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Jennie
McAvoy www.jenniemcavoy.com Jennie McAvoy’s music combines the magic of the traditional ballad singer with the intimacy of the folk-chanteuse. Her voice—she’s a trained mezzo- soprano—is at once angelic and wise. It floats above the current of a rock-solid, deftly fingerpicked acoustic guitar (think Joan Baez or Elizabeth Cotton) on either her vintage Martin or her handmade Nickerson. Two-time Valley Advocate Reader’s Poll Winner (for Best Female Vocalist) Janet Ryan says: "Jennie McAvoy’s voice has an ethereal quality that makes you feel as if she herself lived through the joy and sadness in the musical tales she weaves." |
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Pat
and Tex LaMountain www.patandtex.com Pat & Tex LaMountain have been singing, writing, performing and harmonizing together for over 30 years. Writers of dozens of songs, they have developed a diverse collection of material that includes American standards, swing tunes, folk, rock, bluegrass and country. Their music has been described as “upbeat and rhythmic, inspirational and sensitive…catchy…with Pat & Tex there’s heart and soul.” Songs that touch us through melody, message and harmony. Their music is a blend of Pat’s crystal clear vocals with Tex’s tenor voice and unique flat and finger picking styles. |
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Michael Pattavina Michael Pattavina has been a musician and singer in the Valley for 25 years. His projects include: Boys of the Landfill, Appalachian Still, Roland Lapierre Band, Rewinders, and Paddy’s Ramble. Michael is also known as "Michael Recycle" and teaches recycling through music to elementary school students. Competent on the banjo and guitar, Michael’s instrument of choice is the upright bass. “The diversity of music I can play on this instrument is incredible.” Michael enjoys playing bluegrass, country rock, roots rock, folk rock, honky tonk and Cajun music. In other words, Michael can really bring it on for any kind of event. Contact: mpatt@the-spa.com or (413) 773-8366 Boys of the Landfill are Geoff Rogers on guitar and mandolin, Rob Hayes on fiddle, and Michael Pattavina on banjo and bass. They are regulars on the Western New England folk and bluegrass circuits, and their bio boasts that they combine smoldering instrumental virtuosity with festering harmonies in as many as two parts. |
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Michael
Nix www.nixworks.com Michael Nix performs on the seven string Banjar, an instrument he designed which combines elements of the classical five string banjo and the classical guitar. The Banjar's seven high tension nylon strings sound somewhat like a cross between the banjo and guitar or lute. Nix combines lyrical expression with an insatiable musical curiosity to forge an intriguing performance style incorporating various styles and textures drawn from classical guitar and banjo, jazz, blues, folk. Michael Nix and the Pioneer Consort: Michael Nix (Banjar and guitar), Chris Devine (violin), and Greg Snedeker (cello). The Pioneer Consort explores the creative relationship between improvised and composed music in a high energy juxtaposition of Latin dances, jazz, ragtime, classical and original compositions. "Nix's work is... breathtakingly beautiful to hear." --Peter Mix, Acoustic Musician |
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Stephanie
Marshall www.stephaniemarshall.net Contemporary folk singer/songwriter with a strong voice and thought provoking lyrics. Her debut CD Reality is an innovative mix of folk with a touch of country. Her reflective lyrics and engaging performances connect you to the honesty of her songs. Stephanie and fellow Coopsters Katie Clarke and Jenny Goodspeed are The Boxcar Lilies - a high-energy, harmony-driven Americana trio. |
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Joe
Graveline Singer, guitar stylist |
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Laura
Siersema Website “Her voice beckons mercilessly to the physical world like the bodiless spirit that haunts the mansion on a far-away hill. Wanderers beware...” --Independent Songwriters Magazine Pick of the Month Woven in the language of poetry and dreams, Talon of the Blackwater, Berklee graduate Laura Siersema's third independent release, is "fiercely original", challenging and ambitious. Lush, complex layers and the high qualities unique to her voice transform the folk music of her childhood into a "depth and scale of music so strong, a soul searing connection to it becomes inevitable." Laura has played at art festivals and venues around the United States and opened for John Gorka, Cheryl Wheeler, Connie Kaldor, Dana Cooper, Brooks Williams and Lori McKenna. Her poetry has been published in Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review, Cream City Review, Lullwater Poetry Review and others. She is a graduate of the University of Florida in nursing and Berklee College of Music in songwriting. |
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Russ
Thomas Tunes that amuse and surprise Warm, witty, sensitive, articulate, eclectic, versatile, unpredictable, occasionally irreverent, Russ Thomas has entertained audiences from California to Switzerland, playing in intimate coffee-house settings and to festival crowds of 8,000. "Patchwork," his CD of original songs reached #1 in sales by local artists for five weeks, according to the Valley Advocate. Garrison Keillor performed Russ's "New Birthday Song" on his popular NPR show. Russ has written and recorded jingles for commercial radio and cable TV and has been active for social causes, performing at the State House in Boston at an affordable-health-care rally and at various events in support of sustainable energy and non-violence. Russ's original work draws from the entire spectrum of emotions, leading listeners often to laugh and cry at successive songs. His goal is to heal, encourage, unite, educate, and entertain, in that order. |
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Seven
Mile Line www.myspace.com/sevenmileline Seven Mile Line is a bluegrass quintet known for high-energy shows guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Our repertoire is wide, including classic traditional numbers, barroom blues, instrumentals and gospel songs. With a special emphasis on driving rhythms and heartfelt harmonies, we know our unique arrangements of the songs you love will keep you comin' back for more. We love to make music, and it shows! |
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Tom
Carroll |
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Kathy
Chapman Kathy's
first CD, BECAUSE OF YOU, was released in 2002 as a duo called
Limited Edition with Dick Amberman and can be purchased on cdbaby.com.
Kathy's second CD, FERTILE GROUND, was released in June of '09.
You can check out her music at www.myspace.com/kathychapman1. |
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Katie
Clarke |
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Green
River String Band www.myspace.com/greenriverstringband Take a few alternative country originals, add a number of blistering bluegrass songs, flavor with some sweet old time fiddle tunes, stir in dobro, guitar, banjo, accordion, fiddle, vocal harmonies and add three musicians: Charlie Conant, Doug Reid, and Eveline MacDougall. |
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Roland
Lapierre www.myspace.com/rockinrolandlapierre Roland Lapierre is a songwriter from Greenfield, and twice a finalist in WRSI's annual songwriting contest. Roland's songs blend a mix of Country, Rock and Roll, and traditional roots music with a touch of Twang. Roland has played guitar for many local bands, including The Rewinders, The Rocky Knoll Band, and The Hilltones, along with some of the other COOP musicians. He is currently working with a group to provide back-up and vocals to his original tunes. Roland says that writing a good song can still make him feel as excited as it did when he was 16. It's not about money or fame, it's about creating something that has meaning for you and hopefully for whoever is out there listening as well. |
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Daniel
hales, and the frost heaves. www.myspace.com/danielhalesfrostheaves The core of this eclectic ensemble is Daniel, Ivan Ussach, James Lowe, Charlie Conant, and Emily Breines. Hoboeye.com describes their music as: “alternative/indy without the smug hipsterism, Americana without the self pity, psychedelic without the affected British accent, rock without the rawk, pop without the saccharine, folk without the new age, experimental without the elitism. Like a good mix tape...[they] blend these (and other) genres without their limitations and cliches.” Their song “Vacationland” was voted one of the best songs of 2009 by listeners of WRSI/The River. Indie Music.com called their most recent album, Frost Heaves: “a searching, searing, frequently seducing, noteworthy disc.” “The album’s strengths are its subtlety and its concision...” Its songs contain: “lyrical details not often put in pop tunes. Lines pop out as though in 3-D” (The Daily Hampshire Gazette). |
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Julia
Burrough Julia lives in Western Massachusetts and has been performing her original songs in concerts, clubs, on radio and TV for twenty years. Julia has opened in concert for various artists including Natilie Merchant, 10,000 Maniacs, Ellen McIlwaine, Cathy Winter, and many more. This is what people have had to say about Julia's work: Brighter Road, her third album "is one of the most powerful and courageous recordings ever by an area artist." David Sokol, music editor Spfld Advocate, 1993. "Her vocals could make the classifieds sound inspirational." -- John Reily, Daily Hampshire Gazette. |
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Falltown
String Band Website The Falltown String Band is now in its twentieth consecutive year of existence. It is a rather loose network of community-based and community-minded musicians, none of whom was ever foolish enough to give up their day job to play music full time. Our repertoire borrows from several traditions, all of them unique to North America: New England country dance; Quebecois; Celtic-American; Old-time; Appalachian; Gospel; New Orleans Jazz; and Blues. Its technical name is American Roots music, but we try not to be technical. We are primarily a string band, but had enough good sense to realize that Sue Shedd and her flute were an invaluable addition. We now play at the only surviving Eastern singing-call square dance series in Western Massachusetts, second Saturdays of the month at the Goshen, MA town hall. |
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Jenny
Goodspeed |
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Michael
Orlen |
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Barry
Higgins www.whitecrowflutes.com Barry White Crow Higgins is of Anglo/Native (Pennacook) heritage. Barry began his musical journey as a young boy playing trumpet, and later guitar, keys, and flutes. He is an instrument maker, performer, and audio engineer. Barry’s music brings together the natural harmonic nature of the Native American Flute with modern instrumentation and composition. The music has the ability to transport the listener to a quiet space within where the music is not only heard but experienced as well. |
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Molly Scott www.mollyscott.com Molly Scott has performed locally as well as internationally since the 1960’s when she was part of the New York folk song movement. After a career in television, theater, clubs and concerts, she moved to Western Massachusetts and with her group, Sumitra, performed folk and classical music throughout New England. A poet, therapist, and educator as well as musician, she has devoted her singing, composition, and workshop presentations to issues of peace, social justice and the environment. She has a doctorate in counseling psychology, has composed scores for dmusical theater, and is considered a pioneer in the use of voice in sound healing. In concert, her richly expressive voice ranges through a repertoire that includes traditional ballads, jazz improvisation, and her own unique songs in a style she calls “classifolk.” Her recordings include “Honor the Earth”, “We Are All One Planet”, and “Sound of Light” on the Sumitra label. |
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Austin
and Elliott Too indie to
be folk, too folk to be indie? Austin and Elliott tap into traditional
folk with a modern outsider's sensibility. With his thought-provoking,
often irreverent lyrics, Chris Elliott's songs reach for both scathing
irony and genuine beauty. Adding Lisa Austin's blended harmonies,
this tension is dramatic: two voices telling tales of love gone
wrong and death gone right. After years of performing on their own
as solo artists, they began collaborating in 2003, with Lisa adding
harmony vocals to Chris’s songs. Since then, they’ve deepened
their musical partnership, incorporating new instrumentation such
as bass, hand drum, and six-string banjo, and honing their twin
vocal attack. Their second CD, the 5-cut Truth That Hurts,
is their first full-band effort, produced by Lorne Entress (Lori
McKenna, Mark Erelli) and featuring guitarist Duke
Levine (Mary Chapin Carpenter, Jonatha Brooke) and bassist
Paul Kochanski (Resophonics). Also available is their debut CD 13
Songs Plus: 21 songs performed in stark,
powerful fashion, about which Greg Grant of the Online Folk Festival
has this to say: "Just two voices and an acoustic guitar, but
the songs are impressive, particularly the mythic folk ballad "Blackwater
Dam," which has a timeless quality difficult to achieve." |
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Hilary Graves www.myspace.com/ghostquartet Singer for the 2010 Valley Advocate voted #1 funk band Ghost Quartet, Hilary Graves will now be performing with her new project. Comprised of a few other Valley musicians and armed with Ghost Quartet's Tuba player, Kevin Smith, Hilary will be playing guitar and sharing her favorite songs from the early 1900's jazzed up with a new contemporary folky sound. For the last five years Hilary has not only been entertaining the Valley with various projects (Ghost Quartet, Ambience, The Yankee Doodle Dandies, and Zombie Nurse), but she has been a sound engineer for many local venues and various regional and national bands. "Singer Hilary Graves possesses a winning combo of youthful energy and confident attack. She navigates precipitous melodies with grace..."- James Heflin The Valley Advocate |
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Small
Change Website In an effort to wallow in obscurity for all these years, Small Change has chosen some pretty obscure tunes, sometimes by obscure artists, including songs written by Al Canali, Small Change singer and guitar player. Diversity in musical tastes has given Small Change a very eclectic mix of music. It all takes on a unique quality when backed by a solid wash tub bass, an instrument that defies dimension (and at times recognition!) when played by Dick Boehmer who gets more out of one string than most get out of four. Song choices happen for lots of reasons. It's all "interesting" - swing, jazz, country, folk and a cappella and some other genres that defy categorization. Small Change has performed live in just about every venue possible including a television production called "From Folk To Baroque" which aired on PBS in the mid seventies with violinist/fiddler Marie Rhynes in a performance for the Mohawk Trail Concerts. Along the way, radio, festivals, bars and private parties. No matter where Small Change performs, there are always plenty of tunes for every listener. |
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Haiku
Handshake www.haikuhandshake.com Haiku Handshake started way back in the late part of 2008. Incredibly, their first hit single "Turtles" became very well known to their wives and close friends. Their music carries the band members early influences of They Might Be Giants and the Beatles, while Pat's background in punk keeps the vocals and melodies somewhat raw and energetic. As a four piece, you'll find the usual set up of drums, bass and guitar and vocals, but keep on the lookout for a few horns, keyboards and accordion in the mix. The bands motto, "If you're not enjoying yourself then neither are we." |
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Sue Kranz Sue Kranz, singer, songwriter and flutist, has been performing for the past 30 years, in coffeehouses, house concerts, weddings, benefits, schools, and classrooms. An elementary school Spanish teacher by profession, she uses music to build a sense of community as well as a teaching tool. She is a member of the 6 woman performing group Constellations, and has three recordings including Long Past the Hour, a collection of original songs. |
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Blame it on Tina www.myspace.com/blameitontina Blame it on Tina combines the songwriting of lead singer and guitarist Jen Spingla with the melodic spontaneity of Tina Horn on drums and percussion, Bob Rosser on lead guitar, and John “Klondike” Koehler on bass guitar. As the group name implies, drummer Tina Horn had something to do with bringing these musicians together. Horn had been performing percussion, both with Spingla as a member of the Jen Spingla Band and Rosser as part of a studio project. In 2003 Horn brought the musicians together, forming what would become Blame it on Tina. Koehler joined on bass in 2007. Spingla has spent the last decade and a half performing throughout New England, both as a solo artist and as part of her band. Drummer and Percussionist Horn grew up on the drums, playing in jazz and rock ensembles throughout her youth. Horn has performed across the United States and Great Britain with New Age artist Kellianna. Rosser is a known and respected guitarist in the Valley. His melodic and thoughtful guitar riffs are signature to Blame it on Tina’s sound. Klondike Koehler is an electric bassist with experience in all styles, having performed and recorded with ensembles ranging from Folk duos to 9-piece R&B bands. Blame it on Tina can be reached at email blameitontina@netscape.com or telephone 978-544-6850. |
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Devlin Miles www.devlinmiles.com Devlin Miles is causing a ruckus with her Sarah McLachlan, Bonnie Raitt, Sugarland concoction throughout the Northeast. She was recently selected the winner of the Regional Subway Fresh Artist on Ourstage.com by Clear Channel and MTV affiliates. An accomplished songwriter, who has won accolades for her song "The Camera Fades" regarding 9/11 and for “This Guy”, which received an honorary mention by the Billboard World Song Contest. Autumn’s Fires, her latest release has been gathering momentum as she directly reaches out to fans on a much more intimate level as she sings about love, loss, and derelicts. She is a BMI affiliated songwriter and a member of the Recording Academy. Also an avid supporter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and welcomes opportunities to play for a great cause. |
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