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Atwater-Donnelly
This award winning husband and wife duo perform a unique and thrilling blend of traditional American and Celtic folk music, along with original songs, poetry and clogging. Their musical talents include dulcimer, banjo, tin whistle, guitar, limberjack, mandolin, harmonica, feet and more. Based in Foster R.I., Atwater-Donnelly have traveled throughout the U.S., Ireland, England, and Canada for more than twenty years. They have produced five books, released ten recordings that have received international airplay, and won a basket full of awards from Motif Magazine.
http://atwater-donnelly.com |
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Chris Moon
Christopher Moon was born in New Jersey and now is a native to RI. Having performed with many band members in his previous projects his now solo performances are compelling. Playing a slim-body Martin guitar for a lighter acoustic/electric sound, he plays a rhythmic guitar combined with intricate harmonica that mix in harmony with a unique rusty hook of a voice that is surprisingly flexible. A keen observer of the human condition. His first full length album, Shine, is recorded and produced by Christopher and has a selection of his best songs, with rustic vocals, finger-plucked ballads and more complex well developed songs with bass and drums, as well as live tracks. Available at all his performances.
http://www.myspace.com/chrismoonmusic |
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Chuck Williams
Chuck Williams has been appearing along the seacoast from Maine to New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. Chucks has steadily been gainingnotice throughout New England songwriting circles, and hasearned several awards for his finely tuned craft.
Raised in Toledo, Ohio, he has lived most of his adult life in Massachusetts. He has been traveling New England sowing seeds of his songs along the way. His lyrics and melodies are a musical journey reflecting emotions of everyday life. If you can imagine a fresh writing style rooted in the American folk-rock tradition, you would be on the track that leads to this musicians memorable songs.
"Employing a voice that resembles Neil Young's with the edges rounded-off, Williams is far more than simply a folk singer Motif Magazine.
Nominated as Songwriter of the Year in 07, 08 and 09 Rhode Islands Motif Music Awards. |
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Cory Pesaturo
Rhode Islander Cory Pesaturo is the self proclaimed rebel of the accordion world, the 2002 U.S. National Accordion Champion (the youngest ever at age 15!), and performed 4 times for President and Mrs. Clinton at the White House (the youngest ever to perform at a State Dinner). He is a 2008 graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, the first and only person ever to graduate from that prestigious institution with a Major in accordion. His repertoire includes a far wider variety of musical styles than are usually associated with accordion.
“If anyone can make the accordion hip, and that’s a tall order, it just might be Cory Pesaturo.” The Boston Globe
http://corypesaturo.com |
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Crooked Still
“……may be the most important folk group to emerge from Boston... state-of-the-art musical chops with a deep understanding of American traditional music's raw melodic grace."…… Boston Globe
This hot young alternative bluegrass group is on a mission to bend the boundaries of traditional music, a combination of five distinct talents who are not content to limit themselves to any one project or style of music. Bass player Corey Di Mario says “We play improvised old time music, bluegrass, folk, and our own songs within the context of a string band… we have modern, and traditional influences that confuse the boundaries…. to make something all our own.” The group is still evolving and, much like the moonshine distilled in the apparatus that inspired the name, Crooked Still is still fermenting, and the music is undeniably intoxicating.
“…your expectations of how bluegrass and old-time classics should be performed will be turned on its ear.”……….Vintage Guitar Magazine
http://crookedstill.com
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Dar Williams
Dar Williams is one of the biggest stars of her generation in the acoustic songwriter universe. Williams' passion for the big picture has led to a long-held connection to social and environmental issues, which she nurtures by getting involved with projects like community gardening and lobbying for renewable energy in the upstate New York town where she lives.
"I'm as green as you get for what I do for a living, which require, you know, things like flying," she says. "I think about the environment all the time. The biggest deal to me right now is trying to get my town's elementary and middle schools to look at geothermal as an option," she says. Williams' other passions include local-food movements and arts outreach with kids. She often performs at benefits in small towns that are struggling to save a local theater, bookstore, or farmer's market. "I love to get into these places and learn about their battles," she says. "In my mind, this country is like a patchwork of towns filled with people hanging out, growing gardens, listening to music, and talking about important stuff. …"
Williams' growth as a person over her 15-year career has gone hand-in-hand with her evolution as an artist. Raised in Chappaqua, NY, and educated at Wesleyan University, Williams spent 10 years living in the thriving artistic community of Northampton, MA, where she began to make the rounds on the coffeehouse circuit. An early fan of her music was Joan Baez, who took Williams out on the road and recorded several of her songs. Through it all, Williams' motivation as an artist is to "experience meaning without fooling myself," she says. "There are these moments where everything feels connected, and I think my art is about trying to find the stories that make us feel connected. …. It's what keeps things interesting."
http://darwilliams.com |
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Jackson Gillman
Sparkling with energy, wit and whimsy, "Stand-Up Chameleon" Jackson Gillman draws on his many talents as storyteller, songsmith, comic and movement artist to engage audience of all ages. He utilizes comedy, drama, music, dance, and mime, as well as sign language to create his own intimate and unique style of personal theatre. Gillman magically transforms himself into a wide array of eccentric characters who never fail to delight and enlighten his listeners, whether they be schoolchildren or business professionals. His customized show themes have included Environment, Nature, Birds, Insects, Gardening, Food, Health, Nutrition, Substance Abuse, Maine Humor, Kipling, Fathering/Family, Love, Jewish, Spiritual, Sea, Song, Music, Mime, Dance, Sign Language and seasonal concerts Spring into Action & Song; On a Wing and a Song; Halloween Silly Willies; Autumn Wonders; Winter Revels.
http://jacksongillman.com
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Jay Mankita
Jay Mankita is a masterful guitarist, singer, and songwriter who has presented thousands of concerts over the past 25 years. Jay has been playing guitar, composing, and performing his original songs since his college days in New York State, during which time he's also been an actor, photographer, environmental activist, swing dancer, children's performer, playwright, and more. Jay says he sees himself as having one foot marching in the world of social change, one foot dancing in the realms of the spirit, and the third foot firmly planted in his mouth trying to keep him from getting into trouble!
He’s known for his exceptional ability to combine humor, social responsibility, the environment and play into his performances, often in the same song!
In addition to his main stage performance, he’ll present his Parents’ Choice Award-winning program Eat Like a Rainbow, a rocking, funky, danceable collection of quirky kids songs about healthy food and sustainable living. These songs promote fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and seeds - plant based foods from our farms and gardens. See schedule for kids activities for time and location.
Jay travels in a touring van powered by recycled vegetable oil, which he enjoys showing after every show; ask him for a tour!
http://jaymankita.com |
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Kim Lamothe
Kim Lamothe is a singer/songwriter with a unique ability to match poetic lyrics with rhythmic guitar.
Her voice has a pleasant tension of emotion and expression with a powerful range.
Finger-plucked ballads and driving rhythms make her songs diverse and her performances imploring.
With a passion for organic gardening, plants tend to sneak into her songs. |
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Lara Herscovitch
Lara Herscovitch is "above and beyond the pack" (Northeast Performer), her voice and performance style captivate right away. She truly stands out in a crowd of rising folksingers." An original, engaging contemporary singer-songwriter, masterfully blending acoustic / folk with pop, jazz, blues and Latin influences. Connecticut State Troubadour 2009-2010. |
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Marc Douglas Berardo
Marc Douglas Berardo is a different kind of singer/songwriter. In what amounts to song length works of fiction, Berardos sharply drawn portraits cast a net on unusual and interesting characters and places. With a painters eye for detail, and music firmly rooted in the great American sound, Berardo sings about circus retirees, expatriates in Florida rum bars, union iron workers, old poets, aimless New York City debutantes, near death car crashes, hard nosed fishermen and of course, the changes that experience brings to everyone. He does this simply and well with what Rambles Cultural Magazine calls: "careful images and great tunes."
Based in the port town of Westerly, Rhode Island, Berardo performs an average of 150 nights a year everywhere from bars and coffeehouses to theaters and national festivals.
http://www.MarcDouglas.com |
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Mark Erelli
Since his debut more than 10 years ago at age 24, Mark Erelli has exhibited an uncommon musical maturity. In a few short years, he's got seven albums to his name, over 700 concerts under his belt, and multiple awards. During a time when most young artists are still searching for their own voices, he has quietly built one of the most impressive and varied reputations in modern roots music. His album, Hope and Other Casualties, is an unapologetic and timeless collection of deeply personal and affecting songs, effortlessly moving from songs of love, politics, family, resignation, and redemption.
“No need to read between the lines when singer-songwriter Mark Erelli vents on "Delivered"...The prolific New England-based tunesmith makes his case with clarity and conviction. Even listeners who don't share Erelli's views might find it difficult to dismiss the quality of his songcraft or his ties to the likes of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie.” ----Washington Post
http://markerelli.com
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Patty Larkin
“Masterful” says Billboard Magazine; “one of American Music’s most distinctive guitarists” according to the Associated Press; “gripping” songs observes the Boston Globe. Raised in Milwaukee in a music and arts oriented family, Patty Larkin is descended from a long line of Irish-American singers and taletellers. Since the mid 1980s, she’s released 11 solo recordings. On the latest, WATCH THE SKY, Patty produced, performed, wrote and played 11 different instruments. Prior to that, she produced the groundbreaking LA GUITARA, a compilation of multi-genre international women guitarists. Patty Larkin’s songwriting skill has touched brilliantly on many topics, none with more power than her biting comment on chemical pollution, METAL DRUMS, recorded on her 1990 Live in the Square release and based on a true story about the town of Holbrook MA. Patty Larkin has won an unprecedented 11 Boston Music Awards.
http://pattylarkin.com |
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Red Molly
“Everything Red Molly sings is delivered with tick-tight arrangements, crystalline vocals, and caramel harmonies…” -Scott Alarik, The Boston Globe
On a July evening in 2004, at their campsite at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Laurie MacAllister, Abbie Gardner and Carolann Solebello harmonized for the very first time. Each of the three had released solo albums, yet as they sang their campmates off to sleep, they knew they had stumbled onto something extraordinary. Audiences seem to agree. Red Molly has a lot of fun on stage, and it’s contagious-- they consistently brings concert-goers to their feet with stunning three-part harmonies, crisp musicianship, and a warm, engaging stage presence.
Red Molly’s first full-length CD, Never Been to Vegas, released in 2006 (recorded on a December evening before a live studio audience of fans and friends), quickly climbed into the Top 30 on the Radio & Records Americana chart, a rare accomplishment for an independent album, and listeners of WUMB folk radio in Boston voted the CD one of the Top 10 CDs of 2006 as well as naming Red Molly Best New Artist of the Year. 2008 release Love and Other Tragedies was named to the Americana Music Associations Top 100, and Abbie Gardner’s song from that CD, The Mind of a Soldier was just named the winner in the Folk category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest for 2008.
http://redmolly.com |
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Seriously Fierce
Seriously Fierce is a duo comprised of two of the strongest voices to come out of Rhode Island; Heather Rose and Keturah! Separately they bring an intensity to the stage that sets them apart from others in the acoustic genre. Together their interesting, sometimes comical, versions of pop classics and original songs create chemistry and harmony that can only be experienced, not described.
Heather Rose and Keturah have joined forces accompanying each other's songs as if they were their own, covering songs that no one has thought to cover in ways no one has dared to try and most importantly, approaching music with a fun intensity that draws an audience in, making them part of the show! Seriously Fierce is seriously entertaining and not to be missed!
Riding on the coat-tails of their separate reputations as two of the most well respected, fun, and dependable RI artists, Keturah and Heather Rose have already landed some major shows as Seriously Fierce. They were invited to play Women's Week in Provincetown, MA last summer where their stellar performance at Vixen got them an invite back for next season! They headlined Providence's very own New Year's Celebration: Bright Night and have also been booked for The Highland's Inn 2009 Concert Series (NH) along with several shows throughout RI and MA.
www.SeriouslyFierce.com |
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Sol Y Canto
Since 1984, Puerto Rican/Argentine vocalist Rosi Amador's crystalline vocals and her New Mexican husband Brian's sumptuous Spanish guitar, have been at the heart of a career featuring rich vocal harmonies, beautiful ballads and churning Latin rhythms. Their bilingual family concert is performed with children's choruses nationwide. Three-time winners of the Boston Music Award for 'Outstanding Latin Act, they’ve been called "Sublime ambassadors of Latin music."
http://solycanto.com |
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Steve Allain
Based out of Providence, Rhode Island, singer-songwriter Steve Allain brings his many years of experience and diversity of styles to what is often called a “genre-defying” set of original songs.
Although mostly performing as a solo artist, Steve’s past musical collaborations include playing in classical ensembles, jazz quartets, experimental chamber groups and rock and roll bands. His dynamic voice and solid guitar playing, which varies from flatpicking to fingerstyle, create an engaging mix of music.
Steve has also had the opportunity to compose and record for numerous artists and projects. Some of these include working with L.A. based artist Apryl Lauren and an appearance on Leo Connollan’s audio CD of his epic poem Crossing America. Although Steve has recently returned to concentrating on his songwriting, he has in the past composed and arranged music for solo artists, chamber groups and orchestras in a variety of genres.
Steve has performed in cities throughout the United States such as Los Angeles, St. Louis, Chicago, and Cleveland. He is a member of the Rhode Island Songwriter’s Association and is currently playing venues along the East Coast, mostly focusing his attention in New England.
For more information you can visit his website at www.myspace.com/steveallain. |
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Susan Souza
With a "distinctive alto voice” that makes you “feel in spite of yourself," Susan Souza not only has an unforgettable name, but an unforgettable delivery of passion that pulls at your heart strings. Although she describes herself as, "a rocker at heart," her music crosses musical boundaries and reflects her eclectic rock, folk, pop, and progressive influences. Susan says, “Performing with a band brings out a much different part of myself compared to when I perform solo. I enjoy them both immensely!”
Her deep, expressive voice, strong stage presence, and melodic style calls your attention, while her lyrics evoke soul-searching questions that resonate with her listeners' lives today and at times may bring one to tears.
www.susansouza.com
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The Low Anthem
"The Low Anthem's harmonica-and-string-flavored ballads are as haunting as they are gorgeous. This group of Providence up-and-comers knows how to break your heart and make you smile at the same time." Paste Magazine
Based in R.I., The Low Anthem has just signed a record deal with Nonesuch Records supporting the national re-release of Oh My God, Charlie Darwin with a tentative release date of June 9. They’ll be returning from a tour of Europe just in time for Living Fest 09, then heading out to Tennessee to perform at Bonnaroo.
“… the Low Anthem, from Providence, R.I., harmonized on slow, sustained songs using instruments like harmonium, clarinet, some kind of small euphonium and a set of metal discs played with a bow for eerie high tones…. Most of the music was stately and mournful… Every so often, making the quiet songs sound even quieter, the Low Anthem played something electric, bluesy and distorted….” New York Times
http://lowanthem.com |
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Vance Gilbert
Vance Gilbert burst onto the singer/songwriter scene in the early 90's when the buzz started spreading in the folk clubs of Boston about an ex-multicultural arts teacher and jazz singer who was knocking 'em dead at open mikes. Now, after nine acclaimed recordings, whether with classic original songwriting or ageless interpretations of covers, Vance Gilbert’s presentation is steeped in deep humanism and bravery, stunning artistry and soul, and unbridled joy. “…the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god…” -Fort Worth Star-Telegram
http://vancegilbert.com
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