Branford Folk Music Society

September 15, 2007: The Short Sisters

They are not really sisters and they aren't particularly short, but they do sound like sisters and, well, the first name of each member of the trio is short.

The Branford Folk Music Society kicks off its 2007-08 season of concerts with three women - Fay Baird, Kate Seeger and Kim Wallach - who've been sharing a delight in harmony together for more than 25 years as the Short Sisters. The songs chosen by the trio tell stories and paint pictures, conveying strong visual images through music. They favor a cappella arrangements, but also accompany themselves with guitar, autoharp and banjo. And get your vocal chords primed. The Short Sisters are long on inviting audience participation, so there will be plenty of opportunity for singing.

Members of the trio make their homes in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Florida and they've performed at folksong societies, coffeehouses and festivals across America, although they concentrate on appearances in the Northeast. They have recorded five albums over their decades of performing, four of which are available on CD.

Their repertoire swings from the funny to the moving, from the thought-provoking to the frivolous, from the traditional to the contemporary. Join us for the season's opening concert and have your imagination - as well as your vocal chords - challenged.

Listen to this audio webcast for the Short Sisters concert (7 m. 18 s.; MP3 format).

October 13, 2007: Phil Cooper and Margaret Nelson

Phil Cooper and Margaret Nelson from Illinois have been musical partners for more than a quarter-century, sharing enthusiasm for a strong story paired with a lovely melody.

Phil grew up with folk music, opera and Evangelical Lutheran church music. Exposure in college to the folk-rock of Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention led him straight back to traditional ballads and the vigorous, percussive finger-picked guitar playing of Martin Carthy, Richard Thompson, Nic Jones, Dick Gaughan and Bert Jansch. He released his first solo album in 1981 and a year later was playing as a duo with Margaret Nelson.

Margaret has been singing as long as she can remember. As a child and teenager she sang in church and school choirs. It was the early Vanguard albums of Joan Baez, brought home from college by an older sister, that began her shift toward Anglo-American ballad tradition. Margaret sang with the Chicago trio Duck Duck Goose before teaming up with Phil Cooper.

As a duo, Cooper and Nelson perform those strong stories with sensitivity and beautiful harmonies. They've recorded 11 albums, most of them centered on traditional folk music. Join us on October 13 because this is a rare opportunity to hear these Midwesterners.

Listen to this audio webcast for the Phil Cooper and Margaret Nelson concert (7 m. 12 s.; MP3 format).

November 10, 2007: John Roberts and Tony Barrand

For Branford Folk concert-goers, John and Tony need no introduction. Widely acclaimed for their lively and entertaining presentations of English folk song, this duo has appeared at major festivals, colleges and coffeehouses throughout the United States, Canada and their native Britain. They sing ballads and songs of the sea, of rural pursuits, of social and sociable situations and of industrial toil and strife. Their songs are punctuated with tales, monologues, dances and tunes, offering a more complete appreciation of the wealth, diversity and vitality of English folk tradition. Get to the coffeehouse early because this concert is sure to be a packed house - and have your voices primed to do a lot of singing on choruses.

Listen to this audio webcast for the John Roberts and Tony Barrand concert (6 m. 14 s.; MP3 format).

December 8, 2007: Ash Creek String Band

Connecticut's own Ash Creek String Band has been entertaining fans of old-time Appalachian music, Celtic music and Southern gospel, as well as lovers of contemporary folk ballads, for more than 33 years. Audiences throughout New England and the metropolitan New York region have enjoyed Ash Creek at concerts, folk festivals, municipal events and square dances. The group's members play a variety of instruments ranging from old time string band standards such as guitar, mandolin and banjo to concertina, hammered dulcimer and pennywhistle. For good measure the group throws in the occasional use of a hurdy-gurdy and an accordion! The instrumentation comes with the band's vocal abilities, as all the members sing a blend of innovative three- and four-part harmonies. Whether you come to dance or to listen, Ash Creek's infectious good humor and toe tapping music will offer a wonderful way to start the end-of-the-year holiday season.

Listen to this audio webcast for the Ash Creek String Band concert (3 m. 35 s.; MP3 format).

January 12, 2008: Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen

The society kicks off 2008 in fine fashion with the dynamic folk duo of Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen from Vermont, longtime favorites at Branford Folk. Although this husband-wife team carries solo reputations and musical histories, they are pure magic when they perform together. Cindy Mangsen has been described as one of the finest pure ballad singers in folk music today, while Steve Gillette for decades has been considered one of America's finest singer-songwriters and guitarists. Steve is best known as a songwriter for major artists such as John Denver, Garth Brooks, Linda Ronstadt and Ian and Sylvia and as a superb fingerpicking guitarist whose skills have been compared to Doc Watson. His song "Darcy Farrow" alone has been recorded by more than 100 artists since he penned it in 1966. Cindy is renowned not only for her voice but also for her songkeeping. She is a master interpreter of traditional ballads, rich in myth and legend. The duo also brings a host of instruments to the stage with them, including guitars, fiddle, concertina, mountain dulcimer and banjo - and keen senses of humor.

Listen to this audio webcast for the Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen concert (7 m. 37 s.; MP3 format).

February 9, 2008: Last Fair Deal

Last Fair Deal is an Americana band. Their music incorporates the backgrounds of the four band members drawing from folk music, old time mountain music, swing, jug band, bluegrass, rock, and other roots styles, with additional blues, jazz, and Celtic influences. The band's live performances feature originals from their latest album, True Tales, and their previous three albums. They also put their own spin on John Hartford, Lennon/McCartney, John Hiatt, Nat King Cole, and Bob Dylan. Last Fair Deal features Paul Howard on vocals, guitar, and harmonica; Tom Hagymasi on vocals, fiddle, bouzouki and accordion; Phil Zimmerman on vocals, mandolin, and banjo; and Todd Howard on vocals, five-string bass, and bodhran. Last Fair Deal's stellar musicians have shared the stage with the likes of John Hartford, Doc Watson, Jonathan Edwards, Aztec Two-Step, and Stephane Grappelli. It will be a real treat having this band grace our stage at Branford. The society extends its gratitude to the band for the short notice for this concert, after the originally scheduled Water Sign of New York City had to cancel because of illness to one of the group's members.

Listen to this audio webcast for the Last Fair Deal concert (8 m. 32 s.; MP3 format).

March 8, 2008: Notorious

Eden MacAdam-Somer and Larry Unger, who comprise the duo Notorious, bring together traditional and contemporary acoustic music from around the world, creating a dynamic, swinging sound that is sure to get you on your feet. With Eden on fiddle and vocals and Larry on guitar and banjo, their music is full of rhythmic drive and melodic candor. Their show is always new and exciting, presenting everything from traditional American and Celtic fiddle tunes to jazz, blues, and the group's original compositions.

At home in the worlds of both classical and popular music, Eden MacAdam-Somer is one of the most exciting and versatile young violinists performing today. She has been a featured soloist with symphony and chamber orchestras, jazz and swing bands, bluegrass, DAWG and American folk groups. Eden is also well versed in the music of other cultures, including Irish music, Gypsy music, Sephardic music, and European music from the Medieval and Renaissance periods. She has been a guest artist at the Aspen and Beijing International music festivals, soloist at Texas and Wimberly jazz festivals, performer at Texas and St. Louis Renaissance fairs, and has appeared on numerous recordings in folk, rock, jazz, and classical genres.

Larry Unger has been a full time musician since 1984 and has presented a diverse range of musical performances at dances, festivals, and concerts across the United States, Canada, France, Scotland, Denmark, and Sweden. He has played guitar, banjo, and bass with many top contra dance bands, including Reckless Abandon, Uncle Gizmo, Big Table, and the Reckless Ramblers, and has accompanied such fiddlers as Judy Hyman, Elke Baker, Rodney Miller, Alasdair Fraser, Matt Glaser, Ralph Blizard, and Lissa Schneckenburger. His solo concerts include a wide variety of music, including fingerstyle blues and slide guitar, rags, and oldtime banjo tunes as well as melodies played on a handful of unusual instruments including banjo-guitar, fretless banjo, and piano-harp. Larry's original waltzes and fiddle tunes have been played and recorded by musicians around the world. He has a great breadth of understanding of traditional music to complement his considerable technical proficiency and enjoys telling stories about the origins of his music and the people who taught him.

April 12, 2008: Gordon Bok

Renowned folksinger Gordon Bok, characterized by Time magazine as the "poet laureate of those who go down to the sea," returns once again to the Branford Folk Music Society. Bok, who hails from Camden, Maine, has been preserving the musical traditions of the sea for more than 35 years as a performer. His music is largely self-taught and a Bok trademark is his rich, resonant, mahogany bass-baritone voice. He accompanies himself on 6- and 12-string guitars as well as the "cellamba" - a cross between a cello and a bass viol de gamba - which he designed. His repertoire consists of a treasure trove of well-crafted ballads of Maine and the Maritimes, songs and dances from abroad, contemporary songs, stories of boats and sailors, tales of supernatural seal-folk and cante-fables of his own composition. He is also a superb storyteller. Bok has recorded over 20 albums, both solo and with other musicians, and was part of the fabled folk trio of Bok, Muir and Trickett. His solo and trio albums appear on Folk-Legacy Records of Sharon, CT and Bok's own Timberhead label. He is a longtime favorite of Branford Folk Music Society audiences, with his appearances at the society dating back to the early 1970s.

Paid reservations for the Gordon Bok concert can be sent to BFMS, P.O. Box 441, Branford, CT 06405. The reservations must be received by Thursday, April 10. We are taking paid reservations only. Arriving by 7:45 p.m. is recommended. The reservation guarantees a seat in the event the concert is sold out and allows first entry into the concert hall. Admission prices, both advance and at the door, are $16 for adults, $14 for members, and $3 for children under 12.

Listen to this audio webcast for the Gordon Bok concert (9 m. 1 s.; MP3 format).

April 26, 2008: Tom Lewis

Yes, there are two Branford Folk concerts scheduled for April. We have the pleasure of offering in concert once again another Branford Folk favorite, Tom Lewis, one of North America's foremost exponents of contemporary sea songs. Lewis is a legitimate, real live old salt, having served in the British Royal Navy for a 24-year career as a submariner. His musical career began in 1960 when he was posted to a naval station in Scotland and began frequenting local folk clubs. He retired from the Navy in 1983 and immigrated to British Columbia, Canada, where he continues to make his home. Accompanying himself on button accordion and ukulele, Lewis has long been regarded as one of folk music's premier writers and singers of songs of the seas. He has a compelling, booming voice with a direct and powerful delivery that swiftly rouses an audience to song. His musical fare ranges from traditional shanties to songs fashioned out of his seafaring background to humorous and salty stories.

Listen to this audio webcast for the Tom Lewis concert (7 m. 25 s.; MP3 format).