by Richard Cuccaro

If there is a thread running through 
the Northeast Folk alliance Conference, it's one of community. 
As we drove up to Kutsher's, we looked forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. 
It was sunny, but with a forecast of rain toward evening. 
The rain did materialize for New York City. However, 
the altitude in the Catskills produced a different result. 
The conference folk community was able to enjoy the first snowfall of the winter together.

We're getting ahead of ourselves, though.
Getting our table set up in the exhibit hall and the room set up 
for the guerrilla showcases, required having the right materials in the right place. 
As usual, for the first hour or so, decorations for the room were down in the exhibit hall 
and display items for the hall were back in the room. 
One of these years, we'll get it organized ahead of time.

Stairwell serenade

Hospitality abounds in many guerrilla showcase rooms. Weight Watchers beware!

John Flynn & Gene Shay, just prior to John's performance at the dining hall. 
As master of ceremonies, Gene wears many hats.

We barely had time to grab a bite at the welcome cocktail party before the exhibit hall opened. 
We began the process of gathering (mostly) new CDs from artists both familiar and new to us. 
The Canadians, as usual were a revelation. We saw a whole bunch that we didn't know about 
and got some really good CDs for the annual 2007 "CD Finds" column. 
Again, we had no idea what floor our room was on. The 800 and 900 numbers 
were dispersed between the 2nd and 3rd floors. 

 
Phil Minissale (left) and Anthony daCosta represent the new generation of folk performers. 
We were proud to feature both in our showcase room.


Lara Herscovitch, November's feature in Acoustic Live plays our showcase


Steve Chizmadia rocked our showcase room. 
We figure that if Elvis were reincarnated, he'd look something like this. 
Just make sure you lay off those peanut butter & banana sandwiches, Steve.

Since this appears to be NERFA's last year at Kutsher's (they're rebuilding -- smaller), 
it probably won't be an issue again. That said, we thought that with all that retro modern 
weird funkiness that comes with staying at a 50's hotel --  the stale smell of the carpets, 
the mold some people complained about --we think that it will be difficult to match the 
spatial accommodations that Kutsher's gave the folk community. No matter where we 
meet next year, we think that Kutsher's will be missed.

There may still be issues regarding the late-night jamming. As a now-official geezer, 
I went to bed right after our guerrilla showcases and used earplugs that prevented me 
from hearing anything. I recommend the type of ridged earplug that swimmers use over 
the foam type. 

We will always love seeing various performers who set up and play in the hallways and lounges. 

This manages to transform the conference into a paradise of wall-to-wall music.
Our apologies to those we did not get around to seeing. 
Hopefully, we'll catch you down the road!




Ken Whiteley - One World Dance
The title of this album might've been "Ken Whiteley's  Got the Blues". As we found out at the formal showcases, 
Ken is one prodigious blues picker. However, Ken wants to show his wide-ranging sense of style, 
thus the title track, with steel drums and Latin percussion. Many of the tracks feature a full combo with piano, 
sax and trumpet. Within the wide range of styles on this CD, there is also stripped down displays of virtuosity, 
with Ken playing dobro and National steel guitar. He'll even strap on the Telecaster when he feels like it. 
We especially like the solo with National steel on "Death Letter Blues" and "Still Can't Believe You're Gone," 
a lament for a person or persons who've passed on. This is a great find by an artist I was unaware of before the conference.

Kelly Flint - Drive All Night
Kelly Flint is known primarily as the sultry-voiced vocalist for Dave's True Story. She has her own things 
to say and proves that she can write as well as sing. Listening to her debut CD while driving up the 
Saw Mill Parkway on Thanksgiving Day was a perfect fit.  The still-falling late-Autumn leaves, whipping 
past in the wake of the cars around me, formed a perfect metaphor, like a vehicle breaking the speed limit, 
like life coming at you too fast. About one mile south of the connection for the Taconic Parkway, swaths of 
broken trees, scars from a rare tornado can be seen. Kelly Flint has seen storms and these songs are the scars, 
healing but still visible. "Saved by friends, saved by babies," she sings. As a mother, she knows something 
about counterbalancing volcanic emotions. On the title track, the words flow swift and brave: 
"Darkness folds around the car / like a moth / We are driving / just to be driving… you hurt so deep  I know / 
and I will stay real close / And we will drive all night / We will keep the road in sight / We will keep the road in sight / 
We will survive this night / this hard night." At times her voice reminds one of Aimee Mann. Husband Jeff Eyrich, 
bassist for Dave's True Story put on his producer's hat and turned out one fine album.

Kristin Sweetland - Own Sweet Time
Everything about this CD is a work of art, from its design - layout, typography and photographs -to the songs inside. 
Each track comes with a dated journal entry related to the song's inception. The album begins with "Burial at Sea." 
a sweeping elegiac ballad that will have the listener in its clutches instantly. There are moments when I thought 
that producer Ken Whiteley had put his stamp on an instrumental track, as with "Vanquished," but it's Kristen herself 
playing a nifty finger-style guitar. The music and stories here are riveting. Very enjoyable.

The Grandsons - Live at the Barns
We've enjoyed seeing the Grandsons playing in the hallways of Kutsher's for a few years now, but haven't given them any ink. 
Let's make up for that oversight right now. They open this CD with  a roots/rock blues number "Zing Zing." Saxes honk 
and the piano rolls. The party is on, and it doesn't let up until the last note is played. The audience response after each number 
is loud, enthusiastic and appreciative. It may not be what they'd aspire to, but I find myself wishing I could get married all over 
again, just so I could have them as the wedding band. They're a great dance band and they'd be a huge step up from the DJs 
one gets everywhere these days. This CD is a bouncing toe-tapper all the way through.

Phil Minissale - EP
Phil is known as the "Blues Boy" (he's 20 years old) of Long Island (NY) and with good reason. He shows a deep understanding 
of finger-style patterns and rhythm, and has all the tools to put that understanding on display. Rather than play traditional 
songs, he writes his own. This is where we come to understand how deep is his sense of the blues. Everything rings as true 
as anything that was written in Piedmont or the Mississippi Delta. His tribute to Dave Van Ronk, "Village Dave," gets it right 
on the mark. It's going to be a treat to watch his career unfold.

Loretta Hagen - Something More
The title of this CD might refer to the singer's voice. There is indeed something more in Loretta Hagen's vocals. 
Although she's from New Jersey, the material has a country feel, having been recorded while Loretta lived in Nashville. 
With her big alto, she covers many of the standard subjects &emdash; love found, love lost, love missed, love almost found and a 
whole lot of personal redemption. All of it is gripping and real and it's mainly due to Loretta's big voice.

Lenore - Another Life
Then first thing to make an impact is Lenore's husky, rich alto. After that it's a flirtatious sense of humor. 
A keen observer of the human condition, she shares her views on war, poverty and romance.

Chris O'Brien - Lighthouse
I was given a tip to catch a set by Chris, but was unable to follow up. My mistake. The opening track, "Rosa," has been 
getting serious airplay. Chris's vocal style is somewhere between Paul Simon and Ellis Paul. Definitely one for the ipod.

Tannis Slimmon - Lucky Blue / Oak Lake
Listening to Tannis Slimmon for the first time is like discovering Lynn Miles all over again. There's that ache in the vocal chords, 
that connected human quality. Sometimes a syncopation in the guitar strum that seems so quintessentially Canadian. 
One bonus is a slower version of "My Body Moves," the last track on Oak Lake, remade slower on Lucky Blue as a duet 
with the brilliant David Francey . These are already on the ipod.

Emily Elbert - Bright Side
The promo photographs show someone who looks to be about 12-14 years old. However, this is a college freshman with a 
very gentle but mature voice, as clear as a mountain stream. With a very spare production and some pensive songwriting, 
she has fashioned an extremely listenable album. 

Emilia Dahlin - Songstress
The promo notes read "rootsy folk and dynamic jazz vocals" and that's good enough for us. The words are witty and come trippingly 
fast, in a jazzy style. We may have met her in the exhibit hall at the conference, but we're not sure. She is apparently quite small. 
Another promo quote states: "If you were hoping that Billie Holiday would come back to life in the body of an olympic gymnast, 
this is your gal!" Her lyrics are articulate enough and flip smartly. That's all the gymnastics we need.

Mike Agranoff - Ain't Never Been Plugged
The title refers to Mike's disdain for acoustic guitar pickups and all the accompanying paraphernalia. He both writes and collects 
folk songs and his love extends to humorous variations. Thus, in addition to more serious and well-played songs, we get 
selections like "The Wine Song" by Grant Baynam. Here, snobbery gets its comeuppance. Brushing aside pretentious terms 
like "precocious" and "young," the singer gets to declare his love for the grape simply because "it gets you drunk."  
Recitation is also one of his strengths. A favorite track on the album is his reworking of "The Battle of Hastings" as 
"The Battle of Trenton." Here, Washington and his men cross the Delaware simply to get beer from the Germans and 
wind up kicking the bratwurst (my words) out of them when they refuse to share. With both concertina and guitar, 
Mike shows his considerable chops. Silly or serious, Mike Agranoff is a first-rate standard-bearer of the folk tradition.

Jack's Waterfall - The Right Way to Be Wrong
The artist is Jack Licitra. He sounds a great deal like  Van Morisson circa the Astral Weeks / Moondance period. 
The Van Morrison connection seems especially apparent on "You Were Here," when he sings "All this time, you were here, 
I could feel your power…" and the title track.. "The Right Way to Be Wrong," pulsates with a gospel fervor that Van the Man 
uses so well. Jack Licitra gets it right… the right way.

Terry Kitchen - Heaven Right Here on Earth
Call him a cockeyed optimist, Terry is the epitome of the folk balladeer. He has a huge reservoir of faith in the human race. 
The title track calls for faith that spring will surely follow winter. Although it hasn't failed yet, I keep noticing the warped 
weather patterns. Not all is sunny, however. In "Village of the Sun," disabled Iraq vets come to a Mexican village in wheelchairs. 
They drink and whore, to relax, to forget. In the end they return home, nervous and twitchy to face their damaged lives. 
Terry sees a lot and gently reminds us where to look for both the bad and the good.

Chuck E. Costa - Where the Songs Come From
With his keening, feathery voice and articulate wordplay, Chuck has gotten raves from practically every other singer/songwriter 
I've mentioned him to. I invariably hear "I love Chuck E. Costa!" We expect this CD to garner the same raves from DJs around 
the country. It's brilliantly produced and has all the hallmarks of a great recording: excellent writing, great singing and terrific backup. 
It's hard to pick any favorites here. The title track describes the elements in his life that cause him to write: "a case of paperbacks, 
a suitcase of photographs, get me from there to here. They're the train, I'm the engineer." Chuck's vocals swoop and glide 
above lilting instruments. This one definitely goes to the ipod.

David Glaser - Cars & Lovers
A pre-release home-burned disk. When it reaches final production, this promises to be jewel of a country/folk/rock album. 
A stirring blend of vocals, violins, drums and strummed guitars. Think Neil Young, The Byrds, Crosby Stills, Nash. Our favorite 
is "House in Baltimore." Parts were produced in Maryland and parts in Austin. Another great find.

Joe Jencks - The Candle and The Flame
This CD is meant to inspire. Unless you're an incorrigible curmudgeon, it certainly will. In the cover booklet, the lyrics to each song 
are preceded by a paragraph that tells us how each song came to be written. On every track, Joe's big baritone with that soft tone 
wraps the listener in a gentle bear hug. "Come With Me" is his reaction to having his life saved from drowning by a woman who 
helped him regain his strength to make it through on his own. The final refrain, "With a good friend near me I will carry on," 
expresses the humanity throughout this fine album. And isn't that what we all need?

Bob Sima - Pour It On
Bob Sima has one of those voices that comes for you and grabs you by the scruff of the neck and says, "Listen to me!" 
It doesn't matter whether he's belting it out or singing softly. It reminds this listener a little bit of John Mellencamp Cougar, 
without all the rock posturing. Some songs, like "Follow the Love," have a bit of gospel feel to them that really give Bob's 
edgy baritone a chance to go to work. Others, like "Pretty," offer a quieter reaching-out that weave filaments of longing. 
Whichever way he chooses to go, Bob Sima brings a sense of power to each composition.

Kim Beggs - Streetcar Heart
After getting acquainted with Kim on her previous CD, Wanderer's Paean, last year, we're happy to see a followup. 
There are a lot of stories between Northern Ontario and the Yukon, plenty for Kim to sing about. The old-time, country 
feel to her feathery-sung songs is till there. This is someone very connected to earthly humanity and it shows that she lives it 
constantly. The CD liner notes thank Peter and Mary Beattie for the moose stew. We thank Kim for this rich potpourri of 
earth, wind water, trees, country roads, and everyone who's traveled them with her.

T. Nile - At My Table
The "T." stands for Tamara, and she give me chills of pleasure. It starts right in the first track, "Trees," with vocal harmonies 
and banjo in reverb combined with hand clapping and percussion. She plays banjo and/or guitar throughout and sings 
with an understated conviction. The voice is one to savor. In "Trees," she sings "I wanna live on the land / I wanna make 
my clothes by hand." In "Buddy," a cover of "Brother Can You Spare a Dime," she sings, "Once I built a tower, now it's done. 
Buddy can you spare a dime?" On "Get Together," a solid reggae number, she sings, "Take a step back, we can get together." 
And through it all, whatever she sings, I believe her.

Libby Johnson - Annabella
This is a healthy, meaty serving (sorry, vegetarians) of singer/songwriter folk/rock. The melodies and harmonies are lush. 
The bottom pulsates with a heavy urgency. On track 5, "Good to Go," she sings, "And your beautiful mystery is a hot smokin' gun /
 hidden under your mattress with the trigger undone… Good to go, it's so good to go / all the things we remember, maybe we could forget 
/ and we could be somewhere / where we haven't been yet… And the love we made… Good to go… is so good to go…" 
The guitars twang and crunch, Libby whispers her revelations, and wherever she's headed, I'll be happy to hitch a ride.

Natalie Edelson - Mayfly Days
Natalie has a sweet, low-key, Jane Siberry-like delivery and an off-kilter viewpoint that engages, yet leaves the listener things to figure out. 
On "Nameless Wonder," she sings, "ragged porch guitar is bleeding out stupid cliches / I plant you a garden instead of simple wishes." 
On "Canyonland," over piano, guitar and gently rocking set of traps, she sprightly sings, "Got a story / gonna tell it to you / 
Document the crash and ting of things… All my big ideas / I drift them on the wind / Will you tread water / And I'll send my foolish pride 
/ Out to slaughter." Taking her word about the foolish pride, there's alot to be proud of here. 

Work O' The Weavers - We're Still Here
This ensemble seeks to keep alive the music of the Weavers, that late-40's, early 50's group that championed both traditional folk music 
and left-wing and union causes. Most of us tend to embrace the contemporary singer/songwriter genre and lose sight of folk's 
origins and travails. This group, with its fine harmonies and strong renditions of the Weavers repertoire deserves a listen from everyone. 
On this CD, we hear some of the folk gems that we came to know in the 60's, like "If I had a Hammer," and "Aweigh, Santy Anno," 
but there are others that represent the group's essence that may be new. "Wasn't That A Time" was a song before it was the name 
of a documentary about the Weavers.  The House Un-American Activities Committee had many questions about that one. 
"The Lost Banjo" was written by David Bernz much later, in tribute to Pete Seeger about a banjo that Pete lost track of. 
It contains a lot of Pete's history and brims with love for perhaps America's greatest folksinger. 
Beyond history, this CD is full of terrific music.

We're About 9     Paperdust / Stardust 
Preview EP
We love songs about battered psyches. Brian Gundersdorf, Katie Graybeal and Pat Klink write and sing them in flawless harmony 
better than anyone else we know, so it's always a pleasure to welcome new work by this brilliant trio. They all produce goosebumps, 
but we'll quote a little from the fourth and last one on the EP: "Daylight savings ended and left me in the dark … 
There's a window on the seventh floor where I like to go / when the workload gets too heavy / or when it gets too slow…" 
Oooh… guys! Where do you find these characters? Hurry up! I gotta  have this one!