's Network 2021 song commision of the year. Sue is a regular on Jewish Rock Radio, and other Jewish music radio shows. The founder and creator of the Jewish Songwriting Cooperative retreat, now in it's 5th year, Sue loves to lead songwriting workshops and retreats. Several years ago, after attending several song writing retreats herself, Sue released her first Folk/America album "Notes From The Garrison" (2016- recorded in Boston). Following that release, she was a featured performer at the DJ Choice Showcase at her first NERFA conference. Sue has just released her 2nd Folk/American album, her 5th CD of original music. "Strings, Wings and Curious Things", debuted at # 3 on the Folk Radio charts, her single "January" charted at #4, and she charted as an artist at #4. She hopes to continue touring and adding more folk concerts to her schedule. Christine Lavin said, "This is one first-rate songwriter". Stacy Beyer noted, " Sue is the songwriter that writes songs every other songwriter wishes they had written.” Her authentic, intimate, clear strong voice and guitar playing compliment her wise narrative songwriting. Sue is honored to be a featured recording artist on the Hootenanny Cafe!

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The Rough & Tumble are as easy to detect as a stray dog on your doorstep-- and as difficult to send home. The dumpster-folk, thriftstore-Americana duo, consisting of Mallory Graham & Scott Tyler and their menagerie of classic folk and homemade instruments, have been hobbling around the country in their 16ft camper with their two dogs since 2015, taking their songs to the far corners of the US and to the weird little towns they pass along the way. Love Is Gross...but it looks good on you, the newest collection of songs by The Rough & Tumble is a "fun project of kinda, sorta love songs" released February 11th, just in time for Valentine's Day. This comes on the heels of We're Only Family If You Say So, the 2021 album about what it means to be family, and what it means to lose it. With singles debuting on American Songwriter, The Bluegrass Situation and Grateful Web referring to the album as "a must listen," it has been embraced by fans for its stark honesty, unique storytelling and well-crafted melodies, especially at a time when families are deeply divided. With any luck, The Rough & Tumble will be traveling to a city near you in 2022.

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Joe DeFlorio is a singer-songwriter, guitarist originally from New York and currently residing in Ocean Isle Beach, NC. Joe is a member of Nashville Songwriters Association, selected as "one to watch "for his song "Died and Went to Heaven". Joe has had several cuts published by major labels, Atlantic, BMG and J Records including "She's My Only Vice " “He’s Me Now” and "Mickey Mantle Days", featured and played in Yankee Stadium on Mickey Mantle Day. Joe was a founding member and co-writer for the NY Pedestrians, a popular original 5 piece band in the NY Metro area. He has spent the last few years as guitarist and vocalist in the Tried and True Trio, a popular acoustic vocal group on the Long Island circuit. Now residing in Ocean Isle Beach NC, Joe is fronting 3 Peace, an acoustic trio. Joe has recently released a new 14 song CD ,"Lets Pull Together", available on Spotify and Apple Music under stage name Joe Rio.

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I can't imagine anyone in the world who doesn't know of Pete Seeger. Through song, speech and fortitude Pete Seeger inspired so many of the singer songwriters that are played on this show every week. His courage to take on the polluted Hudson River led to the creation and beauty of The Clearwater Sloop that sails up and down the Hudson River every summer to bring notice that the job of keeping the river clean for generations to come is never done. His courageous efforts and activism in the name of peace and civil rights ring true to this day and will continue to do so for years to come "...if we all stick to together".(a quote I often heard Pete say) But through it all, he couldn't have done it all without his incredible wife, Toshi Seeger, at his side. She was an awesome force to be reckoned with and so, this year the Hootenanny Cafe Radio, not only presents it's annual Pete Seeger Birthday show, but also honors Toshi Seeger and what would have been her 100th birthday (July 1). The songs for the Pete Seeger mini concert with selected by their daughter, Tinya Seeger. And the theme that Tinya chose for the Singer Songwriter Showcase: Songs By and About Women (in honor of Toshi Seeger.

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Jane Godfrey has been playing the guitar since she was eleven and singing harmonies with her sisters and brothers since further back than memory serves her. Jane was a shy middle child growing up in a household of nine siblings, where music and art were staples whether at home in St. Louis or at the family cabin in Minnesota. Although Jane didn’t realize it at the time, traditions like family sing-alongs and music jams with her siblings were the foundation on which her songwriting imagination was built. Two college degrees and three children later, Jane left her job as an educator of the hearing-impaired and deaf and began pursuing creative interests. She tried her hand at creating educational materials and greeting cards and then began dabbling in songwriting. In an auspicious twist of fate, the magazine “Girl Scout Leaders” arrived in the mail with a back-cover ad for a songwriting contest, so Jane wrote three songs and submitted them. “Thank You Ms Juliette”, a bluegrass tribute to the founder of the Girl Scouts, won the contest and Jane’s recording was included in the GSUSA’s 2000 CD, Sisters Hand in Hand. In the meantime, always the late bloomer, Jane realized she had finally found her calling. Jane’s passion for songwriting grew, prompting road-trips to Nashville where her skills were nurtured by attending songwriting workshops and performing at writers’ showcases, including the Bluebird Café. Her original intention was to write for other artists because standing on stage and performing for others was both dream and nightmare for Jane. But realizing that she needed to overcome her performance anxiety in order to get her songs heard, she hit the open mics. In order to keep herself from giving in to the critics in her head, Jane adopted the philosophy “Do it badly until it’s good!” Jane’s first solo gig coincided with her 50th birthday, and then encouraged by audience requests, she hit the studio bringing in her siblings for instrumental backup, vocal harmonies, and moral support. Jane's 2007 release Choose Beauty is a collection of songs honoring the ordinary and revealing the beauty and little truths in everyday life. It showcases strong melodies in an eclectic mix of folk, rock and a little Western swing. The CD’s final track “Finally Loving Myself” was included along with songs from Paul Williams, Mary Gauthier and Jon Vezner in Gracie Vandiver’s 2008 Prism Award winning CD Trail of Light. Within four years after her debut CD, Jane experienced the loss of her mother, her sister and a close friend. With a heightened awareness of life around her, Jane slowly but steadily worked through her grief with a renewed sense of purpose. Jane dug in and opened further her soul, writing songs around topics that matter deeply to her. The added depth and heart of Jane’s writing is striking in her 2019 release Imagine We Have Wings, where again she called on her siblings for backup instrumentals and harmonies, and produced an album that bears witness to Jane’s love and understanding of the human condition. Jane possesses both a poetic sensibility, influenced by literary songwriters such as Joni Mitchell and Patty Griffin; and drawing inspiration from John Prine and Steve Goodman, a knack for storytelling with a subtle sense of humor. Imagine We Have Wings made the top ten in the Folk Alliance International folk chart in September 2020. In October 2020, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Gene Weingarten, posted Jane’s video of one of the album’s songs, “Breakfast” in the Washington Post in his live chat, “Chatological Humor with Gene Weingarten”. Proudly embracing the moniker “Bravest of introverted entertainers”, Jane continues to write and perform in her self-titled genre of "Urban Campfire Cabaret". She performs locally and nationally as a solo artist, as half of the duo “CatBird” with Chicago singer/songwriter Sue Fink, and occasionally with her siblings in “The Murphy Family Band”.

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A baby girl was born to parents who loved music. The story goes that she started singing before she could talk.

One day her parents brought home a toy piano. She played it and played it until it grew into a big piano.

It was a special day when a neighbor stopped by, saw the piano, and started playing. The little girl was entranced.

The memory of that music stayed in her heart. When her fingers were strong enough, she began taking lessons.

She devoured the lessons.

Then a guitar came into her home and once again she fell in love.

Always there was song. She sang with the guitar, she sang with the piano. She started singing harmony one day while singing with her Dad. She sang in choruses. She sang in trios.

She wrote her first song when she was seven and kept on writing.

Along the way she picked up other instruments, enjoying the variety of sounds they made, and the songs that appeared when she played them.

When she grew up she sang in coffee houses, at festivals and colleges, and even sang at a world’s fair.

As the years went on, she recorded 6 full-length albums.

She has said “a song doesn’t seem finished to me until it’s shared with others.

She’s loved that her music has touched people’s hearts and souls, and has so enjoyed these words written about her music:

By jove, I think she’s got it! — John Lennon

I discovered your music by complete chance whilst traveling the USA recently. Flicking through the record collection of a friend of a friend and your album 'Harvest' caught our eye, we put it on and were blown away. I listened to it three times over."

— AH

Definitely my "Peace for the People Album" of the year. Peace Unending gets my vote for "Anthem of the Year" as well. Womenspirit Rising, Taking You With Me, Full Moonlight Dance and the title are written by Karen Beth. That's why this release shines. Fine, fine songs. Every track is strong (the definition of an OMAR). I hope we hear more from her soon.

— Airwaves

"Once you have heard Karen Beth's voice, you know it. It is an indelibly distinctive sound; a sensitive, lilting and rhythmic swing from note to note. Most remarkably, it is stylistically authentic." — Gary Alexander, The Daily Freeman

“Beth is a real musician. She writes songs with melodic interest, and she plays a number of instruments very well. (We heard her on guitar, piano and accordion!) she has a quiet intensity which I found captivating. Variety was the spice of the evening —Les Gerber, The Woodstock Times

And the story continues ...

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Carole Wise is a singer/songwriter from Brunswick Maine. Her music is sweet and soulful, drawing on a lifelong passion for education, the beauty of the natural world, and the adventures of finding truth through life's challenges. Her music is also organic - grown and nurtured from the seed of a feeling or a visual. "I do not chase a song," Carole says. Nature is where her spirit thrives and meditative walks are often the source of the seeds - as in the hawk she watched soaring above - that was the seed from New Frontier. Once planted in her mind and heart, Carole gifts it the time to grow.

Cadenza of Freeport, ME states, "Carole is a dedicated, talented singer/songwriter who offers provocative lyrics to encourage us to engage in the world around us. Her style is comfortable and honest. Her musical talent and experience is obvious."

Carole's most recent release "Long Way Home" charted as No. 18 on Folk Radio in November 2021, and keeps moving forward from there. The album was co-produced by Carole Wise and Jud Caswell, and was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jud Caswell of Frog Hollow Studio, Topsham, Maine. Carole’s vocal and acoustic guitar performance is accompanied by a stellar ensemble of Maine musicians: Mike Burd, Denny Breau, David Wakefield, April Reed-Cox and Jud Caswell.

Carole's belief in her creative process flows into all of her creative genres: music, writing, photography, and painting. They are all reflective of her personal relationship to the world, and speak to the universal experiences of humanity. Whether at a music venue, a gallery showing, or a poetry share, Carole's connection to her audience is the performance.

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Singer-songwriter pianist Jeffery Straker grew up taking piano lessons in small-town Saskatchewan and has gone on to perform over 100 shows per year across Canada, Europe and Latin America. The rootsy-storytelling of his songs has the power to transport a listener - out onto a lake in Canada’s North or to the main street of a prairie town. A clever lyricist with an energetic approach to the piano, his song writing has drawn critical comparisons to the likes of Harry Chapin, Kris Kristofferson & Billy Joel while maintaining a style distinctly his own. He’s recorded his ROOTS/FOLK music for CBC radio’s ‘Canada Live’, has seen his songs used in film, TV and theatrical productions and in 2019 won a Western Canadian Music Award. Recently he was awarded “Roots/Folk Artist of the Year” at both the 2020 & 2021 Saskatchewan Music Awards.

A musical vagabond, he’s toured internationally as far as The Netherlands, Mexico and Nunavut with tour stops ranging from intimate house concerts to theatre shows and festivals. Never one to let ‘genre’ constrain him he’s also taken the stage in sold-out concerts performing his songs with symphony orchestras. International highlights include winning the prestigious Vina del Mar (Chile) song competition, representing Canada while performing to a festival crowd of 20,000 people and a TV audience of 100,000,000 viewers across the Spanish-speaking world. He also recently performed live on BBC Radio in the UK. Jeffery’s 2017 12-song recording, “Dirt Road Confessional” dove deep into his personal storytelling style and debuted at #5 on the iTunes Canada singer-songwriter charts. It played on CBC Radio and college/community radio across the country with listeners and critics taking note. The Chicago Free Press has written, “Rufus Wainwright, as well as k.d. lang are among the Canadians making essential and beautiful music. Add the name Jeffery Straker to that list”.

Straker’s most recent full-length album “Just Before Sunrise” launched in May 2021. Produced by Russell Broom (Calgary AB) the album strikes a reflective and optimistic tone, with many of the songs written in the wake of the sudden & unexpected passing of Jeffery’s mom. Two co-writes with Royal Wood feature on the recording. Several singles were released in the lead up to the launch including the upbeat “Light a Fire” and the pensive ‘Morning Light’. ‘Ready to be Brave’ was sparked by time spent as artist-in-residence at a summer camp for LGBTQ2+ youth in Saskatchewan and speaks to finding the courage for difficult conversations. ‘Play that Song Again’ in the feel of an old-time waltz adds to the varied soundscape of the recording. The launch was celebrated with a 6-show national virtual tour and a 55 date “Pandemic-Piano-Backyard-Tour” crossing the country in the summer of 2021. The album was voted #2 in the Saskatchewan Music Awards Best Albums of 2021 rankings, by music lovers across the province. “Direct, honest and sure-handed, there's a magic to Straker's folk-based piano styling and powerful storytelling…a brand of contagion well worth catching” (The Walleye/Just Before Sunrise)

Jeffery is a classically trained pianist and swears he was born under the piano on the family grain farm. He was raised by a church-organist mother and auctioneer father which might explain his incredible ability to share songs with audiences.


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“I try to write songs on a human scale, but that also highlight the small details that can lead us to think about larger issues. I often walk around for days or weeks with some question about how the world works, or why people do what they do, chewing at me, and try to find that image or phrase that creates a way in – a seed to build the song around. “

Doug Kolmar is an award-winning singer/songwriter based near Portland, ME. Growing up in the suburbs of New York City, with parents who worked in theatre, he was steeped in the music of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley from an early age, and still harbors a soft spot for their wit and romanticism. A varied musical journey followed, including jazz guitar studies, stints in rock and blues bands, and a Master’s Degree in Music Composition from NYU. Since moving to Maine 20 years ago, he has focused on writing and performing songs that connect with audiences by telling stories of everyday struggles, with warmth, empathy, and a touch of dark humor. He regularly performs around New England as a solo artist and with the Folk/Americana group, Arcadia Band. A reflection of his dedication to the craft of songwriting, Doug is also currently President of the Maine Songwriters Association. So Said Life, his fourth solo album, will be available in April 2022. His music is available on all the popular streaming platforms as well as at his website http://www.dougkolmarmusic.com, you can also follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dougkolmarmusic

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Attraction is inexplicable. It’s pheromonal, quasi-spiritual, physiological and physical. For songwriter-pop artist Natalie Gelman, the pull to music has almost been innate. As an eight-year-old, she freely roamed the wilds of New York City, stoking the fire of her artistry, spurred on by violin and piano lessons, and her innate singing and songwriting gifts.

The Ojai, California-based artist has aptly titled her milestone release, Moth To The Flame. The 13-song album is a sublimely melodic and heartfelt blend of polished production, telepathic musicianship, and finely crafted pop with emotionally raw lyrics and storytelling. Natalie’s songwriting recalls sophisticated-but-still-pop tunesmiths such as Jewel, Sara Bareilles, and Jason Mraz. Her songs are subtly lush, detailed with ethereal atmospherics, majestic cello flourishes, chiming electric guitars, stately piano, and layers of dreamy vocals.

“I have put years into this album. While working on it, I got married, lost my mom to Alzheimer's, and had the opportunity to open for major artists,” Natalie says. “The songs on the album were written before going through those things, but the pain and passion are in the performances and recordings. These songs have taught me to focus on the love you can give and the integrity with which you live your life.”

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Big Little Lions are an award winning duo who were born out of a collaboration that won them a JUNO Award in 2014. Since then they have been cranking out infectious folk pop songs that are jam-packed with emotion and tight harmonies that sound like the product of two people working side-by-side instead of living in different countries.

They have released 6 albums to date, which have garnered them awards including the CFMA Ensemble of the Year, Independent Music Awards Americana Single of the Year and the John Lennon Songwriting Competition Song of the Year. Their critically acclaimed music has appeared on the CBC’s Top 20 and featured on shows like q and Vinyl Cafe. The duo consists of Paul Otten and Helen Austin, both hugely prolific songwriters - their music has been placed in hundreds of movie trailers, ads, network TV shows and on MTV.

They are currently releasing a new song a month, most of which are on some great Spotify editorial playlists. Their music has been dubbed ‘a blissful marriage of new folk and sophisticated pop’ by Mariposa Folk Festival, and is packed with emotion and tight harmonies.

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A laché is an athletic feat of movement — a leap of belief that involves holding onto something and swinging in repetitive motion, gathering momentum, and releasing into mid-air before landing or moving to another object.

Singer-songwriter Rachel Garlin, who tours nationally and who has earned songwriting honors at the Newport Folk Festival, Telluride Bluegrass, Kerrville, and Edinburgh Fringe, has been called “a troubadour in motion.” A lifelong athlete who played basketball at Harvard, she learned both the term and the skill of laché-ing while training over the past year to compete in the upcoming season of NBC’s American Ninja Warrior.

Garlin’s music career follows a similar trajectory. Her lastest EP, The State That We Are In, came as a quick laché-leap from her 2020 LP, Mondegreens, which earned praise from her hometown paper the San Francisco Chronicle (where she was commended for her community involvement through weekly Sidewalk Session performances), Americana Highways, Country Queer and more. Radio also embraced Mondegreens, with regular airplay in major markets like San Francisco, NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, as well as global streaming platforms like Folk Alley, Folk Music Notebook, and SiriusXM’s The Village.

The State That We Are In — recorded and mixed at a distance across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Paris — features four COVID-era originals, plus a singular cover of “Layla,” a solo rendition that flips the script on Clapton’s iconic recording and exists as a musical nod to Garlin’s wife of the same name. Rooted in a sense of immediacy and marked by Garlin’s imagery-rich songwriting style, the album is filled with tasty strings and finger-picking, a wake-up-call rhythm section, and a refreshing breeze-through-the-window draft of woodwinds and brass. Producer Jonny Flaugher’s multi-dimensional arrangements strike up chemistry with Garlin’s literary lyrics and conviction-filled vocals, allowing for a provocative walk through songs both personal and political.

In both music and these Ninja Warrior games, it takes practice, strength, and a certain amount of courage to let go of something, reaching for the next bar to hold or space to occupy. With The State That We Are In, Garlin tried to release her preconceived notions of what an album should sound like and instead focused on the process--the creative work and collaboration, as well as the feelings and instincts that go into making music. She wrote music every day of February, allowing herself to be a vessel for expression — inspired by the famous quote by modern dancer and choreographer Martha Graham who reminds us to “keep the channel open.”



As a result, the songs on The State That We Are In tell a range of stories all sprung from a well of authentic impulses to create. The ballad “Some Weights Are Heart to Bear” has a deep and haunting air, whereas the up-tempo track “The State That We Are In” serves as biting commentary on current American politics including gerrymandering and climate change (topics Garlin is well-versed in addressing, as a certified educator, community activist, and songwriting mentor at San Francisco’s Sunset Youth Services).

On stage, Garlin combines a warm stage presence with songs and stories related to her work as an artist, athlete and activist in her own community and beyond. Just like with the laché, it’s all about building momentum and knowing when to let go and fly.

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Songs from the heart touch the heart. And as we are touched we feel a full range of feelings, which move us to heal, connect and take meaningful action. Through her original songs and other songs that inspire her to cover them, piano playing singer-songwriter Linda Marks brings her whole heart to music, reaching the heart of the audience. Linda is a multi-genre artist anchored in contemporary folk, integrating elements of jazz, gospel, pop, and Latin in her songwriting arrangements. Over the past decade, she has played many of Boston’s top venues including Scullers Jazz Club, Club Passim, The Burren, City Winery, Club Cafe and Ryles, as well as participating in festivals and performing arts series like the Newton Festival of the Arts, the Rhode Island Folk Festival and the Boston Public Library. Linda has both performed at and written songs especially for fundraisers and non-profits such as Buddy Dog Humane Society, The global Light Up The Love movement, Upstage Lung Cancer, Charity Umbrella and the Cat Connection. She has been featured in the Boston Globe, Boston Magazine and Metrowest Daily News, and on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.” Linda has released ten albums, nine with award-winning Doug Hammer of DreamWorld Productions. Her first of two pandemic albums, Monuments Of Love was released at a triple album release concert at the Burren on 8/1/21. Her second pandemic album, Home, was released digitally on 11/25/21, and as a special CD mastered by Grammy award winning sound engineer Glenn Barratt of Morningstar Studios on 01/01/22. Linda is at work on her 2022 album Every Day Legends, and a special folk album in collaboration with Erik Balkey of Hudson Harding Music and Glenn Barratt. Linda's career is a tale of two chapters: the first one starting in toddlerhood where her first word was piano, having her first work performed public in 8th grade, studying music with honors and distinction at Yale with Tony-winning composer Maury Yeston, co-founding Yale's 3rd women's a cappella singing group "Something Extra," collaborating as a duo with singer-songwriter Lisa Wexler post-college, and releasing her first studio album "Dreams And Themes." The undertow of life took its toll for several decades as Linda raised her now young adult son as a single mom and cared for her mother with Alzheimer's. While Linda ventured out as she could during that time, it was not until the end of her mother's life in 2013 that she could fully devote herself to music once again. Building community through music and the arts has been a lifelong commitment. Linda co-founded artist-alliance group Women In Music Gathering, created the Music Salon as an intimate house concert series in 2014, and pivoted to grow it as an online community during the pandemic, and is a LadyLake Entertainment Artist. To provide upliftment during pandemic times, Linda has been playing a weekly lifestream, "Songs From The Heart, Meditations For The Heart" on her personal Facebook pages since March 2020.Special projects in 2022 include a new song written with lyricist Mike Greenly, "Let There Be Love," a duet with singer-songwriter Kemp Harris on her new song "Safe Harbor," and a new song being written for Unsung, a brand new book by Diane Cameron Elam about the struggles of Delta Blues musicians. Linda has served on the board of the Boston Association of Cabaret Artists for many years, and is a member of FAI, RISA, NERFA and ISSA.

Listen to your body...follow your heart...

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Reggie Harris is a singer- songwriter, storyteller and world-renowned song-leader who is a powerful interpreter of the global music narrative. A passionate, engaging inspirational entertainer and concert artist Reggie is known for focusing new energy on the important role of music in the discourse for inclusion and the struggle for human rights using the lessons of history as a base. As an expert on the music of the Underground Railroad and the Modern Civil Rights Movement he is at home on stage as performer, lecturer, or leading discussion in seminars or in the classroom.

Mentored by luminaries Pete Seeger and Bernice Johnson Reagon and other elders of the community, Reggie represents all that is best in social and cultural musical and narrative engagement. His powerful work on the music of Underground Railroad and of the role of music in the Modern Civil Rights movement has raise public awareness within education and historical circles. He has presented for thousands of all ages in audiences at colleges, schools and in public festivals, symposiums and concerts throughout the U.S. Canada and Europe.

A 2021 winner of both the Spirit of Folk Award from Folk Alliance International and the W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Award, Reggie is a charismatic community builder Reggie who was featured in 2020 on CNN’s Silence is Not An Option with Don Lemon and in the New York Times to discuss his familial connection as the descendant of slavery as a great-great-great grandson of confederate General Williams Carter Wickham and his slave Bibhanna Hewlett with his White cousins.

A teaching artist in the Kennedy Center’s CETA program (Changing Education Through the Arts) and a fellow for the prestigious Council of Independent College lecture program he also serves as Co-President and Director of Music Education for the Living Legacy Project, an advocacy group that sponsors Civil Rights pilgrimages throughout the South and online education seminars worldwide. http://www.uulivinglegacy.org

His 2018 CD “Ready To Go” ranked as the #5 CD of the year on the Folk DJ Charts and was in the top 30 on the US Folk DJ charts for 5 months of 2018. The title cut was the #1 song for May 2018. In 2019 Reggie and Greg Greenway released the CD “Deeper Than the Skin” in response to their challenging and insightful presentation of the same name. Reggie is currently a rotating DJ featured on Prisms: The Sound Of Color on The Village on SiriusXM Radio

His April 2021 release “On Solid Ground” is a CD of 13 songs compiled in response to the challenges and changes in American civic circles stirred by the COVID pandemic and years of racial and political unrest that erupted post the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and thousand of others. Reggie’s leadership in racial and interfaith dialogue continues to open opportunities for dialogue and courageous conversation.

A featured artist in the “Americans Who Tell the Truth” Portrait Series by Maine artist Rob Shetterly https://www.americanswhotellthetruth.org/portraits/reggie-harris Reggie is also a recipient of a 2018 Magic Penny Award from the Children’s Music Network for lifetime achievement in music.

His many recordings and collaborative CDs can be found at: www.Reggieharrismusic.com They contribute to the national dialogue on history, wellness and to the opening of dialogue and courageous conversations.

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Armed with original songs and feisty, powerhouse vocals, Karen Morand delivers soulful roots with gritty gospel on the side. Karen radiates with energy in live performances both solo and when accompanied by her acoustic trio The BOSCO Boys (Benny Santoro on cajon/drums and Aaron Verhulst on guitar, pedal steel and mandolin). A graduate from the University of Windsor’s music therapy program, Karen enjoys experimenting as a multi-instrumentalist – piano, guitar, ukulele, accordion and the banjo. Karen’s songs celebrate the joys and broken parts of real life.  She is the recipient of the 2016 Canada South Songwriting Contest and finalist in the Blues and Roots International Song Contest 2021 In concert, Karen performs original songs spanning her four album releases, alongside folk classics and new favorites from her songwriter friends. She appears live both as a versatile soloist and accompanied by the Bosco boys.  Since her first studio release, “Carry On” (2012), followed by “I Think I'll Lose My Mind Today” (2014), Junkyard Heart (2016) Karen has maintained an intense schedule of performances throughout Canada. Karen has brought her music to eclectic backdrops including inner-city churches, stages tucked deep into the Ontario forest, classrooms, living rooms and concert halls. Her first solo and most recent release, “Every Flash of Light” (2018) is an EP including co-writes with Nashville songwriters Steve Hindalong (the Choir), Kelly Kessler and Linda McRae (Spirit of the West). Other collaborations include her recent pairing with internationally renowned bluesman, Manitoba Hal Brolund as bluesy gospel Americana duo, “Even the Bird Was Free.” Highlights of Karen's musical adventures feature showcases at the Songwriters' Symposium and SWERFA, both in Austin, Texas, sold-out performances at The Bank Theatre in Leamington, appearances at the Winterfolk, Blue Skies and Kingsville Folk Festivals and joining the Windsor Symphony to perform her original song as part of the Six String Nation project.   Karen Morand and the BOSCO Boys’ newest album is “Ghost Hotel” (February 2022).  Praise for Ghost Hotel: "Bringing the twang down from Canada, this award winner and her acoustic crew show just how to raise the roof once the power goes out.  Just because they keep it simple doesn’t mean they don’t go deep and have their finger on the pulse of loads of contemporary things that are easy to take for granted.  Her pen is definitely mightier." Chris Spectre - Midwest Records "Karen’s new album is sooooo good!!!...Been waiting for this album! Karen Morand & The Bosco Boys new album Ghost Hotel out now! Unbelievably awesome! Perfect production and impeccable songwriting." Dan MacDonald Hear + Now AM800 What some folks are saying about Karen Morand: “I met Karen Morand at the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals in 2010 where I was a mentor. She was just beginning her career as a singer/songwriter and I was immediately impressed by her warmth and straightforward attitude. She has made great strides since then and has just released her second recording of her own material. Her songwriting belies the amount of time she’s actually been writing and I believe she is on her way to becoming an artist who will be a force on the Canadian music scene”  

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This CalArts music graduate has composed music for commercials/TV, films, and radio shows all over the globe (including Old Fashioned, The Fosters, This American Life Radio, The Art of More, and Last Tango in Halifax just to name a few). She also has music placed all over China, Sweden, The UK, and Australia. Posner appeared in two episodes of GLEE on season four playing banjo and guitar, and in 2018 she appeared in the Freeform TV show Famous In Love in playing banjo on the Conan O’brien Stage.

Posner has scored four films including: Award winning short animation, Elizabeth Sees, Across Land Across Sea, and Through Their Eyes, and the recently released Documentary Lady Buds. Posner was a primary role playing banjo and singing in a Bank Of America commercial for the Ken Burn’s new PBS Country Music Documentary in 2019, while performing and touring with her Americana folk band Abby and The Myth.

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Drummer-turned-guitarist Kim Ware of the Good Graces is known for her unique brand of raw, folk-leaning “southern indie” music. Performing with a rotating cast of musicians, Ware has been crafting tracks with both guts and heart since picking up her first guitar in 2006. She’s one of those rare artists whose melodic lines and candid lyrics feel so natural they’re almost unnatural; she’s been praised as a “songwriter’s songwriter” as well as “an Atlanta treasure” by local musicians and press alike. Named after Ware’s spirited grandmother, Grace, the Good Graces blend the gritty realness of 90s-era alternative rock with the straightforward charm of classic country and folk, inspired by artists like Lucinda Williams, Liz Phair, Kathleen Edwards, and Lydia Loveless. There’s an irresistibly relatable humanity to Ware’s music, which seems to transcend masculine and feminine perspectives to create an accessible, gender-neutral tone: She’s part Taylor Swift, part Joni Mitchell, with a little John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats thrown in for good measure. Driven by Ware’s knack for deceptively simple narrative lines, the Good Graces make songs that explore life’s unresolvable dichotomies through lyrics that feel both intimate and universal. “I’ve always tried to make my songs a very honest reflection of who I am. But what part of life fits neatly in a box? Life is not a simple thing. So I often end up writing about that non-simplicity.” Born and raised in a small North Carolina town called Kings Mountain, Ware was a shy, introverted child. Her love of music led her to take up drumming, where she could participate in songs safely from the back of the stage. She got her first drum kit for Christmas at sixteen and taught herself to play, drumming in alt-rock bands (including popular Wilmington, NC act Tex Svengali) throughout her twenties and thirties. Eventually she moved to Atlanta, where she joined two bands whose songwriters (Jeff Evans of Chickens and Pigs and Mary O. Harrison of Virginia Plane) inspired a new appreciation for lyric-driven, narrative songwriting. But it wasn’t until finding an old acoustic guitar at the Lakewood Antiques Market in '06 that Ware began writing and singing her own work as the Good Graces. the Good Graces dropped debut full-length album Sunset Over Saxapahaw in 2008, followed by several EPs. Next came full-lengths Drawn to You in 2013 and Close to the Sun in 2014, developing a uniquely southern, stripped-down indie style driven by percussive guitar and Ware’s characteristically pure vocal twang. In 2017, Ware teamed up with Atlanta guitarist, songwriter, and producer Jonny Daly to release third full-length Set Your Sights (acclaimed by major music outlets Noisey and No Depression) and 2018’s The Hummingbird EP. Daly also contributed to 2019’s Prose and Consciousness, recorded over a handful of live sessions at The Green House in Atlanta, as the Good Graces’ sound evolved into a more expansive, atmospheric Americana still rooted in simple, acoustic folk. Over the years, and Kim and the Good Graces have toured the East Coast, Texas, California, and the Midwest, performed at festivals including 30A, NXNE, and LEAF (where Ware was a finalist in the 2019 NewSong Singer-Songwriter Competition), and shared stages with a long list of renowned artists, including Indigo Girls, Sierra Ferrell, The Love Language, Elizabeth and the Catapult, Granville Automatic, and The Old Ceremony. During the 2020 pandemic, Ware launched two projects designed to connect local artists and friends despite quarantine restrictions: a virtual Facebook venue called “Kimono My House,” which includes members across the world and continues to grow daily, and a podcast called "Quarantuned With the Good Graces," where she interviewed musicians about their creative processes and the need for artists to stay connected.

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Nationally known Maine-based writer/performer Jud Caswell has a demonstrated writer’s eye for detail, drawing from the experiences of his home and community, always bringing to his writing an inherent sense of optimism. His most recent record, “Live at the Seagull Shop” was the #1 CD of the month on the March 2020 FAI Folk DJ Charts. Jud’s songs have received wide recognition - as a Kerrville New Folk winner, being recorded by Judy Collins, having the “#4 Song of the Decade” as named by New York’s WFUV Radio, and in being taught in the songwriting curriculum at Berklee. Jud turned the pandemic into an opportunity to support his fans and community with his daily “Morning Cordial” video, sharing the warmth and connection of music while raising money for local charities. He continues to record at his home based studio, and is actively writing and recording for his next release.

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Abigail Dowd calls herself a “song catcher” rather than a songwriter. She’ll be playing her guitar and picking out riffs, and she’ll find songs and lyrics spilling out fully formed from some creative place she really can’t explain. But she knows it comes from some place deep, some place spiritual. That, she says, is so much a part of her. Those songs make up Abigail’s third album, “Beautiful Day.” The album’s 12 songs touch on her childhood in North Carolina and her five years working and living in Maine. But mostly, the songs mine her present life in North Carolina. She and her husband discovered firsthand the ferocity of Mother Nature, the warmth of neighbors and the resiliency of the human spirit. During a 13-month period, from September 2018 to October 2019, their home in Greensboro, North Carolina, was flooded six times. Two weeks before Christmas, city officials bought their house and demolished it because the floods, brought on by hurricanes and torrential rain, caused so much damage. “It was a series of shit storms,” Abigail says. In the beginning, after the first two floods, Abigail had to live with her in-laws for three months because the house made it hard for her to breathe. Jason moved back into their unheated house to repair and remodel it and take care for their cat, Scout, and their dog, Oscar. Meanwhile, Abigail saw specialists at Duke Medical Center because of the pain in her chest. The water damage had affected her lungs and caused so much pain that she worried she would have to quit singing. After Jason renovated the house, Abigail moved back in and stayed for seven months. But that summer, while touring through Georgia and Florida and attending a songwriter retreat in Colorado, the house flooded again –– worse than before.

When Abigail came home, she became a nomad. For five months, she bounced from friend’s house to friend’s house. She didn’t know where she would be or what would happen from one day to the next. It became the most uncertain time of her life –– and the most abundant. She found herself finger picking, memorizing lyrics, hitting record on her iPhone, and working on songs by herself in all sorts of places, at all times of the day. She found songs while staying in her mom’s home, playing on neighbors’ front porch, sitting at a stoplight in her car and parking herself on a boulder in the middle of a creek in Colorado, a rock skip away from where she pitched her tent. The songs came. Abigail’s “Beautiful Day” was born. Abigail recorded “Beautiful Day” during a five-day period in late February 2020 in Fidelitorium, the acclaimed recording studio in Kernersville, North Carolina. Run by Mitch Easter, the indie music legend who co-produced REM’s “Murmur” and fronted the North Carolina band, Let’s Active, Fidelitorium has been a go-to place for years for artists such as Wilco, Suzanne Vega and the Drive-By Truckers. It now became the go-to place for Abigail. Behind the board was Jason Richmond, the Grammy-nominated producer who had worked with everyone from The Avett Brothers to Branford Marsalis. Abigail connected with Richmond after she released her second album. The two talked over coffee about working together on her next project. That next project was “Beautiful Day Abigail’s husband, Jason Duff, her constant sideman, played bass. Richmond then brought in a stable of session musicians –– Joe MacPhail on keyboards, Austin McCall on percussion, Alex McKinney on dobro and pedal steel guitar and Scott Sawyer on electric guitar. “I wrote these songs fearlessly when I went through a period of not knowing where I would live,” she says. “All that reaffirmed my faith. It’s that idea that even when we go through the darkest places, we can be transformed. Then, those places become magical.

“And these songs that dropped in, they remind me of those magical places. I wanted to share that.”

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John Roy Zat has been performing in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond since the 1970s. His songs have been recorded by Kate Wolf, by Banish Misfortune, Caroline Herring, and others. With Appalachian influences, Cajun, dust bowl, and a dash of rockabilly, JRZ comes from a long line of American singer-songwriters who occupy that space between country and folk music. Think Gram Parsons, John Prine and Jesse Winchester -- you get the idea.

"It was a pleasure hearing your set last night. I was sitting next to a friend of mine from New Orleans who spent time in Nashville as a songwriter, and several times he noted to me the expertise you exhibited in performing your set. Your proclivity for language is apparent in your songwriting, as is the heart you deliver in each song. I'm sure wherever your travels take you, the audiences respond to this warmth and wisdom." T. Martin, Armando's Singer/Songwriter Series

JRZ's latest CD, WHERE ZAT, was released in November 2021 and is just starting to get airplay. Produced and recorded with the legendary Ed Tree, it features a full band on ten new songs. There are story songs about small town life (American Dream Cafe) and the magic of new love (I Took Hold Of Your Hand). There is love I wish I’d never gotten into (Except For That One Thing), fishy love (I’m A Salmon In The River), whimsical love (Let’s Take The Long Way Home) and All About Love -- and a lot more. Hear it on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon and everywhere else.

JRZ's three previous CDs have all charted in the top ten on Roots Music Report. Who Zat? features his vocals, guitar and fiddle, with bass, duets, and drums on several of the tracks. Collaborations is a collection of mostly live recordings, made with musicians he performs with regularly. Solo, as the title suggests, is a studio recording of JRZ singing and playing on his own. These are also on Spotify and everywhere else.

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Too tough for folk and too blues influenced for country, Lynne Hanson's brand of "porch music with a little red dirt" can turn on a dime from a sunshine, blue sky ballad to a full-on thunderstorm of gritty Americana swamp from one song to the next. She's known for her high-energy, roots guitar driven live performances, whether playing solo or with her band the Good Intentions.

Lynne is a two-time Canadian Folk Music Award winner, a recipient of the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award, winner of the Blues and Roots Radio International Song Contest, two-time Folk Music Ontario Blues Award winner, a two-time Indie Acoustic Project Alt-Country album of the year winner, and a two-time Kerrville New Folk finalist.

Over her fifteen-year solo career, Lynne has recorded seven studio albums, published a book of haiku in 2016, and released a book of poetry in February 2020 along with her latest release “Just Words.” Lynne is currently recording a new album slated for release in April 2022.

RECENT QUOTES: “Just Words is an impeccable artistic creation ... will sit alongside the finest country-Americana albums one will encounter in 2020” - Exclaim Magazine

"Canada's own Queen of Americana" - Jan Hall, Folk Roots Radio

"Canadian Americana artist Lynne Hanson turns heartbreak into poetry with a rock backbone ... a tour de force." Glide Magazine

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Jim Jones is a Western/Folk Singer/Songwriter and a native Texan who lives in New Mexico. He was the International Western Music Association’s 2014 Male Performer of the Year and winner of that organization’s 2019 Song of the Year, along with the Academy of Western Artists 2016 Western Song of the Year and the Western Writers of America 2013, 2017 and 2021 Spur Awards for Best Western Song. His songs and books are about the West … cowboys, horses & cattle, cattle rustlers, the coming of the train … songs about people and land, rivers and mountains, the beauty of the Western sky. Jim has produced eleven Western/Folk albums as well as five Western novels, a novella and a Children’s Book in the Western genre. His Western novels include the Jared Delaney series, Rustler’s Moon, Colorado Moon and Waning Moon, and the spin-off series including The Big Empty (2016) and The Lights of Cimarron (2019), published by both Five Star Publishing and Speaking Volumes Press. In addition, his novella, “Scarecrows,” is part of a four piece anthology from Five Star called Perilous Frontier: A Quartet of Crime in the Old West, that was just released in 11/21. His children’s book, Bolo the Brave, illustrated by Kamee Young, was published in 11/20 and was a Western Writers of America Spur Finalist in the category of Illustrated Children’s Books. The second book in the Bolo the Brave series will be coming out shortly. Solo albums include “Race with the Wind,” 2015, “Headin’ Home,” 2018, compilation CD, “Favorites,” 2019, and the recently released CD, “Good Days Are Comin’” in 2021. • Western Writers of America: 2021 Spur Award- “Don’t Say Goodbye to the Cowboy Way,” (Jim Jones, Randy Huston) Western Song of the Year • Western Writers of America: 2021 Spur Finalist- “Bolo the Brave,” illustrated by Kamee Young • International Western Music Association: 2019 Song of the Year- “It’s a Cowboy I Will Be.” • International Western Music Association: The Cowboy Way- Group of the Year, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 • International Western Music Association: 2019 Traditional Album of the Year, “Go West” • Western Writers of America: 2017 Spur Award- “Halfway Down the Devil’s Road,” (Jim Jones, Allan Chapman) Western Song of the Year • Western Heritage Wrangler Award: 2017 Best Traditional Western Album, “The Cowboy Way”; 2019 New Horizons Award for Co-Producer of “I’ll Ride Thru It” by Deanna McCall • Academy of Western Artists: 2016 Western Song of the Year • Western Music Association: 2014 Male Performer of the Year • Western Writers of America: 2013 Spur for Best Western Song- “Texas is Burnin” • Academy of Western Artists: 2008 Male Vocalist of the Year • Western Music Association: 2011 Outstanding Western Book- Colorado Moon

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David Kleiner is an award-winning singer songwriter. His “Stand Up for Freedom” (co-written with Mick Choder) won the Philadelphia Songwriters’ Project’s Vote Festival award for best song. During David’s performance as winner of the Performing Songwriter Competition at the Avalon Folk Festival, the audience at that clothing optional event gave his song “That’s Why I Fight” a memorable standing ovation. David has recorded two studio CDs since his return to Philadelphia. Sing Out described his This Human Heart, as “all about intensity and passion.” Minor7th.com raved, “Words are magically transmuted into music.” France’s Cry of the Coyote named The News That’s Fit to Sing--his homage to the topical songwriters of the 1960s--among the year’s 5 best releases. David has headlined Philadelphia area venues including the Mermaid Inn and World Café Live Upstairs.

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Freshly nominated for Canadian Folk Music Contemporary Singer of the Year, Nova Scotian funeral director-turned-songwriter Terra Spencer discovered her passion for crafting songs while touring with country artist Ryan Cook, after being recruited as a backup singer in 2014 while scooping ice cream at a music festival. Since making her solo debut in 2018, she has charmed audiences in the Maritimes, Ontario, the UK, and Europe with deft fingerstyle guitar, gospel piano, butterscotch voice, and easy onstage conversation, making you feel knee-to-knee with her even in a room of 500. Her knack for telling intimate stories with heart and humour has caught the attention of Canadian musical mentors like David Francey and Ron Sexsmith, and she has become a sought-after studio vocalist and co-writer, leading a successful series of Words & Noise songwriting workshops in person and online. Terra's debut recording Other People's Lives was nominated for 2019 Music NS Americana Album of the Year, and she was selected by Dave Gunning to receive an Emerging Artist grant from the National Arts Centre in 2020. Her newly-released followup Chasing Rabbits, recorded at Sonic Temple in Halifax during quarantine, is a collection of very personal songs about family life and wildlife, leaving and longing, and the meaning of home. Set against the backdrop of the Canadian winter, the album features some of Nova Scotia's best players including The Bombadils and Bela Strings, with Terra in the producer's seat. Chasing Rabbits has received international airplay, quickly claimed spots on numerous lists from critics, DJs, and listeners of the Best Albums of 2020, and recently took home the 2021 Music NS Award for Folk Recording of the Year. Following a successful full-band summer tour celebrating the golden anniversary of the music of 1971, Terra is at work on her third album, produced by international artist Ben Caplan and set for release in spring 2022 with a cross-Canada tour.

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Hey all ,"variety is the spice of life!" along with some of my original bluegrass influenced tunes we will be exploring other forms of roots & Americana music. This show will will be a melting pot of blues, rockabilly, folk and more. We will be on the trail of the masters in their respective genre's. The pillars that American music was built on including material by Bill Monroe, Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, The Carter Family, Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie along with other great 20th century trailblazers like Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. Few musicians can cover this broad spectrum of music with authority and authenticity. I have gathered a great crew for this task. Doug Moody on fiddle, Roy Coates on the big bass and John "JP" Potter on guitar. This is all acoustic. You can expect some great fingerstyle guitar, flatpick guitar, harmonica, 5 string banjo & hot fiddling along with some stellar harmony singing. Whoo-hoo! check my web site for new releases

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Cheryl’s family roots run deep in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky though she grew up in Covington, Kentucky near the banks of the Ohio River. Up until now her life has been anything but typical. She’s lived a musician's lifestyle since 25 yrs old while balancing a job and family. How did that work out? Well, to date she has survived several divorces and love relationships. I guess she could blame it on a strained relationship with her mother? Who knows. Then along comes the National Disaster known as The Opioid Epidemic which wreaked total havok! The turn of the century pretty much sucked the life blood out of any semblance of normalcy for Cheryl and her family. It was time for more soul searching! Not much beats a good ole session of songwriting for therapy. Cheryl is certainly no stranger to turning to music when life gets mean and knocks the dominoes down. “When the heart aches… pour it out into the universe via your very own vehicle. Write a song dammit!”

A 2nd studio release is arriving in early 2022. Want to know this girl's early beginnings? This is a collection of songs that reflect her Cawood roots that grow deep in the hollar’s of Harlan County, Kentucky. She is thrilled to have 2 co-writes with iconic songwriter Jack Saunders on this collection. The Ballad of Spade Cooley takes the listener on a journey through the story of an intriguing murder sage from the 1960’s! She also included a tune about a real-life feud that happened in her family in the late 1800's. She is the writer on many of the tracks on this project but felt compelled to include two regional favorites. This gal has let loose some serious Hillbilly on this CD!

Cawood expects to release an EP in mid 2022. It will focus on songs of hope and healing. A new music-driven program, HOPE LOVES HARMONY, has been created and is ready to launch! It is aimed at parents/caregivers of those with a substance abuse disorder. Cheryl is thrilled to have been accepted into the Texas Accelerator program with MUSIC TO LIFE (MtL) to create and develop this program to help create positive change in the community. MtL was founded in 2000 by Noel “Paul” Stookey (of the 1960’s folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary) and his daughter, Elizabeth Stookey Sunde. Click the links! https://www.musictolife.org/about/ https://www.noelpaulstookey.com/

Reviews from her 1st solo studio release Love ~Pearl: "Cawood’s effortless way in which she moves between musical genres, and her vocal stylings, which range from sometimes reedy, sometimes powerhouse, but always rich with warm resolve, evoke true emotion in every tune and give the listener a glimpse into the ability and psyche of a songwriter who easily rivals any singer-songwriter on the music scene today.: ~Houston Music Review

"Singer-songwriter Cheryl Cawood is a woman in motion. Blink, and you may miss her as she zips by, juggling her full-time job as a laboratory scientist at the University of Texas Health, her family, her band, and her own songwriting career, all while advocating for causes she believes in and taking the time to work on 3 albums simultaneously. For some, the very notion of wearing so many hats all at once would seem daunting, but for Cawood—whom I’ve never seen without a hat—this kind of stuff is all in a day’s work. She seems to thrive on staying busy, writing songs, and making music with her friends." ~Houston Music Review

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His award-winning voice has been described as "sheer perfection" (Lesley Mitchell-Clarke - WholeNote Magazine) Over 45 years Larry Folk has written and performed in a variety of styles. From simple folk ballads to the swinging standards of the American Songbook, Larry delivers the goods with style, ease and emotion. 

A great story teller, Larry's ability to write lyrics that create stunning visuals for his listeners is matched perfectly to his masterful guitar playing. When he began performing regularly in Toronto's coffeehouses in the 70's, Larry's early songs mused about love and the beauty of the vast Canadian wilderness, but didn’t shy away from more serious subjects such as the questionable treatment of North America's Indigenous Peoples. In the 80's he sang on Ottawa's Parliament Hill and at Toronto City Hall during rallies to end Apartheid in South Africa, performing his original song Amandla! Ngawethu! (Power to the People!)

Larry's songs continue to challenge the status quo, confronting our complex relationship with the planet (Take What You Want From the World) political divisions (Feeling Lost in America) the loss of innocence (Woodstock Nation) and his response to Covid 19 (A Hit of Love).

Larry began his recording career in the 80's releasing albums and singles that span a variety of genres including contemporary Christian, Pop, Rock, Country, Celtic/Roots, and Jazz.  His 6th studio album In The Moonlight sees Larry returning to his folk roots.  Upcoming plans include two follow-up folk CDs Embracing Folk and Thru a Dark Lens (both coming in 2022)

In The Moonlight includes a new version of Gathering of Friends, a song of good-bye that has been a listener favorite since its release on his 1997 album Caught In The Light. A  re-release of that album with new takes and alternate mixes is slated to coincide with the album's 25th anniversary in 2022.

He has written and performed with country artist Rena Gaile, legendary soul-singer George Olliver, former Pat Metheny vocalist David Blamires and a host of others. He was a chorus member on the Rita MacNeil Show, (CBC TV) and an arranger/copyist on Sylvia Tyson's Country in my Soul (CBC TV) with music director, the late Ron Dann who also produced Larry's first recordings. 

Future plans include a new Holiday Jazz recording of originals and standards that promises to delight his listeners.

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Acclaimed Calgary, Alberta-based Americana artist T. Buckley returns with his second solo album Frame By Frame. Backed up by his top-notch band of multi-instrumentalists, Buckley delivers another of the trademark smooth and soulful vocal performances that make him one of the most talked-about artists from western Canada.

Frame by Frame is inspired by the impact others have on our lives. On the song "Marilyn", Buckley remembers his father-in-law's sister, saying “We carry our loved ones with us even after they have passed. Their spirit remains with us, guiding our lives through the stories we tell about them.” On “Before I Get To Turn Around,” Buckley sings about a friend attempting to rebuild his life, and the album’s title track, was written in honour of his grandfather who always stressed the importance of savoring life’s special moments.

For his debut solo release, 2018’s Miles We Put Behind, Buckley pushed his creative boundaries by working with Grammy-nominated and multi-genre enthusiast, producer/engineer Howard Bilerman. The slick-yet-measured interpretation of Buckley’s tooth and bone songwriting style gave new life to his narratives, and earned a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination.

Buckley takes that approach a step further on Frame By Frame by working with producer/engineer Jeff Kynoch, whose past credits include albums by fellow Albertans Cayley Thomas, Jay Gilday and Altameda. Kynoch’s open-minded sonic approach makes for an excellent pairing with Buckley’s spirit of creatively pushing the envelope.

With songs taken from stories etched in the trappings of prairie grasses and campfire ashes, T. Buckley commemorates the Western arena while paying hushed homage to the greats of songwriting and storytelling. His dedication to his craft continue to make his name known across provinces and states, steadily establishing him as a truly prolific and celebrated songwriter.

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“Take the inventiveness of Bob Dylan, the melodic voice of John Denver, add the showmanship of Garrison Keillor … and that’s Michael Johnathon.” Bob Spear – Publisher, HEARTLAND REVIEW

“This popular songwriter has embraced the modern age in a very unique way.” Jonathan Widran – ALL MUSIC GUIDE

“Michael is one of the few performers who understands that music of the future must respect the music of the past. His strong understanding of the folk tradition is a breath of fresh air in this era of cookie cutter singer-songwriters.” Phil Shapiro – BOUND FOR GLORY

Michael grew up in upstate New York along the shores of the Hudson River. At 19, he moved to the Mexican border town of Laredo, TX and found a job working on at small radio station. One night, he played ‘Turn, Turn, Turn’ by The Byrds. As the song played, he recalled seeing his neighbor Pete Seeger, performing in his Dutchess County hometown. By the time the song had ended, he decided to pursue a career as a folksinger.

He bought a guitar and a banjo and settled into the isolated mountain hamlet of Mousie, KY, traveling the Appalachian mountains and learning the music of the mountain people. Michael experienced hundreds of front porch hootenannies where folks would sit on their front porches and play the old songs their grandparents taught them. He began performing at hundreds of colleges, schools and fairs, over two thousand Earth Concerts, plus benefits for the homeless, farm families, and more. In all, he sang to over two million people in one four-year stretch. Billboard Magazine headlined him as an “UnSung Hero” and he has been featured on CNN, TNN, CMT, AP, Headline News, NPR, Bravo and the BBC.

He also created one of the biggest roots music, live audience shows on radio and TV: the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour. He organized the national WoodSongs Front Porch Association to celebrate rural and community music. Members are called “SongFarmers.”

His 16th studio album, Legacy, featuring the massive title track, a nine-minute epic about the history of songwriters from Bob Dylan to James Taylor, Harry Chapin to the Kingston Trio, hip-hop tp the collapse of the record industry as we knew it.

The most recent album, The Painter, is a song cycle about art, music, love and family. The album includes “Vincent” by Don McLean, “Cats in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin, and “Make You Feel My Love” by Bob Dylan.

He wrote the screenplay for the upcoming motion picture. “Caney Creek: The Legend of Alice Lloyd.” Pitched as the “Dances with Wolves” of the Appalachian mountains.

His latest release is the 176-page book, “WoodSongs 5: A Folksinger’s Compendium & Van Gogh Reader.”

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Joy Zimmerman’s soulful vocals and lyrical songwriting light up her new acoustic roots album, “The Canvas Before Us”, which reached #8 on Folk Alliance International’s Top Albums of August 2021. Listeners will hear echoes of their own journeys in Joy’s songs of hope, challenge and resilience. Her new album invites the question: What story will the canvas of our lives tell?   Joy’s reinvention as a dynamic singer/songwriter might seem surprising. She didn’t pick up a guitar, sing a solo or write her first song until her sons were in elementary school. But the elements were all waiting…a voice of honey, insights for days, and a deep love of music beginning with kindergarten violin lessons.   A touring musician based in Kansas City, Joy has recorded eight albums of original music. She has received an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and ten Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins.   “The Canvas Before Us” not only showcases Joy Zimmerman’s lovely voice but also an array of new songs speaking eloquently and emotionally to the human condition.”  ~Bob McWilliams, host, Trail Mix on Kansas Public Radio   “The title fits this project perfectly, and the palette of instruments and Joy’s crystal clear voice have added just the right colors in just the right places. This CD is a WORK OF ART!” ~Donna and Kelly Mulhollan, aka Still on the Hill

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Arthur Davenport wrote his first published song "So Near, So Far" in 1974, featured on a compilation CD “Until You Come Home II”, in support of recovering veterans.

Arthur "went public", breaking out with much akimbo, buzz and flutter into the D.C. coffeehouse and brew-pub scene in the 1980's, playing in the shadow of people like Mary Chapin Carpenter and Emmy Lou Harris.

Arthur Davenport's musical career now spans over 45 years of songwriting and performance.

He has been featured on National Public Radio performing his song, "Lonesome Cowboy," specially written in 1994 for a KRWG Las Cruces NM cowboy music compilation album entitled "'Round-em Up!" published by David Brower, the program host.

This review for his 2002 "Reality Bends" album provides a fitting description of his solo style:

"Using only an acoustic guitar as backup, Arthur Davenport crafts sparse, haunting folk songs with a wry sense of the absurd. Deftly hopping from one vocal personality to another, sometimes within a line, this far-out mountain man keeps the listener guessing." Mike McGuire, Listen.com

Arthur’s second album, "Whispering to the Wind", was released in 2010 with ten original Americana ballads produced with a full band.

He released several single songs during 2017-18, including “Long Dark Highway”, “La Rosa Dulce”, “The Rich Man Always Gets His Pay”, “Jonathan Leviathan” and “Family Reunion”. “La Rosa Dulce” was a winner in the “A Still Small Voice 4U's” songwriting contest award in 2020 on the subject of “Monuments”.

“Jonathan Leviathan”, his third album published in 2020, includes the previous singles with new songs, presenting something old, new, borrowed and blue.

Arthur is currently working to publish his body of works of poetry, and beginning a new album of music. “Stay Tuned”.

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Howard Gladstone, Toronto-born-based singer/songwriter, releases his 7th album of original material in October 2021. “Concord Sessions” is a “hybrid folk” album that holds a mirror up to human nature, in the age of environmental and humanitarian crisis, and a future we have limited time to shape. Looking in the mirror reveals many sides of our human nature, our strengths, weaknesses, even foibles. There are themes such as activism and protest, the environmental crisis, human nature, history, forced migration and the plight of refugees. A constant theme in Howard’s music is finding strength and resolve in facing difficulty to help heal the broken world and ourselves. Howard’s previous album “The Promise” was recorded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown and explores similar themes. Confined to his home, Howard recorded the guitar and vocal tracks of the album’s nine songs. Other musicians – including Kevin Laliberte, Bob Cohen, Russ Boswell, Marito Marques, Julie Gladstone, Laura Fernandez – collaborated remotely to add tracks, background vocals and finishing touches to the album. Taken together the two albums continue Howard’s musical explorations in a world where meaning and truth become ever more elusive and debased. The releases come at a time when the stakes could not be higher for those struggling personally, and for the world at a crossroads. The albums are a balancing act, juggling personal and global concerns. Howard has been playing guitar since teenage years and writing songs since university days in the 70’s. He returned to music in the early 2000’s and released his first album "Sunflowers Light the Room” in 2002. It was followed by “Candles On The River" (2005), "The Breath In The Wind (2007), “Roots and Rain (2010)” and “Hourglass” in 2017. “Hourglass” features songs created during the period when Howard was recovering from a spinal cord injury and focuses on the themes of healing and resiliency. Howard Gladstone’s songs, music, and lyrics are a multi-faced musical prism, and can be experienced differently depending on where you enter, where you sit, and how the light strikes it. There are diverse themes, musical styles, and multiple approaches. With a craftsman approach to lyric writing, Gladstone sometimes approaches his subject matter as a seasoned journalist would: with an eye for detail, and a sense of story. Other songs reflect a lyrical and romantic side. Howard’s vocal style has been variously called a “silky, “a blues-inspired voice”, “a singing poet!” and “a comfortable warm croon.” Howard was co- founder of the Toronto City Roots Festival, which ran from 2004 until 2010. Other interesting sidebar accomplishments include a 1970s article on William “Grit” Laskin on guitar making, and an interview with Robbie Robertson of The Band that was re-printed in Rolling Stone magazine. Howard established (and eventually sold) a successful engineering and manufacturing company business that gained a world-wide reputation supplying an essential component to the “high end” audio and musical instrument industry. Howard is still involved in his own company supplying a leading-edge power conditioning product for recording studios and high-end custom audio installations. Being grounded is essential to clean power and also Howard’s approach to song writing art and craft. Gladstone shapes ordinary words into beautiful visions… these are songs of strength and courage…. .…lyrics (that) bite into the social conscience of humanity and touch us right in the heart… …. arrangements that really make the songs interesting .. - Virginia McIsaac, Rambles.net "Howard Gladstone balances thoughtful and passionate lyrics with calming, soulful and diverse tunes that compel you to take a deep breath, and simply take the time to enjoy some good music" - CHRY RadioYork “If you heard this music in a crowded room, you'd suspect it was a lost gem from another time” – Greg Quill, Toronto Star

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