We were ecstatic when we learned that Red Molly (above) had been chosen for a formal showcase.
We'd featured them in July and had already scheduled them to appear in our guerilla showcase.
When Michael Smith (right) got on stage, he turned to Jody Gill
the ASL interpreter and said, "Good luck." His second song contained
such clever, comedic rapid-fire lyrics that Jody got rousing applause
when she managed to stay with him (through many facial
contortions). For different reasons, Michael's brilliant lyrics
present a challenge to every songwriter alive.
Above: David Jacobs-Strain's blistering guitar attack
dazzled the audience. His National steel guitar may be
the most beautiful this author has ever seen.
TriCentric Showcases
Carla Ulbrich showed attentive listeners that she can
expertly tickle the strings as well as their funnybones.
Liz Carlisle showed off the songwriting skill that has
gotten her recognition as a rising talent.
Terence Martin continues to impress
audiences with his poetic songwriting.
Guerilla Showcases
Above: After Toby Walker (at left)
blew the room away in our showcase, he did the same in a
jam with the Mowrys of BeaucoupBlue (far right) in their room.
Dulcie Taylor absolutely rocked thePlowshares/Sean La Roche showcase.
According to the musicians
who played our room, the
Acoustic Live marquee was
tops at the conference.
After Pat Wictor played his formal
showcase, he filled his slot at the
Acoustic Live guerilla showcase to
a packed room.
Community
Jay Gustowarow and Gina Auriemma of
Montclair, New Jersey's Outpost in the
Burbs give a friendly wave at breakfast.
After photographer Jane Toohey posed with the photo of Red Molly from her 2006
"Naked Folk" calendar, the Mollys themselves showed up, fully clothed, for this group shot.
Think you might want to buy this calendar? We do!
At the annual post-conference revelry in Philadelphia DJ Gene
Shay's room, Spook Handy (left) led everyone in singing every
cover version of rock and folk songs that anyone could think of.
The Beatles and Dylan were the most popular, as usual, but we
could swear we heard some Monkees material in there. Given the
alcoholic content of this room, it's a good thing noone had to drive
to their room. Walking up stairs was hard enough.
That's Gene in the middle at the rear, wearing the light denim shirt.
The photos shown here are only a fraction of the hundreds we took.
Perhaps we'll put together a larger issue next time. Until that time, we're
just waiting for those magic words, once more: "Let the party begin!"
This year, it seemed that the amount of quality CDs handed out at NERFA were greater in number than ever. We chose as many as we could to describe, but only had time to give a synopsis of a fraction of them. Here are the ones we were able to get to: Joe Jencks -- What Kind of Brother& Rise as One (live concert): In a smooth, warm baritone, Joe tackles personal and social issues. Affecting and inspiring. Chuck E. Costa -- From the Rooftops: Spare, clean recording, thoughtful lyrics articulately sung with a light touch; nimble guitar fingerpicking. The cello back-up adds a nice touch. Julie Lee -- Stillhouse Road: Polished Nashville recording. Julie Lee has a first-rate voice backed by top-flight musicians. Guests include Alison Krauss and Vince Gill. The Malvinas -- I'm Not Like This & Love • Hope • Transportation: Three women, tight harmonies, clever lyrics and catchy melodies about love and other life profundities, backed by great fiddle work. These two CDs were a great catch. Really sorry I missed their tri-centric performance. Richard Ruane -- Things That Strangers Say: Intriguing lyrics and melodies sung in a vocal style that brings to mind the work of Richard Shindell. Backing provided by, among others, Louise Taylor, Jennifer Kimball, and the late, much-missed Rachel Bissex. Micah Solomon -- Naked Brunch: Well-crafted, highly accessible folk/pop/rock songs. Wry observations about the world we live in. Plus a very clever CD package. No small wonder, Micah just happens to be the President of Oasis CD Manufacturing. Corinne West -- Bound for the Living: A combination of country, folk and bluegrass. Corinne's soaring, emotional twangy alto sends this collection of original songs over the top. Dust Poets -- 4-song Demo: Formerly known as "das macht Show!" they were a knockout, live in their guerilla room. Billed as irreverent Canadian Folk-Pop, this 5-piece band's CD provides more proof that this group should make some waves. In addition to great harmonies, lead singer Karla Furguson's soprano trilling is a delightful throwback to a 1930's and 40's style. Performed in showcase, the very wry "Four Legs Good" [two legs bad], an ode to vegetarianism, is the title track of a CD made under their previous name. Joanne Lurgio -- Find a Dream… Catch it if You Can: Folk/pop/rock ballads. A modest, demure-looking CD cover hides a powerhouse voice out of Rhode Island. Strong instrumental backing throughout, the first track boasts rhythm and lead guitar from Duke Robillard. Guy Mendilow -- Guy Mendilow Live: World music in several languages, plus English. Guy plays guitar, berimbau, (gourd-resonated, braced musical bow of African origin), and does overtone singing, a form of Tuvan (Siberian) throat singing. It sounds like air passing through a tube, making a deep whistling sound. The traditional Quaker song "Simple Gifts" done in this style is a revelation. Carla Ulbrich -- Professional Smart Aleck (live performance), Her Fabulous Debut and Sick Humor: Carla is primarily known for her steady stream of humorous songs and observations, which she demonstrates at length in these CDs. However, she also displays some very strong guitar technique and, when she strays from the sung/spoken style, some very sweet vocals. The last CD shows Carla's irrepressible spirit in the face of a bout with a serious illness, each song a humorous take on what, for most, would be embarrassing aspects of falling ill. Montgomery Delaney -- Changing Shoes: Monty Delaney brings his high, soaring Irish tenor to a series of poignant vignettes about love lost and life's redemption. The musicianship and production is superb on this collection of folk/pop songs. Steve Quelet -- Flea Circus: Some down-home observations from the North Pennsylvania Mountains are delivered with tongue-in-cheek and arched eyebrow, with Steve's light rasp of a vocal . The title track, "Flea Circus," "Countin' My Money" and "Mars Still Needs Women" are standouts. Joe Crookston -- Fall down as the Rain: This newcomer to the Northeast area has shown up with a fabulous bag of goodies. His edgy vocals and nimble fingerpicking support brilliantly written original compositions. The material swings between contemporary and trad-sounding and it's all good. Liz Carlisle -- Five Star Day: Agile folk/pop/rock. Liz sings in a clear, sharp alto and her songs are catchy portraits of modern life. Great back-up -- it cooks; lots of crunchy guitar chops, crisp drumming, evocative slide guitar and atmospheric organ passages. Jeff Warner -- Jolly Tinker: Jeff learned many songs collected by his parents, Anne and Frank Warner. The pleasant, slightly nasal twang sounds perfect on each track. The instrumentation is lovely; there's banjo, mandolin, piano, violin, accordion, concertina, 12-string guitar, spoons, and a bunch of harmonizing vocals. This author is not steeped in trad material, but this is a CD that will find its way into the player many times down the road. Dulcie Taylor -- Diamond and Glass: Exquisitely crafted country folk/rock. Songs of love and loss. Some phrases are familiar, but are delivered with a gentle, knowing Southern twang, understated just enough to get the point across. The production helps to make this CD a jewel. Beaucoup Blue -- Hearts At Home: Beaucoup Blue is the Philadelphia based duo of father and son David and Adrian Mowry. The slide licks are delicious and the song treatments go down like a good cognac. Their version of "Rainy Night in Georgia" breaks new ground. Kristi Martel -- Brave Enough: Martel is a singer/songwriter pianist whose catchy pop melodies and exhuberance should draw in most listeners. There's a strong Ani DiFranco influence in her strident feminist content, but I also hear traces of Tori Amos and Sarah MacLachlan in her singing style. The sensitivity of her lyrics and bravado of her performance elevates her above the mediocrity of many of her sister keyboardists. Rachel Reis -- For You Only: Rachel sings with a clean, spare style and her songs express basic human need and a reaching-out that is very affecting. Her songs are built with acute observations and she'll break the pronunciation of certain words in unexpected places that accentuate their meaning. A distinctive talent. Ryan Fitzsimmons -- Open All Night: Muscular acoustic folk/pop/rock. Ryan's youthful voice contains a sense of mature assuredness. He works his way through alternately infectious rhythmic, driving songs with ones that are more pensive. His lyrics reflect astute interpersonal observations. The guitar work is aggressive and percussive. A great listen. Bonnie Lee Panda -- Within: Stories of compassion and the desire to connect are the bedrock of this CD. Bonnie Lee shows that she has the tools to get the story told and the emotions delivered. The passion behind this classically trained voice can handle blues, ballads, torch songs… you name it. This is someone to watch.