Sat., Oct. 14, 2023
7:30 p.m.
Jack Williams
Listen: “Where The Light Has Gone”
The music of Jack Williams, rooted in his native South Carolina, is shaped by a 65-year career of playing folk, rock, jazz, R&B, classical and the popular music of the 30s, 40s and 50s. He is counted among the most dynamic performers on today’s “folk” circuit – “…one of the most enlightened and entertaining performers I’ve ever encountered”, said Dave Humphreys of Two-Way Street Coffeehouse in Downer’s Grove, IL. Jack is considered a “musician’s musician”, an uncommonly unique guitarist, a writer of vivid songs with a strong sense of place, and a storyteller in an old Southern tradition who further illustrates each tale with his guitar.
“Jack Williams is a national treasure. When it comes to pulling the worlds of blues, country, rock and roll, and jazz together on an acoustic guitar, I’ve never heard his equal.”
~Frank Goodman, Puremusic.com
Sat., Nov. 11, 2023
7:30 p.m.
Mean Mary
Listen: Sweet Jezebel
The music of “Mean Mary” James defies categorization in any single genre of folk, music. In addition to performing, she produces music, produces videos (her YouTube videos have received close to 30 million visits), tours extensively in the US and overseas, is writing a novel trilogy about the music world, and is endorsing artist for Deering Banjos. The Deerings have named her the Goodtime Ambassador. Mary plays 11 instruments and has recorded 18 albums, her newest being Portrait of a Woman. There is not room here to tell the whole life story of Mean Mary, but if you would like to hear more of it, listen to her music – it is all there.
“If you do like stories, harmonies, good guitar playing and actual mastery of the banjo, you’ll fall in love with Mean Mary James; but if you don’t like Traditional American Folk music, read Mean Mary’s bio on her website and you will want to run away with her.” ~The Rocking Magpie
Sat., Dec. 16, 2023
7:30 p.m.
Rupert Wates
Listen: A Song Of Your Own
Rupert Wates was born in London and studied at Oxford University. He has been a full time songwriter since the late 1990s, when he signed a publishing contract with Eaton Music Limited. In London he worked with some of the best performers in the city. Moving in 2001 to Paris, Wates formed his own quartet and began playing live regularly. In fall 2006 he came to the US. He is now based in New York City and Colorado. Since coming to the US, he has won more than 50 songwriting and performing awards (http://www.rupertwatesmusic.com/awards).
His music is an eclectic mix of acoustic, melodic art/folk, with flavors of jazz, vaudeville and cabaret. He has released twelve solo CDs. They have received outstanding reviews in the international online press and tracks from them have been played on the radio all over the world. In addition, Wates’ songs have been covered by other artists in the UK, Canada and the US. Two full length tribute CDs to his material have been recorded: ‘Crazy Puzzle’ (2015) by Nashville-based performer Roxie Rogers, and ‘Wide Open Heart’ (July 2017) by Los Angeles vocalist Susan Kohler. Both these CDs were initiated and funded entirely by the artists themselves, and comprise exclusively songs taken from Rupert Wates’ back catalog. Over 20 recordings featuring Wates’s songs by other artists were made in 2016, and more are scheduled for 2017 (full list at http://www.rupertwatesmusic.com/covers).
Rupert Wates averages 120 live shows every year, in front of audiences totaling more than 3,500, in acoustic venues in every state in America, in Canada and in Europe. He performs sometimes alone, sometimes with his trio or his quartet. He prefers smaller listening rooms where the audience is up close and the emphasis is on the music. He was voted an Artist Of The Year in both 2013 and 2016 by the international house concert network Concerts In Your Home (http://www.concertsinyourhome.com/), and for five years running he has been the most booked performer on their database of several hundred artists. In 2018, Wates was a Finalist in the Kerrville New Folk Song Contest, and an Emerging Artist at Falconridge Folk Festival.
“(His) narrative storytelling is superb — even by the highest folk music standards.” ~Jim Abbott, Orlando Sentinel
“Truly gripping lyrics with great themes and troubling, witty messages. An inspirational artist.” ~Leith FM Radio, Scotland
Sat., Feb. 17, 2024
7:30 p.m.
Patresa Hartman
Listen: The Falconer’s Knot
Singer/songwriter, Patresa Hartman, began sharing her music with others at an open mic in 2011, challenging her long-standing bout with stage fright. Now, after more than a decade of performing, greeting hundreds of audiences, and making 2 full-length albums (with 1 more on the way), you can find her playing venues across the midwest.Hartman calls her style soul-folk. A rich, blues voice serves as the vehicle for thoughtful, poetic lyrics. A percussive guitar player, Hartman’s signature finger picking style is the rhythmic foundation for soulful melodies that hint at contemporary country and folk. But Hartman’s roots in gospel and soul become apparent in her turns behind the piano.Hartman released her first album, The Only Way Down, in 2014, to much critical praise. Her second album, Queen of Everything, was released in 2016, in conjunction with a music video–a collaboration with the Iowa Ballet Academy and local filmmakers at DEFT. Her third album is expected to be released soon.
“…the surprising joy of Hartman’s sound [is] soul. Without succumbing to the vocal acrobatics that are pretty standard in music today…, Patresa takes us to church in her vocals just enough to let you know what she’s capable of without being braggadocious.” ~Rae Fehring, Band Bombshell“Don’t be fooled by Patresa Hartman’s humble grace and self-effacing charm; this talent is a force to be reckoned with. Both her lyrics and her energy are infused with honesty, poetry, and artistry that are rare finds in today’s musicians.” ~Alissa Sheldon, Iowa Music Buzz“Hartman is proudly carrying the torch of the Iowa Sound that dates back decades. Artists like Greg Brown, Dave Moore and Bonnie Koloc should be happy to know that Hartman is continuing the roots tradition they established while cutting her own distinctive groove into the Iowa landscape.” ~Joe Lawler, Cityview Magazine
Sat., Apr. 13, 2024
7:30 p.m.
The Honey Dewdrops
Listen: “Here In The Mountains”
Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish of The Honey Dewdrops began touring in 2009 and have called the city of Baltimore home since 2014. With several albums and fourteen years of playing shows on the road, they continue to expand their experimental folk sound of electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin and clawhammer banjo with tight vocal harmonies, while maintaining a commitment to deepening their understanding of the world through the lens of songwriting and music. No Depression says of the new album, Light Behind Light, “The Honey Dewdrops have a way of filling their songs with humanity, using their beautiful playing and harmonies to emphasize what connects us all.”
“The Honey Dewdrops prove that the magic of their artistry is in their ability to impart a sense of compassion in listeners while delivering meaningful messages with a purity that’s so rare to encounter.” ~ Cillea Houghton, No Depression
Sat., May. 18, 2024
7:30 p.m.
Triflemore
Triflemore is a transatlantic folk duo, including one from small-town America and the other from the northernmost islands of Scotland. Their songs are meditative and progressive, whilst reflecting traditional Celtic and British Isles folk baroque stylings, pondering the impact of simple, old-fashioned kindness, mindfully navigating the unexpected, and the value of cultivating community. Their calendar is sparse and handcrafted with unique, welcoming venues and inclusive gathering places that are working toward the common good, for it is precisely this intention that inspires their songcraft.
“Haunting lo-fi Folk.” ~ Maverick Magazine, UK
“. . . definite Celtic vibes, with contemplative lyrics that somehow pull of the paradox of feeling grounded while simultaneously taking flight.” ~Nomadic Noesis