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They still wait in lines from Washington to New York for each new Kat Eggleston performance. Her original material ranges from humorous to poignant to emotionally charged. Kat Eggleston is definitely a sight for sore ears.
Kathy Cowan has the perfect voice for traditional Irish music. After appearing in concert with her, Doc Severinsen said, "Kathy's spectacular vocal performance really topped everything. If Kathy Cowan is singing, let me know so I can buy a ticket."
No one who has ever heard Kathy sing has left the scene unmoved. Concert hall or house concert, her evocative voice and open presence create a wonderful rapport with her audience. Studs Terkel: "In hearing her, you experience the mist, longing, laughter, and pleasure of Gaelic song."
P.S.: Bring money for CD's and tapes. You'll want to make this
memory
last.
Rosalie can make you feel she's touched life so deeply and paid her dues so courageously that she is as personally inspiring as the artistry she brings to her music. The sly sophistication of her vocal phrasing (a countrified fusion of Billie Holiday and Patsy Cline laid over dreamily melancholy acoustic guitar strumming) invokes an adventurousness that both embraces and transcends western folk roots. At the same time, her reedy Idaho twang brings a sense of sturdy realism to even the most complex material.
Rosalie Sorrels seems to find hope, and even redemption, out of embracing the contradictions and torments that less courageous commentators might avoid. She draws from a wide spectrum ... and through it all, she graces us with a rare sense of power, dignity, and hard-won optimism.
Our calendar shows that Sorrels will be 67 years young as she takes
the stage. We hope your calendar shows that you'll be with us to
experience
something special.
It's Priscilla's excellent taste in material and her ability to communicate the emotion and artistic heart of a song that make her one of the most admired and respected performers in contemporary folk music. Her performance is always a feast for the ear, for the mind, and for the heart. (Sound a little sappy? Come listen, and you try to give us a better description to use next time.)
And please ... come back on December 16 to hear Priscilla in concert
with The Voices in Winter trio featuring two other super-power
performers,
Anne Hills and Cindy Mangsen. We'll hang chairs from the walls, if
necessary,
to accommodate the large crowd we expect.
Bob is a Nebraska native whose family sang and played old-time songs. He can drive a dance band with his guitar and harmonica; he also plays banjo and autoharp, sings and yodels, and is an engaging storyteller.
Gail grew up in Missouri, learning tunes and songs from traditional musicians in The Ozarks. She sings and plays fiddle, banjo, guitar, and autoharp ... and is an outstanding dance teacher and caller.
Together, Bob and Gail combine vocal mastery with instrumental
prowess
to deliver a program of music the likes of which is rare in these
parts.
If you're uninitiated to or have ignored this musical genre, we urge
you
to give Bob & Gail a listen. Those who know their music will
concur;
they revisit an important musical era with an authenticity, energy, and
presence that endears them to all audiences.
Their original music reflects their wide variety of interests and experiences. Lou (an accomplished weaver and sewer) composes and arranges, sings, and plays piano accordion and button accordion. Peter (whose unfocused interest in art remains unfocused) writes lyrics and music, sings, and plays 12-string guitar. We don't know for sure that songs about weaving or sewing or unfocused interests are part of their repertoire ... but you can ask them.
Lou and Peter learned the roots of their trade by playing music from
folk to musical theater, and from blues to polka. It has been said of
The
Berrymans that they're "simply the funniest songwriters around.
Everybody
is doing their songs, but nobody does them better. Something makes you
like them almost immediately." Come find out what that is!
They've been described in folk circles as a "genuine folk super group" ... although they're too determinedly homepsun to acknowledge that.
Their arrangements are filled with detail and surprise. They're likely to change melody parts in mid verse and swap low and high harmonies, giving their performance a cascading intricacy. Herdman once lamented that "not everyone understands how much work goes into an arrangement when it's not sung the same all the way through." Well, you don't have to understand it to enjoy it and want more.
This is a high-power close to our Fall concert series. Mark your calendar ... with something indelible.
This concert will be in the gymnasium at the Lake Street Church.;
Special admission fee for this concert: $12/person; $10 seniors and
under
12; members $1 off.
Bryan has created a 5-finger picking technique that makes the autoharp multidimensional. He takes this quaint instrument and his own strident voice, forges them with his charismatic personality, and creates a distinctive contemporary sound that makes both his traditional and original material sound brand new.
Widely regarded as the leading virtuoso on the autoharp, Bryan can be as tightly wound as the strings on his instrument or as mellow as a crooner on Prozac. He is spontaneous, energetic, witty, and charmingly uncomfortable in his unchallenged position as the best at what he does.
It's been said of Bryan that he "generates more music from an autoharp than you can imagine from a 12-string guitar and harpsichord combined." We'll bring a 12-string, you bring your harpsichord and we'll let Bryan prove it. Autoharps Rule!
Lou is recognized as one of the finest singers and interpreters of British traditional folk song. Through his singing, lectures, and workshops, Lou has nurtured insight into the heart and history of his native culture. In the 1950's, Lou was a leader of the folk music revival in the British Isles, partnering with the likes of Ewan MacColl and A.L. Lloyd.
Gateshead-on-Tyne, England, wants Lou back ... but he's on a musical mission here. When he's not performing the beloved sea music and chanteys of his native England, Lou can be found working on three concurrent recording projects: (1) an album of Christmas seasonal songs and stories, (2) another album of dialect tales from northeastern England, and (3) a tribute to his old friend, Cyril Tawney.
After emigrating to the U.S., he worked with Pete Seeger, served a musical stint aboard the Hudson River Sloop "Clearwater", and collaborated with Dr. Kenneth Goldstein at the Smithsonian Folk Life Festivals. He continues to perform his broad repertoire of story telling, balladry, and rural and urban folk song at numerous festivals, colleges, coffee houses, and concert halls in Great Britain, North America, Europe, Australia, and Evanston.
Lou Killen's voice can be heard on 34 albums spanning 17 record labels. It can also be heard live in Evanston on January 27. Doesn't that sound like a good thing?
Small Potatoes is a six-year-old amalgam of two diverse musical backgrounds. Jacquie Manning's, deeply rooted in the folk scene with sidebars into theater and retro rock; Rich Prezioso's, trained in classical guitar with a closet affinity for '30's and '40's swing. Put 'em together and whaddya get? Potato salad. Yummy.
They say it's taken years of careful indecision to put together their eclectic mix of music. "It's a logical outgrowth of not knowing what you want to be when you grow up. Our tastes are varied and we haven't felt a need to specialize." Cool!
So in a very general sense, they're one of the most entertaining duos on the circuit. They both sing, yodel western style, and do fascinating things with guitars, mandolin, bodhran, flutes, whistles, and percussion toys. They sing serious songs, silly songs, and sing-along songs. In a single set, you're likely to hear jazz, blues, western swing, gospel, Celtic, and American folk.
Come meet Small Potatoes. They'll sing and play for you and make you smile.
Wrong. Bill could have been all of those things, but the truth of the matter is that Bill Staines is a perennial favorite of folk music audiences everywhere.
Staines' husky baritone voice is reminiscent of Kenny Rogers, sans the schmaltz and the Tin-Pan Alley repertoire. As a storyteller, he engages his audience with amusing, modest anecdotes that lead smoothly into charming ditties. Bill is also a champion yodeler, a talent he is no longer allowed to practice in high-risk avalanche zones.
Bill's homespun sincerity seems to be the key to his success with his audience. A dewy mountain morning, a drunken cowboy's lament, a trucker's grueling haul on the interstate - Bill invigorates these familiar themes by personalizing them, frequently introducing his songs with vignettes about his travels as a guitar troubadour. Staines the storyteller gives breadth and credibility to Staines the songwriter.
Bill Staines is just easy to listen to, plain and simple. He is wonderfully pleasant without being artificially charming. On the surface, Bill entertains, cajoles, and amuses. But all the while, he subtly opens up his soul to unsuspecting listeners. All of this contributes to his reputation as one of the most sought-after performers in his field.
February 17. Let us share this with you.
The four powerful voices of The Teflons create a musical tour de force guaranteed to sweep you out of your seat and land you dancing in the aisle. Gospel to country, doo-wop to swing, they cook up a savory stew of instrumental and a cappella energy.
Ya got yer Barb Silverman with her swing guitar and bluesy vocals; yer Valerie Mindel on fiddle and old-time harmonies; yer clear voice and ukulele stylings of Gail Tyler; and yer Patricia Ohanian Lundstrom beating her bass into splinters as she stands firm and yodels like a yokel.
Throw in some piano (space permitting), mandolin, and an occasional washboard solo ... and you'll be ready for a second helping before the sting is gone from your applauding hands.
Come enjoy the unique blend of old and new that makes The Teflons one of the most sought-after good-time bands in the Midwest.
Best of all, there's no messy clean-up.
And what a fine collection of material it is. Whatever song he pulls from his prodigious repertoire, his objective is to deliver that song in a personal way to his audience ... whether the audience be filled with knowledgeable blues fans or just interested listeners, or both.
Paul's music is rooted in old-time country blues and early jazz. His many original compositions borrow significantly from these earlier forms. This is not so much a function of intent, says Paul, as a logical outgrowth of the sounds he has assimilated over the span of his career.
Old and new fit together like a Gucci glove on a sinewy hand. Come hear Paul tell his stories. They're stories of and for all of us, really, with as much appeal in England and Europe as in the U.S. and Canada.
Paul entertains by being relevant.
Since 1969 in Corrales, NM, Tom has established himself as one of the venerable statesmen of the folk music scene. He cruised through the Chicago folk circuit in the'70's ... Seattle, WA, folk venues in the'80's ... and found a home in Nashville as a singer/songwriter in the '90's.
Known for his warm performing style and for his wise and witty songs, Tom tours the country delighting old and new fans with his ability to put thoughts and feelings into words. He delivers a performance with the kind of nuances that leave his audience sensing it has just experienced something special. We can't recall the last time it wasn't.
Tom works as hard as any performer around to impart freshness, honesty, and originality to his writing style and to his showmanship. It pays off, big time.
"A curious blend of urban street smarts and country charm." "Looks more like a matinee idol than a folkster." [One more such reviewer's quote out of us and Tom will rip this from your hands and stomp on it.]
Strip away the awards, workshops, recordings, and her contributions to humanity and community through her music and fierce commitment ... and Anne Hills would be just like you and me.
Few artists have Anne's range of musical gifts, and fewer still have worked so hard to polish them to the point that they appear as precious stones when they are laid out for us to enjoy.
Anne was born in Moradabad, India (no, we don't mean Indiana) and was raised in Michigan, where she formed her first folk trio at lnterlochen Arts Academy. Fans are more familiar with her current folk trio, Voices of Winter ... a treasure of a collaboration with Cindy Mangsen and Priscilla Herdman. She moved to Chicago's fertile folk scene in 1976 and cofounded the folklore center Hogeye Music, still a force in the Chicago music scene.
Anne's commitment to children and social justice keeps her busy with benefits and community service. These themes appear regularly in her music, delivered with a strong and beautiful voice ... as if we have to remind you.
Tom Paxton has said of Anne: "Anne's writing ... is as direct, melodic, and deep as any work being done today. She is absolutely one of my absolute favorite songwriters."
Anne is one of everyone's absolute favorite performers,
Drawing from their repertoire of more than 400 songs, The Cantrells move effortlessly between bluegrass, newgrass, western, western swing, Irish fiddle tunes, a capella ballads, original contradance, jazz standards, an occasional Broadway tune, and "folk-rock with an explanation."
The duet's sound features Emily's clear voice and strong rhythm guitar with Al's harmonies and multi-instrumental talents. Al adds his own lead vocals and switches from sizzling award-winning fiddle to mandolin in his own style, borrowing from such diverse influences as Jesse McReynolds and Jerry Garcia. Emily's punchy bass line and the couple's off-the-cuff humor help make them a main-stage attraction.
We don't know if Al arrives at every stop with his octave mandolin, or Emily with her "fiddlesticks," so for a genuine musical treat, implore them to bring 'em along. Can you handle good music and a good time?
Tom Paxton says of Bob, "I think of Bob as if Emerson and Thoreau had picked up acoustic guitars and gotten into songwriting." (We're pretty sure Tom meant Emerson and Thoreau the writers, not Emerson & Thoreau Heating and Air Conditioning in Wilmette.)
Bob's 30-odd years of performing have taken him to coffeehouses, colleges, festivals, bars, streets, homes and churches in 33 states, four Canadian provinces, and England. He was Artistic Director of the Singer-Songwriter Project of 1999's Bethlehem Steel Festival. His concerts have been listed among the top 5 musical events of the year by critics in the Boston and San Francisco Bay areas. The Boston Music Awards nominated him for Outstanding Folk Act in 1990.
Both seasoned and novice folk performers are drawn to the complex, warmhearted spirituality and clear-cut melodies of Franke's songs.
You are cordially invited to hear why.
Second-place winners in "Ensemble Arrangements" at the Chicago all-city Irish competition ("Fleadh Cheoil") for two years in a row, their music has been enjoyed from coffeehouses to cathedrals and from historical re-enactments to folk festivals. Their innovative arrangements blend Celtic, country, and classical elements of traditional tunes into a seamless whole. (Trans.: These people know what they're doing, and they do it superbly).
The group consists of Kathy Folkerts, flute, tin whistles, guitar, and vocals; Bobbi Hursat, hammered and lap dulcimers, tin whistles, and recorders; Tony Janacek, guitar, mandolin, and vocals; Angie Kieltyka, hammered dulcimer and bodhran; Ken Kieltyka, lap dulcimer and percussion; and Lynn Malnekoff, violin and viola.
Never mind their superb musicianship; you get 6 performers for the price of one! No pushing, please.
Playing in traditional clawhammer style, Miles' performances include moving interpretations of JS Bach cello suites...his own compositions...traditional American and Celtic instrumentals...and fretless minstrel banjo.
Miles is also a commanding singer and guitarist. His rich, high-baritone voice resonates with clarity, enhanced by his fingerstyle and jazz guitar playing. He includes songs from a wide and unpredictable array of musical worlds, including jazz standards, bluegrass, showtunes, and folk songs. Michael's diversity helps create a powerful musical event.
The Magic Banjo is Miles' one-man theatrical show, featuring the written and musical works of Pete Seeger, Carl Sandburg, Woodie Guthrie, Walt Whitman, JS Bach, and other obscure people you might not have heard of were it not for Michael's show. The Magic Banjo plays to rave reviews and super-charged audience responses.
Experience the magic in our intimate Parlor setting.
Her live performances are not to be missed. Her musicality is astonishing. Her joy and love of performing are contagious, yet we're told she discourages people from joining her on stage. She weaves the elements of music and stage into a program so unified and full of life that one critic describes a Claudia Schmidt concert as "a lot like falling in love...every moment is burned into your memory and you know you'll never be the same again."
A native of Michigan and with 26 years as a touring pro added to the mix, Claudia is the recipe for a world-class performer: Into a medium-size bowl, stir in a moving rendition of "Tammy" at age 4 around a neighborhood bonfire...fold in years of choirs, guitar, dulcimer, and theatre...season thoughtfully for 26 years ...serve hot or cold...and get in line for seconds.
Oh, Hogeye...you've done it again!
The day after he first heard an autoharp played well and in good tune, Bryan bought one. Only one year later, he was already redefining the autoharp as a folk and performance instrument. And his audiences have been hooked on him ever since.
Bryan has mastered a 5-finger picking technique that makes the autoharp multidimensional. He takes this quaint instrument and his own strident voice...forges them with his charismatic personality...and creates a distinctive, appealing sound that compliments both his traditional and original material.
Widely regarded as the leading virtuoso on the autoharp, Bryan can be as tightly wound as the strings on his instrument...or as mellow as a Bulls' fan. He is spontaneous, energetic, witty, and charmingly uncomfortable in his unchallenged position as the best at what he does.
It's been said of Bryan that he "generates more music from an autoharp than you can imagine from a 12-string guitar and harpsichord combined." We'll bring a 12-string, you bring your harpsichord...and we'll let Bryan prove it. Autoharps Rule!
"Chorinho," one of the oldest and purest forms of the traditional music of Brazil, has an intuitive sense of the blues, something that can be felt as well as heard. If you haven't heard Brazilian music with a pure blues aspect intermingled into it, then Dois No Choro will greet you like a loving friend you never knew you had.
On C flute and alto flute, Julie soars high and joyfully with her intricate, graceful jazz expressions, as does the ever-creative Paulinho on vocals, guitar, and percussion. Their traditional union of woodwind and strings is made ever new by the unique interpretations of each selection they perform. You will embrace this music and its performers.
A native of the Chicago area, Julie has performed choro in Salvador (Bahia) and in Rio de Janeiro, where she studied with legendary choro flutist Altamiro Carrilho, as well as with Andrea Ernest Dias and Dirceu Leitte. She also studied and performed in São Paulo with another flute legend, Carlos Poyares.
Paulinho began his musical career at the age of nine as a singer in a Sunday program for kids in his native Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais, Brazil. He's grown up now...and his guitar virtuosity is not to be missed.
Wrong. Bill could have been all of those things, but the truth is that Bill Staines is a perennial favorite of folk music audiences everywhere.
Staines' husky baritone voice is reminiscent of Kenny Rogers, sans the schmaltz and the Tin-Pan Alley repertoire. As a storyteller, he engages his audience with amusing, modest anecdotes that lead smoothly into charming ditties. Bill is also a champion yodeler, a talent he is no longer allowed to practice in high-risk avalanche zones.
Bill's homespun sincerity seems to be the key to his success with his audience. A dewy mountain morning, a drunken cowboy's lament, a trucker's grueling haul on the interstate - Bill invigorates these familiar themes by personalizing them, frequently introducing his songs with vignettes about his travels as a guitar troubadour. Staines the storyteller gives breadth and credibility to Staines the songwriter.
Bill Staines is easy to listen to, plain and simple. He is wonderfully pleasant without being artificially charming. On the surface, Bill entertains, cajoles, and amuses. But all the while, he subtly opens up his soul to unsuspecting listeners. All of this contributes to his reputation as one of the most sought-after performers on the folk circuit.
February 16. Let us share this with you.
Strip away the awards, workshops, recordings, and her contributions to humanity and community through her music and fierce commitment, and Anne Hills would be just like you and me.
Few artists have Anne's range of musical gifts, and fewer still have worked so hard to polish them so that they appear as precious stones when they are laid out for us to enjoy.
Anne was born in Moradabad, India (no, we don't mean Indiana) and was raised in Michigan, where she formed her first folk trio at lnterlochen Arts Academy. Fans are more familiar with her current folk trio, Voices of Winter...a treasure of a collaboration with Cindy Mangsen and Priscilla Herdman. She moved to Chicago's fertile folk scene in 1976 and cofounded the folklore center Hogeye Music, still a force in the Chicago music scene.
Anne's commitment to children and social justice keeps her busy with benefits and community service. These themes appear regularly in her music, delivered with a strong and beautiful voice.
Tom Paxton has said of Anne: "Anne's writing...is as direct, melodic, and deep as any work being done today. She is absolutely one of my absolute favorite songwriters."
Anne is one of everyone's absolute favorite performers.
Known for his warm performing style and for his wise and witty songs, Tom tours the country delighting old and new fans with his ability to put thoughts and feelings into words. He delivers a performance with the kind of personal touch that leaves his audience sensing that it's experienced something special.
Tom works as hard as any performer around to impart freshness, honesty, and originality to his writing style and to his showmanship. It pays off, big time.
Since 1969 in Corrales, NM, Tom has established himself as one of the venerable statesmen of the folk music scene. He cruised through the Chicago folk circuit in the '70's...Seattle, WA, folk venues in the '80's...and found a home in Nashville as a singer/songwriter in the '90's.
Some press quotes: A curious blend of urban street smarts and country charm. Looks more like a matinee idol than a folkster. Likes to give away free stuff at his concerts.
[Note that Tom's generosity is legendary...but the free stuff we mentioned earlier is bogus. All bogus.]
Ken's odyssey into Alaska started in his home town of Philadelphia and is punctuated by pauses in North Carolina and Washington. When he finally overcame the gravitational pull of Seattle and shot northward, he made his home in Fairbanks, Juneau, Nome, Sitka, and Anchorage.
Known as "Alaska's Fiddling Poet," it wasn't until he moved there and lived for years in cabins with no running water that Ken's fiddling took on the sound he has today. What one has to do with the other is unclear...but it paints an interesting picture of a talented man who has supported himself as a writer, English professor, fiddle player, and - get this - tennis instructor.
More than 300 of Ken's poems have been published in national journals. Two years ago, Albuquerque's West End Press published a full-length collection of his rural Alaska poems, including a section that deals with his near-fatal plane wreck near Nome in March, 1996.
So you see, if anyone has a story to tell, who better than Ken Waldman? Listen to him talk about life in rural Alaska...about life in places closer to home...and see what he can teach you about life in general.
OK, so we'll bring the kids. But ladies (and gents), take note: Spirits will soar and an occasional skirt may be lifted as this 4-member band leads us in a celebration of 19th-Century, totally-American music.
The Skirtlifters is led by banjo maestro and historian Clarke Buehling of Fayetteville, AR. Widely recognized for his interpretations of late-19th-Century classic finger-style banjo, Buehling is also at the forefront of a recent resurgence of interest in early minstrel banjo style. His noteworthy fellow performers are Tom Verdot (violin, banjo); Thom Howard (guitar); and Kent Beyette (dance, percussion).
"We give a viewpoint of the 19th Century that other performance groups overlook," says Buehling. The Skirtlifters' program captures some of the music and entertainment of minstrel shows from 100-150 years ago. It's important music, Buehling asserts, because it has led to nearly every other form of music America likes to call its own, from ragtime to jazz to rock and roll.
Treat your eclectic taste buds to something a little different. Come lift a skirt or two - and raise the roof in the process.
Representing two diverse musical styles, Cindy has long been a favorite of fans who favor traditional material...while Steve is a country-folk singer-songwriter with western roots. Cindy performs on guitar, dulcimer, concertina, and banjo, but it is her singing that brings her the greatest recognition.
Steve, on the other hand, just writes great songs and plays guitar with to-die-for aplomb. "Using a pick and two fingers," writes The Los Angeles Examiner, "he plays fast and intricate patterns which recall the near-legendary Doc Watson."
Steve and Cindy have separate musical histories, but together, they are pure magic. They continually show how valuable and moving tradition-steeped folk songs can be. Obviously possessed of a major songwriting talent, Steve has been writing terse, elegant and utterly time-defying story-songs for several decades. Some of the artists who have recorded Steve's songs: Garth Brooks, John Denver, Waylon Jennings, Gordon Lightfoot, Kenny Rogers, Linda Ronstadt, Tammy Wynette, Jiminy Cricket, and Dumbo.
Cindy travels with a voice that can warm a New England winter. Whether a hymn, a venerable old ballad, or a contemporary piece, every song becomes a musical poem in her skillful hands. Together, Steve and Cindy are the kind of quality duo that every male/female folk-music pairing aspires to.
Are you a fan? Are you a vertebrate?
Susan has been winning fans for years with her singing, songwriting, and instrumental prowess. She has released three best-selling solo recordings (you'll want to stock up at her concert) and has produced a widely-acclaimed compilation album ("Masters of the Mountain Dulcimer") featuring nineteen of the finest players in the country.
Activities from leading youth groups to working with disabled miners in West Virginia stimulated Susan's interest in traditional folk culture. Those things led her to conduct extensive studies of Appalachian life, arts, music, and instrument makers. Her love of Anglo-American music has taken her from the mountains of Southern Appalachia and the Adirondacks to the British Isles, where she has collected and performed traditional music.
Much of Susan's magic evolves from her ability to call up pastoral, tranquil images of rural America and link them to contemporary life. Her songs touch the heart, recall the past, and inspire us for what lies ahead.
This is Susan's first appearance at Hogeye. Wanna bet it won't be her last?
Their original music reflects their wide variety of interests and experiences. Lou (an accomplished weaver and sewer) composes and arranges, sings and plays pianoaccordion and button accordion. Peter (whose unfocused interest in art remains unfocused) writes lyrics and music, sings, and plays 12-string guitar.
We don't know for sure that songs about weaving or sewing or unfocused interests are part of their repertoire ... but you can ask them. And entertaining? Mercy, if you don't leave their concert smiling, we'll refund your money (except where prohibited by law or in any church in Evanston, IL).
Lou and Peter learned the roots of their trade by playing music from folk to musical theater, and from blues to polka. It has been said of The Berryman's that they're "simply the funniest songwriters around. Everybody is doing their songs, but nobody does them better. Something makes you like them almost immediately."
Come find out what that is!
(In honor of the appearance of the Berrymans at Hogeye Folk Arts, we present the following from the Berryman newsletter: Orange Cocoa Cake)
Ed's taste in folk music, and his approach to performing it, were shaped by people who combined a love of traditional music with an enthusiasm for spreading it around: people like Frank Proffitt, Larry Older, Bob and Evelyn Beers, George and Gerry Armstrong, and Howie Mitchell. With their influence humming in his brain, Ed embarked on a continuing journey of collecting and crafting traditional songs as well as songs written with an appreciation of traditional music.
Playing 6- and 12-string guitar, hammer dulcimer, and piano, Ed's repertoire ranges from ballads to shanties ... love songs and labor songs ... and parodies of all sorts. He's performed for more than 30 years in coffee houses, colleges, festivals, and clubs in the U.S., Canada, and British Isles. In between, he's managed to record more than a dozen solo and collaborative albums, and he appears on other albums with the likes of Don McLean, Rosalie Sorrels, Mark Spoelstra, Sally Rogers, and on and on.
Richard Harris of The Washington Post emphasized that "there's warm comfort in Ed Trickett's unaffected tenor and living-room folk approach." That makes Ed a perfect example of the kind of performer we try to bring you. And here he is.
Deborah's family is faced with musicians (in a good way). Her great aunt taught her the Scottish border ballad "Raggle Taggle Gypsies" on an island in Maine, and a farmer grandfather entertained with folk songs in English and French Canadian.
Peter's professional career began in 1971 as a member of the U.K. folk-rock group Contraband. He toured with Contraband partner Mae McKenna for eight years through the U.K., Europe, and Japan. His exceptional guitar work has been featured in numerous albums and concerts.
Deborah describes what moves them musically. "We do music that touches us. The songs and stories that are part of this folk tradition have been circulating since time immemorial. These songs weren't manufactured to become hits. They're archetypal songs based on real emotions, and that is what makes them so engaging."
Isla is a four-member group ... but because some of them can be pulled away by other projects, Packard and Cairney frequently represent the group as a duo.
Isla takes its name from islands in Scotland and Maine. Join us for an evening of music that will transport you there ... without the hassle of packing and unpacking.
Fidelity to traditional sounds has set Mike apart from other performers. His music conveys the depth of feeling, the energy, and the variety and texture of rural music. As he sings the old songs, he plays in a variety of old-time styles, accompanying himself on banjo, fiddle, guitar, jaw harp, harmonica, quills, lap dulcimer, mandolin, and autoharp.
Mike's interest has always been in old-time music - the music he describes as "real mountain-type folk music" and the foundation for bluegrass. He turned his musical talents toward preservation and continuation. When he was 18, Seeger was busy studying guitar with jazz's Charlie Byrd and classical guitar's Sophocies Papas. Six months later, he says, "I got completely taken up with the 5-string banjo." Compared to others in his family, Mike was a late learner ... but if he was late in learning an instrument, he had been listening all along - to raw, wonderful music on the aluminum Library of Congress field recordings his parents would play in their home.
A founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers in the late 1950's, Mike played a key role in reviving interest in traditional music. Since his first recordings with the Ramblers, Mike has recorded almost 40 albums, both solo and collaborative. One of those recordings (Retrograss, with David Grisman and the late John Hartford) earned Mike a Grammy nomination - one of 6 (so far).
In June, 2000, Mike mailed off the lengthy notes for the first of three banjo style videos for Smithsonian Folkways. Teaching a new generation through writing, sight, and sound, this may come to be heralded as his most enduring contribution to old-time music.
Just as Mike Seeger seeks to preserve America's traditional music in faithful performance, so is he willing to prepare others to do the same in his absence.
David and college pal Michael Hough have been pleasing audiences for more than 25 years with their enviable blend of midwestern warmth and universal talent. Audiences beg for more, and other performers on the bill beg to go first.
Mustard's Retreat is shamelessly unafraid to get silly with the audience, spinning smartly-goofy parodies and too-tall tales of wily rabbits, stupid frogs, hard-traveling cadavers, and marauding techno-nerds. And in their serious songwriting, their ability to connect with the audience is just as palpable. The moments upon which they hang their songs are moments all of us have felt: hands held in the kitchen, the careless remark that reveals too much, the hectic symphony of a city street, the timeless pleasure of gathering in shared song.
Tom Paxton: "They have a gorgeous sense of time and tempo, a real musicality to what they do. They're nice guys on stage and entertaining as hell, but there's also music in them."
Come meet David and Michael and let Mustard's Retreat earn a place among your top 10 favorite folk music groups. You will relish the experience ... and that's no bun.
Bryan has been a regular in the Hogeye concert series for as long as "regular" has been defined as "orderly and natural." He takes this quaint instrument and his own strident voice...forges them with a charisma genuinely his own...and creates a mesmerizing sound that compliments the traditional and original material in his bag.
Regarded as the leading virtuoso on the autoharp, Bryan can be as tightly wound as the strings on his instrument...or as mellow as a greeter at Rosehill. He is spontaneous, witty, energetic, and charmingly uncomfortable in his unchallenged role as the best at what he does.
It's been said that Bryan "generates more music from an autoharp than you can imagine from a 12-string guitar and harpsichord combined." And he can prove it.
Autoharps Rule!
Since 1969 in Corrales, NM, Tom has established himself as one of the venerable statesmen of the folk music scene. He cruised through the Chicago folk circuit in the '70's...Seattle, WA folk venues in the '80's...and found a home in Nashville as a singer/songwriter in the '90's.
Known for his warm performing style and for his wise and witty songs, Tom tours the country delighting old and new fans with his ability to put thoughts and feelings into words. He delivers a performance with the kind of nuances that leave his audience sensing it has just experienced something special. We can't recall the last time it wasn't.
Tom works as hard as any performer around to impart freshness, honesty, and originality to his writing style and to his showmanship. It pays off, big time.
"A curious blend of urban street smarts and country charm." "Looks more like a matinee idol than a folkster." [One more such reviewer's quote out of us and Tom will rip this from your hands and stomp on it.]
Instead, Cooper and Nelson found common ground: A fondness for strong stories set to beautiful tunes...familiarity with traditional Scottish and English ballads...and a love for slow Scottish and Irish airs. Huzzah, a duo formeth-ed.
Two decades and thousands of performances later, ballads and traditional tunes are still the bedrock of their repertoire. Somewhat newer is their collaboration with Kate Early. A long-time friend, Kate agreed to sing with Cooper and Nelson at a Celtic festival five years ago. The three-part vocal blend was a delightful surprise. Huzzah, a trio formeth-ed.
Cooper/Nelson/Early are committed to the music they perform without taking themselves too seriously. They entertain with an appropriate mix of excellent music, well-crafted introductions, and, yes, if you listen carefully...huzzah, an absurd joke formeth. (Oh, my...we chortle, lest we guffaw.)
And what a fine collection of material it is. Whatever song he pulls from his prodigious repertoire, his objective is to deliver that song in a personal way... whether the audience be filled with knowledgeable blues fans, just interested listeners, or both.
Paul's music is rooted in old-time country blues and early jazz. His many original compositions borrow significantly from these earlier forms. This is not so much a function of intent, says Paul, as a logical outgrowth of the sounds he has assimilated over the span of his career.
Old and new fit together like a Gucci glove on a sinewy hand.
Come hear Paul tell his stories. They're stories of and for all of us, really, with as much appeal in England and Europe as in the U.S. and Canada.
Come...be pleasantly surprised.
Staines' husky baritone voice is reminiscent of Kenny Rogers, sans the schmaltz and the Tin-Pan Alley repertoire. As a storyteller, he engages his audience with amusing, modest anecdotes that lead smoothly into charming ditties. Bill is also a champion yodeler, a talent he is no longer allowed to practice in high-risk avalanche zones.
Bill's homespun sincerity seems to be the key to his success with his audience. A dewy mountain morning, a drunken cowboy's lament, a trucker's grueling haul on the interstate - Bill invigorates these familiar themes by personalizing them, frequently introducing his songs with vignettes about his travels as a guitar troubadour. Staines the storyteller gives breadth and credibility to Staines the songwriter.
Bill Staines is easy to listen to, plain and simple. He is wonderfully pleasant without being artificially charming. On the surface, Bill entertains, cajoles, and amuses. But all the while, he subtly opens up his soul to unsuspecting listeners. All of this contributes to his reputation as one of the most sought-after performers on the folk circuit.
March 1. Let us share this with you.
Special Announcement: Bring the kids to this concert for just $5!
With a repertoire of more than 400 songs, The Cantrells move effortlessly between bluegrass, newgrass, western, western swing, Irish fiddle tunes, a capella ballads, original contradance, jazz standards, an occasional Broadway tune, and "folk-rock with an explanation."
The duet's sound features Emily's clear voice and strong rhythm guitar with Al's harmonies and multi-instrumental talents. Al adds his own lead vocals and switches from sizzling award-winning fiddle to mandolin in his own style, borrowing from such diverse influences as Jesse McReynolds and Jerry Garcia. Emily's punchy bass line and the couple's off-the-cuff humor help make them a main-stage attraction.
We don't know if Al arrives at every stop with his octave mandolin, or Emily with her "fiddlesticks," so for a genuine musical treat, implore them to bring 'em along.
Can you handle good music and a good time?
Strip away the awards, workshops, recordings, and her contributions to humanity and community through her music and fierce commitment, and Anne Hills would be just like you and me.
Few artists have Anne's range of musical gifts, and fewer still have worked so hard to polish them so that they appear as precious stones when they are laid out for us to enjoy.
Anne's current folk trio, Voices of Winter, is a treasure of a collaboration with Cindy Mangsen and Priscilla Herdman. She moved to Chicago's fertile folk scene in 1976 and cofounded the folklore center Hogeye Music, still a force in the Chicago music scene.
Anne's commitment to children and social justice keeps her busy with benefits and community service. These themes appear regularly in her music, delivered with a strong and beautiful voice.
Tom Paxton has said of Anne: "Anne's writing ... is as direct, melodic, and deep as any work being done today. She is absolutely one of my absolute favorite songwriters."
Anne is one of everyone's absolute favorite performers.
This just might be the most fun any of us will ever have at a Hogeye concert, including the night the performer didn't show up and thank God the sound guy could yodel. So, let's see ... what have we got here?
Fred Campeau and Mitch Thomas have been a team since the early 70's, when they met while both were performing around Chicago. A former Volo Bogtrotter and expatriate of other bands, Fred plays guitar, banjo and fiddle. Mitch teaches choir and theater and is a 2-time winner of the Wheatland Festival Folksinging Contest, a credential coveted by many in her field.
Songster Jim and songstress/wife Vivian Craig are still singin' strong after 30 years together, and still preserving the landmark status of their Hogeye Music Store in Evanston. Jim's mellow guitar and vocal stylings are familiar to most of us, and Vivian is familiar mostly to Jim.
Dave Prine and Tyler Wilson are neither a couple nor a landmark, although rumor has it that they aspire to be both. Anyone in the Midwest who knows folk music remembers them as The National Recovery Act in the 70's and 80's.
Given proper encouragement, "This Week Only" Special Appearance might evolve into This Week, This Year and Every Year. Now wouldn't that be something!
A resident of Maine, Jennifer is a musician, storyteller, and teacher whose dozens of concert and workshop titles have helped spread a love and appreciation of traditional music across all age groups. She relates stories from her Celtic-American heritage and plays the Scottish bagpipe, fiddle, banjo, and guitar.
More than just a performer, Jennifer shares her music with her listeners ... a trait handed down to her by loving, musical parents Gerry and George Armstrong, with whom she performed since childhood with sister Rebecca.
All four members of the Armstrong family have bestowed upon us one of folk music's most elegant legacies: their album "Golden Ring," featuring no less than Ruth Meyer, Howie Mitchell, Herb Nudelman, Shannon Smith, Win Stracke, Ed Trickett, and Steve White. Got it? Get it.
Jennifer's music and the passion with which she performs it are as engaging as a baby's smile. It turns your head and holds you spellbound. And that is exactly the way you will remember them.
An award-winning journalist of long standing, Rand melds his knowledge of current events and folk music into songs that satirize society, sans the dogma. "I try to aim up at the rich and powerful," he explains, as if to assure his audience that they are not the (sole) source of the problem.
Fans of PBS were treated to one of Rand's original songs when The Limelighters performed his "Generic Up-Tempo Folksong" during a 2002 fundraiser. (Don't try to tell us you didn't laugh out loud.) He boasts of being influenced by several legendary blues performers, and his sensitivity for the blues genre is a stunning complement to his timely original material.
Rand will be joined on stage by Rick Veras, a multi-instrumentalist whom you may know from his work around Chicago with The Hillbillies from Space and numerous other acts.
Good music and this week's news, with no commercials and all for just 12 bucks. Ted Koppel, call your agent
The band began as a 3-piece group in the early 1980's known for lusty interpretations of traditional Canadian songs. As the group evolved and personnel changed, their emphasis shifted toward songwriting rooted in Canadian traditions. Fiddler and songwriter Joe Grant is the sole original member; guitarist Steve Ritchie joined in 1988 and bassist Al Parrish in 1994. Multi-instrumentalist Terry Young came on board in 1999, and Bryan Weirmier replaced Ritchie's brother Rob on piano in 2002. (Loyal fans follow Tanglefoot around the world just to watch Bryan schlep that piano.)
I just finished listening to their CD "Agnes on the Cowcatcher" for the third time ... first to get a sense of their music; second to make sure I'd heard what I thought I heard; and third, because twice suddenly didn't feel like enough. I don't know if their song "Feu Follett" is supposed to get people dancing, or just to make you get up and jump around like when you were 4½ ... but in any case, it will move you.
Hogeye rarely features groups of this size and energy, and even if the word "Tanglefoot" makes you remember the time you got stuck putting on your socks, we guarantee it'll take on new meaning after you hear these guys.
We invite you to enjoy something new. If you don't walk away with your very own copy of their CD ... well, just be sure you don't walk away with somebody else's copy.
Her live performances are not to be missed. Her musicality is astonishing. Her joy and love of performing are contagious, yet we're told she discourages people from joining her on stage. She weaves the elements of music and stage into a program so unified and full of life that one critic describes a Claudia Schmidt concert as "a lot like falling in love ... every moment is burned into your memory and you know you'll never be the same again."
A native of Michigan and with 26 years as a touring pro added to the mix, Claudia is the recipe for a world-class performer: Into a medium-size bowl, stir in a moving rendition of "Tammy" at age 4 around a neighborhood bonfire ... fold in years of choirs, guitar, dulcimer, and theater ... season thoughtfully for 26 years ... serve hot or cold ... and get in line for seconds.
Oh, Hogeye ... you've done it again!
Bob is a Nebraska native whose family sang and played old-time songs. He can drive a dance band with his guitar and harmonica; he also plays banjo and autoharp, sings and yodels, and is an engaging storyteller.
Gail grew up in Missouri, learning tunes and songs from traditional musicians in The Ozarks. She sings and plays fiddle, banjo, guitar, and autoharp ... and is an outstanding dance teacher and caller.
Together, Bob and Gail combine vocal mastery with instrumental prowess to deliver a program of music the likes of which is rare in these parts. If you're uninitiated to or have ignored this music, we urge you to give Bob & Gail a listen. Those who know their music will concur; they revisit an important musical era with an authenticity, energy, and presence that's endearing and memorable.
If you miss this one, buckaroos, it's your misfortune and none of my own.
The day after he first heard an autoharp played well and in good tune, Bryan Bowers bought one. Only one year later, he was already redefining the autoharp as a folk and performance instrument. And his audiences have been hooked on him ever since.
Bryan has mastered a 5-finger picking technique that makes the autoharp multidimensional. He takes this quaint instrument and his own strident voice ... forges them with his charismatic personality ... and creates a distinctive, appealing sound that compliments both his traditional and original material.
Widely regarded as the leading virtuoso on the autoharp, Bryan can be as tightly wound as the strings on his instrument ... or as mellow as a Bulls' fan. He is spontaneous, energetic, witty, and charmingly uncomfortable in his unchallenged position as the best at what he does.
It's been said of Bryan that he "generates more music from an autoharp than you can imagine from a 12-string guitar and harpsichord combined." The best part is that it's good music. And it's ours. Autoharps Rule!
Since 1969 in Corrales, NM, Tom has established himself as one of the venerable statesmen of the folk music scene. He cruised through the Chicago folk circuit in the '70's ... Seattle, WA folk venues in the '80's ... and found a home in Nashville as a singer/songwriter in the '90's.
Known for his warm performing style and for his wise and witty songs, Tom tours the country delighting old and new fans with his ability to put thoughts and feelings into words. He delivers a performance with the kind of nuances that leave his audience sensing it has just experienced something special. We can't recall the last time it wasn't.
Tom works as hard as any performer around to impart freshness, honesty, and originality to his writing style and to his showmanship. It pays off, big time.
"A curious blend of urban street smarts and country charm." "Looks more like a matinee idol than a folkster." "Sings better when he's sick and hoarse." [We made up that last one.]
Tom is giving a dollar to everyone who brings a ticket stub from his 3/1/03 Hogeye show.
Their original music reflects their wide variety of interests and experiences. Lou (an accomplished weaver and sewer) composes and arranges, sings, and plays pianoaccordion and button accordion. Peter (whose unfocused interest in art remains unfocused) writes lyrics and music, sings, and plays 12-string guitar.
We don't know for sure that songs about weaving or sewing or unfocused interests are part of their repertoire ... but you can ask them. And entertaining? Mercy, if you don't leave their concert smiling, we'll refund your money (except where prohibited by law or in any church in Evanston, IL).
Lou and Peter learned the roots of their trade by playing music from folk to musical theater, and from blues to polka. It has been said of The Berryman's that they're "simply the funniest songwriters around. Everybody is doing their songs, but nobody does them better. Something makes you like them almost immediately."
Come find out what that is!
(In honor of the appearance of the Berrymans at Hogeye Folk Arts, we present the following from the Berryman newsletter: Orange Cocoa Cake)
Wrong. Bill could have been all of those things, but the truth is that Bill Staines is a perennial favorite of folk music audiences everywhere, especially in Evanston, IL.
Staines' husky baritone voice is reminiscent of Kenny Rogers, sans the schmaltz and the Tin-Pan Alley repertoire. As a storyteller, he engages his audience with amusing, modest anecdotes that lead smoothly into charming ditties. Bill is also a champion yodeler, a talent he is no longer allowed to practice in high-risk avalanche zones.
Bill's homespun sincerity seems to be the key to his success with his audience. A dewy mountain morning, a drunken cowboy's lament, a trucker's grueling haul on the interstate - Bill invigorates these familiar themes by personalizing them, frequently introducing his songs with vignettes about his travels as a guitar troubadour. Staines the storyteller gives breadth and credibility to Staines the songwriter.
Staines is easy to listen to, plain and simple. He is wonderfully pleasant without being artificially charming. Bill entertains, cajoles, and amuses, all the while subtly opening up his soul to unsuspecting listeners. All of this contributes to his reputation as one of the most sought-after performers on the folk circuit.
February 21. Let us share this with you.
Strip away the awards, workshops, recordings, and her contributions to humanity and community through her music and fierce commitment, and Anne Hills would be just like you and me. Few artists have Anne's range of musical gifts, and fewer still have worked so hard to polish them so that they appear as precious stones when they are laid out for us to enjoy.
Anne was born in Moradabad, India (no, we don't mean Indiana) and was raised in Michigan, where she formed her first folk trio at Interlochen Arts Academy. Fans are more familiar with her current folk trio, Voices of Winter ... a treasure of a collaboration with Cindy Mangsen and Priscilla Herdman. She moved to Chicago's fertile folk scene in 1976 and cofounded the folklore center Hogeye Music, still a force in the Chicago music scene.
Anne's commitment to children and social justice keeps her busy with benefits and community service. These themes appear regularly in her music, delivered with a strong and beautiful voice.
Tom Paxton has said of Anne: "Anne's writing ... is as direct, melodic, and deep as any work being done today. She is absolutely one of my absolute favorite songwriters."
Anne is one of everyone's absolute favorite performers. In the Gymnasium.
Ken's odyssey into Alaska started in his home town of Philadelphia and is punctuated by pauses in North Carolina and Washington. When he finally overcame the gravitational pull of Seattle and shot northward, he made his home in Fairbanks, Juneau, Nome, Sitka, and Anchorage. Known as "Alaska's Fiddling Poet," it wasn't until he moved there and lived for years in cabins with no running water that Ken's fiddling took on the sound he has today. What one has to do with the other is unclear ... but it paints an interesting picture of a talented man who has supported himself as a writer, English professor, fiddle player, and-get this-tennis instructor.
More than 300 of Ken's poems have been published in national journals. Two years ago, Albuquerque's West End Press published a full-length collection of his rural Alaska poems, including a section that deals with his near-fatal plane wreck near Nome in March, 1996.
So you see, if anyone has a story to tell, who better than Ken Waldman? Listen to him talk about life in rural Alaska ... about life in places closer to home ... and see what he can teach you about life in general. In the Parlor.
Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary Tribute concert in 1992 is where Carolyn reaffirned her stature in American folk music. Carolyn met Dylan in Greenwich Village in the early '60's. He was a young singer/songwriter with an engaging harmonica style, and Carolyn invited him to appear on her first album ... which, as it turned out, would be his first record appearance, too. A native Texan, Carolyn is known as a dynamic singer with a repertoire of Southwestern-flavored originals and long-standing favorites. In addition to a discography that includes more than a dozen albums, she can be heard on Nanci Griffith's Grammy-winning album "Other Voices/Other Rooms" ... on Tom Paxton's song "I Can't Help but Wonder Where I'm Bound ... and her "Ascending Woman" was a featured reprint in Sing Out! magazine. If she's not already on your music shelf, Carolyn is clearly worth rediscovering.
Carolyn is a busy touring professional. She's a veteran of two Edinburgh Folk Festivals, numerous European tours and festivals, and dozens of U.S. tours. We're lucky to be included on her 2004 schedule.
"The Texas Songbird" perches here on April 3. In the Parlor.
Folk music anthologists, ethnologists, and-especially-ethicists will be paying close attention to this one. Too shy and limited in talent to perform alone, our performers take the stage with the prayer that one of them may be able to keep the others in tempo and on key.
Fred Campeau and Mitch Thomas have been a team since the early 70's, when they met while both were performing around Chicago. A former Volo Bogtrotter and expatriate of other bands, Fred plays guitar, banjo and fiddle. Mitch teaches choir and theater and is a 2-time winner of the Wheatland Festival Folksinging Contest, a credential coveted by many in her field.
Songster Jim and songstress/wife Vivian Craig have been a duo on the Chicago folk scene for decades. They're still singin' strong and still preserving the landmark status of their Hogeye Music Store in Evanston. Jim's mellow guitar and vocal stylings land easily on the ear.
Two of last year's performers will be missed. Dave Prine broke his wrist in January in a spill on the ice. Tyler Wilson is nursing his wife Joan back from knee replacement surgery. But there's good news, too ... the sound guy's bringin' vacation slides. It's not too late to stop this. Please show up in large numbers for the protest rally that begins at 7:30 p.m. in The Lake Street Church gymnasium.
Strip away the awards, workshops, recordings, and her contributions to humanity and community through her music and fierce commitment, and Anne Hills would be just like us. Few artists have Anne's range of musical gifts, and fewer still have worked so hard to polish them so that they appear as precious stones when they are laid out for us to enjoy. Anne was born in Moradabad, India, and was raised in Michigan, where she formed her first folk trio at Interlochen Arts Academy. Fans are more familiar with her current folk trio, Voices of Winter ... that treasure of a collaboration with Cindy Mangsen and Priscilla Herdman. She moved to Chicago's fertile folk scene in 1976 and co-founded the folklore center Hogeye Music, still a favorite gathering place for anyone who wants to learn or share folk music.
Tom Paxton has said of Anne: "Anne's writing ... is as direct, melodic, and deep as any work being done today. She is absolutely one of my absolute favorite songwriters." Anne is one of everyone's absolute favorite performers. Grab a seat early in The Lake Street Church's MacLeish Hall (a.k.a. The Gym), or grab someone else's seat. Just come and grab and feel good all night.
In addition to being a noteworthy guitar and banjo player, Ed is a polished comedian with masterful timing. He recalls a bucketful of nostalgia from the early days of the "Folk Scare" in Chicago ... in such vivid detail and with such charm that even those of you younger than the Olsen Twins will swear you were there. (It was a good time; it gave us Ed.)
Ed is also a songwriter of some renown. His songs have been performed by the likes of Bette Midler, Bonnie Koloc, Steve Goodman, Chad Mitchell, Martin Simpson, and Tom Rush. We can't mention the others who charge for the use of their names. Journey with Ed back inside the storied walls of the Fret Shop in Hyde Park. Don't let him leave without telling you about Mickey Gottlieb. Get a taste of what folk music and folk performers were meant to be. The Lake Street Church Josephine Grey Parlor is the perfect setting for Ed's richness and warmth.
Self-proclaimed "eclecto-maniacs," Jacquie and Rich define their music as "Celtic to Cowboy." Their singing/songwriting encompasses styles from country to blues to swing to Irish and more, evolved from years of "careful indecision."
Jacquie and Rich both sing and play guitars and an array of other instruments. They've been heralded in the press as "one of the most polished, inventive, and entertaining shows on the circuit." From the opening whistle, it's music and fun.
Says the San Diego Folk Heritage Society: "They're original, funny, energetic, profound [and] when they get their hands on the music, rhythmically and harmonically, it just takes off. The audience loves them with a stand-up-and-shout kind of love." Bring the small fry to see Small Potatoes. You'll hear two great voices, fine guitar playing, and musical surprises. All together, you'll be treated to a rare blend of vocal and instrumental abilities expressed in original and borrowed material arranged like you've never heard before. At the Unitarian Church, Room 3.
Steve is best known as a songwriter for major artists the likes of John Denver, Garth Brooks, Linda Ronstadt, et al. He's also a facile guitarist with a flare and touch that have been compared to Doc Watson. (Not Doc Watson the gastroenterologist from Fairfield, CT - we mean THE Doc Watson.)
Cindy is renowned for her compelling voice and her trio recordings with Anne Hills and Priscilla Herdman, as well as for her solo albums. She adds silky-smooth guitar, banjo and concertina to Steve's guitar and fiddle.
This is all well and good if you've never heard Steve and Cindy perform. But if you have, then you know that these are just the words we use to describe entertainers whose talents transcend words. You know that this is the duo everyone waits to hear year after year ... to enjoy the treat of their performance only too rarely on the Hogeye stage. Well, guess what: It's time for another treat.
The Lake Street Church Josephine Grey Parlor. Collect a couple hours of musical memories to last (we can only hope) until next time.
Matt brings a special set of talents to the stage. His performances are characterized by excellent guitar playing, a mellow voice, warm kinship with the audience, and familiarity with an awesome range of folk music. Add to that his special brand of humor (which he shares at no extra charge), and the stage is set for a memorable night of entertainment.
Matt hosts "Folks Like Us," one of the finest and most complete folk music radio programs in the country. He is on a first-name basis with almost every major folk musician in North America, and he boasts a commanding grasp of folk music starting when it was first called music.
Oh, sure ... he's a husband, father, teacher, and writer, too - but who isn't, eh? Let him keep you spellbound with songs of compassion, inner strength, humor, and every-day living. He'll be at the Unitarian Church celebrating the release of his new CD, "Jukebox Folk." Buy one (for yourself and for everyone you know).
Known for his warm performing style and for his wise and witty songs, Tom tours the country delighting fans with his ability to put thoughts and feelings into words. He delivers a performance with the kind of nuances that leave his audience sensing it has just experienced something special. We can't recall the last time it wasn't.
Tom works as hard as any performer around to impart freshness, honesty, and originality to his writing style and to his showmanship. It pays off, big time.
If you're one of the lucky ones who's never missed a Tom Dundee concert within 100 miles of downtown Chicago, we're making it easy to keep your record intact. Tom knows who you are.
The day after he first heard an autoharp played well and in good tune, Bryan Bowers bought one. Only one year later, he was already redefining the autoharp as a folk and performance instrument and on his way to becoming a living legend in the musical idiom he loves so dearly.
Bryan has mastered a 5-finger picking technique that makes the autoharp multidimensional. He takes this quaint instrument and his own strident voice ... forges them with his charismatic personality ... and creates a distinctive, appealing sound that compliments both his traditional and original material.
Widely regarded as the leading virtuoso on the autoharp, Bryan can be as tightly wound as the strings on his harp ... or as mellow as a Cubs fan. He is spontaneous, energetic, witty, and charmingly uncomfortable in his unchallenged position as the best at what he does.
It's been said of Bryan that he "generates more music from an autoharp than you can imagine from a 12-string guitar and harpsichord combined." The best part is that we don't have to find him a harpsichord. Autoharps Rule!
Since 1953, Joe has performed more than a thousand times throughout the U.S., and in Canada, Finland, and Ukraine. His repertoire includes a vast array of folksongs and allied forms, many with choruses. Pete Seeger calls Joe "a great song leader - not just a good one, a great one," with no reference to that paleo thing.
In 1960, Joe wrote the 4th and 5th verses for "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" His recordings grace the Folk- Legacy and Folkways labels, and his concerts are guaranteed to "Drive Dull Care Away." He served notably as Librarian and Director of Folk Song/Culture at The Library of Congress. Take just a brief look into his eyes, and you'll see immediately that Joe knows what's important and how to direct his energies accordingly.
Bob Franke: "I don't think I've ever met a man more widely and genuinely respected among folksingers ... .As a performing interpreter of the music, Joe has always been a recognized instrument of grace."
Wrong. Bill could have been all of those things, but the truth is that Bill Staines is a perennial favorite of folk music audiences everywhere, especially in Evanston, IL.
Staines' husky baritone voice is reminiscent of Kenny Rogers, sans the schmaltz and the Tin-Pan Alley repertoire. As a storyteller, he engages his audience with amusing, modest anecdotes that lead smoothly into charming ditties. Bill is also a champion yodeler, a talent he is no longer allowed to practice in high-risk avalanche zones.
Bill's homespun sincerity seems to be the key to his success with his audience. A dewy mountain morning, a drunken cowboy's lament, a trucker's grueling haul on the interstate - Bill invigorates these familiar themes by personalizing them, frequently introducing his songs with vignettes about his travels as a guitar troubadour. Staines the storyteller gives breadth and credibility to Staines the songwriter.
Staines is easy to listen to, plain and simple. He is wonderfully pleasant without being artificially charming. Bill entertains, cajoles, and amuses, all the while subtly opening up his soul to unsuspecting listeners. All of this contributes to his reputation as one of the most sought-after performers on the folk circuit.
They're still waiting in lines from Washington to New York for each Kat Eggleston performance. Her original material ranges from humorous to poignant to emotionally charged. Kat Eggleston is definitely a sight for sore ears.
Kat is a compelling songwriter, musician, and traditional singer. She delivers an intricate, percussive guitar style and a striking alto voice. Her passionate lyrics create images of great conflict with arresting realism. Kat's audiences know and expect that she will touch them with honesty, imagination, and first-rate musicianship.
Rich Warren, writing in Sing Out, has said of Kat, "Sometimes you know you're listening to a superior intellect. Kat Eggleston comes across as a canny songwriter with convincing delivery. Her songs need more than one listening to blossom, the mark of cliche-free work. She's a vocalist with superb vocal control, and a good guitarist, to boot."
She's back, after too long an absence. Don't miss her!
Winner of numerous music competitions and awards, David has gone on to garner accolades for his performances, writing, workshops, and recordings. When he wasn't competing, he was judging. And several of his songs have been performed at events of national significance and/or preserved in widely-read books.
Peter Yarrow said of David: "He has reached our hearts. With voices like his still singing, there's a certainty that the candle will remain lit, the hope reasserted, and the dream still sung."
In addition to performing at music festivals, concert halls, clubs and other venues, David leads singing, songwriting and performance workshops at music camps around the country. He was artist-in-residence for several years at New York's Omega Institute, a leading adult education center. His one-man play "The Gripes of Roth" premiered in 1994 at the National Theater in Boulder, CO.
Christine Lavin: "David writes and sings songs with a devastating combination of wisdom and wit. In my eyes, he sets a new singer/songwriter standard."
March 5, Josephine Gray Parlor. On keyboard and guitar. And, my, what an evening it promises to be.
They are Traveler's Dream. Their songs preserve the musical contributions of the diversified groups who made distinctive marks on the history and culture of America's heartland. Much of this music originated in Ireland, Scotland, England and France. European and home-grown songs from the Midwest's early history give voice to the experiences of French-Canadian voyageurs, colonial soldiers, courageous pioneer women and their families, and hopeful immigrants who faced the challenges and reaped the rewards of life on the frontier.
In their roles as modern troubadours, Lewis and Wilson not only preserve traditions but they also create new music through innovative arrangements of old songs and by writing original music. Their repertoire includes musical gems from some of the finest contemporary songwriters.
Multi-talented instrumentalists, Traveler's Dream weaves their magic accompanied by a dozen instruments and delivering rich, clear voices that were destined to be heard together. This, we dare say, is the kind of faithful, masterful interpretation that has helped keep our musical heritage alive. Don't miss this.
They're folk music's newest tradition: Jim Craig & Friends, six of the coolest folk performers to sing a note and pluck a string. And they're exclusively a Hogeye phenomenon.
We've tried to insult them, but it barely slowed them down when we said, "Folk music anthologists, ethnologists, and, especially, ethicists will be paying close attention to this one. Too shy and limited in talent to perform alone, our performers take the stage with the prayer that one of them may be able to keep the others in tempo and on key." Maybe they can't read.
Fred Campeau and Mitch Thomas have been a team since the early 70's, when they met while both were performing around Chicago. A former Volo Bogtrotter and expatriate of other bands, Fred plays guitar, banjo and fiddle. Mitch teaches choir and theater and is a 2-time winner of the Wheatland Festival Folksinging Contest, a credential coveted by many in her field.
Songster Jim and songstress/wife Vivian Craig are still singing' strong after 30+ years together, and still preserving the landmark status of their Hogeye Music Store in Evanston. Jim's mellow guitar and vocal stylings are familiar to most of us, and Vivian's recent appearances have endeared her to all. Their daughter Heather is also tuning up to join in.
Dave Prine and Tyler Wilson - remembered as The National Recovery Act from the 1970's and '80's - return to the stage this year after sitting out 2004 to nurse ill-timed injuries and illnesses. Welcome back!
We're weary of resisting. If they want to perform again, we say let 'em. So please show up in large numbers for the folk music revival under the main tent at 7:30 p.m. in Macleish Hall (gym) at the Lake Street Church.
We're delighted to welcome Paul Geremia for a return visit to the Hogeye stage. Paul's toolbox includes 6- and 12-string acoustic guitar, harmonica, and sometimes piano. Before your very ears, he builds music which can be smooth and intricate or rough and hard-edged...depending on how he chooses to interpret his material.
And what a fine collection of material it is. Whatever song he pulls from his prodigious repertoire, his objective is to deliver that song in a personal way to his audience...whether the audience be filled with knowledgeable blues fans, just interested listeners, or an eclectic blend of both.
Paul's music is rooted in old-time country blues and early jazz. His many original compositions borrow significantly from these earlier forms. This is not so much a function of intent, says Paul, as a logical outgrowth of the sounds he has assimilated over the span of his career.
Guitar players come to hear and watch Paul play. Whether or not he ever aspired to become a model for others to emulate, it's a status he has earned by mastering his craft. You don't have to be a guitarist to appreciate what Paul can do.
Old and new fit together like a Gucci glove on a sinewy hand.
Come hear Paul tell his stories. They're stories of and for all of us, really, with as much appeal in England and Europe as in the U.S. and Canada.
April 16. Another good night for fans of good music.
Americans have long regarded Nancy as a singer-songwriter-comic with a touch of the Tom's (Lehrer and Paxton), a crumb of Christine Lavin, a rasher of Randy Newman, and a pinch of Piaf (not to be confused with the rice of similar name). Canadians see her somewhat differently, but then she owes a lot of money up there.
Winner of three ACTRA awards for humor, Nancy White is best known for her satirical songs about the news of the day...but best loved for her songs about motherhood: "Daughters of Feminists," "It's so Chic to Be Pregnant at Christmas," and "Leonard Cohen's Never Gonna Bring My Groceries In." Her newest CD is titled "Stickers on Fruit," following close on the heels of "Momnipotent: Songs for Weary Parents" and "Gaelic Envy and Other Torch Songs."
Comic relief...political songs...songs about motherhood...topical songs...songs in Spanish and French... usually brings a piano player who can make a sound like an old John Deere tractor. Enough already! This is an evening with a sweet after-taste that may last for weeks. Nancy White. Goes with meat or fish.
That's not to say that she can't be appropriately whimsical and irreverent and can't bring down the house in roaring laughter three minutes after she's had everyone crying. Anne is as entertaining as she is relevant. Always singing directly to you. Always looking straight at you. And usually on key, although we could tell you some stories.
A message to those who are already familiar with Anne's work: We will save you a seat.
October 8 in MacLeish Hall at the Lake Street Church. On guitar, banjo, and (as we mentioned above) usually on key.
Two things make the Ensemble unique: In the first place, they are very, very good. In the second place, there is a treatment here of klezmer as if it were concert music that can be a lot of fun. They reach back to klezmer traditions that predate early American klezmer bands ... back to Europe, reconstructing something called "old-timey klezmer."
And the label fits. There's no thumpa-thumpa drum here; no drum at all. Instead, two people alternate on clarinet and tsimbl, two fiddles sing passionately, and a great bassist provides a rock-steady floor. Leader Kurt Bjorling is joined by Eve Monzingo, Josh Huppert, Deborah Strauss, and Alan Ehrich.
CKE's music shatters our sense of a monolithic, limited klezmer in their role among the radicals and avant gardeists playing klezmer today. It ain't blues or bluegrass, roots or rootin' tootin' ... but man oh man, is it music!
October 29 at the First Congregational Church. This is a new venue for Hogeye concerts. The church is at the northeast corner of Lake Street and Hinman Avenue, across the park one block directly east of the Lake Street Church.
A native of Michigan and with 26 years as a touring pro added to the mix, Claudia is the recipe for a world-class performer: Into a medium-size bowl, stir in a moving rendition of "Tammy" at age 4 around a neighborhood bonfire ... fold in years of choirs, guitar, dulcimer, and theatre ... season thoughtfully for 26 years ... serve hot or cold ... and get in line for seconds.
November 5 in Macleish Hall at the Lake Street Church. Oh, Hogeye ... you've done it again!
Jamie is known for her powerful interpretations of ballads and songs for the stage. From the Celtic and traditional folksongs of her youth to the sophisticated sounds of European cabarets tinged with Latin rhythms, she delivers songs with vocal prowess, sensuality, and arresting sincerity. For us, the trio will perform a gamut of original folk, old-style cabaret, traditional music and one-of-a-kind compositions penned by Smith.
Rich Warren (WFMT) has declared that "Jamie O'Reilly's voice is a shiny, versatile instrument that knows how to caress as well as trumpet. She performs with arresting sincerity, and her songs are borne naturally with her full-throated voice, which is a pleasure to hear." Jamie is a first-rate, multifaceted performer with a broad vocal range and a vibrant, soulful connection to her audience. Jamie's high-profile career as a vocalist, recording artist, and cultural arts producer has earned her a place as one of Chicago's most respected cultural artists and premiere song stylists. Michael Smith's guitar accompaniment and cellist Bob Weber's support lend depth and richness to their sound.
Recent trio appearances include FitzGerald's "Sidebar" with Anne Hills, the Old Town School of Folk Music, and "Sunday Evening Folk" at Bill's Blues in Evanston. Jamie and her trio are new to Hogeye. We expect they will earn the right to return on a regular basis. November 19 at the First Congregational Church.
A fully-loaded entertainer, Rick's face and voice have been seen and heard (respectively) in guest-starring roles in numerous films and television programs. These include Major League, The Untouchables, While You Were Sleeping, Jack & Mike, Sable, Lady Blue, Heartbeat, Expecting Mercy, Mr. Id, and Soul Survivors. In addition, Rick has performed voice-over duties on scores of commercials and industrial programs for local, regional, and national enterprises.
All of this is to say that Rick comes to Hogeye with a satchel full of talents. His backporch-familiar approach to singing and guitar playing endear him immediately to his audience. CD's? Five. Check 'em out. And he comes with a money-back guarantee: If you aren't pleased with the quality of Rick's performance, we will tape your money to his back and send him home. Few performers are willing to take that risk.
You can see and hear Rick at the Unitarian Church on December 3.
The day after he first heard an autoharp played well and in good tune, Bryan Bowers bought one. Only one year later, he was already redefining the autoharp as a folk and performance instrument and on his way to becoming a living legend in the musical idiom he loves so dearly.
Bryan has mastered a 5-finger picking technique that makes the autoharp multidimensional. He takes this quaint instrument and his own strident voice ... forges them with his charismatic personality ... and creates a distinctive, appealing sound that compliments both his traditional and original material.
Widely regarded as the leading virtuoso on the autoharp, Bryan can be as tightly wound as the strings on his harp ... or as mellow as a Cubs fan. He is spontaneous, energetic, witty, and charmingly uncomfortable in his unchallenged position as the best at what he does.
It's been said of Bryan that he "generates more music from an autoharp than you can imagine from a 12-string guitar and harpsichord combined." The best part is that we don't have to find him a harpsichord.
Autoharps Rule! MacLeish Hall at Lake Street Church.
And in just the same way that poetry is meant to be read aloud, so, too, is tango music meant to be danced to ... and it will be! Bring your dancin' shoes and your favorite partner because a section of the concert hall will be available for your personal expressions of dance. This is a Hogeye first! Be part of it!
Tiempo Tango Chicago consists of founder Julie Koidin (flute), and accomplished musicians Joe Vito (accordion), Tomoko Akiho-Block (piano), and John Tuck (double bass). They can configure themselves into larger ensembles for special occasions.
Even if you are not a tanguero or tanguera, you must come for the music; you'll get an entertainment bonus from the dancers emerging from the audience. And to those of you inclined to emerge: let your feet fly and your emotions soar!
MacLeish Hall at Lake Street Church.
Wrong. Bill could have been all of those things, but the truth is that Bill Staines is a perennial favorite of folk music audiences everywhere, especially in Evanston, IL. Staines' husky baritone voice is reminiscent of Kenny Rogers, sans the schmaltz and the Tin-Pan Alley repertoire. As a storyteller, he engages his audience with amusing, modest anecdotes that lead smoothly into charming ditties. Bill is also a champion yodeler, a talent he is no longer allowed to practice in high-risk avalanche zones.
Bill's homespun sincerity seems to be the key to his success with his audience. A dewy mountain morning, a drunken cowboy's lament, a trucker's grueling haul on the interstate, Bill invigorates these familiar themes by personalizing them, frequently introducing his songs with vignettes about his travels as a guitar troubadour. Staines the storyteller gives breadth and credibility to Staines the songwriter.
BONUS: Chicago's very own jug band, The Hump Night Thumpers, will perform from 7:00-7:30 and again at intermission. Organized out of the Old Town School, The Thumpers create a sound and a fury you're likely to hear nowhere else. (You decide if that's a good thing.)
February 11. Let us share this with you in MacLeish Hall at the Lake Street Church.
Since 1969 in Corrales, NM, Tom has established himself as one of the venerable statesmen of the folk music scene. He cruised through the Chicago folk circuit in the '70's ... Seattle, WA folk venues in the '80's ... and found a home in Nashville as a singer/songwriter in the '90's.
Known for his warm performing style and for his wise and witty songs, Tom tours the country delighting fans with his ability to put thoughts and feelings into words. He delivers a performance with the kind of nuances that leave his audience sensing it has just experienced something special. We can't recall the last time it wasn't.
Tom works as hard as any performer around to impart freshness, honesty, and originality to his writing style and to his showmanship. It pays off, big time. If you're one of the lucky ones who's never missed a Tom Dundee concert within 100 miles of downtown Chicago, we're making it easy to keep your record intact. Tom knows who you are.
February 25. Josephine Grey Parlor at Lake Street Church.
Their original music reflects their keen senses of observation and whimsy. Lou (an accomplished weaver and sewer [rhymes with thrower] composes and arranges and plays piano accordion and button accordion. Peter (who stands firm behind his unfocused interests in art) writes lyrics and music and plays 12-string guitar.
We don't know for sure that songs about weaving or sewing or unfocused interests are part of their repertoire ... but we wouldn't be surprised. And entertaining? Mercy, if you don't leave their concert smiling, we will refund your money (except where prohibited by law or in any church in Evanston, IL).
Lou and Peter learned the roots of their trade by playing music from folk to musical theater and from blues to polka. It has been said of the Berryman's that they're "simply the funniest songwriters around. Everybody is doing their songs but nobody does them better." If you know Lou and Peter, then you know we're preaching to the choir.
This promises to be an evening of fun and entertainment with a character all its own. Make that TWO characters. March 11 in the Josephine Grey Parlor at Lake Street Church.
Hailing from Grey County, Ontario and now living in Toronto, Tim appeared on the folk scene a number of years ago with an album produced by Stan Rogers and engineered by Daniel Lanois. His focus for over 20 years, however, was not on his own songwriting and performance, but as artistic director of Canadian folk festivals such as Summerfolk, Mariposa Folk Festival, Northwinds, and Eaglewood Folk Festival.
Since deciding to perform and record full-time in 1999, much has happened for Tim and his music! His 2002 CD, "Wheatfield with Crows," garnered rave reviews and extensive airplay, placing Tim in the top 10 of Canadian artists on the international folk airwaves for most of 2003. His music has been published in Sing Out and he was selected as a finalist for the 2004 USA Songwriting Competition (folk category). His new CD, "Grey County," was released in 2005 and is already in the top 10 Canadian recordings receiving airplay on the folk airwaves.
Make a mark on your calendar for April 8 ... and let Tim Harrison make his mark on your folk music sensibilities. In the Josephine Grey Parlor at Lake Street Church.
Sparky was once a public school teacher, but his current brand of teaching is different from his classroom style. He weaves music into captivating stories that history books don't always tell. He might explain that slave owners banned the drum since slaves could use it to communicate or reveal that the Yellow Rose of Texas was a light-skinned female slave who learned of General Santa Anna's plans for the Battle of San Jacinto and passed this information to Sam Houston. You get the idea.
Rhonda is from Louisville, KY, has played piano since the age of four, but it is on harmonica where her virtuosity shines. She began studying the techniques of Sonny Terry, then branched out to other styles. Performing with Sparky since1989, she has taught harmonica workshops and classes at music camps and festivals.
The Ruckers' concert performance is a humor-filled journey through 400 years of African-American cultural and folk history. It includes old-time blues, Appalachian music, slave songs, Civil War music, spirituals, work songs, ballads, civil rights music, and Sparky's own compositions.
April 29. Let us share this with you in the Lake Street Church Parlor.
Back for the fourth straight year, Jim Craig promises some surprises along with more of the usual suspects. In fact, we'll be surprised if there are no surprises. You'll be treated to the next-best thing to a folk music variety show ... better than a variety show in many ways because the performers are tried and true.
Fred Campeau and Mitch Thomas have been a team since the early 70's when they met while both were performing around Chicago. A former Volo Bogtrotter and expatriate of other bands, Fred plays guitar, banjo, fiddle and harmonica. Mitch teaches choir and theater and is a 2-time winner of the Wheatland Festival Folksinging Contest, a credential coveted by many in her field.
Songster Jim and songstress/wife Vivian Craig are still singin' strong after 30+ years together and still preserving the landmark status of their Hogeye Music Store in Evanston. Jim's mellow guitar and vocal stylings are familiar to most of us and Vivian's recent appearances have endeared her to all.
Dave Prine and Tyler Wilson - remembered as The National Recovery Act from the 1970's and '80's - return to the stage to remind us where American folk music originated: in their basement. They'll treat us to traditional stylings and good-natured banter.
Please show up in large numbers for the folk music revival under the main tent at 7:30 p.m. in Macleish Hall at Lake Street Church.
An award-winning journalist of long standing, Rand melds his knowledge of current events and folk music into songs that satirize society, sans dogma. "I try to aim up at the rich and powerful," he explains, as if to assure his audience that they are not the (sole) source of the problem.
Fans of PBS were treated to one of Rand's original songs when The Limelighters performed his "Generic Up-Tempo Folksong" during a 2002 fund-raiser. (Don't try to tell us you didn't laugh out loud.) He boasts of being influenced by several legendary blues performers, and his sensitivity for the blues genre is a stunning complement to his timely original material.
Rand may be joined on stage by Rick Veras, a multi-instrumentalist whom you may know from his work around Chicago with The Hillbillies from Space and numerous other acts.
Good music and this week's news, with no commercials and all for just 15 bucks. Bill O'Reilly, call your agent.
Hear Larry at the Unitarian Church.
That's not to say that she can't be appropriately whimsical and irreverent and can't bring down the house in roaring laughter three minutes after she's had everyone crying. Anne is as entertaining as she is relevant. Always singing directly to you. Always looking straight at you. And usually on key, although we could tell you some stories.
A message to those who are already familiar with Anne's work: When is the last time you attended one of Anne's performances and didn't hear something new? A new song ... a new message ... a new slant on a familiar theme. We will save you a seat.
October 14 in Macleish Hall at the Lake Street Church. On guitar, banjo, and (as we mentioned above) usually on key.
Susan has released four best-selling solo recordings: "What the Hill People Say," "Tree of Life," "Live at Caffe Lena" (which captures the excitement of one of her sell-out weekend performances), and her newest CD, "Songs of Faith and Hope," a collection of inspirational songs, touted as her best ever. In addition, she has produced two volumes of the widely-acclaimed CD "Masters of the Mountain Dulcimer," featuring the finest players in the country.
Riffs Magazine voted her an "all-time favorite show" at the famed Caffe Lena, the longest running coffee house in the country, located in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Susan's magic emerges from her ability to link pastoral, tranquil images of traditional rural America to our contemporary life. It all happens at the Unitarian Church.
In 1966, Tom, Loe Locker, and a series of fiddlers worked together as the New Deal String Band, a collaboration that lasted more than ten years. The band was revived recently when Tom's son Ben joined the group as principal fiddler.
Tom took up the fiddle in 1975 and at first played only the same American old-time music he had been playing for decades on banjo and guitar. Then he tried to emulate some of the haunting fiddle tunes he had heard in Sweden and now Swedish fiddle music ranks equally high in his affections.
It's hard not to use the word "legendary" in a discussion of Tom Paley's significance to folk music ... so we won't even try. Lake Street Church. Arrive early.
Cindy has long been a favorite of fans who favor traditional material. Steve is a country/folk singer/songwriter with Western roots. Cindy performs on guitar, dulcimer, concertina and banjo, but her singing brings her the greatest recognition. Steve, on the other hand, just writes great songs and plays guitar with to-die-for aplomb. "Using a pick and two fingers, " writes The Los Angeles Examiner, "he plays fast and intricate patterns which recall Doc Watson."
Steve and Cindy continually show how valuable and moving tradition-steeped folk songs can be. Steve has been writing terse, elegant story-songs for several decades, ... songs recorded by the likes of Garth Brooks, John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, and Linda Ronstadt, to name a few. Cindy travels with a voice that can warm a New England winter, every song becoming a musical poem as it leaves her lips.
Are you a fan? Are you a vertebrate? Prove it at the Lake Street Church.
Cooper, Nelson and Early join forces with songwriter and "wise woman" Urban for a show that presents every possible perspective on the holiday season, from the reverent to the ridiculous. Two-, three-, and four-part harmonies ... masterful instrumentation on cool instruments ... and enough personality to burn in place of a Yule log, if you had to ... make the Bittersweet Christmas Band a holiday event you will want to relive every year.
Phil Cooper is known for amazing guitar skills and his work in traditional music. Susan Urban is a writer of story and slice-of-life songs. Margaret Nelson and Kate Early are vocalists with extraordinary depth and presence, contributing memorable harmonies and solo work.
Treat yourself this holiday season to a concert that could become an annual tradition. We invite you to become a part of it. The Lake Street Church.
The day after he first heard an autoharp played well and in good tune, Bryan Bowers bought one. Only one year later, he was already redefining the autoharp as a folk and performance instrument and on his way to becoming a living legend in the musical idiom he loves so dearly.
Bryan has mastered a 5-finger picking technique that makes the autoharp multidimensional. He takes this quaint instrument and his own strident voice ... forges them with his charismatic personality ... and creates a distinctive, appealing sound that compliments both his traditional and original material.
Widely regarded as the leading virtuoso on the autoharp, Bryan can be as tightly wound as the strings on his harp ... or as mellow as a Cubs fan. He is spontaneous, energetic, witty, and charmingly uncomfortable in his unchallenged position as the best at what he does. It's been said of Bryan that he "generates more music from an autoharp than you can imagine from a 12-string guitar and harpsichord combined." The best part is that we don't have to find him a harpsichord.
Autoharps Rule! MacLeish Hall at Lake Street Church.
Self-proclaimed "eclecto-maniacs," Jacquie and Rich define their music as "Celtic to Cowboy." Their singing/songwriting encompasses styles from country to blues to swing to Irish and more, evolved from years of "careful indecision." Jacquie and Rich both sing and play guitars and an array of other instruments. They've been heralded in the press as "one of the most polished, inventive, and entertaining shows on the circuit." From the opening whistle, it's music and fun.
Says the San Diego Folk Heritage Society: "They're original, funny, energetic, profound [and] when they get their hands on the music, rhythmically and harmonically, it just takes off. The audience loves them with a stand-up-and-shout kind of love." Bring the small fry to see Small Potatoes. You'll hear two great voices, fine guitar playing, and musical surprises. All together, you'll be treated to a rare blend of vocal and instrumental abilities expressed in original and borrowed material arranged with great sensitivity.
January 27, Josephine Grey Parlor at Lake Street Church.
Wrong. Bill could have been all of those things, but the truth is that Bill Staines is a perennial favorite of folk music audiences everywhere, especially in Evanston, IL.
Staines' husky baritone voice is reminiscent of Kenny Rogers, sans the schmaltz and the Tin-Pan Alley repertoire. As a storyteller, he engages his audience with amusing, modest anecdotes that lead smoothly into charming ditties. Bill is also a champion yodeler, a talent he is no longer allowed to practice in high-risk avalanche zones.
Bill's homespun sincerity seems to be the key to his success with his audience. A dewy mountain morning, a drunken cowboy's lament, a trucker's grueling haul on the interstate - Bill invigorates these familiar themes by personalizing them, frequently introducing his songs with vignettes about his travels as a guitar troubadour. Staines the storyteller gives breadth and credibility to Staines the songwriter.
BONUS: Chicago's very own jug band - The Hump Night Thumpers - will perform from 7:00-7:30 and again at intermission. Organized out of the Old Town School, The Thumpers create a sound and a fury you're likely to hear nowhere else. (You decide if that's a good thing.)
February 17. Let us share this with you in MacLeish Hall at the Lake Street Church.
The band formed when Demel and former bandmate Nancy Walker heard Bruce Roper performing his quirky, poetic style of songwriting at a local club. The three singer/songwriters with backgrounds in rock (Nancy), folk (Bruce), and jazz (Sue) instantly sensed that there was magic in their mix and set out to create their own brand of folk music.
Their work is decidedly eclectic. Their diverse backgrounds, witty song crafting, and 3-part harmony that swirls in and out help distinguish them from most other folk music you've heard ... and we mean that in a good way.
Deborah Lader replaced Walker in 1998 and infused her own clever writing, expressive voice, and bluegrass/Celtic influences. Roper, weaned on the Beattles and Dylan, is the primary songwriter, plays acoustic guitar, and sings. Demel adds original songs and performs vocal acrobatics while playing djembe and dulcimer. And Lader delights with her flair for banjo, mandolin, guitar, and rich alto harmonies.
They're something new for the Hogeye stage. We're excited to present them, they're excited to be on our schedule, and you're gonna leave searching for words to describe them. Just re-read the above.
March 3. MacLeish Hall at Lake Street Church.
Well, some attention she has got. After years of slicing bread, ironing shirts, picking strawberries, and canning fish, Ferron's French-Canadian musical heritage finally took hold. Music meant fun, love, laughter. With money she earned from cutting grass ($1/hr.), she bought her first guitar and staged her first show in 1975. In less than ten years, Ferron was performing to overflow audiences: original songs ... songs she loved from singer/songwriters she revered ... music that helped define who she is and music that drew people close, to her and to each other.
Ferron's website (www.ferrononline.com) lists thirteen CD's, including her latest, "Turning into Beautiful." One reviewer says, "With throaty whispers and another pocketful of magical tunes, Ferron once again uses her vocal agility, exquisite musical passages, and restrained timing to paint broad brush strokes across the listener's brain. 'Goat Path,' co-written by associate-producer DB Benedictson, embodies that formula, and at seven-and-a-half minutes, presses the point with a mix of folk/country that's as good as anything this superior songwriter has crafted."
March 24 in the Josephine Grey Parlor at the Lake Street Church. This could be THE rare musical treat of 2007.
Eddie last appeared on the Hogeye stage back in October, 2004 ... and we're delighted to welcome him back. In addition to being a noteworthy guitar and banjo player, Eddie is a polished comedian with masterful timing and an engaging storyteller. He recalls a bucketful of nostalgia from the early days of the "Folk Scare" in Chicago ... in such vivid detail and with such charm that even those of you younger than the Olsen Twins will swear you were there. (It was a good time; it gave us Eddie and his late brother Fred.)
Let us not forget that Eddie is a songwriter of some renown. His songs have been performed by the likes of Bette Midler, Bonnie Koloc, Steve Goodman, Chad Mitchell, Martin Simpson, and Tom Rush. We can't mention some of the others; they charge for the use of their names.
Journey with Eddie back inside the storied walls of the Fret Shop in the Hyde Park neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. Don't let him leave without telling you about Mickey Gottlieb. Get a taste of what folk music and folk performers were meant to be.
The Lake Street Church Josephine Grey Parlor is the perfect setting to enjoy Ed's richness and warmth. April 14. Come early and stay late.
Raffle tickets may be purchased at the door for $2 each or 3 for $5.
There will also be a silent auction of art work created and donated by
area artisans: weaving, pottery, Ukrainian egg designed with the
concert theme in mind, and a delightful hand-made teddy bear. A
reception with refreshments will be held after the show so audience
members can share a bit of time with the musicians. The raffle and
silent auction winners will be announced at that time.
Anne Hills and David Roth are both acoustic folk song artists with
strong roots in the Chicago area. They have agreed to join together to
do an incredible double-bill folk concert as a benefit for the Hadley
School for the Blind. Several of the songs performed will focus on
teaching, caring for others, persons with disabilities, etc. The
concert title or "theme" focuses on one's inner spirit turning from a
feeling of darkness into light during the process of growth and
learning. The music will be wonderful and its messages will warm anyone
who chooses to attend the show.
David Roth says:
"I grew up in Chicago, and Linn Sorge of the Hadley School, who has
been to a number of my concerts over the years, contacted me in early
2006 asking to use some of my music in programs that Hadley offers to
families with differently-abled members. To be able to offer my
songs in support of people who take inspiration or hope from them is a
great honor to me, so my "yes" was easy and emphatic. The natural
extension of this collaboration is a live event, and this concert with
my long-time friend, Anne, in my very own hometown for a good cause is
like a dream come true. It's a privilege to do this."
Anne Hills says:
"I was thrilled when Linn asked me to be part of a benefit for the
Hadley School. Blindness is a personal issue for me. My mother lost her
sight to macular degeneration over 10 years ago at a time when she was
busy assisting my grandmother, who had lost her sight. Both these women
taught me about resilience, patience, and widened my awareness of
age-related blindness. At the same time, Linn came into my life and has
opened my eyes to the experiences of those who live a lifetime of
blindness. Linn is a gifted storyteller, has boundless energy, and
continually creates an atmosphere of warmth and optimism. Who could say
"no" to her?"
The Hadley School for the Blind is the single largest worldwide
distance educator of blind and visually impaired people. All of
Hadley's distance education courses have been provided free of charge
since its founding in 1920. Today, the school serves more than 10,000
students annually in all 50 states and 100 countries. Hadley relies on
contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations to fund
its programs.
Julie's mother played classical violin and piano, and while Early Music remains one of Julie's passions, it's traditional American, British and Irish music to which she is most drawn as a performer. This interest compelled her to 1) teach herself guitar, banjo, dulcimer and Irish fiddle, and 2) pursue a Master's Degree in Folklore (UNC/Chapel Hill). What ... only 2 compulsions!? Under achiever!
Primarily known for her unerring command of traditional Irish and southern American music, Julie also performs a wide range of contemporary and original material. Her performances have been characterized as "mesmerizing," her vocals as "stunning," and her instrumental work as "absolutely superior."
A singer of remarkable depth and skill, Julie performs songs in English and Irish Gaelic, unaccompanied and accompanied. She's the author of a popular Mel Bay book/CD on DADGAD fingerstyle guitar, and has a highly-lauded CD on the Waterbug label titled "American Stranger."
Julie likes to combine her performing with her work as a student, archivist, oral historian/folklorist, writer, teacher, and lecturer. But while she may take a scholarly approach to her music (and deservedly so), she delivers it in a most appealing way.
April 28. Let us share this with you in the Lake Street Church Parlor.
Back for the fifth straight year, Jim Craig hints at some surprises along with return visits from the usual suspects. Come and be treated to solo and ensemble performances by some of Chicago's premier traditional folk music talent.
Fred Campeau and Mitch Thomas have been a team since the early 70's, when they met while both were performing around Chicago. A former Volo Bogtrotter and expatriate of other bands, Fred plays guitar, banjo, fiddle and harmonica. Mitch teaches choir and theater and is a 2-time winner of the Wheatland Festival Folksinging Contest, a credential coveted by many in her field.
Songster Jim and his songstress wife Vivian Craig are still singin' strong after 35 years together, and still preserving the landmark status of their Hogeye Music Store in Evanston. Jim's mellow guitar and vocal stylings are familiar and intoxicating, and Vivian helps keep Jim in tempo and on key.
Dave Prine and Tyler Wilson - remembered as The National Recovery Act from the 1970's and '80's - return to the Hogeye stage to remind us where American folk music originated: in their basement. They'll share traditional stylings, good-natured banter, and the secret to eternal youth.
Show up in large numbers for this folk music revival under the main tent. 7:30 p.m. Macleish Hall (gym) at Lake Street Church.
That's not to say that she can't be appropriately whimsical and irreverent and can't bring down the house in roaring laughter three minutes after she's had everyone crying. Anne is as entertaining as she is relevant. Always singing directly to you. Always looking straight at you. And usually on key, although we could tell you some stories.
Anne's concern and commitment to planet Earth and to the people who live here could be the subject of a book. She is legendary for her benefit work and hands-on involvement in causes that help improve the lives of underprivileged and overlooked people around the world.
A message to those who are already familiar with Anne's work: When is the last time you attended one of Anne's performances and didn't hear something new? A new song...a new message...a new slant on a familiar theme. We will save you a seat.
September 29 in MacLeish Hall (the gym) at the Lake Street Church. On guitar, banjo, and (as we mentioned above) usually on key.
Roy has been interviewed by Terry Gross on the NPR feature "Fresh Air." He was showcased on the Emmy-award-winning segment of the PBS television series "EGG Art in America." And Roy has appeared more than 30 times on Ralph Emory's highly-regarded TV series "Nashville Now."
Jorma Kaukonen, founding member of The Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, has recorded one of Book Binder's songs on his latest album. Of Roy, Kaukonen says, "Nobody writes in the idiom better than Roy Book Binder. He wrote 'The Preacher Picked the Guitar,' passed it on to me, and it is an honor to include it (in my album)."
Characters Roy has met in his travels have become part of a Roy Book Binder show which is an hilarious educational experience not to be missed. Some notables: three peg-legged dancers and a 90- year-old classic blues singer with a sparkling smile. "Behind the humor lurks a musical master," wrote the Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald. You get it all when Roy comes to town.
The Lake Street Church Josephine Grey Parlor is the perfect setting to enjoy Roy's richness and warmth. October 20. Don't miss.
Peggy's on-stage partner is Kristin Lems. She's half Peggy's age and about twice her height. They collaborate to present a jumbotron program of sight and sound that moves with its messages and awes with its artistry.
Peggy Lipschutz was born in England in 1918. If we were a carnival, that might be all we'd have to say to draw a crowd of gawkers. Early social awareness led to fierce social activism as she worked as an editor, illustrator, writer, and educator. The "drawing to songs" thing started in 1960 and continues to this day. Google "Peggy Lipschutz" or go to www.pww.org/article/articleprint/8690 for more insights into this remarkable lady.
Kristin Lems is a versatile composer, songwriter, folksinger, performing artist, and keynote speaker with 20+ years of professional performing experience. Born to an acclaimed concert pianist mother and musical Dutch immigrant father, she was raised in Evanston, IL, and studied music from an early age. Her early talent in writing and academics won her many awards, including a first place from Scholastic Magazines, a National Merit Scholarship, and a Hopwood Award for poetry from University of Michigan. Nov. 3. Let us share this with you in the MacLeish Hall (the gym) at Lake Street Church.
As composers, each has contributed to the tapestry of contemporary folk and world music. Together, they weave songs and tunes of vibrant color and rich texture. The Boston Globe: "Cindy is one of folk music's most respected songwriters...provocative, heartwise, and original...a brilliant guitarist." The Washington Post: "Grey is a gifted musician who consistently demonstrates his melodic finesse." The New Mexico Daily: "Grey's playing is positively spellbinding."
Come to see them and you'll hear sparkling original songs, distinctive settings of traditional Irish music, Scandinavian fiddle duets, old-time fiddle and guitar tunes, and new music that Cindy and Grey have invented together. Cindy's songs embody her love for the natural beauty of the New England coast. As a musician, traveler, teacher, naturalist, carpenter and mother, she has distilled unique insights and musical imagery. One of Irish music's most articulate teachers, Grey has taught at festivals, workshops, colleges and music camps in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, Australia and The Netherlands.
You need to hear Kallet & Grey up close. That's where we come in. Nov. 10 in the MacLeish Hall ( the gym) at Lake Street Church.
Cooper, Nelson and Early join forces with songwriter and "wise woman" Urban for a show that presents every possible perspective on the holiday season, from the reverent to the ridiculous. Two-, three-, and four-part harmonies...masterful instrumentation on cool instruments...and enough personality to burn in place of a Yule log, if you had to...make the Bittersweet Christmas Band a holiday event you will want to relive every year.
Phil Cooper is known for amazing guitar skills and his work in traditional music. Susan Urban is a writer of story and slice-of- life songs. Margaret Nelson and Kate Early are vocalists with extraordinary depth and presence, contributing memorable harmonies and solo work.
Treat yourself early this holiday season to a concert that is fast becoming an annual tradition. We invite you to become a part of it. At The Lake Street Church.
The day after he first heard an autoharp played well and in good tune, Bryan bought one. Only one year later, he was already redefining the autoharp as a folk and performance instrument and on his way to becoming a living legend in the musical idiom he loves so dearly.
Bryan has mastered a 5-finger picking technique that makes the autoharp multidimensional. He takes this quaint instrument and his own strident voice...forges them with his charismatic personality...and creates a distinctive, appealing sound that compliments both his traditional and original material.
Widely regarded as the leading virtuoso on the autoharp, Bryan can be as tightly wound as the strings on his harp...or as mellow as a Bears fan. He is spontaneous, energetic, witty, and charmingly uncomfortable in his unchallenged position as the best at what he does.
It's been said of Bryan that he "generates more music from an autoharp than you can imagine from a 12-string guitar and harpsichord combined." We finally found him a harpsichord, and now he tells us he can't hold it under his chin. Oh, Bryan!
Autoharps Rule! Lake Street Church.
The band's eclectic and unique brand of soulful folk is the collaboration of four friendly multi instrumentalists. Bob Salihar adds appeal on acoustic guitar. Pat Burke brings brightness on mandolin. Todd Fink contributes color on banjo. Eric Fink delivers depth on upright bass. The players also incorporate other stringed instruments such as slide dobro, dulcimer, ukulele, and cello. They sing in four-part harmony with each member taking his turn as lead vocalist.
In music and life, The Giving Tree Band members continue to make choices that are economically and ecologically sound - respecting all human, animal, and plant life. Unwilling to compromise these values, they hope to inspire people to build a more sustainable culture and open new avenues for artists to express themselves in a healthier way. (Did we mention that one of their guitars is a recycled piano?)
We invite you to take what Giving Tree offers. Their technical excellence is second only to the sincerity of their message.
January 26, Lake Street Church.
While in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1997, Debra studied the performances of that country's finest singers. She was chosen to be a resident musician at Edinburgh's premier folk music pub, Sandy Bell's Bar, following in the footsteps of Scottish musicians such as Dick Gaughan, Aly Bain, the late Tony Cuffe and the Wrigley Sisters.
Debra's release of her recording "Dad's Dinner Pail and Other Songs from the Helen Hartness Flanders Collection" on the Falling Mountain Music recording label has brought her praise from both the USA and United Kingdom. In their Spring 2006 issue, Sing Out! Magazine published Debra's version of the "Walloping Window Blind," a song from "Dad's Dinner Pail." Also in 2006, Debra was included in the Free-Reed Records box set, "RT-The Life and Times of Richard Thompson," with her version of Thompson's "Has He Got a Friend for Me."
Debra has appeared at numerous concert venues and on radio programs throughout the U.S. and the U.K. where her clear vocals and beautifully-rendered songs have been described as "stunning." But enough about that. The important thing is that Debra is coming to Hogeye...and we mean soon! Let us share Debra with you at the Lake Street Church on February 16.
The Warblers are three songbirds who sing, play and swing their hearts out. Let them take you back in time to hear yesteryear's top heart songs, tender cowboy ballads, and early swing numbers. Hold your breath in amazement as they swoop through the side-splitting, crackling yodels of WLS Barn-Dance-stars The Crackle Sisters.
Joining The Wazos are the Fly Boys, four guys whose fingers fly up and down the strings of any wayward instrument that can't defend itself. Together, they present music from the Golden Age of Country Music. If you liked Roy Rogers and Patsy Montana, you'll find plenty here to get your toes a-tappin'.
The Wazo County Warblers include Jennifer Jeffries (fiddle/vocals), Mitch Thomas (banjo-uke/vocals), and Gail Tyler (uke/vocals).
Fighting out of the Fly Boys' corner: Fred Campeau (dobro/guitar/banjo/vocals), Bill Taylor (double bass), Paul Tyler (fiddle/mandolin/guitar/vocals), and Jordan Wankoff (guitar/fiddle/vocals).
They're new to the Hogeye stage...at least, in this configuration, though you've heard several of them as "and Friends" with Jim Craig and with the Volo Bogtrotters. We're excited to bring them to you, and they assure us that they're working night and day to get their instruments in tune.
February 23. Lake Street Church.
Anita put out her first recording, "Take a Tune Along", while performing with an all-woman five-piece string band called Mother Logo. She toured extensively, performing and leading workshops at major folk festivals. Anita moved east, back to Chicago, east again, and finally came home.
Her song "All Roads Converge" was the closing theme song for the Midnight Special on WFMT for five years. She has self-produced four recordings, the most recent of which is "Midwest Girl", and since arriving back in Chicago has performed in several community theater productions.
Anita's voice is what draws her audience in, and the stories she tells through her music touch everyone's heart. Rich Warren of WFMT said "she's unpretentious, sincere and honest...[her] recording refreshes the soul. 'All Roads Converge' is her masterpiece. It's a secular 'Amazing Grace'."
Anita performs on March 8 in the Josephine Grey Parlor at the Lake Street Church.
Winner of the 2002 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championship, Jamie's music making is born out of his Scottish and Irish heritage. After his student years at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, he traveled extensively, immersing himself in musical styles including classical, jazz, and folk.
A classically-trained and accomplished mandolin player, Ashley Broder teamed up with Laval in 2005. Her collaboration with Laval forged a new duo style, rendering traditional Scottish, Irish, Bretagne and bluegrass music with innovative hints of classical refinement and ethnic music from around the world. The pair now tour together full time throughout the U.S. and Scotland.
Ashley majored in music at Moorpark College where she studied cello and violin. During this time, she kindled a growing interest in classical composition, all the while teaching violin and mandolin in private and class settings.
On Mar. 15, we think standing ovations will outnumber the sitting ones. Come help us count in the Josephine Grey Parlor at Lake Street Church.
Wrong. Bill could have been all of those things, but the truth is that Bill Staines is a perennial favorite of folk music audiences everywhere, especially in Evanston, IL. There's just something about a Bill Staines lyric and melody that talks to all of us, regardless our background.
As a storyteller, Bill engages his audience with amusing, modest anecdotes that lead smoothly into charming story/songs. His homespun sincerity seems to be the key to his success with his audience. A dewy mountain morning, a drunken cowboy's lament, a trucker's grueling haul on the interstate—Bill invigorates these familiar themes by personalizing them, frequently introducing his songs with vignettes about his travels as a guitar troubadour. Staines the storyteller gives breadth and credibility to Staines the singer/songwriter.
We could go on and on (as we have been known to do), but we rest on Bill's reputation and his universal appeal.
April 5. Let us share this with you in MacLeish Hall at the Lake Street Church.
Well known for his dry and witty stage humor, Bob has published numerous articles and reviews for The Old-Time Herald and Inside Bluegrass, and has been an instructor of "The History of Country Music" for the Honors Division at the University of Minnesota.
Gail has been a full-time traditional musician/singer/dance caller/music instructor since 1976. She sings and plays fiddle, banjo, guitar and autoharp. Originally from Missouri, Gail learned a large part of her music and dance repertoire from older Ozark performers, and is nationally known for her attentions to perpetuating our traditional heritage of roots music.
Together, Bob and Gail combine vocal mastery with instrumental prowess to deliver a program of music the likes of which is rare in these here parts. They revisit an important musical era with an authenticity, energy and presence that are endearing and memorable.
If you miss this one, buckaroos, it's your misfortune and none of my own. Josephine Grey Parlor at Lake Street Church.
Rich Warren (WFMT) has declared that "Jamie O'Reilly's voice is a shiny, versatile instrument that knows how to caress as well as trumpet. She performs with arresting sincerity, and her songs are borne naturally with her full-throated voice, which is a pleasure to hear." Jamie is a first-rate, multifaceted performer with a broad vocal range and a vibrant, soulful connection to her audience.
Jamie's high-profile career as a vocalist, recording artist, and cultural arts producer has earned her a place as one of Chicago's most respected cultural artists and premiere song stylists. Fans of good music anywhere will want to hear Jamie's renderings in a range of musical genres.
May 3 in the MacLeish Auditorium (gym) at Lake Street Church.
Everyone comes away from Anne's performances with something different. Some are enchanted by her voice...that sweet voice that stays with you for weeks before departing as just a gossamer memory. Others are moved by her messages...words that kindle hope, love, peace. For still others, it's a visual delight to watch Anne become one with her audience. (For me, I marvel at the number of cookies she can eat at intermission.)
That's not to say that she can't be appropriately whimsical and irreverent and can't bring down the house in roaring laughter three minutes after she's had everyone crying. Anne is as entertaining as she is relevant. Always singing directly to you. Always looking straight at you. And usually on key, although we could tell you some stories.
Anne's concern and commitment to planet Earth and to the people who live here could be the subject of a book, and probably will be in our lifetime. She is legendary for her benefit work and hands-on involvement in causes that help improve the lives of underprivileged and overlooked people around the world.
Anne performs on Sep. 27 in MacLeish Hall (gym) at the Lake Street
Church.
Sheridan is one of the pre-eminent songwriters on the folk scene documenting the lives of modern women. She places the fast-paced culture of 21st-century America into a mythic context with insightful, energetic and at times comic effect. Who else would think to make botox injections the modern equivalent of the beauty cream of Persephone, Queen of the Underworld? Or to find a modern Psyche reminiscing about Eros from a women's prison?
Sheridan 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 and released her critically acclaimed CD Quietly Led on Waterbug Records. She has also earned a national reputation as a songwriting teacher. She has been on the faculty at The Swannanoa Gathering in North Carolina, Summersongs in New York, the California Coast Music Camp and The Black Hills Songwriting Retreat in South Dakota.
Come hear Cosy up close and personal in
the Josephine Grey Parlor at the Lake Street Church.
The band formed when Demel and former bandmate Nancy Walker heard Bruce Roper performing his quirky, poetic style of songwriting at a local club. The three singer/songwriters with backgrounds in rock (Nancy), folk (Bruce), and jazz (Sue) instantly sensed that there was magic in their mix.
Their work is decidedly eclectic. Their diverse backgrounds, witty song crafting, and 3-part harmony that swirls in and out help distinguish them from most other folk music you've heard...and we mean that in a good way.
Deborah Lader replaced Walker in 1998 and infused her own clever writing, expressive voice, and bluegrass/Celtic influences. Roper is the primary songwriter, plays acoustic guitar, and sings. Demel adds original songs and performs vocal acrobatics while playing djembe and dulcimer. And Lader delights with her flair for banjo, mandolin, guitar, and rich alto harmonies.
Oh, yes. You want to come for this one. And when you do come,
prepare to be blown away. The person who invented music must have
had something like this in mind. Oct. 25 in MacLeish Hall (gym)
at the Lake Street Church.
Their original music reflects their keen senses of observation and whimsy. Lou (an accomplished weaver and sewer [rhymes with thrower] composes and arranges, and plays piano accordion and button accordion. Peter (who stands firm behind his unfocused interests in art) writes lyrics and music and plays 12-string guitar.
We don't know for sure that songs about weaving or sewing or unfocused interests are part of their repertoire...but we wouldn't be surprised. And entertaining? Mercy, if you don't leave their concert smiling, we will refund your money (except where prohibited by law or in any church in Evanston, IL).
Lou and Peter learned the roots of their trade by playing music from folk to musical theater, and from blues to polka. It has been said of the Berrymans that they're "simply the funniest songwriters around. Everybody is doing their songs but nobody does them better." If you know Lou and Peter, then you know we're preaching to the choir.
Join us on Nov. 1 in the Josephine Grey Parlor at the Lake Street
Church.
Mendyk, also a product of the Chicago folk scene, has performed folk music professionally for more than 15 years. She is an educator who taught university-level ESL and did outreach work with Vietnamese immigrants in Chicago's Uptown. While making music is her first love, she also counsels students at Workman Middle School in the Palm Springs Unified School District.
Rick Veras will add adroit fiddle and mandolin to Larry & Nicole's
mix of guitar, banjo and dulcimer. Together, Larry & Nicole are a
duo that captivates, entertains, and leaves their audiences
calling for more. [Our policy: Only one (1) encore per show.
Sorry.] Nov. 22 at Lake Street Church in the Parlor.
The day after he first heard an autoharp played well and in good tune, Bryan bought one. Only one year later, he was already redefining the autoharp as a folk and performance instrument and on his way to becoming a living legend in the musical idiom he loves so dearly.
Bryan has mastered a 5-finger picking technique that makes the autoharp multidimensional. He takes this quaint instrument and his own strident voice...forges them with his charismatic personality...and creates a distinctive sound that compliments both his traditional and original material.
Widely regarded as the leading virtuoso on the autoharp, Bryan can be as tightly wound as the strings on his harp...or as mellow as a Cubs fan. He is spontaneous, energetic, witty, and charmingly uncomfortable in his unchallenged position as the best at what he does.
It's been said of Bryan that he "generates more music from an
autoharp than you can imagine from a 12-string guitar and
harpsichord combined." The best part is that we don't have to
find him a harpsichord. MacLeish Hall at Lake Street Church.
Small Potatoes, the Chicago-based folk duo of Jacquie Manning and Rich Prezioso, has earned sought-after status at clubs, coffeehouses, and festivals across the U.S. Both sing and play guitars and an array of other instruments. They've been heralded as "one of the most polished, inventive, and entertaining shows on the circuit." You'll be treated to a rare blend of vocal and instrumental abilities expressed in original and borrowed material arranged like you've never heard before.
Michael Smith is a songwriter's songwriter, having penned songs that are poignant, mysterious, or hilarious...sometimes all three at once. His voice is honest, his guitar playing fluid and inventive. He gathers his audience with his sense of humor and drama. Michael's concerts are consistently memorable, and his songs have been recorded by the likes of Anne Hills, Bernice Lewis, Tom Rush, Gordon Bok, the late Steve Goodman, and more. He is a singular experience; there's simply no one like Michael on the concert scene.
Treat yourself to some first-rate entertainment in MacLeish Hall
at the Lake Street Church.
Wrong. Bill could have been all of those things, except the Veep candidate in 1968; he was too young back then to have been taken seriously. But the truth is that Bill Staines is a perennial favorite of folk music audiences everywhere, especially in Evanston, IL. There's just something about a Bill Staines lyric and melody that talks to all of us, regardless of our backgrounds.
As a storyteller, Bill engages his audience with amusing, modest anecdotes that lead smoothly into charming story/songs. His homespun sincerity seems to be the key to his success with his audience. A dewy mountain morning, a drunken cowboy's lament, a trucker's grueling haul on the interstate-Bill invigorates these familiar themes by personalizing them, frequently introducing his songs with vignettes about his travels as a guitar troubadour. Staines the storyteller gives breadth and credibility to Staines the singer/songwriter.
We could go on and on (as we have been known to do), but we rest on Bill's reputation and his universal appeal. Looking for a singer/songwriter whose music is relevant without preaching? You've found him in Bill Staines.
Feb. 21. Let us share this with you in MacLeish Hall at the Lake
Street Church.
Songster Jim and his songstress wife Vivian Craig are still singin' strong after 35 years together. Jim's mellow guitar and vocal stylings are familiar and intoxicating, and few husband-and-wife duos sing of love and faith with as much believability as he and Vivian.
Fred Campeau and Mitch Thomas have been a team since the early 70's, when they met while both were performing around Chicago. A former Volo Bogtrotter and expatriate of other bands, Fred plays guitar, banjo, fiddle and harmonica. Mitch teaches choir and theater and is a 2-time winner of the Wheatland Festival Folksinging Contest.
Dave Prine and Tyler Wilson-remembered as The National Recovery Act from the 1970's and '80's-return to the Hogeye stage with Jim Chesney. Watch and listen in amazement as they play a 45-minute game of Scrabble. (Just k-i-d-d-i-n-g. 50 bonus points!)
Show up in large numbers for this folk music revival under the
main tent. 7:30 p.m. Macleish Hall at Lake Street Church.
Roth has since been a songwriting judge at the Napa Valley (CA), Tumbleweed (WA), and South Florida Folk Festivals in addition to singing "Earth" at the 40th Anniversary of the United Nations and having his "Rising in Love" performed at the 100th Anniversary of Carnegie Hall in 1991. "Manuel Garcia" and "Nine Gold Medals" both appear in the best-selling "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, and Noel Paul Stookey (of Peter, Paul & Mary) performed David's "Spacesuits" on the 1999/2000 PPM tours in addition to recording "If You Can't Fly" for his latest children's album. The Bose Corporation includes "Taller Than My Hair" and "Five Blind Men" on their recent "best of new folk" compilations sold in Bose stores worldwide.
But enough about David. This concert is about you...you and how completely you are going to be engrossed in David's presence, voice, and spot-on musicianship.
MacLeish Hall at Lake Street Church. $15.
Rhonda Rucker practiced medicine for five years before becoming a full-time folk musician, playing blues harmonica, piano, banjo, and creating wonderful vocal harmonies. From Louisville, KY, Rhonda has played piano since the age of four, but it is on harmonica where her virtuosity shines. She studied the techniques of Sonny Terry, then branched out to other styles. Performing with Sparky since 1989, she has taught harmonica workshops and classes at music camps and festivals.
The Ruckers' concert performance is a humor-filled journey through 400 years of African-American history. It includes old-time blues, Appalachian music, slave songs, Civil War music, spirituals, work songs, ballads, civil rights music, and original compositions.
April 4 in the Josephine Grey Parlor. $15.
Gordon became a leader in preserving, collecting, creating and sharing a variety of beautiful songs of both land and sea. His mastery of 6- and 12-string guitars added to his already well-developed vocal expression to create an unmistakable style that has carried him through decades of being one of our most cherished folk artists. Already an accomplished instrument builder and furniture maker, he took up woodcarving in the mid 70's when he inherited his mother's carving tools. Over the past 30 years, Gordon has created nearly a hundred carvings of people, boats and other images that have influenced his life. In 2002, a local gallery displayed his carvings publicly for the first time. Many of these unique and compelling works are available to the general public.
The Woods Hole Folk Music Society: "Gordon creates a magic circle of light around himself and draws the entire audience into it. Hear his sound once, and you will recognize it from that time on. He is soothing and thrilling, intense and thoroughly relaxed, shy and completely winning, a special person and an ordinary man."
Now we make Gordon Bok available to you. (You're welcome.) April 18 in MacLeish Hall. $15.
Cindy has long been a favorite of fans who favor traditional material. Steve is a country/folk singer/songwriter with Western roots. Cindy performs on guitar, dulcimer, concertina and banjo, but her singing brings her the greatest recognition. Steve, on the other hand, just writes great songs and plays guitar with to-die-for aplomb. "Using a pick and two fingers,' writes The Los Angeles Examiner, "he plays fast and intricate patterns which recall Doc Watson."
Steve and Cindy continually show how valuable and moving tradition-steeped folk songs can be. Steve has been writing terse, elegant story-songs for several decades...songs recorded by the likes of Garth Brooks, John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, and Linda Ronstadt, to name a few. Cindy travels with a voice that can warm a New England winter, every song becoming a musical poem as it leaves her lips.
Are you a fan? Are you a vertebrate? All vertebrate fans admitted for spine-tingling entertainment on April 25 in the Josephine Grey Parlor at the Lake Street Church. $15.
Anne Hills returns to Hogeye, and not a moment too soon. She brings her messages of love and hope and good cheer to a stage she helped create for others more than 30 years ago. Who delivers a song better than Anne Hills? And who delivers Anne Hills better than Hogeye Folk Arts?
(Ans.: nobody and nobody.)
Always outspoken, always taking a stand for what she believes to be right, Anne has endeared herself to audiences and fellow performers around the world. Her collaborations with artists such as Michael Smith are legendary. Wherever there is a song to be sung or a story to be told, if Anne hasn't already written it herself, she knows just where to look and how to bring it to life. Maybe she'll bring Michael with her; maybe a juggling monkey. Even if she comes alone, she is guaranteed to delight.
Oct. 3 at Lake Street Church. $15.
Did we say 1974? Are these guys still able to stand erect? Yes. They stand, they sit, they hold their own instruments and chew their own gum ... and they write memorable love songs and ballads and whimsical parodies ... ah, yes, those whimsical parodies! But this only testifies to their longevity; it doesn't explain it. Come see and hear them. That will explain it.
Everything Mustard's Retreat does on stage is aimed at pleasing, moving, and engaging their audience. Each of their shows feels like it's designed for the people who have come to see them that day. "As much as we aim to entertain," says David, "we also look to educate and enlighten and open some doors ... and to create a moment of community where everybody is sharing the same experience."
And for the rest of us, there are the songs about wily rabbits, stupid frogs, hard-travelin' cadavers and marauding techno-nerds. Whew! For a second there, I thought they might actually force us to learn something.
Oct. 17 at Lake Street Church. $15
The South Carolinian guitarist/singer/songwriter/storyteller stands out among a handful of artists who - in skill, depth and integrity - rise head and shoulders above most performers flooding the folk circuit. Among acoustic guitarists, he is near legendary. Having avoided the compromises of the commercial music industry these past 50+ years, Jack tours "under the radar," playing concerts out of the sheer love of the music and the opportunity to share it.
It's an absolute shock when you meet someone this talented who's not universally famous; it happens only now and then. But in folk circles, Jack has become legendary, and the legend is growing steadily. The reason for that is that he's playing, all the time, every night, even if he's at home. His love of playing and performing seems to be unquenchable. And if he's not playing, he's driving to the next place where he will be playing.
Sing Out! magazine describes Jack as "one of the strongest guitarists in contemporary folk." He continues to tour the U.S. constantly, as he has for the past 50 years, out of the sheer love of music and performing. Now he's coming, and we're proud to make Jack Williams available to you. (You're welcome.)
October 31 at Lake Street Church. $15.
Si is executive director of Grassroots Leadership, which is approaching its 26th anniversary. In November 2005, Berrett-Koehler published The Fox in the Henhouse, How Privatization Threatens Democracy, Si's collaborative effort with Elizabeth Minnich. And in 2007, Si released his 15th CD (Thanksgiving) on Strictly Country Records. A recording artist and performer for 25 years, Si is a regular at some of bluegrass and folk's most-respected venues, including MerleFest, Old Town School, Old Songs, Philadelphia, Vancouver, and Sidmouth & Beverly in England.
Si has toured with the likes of Pete Seeger, John McCutcheon, Andy Irvine, Ronnie Gilbert, Roy Bailey, Cathy Fink, and has shared concert stages with Utah Phillips, Dick Gaughan, and ... enough namedropping already!
Even if you don't have first-hand knowledge of Si's body of work, you'll surely not forget him after seeing him even this once.
Meet the man behind the name behind the music on Nov. 14 at Lake Street Church. $15.
The day after he first heard an autoharp played well and in good tune, Bryan bought one. Only one year later, he was already redefining the autoharp as a folk and performance instrument and on his way to becoming a living legend in the musical idiom he loves so dearly.
Bryan has mastered a 5-finger picking technique that makes the autoharp multidimensional. He takes this quaint instrument and his own strident voice...forges them with his charismatic personality...and creates a distinctive sound that compliments both his traditional and original material.
Widely regarded as the leading virtuoso on the autoharp, Bryan can be as tightly wound as the strings on his harp...or as mellow as a Cubs fan. He is spontaneous, energetic, witty, and charmingly uncomfortable in his unchallenged position as the best at what he does.
It's been said of Bryan that he "generates more music from an autoharp than you can imagine from a 12-string guitar and harpsichord combined." The best part is that we don't have to find him a harpsichord.
A resident of Maine, Jennifer is a musician, storyteller, and teacher whose dozens of concert and workshop titles have helped spread a love and appreciation of traditional music across all age groups. She relates stories from her Celtic-American heritage and plays the Scottish bagpipe, fiddle, banjo, and guitar.
More than just a performer, Jennifer shares her music with her listeners ... a trait handed down to her by loving, musical parents Gerry and George Armstrong, with whom she performed since childhood with sister Rebecca.
All four members of the Armstrong family have bestowed upon us one of folk music's most elegant legacies: their album "Golden Ring," featuring no less than Ruth Meyer, Howie Mitchell, Herb Nudelman, Shannon Smith, Win Stracke, Ed Trickett, and Steve White. Got it? Get it.
Jennifer's music and the passion with which she performs it are as engaging as a baby's smile. It turns your head and holds you spellbound. And that is exactly the way you will remember them.
Wrong. Bill could have been all of those things, except the Veep candidate in 1968; he was too young back then to have been taken seriously. But the truth is that Bill Staines is a perennial favorite of folk music audiences everywhere, especially in Evanston, IL. There's just something about a Bill Staines lyric and melody that talks to all of us, regardless of our backgrounds.
As a storyteller, Bill engages his audience with amusing, modest anecdotes that lead smoothly into charming story/songs. His homespun sincerity seems to be the key to his success with his audience. A dewy mountain morning, a drunken cowboy's lament, a trucker's grueling haul on the interstate - Bill invigorates these familiar themes by personalizing them, frequently introducing his songs with vignettes about his travels as a guitar troubadour. Staines the storyteller gives breadth and credibility to Staines the singer/songwriter.
We could go on and on (as we have been known to do), but we rest on Bill's reputation and his universal appeal. Looking for a singer/songwriter whose music is relevant without preaching? You've found him in Bill Staines.
But James is answering a question about his own musical background. Who influenced him? How did someone who didn't come from a musical family per se become a leading international musical figure? First, he says, "the family loved music and offered appreciation and support."
Then there is that influence factor: "My father was a great influence as a story teller, my mother for a sense of humor. I listened to a lot of Irish traditional stuff when I grew up, tempered with Jethro Tull, Neil Young, Bruce Cockburn, Joni Mitchell and Captain Beefheart."
James is not only a songwriter of great skill, he's also a fine interpreter of traditional songs and the works of other songwriters.
Join us for an evening of song and story with
this performer who has delighted audiences around
the world. Let his rich baritone voice and
compelling words warm this winter's evening.
In his early twenties he started his solo career, writing his own songs and eventually performing them across the US, Canada and Europe. His songs have received international acclaim, and one of them, "Garden Song" ("Inch by Inch, Row by Row ..."), has been recorded by over 150 artists, translated into several languages and is one of America's most popular folk songs. His songs have been performed by such artists as Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Hal Ketchum, Pete Seeger and even the Muppets.
The source of this
well-traveled music is life in a small town in rural Maine, where
there still is a main street, and you can still find old barns and
tall trees. The songs Mallett writes and sings are filled with
passion, evocative imagery, and a sense of the inevitable passage
of time. The loss of American towns and rural landscapes is the
subject of many of his songs, as are the issues of wilderness
preservation and the struggle of the common man.
"If Joni Mitchell and Daffy Duck had a love child, he'd probably write songs just like John Forster. His sharply observed satires range from sheer slapstick to Jon Stewart acute, so it's little wonder Cambridge songwriting legend Tom Lehrer says, "You don't need me anymore, you've got John Forster to kick around." - Scott Alarik, The Boston Globe
"John Forster bestrides the current events scene like a colossus ... His lyrics are refreshingly intellectual, reminiscent of Tom Lehrer and Cole Porter at their best ... More creative and politically correct than Mark Russell and the Capitol Steps ... His winning smile, expressive face and easy voice make the evening of original songs all too short." - Donna Coe, New York Post
"Forster has the world view of George Carlin, the musical-parody chops of Frank Zappa in his glory days, musically and lyrically clever in ways that AI Yankovic can only dream about." - Paul D. Lehrman, The Boston Pheonix
Come early to laugh and be amazed!!!
It's Priscilla's excellent taste in material and her ability to communicate the emotion and artistic heart of a song that make her one of the most admired and respected performers in contemporary folk music. Her performance is always a feast for the ear, for the mind, and for the heart. She'll be featuring songs from her newest CD, Into The Stars, a collection of star and night-sky themed songs, as well as favorite songs from her many earlier recordings.
Priscilla lives in New York's Hudson River Valley Region. She has recently joined forces with Massachusetts guitarist Max Cohen, whose exquisite finger-style playing is a perfect compliment to Priscilla's elegant and powerful vocals.
In addition to her solo work, Priscilla has toured with her friends and Hogeye favorites Anne Hills and Cindy Mangsen as a member of the "Trio". Sadly, this is probably your last chance to hear Priscilla in the Midwest, though you'll still be able to see both Anne (solo) and Cindy (with Steve Gillette) this fall when they visit the Hogeye stage.
Returning after what seems like a young eternity, please join us to
extend a warm Hogeye welcome. You'll be glad you did.
Archie was born in Glasgow into a large singing family, which yielded three professional singers, Archie and his sisters Ray and Cilla Fisher. Constant music combined with his father's appreciation of many musical styles (opera, vaudeville, traditional ballads) proved to be a heavy influence on Archie's musical development, while his mother, a native Gaelic speaker from the Outer Hebrides, was a strong influence on the lyrical quality of his singing and songwriting.
Archie first became interested in folk music through the Skiffle era of the late 1950's under the influences of performers such as Lonnie Donegan and Johnny Duncan. Later, the recording of the Weavers at Carnegie Hall also had a profound effect on his approach to music and his political outlook.
Hogeye
is pleased to host a rare appearance of this wonderful artist in
the Chicago area. Don't miss it!!!
Songster Jim and his songstress wife Vivian Craig are still singin' strong after 35 years together. Jim's mellow guitar and vocal stylings are familiar and intoxicating and few husband-and-wife duos sing of love and faith with as much believability as he and Vivian.
They will be joined by:
Fred Campeau and Mitch Thomas who have been a performance team since the early 70's. Fred plays guitar, banjo, fiddle and harmonica. Mitch is 2-time winner of the Wheatland Festival Folksinging Contest.
Dave Prine and Tyler Wilson, remembered as The National Recovery Act from the 1970's and '80's, return to the Hogeye stage with Jim Chesney.
And James McCandless, once described by Studs Terkel as "Powerful, deeply moving, poignant, funny, marvelous". We think so too.
Join us for a great evening of fun, music and a mellow good time.
Always outspoken, always taking a stand for what she believes to be right, Anne has endeared herself to audiences and fellow performers around the world. Her collaborations with artists such as Michael Smith are legendary. Wherever there is a song to be sung or a story to be told, if Anne hasn't already written it herself she knows just where to look and how to give it life. Maybe she'll bring Michael with her, or maybe her juggling monkey (like last year). Even if she comes alone, she is guaranteed to delight. Anne is one of us ... only better.
Roy has been interviewed by Terry Gross on the NPR feature "Fresh Air." He was showcased on the Emmy-award-winning segment of the PBS television series "EGG Art in America." And Roy has appeared more than 30 times on Ralph Emory's highly-regarded TV series "Nashville Now."
Jorma Kaukonen, founding member of The Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, has recorded one of Book Binder's songs on his latest album. Of Roy, Kaukonen says, "Nobody writes in the idiom better than Roy. He wrote 'The Preacher Picked the Guitar,' passed it on to me, and it is an honor to include it (in my album)."
Characters Roy has met in his travels have become part of a Roy Book Binder show which is hilarious, educational, and not to be missed. Some notables: three peg-legged dancers and a 90-year-old classic-blues singer with a sparkling smile. "Behind the humor lurks a musical master," wrote the Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald. You get it all when Roy comes to town ... and the Josephine Grey Parlor at the Lake Street Church is the perfect setting to enjoy Roy's richness and warmth
Brian sings and plays fiddle, octave fiddle, mandocello, bouzouki, mandola, guitar, concertina, bass and hurdy-gurdy. He was born in 1950 in Falkirk, Scotland, and began his musical training in his early teens with violin lessons…but soon forsook that for various electric guitars. There followed a comprehensive musical education and a mildly misspent youth, until his student years brought him to Celtic music. In 1969 he formed the Battlefield Band, which has since become one of Scotland's best known ensembles.
The importance of Brian's songwriting, mostly about Scotland's past and future, has long been recognized. Songs like The Yew Tree; The Lads O' The Fair; The Snows of France and Holland; Strong Women Rule Us All with Their Tears; Any Mick'll Do; No Gods and Precious Few Heroes; and Bring The Lassie Hame have established him as one of the Scottish scene's leading songwriters.
Fans of Celtic music will know him; all you others will want to. Brian performs for Hogeye Folk Arts on Sat., Oct. 23 at Lake Street Church in Evanston.
Cindy has long been a favorite of fans who favor traditional material. Steve is a country/folk singer/songwriter with Western roots. Cindy performs on guitar, dulcimer, concertina and banjo, but her singing brings her the greatest recognition. Steve, on the other hand, just writes great songs and plays guitar with to-die-for aplomb. "Using a pick and two fingers," writes The Los Angeles Examiner, "he plays fast and intricate patterns which recall Doc Watson."
Steve and Cindy continually show how valuable and moving tradition-steeped folk songs can be. Steve has been writing terse, elegant story-songs for several decades ... songs recorded by the likes of Garth Brooks, John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, and Linda Ronstadt, to name a few. Cindy travels with a voice that can warm a New England winter, every song becoming a musical poem as it leaves her lips.
Are you a fan? Are you a vertebrate, for crying out loud? All vertebrate fans admitted for spine-tingling entertainment in the Josephine Grey Parlor at Lake Street Church.
An accomplished dancer, Casey Calhoun moves to Mary Oliver's poetry and Dave Carter's music in this striking, joyful combination of complementary talents. She studied dance at Dance Center Evanston, Gus Giordano Dance Studio, and Cornish School of the Arts in Seattle.
Reverend Blair Hull of Stained Glass Coffeehouse says of Andrew, "I have enjoyed hearing him play from time to time ... but this, his playing with his daughter ... this is all fresh and new. Each brings to the other's singing a lovely balance and power. Casey is a delight; her voice is clear and crisp, and her banter with her father is a joy. Casey only recently started traveling with her dad but she obviously has been singing with him her whole life. Her solo numbers are truly delightful."
The day after he first heard an autoharp played well and in tune, Bryan bought one. Only one year later, he was already redefining the autoharp as a folk and performance instrument and on his way to becoming a living legend in the musical idiom he loves so dearly.
Bryan has mastered a 5-finger picking technique that makes the autoharp multidimensional. He takes this quaint instrument and his own strident voice ... forges them with his charismatic personality ... and creates a distinctive sound that compliments both his traditional and original material.
Widely regarded as the leading virtuoso on the autoharp, Bryan can be as tightly wound as the strings on his harp ... or as mellow as a Cubs fan. He is spontaneous, energetic, witty, and charmingly uncomfortable in his unchallenged position as the best at what he does.
It's been said of Bryan that he "generates more music from an autoharp than you can imagine from a 12-string guitar and harpsichord combined." The best part is that we don't have to find him a harpsichord.
2nd Story is a local story-telling ensemble that spins yarns to the occasional accompaniment of sounds and tunes, creating a mood unlike any other you may have encountered at a Hogeye concert. The ensemble includes about 90 storytellers ... but fewer, they assure, will appear on our stage.
We're as excited about this as we are intrigued. If they're as fascinating as we expect, a new Hogeye tradition may be born.
Wrong. Bill could have been all of those things, except the Veep candidate in 1968; he was too young back then to have been taken seriously. But the truth is that Bill Staines is a perennial favorite of folk music audiences everywhere, especially in Evanston, IL. There's just something about a Bill Staines lyric and melody that talks to all of us, regardless of our backgrounds.
As a storyteller, Bill engages his audience with amusing, modest anecdotes that lead smoothly into charming story/songs. His homespun sincerity seems to be the key to his success with his audience. A dewy mountain morning, a drunken cowboy's lament, a trucker's grueling haul on the interstate—Bill invigorates these familiar themes by personalizing them, frequently introducing his songs with vignettes about his travels as a guitar troubadour. Staines the storyteller gives breadth and credibility to Staines the singer/songwriter.
We could go on and on (as we have been known to do), but we rest on Bill's reputation and his universal appeal. Looking for a singer/songwriter whose music is relevant without preaching? You've found him in Bill Staines.
Ed last appeared on the Hogeye stage back in April, 2007 ... and we're delighted to welcome him back. In addition to being a noteworthy guitar and banjo player, Ed is a polished comedian with masterful timing, as well as an engaging storyteller. He recalls a bucketful of nostalgia from the early days of the "Folk Scare" in Chicago ... in such vivid detail and with such charm that even those of you younger than the Olsen Twins will swear you were there. (It was a good time; it gave us Ed and his late brother Fred.)
Let us not forget that Ed is a songwriter of some renown. His songs have been performed by the likes of Bette Midler, Bonnie Koloc, Steve Goodman, Chad Mitchell, Martin Simpson, and Tom Rush. We can't mention some of the others; they charge for the use of their names.
Journey with Ed back inside the storied walls of the Fret Shop in the Hyde Park neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. Don't let him leave without telling you about Mickey Gottlieb. Get a taste of what folk music and folk performers were meant to be.
Small Potatoes, the Chicago-based folk duo of Jacquie Manning and Rich Prezioso, has earned sought-after status at clubs, coffeehouses, and festivals across the U.S. Both sing and play guitars and an array of other instruments. They've been heralded as "one of the most polished, inventive, and entertaining shows on the circuit." You'll be treated to a rare blend of vocal and instrumental abilities expressed in original and borrowed material arranged like you've never heard before.
Michael Smith is a songwriter's songwriter, having penned songs that are poignant, mysterious, or hilarious ... sometimes all three at once. His voice is honest, his guitar playing fluid and inventive. He gathers his audience with his sense of humor and drama. Michael's concerts are consistently memorable, and his songs have been recorded by the likes of Anne Hills, Bernice Lewis, Tom Rush, Gordon Bok, the late Steve Goodman, and more. He is a singular experience; there's simply no one like Michael on the concert scene.
Note: A $5 discount per ticket is available for Hogeye members. To get this discount, one must call Linn Sorge at 815-787-8868 to order the tickets.
A Hogeye favorite, Larry has appeared on HBO and Comedy Central, where his song "Jacques Brel and I" was a Comedy Classic. His parody "Dust Up His Nose" was a Billboard breakout, and his "Generic Up-tempo Folksong" led off a Limeliters' performance on PBS. His songs have also been performed by Steve Goodman, Jim Post and others, including the Sweet Adelines.
There's some bad news but also some good (and I'm not talking about last minute budget deals...). We learned this afternoon that Larry Rand has come down with a nasty bug and will not be able to perform this evening. The good news is that Hogeye's old friend James McCandless has agreed to perform in his place.
For those who haven't heard him at recent Jim Craig and Friends evenings, James has been a force in folk music since the sixties and seventies. To quote Michael Parrish of 'Dirty Linen': "His music has been recorded by Kat Eggleston, Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill, Jimmy Moore, Sean Keane, Arty McGlynn, Nollaig Casey, Bell & Shore, Susan Shore & Don Stiernberg, Dan Bern, and Body Parts; he has worked with Julianne Macarus, John Williams, Hayes & Cahill, Larry Nugent, Gan Ainm, Liz Carroll, Buddy Mondlock, Frank Tedesso, Jano, Andrew Calhoun, Victor Sanders, Brian Anderson, Jim Craig and Tom Dundee.
Jim has also performed with P.J. Hayes, Greg Brown, Joan Baez, Odetta, Chris Smither, Sean O'Driscoll, Claudia Schmidt, John Fahey, Tim O'Brien, Jim Post, Natalie McMaster and Tom Paxton." We are extremely pleased that he is able to step in on very short notice.
So there you have it. Copies of his new 'Splash Of Red' CD should be available for purchase. At the very least, songs from the album will be featured in his set list. This is an opportunity not to be missed.
We wish Larry a speedy recovery and return to the Hogeye stage.
Featured guests have included and may include once again: Vivian Craig, Fred Campeau, Jim McCandless, Mitch Thomas, Tyler Wilson, Dave Prine, Sean O'Hare, Heather Somerlot, and Jim Chesney. Or more. It's the uncertainty that makes it so much fun! We won't know for sure who's on the roster until our announcer says, "And now Jim Craig ..."
Watch and listen in amazement as all of our performers play a 45-minute game of Scrabble. (Just k-i-d-d-i-n-g. Yay ... 50 bonus points!)
Talk to Anne for five minutes, and you walk away a better person.
Listen to her sing, and it's a struggle to walk away at all. Her
collaborations with artists such as Michael Smith are legendary.
Wherever there is a song to be sung or a story to be told, if Anne
hasn't already written it herself, she knows just where to look and how
to give it life. Maybe she'll bring Michael Smith with her, or maybe a
juggling monkey (like last year). Even if she comes alone, Anne is
guaranteed to leave you begging for more. Beg in a nice way, and Anne
will probably sing for a month.
Eric Noden sings, shouts and stomps while conjuring old spirits from the strings of his acoustic guitar. His right thumb often lays down a driving bass figure that weaves around the intricate melodic lines played with his fingers. (Yes, he has thumbs and fingers on both hands!) This style, favored by noted early bluesmen, is difficult to capture and thus rarely used by modern guitar players. Eric is known as a performer, historian, and teacher of early blues music. Varying his approach from song to song, Eric draws from a deep well of American music that fuels his high-energy performing style.
Joe Filisko can make his harp cry, flutter, sing, or sound like a train, creating soaring melodies and driving percussive rhythms. (And like Eric, thumbs and fingers, both hands.) He is known around the world as a player, historian, and customizer of his often-misunderstood instrument. Joe's customized Marine Band harmonicas have been played by world-renowned artists the likes of Charlie Musselwhite, Kim Wilson, and others. Besides his recordings with Eric, Joe has released a CD of classic harmonica material titled "The History of Blues Harmonica." His harmonica might look like yours ... but we bet it sounds better.
Their appearance on our stage is a big deal for Hogeye ... and an even
bigger one for you!
Mark Dvorak is a charismatic performer with a spark of gentle passion that lights every concert hall and every greenway. He has been called a folk singer's folk singer who follows unerringly in the footsteps of Pete Seeger (see "Weavermania!") and Woody Guthrie, and his song writing has been called wondrous and profound. Mark's natural style of performing can make an old song sound new and a new song sound familiar. Entertaining warmth, sincerity, distinctive talent and variety have distinguished Dvorak as one of today's important folk artists.
Ed Trickett is a psychologist by day and a musician every other available minute. A "song-finder extraordinaire," Ed has been collecting and arranging songs and tunes, old and new, for over 40 years. His repertoire includes hundreds of great songs that he has made his own because they struck a resonant chord. He accompanies himself on 6- and 12-string guitar, and is perhaps best known for his 26 years as part of the Bok, Trickett, Muir trio with Gordon Bok and Ann Mayo Muir. Like Mark, Ed has appeared on stages around the world.
This is a rare and fine pairing, one that Hogeye Folk Arts is proud to
have assembled.
The blues or the news, guaranteed to amuse. That's Larry Rand in a nutshell ... and a nutshell just might be from whence he emerged some forgotten time in the middle of the last century. An award-winning journalist, Larry melds his command of current events and folk music into songs that satirize society, sans the dogma. "I try to aim up at the rich and powerful," he explains, as if to assure us that we are not the source of the problem (unless, of course, you're rich and powerful). "Uptempo Folksong?" Yep, that's Larry's work; request it and he shall sing.
Joining Larry on stage will be Nicole Mendyk, also a product of the Chicago folk scene, performing professionally for nearly 20 years. Among other credentials, she is an educator who taught university-level ESL and did outreach work with Vietnamese immigrants in Chicago's Uptown. Welcome! And Rick Veras, Chicago's venerable musician, complements the duo's mix of guitar, banjo and dulcimer with clever accompaniments on fiddle and mandolin. Let the music and fun begin!
To find out more about Larry and Nicole visit this
link
or check out his blog at this
link
Yes, Bryan Bowers is coming to Hogeye once again. The day after he first heard an autoharp played well and in good tune, Bryan bought one. Only one year later, he was redefining the autoharp as a folk and performance instrument and on his way to becoming a living legend in the musical idiom he loves so dearly.
Bryan has mastered a 5-finger picking technique that makes the autoharp multidimensional. He takes this quaint instrument and his own strident voice ... forges them with his charismatic personality ... and creates a distinctive sound that compliments both his traditional and original material. Widely regarded as the leading virtuoso on the autoharp, you'd be hard pressed to name another folk performer as entertaining on so many levels. He is spontaneous, energetic, witty, and charmingly uncomfortable in his unchallenged position as the best at what he does.
It's been said of Bryan that he "generates more music from an autoharp
than you can imagine from a 12-string guitar and harpsichord combined."
The good news: we don't have to find him a harpsichord.
Bill Staines is a perennial favorite of folk music audiences everywhere. There's just something about a Bill Staines lyric and melody that talks to all of us, regardless of our backgrounds. As a storyteller, Bill engages his audience with amusing, modest anecdotes that lead smoothly into charming story/songs. His homespun sincerity seems to be the key to his success with his audience.
A dewy mountain morning, a drunken cowboy's lament, a trucker's grueling haul on the interstate, Bill invigorates these familiar themes by personalizing them, frequently introducing his songs with vignettes about his travels as a guitar troubadour. Staines the storyteller gives breadth and credibility to Staines the singer/songwriter.
We could go on and on (as we have been known to do), but we rest on Bill's reputation and his universal appeal. Looking for a singer/songwriter whose music is relevant without preaching? You've found him in Bill Staines.
February 18. Let us share this with you in the parlor at the Lake Street Church.
Please join us for an evening-long celebration featuring many of the folk performers who have graced the Hogeye stage, and some who have not ... but each one with rich stories to share of the woman who was, in many ways, their patron and muse. Consider bringing a plate of cookies to share; we'll brew coffee and tea.
Artists who will be performing March 24th are: Dave Bowen, Shinobu Sato, Jim & Vivian Craig, Fred Campeau & Mitch Thomas, Josh Huppert, Kurt Bjorling, Mathew Wilson & Al Ehrich, Stephen Wade, Ed Holstein, Mark Sahlgren & Darcy Wilkin, Dave Prine & Tyler Wilson, Jan Burda & Friends, Anne Hills, and John Prine. This will be a night to remember in so many ways. Prepare to come early and stay late.
The date is Saturday, March 24, at 7:00 p.m; doors open at 6:00 p.m. The location is the Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston, 1490 Chicago Ave., adjacent to the Lake Street Church at Chicago Avenue and Grove Street. Admission is free, but if you would like to make a contribution to The Alzheimer's Association, Greater Illinois Chapter, information will be available at the door.
Joan, we miss you. Hear our voices on 3/24.
Al & Emily Cantrell put a pop spin on acoustic folk and bluegrass, with detours into Celtic, western swing and Americana. Chosen by Robert Redford to appear playing fiddle tunes in his hit movie "A River Runs through It," The Cantrells cast a magical spell with Emily's soaring vocals and Al's excellent musicianship.
In 1983, Al was invited to audition for a Boulder-based bluegrass band called The Tractors (not the same as the retro-country band of the 90's). The band's leader was Emily Cantrell, and two years later they were married. They have been performing together as a duo ever since, combining elements of folk, bluegrass, old time, western swing and whatever else suits their fancy into their own distinctive brand of acoustic country music.
"Fiddlesticks!" you say? Well, yeah, that, too. Their sound, their musicianship, their presence: they're one of a kind (OK, two).
Kristin wrote her first song, "Hula Hoop with Your Honey," at age 11. She neither had a honey nor knew how to hula hoop, but she says the words "had a catchy rhythm." For the past three decades, Lems has continued to write songs whose words, rhythms, and tunes are all "catchy." And it didn't take her long to find themes more relevant than the hula hoop.
In a more recent composition called "Trivial Pursuit," she derides preoccupation with the insignificant: "What's the middle name of Paul Revere? / How many bubbles in a glass of beer? / If you know, it's clear you'll master Trivial Pursuit / But don't ask how much money from our taxes goes to war / The answer isn't funny and it makes the game a bore."
Feminism, human rights, and the environment have characterized Kristin's four folk albums and one tape of music for children. Her work for the women's movement earned her the President's Award at the Illinois conference of the National Organization for Women.
"I started reflecting on women everywhere. Are there universals in our experiences? In every society, women are in the rear, although in different cultural forms." Lems also muses, "Where are all the women in music? Why is it that women take all of the music lessons and yet men become the performers?" (Happily, not always the case, Kristin. Enter stage left.)
Lems once paired with Chicago artist Peggy Lipschutz, who "choreographed her drawings" to Kristin's music, as they did about ten years ago on our stage. Lems jokes that she's gone from "singing mostly for men in the early '70's to singing mostly for women in the '80's and mostly for children in the '90's." Good news: She sings for and to all of us in 2012.
On April 28th, let Kristin share a few thoughts about life and tickle the ironic side of your sense of humor.
As expected, Jim Craig promises some surprises along with more of the usual suspects. Prepare to be treated to the next-best thing to a folk music tent show ... without that drafty tent.
Fred Campeau and Mitch Thomas have been a team since the early 70's, when they met while both were performing around Chicago. A former Volo Bogtrotter and expatriate of other bands, Fred plays guitar, banjo, fiddle and harmonica. Mitch teaches choir and theater and is a 2-time winner of the Wheatland Festival Folksinging Contest.
Dave Prine and Tyler Wilson, remembered as The National Recovery Act from the 1970's and '80's, return to the stage to remind us where American folk music originated: in their basement. They'll treat us once again to traditional musical stylings and good-natured banter.
Songster Jim and songstress/wife Vivian Craig are still singin' strong after nearly 40 years together, and still preserving the landmark status of their Hogeye Music Store in Evanston. Jim's mellow guitar and vocal stylings are rich and pure, and Vivian's appearances have endeared her to all. And then there are the surprises ... aaah, yes, the surprises. I wish we could tell you! (Heck, I wish someone would tell us!)
No wagering and definitely no shoving. Applaud whenever moved.