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Performers are listed alphabetically by last name (if solo performer or dance workshop instructor), group name, or the first-appearing surname of a duo or other number of performers.
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A Bunch of Ballads (Abbott Stage)
Ballads are stories told in songs. In our area, the tradition of singing these narratives is still very active, and we have assembled four of the best practitioners, great singers all: Molly Andrews, Judy Cook, David Kleiman, and Linda Rice-Johnston. Look for their individual bios.
David A. Alberding (Seventh Heaven Stage)
www.davidaalberding.com
With more than 20 years of experience entertaining audiences, David has honed his craft performing at festivals and venues up and down the East and Southern coasts. He delivers his award-winning songs with an awesome, compelling baritone and a contemporary folk guitar style that extends from intricate finger-styled blues ballads to rocking rhythm-filled acoustic fury. David's incredible vocal range, his mastery of the acoustic guitar, and his control of the pen have yielded an artist who charms his audience with every note, chord, and story.
David's influences are as varied and eclectic as the landscape of contemporary folk itself. His strong, deep voice and formidable guitar skills reflect years of study blended with the influences of masters such as BB King, James Taylor, and Joe Cocker. The result is a range that combines nimble precision with unbridled power. David's songwriting, though unique to itself, gives a nod to the storytelling abilities and poetic imagery of such artists as Harry Chapin and Van Morrison. David writes songs that run the gamut of human emotion: from the sweet taste of newfound love to the mild bitterness of lost-love-lamented, from all-too-familiar stories of family weekend adventures to the sad struggle of a family coping with loss.
Molly Andrews (Abbott Stage)
www.mollyandrews.com
Molly Andrews is recognized as one of the finest interpreters of traditional music as well as an outstanding vocalist in other styles. She brings a directness and intensity to everything she sings. She has performed extensively on stages great and small across the United States and in Europe, including the House of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park and at the Washington Folk Festival. Her latest recording is Blue Morning Glory.
Laura Baron (Seventh Heaven Stage)
www.laurabaronmusic.com
Laura Baron is an award-winning singer/songwriter who lives in the D.C. area. Her soulful songs showcase her folk, blues, and jazz experience. Laura's new self-titled CD was recognized as a Top Pick by washingtonpost.com/mp3, and several songs from that CD have been specially recognized. The 2004 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest awarded her song, "Peace Someday," with a Gold Award; and her songs "Seabird" and "Fat-Free Blues" were named finalists. Laura performed at the Strathmore Hall Arts Center as a semi-finalist in the 2004 NewSong Mountain Stage Contest. Laura is also well known for her children's recordings; and her recording, "Good Morning Sunshine," received the Parents Choice Award.
Barrelhouse Brawl (Lenore Robinson Dance Stage)
www.barrelhousebrawl.com
Barrelhouse Brawl presents hot blues, hokum, and primitive New Orleans style jazz. From a platform of washboard and tuba, a barrelhouse piano and a blues harmonica support the classic jazz trinity of trumpet, clarinet, and trombone.
The Beltway Balalaikas (World Stage)
www.balalaika.org
Organized as a small ensemble within the 50-piece orchestra of the Washington Balalaika Society (WBS), the capital area's original Russian folk orchestra. The Beltway Balalaikas include founding members Janet Bohm (prima balalaika), Kathy Hulan (secunda balalaika), and Dick Hulan (contrabass balalaika). They are joined by WBS orchestra conductor Svetlana Nikonova (prima domra) and her husband Vladimir Zakharevich (bayan), both of whom studied Russian folk instruments at the music conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia. All members of the Beltway Balalaikas live in Fairfax County, and they appear regularly in concerts of the WBS orchestra in the area.
Oscar Brand (Abbott Stage)
www.oscarbrand.com
Oscar Brand has presented the oldest continuous radio show in history since 1945, the award-winning "Folk-song Festival" on New York Public Radio. In his long association with the National Public Radio network, he has been host of "Voices in the Wind," arts interviewer for "Morning Edition," and co-host of the five-hour "Sunday Show." Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Brand has also worked with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and composed the Canadian anthem, "Something To Sing About." He has scripted and scored ballets and commercials, is the author of seven best-selling books, and has recorded 90 LPs. Curator of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Brand has written songs for two Broadway shows and for Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Belafonte, the Smothers Brothers, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He also wrote and scored the Kennedy Center 's Bicentennial musical, "Sing America Sing." He has won numerous awards for his work, which includes 75 documentary films and hundreds of television programs. As a leading performer for children on TV, records, and films, Brand was on the advisory panel that created the series known as " Sesame Street." His concerts for adults and children have earned him such accolades as this from The New York Times : "One of America 's best." He created music for the critically-acclaimed film, "In White America" and the score for "How To Steal an Election." Brand's CD, Presidential Campaign Songs 1789-1996, was released by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings in 1999.
Frank Cassel (Grassy Nook)
www.banjomanfc.com
Frank "The Banjo Man" Cassel has been charming children and families at the Takoma Park Farmer's Market for 10 years, and one of his albums was inspired by experiences as Takoma Park 's unofficial troubadour. His first album project, The Illustrated Nonsense Rag, now resides in the American Folklife Collection of the Smithsonian Institute. Frank has made numerous television and radio program appearances.
Judy Cook (Abbott Stage)
www.JudyCook.net
Judy Cook lifts the spirit and entertains with splendid traditional ballads from a huge and varied Anglo-American repertoire. Her unaccompanied presentation and delivery combine with her joy of singing to delight all listeners. Peggy Seeger says, "Judy's the Real Thing. With Capital Letters." Judy performs each year in Britain and the Midwest as well as her on the East Coast. She has two CDs of unaccompanied songs and ballads: If You Sing Songs... and Far From the Lowlands.
Carey Creed (Seventh Heaven)
www.careycreed.com
Carey Creed has sung and played with a big band, a country rock trio, and she currently performs with an interfaith Black Gospel choir (Mosaic Harmony) that raises funds for a variety of good causes. Carey also sings with Celtic performers Grace Griffith and Jody Marshall on a regular basis. She has won First Place awards twice in the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, and has also received a vocalist award from WAMA. Her first CD of original songs was co-produced by Bob Read (sideman with Bonnie Raitt, John McCutcheon, and Bruce Hornsby), and her second CD, produced with Tom Prasada-Rao, Now I Know, has been released on Takoma Park's own Azalea City Recordings label. One broadcaster offers this praise: "Her voice and her songs soar with girlish fun, the wisdom of a real woman, and the full heart of an angel." Women Today writes "One's heart rises to meet the joy in her voice."
Chopteeth (Field Stage)
www.chopteeth.com
Chopteeth is a 14-piece Afrofunk orchestra that explores the common groove between funky, hip-shakin' West African sounds and American popular music.
The core of the Chopteeth sound is Afrobeat: a big-band funk invented by Fela Kuti in 1970's Nigeria. Afrobeat is a spicy stew of Yoruba tribal music and West African pop. Chopteeth then mixes in classic Ghanaian funk, Senegalese rumba, Jamaican ska—and stirs it with choice selections from the James Brown catalog. From the mix comes an intoxicating infusion of righteous grooves that swirls with energetic melodies and call-and-response choruses. Funky organ and melodic guitars lay down a sensuous groove. All that is punctuated by a dynamic 6-piece horn section.
Lead singer Eme Awa, originally from Nigeria, updates African classics while remaining true to the spirit of the music and its message. Other band members step to the mic to serve up lyrics in a total of 6 different languages.
Chopteeth is based in Washington, D.C., and was recently honored with Wammie Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best World Music Group. The ban performed at the Wammies Awards Show in February 2005 at the new Strathmore Music Center.
Chris Chandler and David Roe (Grove Stage)
http://chrischandler.org
Few musicians can claim "on-the-roadisms" the way Chris Chandler can. He is a true veteran of the road, traveling across "The United States of Generica" for many years. His anthology of road tales transforms into a flock of doves beneath the musical high-wire act. Chris has worked with everyone from Allen Ginsberg to Ani DiFranco, and Pete Seeger to Mojo Nixon. Utah Phillips says, "Chris Chandler is the best performance poet I have ever seen."
David Roe also has logged millions of musical touring miles, playing in rock, country, blues, wedding, ethnic, folk, and jazz bands. Accomplished on the piano, keyboard rig, ukulele, and guitar, David is also the snare drummer in the New Orleans All-Star Brass Band and sits at the drum throne in Bayside Nation, a D.C.-based rock band.
David was the bandleader for The Rounders, a super-group of former sidemen for Fats Domino, Dr. John, and Earl King and elder statesmen of New Orleans R&B. He has a repertoire of about a million country blues, down-home folk, jazz, swing, and even a few pop tunes. With Patti McKenney, he wrote songs and sketches for three seasons of Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion.
Sean Culkin (Dance Stage)
www.culkinschool.com
Sean Culkin founded the Culkin School of Traditional Irish Dance in 1997, and the school currently enrolls more than 500 students. The mission of the school is to preserve the unique tradition of Irish music and dance and pass it on to new generations of dancers. Sean began Irish dancing at the age of 6 with Peggy O'Neill, and he remains the main instructor at the Culkin School.
D.C. Labor Chorus (Abbott
Stage)
ebryant@nationallaborcollege.edu
The D.C. Labor Chorus is a musical ensemble representing union members from the Washington, D.C., area. Some Chorus members are professional musicians, but most are union members and activists who just love to sing! The D.C. Labor Chorus sings for rallies, demonstrations, and picket lines. They welcome union members to the annual Great Labor Arts Exchange at the George Meany Center for Labor Studies each summer, and they hold an annual "Sacred/Favorite Songs" concert every winter. The D.C. Labor Chorus welcomes new members who love to sing and promote union solidarity.
Gina DeSimone (Grove Stage)
www.ginadesimone.com
One woman, a buncha guitars, and a whole lotta blue smoke. Using both acoustic and electric guitars, Gina serves up a spicy mix of finger-slapping funk, jazzy blues, and smoky folk guitar. Her new CD, The Moons of Jupiter, is funky, energetic, and soulful. Gina's busy schedule includes backing up many of the area's finest songwriters and bands and running a local studio of dedicated students.
Tom Dews (Seventh Heaven Stage)
www.tomdews.com
Tom Dews soaked up roots rhythms while growing up in south Georgia and central Florida. His work as a session musician in studios Down South earned him an endorsement from famed harmonica manufacturer M. Hohner Co., and he has performed in coffehouses, bars, and street festivals from Savannah to Minneapolis. After sojourns in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, Dews lives now in Alexandria, Va. He has two CDs, Buttons Ballads Blues and Epiphanies & Epitaphs.
Liz Donaldson (Lenore Robinson Dance Stage)
www.lizdonaldson.com
Liz's full-time performance schedule includes playing piano and accordion for a variety of dance events. She is known for her innovative back-up style that incorporates exciting rhythms, textures, and harmony lines. In addition to playing for Scottish, English, and American contra and square dances, Liz teaches all these styles, and dances, too!
Emma's Revolution (Grove Stage)
www.emmasrevolution.com
Pat Humphries and Sandy O. provide a musical uprising of truth and hope. The award-winning activist musicians have been featured on NPR's "All Things Considered" and Pacifica Radio's "Democracy Now!" Their songs "Peace, Salaam, Shalom" and "Keep on Moving Forward" are sung at vigils and demonstrations around the world. Their composition, "If I Give Your Name," was Grand Prize Winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Says Pete Seeger: "The powers that be can control the media [but] it's hard to stop a good song. Pat's songs will be sung well into the 22nd century."
Esencia Tropical (Lenore Robinson Dance Stage)
www.saxmanpro.com and click on Esencia Tropical
Esencia Tropical's irresistible Salsa is a new addition to the Washington-area music scene. The leader of the band, Wayne Sulc (saxophone and vocals), also known as the gringo salsero, has been performing for more than 20 years, and he's backed by a dynamite team of Steve Falcon (vocals), Pepe Rojas (vocals and timbales), Richard Pinto (vocals and congas), Miguel Lazo (vocals and guiro), Ronald Mendoza (timbales), and Hugo Asael (bongos).
If you want a preview of their Folk Festival performance, Esencia Tropical plays for Salsa classes on Thursday nights at the South Beach Café in Bethesda. The band's newly released CD is Live at South Beach Cafe.
Keith Givens (Lenore Robinson Dance Stage)
www.latin-dance.com/keith_givens.htm
Keith Givens, a native of New York City, has been dancing for 19 years. A Salsa instructor, performer, and choreographer who has his own performance dance company (Latin Motion) and his own promotional company (High-Energy Productions), Keith is a mover-and-shaker in the Salsa community across the region. Among the highlights: the first-ever Salsa event held at The Spanish Ballroom in Glen Echo.
A former member of the D.C. Salseros/Latin Vibes Dance Company, Keith has performed nationally and internationally at The Kennedy Center and Lisner Auditorium, as well as World Salsa Conventions in Los Angeles, Toronto, London, and Holland.
Often, you'll hear Keith say "Ooh, Salsa" as he teaches dancers how to move to that unique Latin beat. Affectionately dubbed "The DipMaster" among the D.C. Salseros, Keith is known for his creative partnering moves and high-energy style. Keith enjoys a wide range of dancing styles, and he is a popular teacher of Merengue, Cha-cha, Bachata, and Samba.
Joe Glazer (Abbott Stage)
glazerjoeandmil@verizon.net
Folksinger and social historian Joe Glazer has been known for many years as Labor's Troubadour. For more than 50 years, his voice and guitar have been heard in a hundred union halls, on dozens of picket lines, and at scores of labor, political and protest rallies. He has performed in almost every state in the union and more than 60 countries around the world where he interpreted American life in song and story for the United States Information Agency. Glazer has recorded more than 30 albums, cassettes and CDs of labor and political songs and songs of social commentary. Glazer is chairman and a founder of the Labor Heritage Foundation, which promotes labor music and arts inside and outside the labor movement. His latest book is Labor's Troubadour, published by the University of Illinois Press. He is the subject of a documentary film (35 minutes) called "Labor's Troubadour," completed in 2005.
Lilo Gonzalez and Family (Grassy Nook)
lilo@erols.com
Lilo Gonzalez is a musician, songwriter, and bandleader from El Salvador who has been composing and singing for over 20 years. He released his first album in 1994, A Quien Corresponda, and is working on a second. Lilo, who lives in Takoma Park, performs in the D.C. area, and has done national and international tours. In addition to composing and performing, Lilo teaches music to children and teenagers at several area schools and at the Latin American Youth Center.
Gypsy Meltdown (Lenore Robinson Dance Stage)
stringlark@earthlink.net
Gypsy Meltdown features a trio of musicians active in the traditional America folk-dance scene. With Kathy Kerr on fiddle, Colleen Reed on flute, and Keith Gillis on guitar, Gypsy Meltdown brings driving rhythms to old and new melodies from New England, Appalachia, and the British Isles.
Halau O Na Hali'a (World Stage)
www.halauonahalia.com
What began as an informal gathering of individuals who wanted to keep alive the hula and the Hawaiian culture has evolved into a community grounded in the traditions of a hula halau (translation: a school). Based in Waldorf, Md., the school's mission is to perpetuate the hula. Guided by our Kumu Hula Wayne Kaho'onei Panoke of Kaneohe, Hawai'i and Kumu Hula Ladd Heleloa of Las Vegas, we study and perform kahiko (traditional) and 'auana (contemporary) hula styles, as well as 'oli (chant).
Jim Heald (Seventh Heaven Stage) www.members.aol.com/jheald/music.htm
Jim has been writing and performing since the late 70's, starting out in Chicago at the Old Town School of Folk Music, followed by a decade in Austin, Texas, and most recently in the Washington, D.C. area. While in Austin, he hosted the open mike at the legendary acoustic venue Chicago House for several years, played in SXSW, and was twice a finalist in the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competition. He has released three cassette tapes and the CD, Wings of Time.
Joe Hickerson (Abbott Stage)
www.joehickerson.com
In the past 45 years, Joe Hickerson has performed over a thousand times throughout the United States and in Canada, Finland, and Ukraine. His repertoire includes a vast array of folksongs and allied forms in the English language, many with choruses. Pete Seeger has called him "a great songleader." Joe calls himself a "vintage pre-plugged paleo-acoustic folksinger." In 1960, he wrote the 4th and 5th verses of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" Joe also has a career as folklorist, ethnomusicologist, archivist, and librarian; for 35 years (1963-1998) he was Librarian and Director of the Archive of Folk Song/Culture at the Library of Congress. His recordings for Folk-Legacy and Folkways range from 1957 to 2002. His concerts are guaranteed to "Drive Dull Care Away."
Honeysuckle Rose (Lenore Robinson Dance Stage)
Honeysuckle Rose comprises three highly accomplished musicians who have been regulars at the Folk Festival over the years. Liz Donaldson (liz@us.net) is a full-time musician whose piano and accordion music has been in demand for Scottish, English and American contra and square dances for many years. She is known for her innovative back-up style that incorporates exciting rhythms, textures, and harmony lines. In addition to playing, Liz teaches all these styles, and dances, too.
Andrea Hoag (www.azaleacityrecordings.com/andreahoag) is a passionate and lyrical fiddle player whose free flights of imagination are firmly grounded in many years of traditional playing. A versatile and imaginative musician, Andrea has played for American contra and square dancing, English country dancing, Scandinavian, swing, and vintage couple dancing for over 20 years. In the past few years, Andrea has started integrating the spoken word into her performances.
Paul Oorts (paul.oorts@verizon.net) is very active in the community of traditional dance music (Contra, English, and vintage dances) as a player of the mandolin, banjo, and musette (French button accordion). Paul also accompanies hammered dulcimer players on guitar, and he has recorded extensively with his wife Karen Ashbrook (CD: Celtic Café), Steve Schneider (CD: Momentum), Nick Blanton, and occasionally Maggie Sansone, Jody Marshall, and Ken Kolodner. Teaching is a major part of Paul's life: He not only has a lot of experience teaching language and literature at the college level (he holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and works part-time in the Humanities Department of the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore), and he teaches music privately and at festivals and camps. Paul has been on the faculty of Common Ground on the Hill (Maryland), the Swannanoa Gathering (North Carolina), the Augusta Heritage Center (West Virginia), and the Volksmuziekstage in Gooik (Belgium), and many more dulcimer festivals than you care to know about.
ilyAIMY (Seventh Heaven
Stage)
www.ilyaimy.com
Fronted by acoustic guitars and tightly interwoven harmonies, ilyAIMY is a high-energy creature of live percussive performance. The winner of the 2004 Takoma Park Folk Festival Showcase, ilyAIMY says that its style has been described as "a cross between Jethro Tull and Tool.with the guitar stylings of Ani Difranco, the frenetic energy of Nickel Creek on crack, the vocal intricacies of swiftly spewed rap with the vocal harmonies of Cry! Cry! Cry!" Heavily seasoned by such wide-ranging influences as Alice in Chains, Cypress Hill, the Indigo Girls, Metallica, R&B, heavy metal, gospel choirs, and bluegrass, ilyAIMY is a very modern take on acoustic music. ilyAIMY has received two WAMMIE nominations (2001 Best Alternative Rock Album, 2002 Best Contemporary Folk Act/Duo), and won 3rd place in the Susquehanna Music and Arts Festival.
IONA (Field Stage)
www.ionamusic.com
IONA 's music is an acoustic weave of the traditions of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany (France), the Isle of Man, and Galicia (Spain). Blending songs, dance tunes, and aires into a rich and stunning tapestry, IONA brings unique artistry to musical traditions that are rarely intertwined. Conceived in 1986, IONA was the musical offspring of Barbara Ryan and Bernard Argent. With fiddler Andrew Dodds and bass guitar player Chuck Lawhorn, IONA has become the leading Celtic group in the Mid-Atlantic region. The members are seasoned performers—entertainers who involve their audiences with the history and cultural backgrounds of the music, as well as humor and deep emotion. Join IONA for a performance that will include simple Breton dances and, perhaps, a quick education in singing songs in a Celtic tongue.
In Process... (World Stage)
www.inprocess.org
In Process... is an African-American women's a cappella ensemble that originated in the Washington D.C. area 25 years ago. Using rhythms and harmonies born of slavery and adapted and nurtured throughout the sojourn of African people in America, the women of In Process... lift their voices in the oral tradition to raise contemporary issues and the consciousness of all people. The blended repertoire includes spirituals, gospel, jazz, blues, and historic and contemporary songs of love, freedom, peace and justice. In Process... currently has two CDs, In Process., and the new release Mission: Love. Members of the chorus are Tia Adé, Nketia Agyeman, Paula Pree, and Pam Rogers.
Jawbone
(Grassy Nook Stage)
www.jawbone.us
Jawbone (Amikaeyla Gaston, Gregory Heelan, and Eric Maring) is thrilled to be making another appearance at the Takoma Park Folk Festival. Jawbone's lively harmonies, a wide array of instruments (including, yes, a donkey's jawbone), improvisational sing-alongs, and a "love-for-life" approach to music appeal to little and big people alike. Their debut CD, Jawbone, was released in September 2003. The members of Jawbone each have major artistic accomplishments and have performed at such venues as Blues Alley, The Birchmere, the Kennedy Center, Lisner Auditorium, HR-57, Iota Café, and Twins Jazz.
The Jones Family (Abbott Stage)
www.jonesfamilysing.com
The Jones Family-the folk group, that is-got their start singing together in the family car. But ever since the release of their first CD, Unquiet, in 2001, they've been heard on stages throughout the Middle Atlantic. Unquiet was described by Sing Out! magazine as a "debut CD of unusual beauty and confidence." Folkwax called The Jones Family "staggeringly talented." The Joneses' second CD, From Earth to Heaven, released in 2004, received two Wammie nominations. The Jones Family-father Chuck, mother Brenda, 21-year-old daughter Chenoa, and 12-year-old son Trevor -has a repertoire that ranges from the secular to the sacred and from the traditional to the contemporary.
Billy Kemp (Abbott Stage)
www.billykemp.com
Billy Kemp has been the composer for the regional Emmy-award-winning Maryland Public Television series, "Outdoors Maryland " since 1997. He has been in high demand as a composer, producer, and performer in Nashville, Philadelphia, and the Baltimore/Washington area. He was a regular on the Grand Ole Opry as a guitarist and vocalist in Jeanne Pruett's band in 1987 and later toured as guitarist/vocalist/band leader with Grammy-nominated MCA recording artist Terri Gibbs, Tommy Conwell, and the Young Rumblers.
Since 1993 Billy has also been an independent music producer. He built his own production studio in 2000 and has produced numerous CDs for regional artists. He recently produced Grammy-nominated and WAMMIE-winning singer/composer Debi Smith. He received three nominations from WAMA in 2004 as best producer, best male vocalist and best group or duo in the roots-rock category.
Billy's influence extends deep into Maryland 's artistic community. He was instrumental in the formation of a community-arts coalition that included universities and the American Visionary Arts Museum that has been producing concerts locally since 1999.
David M. Kleiman (Abbott Stage)
www.heritagemuse.com
Performer, publisher, and educator David M. Kleiman has been involved in traditional folk music since early childhood. He is the editor/publisher of the new Heritage Muse Digital Editions of many classic works on traditional ballads and other folk-related works. David is one of the originators of the Traditional Music of the Sea Festival at Mystic Seaport Museum and has designed and performed music programs for educational venues throughout country. His performance appearances range through festivals and concerts around the U.S., Europe, and Israel both as a solo artist and as a member of the vocal ensemble Water Sign and previously as a member of the folk trio Children of Lir, and the euro-pop group Mor B'Samim. He is also currently serving time as program chair for the Folk Music Society of New York.
David Reid LaFleur
www.davidlafleurmusic.com
Superb musicianship and an array of thoughtful and sometimes hilarious songs, mixed with dynamic stage presence and dry wit, keep David Reid LaFleur in high demand at concerts, coffeehouses, and festivals. A former nuclear engineer turned full-time musician, LaFleur learned his "chops" performing among such acts as Danny Gatton, Harvey Reid, and the Johnson Mountain Boys. He has opened for Emmy Lou Harris, Tom Rush, and the Seldom Scene, and his original music has been featured on TV and National Public Radio. In 2004 alone he was a finalist or received honors in eight national songwriting contests, and he performed for over 200 audiences from Minnesota to Florida.
Elizabeth LaPrelle (Abbott Stage)
www.old97wrecords.com/elizabeth-laprelle
Elizabeth grew up in southwest Virginia surrounded with lots of singing around the house-children's songs, folk songs, ballads, popular songs, silly songs that her family made up, anything that they wanted to do. When she was 11, she won a prize in the youth folk-song competition at Mt. Airy Fiddlers Convention in North Carolina and started singing at fiddlers' conventions regularly. After hearing her sing once at Mt. Airy, Ginny Hawker suggested that she attend Vocal Week at Augusta Heritage Center in West Virginia on a youth scholarship. She did some benefit concerts in southwestern Virginia, and was asked to perform at other folk music gatherings. Her success in these events comes from her attention to singing traditional versions of the old songs and having an authentic mountain voice and style. Balancing her performance schedule and her high-school classes, she has sung at fiddler's conventions, folk festivals, an occasional concert, the 2003 and 2004 Getaway Weekends of the Folklore Society of Greater Washington, and, in April 2005, on "A Prairie Home Companion." Her first CD is "Rain and Snow."
Latin American Folkloric Group (World Stage)
www.folkloric.20m.com
Recognizing that Latin America possesses a unique history and a rich diversity of cultures, the Latin American Folkloric Group was founded in 1989 to expose the public to the wonders and diversity of Latin America through music, dance, and lectures about varied aspects of the region's cultures. The group appreciates the kind support from the Hispanic community that has embraced its mission, and it is recruiting people who would like to share their cultural artistry.
Lea (Grove Stage)
www.thisislea.com
Lea's first public performance was as a confident 3-year-old singing "Sweet, Sweet Spirit" in church. As a young adult, she released a full-length CD, Creation, in 2000 and was nominated as one of the D.C. area's best new artists and vocalists. The following year she was nominated for songwriter of the year. Lea has since added three more independent recordings. Lea has performed extensively in Germany, England, and the U.S. East Coast. In addition to acoustic guitar, Lea also plays bass, flute, and a bit of percussion.
Lori Kelley and Cletus Kennelly (Grove Stage)
www.lorikelley.com
Award-winning singer-songwriters as solo artists, when Cletus Kennelly & Lori Kelley combine their style and a sense for each other's voices, magic occurs. "I haven't heard harmonies this tight since Simon & Garfunkel," was the gushing review of Dawson Concerts. Their work has earned Lori and Cletus 26 WAMMIE nominations and 7 WAMMIE Awards, including the 2004 WAMMIE Award for Best Contemporary Folk Duo/Group. Both approach their writing from a lyrical, melodic place with songs that speak to the heart. As solo artists, Cletus and Lori have performed at the Kennedy Center. Their much-anticipated duo CD, Lotus, was just released in August 2005.
The Latin American Folkloric Dance Group (World Stage)
www.folkloric.20m.com
The Latin American Folkloric Dance Group was founded in 1989 to expose the public to the wonders and diversity of Latin America through music, dance, and lectures about varied aspects of the region's cultures. The group kindly appreciates the support from the Hispanic community that has embraced their mission, and it is recruiting people who would like to share their cultural artistry.
Luk na Glavata (Lenore Robinson Dance Stage)
craig@cal.org
Luk na glavata plays traditional Macedonian music, mostly dance music, from the Southern Balkans on acoustic instruments (tupan, kaval, gajda, tambura). The ensemble's name refers to an onion on the head—and Macedonian custom of applying a (baked) onion to a bruise on the head to reduce pain and swelling. It makes for great folklore but doubtful medicine. The members of the group play Balkan music with various bands in the Southern Maryland/D.C. area, notably Lyuti Chushki (Hot Peppers), which is the area's high-energy Bulgarian band, and Sarenica, the local tamburica band.
Band members are: Len Newman Craig Packard, Larry Weiner, and Tzvety Dosseva-Weiner.
Gregory Lygon (Seventh Heaven Stage)
www.gregorylygon.com
Singer/Songwriter and guitarist Gregory Lygon was nominated in 2003 by WAMA in the "Best Instrumentalist, Contemporary Folk" Category, a recognition of his creative blend of folk infused with jazz riffs and pop sensibilities. For 25 years, Lygon has studied the art of fingerstyle guitar with legendary players like Duck Baker, Michael Fath, and Al Petteway. His debut solo CD, UnEarthly Passions, was hailed as "exotic and dreamlike" by the Alexandria Old Town Crier. Lygon is completing work on his second solo work and is member of the alt-rock band Cerulean Groove (a project with Disappear Fear's drummer and vocalist, Laura Cerulli, and bassist Franco Luong).
Machaya Klezmer Band (Lenore Robinson Dance Stage)
www.klezmershack.com/bands/machaya/first/machaya.first.html
The Machaya Klezmer Band has become the Washington/Baltimore area's premier Klezmer and Yiddish music group. Formed in 1988 by Jay McCrensky, right from the start the band worked to master the style, feeling, and dynamism of authentic East European Jewish music. Machaya has succeeded in duplicating the marvelous sound developed by the famous Klezmer bands of the 1920s and '30s. True Klezmer music is characterized by moving and dramatic improvisation and the cantorial, vocal, often-crying style reminiscent of Jewish prayer. Like the cantor, the lead musician sobs, laughs, and slides from note to note. Musicians then display their versatility by carrying on an exciting dialogue in a free-style, improvisational mode. The band has two commercial recordings, Machaya Klezmer Band and What a Machaya!
Yikes McGee (Seventh Heaven Stage)
www.yikesmcgee.com
Yikes McGee is waging war on right-wing ideology and propaganda with his tragic-comic political songs. In the great tradition of folk/protest music, he aims to comfort the downtrodden and inspire the dissenting activist. Listen for Yikes' songs on Air America Radio, Pacifica stations, numerous Public Radio shows (including WETA 90.9 FM Mary Cliff's "Traditions"), and the Internet. And look for Yikes on stage at D.C. protest marches!
Nana Malaya and the Nubian Theatre Company
(Grassy Nook Stage)
202-582-2094
Nana Malaya and The Nubian Theatre Company (Nana Malaya, Bara Morton, and Eric Lewis) is a highly acclaimed professional music, dance, and theatre ensemble. It specializes in the folklore of the African Diaspora, the Caribbean, and the Americas. This multi-talented company uses dance, musical instruments, and drama to present an energetic performance. Nana Malaya is an internationally known choreographer and dancer, songstress, actress, storyteller, writer, poetess, musician, mother, minister, and activist.
Kat Mills (Seventh Heaven Stage)
www.sweetcut.com/kat
Kat Mills is an independent singer-songwriter with 15 years of performing experience. Her pure vocals alternately dance, rage, and softly sit above the intoxicating rhythms of her Martin guitars. A bit of twang here, a taste of smoky soul there. Always from the heart, never a diva—Kat Mills is a class act.
9bobNOTE (Seventh Heaven Stage)
www.9bobnote.com
9bobNOTE combines lyrical intelligence with a power-pop edge. Melodic and driving, the band defies boundaries and has attracted diverse audiences with its original, neo-60's sound. The band is working on its fourth CD, due to be released late this summer. 9bobNOTE's music has been featured in two independent films.
Ed O'Reilly (Seventh Heaven Stage)
eore@loc.gov
Singer, folklorist, and songwriter Ed O'Reilly performs original and traditional songs, accompanying himself on guitar, 5-string banjo, and English concertina. He began performing in Boulder, Colorado, during the 1960s folksong revival. Since then he has played in venues of every description all around New York state, in greater Boston, and in England. Ed returned to the Washington, D.C., area after 5 years in the U.K. In the last few years, we've enjoyed hearing him at the Washington Folk Festival and the Takoma Park Folk Festival. A CD, Sure as the Soil, was recorded in 2002.
Jamie Platt (Lenore Robinson Dance Stage)
www.dancingplanetproductions.com
Jamie Platt has been teaching international folkdancing regularly for more than 20 years, making traditional dances accessible to all. He has appeared many times at the TPFF and the Washington Folk Festival. If your experience at the Folk Festival gets you excited about learning folk dancing, join the The Glen Echo Folkdancers events that are held every Thursday evening throughout most of the year.
Reverb (World Stage)
www.reverbmusic.com
This dynamic male gospel/R&B a cappella vocal group sprang from a chorus that sang Christmas carols in the Washington area in 1990. Since then, Reverb has performed along the East Coast and has toured East Africa and Southern Africa, the Persian Gulf, and the Caribbean and has been featured on BET and C-Span. The vocalists will sing selections from their CD, The Mission Statement, which Washington Post music critic Mike Joyce describes as a "winning mixture of vocal dexterity, impressive craftsmanship and heartfelt emotion."
Rhythm Workers Union (World Stage)
www.rhythmworkersunion.org
Founded in 2001, the Rhythm Workers Union is a collective of activist drummers and musicians who use music, rhythm, and song to promote peace and unity, and to aid in the creation of a culture that respects and celebrates life. The RWU has participated in more than 175 folk and street festivals, marches, rallies, and benefit concerts since its inception, and an even greater number of community drum circles. The RWU studies both African and Middle Eastern drumming and percussion techniques every Tuesday at the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church, and hosts the D.C. Drum Night every second Wednesday at Dynasty Restaurant, 2210 14 th St NW, 6-10 pm. ANYONE who cares about issues of peace, justice and sustainability—and who is interested in using music as a tool for positive change—is invited to join this collective rhythm ensemble.
Linda Rice-Johnston (Abbott Stage)
RiceJnston@aol.com
Linda Rice-Johnston sings traditional songs, specializing in the ballads of Scotland and Ireland. She has lived in northern Virginia for a long time and has sung at Folklore Society of Greater Washington festivals, concerts, and workshops. She has also been a featured soloist in the Washington Christmas Revels and has sung at the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, and at numerous Celtic festivals. She is a member of the Scottish band Fynesound. She expects to have both her own CD, A Bird in the Wood, and Fynesound's CD, Almost Home, finished by the end of the summer.
Ruthie & the Wranglers (Field Stage)
www.ruthieandthewranglers.com
Ruthie & the Wranglers play rockin' American Roots music (also known as FUN!). Their original, upbeat songs like "(I'm Gonna Kill Myself) If It's the Last Thing I Do" and "I Wanna Be Your Auctioneer," the band's first two albums reached the Top 20 of the Americana Radio Charts. Their third release, Live at Chick Hall's Surf Club, also gained national critical acclaim. These musical night owls continue their clever songwriting skills, pegged by Billboard magazine as "...nothing short of brilliant," in their newest album, Someday.
Bob Rychlik (Grassy Nook)
fujara@gmail.com
Bob Rychlik has been performing with fujara and overtone flute at folk festivals and other local events, as well as with Washington ballet troupe CityDance on many stages, from Kennedy Center, to St. Petersburg, Russia. His first fujara was a gift from a friend during visit to Slovakia in the fall of 1999, and he's shared its haunting voice with entranced listeners ever since.
Shango Band (Field
Stage)
www.englishman-shangoband.com
The Shango Band is a D.C. area reggae group that sings about real life and current issues with a likeable mix of smooth, lovers-edged tunes, and harder, more "true" roots songs. With all-encompassing sound, strong instrumentation, and quality songwriting, the Shango Band has been performing since the late 1980's and won the award for Best Reggae Band in the 2001 D.C. Annual Reggae Music Awards. The band's bass-player, lead singer, songwriter and producer, Englishman, spent a number of years in England as a youth. He has performed with many reggae bands there and around the U.S. for about 30 years. Englishman received WAMMIE awards in 1989 for Best Male Vocalist, in 1990 for Best Instrumentalist, three in 1991, and two more in 1992. He has been a Master Artist in the D.C. Folks Arts Program for the Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Other members of the Shango Band also have performed with reggae bands throughout Europe and the U.S. They include Eric (Spiduki) McDermott (drummer/singer) and Jackson (Professor) Briscoe, a graduate of Howard University and MIT, where he studied mathematics and classical music. The Shango Band's live performance keeps the audience feeling upbeat, irie, and positive! Their latest CD, Got to Know Your Purpose, was recorded in Iceland, while the band completed a European tour.
Silk Road Dance Company (World Stage)
www.silkroaddance.com
Winner of the 2003 International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance Award for Best Dance Company, the Silk Road Dance Company (SRDC) was founded by Artistic Director Laurel Victoria Gray in 1995. The ensemble has delighted audiences around the country with traditional and contemporary dances from the Middle East and Central Asia. Their performances offer a unique glimpse of the life, culture, and art of little-known regions.
SRDC has also appeared many times at the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Embassies of Egypt, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Russia, the State Department, the National Theatre, National Geographic Society, the State Department, Library of Congress, and other prestigious venues.
Smooth Kentucky (Field Stage)
www.smoothkentucky.com
Smooth Kentucky is a five-piece band that blends traditional, "newgrass," and funky grooves to create a new kind of bluegrass. The strong songwriting and pickin' this band brings to the table reaches out and grabs you, shakes you a little, and then sets you down nice and easy. Each picker brings his own sound and feel to the ensemble—and the great achievement is that during live performances they listen to each other and play off that combined energy. Don't miss this great live performance by first-timers at the Takoma Park Folk Festival.
Sogo African Rhythm Ensemble (Grassy Nook)
www.childreninart.org/african_music_programs/sogo.html
Sogo Rhythm Ensemble performs drumming, singing, and dancing from Ghana, West Africa, using traditional drums and rattles. The group, made up of elementary through high school-age students from Montgomery County, performs around the D.C. area in schools and festivals, and has toured in Canada. Sogo, sponsored by Children in the Art Program, also offers classes in drumming and singing.
Sookey Jump (Seventh Heaven Stage)
301-869-2451
Sookey Jump! It's a Bluesiana thang! There ain't nothing like those blues tunes from Louisiana and that's basically what Sookey Jump plays. Tunes that pay homage to the band's heroes from the bayou country—Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, the Funky Meters, and Leadbelly, to name a few. The band has a regular thing going at the Zoo Bar. The band's memorable name comes from Leadbelly's interview with Alan Lomax. Huddie explained that in the old days, he would play at a rural residence and the folks that were hosting the party would take out all of the furniture into the backyard and roll up the carpets. Then there would be a party that would last all night called a Sookey Jump.
Sudrabavots & Jore (World Stage)
sudrabavots.com & www.jore.us
In a special performance, two accomplished performers of Eastern European music will share the stage. Come to hear the similarities and differences in the ancient cultures of two neighboring countries on the shores of the Baltic Sea, as Sudrabavots presents the music of Latvia, and Jore shows off the music of Lithuania. Both ensembles perform mostly a cappella to produce beautiful traditional harmonies.
Joseph Sullivan/Karen Marshall (Grassy Nook)
Gregory.Hamilton@montgomerycountymd.gov
Joseph Sullivan began playing the Native American flute at the age of 14 while being treated for cancer. Inspired by the music of R. Carlos Nakai and others, Joe "Hermit Crab" has created a sound of his own, while honoring the spirit of his natural surroundings. He has taken his Native American flute and Oriental flutes to local coffee houses and festivals and elsewhere in the U.S. Along with Karen Marshall and Michael Patterson, Joe performs on the CD, PRIMORDIA.
Karen Marshall has been playing finger cymbals, dumbek, and other frame drums to accompany belly dancers and various musicians for several years. She appreciates a broad range of musical styles; among her favorites are American Indian, Middle Eastern, and Celtic.
Michelle Swan (Grove Stage)
www.michelleswan.com
Michelle Swan classifies herself as an "urban acoustic singer/songwriter," with influences as divergent as Cheryl Wheeler, Cat Stevens, and Lucinda Williams. But her performances celebrate her own compositions, which display a prolific talent for songwriting and an infectious love of music. Self-reflective and acutely observant, Michelle deftly weaves lyric and note together to create intensely personal songs that tell of sentiments and circumstances nonetheless familiar to everyone. Ten original songs of love, loss, and learning to let go are featured on Michelle's debut CD, Whistling in the Dark, which was nominated for the 2000 WAMMIE for Best Debut Recording. Michelle's second CD, What I Got, was released in March 2004.
Takoma Zone (Field Stage)
www.takomazone.com
TakomaZone is a musicians' collective of a dozen or so singers and instrumentalists who joined forces in search of acoustic fun and cross-pollination. Playing in combinations that differ with each performance, the group has spurred individual members into new musical directions and songwriting. The collective made its debut in 2002, playing weekly at the Electric Maid in Takoma Park. For the last 3 years, the Zone has hosted musical Saturday evenings in the downstairs living room at the Savory Café, Takoma Park 's favorite coffee spot. In addition to featuring their own songs, the musicians will entrance audiences with innovative covers, strange twists on old standards, and personal favorites drawn from bluegrass, western swing, honky tonk, Irish traditional music, bossa nova, zydeco and basic rock 'n' roll.
Not all the musicians live in Takoma Park, but the collective considers the town its musical heart, and it remains the most frequent venue. In addition to the Electric Maid and Savory, they've been regulars at Rich and Sherry Weil's "Weil Sing" house concert in North Takoma. For each Zoner, involvement in other ensembles continues to evolve, but there is a special connection to the original collective, which is still fundamentally intact-and audible in some form or another at Savory every Saturday night.
Dulcie Taylor (Grove Stage)
www.dulcietaylor.com
Dulcie Taylor's latest CD, Mirrors and Windows, has received high critical praise in national publications, and enjoyed substantial national radio play, reaching No. 7 on the Roots Rock Chart at Roots Music Report. It was also chosen as one of the 12 Best Recordings of 2004 by Soundstage. Dulcie has shared the stage with a wide variety of great performanrs, including John Gorka, Guy Clark, Richard Shindell, Livingston Taylor, Steve Forbert, and Asleep at the Wheel. He performs at venues such as The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Birchmere, and The Iron Horse. She was also a finalist at the Merlefest competition, and has been a WAMMIE winner.
Susan Taylor (Lenore Robinson Dance Stage)
www.contradance.org/susan_taylor.html
Susan Taylor, a nationally known and universally infamous dance caller, considers herself the hostess of a dance, wherever she may be. Her sense of ease and sprightly humor infect the hall, whether it be a simple kitchen junket, glamorous ballroom, school hall, church hall, or airplane hanger. Susan's obvious love of the music and the dance—and the folks who come to enjoy both—translates directly to a group of 7-year-olds, guests at a wedding or family party, or dance camp gypsies. There's never a dull moment when Susan is around.
Transcendent Third (Seventh Heaven Stage)
www.T3music.com
Imagine two creative forces placed in a room, both equal, both opposite, both working to fuel a tension that ultimately will result in the creation of something completely new that is neither one nor the other, but a transcendent third. Now imagine this process happening with music. Michael and Matthew Polonchak are the creative forces, both equal and opposite. Their music is the transcendent third.
Joe Uehlein (Abbott Stage)
www.uliners.com
Joe is the founder of the D.C.-based roots-rock band, The U-Liners. The band has a wide and deep repertoire that spans rock 'n' roll, bluegrass, country, R&B, blues, folk, swing, and more.
Joe has played guitar and mandolin at hundreds of union halls, on picket lines, at union educational gatherings, peace rallies, rallies for social justice, and in bars and clubs all across the United States. His new CD, Two Roads—Twenty-Eight Years, is a retrospective that covers his best recordings over nearly three decades of art and activism. Joe's earlier CD, POWER, was recorded with his political/labor rock 'n' roll band, The Bones Of Contention.
Joe has over 30 years experience in the labor movement in all aspects of organizing, bargaining, and building coalitions. He is a 38-year member of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) and helped found the Labor Heritage Foundation (LHF) in 1980. The LHF is a working-class arts organization dedicated to raising awareness of working-class issues through the arts. Joe also serves on the board of Festive Revolution, an organization founded by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Steve Earle. Festive Revolution was set-up to help link popular artists—those who help form the popular culture—with important issues and campaigns. Joe is also on the Advisory Board of the Future of Music Coalition.
The Wayfarers (Field Stage)
dxplive@hotmail.com
The Baltimore-based group, consisting of Brad Dunnells, Jason Tinney and Laura Cosner, spans the broad range of country, folk and blues. The trio was formed in 2000 as an offshoot of the Irish American group Donegal X-Press and produced a self-titled album in 2001.
We're About 9 (Grove
Stage)
www.wa9.org
Vance Gilbert has called We're About 9 "some kind of a cross between The Kingston Trio, The Four Tops, and The Story," with a unique brand of songwriting that transcends all of the above. We're About 9—Katie Graybeal, Pat Klink, and Brian Gundersdorf—is an entertaining but profound trio that focuses on complex songwriting and big wall-of-sound harmonies. Each member takes turns on lead vocals, but all sing on every song and accompany their voices with thoughtfully conceived acoustic guitar and electric bass. In 2002, We're About 9 was chosen as Falcon Ridge's "Most Wanted" emerging artist, and their professional touring career began. By summer 2003 they had quit their day jobs and were touring full time.
Jesse Winch and Friends (Lenore Robinson Dance Stage)
jwinch@asprs.org
Jesse Winch played in his first ceili band in the late 1950s with the legendary Felix Dolan and later played in several Irish ceili and dance bands throughout the New York area. He is acknowledged as master of the bodhran ("a unique rhythmic authority" —The Washington Post) and other percussion, especially the ceili drums and the dumbek. Jesse also plays the guitar, mandola and harmonica. Jesse's tireless commitment to traditional music also helped build the Celtic music scene in the Washington area, as a founding member of the internationally acclaimed band Celtic Thunder.
A native of Philadelphia, Danny Flynn has been performing Irish music on the accordion since age 6 and is well-known for both traditional tunes and his ability to accompany Ceili and step dancers. He is a past member of the group Claddagh Folk, has twice won the Pennsylvania Accordion championship, and has represented North America in the World Irish Piano Accordion Championship in County Kerry, Ireland. New Jersey native Betsy O'Malley studied traditional singing and instrumental playing at the celebrated Willy Clancy Week in County Clare. In addition to playing the tenor banjo, mandolin, mandola, and tin whistle, Betsy is known for her heartfelt renditions of traditional songs from Ireland and America—many of which she learned from the great Dublin singer, Frank Harte. Joe O'Malley plays fiddle to complete this irresistible quartet.
Candace Wolf (Grassy Nook)
Teller1949@aol.com
Candace Wolf is a master storyteller and teacher who has collaborated with the Kennedy Center and the Library of Congress. Candace has learned the oral histories, traditional humor, and wisdom of cultures worldwide. She has lived among peoples of many communities, including the migrant gypsies in Europe, Mayan Indians in the jungles of Guatemala, fisherman on the Canary Islands, artisans in the ancient city of Jerusalem, rice farmers in Indonesia, and coal miners in Appalachia. Candace shares multicultural stories that she has collected first-hand from people on six continents.
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