Tag: folk

Joe Jencks, June 11, 2017

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Joe Jencks with guitar

Music at 4:00 p.m.
Socializing and light potluck at 3:00 p.m.
$20 suggested artist donation*

For an invitation to attend, please contact Lee
by email at windycityhouseconcerts@gmail.com
or at 312-810-3067

Joe’s songs and performances are a unique merging of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration. He weaves a diverse web of stories with brilliant musical skill, ensnaring even the most rigid of hearts, inviting them to open. His songs invite us to live inside of our passions and our beliefs.

On the stage, in the studio, or in the classroom, Jencks applies conservatory training to contemporary genres, bridging styles and techniques. Drawing on his Irish heritage (dual U.S./Irish Citizen), Jencks uses his lyrical voice to enchant, heal, and inspire. Jencks has won numerous songwriting awards and is also highly regarded as a song interpreter.

Joe had a full house for our show last August – I expect this one will be full as well, so please don’t wait to get in touch if you are interested.

Press

“In these times, we need the singers who will do the homework and tell the stories! Joe Jencks is among the fine next generation singers who are ready to carry on the tradition as well as look into the future” “Holly Near, Ukiah, CA

“The key to the future is people joining in. The music of Joe Jencks captures this essential spirit. Joe is a fantastic singer who carries on the traditions.” -Pete Seeger

“Joe Jencks is the type of musician that will cause you to drop that morning newspaper or pull your car to the side of the road when you hear his songs. He is the type of artist that will turn heads in his direction when he walks onto a stage. His voice will instantly draw you into his passionate songs. He is the type of musician whose music will become a part of you.” -Ron Olesko, WFDU–FM Teaneck, NJ

Watch and Listen to Joe Jencks

Selected audio tracks:
https://www.sonicbids.com/band/joejencks/audio/

Video of “Come With Me” at NERFA (Northeast Region Folk Alliance)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMKVA571PPA

Video of “Deportee” at the Old Songs Festival
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvdHNnLg24U

To get emails about our shows, please click here to subscribe to our mailing list.

* All funds go to the musician

Mari Black Trio, Sunday, April 23, 2017

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Mari Black Trio

Music at 4:00 p.m.
Socializing and light potluck at 3:00 p.m.
$20 suggested artist donation*

For an invitation to attend, please contact Lee
by email at windycityhouseconcerts@gmail.com
or at 312-810-3067

You will not be able to sit still for this concert! Your feet will be tapping along at the very least and most likely you’ll be dancing in your seat!

Multistyle violinist and champion fiddler MARI BLACK is rapidly building a reputation as one of the most dynamic young artists of her generation. Her energetic playing, engaging stage presence, and commitment to bringing people together through music have made her a favorite with audiences across the country and around the world.

Equally at home in a wide variety of musical traditions, Mari is the 2015 & 2013 US National Scottish Fiddle Champion, the 2014 Glenfiddich Scottish Fiddle Champion, the 2014 & 2012 Canadian Maritime Fiddle Champion, the 2011 Canadian Novelty Fiddle Champion, a 1st Prize Winner at the 2010 American Protégé International String Competition, and a 2-time laureate at the American String Teachers’ Association Alternative Styles Awards.

On stage, she creates shows that draw on elements from many different styles including jazz, tango, folk, Western classical, as well as Celtic, American, and Canadian fiddling. Her performances take listeners on a musical journey exploring the diversity and celebrating commonalities in the dance-driven folk musics of the world.

Press

“One of the brightest young fiddlers around today”
— Brian O’Donovan, host of WGBH radio’s “A Celtic Sojourn”

“She is superb, inspiring, and unforgettable. Her magic is such that she
sweeps audiences along with the sounds she and her instrument make.”
— Willie Ruff, Professor of Jazz and Artistic Director of the Ellington
Fellowship Series, Yale University

“Particularly impressive”
— The Boston Globe

Watch and Listen to Mari Black and Her World Fiddle Ensemble

“Castlerock Road” on the beach in San Diego, CA
A set of original Celtic-style tunes at Boston’s Club Passim
Mari’s original composition, “The Purple Butterfly and Other True Beginnings”
Preview of Mari’s solo album “Flight”

To get emails about our shows, please click here to subscribe to our mailing list.

* All funds go to the musician

Joe Jencks, Sunday, August 28, 2016

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Joe Jencks

Music at 3:00 p.m.
Socializing and light potluck at 2:00 p.m.
$15-20 suggested artist donation*

For an invitation to attend, please contact Lee
by email at windycityhouseconcerts@gmail.com
or at 312-810-3067

It’s a great privilege for us to host Joe Jencks and a rare opportunity to see him solo. While he’s based in Chicago, he’s usually out on the road solo or as part of the blockbuster trio, Brother Sun. He’s also appearing on Folkstage, the nationally syndicated folk show on WFMT-FM 98.7 Saturday, August 27.

Joe has an amazing voice, fabulous guitar chops and writes great songs. Besides, that, he’s one of the nicest, warmest people I know. He was really the first to welcome me to the Chicago folk music community, before we even moved here. So I’m thrilled to share his music with you and get a chance to spend some time with a great musician.

Please don’t take my word for it. Here are a few comments from other folks, some of whose names you may recognize. Then check him out online at the links at the bottom of this post. You really have to hear Joe perform!

“Joe Jencks is the type of musician that will cause you to drop that morning newspaper or pull your car to the side of the road when you hear his songs. He is the type of artist that will turn heads in his direction when he walks onto a stage. His voice will instantly draw you into his passionate songs. He is the type of musician whose music will become a part of you.” – Ron Olesko, WFDU-FM, Teaneck, NJ

“In these times, we need the singers who will do the homework and tell the stories! Joe Jencks is among the fine next generation singers who are ready to carry on the tradition as well as look into the future” – Holly Near, Ukiah, CA

“The key to the future is people joining in. The music of Joe Jencks captures this essential spirit. Joe is a fantastic singer who carries on the traditions.” – Pete Seeger

“The next time someone says that folk music has lost its conscience, lacks great protest songs, or has lost its connection with its causes, I will sit them down and play Joe Jencks’ CD, I Hear Your Voice. Jencks sings with a superb tenor voice, and picks flashy guitar… that doesn’t obscure the beauty of his voice or the words of his well-crafted songs.” – Sing Out! Magazine, Rich Warren, Host of ‘The Midnight Special’ and ‘Folkstage” on WFMT-FM 98.7, Chicago, IL

http://www.joejencks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/JoeJencks/
https://twitter.com/joejencksmusic

Videos:

“Love is the Reason” is one of my many favorite Joe Jencks songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRq4gaoxlEw

“Come with Me” is one of my top favorites.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfamE-b44K0

Joe performing on Horses Sing None of It, a non-commercial cable TV show. Don’t be put off by the silly intro (a little over a minute). This gives a good taste of Joe in concert.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fertPVgXxXY

To get emails about our shows, please click here to subscribe to our mailing list.

* All funds go to the musician

Dana Cooper – Sunday, June 19, 2016

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Dana Cooper

Music at 4:00 p.m.
Socializing and light potluck at 3:00 p.m.
$15-20 suggested artist donation*

For an invitation to attend, please contact Lee
by email at windycityhouseconcerts@gmail.com
or at 312-810-3067

Out of the heartland of America, stomping grounds of Truman and Twain, “powerhouse” troubadour Dana Cooper dedicated himself to a life of music over 40 years ago. This song poet engages and inspires audiences around the world with his quick wit, insightful stories and commanding presence. Dana is the recipient of the 2014 Heritage Musician Award from Pilgrim Center for the Arts in Kansas City, MO. He was also named the 2015 Spirit of Folk award winner by Folk Alliance International. He has performed on Austin City Limits, Mountain Stage and the Kerrville Folk Festival where he was nominated for their Hall of Fame. Cooper’s songs have been recorded by top-notch artists such as bluegrass star Claire Lynch; Irish vocalist Maura O’Connell; and luminary songwriters Pierce Pettis and Susan Werner.

Cooper’s mixture of flat-picking, finger-picking and percussive strumming style is legend among other guitarists. An expressive singer, his voice is ageless, evoking a rich lifetime of experience.

His prolific endeavors have resulted in over 20 albums. The critically acclaimed Miracle Mile on Compass Records was nominated for a Nashville Music Award as “Best Pop Album” and was chosen by Performing Songwriter magazine as one of the top DIY recordings for the year. Harry Truman Built a Road was named one of the best records of 2002 by The Tennessean and was also chosen as one of the top twelve DIY recordings for that year. Made of Mud, released on King Easy Records in 2005, won Cooper the “Best Male Songwriter Award” by Indie Acoustic Project. Cooper joined co-producer/guitarist Thomm Jutz in 2010 to record the indie Americana classic The Conjuror. Working again with Jutz, Cooper released Building a Human Being in September, 2015. This is Cooper’s 25th album and it’s gaining momentum on Americana radio stations all over the US. Grammy-award-winning singer/songwriter Kim Carnes co-wrote two of the songs with Cooper and sings on several tracks.

* These voluntary donations all go to the artist. The suggested amount is just that (suggested), so we’d rather have you attend and contribute what you can than not hear the music.

http://www.danacoopermusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dana.cooper.5
https://www.youtube.com/user/DanaCooperMusic/videos
https://twitter.com/DCRoadShow
https://www.reverbnation.com/danacooper

To get emails about our shows, please click here to subscribe to our mailing list.

Claudia Nygaard – Sunday, April 3, 2016

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Claudia Nygaard

Music at 3:00 p.m.
Socializing and light potluck at 2:00 p.m.
$15-20 suggested artist donation

For an invitation to attend, please contact Lee
by email at windycityhouseconcerts@gmail.com
or at 312-810-3067

Claudia Nygaard’s captivating storytelling overflows from her songwriting into her live performance. With a voice like amber honey, and a twinkle in her eye that makes the entire audience feel she is sharing a secret with them alone, she takes them on an emotionally fearless journey with stories that expose a rare vulnerability and tenderness one moment, then a quick wit and an outlandish, irreverent sense of humor the next. Her songs move from heartfelt to humorous and from scrappy to sensual, and all the while the stories she tells in between them are as entertaining as the songs themselves.

“Claudia Nygaard’s music invitingly straddles the fence between country and folk with a band sound that is decidedly unplugged and artfully laid-back in support of her sensually lyrical alto. And then, there’s the matter of her songs — that rival the likes of Guy Clark or Ian Tyson in their plainspoken, memoir-like quality, rich with personalized images and a resonant point-of-view.” Sing Out Magazine

“I am continually amazed by the emotions she can evoke; heart wrenching I cry every time, to a social statement which could be a call to action or at least some inner searching, to sexy and funny that leaves everyone in the room delightfully joyfully heated. She is a pleasure to work with and gives her best every time. Always delighted to have her at Kerrville!” Dalis Allen, Producer of the Kerrville Folk Festival, Kerrville, TX and Chair of SWRFA (SouthWest Regional Folk Alliance)

I met Claudia at a Folk Alliance conference long enough ago not to remember exactly when it was and she made an immediate impression. Different with more of a country/Americana flavor than most of the singer/songwriters, but with story songs that drew you in with paintings in words and characters alive with emotion. Over the years, I got to see her at a number of conferences, but only a couple songs at a time. I knew she had a sense of humor but I didn’t realize how really funny she can be until a couple years ago.

Finally in July, 2014, I got to see her do a full show at Two Way Street Coffee House and discovered she has a wonderfully impish sense of humor. Her songs and performance will have you crying at times and laughing out other times. She’s a sweetheart and a house concert is the perfect way to see her.

http://www.claudianygaard.com/
https://soundcloud.com/claudianygaard
https://www.facebook.com/ClaudiaNygaardMusic
https://twitter.com/claudianygaard

Lara Herscovitch – Sunday, October 11, 2015

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Lara Herscovitch at Club Passim Aug 2015 by Neale Eckstein

Music at 3:00 p.m.
Socializing and light potluck at 2:00 p.m.
$15-20 suggested artist donation

For an invitation to attend, please RSVP to Lee
by email at windycityhouseconcerts@gmail.com or at 312-810-3067

“Pure musical poetry” (The Courier), Lara’s award-winning music is contemporary folk with shades of blues, jazz, and pop. With her voice “clear and smooth like expensive liquor”, she stands “above and beyond the pack” (Northeast Performer). For some people, what they do and who they are two different things. Not for Lara; her art as songwriter, poet, singer, performer reflects her work as a policy social worker on behalf of disadvantaged individuals focusing on education, community development, and juvenile justice around the world.

Former State Troubadour of Connecticut (2009-2010), Lara brings charm, authenticity, intelligence and a love of performing that immediately resonates with diverse audiences. She has appeared as a guest on A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor.

http://www.laraherscovitch.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Lara-Herscovitch-47446234656
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuDHjKTl4uQgxAHssAahmkw

Rebecca Folsom – Sunday, May 17, 2015

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Rebecca Folsom with Guitar

“What I love most in life is being on stage singing, with people connecting and  loving the music, having their hearts opened, dancing, singing along.  I absolutely love it.” – Rebecca Folsom

Socializing & Light Snack Potluck at 4:00 p.m.

Two sets of music starting at 5:00 p.m.

Suggested artist donation $20 (all funds to Rebecca)

For address and to attend, please RSVP to Lee
at 312-810-3067 or by email at windycityhouseconcerts@gmail.com

“Lush harmonies, great acoustic music and a lot of sass and attitude….sweet one minute, and then rebellious and smart the next.” High Plains Radio

“songs that are at once literate and emotional, and harmonies that strike just the right note of connection and invention while staying spare and serving the music.” Dirty Linen

The quotes above just scratch the surface – a Rebecca Folsom show is great fun. Her performance is energizing and her voice is amazing!

I first heard Rebecca at the Folk Alliance International conference in 2010. I fell in love with her music and performance then and she’s just gotten better with time. I’m thrilled that we can host her and I’d love to share her music with you. Please get in touch to join us.

http://rebeccafolsom.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebecca-Folsom-Music/628196480584746
https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.folsom.33
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOELGoZt2mLTmM4H3RYmCUg

Dana and Susan Robinson – Friday, April 24th, 2015

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Dana and Susan Robinson Live

Socializing and Potluck at 6:30 p.m.

Two sets of music starting at 7:30 p.m.

Suggested artist donation $20

For address and to attend, please RSVP to Lee
at 312-810-3067 or by email at windycityhouseconcerts@gmail.com

I’m really excited to be hosting Dana and Susan Robinson, at last! I first heard them at a show in Las Cruces, New Mexico in October 2009. I fell in love with their music and performance at that show. So it’s with great pleasure that we are finally able to share their music with you. They perform a mix of traditional songs and Dana’s own songs, which continue in a traditional style. Both are fine instrumentalists and blessed with sweet voices alone and together. This a show not to miss!

Listen

http://www.reverbnation.com/danaandsusanrobinson
http://www.robinsongs.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dana-and-Susan-Robinson/245400750541

About Dana and Susan

The genius of a Dana and Susan Robinson performance lies in their ability to capture the imagination of their audience, evoking a transformative experience that touches on the deepest humanity. They can make the audience howl with laughter or hush with poignant reflection as they take them on a journey across America and convey the mystery and wonder of the places they visit.

Underpinning the songs is the undeniable rhythm of their trademark guitar/banjo sound. Whether it is quiet or driving, there is a steady and unrelenting groove to the music that supports the lyric and delivers the story in an effortless and magical way.

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Dana relocated to New England where he discovered both a thriving songwriters scene and the deep well of traditional mountain music. In the early 1980’s, Dana settled in northern Vermont and built a house “off the grid” (no electricity and phone) on 30 acres near the Canadian border. There he founded a popular bakery, café and folk music venue. Dana launched into full-time touring after the release of his 1994 debut CD, Elemental Lullabye, and after receiving a request to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City for Putumayo’s Shelter benefit project.

Sue grew up in a musical family in New England. She studied piano, oboe, and Scottish fiddle before meeting Dana in 2002. Sue was working in the environmental field in California when she met Dana at a house concert. Upon moving to North Carolina a short time thereafter, Sue launched into studying with many of the great oldtime musicians in the Asheville area, and naturally adapted to the on-the-road lifestyle.

Quotes

“Many songwriters such as Bruce Springsteen, or John Mellencamp have been heralded as modern day Woody Guthries or keepers of the American rural spirit, but that mantle might be better entrusted to musicians like Dana Robinson who embody both the heart and the soul of folk music.” — Dirty Linen

“I am struck by how he writes songs that sound deeply rooted in tradition.  His phrasing and poetry are wonderful…”  — Dick Pleasants, WUMB, Boston, MA

“..A poet’s perspective delivered in quietly spectacular musicianship… the music sounds laid back even while his guitar licks are knocking your socks off” — Music Matters Review

Stay Informed

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Cancelled: Mike Mangione – Friday, February 27, 2015

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Mike Mangione

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we’ve had to cancel this show. Please join us for a future show.

Thanks,
Lee

Mike Mangione is the band leader of the traveling orchestral folk group Mike Mangione & The Union. Mike and his brother Tom write ballads with lyrics sometimes literal and direct, sometimes metaphorical and mysterious. Whether solo or with the full band, the music fits the stories, crossing blues, folk and rock as appropriate. While we won’t get the full band, we are privileged to host Mike in a smaller format. Red-Winged Blackbird Man, the band’s most recent album, is a great introduction, with several songs with fairly spare acoustic treatments as well as songs by the full band.

Writing in American Songwriter Magazine about Red-Winged Blackbird Man, Hal Horowitz said:

“Lyrically, the tunes are reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen’s ability to describe characters in such exquisite detail that by the end of five minutes it seems as if you’ve known them your whole life…The frontman’s boyish voice is an impeccable fit for this often dramatic material, balancing talk singing with a casual Paul Simon type vibe”

Blurt Magazine described Mike’s singing this way:

Like a less-raspy Ray LaMontagne, or perhaps a huskier Jason Isbell, Milwaukee (by way of Chicago) singer-songwriter Mike Mangione’s got that soul thang (sic) going on in his voice – at once vulnerable enough to telegraph that he’s known heartache, yet with just the right hint of swagger to suggest he’s not afraid to take another chance at love.

Give a listen and check out the lyrics at the links below and see what you think. I’m excited to hear a full show from Mike. I’ve gotten to hear him showcase several times at Folk Alliance but that’s only a couple songs at a time, so I’m really looking forward to this show. If you like what you hear, please get in touch (see the contact information at the bottom of the page).

http://mikemangione.bandcamp.com/
http://www.mikemangione.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Mangione-The-Union/133976429984287
https://www.youtube.com/user/mikemangione/featured

Music starts at 7:30 p.m. You’re welcome to join us from 6:30 p.m. for socializing and optional potluck supper. BYOB wine or beer are welcome. We’ll have two sets of music with a short break in the middle.

Suggested artist donation $20. This is a voluntary donation. All donations go to the musician.

For more information, please contact Lee by e-mail at windycityhouseconcerts@gmail.com or at 312-810-3067.

To get emails about our shows, please click here to subscribe to our mailing list.

Andrew McKnight – Friday, October 17, 2014

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Andrew McKnight

Since permanently leaving his corporate environmental engineering career in 1996, award-winning folk and Americana artist Andrew McKnight’s musical journey has traced over half a million miles of blue highways, and earned him a wealth of critical acclaim and enthusiastic fans for his captivating performances and five CDs.

“With a voice reminiscent of Don McLean, McKnight traverses from old-time Appalachian tunes to contemporary folk and blues, all backed up by his dead-on guitar playing” – The Boston Globe

Andrew’s solo performances are like one man theatre; the songs are woven together with humorous stories and poetic drama, and the musical soundscape traverses influences from Appalachia, tasteful slide and jazzy blues, feisty anthems, rustic folk, and even a little fancy flat-picking on a Carter Family tune.

“Stretching across the landscape of American folk music is a highway paved by Guthrie and Dylan… now Virginia native Andrew McKnight takes his turn smoothing down the blacktop” – Performing Songwriter

Andrew sees that comparison as more philosophical than musical. “I see both of them as witnesses to times of great change. And I am privileged to travel our country during this evolution as a society – replacing neighborhood ties in favor of chosen connections to people who share our values wherever they may live; that is profound and fundamental,” he muses. “And by definition, fundamental change means some win, and some lose. Those are the stories that move me to act as well as write.”

Andrew’s story-songs will entertain, teach and draw you in, leaving you uplifted and with food for thought by the end of the evening. It’s a rare treat to get Andrew this far west. Please listen to Andrew’s music and if you like what you hear, get in touch for an invitation (see below).

http://www.andrewmcknight.net
https://www.facebook.com/AndrewMcKnight.Musician
https://www.youtube.com/user/andrewmcknightdotnet
http://andrewmcknight.bandcamp.com/album/one-virginia-night

Music starts at 7:30 p.m. You’re welcome to join us from 6:30 p.m. for socializing and potluck supper. Wine or beer are welcome.

Suggested artist donation $20 (All funds go to the musician.)

For more information and an invitation, please contact Lee by e-mail at windycityhouseconcerts@gmail.com or at 312-810-3067.

To get emails about our shows, please click here to subscribe to our mailing list.