SATURDAY MARCH 3, 2012

8:00pm
BROTHER SUN
With special guest
MARA LEVINE AND CAROLINE CUTRONEO

$25 ($22 members)
CLICK HERE TO ORDERTICKETS ONLINE 

By popular demand, Brother Sun returns to the Hurdy Gurdy! 

Pat Wictor, Greg Greenway, and Joe Jencks have formed a dynamic new male trio. Their harmonies, as much as their lyrics, tell what they are about: warm as a campfire, stirring as a gospel church, rousing as a call to arms. Calling upon contemporary songwriting, and informed by the deep roots of gospel, blues, and folk, the trio weaves a tapestry of harmony that is brilliantly fresh and yet familiar.

Pat Wictor took a convoluted path to folk music, winding his way through rock, heavy metal, and jazz.  He started with guitar, shifted to bass, moved to saxophone, and then quit music entirely before a return in 1993, a time when he also began composing songs.  By 2001, he left a teaching career to pursue music full time and does so in the broadest way possible.  An adept improviser and accompanist, he is sought after as a collaborator, sideman and session musician, with numerous recording credits to date.  His performances--part fireside chat, part meditation on matters earthly and transcendent--feature his originals.  In addition to his own tunes, he is quick to offer up a newly-discovered lyric from another performer, or a fresh arrangement of a traditional song, delighting in introducing his audience to innovative material.  With flowing red hair and zen-like calm, Pat embraces his audience with the sincerity of his music and the clarity of his voice, inviting them in.

Joe Jencks is an international touring performer, songwriter, entertainer, and educator.  Joe applies his conservatory training to a contemporary genre, and offers the listener the best of both worlds.  He has won numerous songwriting awards and is also highly regarded as a song interpreter.  From venues like Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, to coffee houses, festivals, spiritual communities, and schools, Joe  has spent the last nine years touring full time. His songs have traveled to every continent via radio, CDs, web casts, and other musicians. He is noted for his unique merging of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration. Jencks weaves a diverse web of stories with brilliant musical skill, ensnaring even the most rigid of hearts, inviting them to open. His songs invite us to live inside of our passions and our beliefs.

Originally from Richmond, VA, Greg Greenway moved to Boston for its rich Folk Music tradition and has become one of its most unique and superlative emissaries. Put simply, he is one of the finest entertainers you'll ever see. Musically, he draws inspiration from all over the map--gospel, rock, blues, Jazz, and world music. But his center is in the singer/songwriter tradition that traces it roots all the way back to the social awareness of Woody Guthrie. His central appeal is that it all comes through the singular lens of Greenway's humanity and his easy affinity for the audience.  The Boston Globe wrote, "Confessional one moment, rambunctiously disarming the next, few modern folk singers can own a coffeehouse stage as completely as Greenway." His visit to the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis yielded his own  composition that rises powerfully into U2's Pride/In the Name of Love. It is a hair raising, riveting anthem that embodies Greenway's passion and his gift for framing social issues. It is a show stopping event, couched in a presentation of high spirited give and take of such good humor that audiences unfailingly walk away uplifted.

Nationally touring folk artists from three major points on the map - Boston, New York, and Chicago - Pat, Greg, and Joe celebrate the amazing power of singing together. Their combined musical skills should make for an unforgettable evening - three rich voices blending on a well-crafted foundation of guitar, slide guitar, and piano.

* * *

Opening the evening will be Mara Levine and Caroline Cutroneo. Folk vocalist and jewelry designer Mara Levine is known for her  “crystal clear voice, subtle vibrato, and skillful way with a melody line”  and for her original interpretations and arrangements of folk songs from traditional to contemporary.  Mara’s beautiful version of Bob Franke’s song “Straw Against the Chill” with Joe Jencks was the #1 song on the US/international Folk DJ chart  for December 2010. Her version of Paul Simon's "Leaves That Are Green with Gathering time also reached  #1 on the same chart for October 2011.  Her first CD “Mara’s Gems” reached #52 on the folk charts for 2009 and she is currently recording her second, collaborating with artists including Si Kahn, Pat Wictor, Gathering Time, Joe Jencks and Caroline Cutroneo.  Mara performs with a number of groups and is a professional harmony vocalist for artists including Arlon Bennett and Terry Kitchen.  She has performed at venues including the Hudson Clearwater Festival, The Folk Project Festival, the Borderline Folk Club and on WFDU Traditions.  She has opened for Oscar Brand  and Christine Lavin and shared the stage with Si Kahn and Bill Staines.  She has provided vocals for recordings by Spook Handy, Terry Rivel and Jim Indell.

Caroline Cutroneo is an award-winning singer/songwriter-guitarist from Staten Island. Blending lyrical originals with traditional standards, Caroline surprises and delights her audience with originals and rare finds from such obscure sources as traditional folk song, depression-era jug bands, and newly-discovered treasures from the sixties folk revival.  She has a 4 song CD is currently recording her first full length solo CD. Caroline is a three-time recipient of the annual performing arts award of Staten Island Council on the Arts and Humanities. A former FM announcer and program director, she has earned a degree in fine arts from the City University of New York. Caroline has opened for Pete Seeger, and shared the stage with Bill Staines.  She also plays with her bands “The Runaway Train” and “Lone Pine Radio Boys” at venues on Staten Island.  She's also appeared with Mara at the Borderline Folk Club.  She has provided vocals for recordings by Bob Wright and Jim Indell..

SATURDAY MARCH 24, 2012

8:00pm

 A HURDY GURDY NOTEWORTHY NIGHT CONCERT

DANIELLE MIRAGLIA and TOBY WALKER

$15 ($12 members)

**SPECIAL  DISCOUNT OFFER FOR SERIES PACKAGE 4 CONCERTS FOR ONLY $45  – CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS**

CLICK HERE TO ORDER TICKETS ONLINE

As part of our 30^th anniversary celebration, Hurdy Gurdy Noteworthy Nights is a special series of four co-bill concerts (11/19, 1/7, 2/4 & 3/24) that will celebrate our past and set the stage for the future.    We are offering this series at a very special price to enable our patrons to experience .  We are also offering a $45 package price for this series – buy 3 and get the 4^th free!  This special package offer is available for advance purchase before November 18!  Click here for info.

Our final Noteworthy Night concert features two old friends who are returning to the Hurdy Gurdy by popular demand!

A strong steady thumb on an old Gibson guitar is the driving force behind Danielle Miraglia's acoustic blues guitar style. Add a raw, powerful, whiskey tinged voice and one might be tempted to label her a blues artist. But while Miraglia's style pays homage to these blues traditions, her classic rock verve, catchy melodies and eclectic array of song subjects that range from deeply personal to socially relevant give it an original twist that is all her own. A fresh sound along with a sharp wit and a captivating stage presence is gaining her fans all over the map. "It won't be long before the rest of the country takes notice." - Performing Songwriter.

Raised just outside of Boston in Revere, MA, where its famous beach is better known for girls with big hair than its history as a popular tourist attraction, Miraglia was raised on a variety of popular music, from her parent's Motown records to the classic rock influences like The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin that encouraged her to learn to play guitar at thirteen. A passion for the arts and an outstanding gift for writing lead her to Emerson College in Boston's downtown theater district. After graduating with a degree in Creative Writing, she put her writing skills, originally intended for novels, towards songwriting and began performing at open mike nights in the Boston area. This set in motion what would become a full-time career in music.

In 2001, she released her debut EP "Bad Poetry," followed by a second release "Just Wrong 

Enough" in 2002. From there the songs poured out and the gigs flowed in. Since 2002 she has headlined some of the most renowned blues and folk music venues in Boston, toured major cities from north to south and beyond, while earning street cred vigorously busking the streets of Harvard Square.  Her latest self-produced release, "Nothing Romantic" has received rave reviews.

"Inspirational!"

 -  John Hammond   

* * *

Toby Walker is a unique, accomplished fingerstyle guitar virtuoso. Toby is adept at blues, rags, hot country picking, and coaxes more out of a guitar than anyone can imagine, but the originality doesn't end there. He is also a skilled singer and songwriter who draws inspiration from traditional and contemporary music. Toby takes that musical foundation and creates something uniquely his own and has been eagerly received in various venues including concert halls, festivals and coffeehouses throughout the U.S., England and Europe.

Toby’s passion for blues, rag, folk, and other traditional American music drove him to leave an apartment crammed full of recordings, books and instruments for the Mississippi Delta, Virginia and the Carolinas where he tracked down some of the more obscure -but immensely talented - music makers of an earlier era.  He learned directly at the feet of Eugene Powell, James "Son"Thomas, Etta Baker, and R.L Burnside, among others. 

The talent, passion, and soul of a Toby Walker performance reflects these travels. Whether it is telling the humorous and heartwarming tales of other masters, talking about his inspirations, or astounding you with his mastery, his performances are a feast for the senses. You can catch a taste of these Toby Walker www.littletobywalker.com stories on his Web site in the "Blues Travels" section. But make no mistake about it - he is to be experienced live. Those fortunate enough to attend one of his shows will vouch for that.

The love Toby has for his craft pushes him to share his history and experience where he has performed in libraries and schools allowing others to share the sounds, sights, and emotions of his unique abilities. His teaching credits include, among others, Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch in Ohio. In 2006, Carnegie Hall acknowledged his rare talents and hired him to augment and teach in their "American Roots" program aimed at honor level middle school students. This one-of-a-kind series demonstrates the history of blues music and traditions, while teaching the history of African Americans as they migrated from the south into the north. His mastery of the blues was recognized in Memphis when he won the International Blues Challenge Award.There is no doubt that Toby Walker has found his life's calling, and as a result everyone keeps calling for more Toby Walker.

"Flat out... you have to hear this great musician... I'm blown away"

- Jorma Kaukonen - Hot Tuna, Jefferson Airplane, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee

SATURDAY APRIL 14, 2012

8:00pm

RANI ARBO

& DAISY MAYHEM

With special guest

BRAD YODER

$25 ($22 members)

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So, what's a daisy mayhem?  Wicked grooves, sublime lead singing, great harmonies, sparkling original songs, and a deep repertoire that spans 200 years of American music. Four people who share an irresistible chemistry on stage. An unusually gleeful string band that celebrates both tradition and improvisation and that stumps the categorizers. (Are they an agnostic gospel band? A homeopathic bluegrass band? Are they crazy?). Worth seeing...

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. 

What do they play?  The Boston Globe described it as "neo old-timey with cosmopolitan splashes of contemporary pop and jazz." It's an exuberant mix of musical idioms, held together by superb musicianship, impeccable taste, and the band's charismatic vocals. A stage show dips into country blues, vintage swing, modern songwriter fare, and Appalachian fiddle tunes and songs. It's a bracing fusion: listen to Arbo deliver Bessie Jones' version of "O Death" accompanied by fat, bluesy guitar solos and a groove that owes allegiance to the Meters, and you'll see. This is a band that picks up what's lying around "from tin cans to traditional music" and creates something new.

Rani  Arbo is the fiddler, lead singer, and founder of daisy mayhem. With a bewitching, expressive alto that is equal parts choir girl, flirty teenager, and world-weary woman, she navigates swing tunes, funky call-and-response songs, and ballads with unusual honesty and ease. Steeped in thirty years of choral singing, Arbo also spent years with a honkytonk band, a Balkan rock band, and folk-bluegrass band Salamander Crossing. A cellist by training, her swampy, self-taught fiddling draws from swing, blues, and old-time music. On stage, Arbo brings a rich life - as a 15-year veteran performer, breast cancer survivor, mother, and songwriter - into humble and compelling performances. Arbo also has toured and recorded with Joan Baez, John McCutcheon and many others.

"Playful and profound."

-The Boston Globe

* * * 

Opening the evening will be Brad Yoder.  Acknowledged by Pittsburgh Magazine as “ruling the Pittsburgh coffeehouse scene,” Brad logs over 150 performances annually, playing colleges, cafés, churches, festivals, First Nights, and even the zoo. Brad has opened for a diverse range of artists, including Erin McKeown,  the Cowboy Junkies, Lucy Kaplansky, Carrie Newcomer, and Emmylou Harris among others.   Brad has  five self-released CDs, and songs from these recordings have been featured on CBS’s “NUMB3RS,” NPR’s “Car Talk,” the ABC Family Network’s “Beautiful People,” “Dawson’s Creek” 5th season DVD, and as part of the Pittsburgh Regional History Center’s 9-11 Memorial Exhibit. 

 It’s Brad’s unique mix of humorous, poetic, political, funky and edgy original songs, covering a musical range from folk to indie rock (with unexpected musical and lyrical twists), that has earned him a loyal following ranging from kids in single digits through retirees.

It’s Brad’s unique mix of humorous, poetic, political, funky and edgy original songs, covering a musical range from folk to indie rock (with unexpected musical and lyrical twists), that has earned him a loyal following ranging from kids in single digits through retirees.

“Brad Yoder is my favorite new ‘discovery’ of the year. His CD stopped me in my tracks, especially the song Leave Like This—I was weeping sweet tears by the end of it.”

-Kathy Mattea

SATURDAY MAY 5, 2012

8:00pm

AN EVENING WITH

ROBIN & LINDA WILLIAMS & THEIR FINE GROUP

$30 ($27 members)

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As part of our 30^th anniversary season, the Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club is proud to welcome back Robin & Linda Williams and Their Fine Group.

The Virginia-based duo known for their rich harmonies and original songwriting have thrilled folk, bluegrass, and country audiences throughout America for more than thirty years. Renowned for their tours and many appearances with Garrison Keillor on “A Prairie Home Companion” — the radio show and movie, they’ve also toured with Mary Chapin Carpenter, and performed with Emmylou Harris and The Seldom Scene.   

Robin and Linda have delighted audiences large and small with a blend of bluegrass, folk, old-time and acoustic country that truly merits the title of “American music.” Just released on Red House Records and produced by Tim O’Brien, Robin and Linda’s new CD, “Buena Vista,” is an exploration of life’s hard times and unexpected joys featuring the duo’s high lonesome harmonies and their fiery guitar and banjo picking. “Radio Songs”, “The First Christmas Gift”, and “Deeper Waters” are additional gems released since 2004. Produced by Garrison Keillor, “Visions of Love,” stayed on the Americana Charts soon after its release January 2002 and was rated in the top five of both the Folk and Bluegrass charts on Roots Music Report.

Robin and Linda Williams have gained recognition from a variety of sources, winning a nomination from their colleagues at the International Bluegrass Music Association for “Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year” (1995’s Good News). In 1998 they received a Crossroads’ Music “Gold Star” Award for the best Contemporary Folk CD of 1998, and listed in the top 10 “Album Of The Year.” (Devil of a Dream)

They have appeared on The Grand Ole Opry, “Austin City Limits,” American “Mountain Stage,” “Music City Tonight,” and have enjoyed the rejuvenation of The Hopeful Gospel Quartet on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion.”

They have performed in venues ranging from Philadelphia and Kerrville folk Festivals, to bluegrass-oriented festivals such as Winterhawk, Wings & Strings and the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival, to arts centers and concert halls in dozens of states and countless clubs and coffeehouses – not only across the US, but in Canada and Europe as well.

“Their voices can melt cheese.”

-Garrison Keillor

SATURDAY JUNE 2, 2012

8:00pm

DIANA JONES

With special guest

MEG BRAUN

$20 ($17 members)

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When Diana Jones flew on a plane from New York to Eastern Tennessee and took her grandfather’s hand for the first time, her life was changed. Growing up as an adopted child in New York, Jones had an affinity for songs by mountain music artists not popular with her contemporaries. After searching out her birth family at 15, she connected with her Tennessee roots, and discovered that her birth grandfather (Robert Lee Maranville) had been a professional picker touring with Chet Atkins. Jones’s journey took her to Austin, where she worked on the craft of songwriting, and back to the Northeast, where, after her grandfather’s death, she locked herself away in a cabin to write.

Her music is in the best of folk/country/roots music traditions, focusing on the richness of story combined with strong melody. In 2006, she won the prestigious New Folk Contest at Kerrville. That year she also released My Remembrance of You which earned glowing reviews in British magazines like Uncut and Q, as well as the chance to tour with Richard Thompson. More validation came when Joan Baez recorded Diana’s “Henry Russell’s Last Words” on her 2008 album Day After Tomorrow. Jones recorded the song, as well, on Better Times Will Come, which the Chicago Tribune hailed as Best Country Recording of 2006.

Just as authoritative as Diana Jones’s pen, however, is her singing voice, a clarion alto whose rich timbres and elongated phrasing sometimes suggest a cello or viola. “I try to be very present to my material, to mean each word I sing,” she says. “That to me is the bottom line. It’s like telling a story. You want people to understand what you’re singing, but you also want to believe it yourself, to really get into it. And that’s really the joy of it. It feels like flying.”

“There’s some kind of channeling from some other lifetime going on. I don’t know the answer to these things, but all I can think of is that it must come from some mysterious part of her soul.”

 — Joan Baez

* * *

Opening the evening will be singer-songwriter Meg Braun.   The Toledo, Ohio native arrived in New York with only a diploma (for her degree in Philosophy) and hopes of building a career in non-profit advocacy, but she soon found far more in the city than she had imagined. 

While living in Manhattan’s East Village, Meg filled in for a friend one Tuesday evening as host of the open mic at the neighborhood’s legendary C-Note.  Immediately, she knew she had stumbled into something special.  When the host position became available shortly thereafter, Meg gladly took the helm and guided for years what became a weekly salon of sorts, welcoming songwriters of all stripes.  As host, Meg encouraged writers to share new songs each week, and gradually built a community that inspired its members toward sharper skills and wider success.

Immersed in this creative cauldron, Meg herself began writing in earnest.  Soon, many of her songs – bubbling with love, loss, transformation, and joy – became audience favorites at the C-Note and paved the way for success beyond the neighborhood.  In 2009, Meg released her debut CD, Tomboy Princess, which features some of the songs she polished back in the East Village.  Even as she begins to play out-of-town shows with greater regularity, Meg continues to nurture the acoustic music scene in New York City in her work as co-founder of the Christopher Street Coffeehouse.

"Definitely someone to watch."

- Richard Cuccaro, Acoustic Live!