Camp Harmony - Ring in the New Year 2005

Time once again to register for SFFMC's annual New Year's bash known as Camp Harmony. This 5-day music/dance/tribal meeting/party for Club members and their immediate families is brought to you by you and me and everyone who participates: first-timers, old-timers, old pros, rank beginners, little kids, old geezers, singers, musicians and dancers.

If you've never experienced this camp, maybe this is the year to try it out. If you have been to camp before, we are sure you are already gently peeling your label from the back of this Folknik to stick it to your registration form.

When & Where & How: 2:00 pm Tues. Dec. 28, 2004 to 2:00 pm Sun., Jan. 2, 2005 at Camps Campbell and Harmon on Highway 9 in the Santa Cruz mountains near Boulder Creek (map comes with your acceptance letter). Facilities include heated cabins for 8-16 people each, many with indoor plumbing. Registration includes 3 full meals a day in the dining hall.

To register, you must be a current SFFMC member. Early bird registrants whose membership was current on Sept. 1 get first priority. Early registrations from those who did not have a current membership on Sept. 1 - but who joined or rejoined after that date - are priority 2. All members' registrations postmarked after Nov. 1 are priority 3. Applications are sorted by postmark date within each priority. All Priority 1 registrations are accepted before any Priority 2, and so on.

Moral: Be a member and register early, however we have been able to accept everyone who has wanted to come to camp for the last several years.

Cost: Registrations postmarked on or before Nov. 1 qualify for the Early Bird price. Early Bird price for the entire camp is $270/adult, $140/child 3-12. Per day Early rate is $57/adult/day, $30/child/day. After Nov. 1, registration is on a per day basis (2:00 pm to the next 2:00 pm = 1 day), and is $63/day/adult and $33/day/child. On-site registration (also known as Drop In) is $43/day/adult, $25/day/child, but does not include any meals. Some meals may be available for purchase from other campers. By the way, we tried to hold our prices this year, but wholesale food costs have gone up, and we had to cover that increase.

As part of their payment for camp, every attendee age 6-100 (including Drop In) does 1 chore for every day registered. Giving a workshop does not count as a chore.

Financial assistance: Camperships are available for those who need them. The limited funds are allocated first-come, first-served. If you are flush this year, please consider adding something to the campership fund: it's tax deductible! To keep camp more affordable for families, child rates were left at last year's reduced prices. Families are still eligible to take additional campership funds, if necessary. Register early for Early Bird prices and because Campership Funds can run out!
Workshops: Workshops spaces abound and all are invited to share their favorite activities by leading a workshop. All workshops in songs, crafts, dance, dance calling, jams, music, stories, instrument techniques, etc. are welcome and open to all. Sign-ups for workshop times and spaces are posted at camp. If you already know something you want to present, contact Katie Grist at (510) 548-4727, Be11elaide•AT•aol.com for pre-camp scheduling. Contact Joan Feinberg at (510) 451-1122, jhfeinberg•AT•juno.com if you can offer a beginning workshop in any instrument or if you can loan an instrument for beginners to try at camp.

Special Needs: For health, diet restrictions, or limited access concerns, contact Ray Frank (530) 756-7089, ray•AT•muircommons.org. Please contact Miriam Sundheim (510) 523-4558 to find out about special family housing arrangements.

About those Chores: Camp Harmony is a community-organized, volunteer effort. So that camp can happen, every attendee over age 6 commits to doing 1 organized chore per day registered. We have special chores for campers aged 6-11. Most adult chores are a 1 hour commitment. Some chores (like coffee making) cover a longer period of time and allow more flexibility. Some of the more onerous chores, (like parking lot duty or end of camp cleanup) count for two chore slots. Staying late on the last day to help with clean up for 2-3 hours fulfills your full-camp chore requirement. Contact Mary Luckhardt, mary•AT•luckhardt.com to reserve one of these special chore slots!

The Rules: As usual, NO PETS are allowed at camp. In keeping with all SFFMC events, computers, cell phones, beeping watches & other electronic noisemakers are strongly discouraged at camp. Help keep camp beep-free. Please don't save beds or cabins for folks arriving later. All Camp activities are open to all campers, so please don't teach activities which exclude anyone. No outdoor shoes on the dance floor, please.

Button Making: Start Harmony early. Come to Mary Luckhardt's house in Richmond ((510) 233-5065, mary•AT•luckhardt.com) on Tues., Dec. 7 for the pot-luck button making party. Make a custom button for yourself, and help produce the 400 buttons we need for camp.

Finally: Please join us for a wonderful camp and a joyous beginn ing to a New Year. back to top

Musical Meetings

Musical meetings of the San Francisco Folk Music Club are held every other Friday at 885 Clayton Street, between Carl and Parnassus Streets in San Francisco. Singing and jamming in three separate rooms start at 8:00 p.m. Snacks are provided through $1 food kitty donations or finger food contributions. Guests are always welcome, no one is expected to “perform”, and there is no charge.

Date	September 3	September 17*	October 1	October 15	October 29
Setup	Debbie Klein	Melissa Sarenac	Ken Hayes	Mallory	Melissa Sarenac
Bulletin Board	Marisa Malvino	Bobbie Raymond	Yvette Tannenbaum	Mallory	Faith
Host/ess	Marisa Malvino	Melissa Sarenac	Phil Morgan	Dean Howard	Carolyn Jayne
Host/ess	Estelle Freedman	Pazit Zohar	Debbie Klein	Jane Tupper	Alison Pyle
Singing Room	Phil Morgan	Faith	Melissa Sarenac	Marisa Malvino	Julie Bidou
Theme	Health, wealth, wisdom	Celebrations	Theme songs	Leaves, leaving, longing	Supernatural Tricks
Cleanup	Chuck Oakes	Chuck Oakes	Joe Lavelle	Marlene McCall	Chuck Oakes

*Special Meeting celebrating Faith's 89th birthday! back to top

Board Meetings

The SFFMC board meets on the second Tuesday of each month-potluck at 6:30 p.m., meeting at 8:00 p.m. All Club members are welcome to attend the potluck dinner and the Board meeting.

• September 14: Phil Morgan's house
• October 12: Ed Hilton's house
• November 9: Marian Gade's house

Club News Ken Hayes plays Borachio in the Curtain Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing at Old Mill Park in Mill Valley, weekends September 4 through 12, 3:00 pm. Admission is free. Congratulations to Dean Howard and Jane Tupper, married July 4 with Faith officiating.   Folknik editor Phyllis Jardine will be away in September. Please email items during that month to the usual page editors, with a copy to Dean Howard (deanhoward•AT•mindspring.com). Mark Levy’s new CD Hail to the Thief II: Songs to Send Bush Packing features his song “Son-of-a-Bush,” with Faith, Utah Phillips, and others. It costs $15 postpaid from George Mann, PO Box 697, New York, NY 10033 (international orders add $3), or from www.cdbaby.com. Jude Reseigne is working on a new CD.and performing occasionally at Café Neon, a new café in the Western Addition. A new SFFMC directory is in the works. If you have a new name, address, phone number, email address, or website, email it to sffolk•AT•aol.com or snail-mail it to Directory, SFFMC, 885 Clayton Street, San Francisco, CA 94117. If you missed buying a San Francisco Free Folk Festival T-shirt this year or last year, here’s another chance: they’ll be available at 885 Clayton Street and at Camp Harmony. 2004 T-shirts cost $10, 2003 T-shirts $5. Correction: The “California Sawplayers Association” referred to in the last issue is actually the International Musical Saw Association. Having a hoot, a wedding, or a baby? Have a new CD or website? Looking to buy or sell an instrument? Email the Club News editor: jmkelly•AT•ieee.org.	Labor Day Camp, Boulder Creek: A Letter Dear Folk Friends, It was great to see some of you at the Free Folk Fest and at the 4th of July campout in Boulder Creek. A big thank you to all the volunteers who coordinated these events and made them happen; they keep our community rich and strong. The Labor Day camp (September 3-6) will be at the same location as the 4th of July in Boulder Creek; in addition to great campfire jams, we’ll have some workshops, concerts and a Saturday night potluck. This site has hot showers, a swimming pool, and a kitchen where you can store food and use the dishes, stove, etc. (just clean  up!). There’s RV/van parking, tent cabins and campsites that are close in or more remote nestled in the redwoods. Like all our do-it-yourself camps, there’s lots of serendipity, and fun musical surprises. It’s also very family-friendly and inexpensive: $10 per night for adults, $5 for kids, $20 max per night for a family. We are planning some workshops ahead. There’s already a great variety,  from chord progressions and Bossa Nova guitar to song swaps, yoga and game relays. I’ll post the list when camp is closer. If anyone would like to sign up for a workshop, please write to me at storylaurie•AT•lauriestories.com. I know many of you have developed other Labor Day musical traditions but our do-it-yourself camp misses you. Camp attendance has been down over the years, making it a financial question of how and if to continue the campouts . . . I think all of us in attendance over the 4th had a great time and plan to return for Labor Day. Please join us! —Laurie Story Vela back to top
Folk Music Under the Radar Club meetings and Hootenannies are only part of the Bay Area’s vibrant folk music scene. Acoustic and semiacoustic bands and songwriters perform weekly at the Independent Community Arts Network (ICAN) Gallery (icangallery.com), a converted-warehouse art gallery at 1310 Mission Street in San Francisco. Rotating art exhibits line the walls; a monthly singer-songwriters’ showcase run by Songs Alive (www.songsalive.org) began there in July. CC’s Acoustic Underground Showcase Extravaganza (www.cause-music.com) takes place the third Monday of each month at the Elbo Room, 647 Valencia Street in San Francisco. Local promoter CC aims for a series “where you can chill out with the perfect mix of San Francisco’s underground culturistas and experience moving performances in an intimate setting while supporting important local causes.” Recent performers include a capella trio Copper Wimmin, Ireland’s David Hopkins and  local singer-songwriter Mokai; on September 20, look for  Charles Gonzalez and Liz Ross (of Sun of Mercury) and Alan Tower (of Ancient Future). Strings (www.strings.org), at 6320 San Pablo Avenue in Emeryville, is one of the best places in the Bay Area to hear acoustic music. It’s a “private club”—but if you show up, you’re a member. The suggested donation is $10; it’s a labor of love run by an all-volunteer crew. Concerts are every Wednesday evening; check the website for coming performances by great and often local musicians. back to top	Hootenanny Night Hootenanny Night is like having the SF Free Folk Music Festival the second Saturday of every month instead of just once a year. From 7:00 to 10:30 p.m., we bring traditional, old-time, experimental, alternative folk and acoustic acts to the Café International, 508 Haight Street in San Francisco. Each show ends with a jam open to all. The Café will be closed in September, so our next two  shows will be October 9 and November 13. October 9 we’ll have The Shots’ Irish/Americana, a rollicking show with great harmonies (www.theshotsmusic.com); the twisted and talented Mark Growden in a Hoot premier  (www.markgrowden.com); brilliant country blues fingerpicking legend Alan Smithline; and AJ Roach, one of the best young folksingers anywhere (www.ajroach.net). November 13—our third anniversary!—we’re celebrating with East Coast singer and song collector Debby McClatchy—Sing Out  calls her one of our best interpreters of old-time music (members.cox.net/debbymcclatchy); The Shut Ins, reigning champions of the Hulabilly sound (www.theshutins.com); Belle Monroe and her Brewglass Boys—high spirits, high energy, and highly entertaining! (www.brewglassboys.com); the Sons of San Quentin, with Chuck Wheeler, who sings like one of the lost Sons of the Pioneers, and Art Peterson, one of the finest accordian slingers west of the Pecos  (www.artpeterson.com); and the Quake City Jug Band with jumping good-time classics from the 20s, 30s, and beyond. For more information and updates, see  www.sf hootenanny.homestead.com or call (415) 673-3212. —Richard Rice back to top
Minu Mast, a long-time Club member, died July 4 in Moraga at 92 years of age.  Her husband Dexter, a writer who had self-published two collections of short stories, had died previously. Minu was a good and loyal friend to many people, played the concertina joyfully and loved our singing and playing. She opened her home to all of us, on holidays and many other times, let us swarm around her kitchen to make meals for all the friends, and never stressed over anything we did. After her retirement from teaching in 1975, she wrote two cookbooks and was working on mystery stories. Agnes “Sis” Cunningham died June 27 at age 95.  She was best known as founder in 1962 and for about three decades editor of Broadside magazine, which in those years published more than a thousand songs, including works by Phil Ochs, Janis Ian, Tom Paxton, and Bob Dylan,  among many others. She was also a member of the Almanacs along with Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and other singers.  Fifteen albums of Broadside songs were released by Folkways Records and in 2000 songs from Broadside were made into a CD, The Best of Broadside 1962-1988; Anthems of the American Underground From the Pages of Broadside Magazine. It was nominated for two Grammys for best historical album and best liner  notes. The influence and importance of Sis and her husband Gordon Friesen on contemporary, socially-conscious songwriters and  singers is monumental, as well as on the consciousness and work of those striving to make the world a more just and loving place. Long-time Club member Mary Rakin died May 31.  She is keenly missed from our song circles. back to top	Bothersome Behavior During the July 4 Concert at Boulder Creek, behavior by some Club members, quite frankly, bothered me. I believe that the stage, during a concert, should be restricted. This was not the case at the concert. There was no designated person to ensure fire safety. Some children had to be chastised for playing with fire. Children ran down onto the stage during the performances. Why didn’t the  parents of these kids either  keep them  under control or remove them from the concert area? Some adults crossed the stage while others were performing. I usually find myself performing early in the program  (someone has to go first). I noticed that a  number of performers signed up to perform later in the program, arrived shortly before their sets, and then left shortly afterwards. These late arrivals were a distraction. Further, why should I hang around to listen to what these folks have to say musically when they seem  unwilling to extend same courtesy to me or to those whose sets came earlier in the program? A two-hour concert  dragged on for three. In part, this was due to some performers being absent when called,  wasting the time of the audience while they tuned up on stage, etc. Performers should be tuned up and ready to perform when called. Recently, I heard these concerts compared to a song circle. Possibly. Personally, I think we should treat them as a semi-formal event where professionalism, preparedness, and courtesy are the standard for all,  not just for some. —Bob Keller back to top

Cupertino Barndance Radio

Thanks to Yorkman for reminding us about more great Bay Area public radio. You can find program information about Barndance and other fabulous KKUP programming at www.kkup.com/index.html.
Steve Hathaway has hosted ÒThe Cupertino Barndance," for over 32 years on KKUP. The program features classic country music (50's and 60's honky tonk, western swing, bluegrass, rockabilly, and anything contemporary that fits). It airs 9:00 pm to Midnight, Sundays at 91.5 FM on the dial. The middle hour features a current release of either a new artist or reissue."

Intl. Songwriting Competition

ISC is an annual songwriting competition whose mission is to provide aspiring musicians and songwriters exposure in the international arena. We cordially invite members of SFFMC to enter. We will be giving away a total of $100,000 cash and prizes to 50 winners this year.
Categories include: Roots/Americana, Country, Blues, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Jazz, Gospel/Christian, World, Children's Music, Instrumental, among others.
For an entry form, more information and to enter online, please visit: www.songwritingcompetition.com.Multiple Entries welcome. $30.00/entry. Deadline for submission is October 15, 2004. back to top

SF's Sea Music Concert Series

As ever, for the 16th Annual Sea Music Concert Series on Hyde Street Pier's beautiful Balclutha, the park brings us leading, international exponents of sea music.

All concerts begin at 800 pm, aboard the Balclutha. Tickets are $16, park association members $14. Season tickets - a substantial discount for all four concerts - are available for $45. Tickets and more information: (415) 561-6662, ext 33. This year's lineup is:

Friday, September 10: Jerry Bryant. Bryant, from Amherst, MA, will perform a program of Napoleonic-era sea songs.
Saturday, October 23: John Conolly & Pete Sumner. England's John Conolly, singer/songwriter/guitarist, is the composer of the famed sea song ÒFiddler's Green," and many other fine songs. He's accompanied by Pete Sumner on mandolin.
Saturday, November 20: Robbie O'Connell. One of Ireland's outstanding folk singers, now living in Massachusetts.
Friday, December 10: Holdstock And Macleod. Local heroes Dick Holdstock and Allan MacLeod round off this year's series in rousing fashion! back to top

Hyde Street Pier Chantey Sings

A special Chantey session will close the 2004 Sea Music Festival on October 16 (see page 7 for festival details).
The sing is from 8:00 pm-midnight, aboard the C.A. Thayer. Reservations required, call 415-556-6435 or email to peter_kasin•AT•nps.gov.

The next regular chantey sing aboard one of the historic vessels at Hyde Street Pier will be on Sept. 4th They begin at 8:00 pm; enter the pier anytime after 7:30 pm. The sing is free, but reservations are required.

To reserve space, send an email to peter_kasin•AT•nps.gov, or call the ranger office at (415) 556-6435. Free parking is available at the foot of Van Ness Blvd., and in upper Fort Mason, via the Bay and Franklin streets entrance. Warm clothing encouraged, and bring a pillow and a mug for hot non-alcoholic beverages served from the ship's galley. back to top

Fold-in/Folk Sing: October 31

The fold-in is at noon, Sunday, October 31, at the home of Marian Gade, 136 Highland Blvd., Kensington, (510) 524-9815. The more, the merrier - to help with the folknik, enjoy a meal afterwards, and to make music. Bring a potluck dish and instruments. back to top

Festivals 'n Such

Dana Point Tall Ships Festival - September 11-12
Ocean Institute Dana Point, CA . Sea Chantey Concerts:Holdstock & MacLeod, Get Reel!, Bill Dempsey & Connie Allen & more. Maritime exhibits & demonstrations, crafts, food, and ship tours. Info: (949) 496-2274,
www.tallshipsfestival.com/html/events.html back to top

Millpond Music Festival - September 17-19
Millpond County Park, Bishop, CA. Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Ashley MacIsaac, Palm Wine Boys, The Lovin Spoonfull, Darol Anger & Mike Marshall and more. Info: (760) 873-8014, (800) 874-0669, www.inyo.org/millpond back to top

Julian Bluegrass Festival - September 18-19
Frank Lane Park, Julian, CA. Workshops: Guitar, Fiddle, Mandolin, Banjo, Vocals. Julie Wingfield, Cliff Wagner & The Old #7, Virtual Strangers, Farlie Mason, The Brombies, Connie Allen & Bill Dempsey and more. Info: (760) 480-0086, www.julianbluegrassfestival.com back to top

Sebastopol Celtic Music Festival - September 23-26
Sebastopol Community Center, Sebastopol, CA. Concerts and workshops. Baka Beyond, Altan, Lunasa, Old Blind Dogs, Battlefield Band, Shay & Michael Black, Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill and more. Info: (707) 823-1511; www.cumuluspresents.com back to top

Berkeley Old-Time Music Convention - Sept. 24-26
Freight & Salvage, Berkeley Farmers Market, Ashkenaz, The Jupiter & more. Squaredance, concerts, workshops, old time cabaret, clogging workshop, jamming at all times, & a stringband contest. Friday night's concert features Kate Brislin and Jody Stecher, the Thompson String Ticklers and more. Info: www.berkeleyoldtimemusic.org back to top

8th Annual Cajun/Zydeco Festival - September 25
Ardenwood Historic Farm, Fremont CA. Showcasing some of the best Louisiana traditional Cajun and Zydeco music & dancing. T. Broussard & the Zydeco Steppers w/ MaryJane Ardoin, Queen Ida & her Zydeco Band & more. Food, vendors, dance lessons. Info: (510) 544-2313, www.ebparks.org/events/zydeco.htm back to top

San Francisco Blues Festival - September 25-26
Great Meadow, Fort Mason, SF. Featuring: Buddy Guy, Keb' Mo', John Lee Hooker Jr., Marcia Ball, Charlie Mussselwhite, Peter Green and more. Info: (415) 979-5588, www.sfblues.com back to top

Loch Lomond Highland Games - October 2
Highlands Park, Ben Lomond, CA. Celtic Music, games, clans & societies, celtic marketplace, reenactment, food & drink. Info: (831) 457-6716, llcs95•AT•lochlomondceltic.org, www.lochlomondceltic.org/games.htm back to top

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass - October 2-3
Speedway Meadows, Golden Gate Park, SF, CA. FREE! Hazel Dickens, Gillian Welch, Del McCoury Band, Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum w/the Guest House Band, Ralph Stanley, The Waybacks w/Darol Anger, Hot Rize, The Peasall Sisters, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder & many more. Info: www.strictlybluegrass.com back to top

WoMaMu Fall Retreat - October 8-10
Walker Creek Ranch, near Point Reyes, CA. Women Making Music. Vocal & intrumental workshops, drumming, jamming, singing, dancing, & a great time for all. Register by Sept. 10 to be sure of a place. Info: Sue Dolf, SueDolf•AT•cs.com or Lynne Pethtel (541) 245 9540. back to top

7th Annual Train Song Festival - October 9
Old Poway Park, Poway, CA. 10:00 Am-4:00 pm. Music and entertainment about the songs inspired by the history and culture surrounding railroads. Train-related vendors & displays, train robberies, arts & crafts, and kids' entertainment. Rides aboard the 1907 Baldwin No. 3 Steam Engine. Info: (858) 679-4313; www.powaymidlandrr.org/songfest.htm back to top

Central Valley Blues Festival - October 9-10
Courthouse Park, Merced, CA. Son Seals w/James Solberg & his Band, Chris Cain, Chicago All Star, & more. Info: (209) 383-4959, info•AT•CentralValleyBluesFestival.org, www.centralvalleybluesfestival.org

Joshua Tree Didgeridoo Festival - October 14-17
Joshua Tree Lake Campground, Joshua Tree, CA. Beginning-advanced workshops, performances, camping. Info: (559) 642-6434, didgefest•AT•aol.com, www.jtdidgefest.com back to top

BACDS Fall Weekend - October 15-17
Monte Toyon Camp, Aptos, CA. Family-friendly, highly eclectic mix of dance, music, and singing workshops. English Country Dance, Contra Dance, Display Dance, Irish Set Dance. Info: 650/365-2913, www.bacds.org/camps/fallwk2004 back to top

Country Roads Weekend - October 15-17
Mount Madonna County Park, between Gilroy and Watsonville, CA. Camping fee $15 and program fee $5 for adults, kids free. Relaxed play-music-together-sing and-perform-around-the-campfire weekend. Info:
Anna Green (408) 379-4090, swmusic•AT•sfbay.net, www.sfbay.net/swmusic back to top

7th NCBS La Honda Bluegrass Festival - October 15-17
La Honda Gardens, Hwy 84 between Hwy 1 & Skyline Blvd, La Honda, CA. Top bands, jamming, camping, Fireman's BBQ, Restaurant & Market. Info: www.scbs.org/LaHonda/index.htm back to top

SF Sea Music Festival - October 16
10:00 Am-5:00 pm, Hyde Street Pier, San Francisco. The rich 19th century seafaring heritage is alive on Hyde Street Pier, and aboard the 1886 square-rigger Balclutha. Experience maritime history - hear the songs, try a hand at shipboard work (raise a sail to the sea chantey beat) or create traditional arts & crafts of the sea. Louis Killen, Kevin Burke, Tom Lewis, The Holdstocks, Waterbound, Allan MacCleod, Shay & Shosi Black, Riggy Rackin, Richard Adrianowicz & Peter Kasin & more. Info: (415) 556-6435, www.nps.gov/safr/seafest.html back to top

Woodland Bluegrass Festival - November 12-14
Yolo County Fairgrounds, Woodland, CA. An indoor festival featuring the best in California Bluegrass music: Acme String Ensemble, True Blue, Sidesaddle & Co., Mossy Creek, Done Gone Band Reunion & many more. Info: (916) 989-0993; sacbluegrass•AT•yahoo.com, www.cbaontheweb.org back to top

West Coast Ragtime Festival - November 19-21
Red Lion Hotel, Sacramento, CA. 6 venues for listening & dancing to every kind of ragtime & ragtime related music. Seminars on all facets of ragtime. After-hours jam sessions, dance instruction, open piano, piano lessons, Ragtime Collectors Exchange. Info: Petra Sullivan (916) 457-3324, festivalinfo•AT•westcoastragtime.com,
www.westcoastragtime.com/festivalcy.htm back to top

Reviews

Send anything you would like reviewed to the SFFMC, 885 Clayton Street, San Francisco, CA 94117. Send reviews of books, CDs, and other publications to <kathryn_lamar•AT•yahoo.com>), with a copy to Phyllis Jardine at <folkniked•AT•earthlink.net>. back to top

RECORDING REVIEWS

NIGHTINGALE: Three. Nightingale, P.O. Box 154, Brattleboro, VT 05301 (802) 257-4720.

This review was published in FolkWorks and is reprinted in shortened form by permission.

Three, the third CD of the Vermont-based trio Nightingale, is a musical feast-full of thoughtfully crafted medleys, excellently played. Becky Tracy's fiddling is strong and expressive, whether she's singing out a melody, weaving in a harmony or providing a rhythmic riff. In Jeremiah McLane's inspired accordion and piano playing, you can hear evidence of his study of styles such as Quebecois and French music, as well as his master's degree in contemporary improvisation. Keith Murphy not only plays superbly on mandolin, guitar, piano, and doing foot percussion; he also has a fine singing voice.

Nightingale is an extremely popular contradance band, and their CD is likely to get listeners moving. However, contradance tunes make up a small proportion of the recording. There's also a Swedish polska, a French mazurka, a strathspey, and two schottisches, as well as a number of different dance tunes from Brittany. Similarly, there is variety in the tunes Keith sings. There are traditional songs from Newfoundland, Quebec, and Louisiana; one song describes the hills of Vermont; the lovely Psalm of Life combines a traditional tune with words by Longfellow.

Uniting the material on Three is a quality of rhythmic strength. It's not that the tunes are rhythmically similar to one another; some are lyrical and flowing, some meditative, others lively, or driving and intense. Tunes are in meters of two, three, four, five, or six. But it's consistently evident that the band has worked out the rhythmic character for each part of the tunes, and each player is solidly within the right groove. Their harmonic approach is likewise creative and intriguing. This is stimulating stuff to listen to. -Nancy MacMillan back to top

John Roberts and Tony Barrand: Twiddlum, Twaddlum. Golden Hind Music, CD No. 107. Golden Hind Music, Box 1792, Schenectady, NY, 12301; <http://www.goldenhindmusic.com>.

This latest Roberts-Barrand musical collaboration is a double tribute: (1), in memory of Steve Adams, tragically lost at the World Trade Center on 9/11/2001, and (2) to recall the 35 years over which Roberts and Barrand have been delighting and entertaining with their very special brand of traditional British Isles music, dance, recitations, and ritual and folk drama. The 16 selections on this wonderful recording represent a cross-section of the finest material in this great duo's vast performing repertoire, recorded from two live concerts, performed in September of 2003 in Altamont, NY, and New Bedford, MA.

As a regular attendee each summer of the old and beloved Fox Hollow festivals in east central New York State, I vividly recall Roberts and Barrand doing their thing on stage; 35 years later, the magic and excellence of their performances have not dimmed one iota. They know what a truly good song is all about, and the music and the lore from Britain come to wondrous life.

Tony Barrand's talents as a fine raconteur are amply demonstrated with two very amusing recitations: Jonah and the Grampus, inspired by the Old Testament, and the music-hall-inspired Nell. From the pen of Rudyard Kipling (via the late Peter Bellamy) came their rendering of The Anchor Song and Pilgrim's Way, while from the ballad tradition came their versions of High Barbery, The Golden Vanity, Old Bangam, The Week Before Easter, and The Cockerham Devil. Other outstanding pieces include Who Killed Cock Robin, the Rawtenstall Annual Faire, and Row On, but everything seems to come up a winner. For fans of British Isles traditional music, and for fans of John Roberts and Tony Barand, this latest recording is an absolute must. —Robert Rodriguez back to top

VARIOUS: Live and Thriving at the Thirtieth National Storytelling Festival. The National Storytelling Press, 101 Courthouse Square, Jonesboro, TN, 37659; <http://www.storynet.org>.

Directed by Susan Klein, herself a notable storyteller, this 2-CD set highlights the best of over 100 hours of fine storytelling that took place at the 30th Annual National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, TN in October, 2002. In this recording, dedicated to the memory of the late master storyteller Ray Hicks and all tellers in his generation, listeners are treated to nearly 2.5 hours of some of the finest yarn-spinning ever, from tellers like Heather Forest, Elizabeth Ellis, David Holt, Johnny Moses, Bobby and Sherry Norfolk, Waddie Mitchel, and Jay O'Callahan.

The material ranges from the stories of Robert Service through the down-home humor of the Appalachians; world folktales of heroism, love, and wisdom; tales of ghostly and spectral images and manifestations; to ancient creation myths and personal tales of everyday life-each story representing the best and most diverse elements of today's storytelling revival. From Waddie Mitchel's retelling of the Cremation of Sam Magee to Heather Forest's delightful rendition of the traditional Lute Player to Bill Lep's original West Virginia tall tale, The Seventh Second, to Dan Keding's shivery Marie Yvonne, the magic of the oral narrative takes center stage and transports listeners, along with the 10,000 storytelling devotees present at the festival, to every magical place where the art of storytelling reigns supreme. — Robert Rodriguez back to top

EMMA'S REVOLUTION: One. Big W Productions; 212-431-5252; <http://www.emmasrevolution.com>.

Emma's Revolution is Pat Humphries and Sandy O, so know in advance that this CD will provide you with a spectacular listening experience, one that will leave you feeling empowered, vindicated, and above all connected to humanity and not alone in experiencing life's emotional journeys. All songs were written by Pat or Sandy or cowritten by both. Each provides vocals, guitar, and appropriate percussion, and the extremely competent supporting musicians contribute background vocals, percussion, guitar, bass, piano, and electronic wizardry (warning to "traddies": although the vocals here are front, center, and never overshadowed, this is not an acoustic recording!).

The unifying theme to the album is reflected in the title. Bound for Freedom celebrates the choices of individuals to act on their principles and beliefs, One by One reinforces the importance of individuals taking collective action (in this case, against the School of the Americas), and the absolutely gorgeous We Are One (written to honor Korean unification and the balancing of all natural forces) reminds us that we are also one with the physical and natural worlds. Songs without "one" in the title also support the theme: If I Give Your Name narrates stories and fears of relatives of the anonymous "illegals" killed in the 9/11 WTC attack, and Refugee celebrates the individual and collective women of the Refugee and Immigrant Women's Network. The closeness of environmental issues to our lives is touched on in Silent Spring and Kilimanjaro, and the ways these issues affect and can be affected by individuals are explored in Nikki & Carrie and Seed. For those looking for the personal touch, they have included This Love, which asks for validation of their union by the larger community, and the heart-wrenching but life-affirming I Will be With You, which describes how the death of her mother spurred Pat to leave an abusive relationship. The remaining songs (Peace, Salaam, Shalom and CodePink) are political but nonetheless great fun to sing. Altogether, this is an enormously satisfying album that you can play in your car until all the songs are memorized before you even begin to tire of any of it! —Kathryn LaMar back to top