Pete Seeger Centennial Concert Featuring performances by Miles & Mafale, Carolann Solebello, James O’Malley and Mountain Maidens
2019-05-04 19:30 - 22:30 (America/New_York)
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Pete Seeger, the inspirational American folksinger, political activist, environmentalist and humanitarian – whose songs helped provide a musical backdrop for many of the historical movements of the 1960s through the early 2000s – would have turned 100 on May 3. Although he left us in January 2014 at the age of 94, his spirit and his songs – both those he wrote and those he helped to popularize – live on.
As Bruce Springsteen once said, Pete Seeger lived a life that is“ a testament to the power of song and culture to nudge history along.” He was the essence of humanity, a man who dedicated much of his life to seeking to help others, to lift us up through song and his indomitable spirit, to bettering the human condition and that of our country and our planet.
Pete Seeger may be gone now, but we at the Folk Music Society of Huntington hope that his legacy, his songs and his challenge to us to employ the power of song to help change the world will live on for generations to come.
To mark the centennial of his birth, we have invited some talented Long Island -based artists to perform some of Pete’s songs, along with a few of their own. In the spirit of Pete, audience members who know the lyrics will be invited to join in. Singing along is part of the folk tradition.
Featured Artists include:
Miles & Mafale (formerly The YaYas) are three-time finalists in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition, were audience-voted “Most Wanted” artists at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, and have had official juried showcases at several music conferences hosted by regional affiliates of Folk Alliance International. Catherine Miles and Jay Mafale have spent much of the last few years concentrating on the collaborative project No Fuss and Feathers and touring in support of Traveling Circus (#22 Top Album of 2016 on the international Folk DJ chart). These days, the LI-based husband and wife team find themselves turning their unaffected style toward more socio-political themes. The release of their next duo album is set for later this year.
Carolann Solebello is a NYC-born and bred performing songwriter whose smooth, compelling voice and warm acoustic guitar style surely nod to rural folk traditions, yet with a decidedly urban sense of rhythm and sophisticated vocal phrasing that bend those traditional forms into more contemporary shapes. A founding member of the popular Americana trio Red Molly, with whom she was associated for six years, she now tours as both a solo artist and with the modern folk quartet No Fuss and Feathers. Carolann continues to earn accolades performing her New York-inflected brand of original and traditional Americana as a solo artist. She will play the Main Stage at this summer’s Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, having been voted among the “Most Wanted Return” artists following the festival’s Emerging Artists Showcase last year. Carolann released her fifth solo album, Shiver, in February 2018.
James O’Malley has been a mainstay on the Long Island folk scene for many years. He writes knowingly of life’s foibles, triumphs and defeats, and delivers his songs in a gentle, subtle, whispering tenor that draws his listeners in. A two-time finalist in the Plowshares Songwriting Contest, James writes songs that take the listener on an emotional journey — exploring family, relationships, human nature and the contemplation of life’s choices. Music critics have hailed him for his warm melodies, storytelling abilities and his way of charming audiences. His songs are universal, often written with a subtle humor. He has released several CDs.
Mountain Maidens is a Long Island-based folk harmony trio comprised of Candice Baranello, Lorraine Berger and Marie Mularczyk O’Connell. Since first meeting at the Dickens Festival in Port Jefferson, the threesome has been performing a harmonious mix of ballads, folk songs, country and gospel numbers, love songs, and songs of social justice throughout the local area. Individually, the group’s members are all accomplished musicians in their own right. Candice (Candy) plays the dulcimer; sings traditional, classical and gospel music; and is also a member of the a capella trio Wild Ginger. Lorraine plays the guitar and flamenco castanets and sings alto with the Huntington Choral Society. Marie is a multi-instrumentalist (guitar, banjo, mandolin, dulcimer, dumbec, bones and spoons, to name a few), who sings both British and American folk songs as well as Jewish music. Last spring, Mountain Maidens released a two-CD set entitled We’ll Walk The Road Together.

JONI MITCHELL: Happy 75th Birthday Celebration. Part of the Music Legends Live series at the Cinema Arts Centre
2019-05-14 19:30 - 22:00
FMSH joins with the Cinema Arts Centre in co-presenting the latest installment in Bill Shelley’s Music Legends Live series at the Cinema on Tuesday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m. Entitled Joni Mitchell: Happy 75th Birthday Celebration, this special program will feature archival footage of the Songbird of Saskatchewan performing some of her classic songs – including “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Both Sides Now,” “Chelsea Morning” and “Woodstock.”
After starting out performing folk songs in Canadian cafes and bars, Joni Mitchell migrated to California in the mid-1960s. There she befriended fellow musician David Crosby of The Byrds, who helped her to secure a record deal. Success followed with Judy Collins’ recording of “Both Sides Now,” before Joni found superstardom with her song “Woodstock” – made famous by Crosby Stills Nash and Young. Buoyed by the success of her albums Ladies of the Canyon and Blue, Joni became the decade’s most accomplished female singer-songwriter. She also used her skills as a painter to design numerous album covers for herself and others. Ever changing and challenging herself as a musician, Joni also experimented with jazz, fusion and electronica during the 1970s and beyond.
Tickets for this special event, which also includes a discussion and a reception afterwards, are $16 ($11 for CAC and FMSH members) and may be purchased in advance or at the door.

Lipkin & Hitt + Eugene Ruffolo
2019-05-16 19:30 - 22:30
TICKET INFO
Tickets for this event are available at the Cinema Arts Centre on the day of the performance. Prices are $10 for FMSH and Cinema Arts Centre Members / $15 for Nonmembers. There are no advance tickets for this event.
Award-winning songwriters Lipkin & Hitt and Eugene Ruffolo share a bill during the monthly Hard Luck Café series at the Cinema Arts Centre (423 Park Avenue, Huntington, NY) on Thursday, May 16. The 8:30 p.m. concert in the cinema’s Sky Room will be preceded by an open mic at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 ($10 for Cinema Arts Centre and Folk Music Society of Huntington members) and will be available at the door.
Lipkin & Hitt: Pittsburgh’s Jay Hitt, an acoustic guitar-playing troubadour, has teamed up with New York’s Lisa Lipkin, a truth-seeking piano songstress to craft a musical world that is insightful, tuneful, often playful, and sheer delight. Since their meeting in 2012, Lipkin & Hitt have graced all manner of stages and continue to enchant and entertain audiences wherever they go.
Hitt — who has a talent for vivid storytelling, combined with crisp and delicate acoustic melodies — has twice been named Best Acoustic Musician by readers of the Pittsburgh City Paper and has received numerous songwriting awards. In addition to recording several albums and touring in support of them, his stage credits include Pittsburgh Light Opera productions of Always, Patsy Cline and Ring of Fire (a Johnny Cash revue). Lipkin’s songs have received such prizes as first place in a New York State Contest for Environmental Awareness and have been featured In the Tami Gold documentary, Passionate Politics. Her production credits include an award-winning children’s CD by Christine Pepe and Hitt’s Greetings from the Wilderness.
Eugene Ruffolo, perhaps best known to LI audiences as part of the Cosmic Orchestra during the monthly Soulful Sundown series in Manhasset, is a prolific and deeply personal NYC-based singer-songwriter. A first-prize winner in both the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass and Merlefest songwriting competitions, he is currently working on his eighth studio album. His previous recordings have received worldwide critical acclaim.
In addition to his original work, Ruffolo’s vocal talents, which a writer for Rolling Stone called “utterly intriguing,” have made him a favorite of many prominent artists with whom he has shared stages. Both in the studio and in live performance, he has worked with such diverse artists as Tony Bennett, Garth Brooks, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Kenny Loggins, Run DMC, Spyro Gyra, Livingston Taylor, Cheryl Wheeler, and David Wilcox. Ruffolo’s voice has been featured in numerous Hollywood films, and he has worked with noted director/producers Brian De Palma, George Lucas, Ennio Morricone, and Martin Scorcese.

Susan Werner
2019-06-01 19:30 - 22:30
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“Susan Werner, a clever songwriter and engaging performer, brings literacy and wit back to popular song,” according to The New Yorker, while the Chicago Tribune has aptly hailed her as “one of the most innovative songwriters working today.”
A favorite of FMSH audiences, Werner has never been one to adhere to just one musical style. A gifted singer-songwriter, who accompanies herself on both guitar and piano, she is known for her musical versatility and for her witty repartee during live performances. The classically trained and jazz-inspired Iowa native, who now calls Chicago home, has been delighting concert and festival audiences for more than two decades.
Besides her live performances, Werner is known for iconoclastic concept albums in which she updates traditional styles of music with sharp, witty, incisive lyrics. At this event, we expect to hear songs from her new unique concept album— and this time it’s NOLA — yup, New Orleans. Based on the piano stylings of Professor Longhair and Dr. John, Susan has written nine new tunes and tossed in a new take on an old classic. Echos of Mardi Gras 2019! — recorded in New Orleans and Philadelphia.
A pair of tickets to the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (August 2-4) (Value $200) will be given to the winner of tonight’s raffle.

Kyle Hancharick + Monica Rizzio
2019-06-20 19:30 - 22:30
TICKET INFO
Tickets for this event are available at the Cinema Arts Centre on the day of the performance. Prices are $10 for FMSH and Cinema Arts Centre Members / $15 for Nonmembers. There are no advance tickets for this event.
A pair of tickets to the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (August 2-4) (Value $350) will be given to the winner of tonight’s raffle.
Kyle Hancharick and Monica Rizzio, two touring singer-songwriters, whose music veers towards the Americana/country edge of folk, share a bill during the monthly Hard Luck Café series at the Cinema Arts Centre (423 Park Avenue, Huntington, NY) on Thursday, June 20. The 8:30 p.m. concert in the cinema’s Sky Room will be preceded by an open mic at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 ($10 for Cinema Arts Centre and Folk Music Society of Huntington members) and will be available at the door.
For Kyle Hancharick of Warwick, New York, it’s always been about the music. His passionate performances are punctuated by a crisp acoustic guitar and soaring tenor vocals , as revealed in his 2018 EP entitled Breathe. The four-song project consists solely of acoustic guitar, bass and vocals – and that’s all that’s needed for an artist whose roots are planted in contemporary folk music. Hancharick takes the world, processes it and turns it into song with his own special touch. He has a unique take on things and a view of the world others may not necessarily notice as he continues to grow as an artist – sharing his story and messages of love and peace. (kylehancharick.com).
Monica Rizzio grew up in the East Texas plains and moved to Cape Cod in 2004. The locals call someone who moves to but was not born on the Cape a Washashore – and the former Tripping Lily front woman’s acclaimed 2016 debut solo release was appropriately called Washashore Cowgirl. Rizzio blends Americana, bluegrass, country and folk song stylings into what she likes to call AmeriCountryGrass, Although she is the founder and co-owner of a roots-based music school on the Cape and also launched a nonprofit music production company (Vinegrass) that raises money for scholarships, instruments, and grants through concerts and an annual roots-music festival, Rizzio feels most at home when she is on stage sharing her songs. Says Tom Rush, an iconic folk artist with whom she’s previously performed: “I made the tactical error of inviting Monica Rizzio to share the stage with me at Symphony Hall and she went and stole the audience right out from under me.” (monicarizzio.com)

Just Wild About Harry – Tribute to Harry Chapin
2019-07-15 19:00 - 22:00
For the 15th straight year, more than two dozen of Long Island’s top folk and rock musicians will take to the stage in Eisenhower Park in East Meadow to perform the music of Harry Chapin, the late singer, Grammy Award-winning songwriter and social activist. The “Just Wild About Harry” tribute concert on Monday night, July 15, will feature 17 acts, including concert organizer Stuart Markus and his trio Gathering Time, performing some of Chapin’s classics including “Taxi” and “Cat’s in the Cradle,” plus many lesser hits and fan favorites like “WOLD” and “Mr. Tanner.” The concert, set for 7:15 p.m., is free, but concertgoers are asked to bring donations of nonperishable food to support Long Island Cares, Inc., the regional food bank founded by Chapin in 1980.
“The annual Harry Chapin Tribute Concert in Eisenhower Park is always a very special event for all of us at Long Island Cares because so many of Harry’s fans attend and are extremely supportive of Long Island Cares and the work we do to assist the more than 316,000 Long Islanders struggling with domestic hunger and high food insecurity,” said Paule Pachter, the nonprofit organization’s chief executive officer.
Markus added, “This year marks the 38th anniversary of Chapin’s death on the LIE at the age of 38, while en route to perform on the Eisenhower Park stage that now bears his name, so we’re doing something special: “Cat’s in the Cradle” will be done as a sing-along to a recording of Harry playing it solo-acoustic, where he laid out on the choruses for the audience to take part.”
Besides Markus and Gathering Time, this year’s artist roster includes newcomers Travis McKeveny and Pete Mancini, and returning performers Patricia Shih, Lisa Itts, Robin Eve & Frank Walker, Robinson Treacher, Debra Lynne, Media Crime, Karen Bella & Mara Levine, Jerry DeMeo, Sid Cherry & Helen Schrier Pandal, Toby Tobias, Mike Barry, Folk Goddesses, and Christine Solimeno, plus assorted side musicians.
In addition to collecting donations of non-perishable food at a tent near the entrance to The Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, Long Island Cares’ staff and volunteers will also be selling tee shirts and Harry Chapin CDs, as well as distributing literature about the organization’s programs and services.
Guests should bring their own lawn chairs or picnic blankets to The Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre at the park, which is located off Merrick and Stewart Avenues in East Meadow. The concert will be held rain or shine, precluded only by thunderstorms. For more information, visit http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/1767/Parks-Recreation-Museums.
(Photo of Harry Chapin by Robert Berkowitz/RSBImageWorks)

Huntington Folk Festival – Heckscher Park – Headliner: Loudon Wainwright III (opener – Lucy Wainwright Roche). The free festival @ Huntington’s Heckscher Park extends from 11 a.m. until late evening.
2019-07-27 11:00 - 22:00
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III headlines the 14th Annual Huntington Folk Festival on Saturday, July 27, at Heckscher Park, located off Main Street (Route 25A) and Prime Avenue, in Huntington Village. Opening for Wainwright on the park’s [Harry] Chapin Rainbow Stage that evening will be his daughter, Lucy Wainwright Roche. Extending from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., with a dinner break from 6-8 p.m., the free event – co-presented by the Folk Music Society of Huntington and the Huntington Arts Council – is part of the 54th Huntington Summer Arts Festival.
Few songwriters have laid out their lives in song as graphically as Loudon Wainwright III, a 2010 Grammy Award-winner (Best Traditional Folk Album) for High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project (with two previous Grammy nominations for I’m Alright in 1985 and More Love Songs in 1986). The singer-songwriter, humorist and actor is, perhaps, best known for his 1972 novelty song “Dead Skunk (in the Middle of the Road).” Maintains Stephen Holden of The New York Times: “Mr. Wainwright has proved to be far and away the most candid diarist among the singer-songwriters who … brought confessional poetry into popular song…”
Prior to the evening concert, Michael Kornfeld, president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington and editor & publisher of AcousticMusicScene.com, will host a series of song swaps from 12-6 p.m. These will take place near a canopy tent on the upper lawn area overlooking the stage and will feature more than 30 artists/acts from half-a-dozen states and a Canadian province. Unlike the unplugged showcases of previous years, these will be amplified. The day’s musical festivities begin with an open mic-song circle at 11 a.m.
Among the artists who will showcase their talents during the afternoon are Lisa Bastoni, Belle of the Fall, Melanie Brulée, Christian Diana, Roger Street Friedman, Genevieve, Sharon Goldman, Loretta Hagen, Marion Halliday, Joe Iadanza, Susan Kane, Judy Kass, Terry Kitchen, Scott Krokoff, Mara Levine, The Levins, Lipkin & Hitt, Annie Mark, Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale, Kate Mills, Lois Morton, Grace Morrison, Claudia Nygaard, Siobhan O’Brien, Anne O’Rourke, Nico Padden, D.B. Rielly, Eugene Ruffolo, Hank Stone, Jonathan Tea, and Toby Tobias.
The complete festival schedule appears below:
11:00 Open Mic – Song Circle
12:00 LI Guys of Note: Roger Street Friedman, Scott Krokoff, Toby Tobias
12:30 Emerging Talents: Genevieve, Marion Halliday, Kate Mills, Anne O’Rourke
1:30 A Musical Mix: Christian Diana, Annie Mark, Lois Morton
2:00 NJ Songsters: Sharon Goldman, Loretta Hagen, Jonathan Tea
2:30 Terry Kitchen, Mara Levine, Eugene Ruffolo
3:00 Kerrville New Folk Winners 2019: Lisa Bastoni, D.B. Rielly
3:30 Tribes Hill – Hudson Valley Songsters: Susan Kane, Judy Kass, Lipkin & Hitt
4:00 A Trio of Duos: Belle of the Fall, The Levins, Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale
4:30 Women of Note: Melanie Brulée, Grace Morrison, Claudia Nygaard, Siobhan O’Brien
5:30 FMSH Members Song Swap: Joe Iadanza, Nico Padden, Hank Stone
6:00 Dinner Break
8:00 Lucy Wainwright Roche
8:30 Loudon Wainwright III
Festivalgoers are advised to bring lawn chairs and blankets and a picnic supper (or they can walk into Huntington Village and enjoy a meal at one of its many restaurants).
The Huntington Folk Festival is part of an extended folk and Americana weekend at Heckscher Park. Long Island talent will be spotlighted on Thursday night, July 25, with a shared bill featuring folk-harmony trio Gathering Time and singer-songwriter Christine Sweeney. On Friday night, July 26, the Crys Mathews Trio will grace the stage. Although both concerts are set for 8 p.m., Kornfeld will conduct a 7:15 p.m. special on-stage interview-conversation with Matthews, the grand-prize winner in the 2017 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition. Crystal Bowersox – a rising star whose influences span across folk-pop, classic rock, soul, blues and country – closes out the weekend on Sunday night.
The Huntington Summer Arts Festival is produced by the Town of Huntington, presented by the Huntington Arts Council, and sponsored in part by the New York State Council for the Arts, the County of Suffolk and Canon U.S.A.
Here are links for the websites of the participating artists:
Roger Street Friedman www.rogerstreetfriedman.com
Scott Krokoff www.scottkrokoff.com
Toby Tobias www.tobytoby.com
Genevieve www.genevieve-music.com
Marion Halliday www.marionhalliday.com
Kate Mills www.katemillsmusic.com
Anne O’Rourke www.anneorourkemusic.com
Christian Diana www.christiandiana.bandcamp.com
Annie Mark
Lois Morton www.loismorton.com
Sharon Goldman www.sharongldmanmusic.com
Loretta Hagen www.lorettahagen.com
Jonathan Tea www.jonathantea.com
Terry Kitchen www.terrykitchen.com
Mara Levine www.maralevine.com
Eugene Ruffolo www.eugeneruffolo.com
Lisa Bastoni www.lisabastoni.com
D.B. Rielly www.dbrielly.com
Susan Kane www.susankane.com
Judy Kass www.judykass.com
Lipkin & Hitt www.lipkinandhitt.com
Belle of the Fall www.belleofthefall.com
The Levins www.thelevinsmusic.com
Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale www.milesandmafale.com
Melanie Brulée www.melaniebrulee.com
Grace Morison www.gracemorrison.com
Claudia Nygaard www.claudiaygaard.com
Siobhan O’Brien www.siobhanobrien.com
Joe Iadanza www.joeiadanza.com
Nico Padden www.nicopadden.com
Hank Stone www.hankstone.net
Lucy Wainwright Roche www.lucywainwrightroche.com
Loudon Wainwright III www.lw3.com

Louise Mosrie + Pete Mancini
2019-09-19 19:30 - 22:30
TICKET INFO
Tickets for this event are available at the Cinema Arts Centre on the day of the performance. Prices are $10 for FMSH and Cinema Arts Centre Members / $15 for Nonmembers. There are no advance tickets for this event.
Louise Mosrie is a nationally touring singer-songwriter with a soulful folk- Americana style. She has received numerous honors for her songwriting. These include being named a winner in the prestigious Grassy Hill-Kerrville New Folk Competition in 2009, winner of the 2010 Wildflower! Festival Performing Songwriter Contest, an audience-voted “Most Wanted to Return” artist following the Emerging Artist Showcase at the 2011 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, and winner of the 2016 SolarFest Performing Songwriter Contest.
Mosrie’s thoughtful, refined compositions are highlighted by her warm, expressive, crystalline voice. Mosrie’s craft grew from a childhood culture clash between her British parents and her southern upbringing. Although not too keen about the slow sleepy ways of doing things in her small rural Tennessee hometown, the melodies and imagery that emerged in her writing came straight from the culture she once dismissed: stories of joy, love, struggle and heartbreak told through the South’s vivid characters and scenery.
“William Faulkner with a guitar” is how Rich Warren, host of the nationally syndicated The Midnight Special that emanates from Chicago’s WFMT-FM, has described Mosrie.
Pete Mancini is a Bellerose, NY-based Americana roots singer-songwriter who got his start as the frontman and primary songwriter of Butchers Blind, a critically acclaimed rock band from NYC. His debut solo album, Foothill Freeway, explores the Americana influences that were a hallmark of his work with his former band and reveals the influence of such songwriters as Guy Clark and Bruce Springsteen.
Mancini’s songs have received glowing reviews and considerable radio airplay. In 2018, he released a live EP, Alive in Patchogue, while earlier this year, Diversion Records released his new roots rock-oriented studio album, Flying First Class. Although he frequently tours with his band, the Hillside Airmen, Mancini will appear solo acoustic for this show.
“It’s hard to believe Mancini hails from this area; his earnest voice and songs of world-weary struggles put him in line as a worthy successor to John Prine and John Hiatt as a premiere singer/songwriter whose work is destined to be covered by dozens of artists.”- Bob Smith (Good Times Magazine)

John Gorka
2019-10-05 19:30 - 22:30
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— John Gorka —

Rising from the milieu of lovelorn singer-songwriters, JOHN GORKA illuminates instead with his trademark wordplay, twisting, turning and tying words and phrases in the way a balloon artist creates complex creatures from simple balloons. Few contemporary songwriters coax language as deftly as Gorka.
For over two decades, Gorka’s keen ear has picked up the stories of those along his path, folding them into poetry and song. His keen perceptiveness inspires people from all over the world to share their stories. By involving those tales in his music, he escapes the trap of introspection that hobbles less gifted singer-songwriters.
John Gorka flies below the pop culture radar with an almost cult-like following that never fails to fill concerts. Speak with any of his fans and one instantly feels their enthusiasm and genuine affection. His shy, almost self-effacing stage presence rightfully focuses attention on the songs. His versatility on guitar and piano keeps his sets musically interesting, while his rich baritone effortlessly executes his bidding. And he’s never short of the sly comment or clever joke that invariably ignites his audience.
With his uncanny ability to work every nuance of language, capturing a wide array of topics and experiences woven into memorable melodies, John Gorka’s career continues to prosper and to garner ever-increasing attention.
“One can get goosebumps all over. There are many reasons: fresh lyrics, a stunning emotional baritone, and his twisted humor” New York Times.

The Everly Set (Sean Altman & Jack Skuller tribute to the Everly Brothers)
2019-10-17 19:30 - 22:30
TICKET INFO
Tickets for this event are available at the Cinema Arts Centre on the day of the performance. Prices are $10 for FMSH and Cinema Arts Centre Members / $15 for Nonmembers. There are no advance tickets for this event.
The Everly Set: Noted NYC-based singer-songwriters Sean Altman & Jack Skuller pay tribute to their rock heroes, The Everly Brothers, in a show that takes you back to 1957 when teenagers Phil and Don Everly first burst on the scene and supercharged the vocal sound of rock’n’roll with sparkling harmonies that influenced The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, The Hollies, and The Bee Gees. Come and sing along to such hit songs as “Bye Bye Love,” “Cathy’s Clown,” “Wake Up Little Susie,” “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” “When Will I Be Loved,” “Crying In The Rain,” “Till I Kiss You,” “Love Hurts,” “Bird Dog,” “Claudette,” “Let It Be Me,” and more Everly (and Everly-influenced) classics from the late 1950s through the 1980s.
Blessed with a silky tenor voice that produced chills (The New York Times), Altman is widely viewed as the father of modern a capella. He co-founded and led Rockapella on the Emmy Award-winning PBS-TV series Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?, for which he co-wrote the theme song. Altman also currently sings a cappella with The GrooveBarbers and Doowopera, original pop songs on guitar as a solo artist, and original comedy songs as JEWMONGOUS.
Skuller is a recipient of the Holly Prize, an award made possible by the Songwriters Hall of Fame as a tribute to the legacy of Buddy Holly. A writer for The Deli Magazine referred to him as a teen idol in the wrong era, noting that Buddy Holly would be proud. Skuller has performed his original music around the country with Radio Disney. He has also been a regular performer with the acclaimed Losers Lounge tribute series at Joe’s Pub in NYC.
Check out The Everly Set’s ’60s-style late-night infomercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYFsjJHFg8o

“A History of American Music in Three Chords and Five Notes” Robert B. Jones, Sr. & Matt Watroba
2019-11-02 19:30 - 22:30
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Robert Jones and Matt Watroba have been musical partners since first meeting more than 20 years ago. Their relationship started when they hosted back-to-back radio shows on WDET-FM in Detroit, MI. Later on, they started performing together and in doing so discovered a friendship based on mutual respect and a love for traditional American music.
For Matt and Robert, American roots music (folk, blues, spirituals, work songs, chants, etc.) is music that matters. This is the music that America and the world have in common. It is music that reflects history, social change, migration, hopes and dreams. It is music that is rich and diverse, direct and powerful.

2019 Kerrville New Folk Winners: Lisa Bastoni and D. B. Rielly
2019-11-21 19:30 - 22:30
TICKET INFO
Tickets for this event are available at the Cinema Arts Centre on the day of the performance. Prices are $10 for FMSH and Cinema Arts Centre Members / $15 for Nonmembers. There are no advance tickets for this event.
Lisa Bastoni and D.B. Rielly, both multiple award-winning singer-songwriers, are the featured performers during the monthly Hard Luck Café series at the Cinema Arts Centre (423 Park Avenue, Huntington, NY) on Thursday, Nov. 21. Bastoni and Rielly were named as winners of the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters held in the Texas Hill Country and also showcased their talents during the Huntington Folk Festival this summer. The 8:30 p.m. concert in the cinema’s Sky Room will be preceded by an open mic at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 ($10 for Cinema Arts Centre and Folk Music Society of Huntington members) and will be available at the door.
After inheriting her grandmother’s guitar and a bag full of handwritten cover songs in 2017, Massachusets-based folk singer Lisa Bastoni returned to music after a 10-year absence. The mother of two had taken a break after spending time busking in Boston after college, but finding her grandmother’s lyrics ignited something irresistible inside her: she says she felt the routines of her own life shaking loose.
Her new release, How We Want to Live, chronicles life changes — including songs about the dissolution of her marriage and learning to live a new normal — but more than anything, it finds the songwriter diving deeper into the life she craves. A 2019 Boston Music Award nominee for Folk Artist of the Year, Bastoni also was a grand-prize winner in the 2017 Great American Song Contest, participated in the 2017 Falcon Ridge Emerging Artist Showcase, and secured coveted juried official showcases at the Northeast and Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA and SWRFA) conferences.
D.B. Rielly is a real American songwriter who sings funny, openhearted, and touching songs with an everyman ease. The New York-based multi-instrumentalist has played live at the famed Montreaux Jazz Festival and at such notable venues as Lincoln Center, Staples Center, and The Apollo Theater. He has performed with B.B. King, The Boston Pops, and Chubby Checker, among others.
Rielly has released four full-length albums. His 2018 release, Live from Chester, landed on several radio stations and publications’ annual “Best of” lists — as did his 2017 release, Live from Long Island City. A top-five winner in the 2012 Great American Song Contest, Rielly also has been a runner-up, finalist or semi-finalist in a number of other songwriting competitions. He promises an “instantaneous cure for all afflictions” and adds: “I personally guarantee that if these here concocted remedies fail to eliminate all the trouble & woe that befall man or beast… I’ll eat a bug.”

Phil Ochs Song Night
2019-12-07 19:30 - 22:30
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Phil Ochs Song Night
Hosted by: Sonny Ochs — Performers include: Greg Greenway, Reggie Harris, Tom Prasada-Rao, and Pat Wictor
Phil Ochs was an American troubadour who passionately believed that he and his music could help change the world. Many of his songs became anthems for the anti-war movement during the turbulent 1960s, and his music continues to influence and inspire songwriters today – more than 40 years after his death. Among his best-known songs are “Changes,” “I Ain’t Marching Anymore,” “Small Circle of Friends,” “There But For Fortune,” and “When I’m Gone.”
Since 1983, Sonny Ochs, Phil’s sister, has been producing Phil Ochs Song Nights that feature talented artists who perform both Phil’s songs and their own to show that the art of topical songwriting is still alive and well. FMSH has presented several of these and is delighted to welcome Sonny Ochs back to host another one.
The evening’s featured artists are:
Greg Greenway – Originally from Richmond, VA and based in Massachusetts, Greg is a rare combination of instrumental expertise, a soulful and moving singer, and a powerful poet. He is one of those difficult-to-categorize performers. On guitar, piano, and ukulele, Greg is always surprising. He was 1/3 of Brother Sun, is 1/2 of Deeper Than the Skin, and entirely himself.
Reggie Harris – Hailing from Philadelphia, Reggie is a songwriter, a storyteller, and a lecturer. Having toured internationally for years with his wife Kim Harris, Reggie is now showing the world his singular solo voice. His songs rise with echoes of the Civil Rights Movement, Pete Seeger and Bernice Johnson Reagon. He also is the other half of Deeper Than the Skin.
Tom Prasada-Rao – Born in Ethiopia of Indian parents, Tom was raised in the Washington, DC area. He’s won multiple Washington Area Music Awards and is a musician’s musician. He is a masterful guitar player with a R&B feel. A singer-songwriter, he also plays violin, piano, and a guitar/sitar hybrid.
Pat Wictor – Born in Venezuela, Pat has lived all over the world but now calls New York home. His otherworldly musicianship has made him a much in-demand studio musician on his passion, the slide guitar. With flowing red hair and Zen-like calm, audiences love his understated presence, his beautiful songs, and the magic of his slide. Pat was one third of Brother Sun.
Here’s a link to view a video of Greg Greenway performing Phil Ochs’ “No More Songs,” accompanied by Reggie Harris and Pat Wictor during a previous Phil Ochs Song Night presented by FMSH:

Here’s a link to view a video of Pat Wictor performing Phil Ochs’ “William Butler Yeats Visits Lincoln Park and Escapes Unscathed” during a previous Phil Ochs Song Night presented by FMSH:

And here’s one of Phil Ochs’ “What’s That I Hear” performed by Reggie Harris – accompanied by Greg Greenway, Tom Prasada-Rao and Pat Wictor – during another Phil Ochs Song Night on Long Island:

Long Island’s Own: Annie Mark, James O’Malley and Andrea Randa
2019-12-19 19:30 - 22:30
TICKET INFO
Tickets for this event are available at the Cinema Arts Centre on the day of the performance. Prices are $10 for FMSH and Cinema Arts Centre Members / $15 for Nonmembers. There are no advance tickets for this event.
Annie Mark has shared her country-tinged Americana-roots music with audiences around the U.S. ad Ireland. A New York native, she moved to the South at age 10, where upon hearing the music of the Carter Family and Johnny Cash, she nurtured a life-long love of traditional country music and songs that convey slice-of-life stories about people’s lives with a heartfelt simplicity.
Inspired by such singer-songwriters as Patti Griffin, Julie Miller, Nanci Griffith, Mary Gauthier, Leonard Cohen, and Bob Dylan, Mark’s songs explore life’s journey and the universal themes of love and loss, struggles and triumphs, shadows and light — with a little humor thrown in. Accompanied by strong and tender acoustic guitar-playing, her richly textured voice runs the entire emotional spectrum — sometimes velvety smooth, at other times raspy and raw with a little torch and twang thrown in.
A gifted singer-songwriter and finger-style guitarist, James O’Malley has been a mainstay on the Long Island folk scene for years. He writes knowingly of life’s foibles, triumphs and defeats, and delivers his songs in a gentle, subtle, whispering tenor that draws his listeners in.
Considered by many to be a consummate songwriter, whose songs are universal and often feature subtle humor, O’Malley is a two-time finalist in the Plowshares Songwriting Contest. His songs often take listeners on an emotional journey exploring family, relationships, human nature and the contemplation of life’s choices. Critics have hailed him for his warm melodies, story-telling abilities and his way of charming audiences. O’Malley’s latest album, #4, was produced by Pete Kennedy and features news songs along with a couple of classics.
Andrea Randa is a former professional opera singer who decided to return to her singer-songwriter/country roots a few years ago after traveling to various open mics with her singer-songwriter children (Kirsten Maxwell and Nick Abushady).
Randa — who cites Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Neil Young and Linda Ronstadt among her musical heroes and heroines, recently recorded and released her solo debut recording, My Country — a mix of commentaries on relationships as well as on the state of our country and the world. Topics include celebrating freedom, waking up to relationships that can never be, remembering that fear closes the heart while love opens it, recognizing that there are good sides and bad sides to repeating stories, and the excitement and anticipation of finally going home — the place where all hearts are united.

Christine Lavin
2020-01-04 19:30 - 22:30
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Since emerging from the New York City singer-songwriter scene in the late 1980s, Christine Lavin has established herself as one of the most entertaining, witty, insightful, and engaging folk artists.
While working as a waitress at the famed Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY in 1975, she met Dave Van Ronk, who encouraged her to relocate to NYC so that he could teach her how to play her guitar properly. She’s performed concerts across the U.S., Canada, and points beyond; recorded 24 solo albums, and produced ten compilations (including the popular On A Winter’s Night that spawned a number of multiple artist tours). She also was the creative force behind The Four Bitchin’ Babes, wrote an award-winning “mem-wha?” entitled Cold Pizza for Breakfast, hosted a radio show on WFUV, and was the keynote speaker at the 2016 Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference.
Her latest album, The Best of Christine Lavin, features two new songs and 18 of her most popular ones from 1983-2019. She started creating videos for her songs in 2011 and now also creates them for other artists as well.
NOTE: Christine will host a knitting circle at 7 p.m. (preceding the concert) and a Downton Abbey-style napkin-folding session during the intermission between her two 45-minute sets.
Here are a few video links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAAty1cNnTo

Josie Bello + Hank Stone
2020-01-16 19:30 - 22:30
TICKET INFO
Tickets for this event are available at the Cinema Arts Centre on the day of the performance. Prices are $10 for FMSH and Cinema Arts Centre Members / $15 for Nonmembers. There are no advance tickets for this event.
Long Island-based singer-songwriters Josie Bello and Hank Stone are the featured performers during the monthly Hard Luck Café series at the Cinema Arts Centre (423 Park Avenue, Huntington, NY) on Thursday, Jan. 16. The 8:30 p.m.concert in the cinema’s Sky Room will be preceded by an open mic at 7:30 p.m.Tickets are $15 ($10 for Cinema Arts Centre and Folk Music Society of Huntington members) and will be available at the door.
Josie Bello has been singing and creating songs since she was a little girl. Since the release of her CD Can’t Go Home to radio stations in June 2019, the album and eight individual tracks have maintained a continuous presence on the national and New York State Roots Music Report Top 50 Charts. Josie’s songs explore themes ranging from relationships, infatuation, and infidelity to aging. loss, addictions, and political partisanship. Along with her husband Frank, Josie organizes the Acoustic Stage at the Long Island Fall Festival in Huntington and is an active member of the Organization of Open Mic Performing Artists (OOMPA) — a charitable organization that facilitates open mics throughout LI and sponsors music-centric fundraising events. She also hosts open mics in Greenlawn.
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Hank Stone has been writing songs for decades. He played in Rock bands, hung out with some rough Folk, gets Jazzed up sometimes, has visited the Country, and is now as old as Classical music. So you never know quite what to expect when he hits the stage — except that it will be heartfelt, witty, and entertaining. He has been known to sing songs about crayons, dogs, murder, and the Big Bang — all in one set. He has independently released three albums featuring songs that offer a smorgasboard of narratives, character studies and mood pieces.

Buskin & Batteau
2020-02-01 19:30 - 22:30
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Buskin & Batteau have been winning hearts and minds with their soulful acoustic balladry and fun-filled performances for more years than they care to remember. After being on hiatus for a few years, the duo is back and brings its “irresistible amalgam of melodic, sensual pop, folkie grit and killer wit” (The Washington Post) to Long Island for a rare concert appearance.
David Buskin (piano, guitar) and Robin Batteau (violin, guitar) will be accompanied by virtuoso percussionist Marshal Rosenberg. Describing themselves as “hopelessly romantic,” “defiantly immature” and “usually hungry,” Buskin & Batteau have been Clio-winning jingle writers (“The Heartbeat of America” for Chevrolet, “All Aboard Amtrak” and “I’m Lovin’ It” for McDonald’s, among others). They have written songs that have been recorded by such notable artists as Judy Collins, Astrud Gilberto, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Bette Midler, Anne Murray, the Oak Ridge Boys, Peter, Paul & Mary, and Tom Rush (with whom they got their start in 1979 as his backup band). Yet, with their mix of talent, showmanship, Everly-crisp vocal harmonies and what Stephen Holden of The New York Times has called their “by turns acerbic, funny and plaintive” music and commentary, Buskin & Batteau are consummate entertainers in their own right.
Buskin & Batteau have performed on London street corners, in New York’s Carnegie Hall and at folk festivals throughout the U.S. They have shared Grammy, Emmy and Gold Record Awards and have performed and recorded with a host of other artists. They previously performed for FMSH in 2011.

Videos: Fox Run Studio

John John Brown + Steve Robinson
2020-02-20 19:30 - 22:30
TICKET INFO
Tickets for this event are available at the Cinema Arts Centre on the day of the performance. Prices are $10 for FMSH and Cinema Arts Centre Members / $15 for Nonmembers. There are no advance tickets for this event.
John John Brown began writing songs in the winter of 2013, right after his twin boys were born, that would turn into his debut album “The Road”. A critic for No Depression called the album, “a supple and suggestive blend of astute Americana accompanied by a quiet, reflective glow”, while an Elmore Magazine writer dubbed him “one of the more promising young names in folk music today”. John John’s live performances have been garnering critical acclaim as well. In 2015 and 2017, he was chosen as a finalist in the Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. He went home a winner of the South Florida Folk Festival’s Singer-Songwriter Competition in 2016, and was part of the Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase at the 2017 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. Steeped in good storytelling and fingerpicking melodies, John John Brown seems to have discovered part of the mystery that surrounds the great singer-songwriter tradition.
Here’s a link to view a few videos:
http://johnjohnbrown.com/media
Steve Robinson is a native Long Islander whose engaging songs are informed by his varied life experiences — as a carpenter, high school English teacher, commercial fisherman, truck driver, landscape crew foreman, air traffic controller, union rep, computer programmer, and more — combined with his life-long love of music and performing. A self-taught guitarist, he has developed his own unique finger style which combines driving rhythms with tasteful licks and smooth slide work. His music is firmly rooted in the blues, and breathes fresh life into tunes influenced by acoustic Americana, old-time jazz, soul, rock, pop, and country. Robinson represented Long Island at the prestigious 2008 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN as a winner in the 2007 Long Island Blues Challenge.
”Steve Robinson is one guy with talent to burn,” writes Ann Marie Harrington in Take Country Back magazine. “He possesses a pleasant, laid back and expressively soulful voice, he’s a gifted musician who plays with diversity and passion, and has a talent for well-written lyrics and an ear for a great melody.
For more information on Steve and to hear some of his music, visit http://stellarob.com.

Tracy Grammer & Jim Henry
2020-03-07 19:30 - 22:30
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Called “a musician and singer of dazzling versatility” (No Depression), and “one of the finest singers and musicians anywhere in folkdom” (The Boston Globe), Tracy Grammer is among contemporary folk music’s most beloved artists.
Renowned for her pure voice, deft guitar and violin work, and incantatory storytelling, Grammer has recorded and performed with Joan Baez and Mary Chapin Carpenter, headlined several of the nation’s top folk festivals — including the Philadelphia Folk Festival and Falcon Ridge — and enjoyed 12 consecutive years as one of folk radio’s 50 most-played artists, both solo and with the late Dave Carter.
Grammer’s 11th release, Low Tide, is the first of her albums to showcase her original songs. Low Tide was among the ten most-played albums on folk radio in 2018 and also was voted a Top 10 Album of the Year by Fish Records UK.
Accompanying Grammer will be Jim Henry, a versatile musician who plays guitar, mandolin and dobro and also is a singer-songwriter, podcast host, author, producer and engineer.
Photo of Tracy Grammer by Craig Harris

Robinson Treacher + Cassidy Catanzaro (CANCELLED)
2020-03-19 19:30 - 22:30
TICKET INFO
Tickets for this event are available at the Cinema Arts Centre on the day of the performance. Prices are $10 for FMSH and Cinema Arts Centre Members / $15 for Nonmembers. There are no advance tickets for this event.
Robinson Treacher
Robinson Treacher is an engaging, high-energy performing songwriter with a powerful voice and unique guitar stylings. Passionate, gritty and soulful, he has drawn comparisons to David Gray, Richie Havens and Van Morrison. He seeks to involve his listeners in the spirited orchestration of emotion that has been meticulously tempered into his songs.
“Like a tent revival shouter rooted in gospel and blues – a mix of silk and gravel – the sound is coming from a core somewhere deep,” wrote Richard Cuccaro in a Jan. 2015 Acoustic Live! in New York City cover story entitled Robinson Treacher – Soul Conjurer.
Not one to be pigeonholed into one particular genre, Robinson takes fibers from many — from the bluesy soul of Otis Redding and Sam Cooke to the weathered back- country of The Band and Hank Williams — and weaves them into his own distinct musical tapestry. An eclectic songwriter whose style can be emotionally dramatic, Robinson views his music as being at the crossroads of blues, folk and Americana.
His latest EP, Born, was named Best EP in the roots/Americana/singer-songwriter category in the 2018 Independent Music Awards. Robinson has performed at venues throughout the New York metro area and across the country. A two-time Audience Choice Award recipient at Virginia’s Lyric on the Lake Festival, He also has been a Falcon Ridge-Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase performer and has showcased his talents at a number of other festivals.
Cassidy Catanzaro
As the lead singer and creative engine of the group Antigone Rising during its most successful years (2000-2008), Cassidy Catanzaro sold more than a million records. She has toured with The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, and The Allmans; and she has appeared on The Tonight Show, A&E’s Breakfast With The Arts and on VH1 as a commentator on the popular I Love… series. Cassidy was voted by ESPN as “One To Watch,” along with other notable up-and-coming celebrities.
Her composition “For You” was recently featured on the Demi Lovato album, Confident. Cassidy has composed songs for Shinedown and Dorothy guitarist Nick Perry’s solo projects, Mount Holly and Underground Thieves, as well as secured song placements in film and television. She has used her voice as an advocate of human rights and environmental issues for decades and also is a certified Yogi.
A graduate of UCB for Improvisational Comedy, she has acted on stage, film and TV. Cassidy has performed with symphony orchestras across North America in the show, Women Rock. Her latest solo album, All Good Things, is slated for release this year.

Eric Schwartz (CANCELLED)
2020-04-04 19:30 - 22:30
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Eric Schwartz (aka Eric “Red” Schwartz) is an award-winning singer-songwriter, musical satirist, multi-instrumentalist and entertainer who has been prodding and wooing folk audiences for 25 years. Starting in the trenches of Greenwich Village’s Bleecker Street bars (remember the Back Fence?) and moving on to folk venues (NYC’s iconic The Bottom Line, Nashville’s The Bluebird Cafe, and Cambridge, MA’s Passim among them) and Festivals (Philadelphia, Falcon Ridge, Kerrville and more), Schwartz uses his combination of cutting wit and soulful ballads to entertain and challenge. He’s often political, sometimes profane, and always honest.
Eric recently went on a global walkabout — across the United States, Europe, Africa, India and Southeast Asia (including a ten hour stopover in Tokyo, where he gleefully consumed sushi in its home country). What he found was, well, the world has lots of people and most of them have cellphones. He’s thrilled to return to performing after a hiatus. He’s reinvigorated and ready.
Eric’s songs have been sung by Ronny Cox (who performs for FMSH in May), Holly Near and Van Dyke Parks. His latest CD releases are The Aristocrat, which Paul Zollo (Songwriters on Songwriting) calls “a comic treasure” and a critic for the U.K.’s Rock’n’Reel magazine calls “beautifully produced and perfectly executed,” and The Better Man, about which Rock’n’Reel writes “Eric is a great wordsmith…lots to enjoy here” and Berkeley, CA’s KALX Radio’s Brian Keathley says “A great collection of tunes with humor, and social commentary – some of which is damn profound.” In The U.S., Schwartz has also garnered radio airplay on stations as diverse as Howard Stern’s 100, Raw Dog Radio, the Ed Schultz Show and NPR’s All Things Considered.
Here’s a link to view a video of Eric Schwartz performing one of his newest songs, “Don’t Call Yourself A Christian”:

All Keyed Up: Kala Farnham + Rachael Sage (CANCELLED)
2020-04-16 19:30 - 22:30
TICKET INFO
Tickets for this event are available at the Cinema Arts Centre on the day of the performance. Prices are $10 for FMSH and Cinema Arts Centre Members / $15 for Nonmembers. There are no advance tickets for this event.
Check back later for details.

Folk Jam and Song Circle (CANCELLED)
2020-04-19 13:00 - 16:00, 2020-05-17 13:00 - 16:00
The Folk Music Society of Huntington’s monthly Folk Jam/Song Circle/Sing-Along affords musicians and singers of all experience levels an opportunity to play, sing and hone their performance skills. Extending from 1-4 p.m. one Sunday each month at the South Huntington Public Library (145 Pidgeon Hill Road, Huntington Station), the Folk Jams are completely acoustic, unplugged events attended primarily by amateur musicians and those who love to sing. Visitors who just want to listen are also welcome. Song selections range across the broad folk milieu, but are often taken from the “Rise Up Singing” or the new “Rise Again” songbooks. Admission is free and open to the public. Participants are asked to bring their voices, acoustic instruments, and a snack/non-alcoholic beverage to share.
The library staff has asked us to stress that amplifiers are NOT permitted at these jams.
Attendees are also encouraged to visit the Folk Music Society of Huntington’s website at www.fmsh.org for information about our Thursday night and Saturday night concerts. We would love to see you at these concerts.

Ronny Cox with Radoslav Lorkovic (CANCELLED)
2020-05-02 19:30 - 22:30
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Check back later for details

The Promise is Hope + Robinson & Rohe (CANCELLED)
2020-05-21 19:30 - 22:30

FMSH Co-Sponsors Aug 26th Picnic & Singing Party in Rockland County, NY (CANCELLED)
2020-08-20 11:30 - 12:30
FMSH President Michael Kornfeld, editor & publisher of AcousticMusicScene.com and vice president of the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) board of directors, joins folk DJs Diane Crowe (WMCB LPFM, Greenfield, MA), Barbara & Graham Dean (WBCR LPFM, Great Barrington, MA), and Bill Hahn (WFDU-FM, Teaneck, NJ) in emceeing the event. Aside from the pre-selected artists performing at the main stage, there will be opportunities for people of all skill levels to participate in a jam and song circle led by banjo virtuoso Roger Sprung.
“This is the one day a year that we at The Borderline give back to the community that supports us as a non-profit all year round,” says Sol Zeller, president of The Borderline Folk Music Club and the event’s chair. “What better way is there to thank the good people of Rockland than by giving them a free afternoon of non-stop music with top- quality performers.” He noted that the club is able to do this gratis because of generous grants from area businesses.“The fact that a great personality like Si Kahn will be with us only makes this picnic so much better,” he adds.
Mara Levine, a folksinger and Borderline member, who is program director for the event, echoes Zeller’s sentiments. “Si is highly regarded in the folk community for his work and his music, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to play a role in an all-day festival in his honor.”
People who plan to attend the picnic should bring lawn chairs and a cold potluck dish to share with six other people. Soft drinks, paper goods and plastic ware will be provided. No alcohol will be served or permitted on the premises. Plenty of free parking is available both on-site and at the school parking lot across the street.
Although this is a free event, Zeller requests that people make reservations in advance by sending an email to solz1@optonline.net or calling (845)354-4586. Additional information is available online at www.borderlinefolkmusicclub.org.

Joe Crookston and Amy Speace (CANCELLED)
2020-08-20 12:00 - 13:00
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO HURRICANE SANDY. WE HOPE TO RESCHEDULE THESE ARTISTS IN THE FUTURE. ADVANCE TICKETS WILL BE REFUNDED VIA PAYPAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
About The Event
Joe Crookston an Ohio native now residing in Ithaca, NY, has been developing a reputation as an energetic, charismatic and thoroughly engaging live performer. He was among the artists voted “Most Wanted to Return” during the 2007 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in upstate New York and wowed attendees in 2008 with a mix of his own lyrically compelling, narrative-style songs and choice covers (including a solo acoustic version of Supertramp’s “The Logical Song”) — much as he did during the Falcon Ridge Preview Tour”s concert in Centerport earlier that year. A serious craftsman, Crookston has heeded his father’s advice to work with his hands (and heart) in metal and wood. His latest album, Darkling and The BlueBird Jubilee has received critical acclaim. His previous release, Able Baker Charlie & Dog, a collection of songs inspired by stories ordinary New Yorkers from the Finger Lakes region related to him during his year-long travels under a songwriting grant from The Rockefeller Foundation, reached the top of the folk/acoustic radio charts and was recognized as Album of the Year during the 2009 International Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, TN. His prior release, Fall Down As The Rain, was a Performing Songwriter Magazine Top 12 DIY independent recording. Joe Crookston also has been a finalist in several prestigious national songwriting contests.
Come and enjoy Joe as he stands on stage holding his Martin OM 28, stompin his foot, singing songs about ruby red dresses, drunk roosters, ex-slaves, window washers, Polish Immigrants, Tinian Island, rutabagas and the cycles of life & death — songs about the thread that runs through us all.
For more information on Joe, click here to visit his website.
Here are links to two videos featuring Joe:
The Nazarene
Freddy The Falcon
Amy Speace has been quietly but steadily making waves in the Americana/folk world for a few years now, and in the journey, gaining support from the likes of Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark and other icons in the songwriting community. A self-described ‘late bloomer’ to songwriting, Speace was born in Baltimore, grew up the oldest of four, moving homes and states every few years. After College, she headed to New York City to pursue a life in theater. She studied acting at The National Shakespeare Conservatory, toured the US with the National Shakespeare Company, started her own theater company to direct and produce the plays she had written, and in the midst of her early 20’s, picked up a pawn shop guitar, wrote her first songs, and found herself with steady gigs at such storied venues as The Bitter End and The Living Room.
In 2005, a chance encounter with Judy Collins’ manager changed her life. Judy Collins signed Amy to her own Wildflower Records label in 2006, releasing Songs for Bright Street. The Killer In Me followed in 2009, with a rare duo appearance by Ian “Mott the Hoople” Hunter, who brought her to the UK for his Acoustic Tour. USA Today called her “a rising star”, NPR named the title track from Killer “Song of the Day” and wrote “her velvety, achy voice recalls an early Lucinda Williams.” In 2010, John Platt host of Sunday Breakfast on WFUV named Amy’s song “The Weight of the World” in the Top 5 of his list of the “Best Folk Songs of the Decade,” a song that Judy Collins herself would record and call “one of the best political folk songs I’ve ever heard”. In 2009, Amy shifted landscapes, moved south to Nashville, and began writing the songs for her latest album, Land Like A Bird. In its review of the album, the Houston Press wrote: “Amy Speace is the perfect torchbearer for the unconscious cool of true Americana”
For more information on Amy, click here to visit her website.
Here are links to a couple of videos featuring Amy:
Ghost
Haven’t Learned a Thing
Note: This 8:30 p.m. concert will be preceded by an open mic at 7:30 p.m.,for which sign-up begins at 7 p.m.

Claudia Gibson + Jordi Baizan – Live-Stream Concert
2020-09-17 20:00 - 22:00
Monthly Hard Luck Cafe Concert Series Resumes Online, September 17With Texas-Based Singer-Songwriters Jordi Baizan and Claudia Gibson
Although the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the Folk Music Society of Huntington to cancel its spring season and prevents the organization from hosting in-person concerts this fall, the FMSH board of directors recognizes the importance of music in these challenging times and believes that the show must go on-line.
Accordingly, artists are being booked for both the monthly Hard Luck Café and First Saturday Concerts series, who will livestream concerts from their homes to yours via various social media platforms. The first of these will be the Hard Luck Café, held in partnership with the Cinema Arts Centre, on Thursday, September 17.
Beginning at 8 p.m., it will feature Jordi Baizan and Claudia Gibson, two talented Texas-based artists, who will engage in an online song swap. There will not be an open mic preceding the concert. Nor is there a fee to view and listen, although tips to the artists (via PayPal or Venmo), who have lost many gigs due to the ongoing health crisis, will be much appreciated. The concert may be viewed online @
http://www.facebook.com/CinemaArtsCentre/
http://www.facebook.com/ClaudiaGibsonMusic/
http://www.facebook.com/JordiBaizanMusic/
http://tinyurl.com/YouTubeClaudiaGibson/
Jordi Baizan is a first-generation American and native Texan songwriter. His songwriting, which American Songwriter has called “exquisite,” has garnered him recognition from the Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Competition, the Songwriter Serenade and the South Florida Folk Festival’s Singer-Songwriter Competition. Recently signed by Berkalin Records, label owner Brian J. Kalinec says “Jordi’s songs convey authenticity perfectly intertwined with memorable melodies. His unique voice and his stories draw you in from the beginning, and you can’t wait to hear the next page.” Lonestar Time (Italy) welcomed Jordi “into the great family of true troubadours.” Walt Wilkins, who produced Jordi’s June 2019 sophomore release, Free and Fine, says: “This is a beautiful record, full of grown-up but still joyous & hopeful songs by a true artist & deep soul.” The album debuted at #4 on the Euro-Americana Chart (Europe) and #20 on the monthly FAI Folk Radio Charts compiled by Folk Alliance International — remaining on the latter through earlier this year. Here’s a link to view a few of Jordi’s videos: http://jordibaizan.com/music-video/.
His tipjar addresses are Venmo: @Jordi-Baizan and Paypal: paypal.me/jordibaizan.
Claudia Gibson – A 2019 Kerrville New Folk Finalist and winner of the 2018 Woody Guthrie Songwriting Competition for “Dreamers” from her current EP Louisiana Sky, Claudia writes memorable Folk/Americana songs featuring what the Houston Music Review terms “her beautiful voice and thoughtful lyrics.” Grammy-nominated songwriter David Lee calls Claudia “a songwriter’s songwriter.” A Wimberley, TX resident and lifelong singer-songwriter and guitarist, Claudia’s recent tours include listening rooms and theatres in Texas, New Mexico and New York. Her first CD, Step By Step, produced by Band of Heathens front man Gordy Quist, made the Roots Music Report’s 2017 Top Americana/Country radio chart. Claudia’s songs merge her long-honed musical skills with a lifetime’s experience, creating songs rich with human emotion. Whether it’s the purposeful journey chronicled in “Cleveland, Ohio,” the improbably successful domestic life of “Step By Step,” or the uncertain dual life lived by DACA recipients in “Dreamers,” Claudia’s songs ring true because she describes moments and emotions we all know and recognize. Here’s a link to view a few of Claudia’s videos: http://claudiagibson.com/video.
You can tip Claudia via Venmo @claudiagibsonmusic or paypal.me/claudiatgibson.
Established in 1973, the Cinema Arts Centre (www.cinemaartscentre.org)
seeks to bring the best of cinematic artistry to Long Island and use the power of film to expand the awareness and consciousness of our community. Long island’s only not-for-profit, viewer-supported independent cinema presents a wide array of films that are often accompanied by discussions and guest speakers.
Founded in the late 1960s, the Folk Music Society of Huntington (www.fmsh.org, 631-425-2925) generally presents two monthly concert series, a monthly folk jam, and an annual folk festival in conjunction with the Huntington Arts Council. Like the Cinema, FMSH is a member of the Huntington Arts Council and the Long Island Arts Alliance. Several FMSH leaders are active in Folk Alliance International and Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), with which the organization is also affiliated.

James Maddock – Live-Stream Concert
2020-10-03 20:00 - 21:00
James Maddock, an acclaimed NYC-based British singer-songwriter, will be the featured artist when the Folk Music Society resumes its monthly First Saturday Concerts’ series. Since the ongoing pandemic prevents the nonprofit organization from hosting in-person concerts, the concert will be live streamed online via the artist’s Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/jamesmaddockmusic/) beginning at 8 p.m. There will not be an open mic preceding it.
“Unlike our live concerts at the Congregational Church of Huntington, where James has graced our stage twice, there is no admission fee for this online concert,” said Michael Kornfeld, president of the FMSH board of directors. ”However, like other musicians, James has had most of his gigs cancelled, is unable to tour now, and would appreciate donations via his online tip jar while you are viewing the concert. You can also visit his website (http://www.jamesmaddock.net) and purchase James’ new album, No Time to Cry, and/or his previous ones.”
Since 1999, James Maddock’s boldly vulnerable songwriting, honeyed rasp, and distinct folk and Americana aesthetic have garnered acclaim from icons, peers, and taste-making media outlets like NPR, American Songwriter Magazine, Relix Magazine, and CMT Edge.
“James Maddock possesses the kind of lived-in, craggy voice that would sound authoritative if he were singing the sports pages,” notes Relix. “Fortunately, he doesn’t need to do that because his compositional skills are a match for his delivery.” His consistency as a recording artist and a captivating live performer has attracted a devoted fan-base.
A noted songwriter, raspy voiced crooner and guitarist, Maddock first gained attention with the band Wood, whose debut recording, Songs from Stamford Hill, was featured prominently on the TV show Dawson’s Creek. After fronting the band, he moved from England to New York City 17 years ago. His 2009 release, Sunrise on Avenue C, won a New York Music Award for Best Americana Album, while its follow-up, Wake Up And Dream, ranked among the top albums of 2011 in WFUV’s Radio’s Listener Poll.
Here’s a link to the official video for James Maddock’s song, “My Old Neighborhood”:

And here’s a link to view the official video for his song “Another Life”:
http://jamesmaddock.net/video
Maddock has earned the respect of masterful songwriters Bruce Springsteen and Willie Nile, with whom he’s also performed. He has been a guest on major national TV shows, an artist in residence at Rockwood Music Hall (the Manhattan club at which he also recorded a live album), and has had coveted official showcases at Folk Alliance International conferences.
Established in the late 1960s, the Folk Music Society of Huntington generally presents two monthly concert series, a monthly folk jam, and an annual folk festival in conjunction with the Huntington Arts Council. It hopes to resume these once it is safe and feasible to do so.
