Musicians and Music-friends pages.

• Annie Gallup has provided me with a wide range of enthrallment. Hearing her albums and live performances for the first times induced many a mindful "Wow!" from me. Annie's words, musicianship, and presentation grabbed me in a similar fashion as when first reading Frederick Forsyth's "Day of the Jackal". She is a literary-musical genre unto herself...and on the heels of her "Swerve" album comes the theatrical presentation of "Stay Me With Flagons".
• Betty and the Bobs. Oh, my, oh when will this contingent make an album?. If I lived in Toronto, I would schedule my social life arount their schedule. I've seen many individually, and sure hope to see them collectively. The Bettys: Suzie Schlanger - vocals, fiddle, Katherine Wheatley - vocals, guitar, Suzie Vinnick - vocals, bass, mandolin. The Bobs: Wendell Ferguson - vocals, guitar, Bill Brennan - vocals, piano, accordion, David Woodhead - vocals, bass, mandolin, and Rich Greenspoon - drums.
• Geoff Bartley. Drop in at the Cantab (Cambridge, MA) and ask Geoff to provide you with a touch of heaven with his 'Up Here with the Moon'. Email Geoffbartley@pobox.com for a copy of his sure-fire new release "One Kind Word".
• Lui Collins brings magic to any setting she performs in. A gifted writer and talented musician, Lui's songs have an inner strength and beauty to match her Green Mountain, VT heritage. Her tour-schedule is one always to be posted to the refrigerator for easy reference.
• Joe Cormier: , the renowned Scottish fiddler and Rounder Recording artist delights family and friends from audiences from Waltham, MA to Cape Breton, NS.
• J.P. Cormier is a genius musician; masterfully adept at guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and likely dozens of other instruments. His sweet voice belies his mountainous musical stature, and his lyrics are a fine match for his voice and album production in tugging at the heartstrings. From Cape Breton to Carolina, Nashville to Newfoundland, and Boston College to British Columbia, album collections won't be considered complete without at handful of J.P.'s offerings. (And yes, Joe is J.P's uncle).
• Rick Fines: Jackson Delta veteran guitarist Rick Fines followed up his well-received first solo album, Arcadia, with his Maple Blues Society award winning Out of the Living Room. And now, go out and get yourself a copy of his "Live at the Harvest"(Jazz and Blues Festival) CD. The album features the trio of Rick, Rob Phillips on piano, Richard Simpkins on bass, and a host of renowned friends including Georgette Fry, Suzie Vinnick, Chris Whiteley, and Jackson Delta's Alan Black and Gary Peeples.
• John Fitzsimmons. This gregarious singer-songwriter, carpenter-teacher also welcomingly provided (with Seth Connelly, Rick 'Bassman' Maida, and Pat 'Hatrack' Gallagher) a group for Bill Bourne and Rick Fines to sit in with for a night of playing during their "home" visits to Massachusetts".
• Georgette Fry. Wow, what a writer and singer this "First Lady of the Blues" is. (e.g. "When Love Walks Away" from "Rites of Pasage" instantly became an all-time personal favorite. Can't wait to get her newest recording "Let Me Drive", and look forward to presenting Georgette with her B-Side Blues Band in the Boston area.
• Mary Gauthier. Get into the powerful songwriting and hard-hitting renditions of Mary's self-described "Folkabilly" with her first CD, "Dixie Kitchen", her widely-heard "Drag Queens in Limousines", and 2002's heralded "Filth & Fire".... Can't wait for the upcoming 2004 album, which will be Mary's second with producer Gurf Morlix.
• Rob Laurens, a Kerrville New Folk Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter, whose latest release "Honey On The Mountain" CD is aptly described in title.
• Cormac McCarthy . Gosh, what a writer and singer he is! Just a couple songs from each of his albums that grab, clench, and stir include: River Round the Bend, Used Cars, Nobody But You, When My Boat is Built Again, Light at the Top of the Stairs, and Small House. For Canadians looking for a point of reference, James Gordon's heritage writing in modern settings comes to mind.
• Eileen McGann . "One of folk music's most breathtaking voices... from Celtic and traditional to very contemporary and topical....A gifted lyric poet and musical composer whose gorgeous vocals make her a must-see performer!"
• Lynn Miles has a voice that tugs with both arms with her heartwrenching songs and singing. Even if achefulness from love and friendship gone awry are not your everyday listening fare, you can't help but hit the repeat key on your CD player with Lynn's albums. Like her "Chalk This One Up to the Moon" first album, her latest CD,Unravel, just can't make its way out of my car stereo system once in. From the bookend "All I Ever Wanted" and "A Bell Will Ring" songs in her first creation to "When Did the World" and "Unravel" sequence in her recent production, you can't help but get pulled in to the emotion and verse way beyond an easy listening level. (My prediction: Look for "Undertow" on the Gilmore Girls series (that is, if anyone puts the song into their producer's stereo system)).
• The Nields. Can't wait to have all the recordings by sisters Nerissa and Katrina Nields in in the home music library. In the 4 songs I listened to them at a multi-artist benefit concert, I was enraptured with the writing and harmonizing of these two performers. A must-see duo!
• Kerri Powers: A must-see performer. Kerri combines fine guitar playing and stage presence with her wonderful singing. Her latest offering, "You, Me, and a Redhead" is available at amazon.com. Can't wait to present Kerri again at a future concert.
• Alan Tauber: An old friend with phenomenal talent. In Alan's words: "Djembe and dun-dun drumming and teaching the drum to all of my students gives me great pleasure". Look up and then learn from a master.
• Louise Taylor's enrapturingly-sung words grab ahold and firmly clench you into the song. My discovering sequence was two weeks of "Ride", two more with "Written in Red", and for the past couple her first album "Looking for Rivers". Great, great songs on all, with each CD vying for time in my car. A must-hear and must-see artist
• Cindy Thompson. Cindy has followed up on her magnificent "Through The Gates" album with the outstanding "I Can Feel It In the Air" CD. Like her first solo record, you'll want to keep hitting the replay button for repeated listenings of this gem that spans Celtic, bluegrass, and softly-serene sounds. Hailing from Midland, Ontario, this Ottawa Valley native fiddler has won two national and three provincial step-dance competitions.
• Suzie Vinnick . "A voice of spun gold and honey..." Access Magazine. It was Suzie's voice, and then Suzie, that got Patio Records concert sponsorship off to its start back in '96-97. Thanks, Suzie !!!
• The Wyrd Sisters. These songwriters, singers, and musicians are superstars awaiting wider discovery. Nancy Reinhold and Kim Baryluk's writing, arranging, and performing are serene, settling, unsettling, stirring, motivating, confirming, and, well, so many things that tug at the heart and musical senses. Their songs of love are timeless and precious. (I could go days quenching myself listening to "Leave a Little Light in the Window" that they've gifted to us on the "Sins and Other Salvations" CD).

Recommended music pages to click to (and learn from).

• "folkmusic.org" , "the comprehensive source for folk and acoustic music resources on the World Wide Web".
• Alan Rowoth. Anything written by Alan can go right into the Sound Advice folder. You can get an Associate degree's worth of folk music education by following his words and recommended links.
• The Folk Zone, Ken Batts "place to stay informed about the latest group of singer/songwriters on the Boston Acoustic Music Scene."
• Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange (FAME) home page, 'featuring album reviews of new releases by folk and acoustic artists".
• Micah Engber 's "Getting Heard On the Radio: How to Send Out Your Creations".

Greater Waltham and Eastern Massachusetts recommendations

• WUMB 91.9 FM : For folk, acoustic, traditional, roots, and special segments around the clock throughout the week, tune in to some of the warmest and most knowledgeable DJ's anywhere present you with continuous streams of songs worth your listening time. A must site to visit when planning a visit to the region.
• Canadian-American Club (of Boston) : Every Friday Night , the Canadian-American Club is the place to be! You never know who might drop in from 'down' home, and can't help but have a smile on your face listening to the masterful fiddle of Ludger Lefort . Independent Organizations that sponsor events at the Canadian-American Club facilities include: Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann , with Larry Reynolds , Erin's Melody, The Gaelic Club, and St. Brendan's Society.
• Music for Robin, in wonderful tribute to Robin Blecher, this group sponsors great Celtic concerts. Also, find a most complete guide to celtic concerts within 100 miles of Boston. Another must site if you're coming to town.
• Sandy's Music: Cambridge, MA. Music, Music Lessons, Musical Instruments, and Instrument Repair from the tradition-keeper: Sandy Sheehan.
• Club Passim: Cambridge, MA. "Harvard Square's Legendary Music Club".
• Johnny D's: "Uptown Restaurant and Music Club". Always top shelf entertainment, and get there early for some fine food before the show.
• Sit 'n Bull Pub (Maynard, MA). Ted Epstein serves up award-winning barbeque and always-satisfying music (mostly with a taste of the blues). The Sit 'n Bull has been a perennial stop for the visiting MusicFest performers.
• Coffeehouse and concert series where the music and the hosts always hit the mark for me: ....... Circle of Friends Coffeehouse(Franklin, MA) ....... Folk Song Society of Greater Boston ....... Fox Run House Concerts (Sudbury, MA) ....... Joyful Noise Coffeehouse (Lexington, MA) ....... Linden Tree Coffeehouse (Wakefield, MA) ....... Music By The Bay House Concerts (Assonet, MA) ....... Steeple Coffeehouse (Southborough, MA) ....... Tremedal Concerts (Watertown, MA) .
• City of Waltham.

Canadian Sites and Sounds.

• The Borealis Recording Company, "Canada's national folk music label and offer everything from blues to Celtic music to singer-songwriters and a few shades in between".
• Canadian-American Club (of Boston): Every Friday Night , the Canadian-American Club is the place to be! You never know who might drop in from 'down' home, and can't help but have a smile on your face listening to the masterful fiddle of Ludger Lefort . Independent Organizations that sponsor events at the Canadian-American Club facilities include: Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Eireann , with Larry Reynolds , Erin's Melody, The Gaelic Club, and St. Brendan's Society.
• Canadian Consulate General / Consulat Général du Canada , in Boston. Doing business in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, St. Pierre, or Miquelon? The hardworking folks at the Consulate will help welcome you to the area and assist in bridging your enterprises and talents with complementing ones in the New England region.
• Canadian Spaces. Joyce MacPhee profiles "the country's oldest community radio show featuring our national brand of acoustic/roots music"...hosted by "folk enthusiast extraordinaire Chopper McKinnon".
• CBC's Saturday Night Blues. Hosted by Holger Petersen, enjoy the nationwide broadcast of blues and boogie from 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM.
• Compact Music . On every venture to Ottawa, I make a special trip to Ian Boyd's store on Bank St. in the Glebe. Ian's great ear for quality performances jump started my appreciation for Canadian musicians back in '94.
• Festival Distribution Inc (Vancouver, BC, CA). Check out this page, where you can order many of Canada's finest independent artists CD's. From Jerry Alfred and the Medicine Beat to the Wyrd Sisters, Susan Crowe to the Whiteley Brothers, and Rick Fines to Suzie Vinnick.
• The Greenbank Folk Music Society "is a volunteer, non-profit group dedicated to bringing the best Canadian roots and traditional folk and blues music to small town Ontario."
• Ottawa Folk Festival. I've already got my 2007 calendar booked for the August 16-19 for the next Ottawa Folk Festival. The festival is an annual self-treat that always surpasses my already-high hopes for entertainment and camraderie.
• Ottawa Folklore Centre. Whether it be music lessons from masters or highest quality instruments for purchase, the people that comprise the Ottawa Folklore Centre continually hit the mark in enhancing the community through music. Help celebrate its presence with a purchase of their 25th Anniversary album. ALL proceeds from the CD will go to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Community Research Initiative, in memory of and tribute to Terry Penner (1955-2000), co-owner of the Ottawa Folklore Centre and director of the School of Music.

Search and reference utilities.

• Musi-Cal Search Form. "Musi-Cal provides easy access to the most up-to-date worldwide live music information: concerts, festivals and other musical events". Search by performer, venue, city, and more. Sponsored by the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance. This page is great for scheduling concert-going.
• Google has come to be a faithful and fast sidekick. It's amazing how quickly your listing of webpages is returned to you. (Thanks to Mike Regenstreif for mentioning Google in one of his maplepostings).
• Festival Finder, "where you'll discover the latest details on more than 1,300 music festivals in North America".
• MapQuest : Get either detailed or overview maps to match up with a step by step set of driving instructions to go from Boston to Bampff.
• World Pages. Lost that napkin with your friend's number on it? The slip of paper with that venue's contact info? Click here for a good shot at recapturing it. (US only)