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Summerfest coming to New Bedford, July 3-5
Posted on June 26, 2009 by Steve Ide
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One of the highlights of the summer for folk music fans is The Greater New Bedford Summerfest, being held July 3-5. This annual city-center music and crafts festival offers multiple stages with diverse acts, from the traditional to the cutting edge.
Some of this year’s more than 30 acts include the Jonathan Edwards Trio, Antje Duvekot, Ellis Paul and Roy Book Binder. Surprisingly, with this much talent on multiple stages, the Saturday-Sunday ticket is an amazing $15, or $10 for just one day, still cheaper than seeing one of these acts at a local coffeehouse.
The Friday night kick-off show, a separate concert, features Maria Muldaur, Ellis Paul and Peter Mulvey.
Here is a video I made from last year’s festival. It barely scratches the surface of what you’ll see and hear there:
For details, visit the festival web site or the web site for Barrell of Music Productions, which offers bios of all the performers.
Connecticut singer-songwriter presents images of blue collar America
Posted on June 1, 2009 by Steve Ide
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Independent Connecticut singer-songwriter Charles Schultz has seen it all, from living and working small-town America to heading off to war.
On his latest CD, “Departure” (Mas Music Studios), Schultz steeps his songs in images of blue collar America and small-town living, from the traditional sounding “Quaint Little Town” to the 12-bar blues of “Ocean Avenue Blues” or the jangly rock of the working person’s anthem “Gotta Get to Work:”
My back is aching and my joints are stiff
A 15-minute break just don’t do the trick
I can’t believe tomorrow, I gotta do this again
I just heard the boss say, ‘Hey, get back to work!’ “
Many of Schultz’s songs have the feel of 50’s rock with the storytelling sensibilities of a folk singer. He sings of his experiences being drafted and serving in the Vietnam War in “Times Wasted.” That serves in stark contrast to the tender, though risque, ballad “Moo Moo My Lady,” written by Jim Krotki, Lee Yarosh and Ken Charters.
A multi-instrumentalist influenced by the Moody Blues, Schultz offers a tribute to that group in the instrumental “Tranquility,” which has a clever undertone that fits perfectly with “Melancholy Man.” Joining him on keyboards is co-writer Tomas Perez, who also adds bass, drums and percussion on the CD.
Garrison Doles of Florida wins Rose Garden songwriter contest
Posted on May 17, 2009 by Steve Ide
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Garrison Doles, of Orlando, Fla., won the 17th annual Rose Garden performing songwriter contest in Mansfield, Mass., Saturday night.
There also were strong performances by other finalists Lynne Hanson of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and Chris Elliott of Leverett, Mass.
Check back in the next few days for photos and videos from the show.
Performing songwriter contest brings in musicians from U.S. and Canada
Posted on May 15, 2009 by Steve Ide
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The Boston area has always been a hotbed for emerging musicians and fertile ground for the so-called “folk movement.” It was fostered by the 60’s folk renaissance at Club 47 in Cambridge (now Club Passim), Greenwich Village in New York, and elsewhere in the Northeast, and continues to this day.
Small clubs around Boston and elsewhere, where non-labeled musicians play to small and sometimes large crowds, are the pollen for the busy bee musicians of the movement. And they are all looking for their big break. Sometimes all it takes is a line that says that they were a finalist or won a songwriting contest.
It was in the spirit of trying to provide that break that the Rose Garden Coffeehouse began its performing songwriter competition 17 years ago. Since then, many of the musicians that have been either finalists or winners have gone on to better musical careers. Songwriters like Darryl Purpose, Michael Troy, Jud Caswell, Cadence Carroll and many others.
“This year, the quality of the entries made picking three finalists especially difficult,” says Rose Garden organizer Samuel “Mac” McLanahan. “We had more than 50 entries from all over the country, although most were from New England. It just happened to work out that two of the three we picked will be coming a long distance to do their two songs … one from Canada and one from Florida. The third, from Western Massachusetts, lives relatively close.”
 Chris Elliott Leverett, Mass. |
 Lynne Hanson Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
The contestants this year include Garrison Doles of Orlando, Fla., Lynne Hanson of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and Chris Elliott of Leverett, Mass. “All three are extremely talented,” McLanahan said. “Our audience always has fun seeing if their choice for the winner matches the judges’ choice!”
Garrison Doles web site | myspace
Doles has warm bluesy voice that hovers nicely over picked acoustic guitar and belies his hard-scrabble 30-year career as a performer. He is no stranger to songwriting contests, having won contests in Florida, North Carolina and Dallas in 2008.
Chris Elliott web site | myspace
Elliott has the storytelling sound of Bob Dylan, the heart of a rocker and the soft sound of a traditional folkie. He won his current handmade guitar in a WUMB radio competition.
Lynne Hanson web site | myspace
Lynne Hanson has more of a countrified sound than the other two and a powerful country voice and won the Blues Award for the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals “Songs from the Heart” contest in 2006.
The Judging
The judges will rate the performers on their performance abilities, interaction with the audience, the quality of their songwriting, both music and lyrics. Each finalist submitted two songs and will perform them Saturday night.
“A good song has to start with a good, original idea,” says McLanahan. “To me, the best songs are about topics that haven’t already been covered over and over. We look for the quality of voice and the instrumental accompaniment. Then, when the finalist gets to the actual performance on Saturday, the judges will also be looking at stage presence and how well the performer presents himself or herself in a live situation.”
The judges this year include Naomi Arenberg, host and producer of the “Folk on WGBH” radio program; August Watters, an associate professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and the director of education for the Boston Bluegrass Union; and Chuck Hall, an accomplished songwriter, performer and winner of the 2008 competition.
The contest will be held before the main act at Saturday’s Rose Garden, Jake & Taylor Armerding. As in the past, the winner of the competition will be announced at the end of the show. Check back on this blog for the results.
The show will be held at 8 p.m. at the Orthodox Congregational Church, 17 West St., Mansfield. Doors open at 7:30. Tickets are $18, $16 in advance. For more information, visit the Rose Garden web site.
Father & Son: Taylor & Jake Armerding in double-CD release Saturday in Mansfield, Mass.
Posted on May 13, 2009 by Steve Ide
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There is something special when the father-son duo of Taylor and Jake Armerding take the stage. In Taylor’s early days, as a founding member of the progressive bluegrass band Northern Lights, he would invite Jake to perform onstage with the band. Playing fiddle at 13-14 years old, Jake would wow the audience with abilities that seemed far beyond his age, almost stealing the limelight from the band. His affable nature endeared him to audiences, and encouragement from his dad no doubt set the stage for Jake to launch his own musical career.
The duo will be together this Saturday, May 16, 2009, for the season-ending show at the Rose Garden Coffeehouse in Mansfield, Mass. In addition to the special nature of this father and son performance, they will be bringing with them a full complement of musicians and both will be releasing new CDs. For Taylor, this is his first, a birthday and Christmas gift from his son.
In addition, the Rose Garden will hold its 17th annual performing songwriter competition. Finalists this year will include Garrison Doles of Orlando, Fla.; Lynne Hanson of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; and Chris Elliott of Leverett, Mass.
For Jake Armerding, 31, who got married in this past year, it comes as no surprise that his fourth CD, “Her,” is a collection of songs about love and relationships. “For years I’ve been trying to get away from love songs,” says Armerding, who also plays guitar and mandolin. “Everybody writes them, they’re the easiest to write, all that stuff. But then I fell in love and got married, so it wasn’t really an option.”
Here are some song clips from Jake’s new CD:
Jake has become one of the most melodically and lyrically gifted songwriters on the circuit today. His songs continue a trend of defying easy characterization. His deft use of electric and acoustic instruments, keyboards and percussion never hides lyrical impact, leaving his tender tenor vocals out front. His songs vary from acoustic folk, to jazz, to bluegrass, to Latin and more. They can change the mood from the distant and sadly affecting “I Came Upon Some Love Today” to the joyous opening track “Up On The Rim”:
“How did I find
True love with a friend of mine?
Just a boy and a girl
But it still feels just like a miracle”
I found myself singing along and hitting repeat on the CD player to songs like “$2 Kite,” about being torn between love and friendship, and the celebratory “Song of Solomon.” The latter is a country-folk melody that has a duet with Taylor, warm vocal harmonies that mingle with fiddle, and an anthemic chorus:
“Alleluia to the chorus
Can you hear the angels sing along
To the music written for us
We sing our Song of Solomon”
He sings a confrontational love-dismissal rant amid power-strummed acoustic guitar in “Harry/Sally.” In “Porto, PT (Portugal)” jazz horns, clarinet and Latin rhythms tell the story of love lost to the lure of a travel poster on a wall.
Pensive electric guitar pushes the impassioned love song, “Dying Light,” while “Summer of My Life” offers lush harmonies and devotional lyrics that could be wedding vows:
“You are my marigold
spring’s daughter
You are my drink of cold
well water
And you are my girl next door
who lives with me
I could not love you more
Somehow I do, I do.”
Taylor Armerding, 60, a columnist for “The Eagle Tribune” in Lawrence, Mass., spent 28 years as the Northern Lights mandolin player and front man. Now he performs in a trio with Jonathan Edwards, the Bluegrass Gospel Project and with an occasional collaboration called Barnstar (consisting of guitarist Mark Erelli, banjoist Charlie Rose, bassist Zack Hickman and Northern Lights fiddler Mike Barnett). He said Jake comes from a musical family (both of his grandparents also were musical), and that he was exposed to many kinds of music growing up. Taylor said he’s proud of Jake’s accomplishments, and especially his writing. “Some of these are among the best he’s ever done,” Taylor said.
Taylor’s birthday and Christmas present from Jake was his first solo CD project, called “Head That Way,” a collection of blues, bluegrass, bluegrass gospel and folk favorites, with Zack Hickman on bass, Mark Erelli on guitar and vocals, Lincoln Meyers on guitar, Greg Liszt (Crooked Still) on banjo and his youngest son, Jesse Armerding, on drums.
Taylor joked that he toyed with calling the CD “Breaking Old Ground,” because most of the songs on the CD he had already recorded with other groups. But the real gift, he said, was that his son also put together the band for his recording. “I couldn’t have assembled a better group of players,” Taylor said. “It was Dad and the kids.” He said, for him, the CD is a kind of retrospective, adding “being at the age that I am, it’s kind of nice to have them all in one place.”
Though he knew the group members ̶ most introduced through his association with Jake ̶ he had never worked with them. “It was an amazing experience,” Taylor said. “We knocked out 13 songs in two days. It was a blast.”
Here are some song clips from Taylor’s new CD:
The CD includes songs that followers of Northern Lights will recognize, most notably the band’s signature train song for many years, “Northern Rail,” along with “City on a Hill,” both written by Taylor. He said he had never recorded until now a couple of songs in his repertoire, the original “Company Town” and the Dillards’ “Old Home Place.”
Taylor’s vocals soar in the classic bluegrass gospel of “Working on a Building” and offers up some fine harmonies in the Louvin Brothers’ “Cash on the Barrelhead.”
Armerding said he’s looking forward to his return to the Rose Garden. He’s performed there in many of the coffeehouse’s 20 years. He attributes it to the venue’s ability to bring quality acts to the stage. “The ones that survive and even prosper basically are able to establish a reputation that you can go there anytime and enjoy what you hear,” Taylor said. “The Rose Garden has a loyal following, but I don’t think you get a loyal following if it’s uneven.”
The Rose Garden Coffeehouse, held at the Orthodox Congregational Church in Mansfield, Mass., opens its doors at 7:30. The show starts at 8 p.m. Click for a map. Tickets are $18 at the door, $16 in advance. For information, visit the Rose Garden web site at www.rosegardenfolk.com or call 508-699-8122.
Jake Armerding performed with Northern Lights in 1993 at the Rose Garden Coffeehouse in this before and after photo montage.
Jake Armerding CD review upcoming
Posted on May 11, 2009 by Steve Ide
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Jake Armerding, one of the more prolific songwriters on the Boston folk scene, has just released his new CD called “Her.” Check back today or tomorrow for a review, with sound clips and more ….. Steve
Scituate, Mass. singer-songwriter David Ogden returns to his roots on new CD
Posted on May 10, 2009 by Steve Ide
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“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams; live the life you’ve imagined.”
– Henry David Thoreau
Singer-songwriter David Ogden says he tries to live by that Thoreau quote. He’s traveled around the country and back again, and the path has returned him to his roots. Born and raised in Scituate, Mass., Ogden had been a regular on the South Shore music scene before heading to Florida in the mid 80’s to explore other dreams. But, now he’s home again.
Ogden’s music, a mix of meticulously picked acoustic guitar and warm, soothing vocals, wraps around classic images of New England and Boston’s South Shore. His fifth CD, “No Better Place” (Coastal Fog Records, davidogdenmusic.com), is rife with imagery of his home, which he calls the “Irish Riviera,” a reference to the seaside region so named because of the influx of Irish-Americans who vacationed there in the ’20s and ’30s. It’s no wonder “1-4-3 (Lighthouse Song)” is backed by the sound of pennywhistles.
“Off the coast of Cohasset,
She’s got a Boston point of view,
a lighthouse that flashes 1-4-3,
I-love-you.”
The CD, produced by Ben Wisch (Marc Cohen, Patty Larkin, David Wilcox) pays homage to New England in “No Better Place,” a quick-paced, percussive lyrical canvas of life in the Northeast, with mentions of fly rods, Maine cabins, the Vineyard and more.
Click the Play button above to hear a clip of “No Better Place.”
Ogden, who had worked in Florida managing a music production company, says he and his wife, Dawn, returned to the South Shore about 6 years ago. “Being a Yankee and New Englander in Florida, I got homesick,” he said. He found himself writing songs about his original hometown. “I missed performing. I missed writing. I missed following that dream … I took that leap of faith [back into performing]” he said, by returning to New England. “It’s been an uphill battle. Independent music is a tough thing.”
His songs delve into familiar folk music territory, with introspective melodies about life, love and spirituality. He sings about his first guitar, handed down from his grandfather to his father, then to him, in “Grandfather’s Guitar.” “Even though it was a bit weathered, strings a mile off the frets, and always out of tune, it was great. I took it everywhere, a couple of buds making up songs and plucking out old Beatles tunes. Little did I know it would send me on a lifelong journey.” One tune, “Woodsmoke and Rain,” relies on his guitar today, in a peaceful, emotive, picked instrumental.
Ogden performs solo, with a band or with Norwell singer-songwriter Les Sampou, who adds bluesy harmonies on “God Only Knows.” Also joining Ogden on this CD are Jennifer Kimball, Duke Levine, Ben Whitman and a half-dozen other musicians. “It’s been fantastic to get in touch with old friends again and be back playing again, writing, recording and getting back on the right track.”
Click the Play button above to hear a clip of “God Only Knows.”
Fiddler-singer April Verch’s latest CD is a gem
Posted on May 8, 2009 by Steve Ide
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April Verch has one of the purest voices in traditional music. And when she plays the fiddle or adds a flurry of step dancing – often at the same time – the wealth of her talent shines as brightly as her smile from the stage. Verch’s latest, “Steal the Blue” (Slab Town Records, aprilverch.com) is a wonderful mix of Ottawa Valley-style fiddling, along with country and bluegrass songs and a voice to make you melt.
Verch is one of the most salt-of-the-earth people you could ever meet. When she greets people at her shows, the smiles are genuine. She is a natural, whether she is jamming in a music festival camping area or sharing the limelight with her band, which includes her husband/percussionist Mark Bru. Her fiddling shines, especially on tracks like “My Friend Craig,” with dynamic guitar work from Isaac Callender and bodhrán from Bru.
Though Canadian Verch easily can do entire CDs of her fiddling alone, this CD contains mostly songs. It drives home how dynamic a singer she is. Her vocals are emotive and bright, sweetly captivating, from sadly affecting melodies like the countrified “The Last Geyhound” to tender songs like “Long Way Home” or “Slip Away.” Her fiddle original, “Independence, VA,” sounds like it could have served as a soundtrack to a Civil War drama.
Almost a dozen other performers contribute to this CD, including mandolinist Sam Bush, banjoist Scott Vestal and several fine harmony vocalists.
Her tour schedule says she won’t be around the Boston area anytime soon, the closest locales are Maine in June. But you never know. Keep a watch out for April. She’s worth the wait.
Here was April putting on some moves at the Rose Garden in Mansfield, Mass., a couple of years ago:
And here’s another recently in which she performed a dedication to the late John Hartford, called “A Riverboat’s Gone.”
Bluegrass star Rhonda Vincent comes to town
Posted on May 6, 2009 by Steve Ide
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Rhonda Vincent is one of bluegrass music’s brightest stars. And she’ll be coming to Somerville, Mass. for two shows on May 28.
Vincent has won an amazing seven consecutive “Female Vocalist of the Year” award from the International Bluegrass Music Association. This is no small feat given the wealth of female singers in bluegrass.
Rhonda will be debuting songs from her new CD, “Destination Life” (Rounder Records), due to be released on June 16.
Rhonda has been described as one of the hardest working women in bluegrass music. And it’s easy to see why. Her tour schedule is brutal, as she traverses the country with her band, The Rage, in the Martha White bus.
I haven’t heard Rhonda’s new CD yet, but I’m very much looking forward to it. According to her press materials, it was produced by Rage member and fiddler Hunter Berry, with a variety of songs from many writers. The title track was written by a songwriter from New Zealand. It contains a few co-written originals and a gospel song “When I Travel My Last Mile.”
The shows at Johnny D’s, 17 Holland St, Somerville, Mass. will be at 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Tickets at the door are $10. There are no advanced ticket sales. For more information, call 617-776-2004.
Here’s a video of Rhonda and The Rage at Podunk a couple of years ago, performing a well-known Dolly Parton tune, “Jolene”:
South Shore Folk Music Club turns 30
Posted on April 28, 2009 by Steve Ide
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It’s a remarkable achievement when any organization lasts 30 years. That a non-profit organization like the South Shore Folk Music Club can do it is even more remarkable.
Many venues fade away over the years, due to lack of interest, loss of a leader or dwindling of volunteers. The Rose Garden Coffeehouse in Mansfield recently turned 20. The venerable Me & Thee Coffeehouse in Marblehead is pushing 40.
On May 2, 2009, South Shore Folk Music Club celebrates 30 years at The Beal House in Kingston, Mass., with a performance by folk singer Ellis Paul. Paul is one of several singer-songwriters that emerged in the 90s from the Boston folk scene. His ebullient style of performance and vocals helped revitalize the folk music scene, with intelligent, thought-provoking lyrics, percussive guitar playing and energetic vocals.
His music has been heard on movie and TV soundtracks. But more importantly, Paul’s music bridged a gap between traditional folk music and pop, energizing a more youthful folk audience inspiring a cadre of new singer-songwriters and filling folk music venues with fresh faces.
The opening act will be from Flynn, another dynamic Boston-based singer-songwriter.
Here are some Ellis Paul videos that are on Youtube:
The Beal House is at the Unitarian Church, 222 Main Street, Kingston. The doors open at 7:30, and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $22, $20 for members of the folk club. For more information, directions, etc., visit the club web site at www.ssfmc.org or call 781-871-1052.
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