February 18, 2012
The Guggenheim Grotto - $18 - Click for performer web site.

When Dublin alt-folk songwriters Kevin May and Mick Lynch of The Guggenheim Grotto first appeared on the U.S. scene in 2006, comparisons to Simon and Garfunkel dominated the critical landscape. With their two-part harmonies, folk-acoustic stylings and earnest pop song writing, it seemed no one could resist Over the past five years, however, the duo has transcended the comparison, creating rich, multi-instrumental soundscapes. They dabble in synths and effects and radiate melancholic beauty. And sometimes they silence a room by simply harmonizing over a lone ukulele. Always though, their songwriting is marked with a belief in the promises of the universe, a curiosity about humanity and a hopeless romanticism embodied by only the most passionate of artists and dreamers.

"I was cruising through iTunes one day looking for new music when I stumbled across The Guggenheim Grotto. What pulled me in immediately was a beautiful voice that reminded me of Tim Finn from Crowded House, and the search began to learn more about this duo from Dublin, Ireland. The band's debut CD, Waltzing Alone, was self-released to immediate critical acclaim in 2005, and they followed that up with Happy the Man in 2008 which only had a small release in the U.S. and Ireland in 2008 before being released to stores in 2009." Muphoric Sounds.

 

March 3, 2012
Guy Davis - $20 - Click for performer web site.

"If the earthy power of Guy Davis's sandpaper vocals doesn't grab your attention and the resonance of his acoustic-guitar strings doesn't turn your head, you need to make sure you're still alive…. He sings, "I ain't no bluesman/I'm the bluesman's son," a nice analogy for his music--it's linked to the past but living today." --Robert Gordon.

"So much contemporary blues is weak and pallid. Guy Davis is never like that. He has a power and authenticity which makes him sound as though he is in direct contact with the old masters. And, interestingly, his own compositions (of which there are seven on this recording) are so in tune with the tradition that they seem as though they were written after a hard day in the cottonfields." Bruce Elder -Sydney Morning Herald.

 

March 17, 2012
Donna Martin Trio - $15- Click for web site.

Donna's concert in November was postponed because of the power outage, but has been rescheduled for March 17. She will appear with her trio which includes two outstanding veteran players. Jeff Lorello will join Donna on upright bass. He has been playing professionally for nearly forty years with more bands than can be counted here. Danny Reilert will round out the trio with mandolin and guitar. Danny took guitar lessons from James Taylor and has played with Carly Simon and Charlie Daniels. Together they create a modern string band sound that swings, gets jazzy, moves through blues ballads and then swings again! Although the assignment of the acoustic/folk genre best categorizes Martin's music, she pulls inspiration from a broad musical palette. Martin's childhood was richly laced with the Canadian roots music that was placed at the center of family gatherings but the start of her professional career began with her work in a variety of rhythm and blues bands. Her move to country music placed her center stage in the highly popular New England band Borderline.

 

April 14, 2012
Ana Egge Band - $16 - Click for performer web site.

"Saskatchewan-born, Brooklyn-based folk troubadour Ana Egge isn't your run-of-the-mill alternative-country singer. Using unique production and rock-based chord progressions, Egge has made a name for herself as a Gillian Welch figure with a rocker attitude, which once prompted Lucinda Williams to call her "the Nina Simone of folk."Her upcoming 12-song record 'Bad Blood,' produced by 'Treme' star and country badass Steve Earle, gives new life to the folk genre, especially on the title track: Egge's soft-spoken lyrics float lucidly beneath a driving bass-heavy beat, tremolo guitars and spastic and distorted slide guitar. -Cameron Matthews

 

April 28, 2012
The Gypsy Moth Trio with Daisy Castro - Click for performer web site.

"Daisy Castro has a musical and a daring style of playing that belies her young years." Tim Kliphuis. "Daisy plays with a beautiful tone and superb feeling." Walt Smith - Havana Swing Band

Young violinist, Daisy Castro, started playing violin at the age of 6. She started out the usual way, with Suzuki and classical, but quickly learned to play by ear whatever her classical instructors could not teach her. The same year that she started playing, she took a trip to France with her parents, where she was first introduced to Gypsy Jazz. Intrigued as a listener from the start, over the years she has found this beautiful and passionate music to be a perfect fit for her playing style. She recorded and released her first solo CD, "Gypsy Moth" at the age of 13, and fittingly, it bears a strong Gypsy Jazz influence.

.

May 5, 2012
Eilen Jewell - $18 - Click for performer web site.

All Music Guide Boston Folk Festival: One of the brightest stars currently rising in the already bright Boston folk scene, Eilen's songwriting is declared across the board to evoke the senses with a bold and daring use of space...This year the Boston Folk Festival will feature Eilen as one of the newest and most promising young singer/songwriters the city has to offer.

FAME: Sounding like a hand-picked playlist from Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour, Letters From Sinners & Strangers, is a rousing and confident tour de force.... Not only is there a single track you'd want to skip over, there's not a bad note or clumsy arrangement within a thousand mile radius.