BROOKLYN FOLK FESTIVAL CARRIES ON SPIRIT OF EARLY NEWPORT FESTS WITH WORKSHOPS BY MASTERS, BANJO TOSS

SEVENTH ANNUAL FESTIVAL MOVES TO LARGEST VENUE TO DATE AT ST. ANN'S CHURCH APRIL 17-19

The seventh annual Brooklyn Folk Festival—held this year at St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church, its largest venue to date—is set to educate as well as entertain when it returns April 17-19. In the spirit of the original Newport Folk Festivals, the BFF celebrates the legacy and music of a variety of cultures and communities through performances, instruction, panels, film screenings, contests, and more. Central to the festival's mission of perpetuating vernacular music from around the world is an impressive slate of interactive workshops, which honor the folk tradition of passing on songs, stories, and techniques from generation to generation. Check out more information on the festival, which has sold out every year, in the New York Times.

Saturday's workshops include an old time jam session; a discussion and performance of the Irish revolutionary songs of rebel leader James Connolly by Matt Callahan and Yvonne Moore; a presentation about the history of folk music in New York by the Museum of the City Of New York's Stephen Petrus; and vocal harmony instruction for all levels of singers from Don Friedman and Phyllis Elkind, who regularly teach at Brooklyn's own Jalopy Theater and School of Music.

Sunday afternoon's activities kick off with the famous Banjo Toss, which honors players' love/hate relationship with the 5-stringed instrument as they vie to hurl it furthest into the Gowanus Canal. It's followed by a fiddle workshop with the renowned fiddler Bruce Molsky, who, in addition to becoming one of the country's most celebrated Appalachian players and instructors, has collaborated with everyone from the GRAMMY-nominated Fiddlers 4 to the Irish/Hungarian/Dutch supergroup Mozaik to Norwegian hardingfele player Annbjorg Lien. Art Rosenbaum, who won a GRAMMY for his Smithsonian-Folkways box set 'The Art of Field Recording: Fifty Years of Traditional American Music Documented by Art Rosenbaum' and has authored several books on the African-American folk tradition in Georgia, will lead an old time banjo workshop later in the day.

"The workshops not only allow people to learn or improve on an instrument or as singers, but also give important background to the music that makes it come alive as a force for understanding cultural history and social change," says founder and co-host Eli Smith. "Music is an important form of storytelling, and with our workshops, films and lectures, we hope to offer people a way to understand the backstory and social function of the music."

In addition to the workshops and panels, this year's performance lineup features 30 bands, including Daptone gospel group Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens, country blues multi-instrumentalist Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton, folk legend and songwriter Michael Hurley, old-time fiddle and banjo player Bruce Molsky, fiddle player Frank Fairfield, and intergenerational anti-folk collaborators Peter Stampfel & Jeffrey Lewis.

NLE Media at SXSW

WEDNESDAY

Joe Fletcher • Wed 3/18 • 2pm • Zen Fit
2200 E. 7th St • Sx7th St Day Party

“Must-see… [His] songs… wind and roll with steep changes, always ending with a birds-eye view that suddenly organizes it all into one delicate vision. The Rhode Islander-turned-Nashvillian's words flow more like folk poetry than verse-chorus status quo, picking on a honky-tonk spirit with a Tom Waits heart.” –Rolling Stone

The Stone Foxes • Wed 3/18 • 4pm • The Blackheart
86 Rainey St • Noise Trade/Green Notes Showcase

The Stone Foxes are seeing their profile rise to a new level as it announced its SXSW lineup and a headlining tour. The hard-driving, harmonica-blast inflected San Francisco rock & roll outfit, which has opened for the Black Keys, has seen almost 100,000 Spotify spins in February alone for new song “Cold Like a Killer,” its Foxes First Friday entry for the month. The Stone Foxes are premiering a new song the first Friday of each month leading up to its full-length album ’12 Spells,’ out August 7.

The Stone Foxes • Wed 3/18 • 6:20pm • Shiner's Saloon
422 N Congress Ave • Conscious Immaturity's Showcase

Kevin Gordon • Wed 3/18 • 10:15pm • Opa!
2050 South Lamar Boulevard • Radiothon

New record coming mid-2015! In the NY Times, Lucinda Williams said, "He’s writing songs that are like short stories, and I really like the kind of swampy, bluesy sound."

"Four stars… The sheer brilliance of the lyrics to Colfax/Step in Time alone justifies a top rating for the first album in seven years from this Southern-raised poet/rocker. Gordon sketches a not-so-simple portrait of a junior-high marching band on a bus trip, and every single image feels, tastes, smells and sounds absolutely true." –USA Today

THURSDAY

Kevin Gordon • Thurs 3/19 • 11am • Maria's Taco Xpress
2529 S Lamar Blvd • Grand Ole Austin

Kevin Gordon • Thurs 3/19 • 12:30pm • Broken Spoke
3201 S Lamar Blvd • Twangfest

Joe Fletcher • Thurs 3/19 • 2:25pm • Maria’s Taco Xpress
2529 S Lamar Blvd • Grand Ole Austin

The Stone Foxes • Thurs 3/19 • 4:50pm • The 512 (Rooftop)
408 E 6th St • SpokesBuzz Colorado Music Party

Kevin Gordon • Thurs 3/19 • 6pm • G&S Lounge
2420 S 1st St • Not SXSW

The Stone Foxes • Thurs 3/19 • 9pm • Maggie Mae's (Rooftop)
323 E 6th St • Monterey International Official SXSW Showcase

FRIDAY

The Stone Foxes • Fri 3/20 • 3pm • The Jackalope
404 E 6th • DeliRadio And Audiotree Showcase

The Stone Foxes • Fri 3/20 • 6pm • Little Woodrows
520 W 6th • LiveVibe Showcase

Joe Fletcher • Fri 3/20 • 8pm • Sam’s Town Point
2115 Allred Dr

SATURDAY

Various Artists • Sat 3/21 • 11am to 1am • Licha's Cantina
1306 E. 6th St. • Brooklyn Country Cantina

Kevin Gordon • Sat 3/21 • 1pm • Strange Brew
5326 Manchaca

Joe Fletcher • Sat 3/21 • 2pm • J Lorraine Ghost Town
14219 Littig Rd • BanditTown Texas Bound

The Stone Foxes • Sat 3/21 • 3pm • The Ginger Man
301 Lavaca Street • Dogfish/Blurt Magazine Party

Kevin Gordon • Sat 3/21 • 5pm • El Mercado
1302 S 1st St • Sun Radio

Leland Sundries • Sat 3/21 • 8:15pm • Licha's Cantina
1306 E. 6th St. • Brooklyn Country Cantina

“Oddball storytelling with a lo-fi country sensibility” – Time Out New York

Joe Fletcher at 2015 SXSW

Dom Flemons 'What Got Over' trailer

EILEN JEWELL Sundown Over Ghost Town

Honesty, confidence, and respect permeate Eilen Jewell’s music, dating back to her self-released Boundary County album in 2006. Since then, the Boise native has recorded five studio albums for Signature Sounds with her road-tested touring band, and two more as a member of the Boston-based gospel-charged Sacred Shakers (also on Signature Sounds), which includes that well-oiled band at its core. Her latest, Sundown Over Ghost Town, is a masterful culmination of Jewell’s work to date, and rolls out May 26.

As hard as it is to categorize Jewell’s music—terms like alt-country, roots-rock, country-noir, and Americana get used a lot—it’s even harder not to become thoroughly enraptured by the singer/songwriter’s powerful versatility, musical stories, and images. And that gorgeous voice makes you feel like she’s singing just for you, out on the breezy back porch or by a crackling campfire. She does so much, so well.

A few examples: Butcher Holler, Jewell’s acclaimed 2010 tribute to Loretta Lynn, underscores her love for tough traditional country music, coal miner’s daughter style, while her electrifying cover of “Shakin’ All Over,” originally a 1960 chart-topping British hit for Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, was one of the surprise highlights of 2009’s Sea of Tears. Propelled by Jerry Miller’s shimmering guitar dazzle, the song remains a live showstopper where hints of ’60s surf instrumentals and “Paint It, Black” are deftly thrown in for good measure. On 2011’s Queen of the Minor Key, featuring guest appearances from the likes of Big Sandy and Zoe Muth, Jewell penned all the songs. One of its radio favorites is “Warning Signs,” with references to a black widow, a rattlesnake, and a beady-eyed raven. Jewell calls the song “creepy.” The Boston Globe called Minor Key, “emotionally raw and riveting,” and an NPR commentator declared, “She’s got a sweet and clear voice with a killer instinct lurking beneath the shiny surface.”

Four years after the release of Minor Key, Jewell and her tighter-than-ever band—which besides guitarist Miller is filled out by the longstanding ace rhythm section of drummer Jason Beek (Jewell’s husband, who sports the glow of a young Levon Helm) and upright bassist Johnny Sciascia—make their eagerly awaited return with Sundown Over Ghost Town. Rich with cinematic visions, elegant sweet and smoky vocals, and hauntingly autobiographical songs, Sundown is bursting with stellar performances and is likely her most personal, fully realized album yet. And that’s saying a lot! The record, with all its songs penned by Jewell, is a poignant, ever-so-flavorful reflection of her return to Boise after nearly a decade in the Northeast. 

The singer explains, “My core band and I recorded together in a live style. We were our own producers, and we brought in a few guests to lend some extra layers.  The main difference is that everything was done in Idaho, and our guests were all local to this area. We tried not to let the long break influence anything. I wanted this album to stand on its own.”

And stand on its own, it does. Magnificently.

Sundown Over Ghost Town kicks off with “Worried Mind,” a bittersweet song of searching and redemption. Propelled by guest artist Jake Hoffman’s wistful pedal steel and the opening lyrics, Been all around this world, just to come back to you. Oh my love, my sweet love. It’s a long and lonesome highway, it’s a bitter shade of blue. Oh my love, my sweet love, Jewell begins her magic act of transporting listeners to some mystical far-away places.

“Hallelujah Band” is next and tells a couple of true stories. “The first is about an experience I had as a teenager with my best friend,” relates the artist. “Her boyfriend somehow knew of an unmarked, underground cave in the middle of the desert. We climbed down there with flashlights in our teeth and hiked around for hours. There was water down below and freight trains up above. It was a religious experience for me that has stuck with me to do this day. Something poignant like that happens and you realize what a big life it is, what a glorious world. I may not be worthy but I’m going to join in anyway. And the second story in that song is about how, when I was a little girl I had a secret land that I would go visit. It was just a little indentation in the ground, and I’d sit on the pine needles with my doll. But it carried a lot of importance for me and still does. I would never be able to find that spot now. It’s crucial that I remember to look for it though, at least symbolically. The goal is to stay available, to be ready to be that instrument for God, or Goddess, or whatever you want to call it, should you be chosen to join the band.” Like so many of Jewell’s songs, she packs much heart and soul into a catchy, three-minute song.

Another Sundown highlight is the rollicking “Rio Grande,” which, with its trumpet intro and breaks by guest Jack Gardner, interwoven with Miller’s guitar, sounds a little like a great lost Mavericks song. “I wrote this in a little shack in the mountains on the family land, in the dead of winter,” Jewell recalls. “I started writing what became the last verse first: The pines have lost their green, now they stare without a sound; the wind’s too cold to sing, snow is heavy on the ground. I was writing about what I saw around me, but it soon morphed into a song about the Southwest and how, every time I go there, something falls apart for me. I realized that despite my love for that place, it always seems to spit me out, which is why I left after my college years.”

Melancholy and longing and more delicious pedal steel immediately immerse you into “Half-Broke Horse,” another of Jewell’s catchy but deeply textured compositions. “This song is based on Pyro, my dad’s mustang,” she explains. “He was born wild somewhere in southern Idaho, caught in a mustang round-up, and sold. He’s not really wild anymore, but he’s not really tame either. Other horses think he’s strange and most people have no use for him because he can’t be ridden and won’t be put to work. So he’s stuck in his own weird in-between world. I’ve known a lot of people around here who are very similar to Pyro in that respect. I think, to some extent, I’m one of them.”

And then there’s the lilting “My Hometown,” both nostalgic and full of compassion. If sweetness had a sound, it would sound like my hometown… But as with most Jewell songs, there’s more beneath the surface. “When I heard about the horrific shooting in Newtown, CT a few years ago, I went into mourning about it,” Jewell quietly reflects. “I couldn’t stop thinking about all of those innocent children and the great loss their families were suffering, all on account of one young man’s senseless act of violence. At the same time I was realizing how happy I was to be home, how much kindness surrounded me here. I wanted to send a peaceful message out to the world, and I wished I could bottle up the happiness and comfort I was experiencing here to send it to Newtown, or to anyone who was hurting or grieving.”

Like many of Sundown’s songs, “Needle & Thread” has a strong autobiographical bent. And more sumptuous pedal steel. “This song describes the town where my dad lives, where our family land is located,” explains the songwriter. “On one of the maps I have, it’s listed as a ghost town, but there are more than 400 residents of Idaho City. The town has changed very little since I was a kid. The family land has changed even less. But I see it all with new eyes after having lived in Boston for nine years.”

Moving back to Boise certainly invigorated Jewell’s songwriting and informs much of Sundown Over Ghost Town’s spirit and majesty. But there’s another huge, yet tiny, force playing a pivotal role in making the album so astonishingly good. Her name is Mavis (yes, as in Mavis Staples), and she was born to Eilen and Jason about halfway through the recording of Sundown. The album’s closer, “Songbird,” is one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs ever written about the miraculous joy and impact of a new family member. And as always, Jewell holds nothing back in her writing and storytelling. Listen closely and you’ll hear little Mavis’s voice, cooing sweetly in the background.

“‘Songbird’ is my ode to Mavis, whose name means ‘songbird.’ I think it’s the most honest song I’ve ever written,” Jewell confides. “Every word is true, no pretense, no fictitious characters to tell a story. There is no story, only emotion. I wanted to convey how much I love her and how vulnerable that makes me. My whole world rests on those tiny wings, but you don’t seem to mind the weight.”

In concert, don’t be surprised to see Jewell perform this alone, with just her guitar and harmonica, as an encore. And don’t be surprised if there aren’t many dry eyes in the house. 

Reflecting on the making of Sundown Over Ghost Town and the album’s spirited sound, Jewell concludes, “When I moved back to Boise in 2012, I was confronted by a lot of memories, mostly from childhood. Certain places conjured some ghosts for me: a pasture near my house, a stretch of desert outside of town, the street where I grew up, the family land in the mountains not far from here... Each small place within the bigger setting of southern Idaho contains its own hugely important memory for me. I feel like the album is an attempt to describe this place, as well as what it has meant to me all my life, the place it holds in my heart. A lot of my favorite spots from childhood are largely unchanged, but then I’ve changed so much that my relationship to them is completely different nowadays. And then, of course, the city is much bigger than the one I left behind, and that has presented pros and cons. I hate seeing that pastureland disappear into subdivisions, yet I enjoy how alive the downtown area has become. 

“I grapple with this loss of innocence—the land’s as well as my own—in several songs. I used the phrase ‘ghost town’ in the title, not simply because it’s so uniquely western but also as a way of capturing how haunted a lot of these places are for me, full of memories.  I think it evokes a sense of loss, but an inherently beautiful one.”

And those memories, those keen observations, and plenty of musical magic are shining on Sundown Over Ghost Town.

GRAMMY NOMINEE DAVID BROMBERG & 3X GRAMMY-WINNER LARRY CAMPBELL SET FOR ONE-NIGHT COLLABORATION LIVE ONSTAGE TOGETHER APRIL 12 AT ROULETTE THEATER IN BROOKLYN

GRAMMY nominee David Bromberg and three-time GRAMMY winner Larry Campbell will collaborate together in concert at Roulette Theater in Brooklyn April 12.

Photo of Larry and David performing together (credit: Mike Thut) here.

Bromberg’s sensitive and versatile approach to guitar-playing earned him jobs playing the Village “basket houses” for tips, the occasional paying gig, and employment as a backing musician for Tom Paxton, Jerry Jeff Walker and Rosalie Sorrels, among others. He became a first-call, “hired gun” guitarist for recording sessions, ultimately playing on hundreds of records by artists including Bob Dylan (New Morning, Self Portrait, Dylan), Link Wray, The Eagles, Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, and Carly Simon.

An unexpected and wildly successful solo spot for 600,000 concert goers at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival in Great Britain led to a solo deal with Columbia Records, for whom David recorded four albums. His eponymous 1971 debut included “The Holdup,” a songwriting collaboration with former Beatle George Harrison, who also played slide guitar on the track. David also met the Grateful Dead and wound up with four of their members playing on his next two albums.

Enlisting old friend Campbell and engineer Justin Guip, David and his group entered Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY, in March 2013. Enlisting some of Helm's former recording and touring musicians for added instrumentation, the David Bromberg Band emerged twelve days later with 'Only Slightly Mad,' a return to his genre-bending albums of the Seventies and Eighties. Bromberg fans will find blues, bluegrass, gospel, folk, Irish fiddle tunes, pop and English drinking songs happily coexisting as they can only on a Bromberg album. For newcomers, Only Slightly Mad will be an introduction to an astonishing performer whose range and musical depth have delighted devoted audiences for over forty years and will for many years hence.

Campbell is a multi-instrumentalist who has been a studio musician, recording music with other artists on their albums, and a respected sideman, performing as a backup musician in clubs and concert venues, since the seventies. He moves freely between rock, blues, country, folk and Celtic, playing guitar, fiddle, mandolin, pedal steel, cittern, dobro and banjo. In 2005, he released his first solo acoustic guitar album called Rooftops. In 2008, Larry was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for his instrumental work from the Americana Music Association. In 2013, The Americana Music Association named Larry Instrumentalist of the Year.

Larry has had extensive experience as a studio musician. Over the past 2 decades, Larry has recorded with Bob Dylan, Levon Helm, Judy Collins, Sheryl Crow, B. B. King, Willie Nelson and The Black Crowes just to name a few.

As a sideman, Larry is probably best known for his time spent in Bob Dylan's band. Larry was a member of Bob Dylan's "Never Ending Tour" band from March 31, 1997 until November 21, 2004. When Larry was not performing with Bob Dylan, he often made guest appearances with other artists including Buddy and Julie Miller, Levon Helm and Little Feat. Prior to 1997, Larry toured with other artists, including Cyndi Lauper, K. D. Lang,and Rosanne Cash.

Since Larry's departure from Bob Dylan's band, he has continued to make guest appearances with various artists including Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Phil Lesh, Rosanne Cash, Litte Feat, Hot Tuna and Levon Helm. Beginning in 2005, Larry performed regularly with Levon Helm for seven years.

WHO: David Bromberg and Larry Campbell
WHAT: Collaborative, joint set
WHEN: Sunday April 12, 2015
WHERE: Roulette Theater, 509 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217
TICKETS: $45 – $50 DOS, http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1141181

Red Sox Pitcher Breslow to Host Sip Happens Event for Childhood Cancer Research

LAST YEAR'S EVENT RAISED $320,000 AND FEATURED DUSTIN PEDROIA, JON LESTER, DAVID ORTIZ, SHANE VICTORINO, KOJI UEHARA, & OTHERS

The Strike 3 Foundation will host its third annual Sip Happens food tasting and wine pairing on April 30 at WGBH (1 Guest Street, Boston, MA). Proceeds will benefit the Strike 3 Foundation, which was founded and is run by Red Sox reliever Craig Breslow to heighten awareness, mobilize support, and raise funding for pediatric cancer research and treatment. To date, the organization has raised almost $3 million while administrative expenses have been kept under 3%. Last year 's event featured appearances by 23 active members of the Boston Red Sox, including the team's biggest stars, and raised $320,000.

Sip Happens will begin with a VIP and sponsor reception at 6:15PM, with general admission doors opening at 7:00PM.

Strike 3 Foundation has supported programs at Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital and Research Institute Oakland, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and most recently, supported 3 oncology fellows at The Dana Farber Cancer Institute, awarding them the necessary funding to execute their research.

Food and beverage sponsors who offered samples at last year's event included Mike's Pastry, Citizens Public House, Shake Shack, New England Charcuterie, The Fireplace, Georgetown Cupcakes, Eastern Standard, Pain D'avignon, Hungry Mother, The Taco Truck, Russell House Tavern, Brasserie Jo, The Blue Room, Beam Global, Foley Family Wines, JC Import Co., Napa Valley Vintner Joseph Carr & Winery, Murphy Distributors, Hopsters Brew & Board, Motto Sparkling Matcha Tea, Nestle Water, Sam Adams Brewery, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Davies Family, Horizon Beverage, and M.S.Walker. An MLB.com video recap of Sip Happens 2014 can be seen here.

Photos and bio on Craig Breslow are here.

Executive Director and event co-host Craig Breslow offered his excitement about the event, "I could not be more excited about our third Sip Happens event. It is incredible to think that we have already hosted this event twice, and even more incredible to consider the growth we have enjoyed year to year. We anticipate another great event with tremendous support from my Red Sox teammates, local businesses, and Boston community members. "

Director of Business Operations and Development, and co-host Kelly Breslow added "We continue to be overwhelmed by the support of Boston businesses and individuals. The generosity of this community has allowed us to expand the grants we administer and programs we support. Strike 3 will likely surpass the $2M milestone in grants disbursed, and events like Sip Happens are integral to our success."

For individual ticket purchases, please go here.

About Strike 3 Foundation

The Strike 3 Foundation is a charitable agency recognized by the IRS under 501 (c)(3) that heightens awareness, mobilizes support, and raises funding for pediatric cancer research. Founded in 2008 by current Major League Pitcher and Yale graduate Craig Breslow, Strike 3 has donated over $500,000 to Yale University Children's Hospital as a founding sponsor of Connecticut's only Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation Program. Additionally, the organization has supported deserving research and treatment centers across the country including the Children's Hospital and Research Center Oakland, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, and the Conquer Cancer Foundation. Strike 3 also funds a Boston based research project annually. Offices are located in Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, and California, and is headquartered in Connecticut.