JANUARY 5: MEG HUTCHINSON

Performing Songwriter calls Hutchinson, "...A master of introspective ballads filled with understated yearning and an exquisite sense of metaphor." The twenty-eight year old describes her style as "lyric-based, bipolar, folk-pop, with a whole lot of small town idealism and one devastating break up thrown in for good measure." Among her influences she is quick to include poet Mary Oliver along with the likes of David Grey, Patty Griffin, Greg Brown and Shawn Colvin. Her songs are characterized by a weathered but unselfconscious optimism, a love of language and of the natural world. Having grown up in a town of 5,000 people, "just outside the National Historic District," her songs possess all the charm of Lake Wobegon, tempered by a sweet and timeless voice. The Boston Globe writes, "Meg Hutchinson's songs have a way of making us believe she's telling the truth, at least as she sees it.

Tickets $14.

JANUARY 19: YANKEE NOTIONS is Jim Douglas and Tim Van Egmond. Both are accomplished singers, storytellers, and musicians (guitar, hammered dulcimer, English concertina, pennywhistle, Appalachian dulcimer) who have been performing throughout New England for close to 20 years,

"Yankee Notions likes to promise that they will 'please the ear, enrich the mind, and enchant the heart'. They've been making good on that promise for the last 20 years, all around New England and beyond it as well" writes Nicholas Thaw, Director, 1794 Meetinghouse, New Salem, Mass. Yankee Notions has been featured in hundreds of community concerts and festivals, schools, libraries senior centers, and heritage museums including Old Sturbridge Village (MA), Historic Deerfield (MA), Mystic Seaport (CT), Old Bethpage Village Restoration (NY), and Plimoth Plantation (MA).

See their web site. Tickets $14.

FEBRUARY 2: ZOË DARROW AND THE FIDDLE-HEADS:  return for a fourth engagement at NWP and received a standing ovation after a spirited, very impressive performance,  The Fiddleheads are a traditional Celtic group from Blandford, Massachusetts. Zoë Darrow, born in 1989, began fiddling when she was 4 years old and now leads her trio in Scottish, Irish, and Cape Breton fiddle tunes. Backed up by her dad Phillip on guitar and Tom Coburn on piano, Zoë has been performing publicly since 1999. Zoë's debut recording, Please Don't Eat the Fiddleheads!, includes both traditional and contemporary fiddle tunes. Their performance featured favorites from that recording plus new inspirations from her trips to Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton, Canada. Zoë's fiddling, step dancing, and charming persona add up to a show that thrilled the Nature Center's capacity sell-out crowd.

Tickets: $15. See her web site.

FEBRUARY 16: CLIFF EBERHARDT

“Eberhardt sings with passion and with wit…what makes his brand so rare is the self-assurance and poise he brings to his nearly flawless show.” - The New York Post

“In another age, Mr. Eberhardt would have found his niche on Tin Pan Alley or writing for Broadway shows.  His songs display the highest level of craftsmanship, his guitar playing is superb and his singing deeply emotional.” - The Washington Times Long one of the most respected songwriters on the club scene, his peers often mine his catalog for themselves. Cliff’s song “Memphis” was included on Cry Cry Cry, an album of collaborative covers by the “folk supergroup” of the same name (comprised of Dar Williams, Lucy Kaplansky and Richard Shindell). Other performers who have recorded his songs include Richie Havens, Shawn Colvin, Russ Taff and Buffy Sainte Marie. A collection of his songs has recently been published in The Cliff Eberhardt Songbook (Cherry Lane Publishing).

Tickets $15. See his web site.

MARCH 1: PENDRAGON. These Longtime Celtic favorites return to Northwest Park for the first time in three years with some high-energy tunes, beautiful songs and dynamic step dancing! Looking forward to their 25th anniversary in 2008, the Rhode Island-based ensemble has embraced that tradition and created a timeless sound of its own, performing roots music with an unmistakable contemporary edge. Pendragon’s music celebrates the lives and lore of generations of New Englanders who brought traditions from Ireland, Scotland, French Canada and other distant shores to the banks of the Blackstone River. Pendragon is comprised of Bob Drouin on fiddle, bouzouki and tenor banjo; Russell Gusetti on guitar and concertinas; Josh Kane on flute and whistles; Mary Lee Partington on vocals, and step dancer and percussionist Kevin Doyle, a U.S. champion dancer.

Tickets: $15.

MARCH 15: STACY PHILLIPS / PAUL HOWARD DUET This duo performs Americana and world music with a difference - genre-bending originals, Gypsy, Latin, Jazz, Euro-American folk, klezmer, and Hawaiian - with a unique stamp. It's Neo-Urban Traditional Music! They entertains and educate. Stacy Phillips (dobro/violin/fiddle) has performed with many of the top acoustic musicians in the world (including Mark O’Connor and Bela Fleck) and is a Grammy award winner. Paul Howard (vocal/guitar) is a veteran of the New England music scene. Both are renowned teachers of their art, with over 30 books and DVD’s to their credit. "Phillips and Howard are in complete control of their crafts and any song they touch is a fun ride backed by serious talent" - Dirty Linen Magazine.

See their web site. Tickets $14.

MARCH 29: SONNY AND PERLEY - A TRIBUTE TO ELLA

This duo achieves a rare musical symbiosis. The husband and wife team have spent the last 20 years developing and perfecting their unique blend of Jazz, Brazilian and International Cabaret which has become their musical signature. An eclectic repertoire including Great American Songbook standards, French love songs and irresistible Bossa Nova sounds of Jobim is part of the reason for their impressive performance schedule, an average of 250 dates per year throughout New York, New England and in Europe. The true test, however, is in live performance where "they deliver the goods". (7 Days Magazine). For the concert at NWP, they have chosen a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald. Don't miss it.

Tickets $14. See their web site.

APRIL 12: JUDY HANDLER AND MARK LEVESQUE QUARTET

Audiences respond enthusiastically to the energy and lyricism of Judy and Mark's performances. Their music is passionate, beautiful and delightfully beyond category. These consummate artists skillfully blend many guitar influences including Brazilian, Latin, swing, gypsy, European and classical. Judy and Mark have been performing together for over a decade throughout New England for universities, arts centers, community groups and special events. Their concert at the park this year will be a quartet with Martha Kayser on violin and Genevieve Rose on bass.

Tickets $14. See their web site.

APRIL 26: RANI ARBO AND DAISY MAYHEM

So, what's a daisy mayhem? If you don't know, you've missed one of the most popular concerts at the park for the past few years. A daisy mayhem is wicked percussion, sublime lead singing, great harmonies, sparkling original songs and a deep repertoire. Four people who share an irresistible chemistry on stage. A young, hip, crackerjack string band in love with American music. What does it sound like? Start with a fiddle, a guitar, and a standup bass. Add a cardboard box with a suitcase bass drum and tin can cymbals, played by an ex-rock and zydeco drummer. Over that fine groove, hang Rani Arbo's expressive alto, seamless four-part harmonies, and a splash of banjo and ukulele, and you have it. Don't miss them this year.

Tickets $16. See their web site.

MAY 10: NORTHERNBOUND: NorthernBound, based in Winsted, CT, has been picking together for years. The boys' list The Country Gentlemen and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver as being a great influence on their music. But Northernbound has adapted those traits and developed their own sound. They perform some old favorites, gospel, and several original tunes as well. Pure, unadulterated Bluegrass from this quartet.

Buy tickets ($14) | See their web site

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Join us for some of all of these great concerts this season!

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