1. hobbies and interests
2. guitar

Volume 17, Issue 7
Celebrating Piedmont Carolinas Music Since 1982
25th Annual Old-Time Music Jam
Virginia Weekend July 26-28
ters of jammers scattered all about
For the past 24 years, Tom and Barthe farmhouse yard – creating little
bara Phlegar have invited Folk Socipockets of music everywhere. Muety members to escape from Charsicians start picking Friday night
lotte’s heat and humidity and spend
and continue playing until the last
a weekend sharing community and
folks leave on Sunday. The centertraditional music in the green
piece of the weekend is Saturday
mountains of Virginia. This year’s
evening’s covered dish meal. BarCFS Old-Time Music Jam Virginia
becue is provided, with guests
Weekend takes place Friday, July
bringing complementary side
26th, through Sunday, July 28th. If
dishes. Afyou’ve never
been before, go
ter supper,
this year, bethe music
cause we expect
resumes and
that this will be
dancing bethe last Virginia
gins!
Jam Weekend!
We are so grateFolks are
ful to the Phlewelcome to
gars for hosting
camp in the
thousands of
rough on the
music lovers
farm. Or
through 25
they can
You’ve arrived when you see the barn!
years.
choose to
stay in one of the many hotels
The weekend on the Phlegar Family
within a fifteen-to-thirty-minute
Farm near Pearisburg, Virginia ofdrive from the farm.
fers a relaxed, family-friendly, gathering of folks who share a love of
The Phlegars charge no admission,
traditional acoustic music. Some
but do ask for donations to help
are novice players; some are lifewith expenses for barbecue, paper
long pickers. Others are simply lisproducts, and Porta-Jon rentals.
teners. Most play old-time, bluegrass, or gospel tunes. Some are
If you know you’re attending,
friends, relatives, and neighbors of
please call Tom or Barbara at 704the Phlegars. Others are strangers
535-2154 by July 15th to let them
from several states away. All are
know you’re going. Tom says to
welcomed.
come, even without an RSVP –
just be sure to bring a dish to
This is no fiddler‘s convention – no
share at Saturday supper. Plan,
contests or competition. Just clustoo, to take chairs and instruments.
(Continued on page 3.)
1
July 2013
Create Your
Own Phlegar
Farm Memories
This Summer!
By Cathey Franklin
I had heard about the music weekend at Phlegar Farm for years before I ever got around to attending
it. (In the spring of 2011), when I
heard fellow CFS Board member
Ramona Moore Big Eagle say that
she wanted a travel buddy to go
with her to this event, I jumped at
the chance.
To begin with, the ride from Charlotte to the Phlegar Farm in Virginia
is glorious, with some of the prettiest mountain scenary to be found
anywhere. The view from our motel in the nearby tiny town of Pearisburg was breathtaking as well, as
the area is sorrounded by mountain
ranges. Ramona and I even found
several things we wanted to do
right there near the motel; Ramona
hit the Goodwill across the street,
and I hit the motel pool!
The drive from Pearisburg to the
farm takes you along gravel roads,
off the beaten path. When arriving
on the grounds, the sounds of great
old-time music greet you as you
seek out a place to park in the adjacent field. The only problem is deciding which music jam to visit first!
Ah, but then Mr. Pig and all the
(Continued on page 4.)
FOLK CALENDAR
Charlotte Folk
Society Mission
The purpose of the Charlotte Folk
Society, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization and an Arts & Science
Council grant recipient, is to promote the ongoing enjoyment and
preservation of traditional and contemporary folk music, dance, crafts,
and lore.
Hire Musicians
For Your
Next Event
The Charlotte Folk Society has extensive resources to help you with
your special event or conference –
anything from just a taste of this region’s Appalachian musical heritage to a full evening of music and
dance with audience participation.
Call Karen Singleton at 704-3645433 to arrange for entertainment
and/or instruction at reasonable
rates.
CFS Member
Discounts
Please support these merchants who
offer Charlotte Folk Society members a 10% discount on their purchases. Present your membership
card at the time of purchase:
AC Accounting (Allen Cooke)
CD Warehouse
Smiling Moon Guitars
The Violin Shoppe
Wax Museum
Rob Webster, Santa Cruz Guitars
Woody’s (Rock Hill and York)
The musician’s friend,
Visit http://hetzler.
homestead.com.
CFS Partners
Aldersgate
Allen Tate Agent Becky Herring
Arts & Science Council
Charlotte Museum of History
Photographer Daniel Coston
Si Kahn
Levine Museum of the New South
Maxx Music
Myers Park Baptist Church
The Neighborhood Theatre
The Swannanoa Gathering
Storytellers Guild of Charlotte
The Violin Shoppe
Tosco Music Party
WGWG-FM
WTVI-TV
Folk Calendar
Contributors
Thanks go to Jody Mace, John
Doyle, Nuala Kennedy, and Tom
Phlegar for photos in this issue.
Thanks to Bill Cooke for putting together the dance calendar. We appreciate Hat and Dan Thompson for
labeling and stamping the newsletter for mailing every month. Contact Wanda Hubicki at 704-563-7080
or [email protected] to contribute calendar listings.
Charlotte Folk Society
Annual Membership Fees
Individual $30
Student $20
Family $40
Senior Individual (62+) $25
Senior Family (62+) $35
Sustaining $50
Sponsor $100
Benefactor $250
Patron $500
Lifetime $1000
Affiliate Organization $35
2
CFS Folk Calendar
Folk Calendar is a publication of the
Charlotte Folk Society. No articles may
be reproduced without the permission of
the Society. Deadline for all submissions
is generally the 20th of the month preceding publication. Contact Wanda Hubicki at 704-563-7080. Submit articles
by email at
[email protected], or by U. S.
mail at 3610 Country Club Drive, Charlotte, NC 28205. All rights reserved.
2013 Board of Directors
President:
Tom Covington
704-334-0778
Vice President:
Vacant
Secretary:
Bethli Miescher-Clemens
704-892-4914
Treasurer:
Christa Winfrey
704-366-1355
Members at Large
Mark Clemens
704-892-4914
Dennis Frost
704-532-8846
Ramona Moore Big Eagle
704-568-6940
Karen Singleton
704-364-5433
Sue Eldridge
704-364-8858
Sara Spencer
704-375-3042
Cathey Franklin
704-525-3256
Junior Board Members
Annika Bowers
704-821-8184
Davy Fee
704-236-3285
Isabelle Young
704-243-3871
Newsletter Editor & Publicist
Wanda Hubicki
704-563-7080
Webmaster
Ed Gebauer
704-886-5371
Founder and Board Member Emeritus
Marilyn Meacham Price
803-548-5671
Charlotte Folk Society Events Information
704-372-FOLK (704-372-3655)
FOLK CALENDAR
(Old-Time Jam Weekend, cont’d from page 1.)
The weekend is a family event, so
please leave distilled spirits at
home and limit the malted beverages. Travel time from central
Charlotte is about three hours.
Visit our website at www.
folksociety.org to see a slideshow of
photos from past Jam Weekends.
Directions to Phlegar Family Farm
from Charlotte:
Alternate Route in Case of Heavy
Traffic
Saturday traffic can be very heavy,
resulting in long delays due to travelers returning north from Myrtle
Beach. Congestion usually occurs at
the intersection of I-81 and I-77,
about 20 miles north of Hillsville,
and will back up five to eight miles,
causing delays of an hour or more.
(Note: it’s a good idea to pick up a
state road map, available at the Virginia Welcome Center on I-77.) Follow the directions below to avoid
delays.
1. Take I-77 North to I-81 (in Virginia); about 134 miles from
Charlotte.
2. I-81 North to Exit 98
(Route 100); about 25 miles.
3. Route 100 North to
Pearisburg, Virginia; about
20 miles. Go to first stop
light. Turn right on Route
460 East. (Note: motels are
one-half mile farther North on
Route 100, past stoplight; Holiday Motor Lodge, 540-9211551, and Plaza Motel, 540921-2591.)
4. Route 460 East will beFlat footin’ after Saturday night potluck
come four lanes at edge of
town. Go past Wal-Mart on left and
1. On I-77 North in Virginia, take
cemetery on right; about 3 miles.
Exit 14. Go East on Route 58 to
5. Bear right continuing on 460
Hillsville. Go straight through
East over a bridge which crosses the
town past stoplight.
New River.
2. About one-fourth mile past the
6. After bridge, go up the hill.
stoplight, bear left on Route 221.
Turn left on State Route 635. You
Route 58 continues straight; do not
will see a sign that reads “White
follow it.
Rock Recreation Area”; about 1.5
3. Follow Route 221 for approximiles.
mately 2 miles.
7. At the bottom of a long hill and
4. Turn left on Route 100. (Only
before starting back up another hill,
left turn possible, as Route 100 deadturn right on State Route 626 (dirt),
ends on Route 221.) Follow for
which is now called Dry Branch
about 20 miles to I-81.
Road; about 1 mile.
5. Take I-81 North to Exit 98 at
8. After traveling on this dirt road
Dublin, which connects to Route
through heavy woods, you will
100 North.
open up into cleared fields. Partial
6. Follow steps 3 through 8 in the
remains of an old barn will be on
earlier instructions in this article.
the right. The gate and driveway to
The Phlegar Farm is set in the beauthe house and gathering place are
tiful Virginia mountains, with easy
beside the barn. Look for a sign.
access to the New River. You may
want to extend your weekend and
3
enjoy some recreation, while
you’re there. Float trips (tubing,
canoeing, fishing, etc.) on the New
River are available through Tangent Outfitters in nearby Pembroke, Virginia (phone 540-6264567). Located on the premises is
an excellent café with deli sandwishes and a full eat-in or take-out
menu. This is a full service, onestop location for everything outdoors, including clothing, equipment, fishing supplies, etc., as well
as convenience items and selfservice gasoline.
Christmas
In July:
Half-Price CFS
Memberships
Each July and August, we offer
new and renewing members a
chance to enjoy six months of
membership at half the usual cost.
It’s easy – just visit www.
folksociety.org and and join online, using a credit card, or download a membership form and mail
it in with your check. You’ll receive a monthly newsletter from
now through
December. We
have a terrific lineup of
Gathering
performers
for the 2013 –
2014 season –
representing the
diverse interests of
our members. Join or renew now.
Enjoy the satisfaction of supporting CFS and realizing our mission!
If there’s someone you’d like to
introduce to the Folk Society, this
is the perfect time to give them a
gift membership. Share the joy!
FOLK CALENDAR
(Memories, continued from page 1.)
trimmings are being set up on tables behind the barn, and before
you know it, food becomes the focus! Being partly a potluck meal,
there's plenty for everyone,
whether you're a vegetarian like
me or a meat 'n' taters type.
At different times during the day
or evening, there might be a special offering for visitors. I had a
great time introducing adults and
children to the basics of how to do
a clogging step while accompanied
by live music provided by fine musicians such as Tom Hanchett and
Tom Estes. A large board placed
on the ground near the barn made
a great dance floor! Ramona
Moore Big Eagle (who is the Storytellers Guild of Charlotte President) enchanted listeners with several of her special tales as well. An
interactive storyteller, Ramona
keeps her audience totally attentive.
The focus throughout this wonderful weekend is music and more
music. If you just can't get enough
of listening (like me) or playing
(whether you are a novice or accomplished musician), this is the
venue for you! As long as there
are listeners, there are probably
musicians who will continue to
play for you. And what a great
place to learn from other musicians
and to have the chance to jam with
those who you might not otherwise
get to jam with. And if you want
to dance? Dance to your heart’s
delight!
Before heading back home, we explored some of the area around
Pearisburg. We agreed that the
next time we go to Phlegar’s Farm,
we will plan to stay an extra day or
two in order to further explore the
area. There are great places to
hike, swim, and eat in the vicinity.
Ask Tom Phlegar to direct you to
his son's nearby general store where
you can find delightful souvenirs as
well as enjoy a wonderful meal.
Tom and Barbara Phlegar deserve a
huge amount of gratitude from CFS
members and from music lovers in
their vicinity for hosting this wonderful event annually. This is a
costly effort, and it would mean so
much if every attendee this summer
would consider making a generous
donation (since this event is free!) to
help the Phlegars offset the cost of
hosting the weekend. My intention
is to attend the Phlegar Farm music
weekend again this summer. It will
be another great one, and will be
even better if you attend!
Editor’s Note: Both Cathey Franklin
and Ramona Moore Big Eagle are planning be at Phlegar’s Farm on Saturday.
No doubt they’ll be sharing stories and
clogging lessons again this year!
Folk Music at
Polk July 13th!
North Carolina State museums and
historic sites are offering visitors a
mix of history, skilled craft artists,
and North Carolina culture on second Saturdays this summer. The
President James K. Polk State Historic Site (12031 Lancaster Highway,
Pineville) is presenting Music of the
Nineteenth Century on Saturday,
July 13th, 10 AM to 3 PM. Admission to both the program and the site
are free. Various genres of music
popular during President Polk’s administration will be performed by
Marilyn Price (guitar) and Pam
Garcia (banjo); Tom Hanchett
(fiddle) and John Cone (guitar), of
the Flat Possum Hoppers old-time
string band; Janet Dyer (fiddle and/
or bowed psaltery); and Julie Harris
(guitar and/or harp). Marilyn Price
will have percussion instruments to
loan to children to join in the music.
4
September 27-29
Celtic Music
Weekend At
Wildacres
Retreat
By Tom Walsh
I hope that you can join us for the
“first annual” Celtic Music Weekend at Wildacres Retreat, September 27-29, 2013, sponsored by the
Charlotte Folk Society. Registration will be limited to 20 musicians.
Wildacres is a beautiful conference
center in the heart of the Blue
Ridge Mountains, about a mile
from the Blue Ridge Parkway,
near Little Switzerland, North
Carolina. They have delicious
food, and every room has its own
private bath. You can see more
about Wildacres on their website
www.wildacres.org.
We will begin with registration at
4 PM on Friday and end whenever
everyone has had their fill of playing on Sunday. In between, there
will be sessions and more sessions,
plus two Saturday workshops led
by U.S. National Scottish Fiddle
Champion Jamie Laval. The workshops will encourage playing by
ear. Jamie will also present a concert on Saturday evening for our
entertainment. You can see more
about him on his website at
www.JamieLaval.com, including
reviews of his workshops. A
friend of mine told me the other
day that he has attended more
than 30 workshops at the Swannanoa Gathering over the years,
and Jamie’s was at the very top of
his list.
FOLK CALENDAR
For more information, or to request a registration form, email
[email protected].
The Violin Shoppe Donates
Guitar for 2013 CFS Raffle!
Cost of the entire workshop (two
nights, five meals, sessions, two
workshops, Saturday night concert) is $248. A deposit check for
$100 must accompany your application. Full payment of the remainder is due on or before
August 15.
Thanks to the continued generosity
of Glen Alexander and David
McGuirt, proprietors of The Violin
Shoppe, Inc., the Charlotte Folk
Society will raise funds through an
instrument raffle again this year.
The Registration Form lists a sample of Jamie Laval’s workshop topics. The topics chosen will be the
ones most requested by registrants, and are not restricted to
those listed.
We are very appreciative of the
Violin Shoppe donation
to CFS of a Wood Song
Model DCE-HS Acoustic Guitar with padded
gig bag.
This will be an unforgettable
weekend! Beautiful instrumental
music in a beautiful setting!
The Dreadnought Cutaway Electric guitar is
beautiful, with a reddish-to-golden sunburst
gloss finish. The top is
solid Sitka spruce. The
neck is mahogany, the
sides, back, bridge, and
fingerboard are rosewood. It has beautiful
inlay, an onboard tuner,
Check out their extensive
and a pickup allowing it
selection of violins in all
to be plugged in. David
price ranges. The Violin
McGuirt describes it as
Shoppe has a fiddle for
“playing like a dream.”
every budget – from $200
You will find detailed
specifications here:
Wood Song DCE-HS to $5000. They are a licensed dealer for both
www.woodsongguitars.
Eastman
and
Loar guitars and mancom/products/details/w/
dolins.
Services
include expert reinstrument/3/Dreadnoughtpair,
restoration,
and re-hairing for
Cutaway-Electric. The Wood Song
violins,
violas,
cellos,
and basses.
Model DCE-HS retails for $550.
Charlotte
Appalachian
Dulcimer Club
Meetings
The Charlotte Appalachian Dulcimer Club meets after every secondFriday CFS Gathering with a beginner-friendly jam. Loaner instruments are available if you want to
try your hand. If you have a dulcimer you’d like to play, bring it with
you and we’ll get you tuned up
and playing in no time! Look for
us in the office around the corner
from the sanctuary on the second
floor after the August 9th Gathering concert.
The Club also has a weekly Friday
morning Dulcimer Jam in the Arboretum area if you’re interested. For
more information about either the
weekly or monthly sessions, contact Mark Willingham at 980-2548059.
The guitar will be on display and
raffle tickets will be available to
purchase at monthly secondFriday Gatherings, beginning in
August. For your convenience,
buy tickets online at www.
folksociety.org. Tickets cost $3
each or $15 for six.
Drawing of the winning ticket will
take place during the Folk Society’s Annual Holiday Potluck,
5
tentatively scheduled for Sunday,
December 8th, at Dilworth United
Methodist Church, 605 East Boulevard, in Charlotte. Ticket holders
need not be present to win. For tax
compliance reasons, the raffle winner must fill out a W-9 form before
receiving the instrument. The winner is responsible for all
resulting income taxes, if
any.
The Violin Shoppe is located at 2112 East Seventh
Street. Folk Society members receive a 10% discount. Be sure to take
your CFS member card
when shopping. For detailed information about
instruments, accessories,
and services offered, visit
www.theviolinshoppe.
net.
The Violin Shoppe offers traditional
and bluegrass fiddle lessons, as well
as classical violin and cello lessons,
including the Suzuki Method. Instruction for guitar, banjo, mandolin, Dobro, bass, and bodhran is also
available. Award-winning musicians/instructors, Glen Alexander
and Jon Singleton, make The Violin
Shoppe a destination for both traditional and bluegrass students.
FOLK CALENDAR
July 23rd House Concert Features
John Doyle and Nuala Kennedy
Celtic music lovers have a remarkAmerica with her singing, dancing,
able opportunity you are unlikely to
and playing,
see repeated to enjoy a concert by
two headliners. On Tuesday, July
"Kennedy doesn't so much imbibe
23rd, John Doyle and Nuala Kenor inhale as swallow, whole and
nedy will perform in the Cornelius
unadulterated, melodic and rhythhome of Mark and Bethli Miescher
mic influences from beyond her
Clemens. This very
kith and kin. A delispecial evening gets
cious mix of influunderway at 7:30 PM.
ences abound, withAdmission is $20 per
out ever sacrificing
person. Space is limmusical identity." –
The Irish Times
ited; advance reservations are required.
From a musical famMake yours by contactily in Dublin, John’s
ing Bethli at emieinfluences include
[email protected] or
well known English
704-892-4914. Direcfolk singers Nic
tions will be given with
Jones, Martin Carthy,
reservations. Guests
Richard Thompson,
are invited to bring the
Nuala Kennedy
and The Watersons;
beverage of their
Scottish singers Dick
choosing and a dessert
Gaughan and John Martin; and felto share.
low Irishmen Paul Brady and Al
O’Donnell as well as his
Currently touring Noble
father, Sean Doyle –
Stranger, her third solo
probably the biggest
release on Nashville's
influence of all. John
Compass Records Label,
went on the road as a
Nuala Kennedy is an Irish
pro at sixteen with the
singer and flute player
group Chanting
with hauntingly beautiful
House, which he
vocals, adventurous informed with Susan
strumentation, and an
McKeown and which
imaginative mix of influeventually included
ences. Nuala grew up in
such great players as
Dundalk, County Louth,
Seamus Egan, Eileen
a musical area which has
Ivers, and Donogh
long historical links with
Hennessy. John went
Scotland and where she
John Doyle
on to form the highly
was a member of a local
acclaimed super group, Solas,
ceilidh band, Ceoltoiri Oga Oghriwith Seamus Egan, John Williams,
alla. The combination of the best
Karan Casey, and Winifred Horan,
influences of the two cultures, Scotwhich took the folk and Celtic muland and Ireland, is what has made
sic worlds by storm, in no small
Nuala the artist she is today. A conpart due to John’s powerhouse
summate performer wih a buoyant
rhythmic guitar style and innovapersonality, she has simply extive arrangements.
ploded on to the scene in North
6
Milestones:
Legends Of
The Doc
Watson Clan
By Wanda Hubicki
Milestones: Legends of the Doc
Watson Clan, a four-CD set and a
photo book, were released in April
of this year. Nancy Watson, Doc
Watson’s only daughter, labored
for three years to compile the material, with some input from her
father..
I recently listened to an hour-long
program of selections from Milestones streamed on BluegrassCountry.org. First off, the sound
quality was excellent. Recordings
made in the Watson are not your
average home recordings! I was
struck by the sense of the intimacy
they created. I felt like one of the
Watsons, listening to conversations
and family stories recounted between songs and tunes. As eclectic
as Doc’s on-stage selections were,
these CDs still hold surprises.
“I’m so happy that my project is
finally seeing the light of day,”
commented Nancy Watson. “ I’m
looking forward to inviting everyone to be part of the family for a
bit.” Created, conceived, and compiled by Nancy Watson and produced by Roy Andrade, a member
of the Bluegrass and Old Time
Country Music Studies faculty at
East Tennessee State University,
the set boasts 94 unreleased songs
and stories by Doc and other family members—plus collages of
more than 500 Watson family photos.
“This set is a broad and personal
offering from within the Watson
FOLK CALENDAR
family itself and is presented with
such care,” Andrade adds. “It is
both eclectic and traditional, and
presents Doc Watson as he has
never been heard before, but also
features other members of the
Watson Family. It is a pleasure to
help Nancy see this through.”
The collection is not a repackaging
of earlier releases. These are home
recordings spanning the years
from 1954 to 2007. It is music and
commentary, most of it recorded
for personal entertainment, that
was previously unavailable outside the Watson family.
The album is jointly annotated by
Andrade, who, in addition to his
academic achievements was a
founding member of the Reeltime
Travelers, and the renowned musician and scholar Jody Stecher.
Milestones is available at http://
www.docwatsonmilestones.com.
2013 CFS
Ice Cream
Social & Jams
The CFS Old-Time Music Jam &
Ice Cream Social will take place
this year on Saturday, September
7, 1-4 PM. Please, save the date!
We are partnering with the Charlotte Museum of History, our host.
Events will take place on the
grounds of the Hezekiah Alexander Homesite, 3500 Shamrock
Drive, in East Charlotte. The Storytellers Guild of Charlotte will
again join with us to offer an an
old-fashioned afternoon of family
fun!
As a special addition to the day,
George Washington will visit the
Alexander Homesite and greet
visitors!
Sally Barris House Concert &
Workshop July 26th & 27th
Nashville singer/songwriter Sally
Barris is performing in Charlotte on
her way to teaching songwriting
classes at the Swannanoa Gathering
Contemporary Folk Week. CFS
member Katie Oates is presenting
Sally Barris in concert in her Dilworth home on Friday, July 26th. at
6:30 PM. The $30 admission includes dinner. RSVP to
[email protected]. Directions will be given with reservations.
Sally Barris will lead a Songwriting
Workshop on Saturday, July 27th,
1-5 PM. The cost is $30. The workshop also takes place in Katie
Oates' home. RSVP to
[email protected]. Directions will be given with reservations.
The workshop is open to all ages,
all levels, and all styles. Have your
song seriously listened to and critiqued. Get advice on the art and
craft of songwriting. Learn how to
write a song about anything, anytime, anywhere. Bring one song to
sing live or on a CD; bring extra
copies of your lyrics.
Attend both the concert and workshop for $50.
Sally Barris is an A-list Nashville
songwriter who has had songs covered by such top-level artists as
Kathy Mattea, Martina McBride,
and Lee Ann Womack. Her song
Let The Wind Chase You, recorded by Trisha Yearwood and
Keith Urban, received a Grammy
nomination for vocal collaboration
in 2009. While her writing credits
mightily impress, fans and peers
are most captivated by Sally’s
bright spirit and expressive moun7
tain soprano. Learn more about
Sally and sample her music on her
website: http://www.sallybarris.
com.
"Her soulful folk soprano is equal
parts mountain rustic and ethereal
poet." - Music Row Magazine
Sally Barris
"Barris knows how to write lyrics
that are as forthright as a stream of
clear water and how to support
them with melodies that share that
quality." - Dirty Linen
“Sally Barris has a voice like sparkling crystal. You could have
knocked me over with a feather the
first time I heard her. Her writing is
from a deep, yet innocent, place and
her point of view is just a bit off center. I am excited for her, she is
standing at the beginning of her
journey in this town, with all of it
ahead of her. It reminds me of the
first time I heard Beth NielsonChapman or Nanci Griffith. It’s going to be fun to watch.” - Kathy
Mattea
We are so fortunate as to have a
musician and songwriter of Sally
Barris’ caliber coming through
Charlotte on her way to teaching at
Swannanoa. Do take advantage of
her being in town – whether you’re
a songwriter yourself, or you just
love to listen to live acoustic music!
FOLK CALENDAR
Singer/Songwriter Joe Crookston
In August 4th House Concert
Acclaimed singer/songwriter Joe
Crookston performs in a house
concert hosted by Common Chord
Concerts on Sunday, August 4th.
He’s heading to Charlotte straight
from the Swannanoa Gathering,
where he’s teaching classes in
songwriting and performance during Contemporary Folk Week.
Visit Joe’s website at http://
joecrookston.com.
Guests are invited to gather at
4:30 PM; Joe plays at 5 PM. The
suggested donation is $15. This
concert will be in the north part of
Charlotte; the address will be provided upon RSVP. Email [email protected]
to reserve your spots. http://
www.commonchordconcerts.
com/event/details/joecrookston/
From Ithaca, New York, Joe is recognized as a standout in the folk
music world. His 2008 CD, Able
Baker Charlie & Dog received the
most airplay of any folk acoustic
recording and was awarded
“Album of the Year” by the International Folk Alliance in Memphis,
Tennessee. He received a yearlong songwriting grant from the
Rockefeller Foundation to travel
throughout New York State, collect
stories, and write original songs.
His 2004 album, Fall Down as the
Rain, was featured on NPR’s “All
Songs Considered” and was chosen by Performing Songwriter
Magazine as a Top-12 DIY release.
Watch a video of Fall Down as the
Rain at http://youtu.be/
KrdlYftMn94
Joe’s songs are inspired by stories,
and just about anything might
show up in them. “I’m inspired by
great stories, Taoist parables,
drunken roosters, rutabagas, life,
death, slaves, troubled teens, Robert
Frost, falcons, everything,” Joe says.
His shows are high energy, very
rhythmic, musical, and fun. Don’t
miss this one!
“This is not reviewers hype…this
guy is flat out good”
– Rodger Nichols of The Dalles Oregon Chronicle
Joe Crookston
“With all the performers out there,
an artist has to go beyond good…
and Joe does.”
– Sing Out Magazine
“Joe Crookston is decidedly one of
today’s standout troubadours. On
Darkling & the BlueBird Jubilee, he
sings the heart pure, he sings the
soul holy, he sings the mind unshackled, and he sings the world
loud and true.” – Roots Music Examiner
Other Upcoming Common Chord
Concerts House Shows:
Friday, July 12th: Mipso
Saturday, August 10th: Paleface
Visit www.commonchordconcerts.
com for more information on these
shows, and email [email protected] to RSVP.
8
Two New
Books From
Photographer
& Writer
Daniel Coston
Daniel Coston, our favorite photographer, is a busy man! His
book There Was A Time: Rock In
The 1960s In Charlotte, And North
Carolina, co-authored with Jacob
Berger, is now out through Fort
Canoga Press. You can find the
book at the website therewasatimebook.blogspot.com, or you
can purchase the book at Amazon.
com.
Daniel’s other new book, North
Carolina Musicians: Photographs
And Conversations, will be available in mid-July through McFarland Publications. This book features 140 of his photos, nineteen
interviews, and his stories about
working with musicians throughout North Carolina. The book is
now available for pre-order on
Amazon.com. Southpark Magazine will be excerpting parts of the
book in their July issue. Daniel
expects to be traveling the state
this summer in support of this
book.
Daniel Coston's career in photography began accidentally. A
magazine writer, he began taking
photographs for his stories when
the regular photographer was unavailable, and his contacts as a
writer led him to invitations to
take pictures of local musicians.
Over the past sixteen years, his
life-long fascination with the
sounds of North Carolina music
drew him to begin documenting
the musicians in his adopted state.
North Carolina Musicians: Photographs And Conversations is a col-
FOLK CALENDAR
lection of the best photographs, as
well as the stories behind them.
From Doc Watson to Ben Folds,
musicians of all genres are represented here in the studio, in concert, at festivals, and at home. He
also interviewed members of the
Avett Brothers, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Squirrel Nut Zippers,
and many more.
Visit http://www.
danielcostonphotography.com to
view Daniel’s portfolio and catch
his latest news!
Final Notes
We offer our sympathy and prayers to Ed Gebauer for the loss of
his brother, Paul, in March.
Long-time CFS member Joe Riggs
died June 10th and the June 14th
Gathering was dedicated to his
memory. Joe was a member of
Marilyn Price’s CPCC Jam Class
and an autoharp musician and enthusiast. A group of Folk Society
musicians honored Joe’s wishes to
have a selection of old-time tunes
and train songs performed at his
June 22nd memorial service.
Marilyn Meacham Price was
joined by Pam Price Garcia, Tom
Kelleher, Dot Lorenz, Carole Outwater, Karen Singleton, and Ruth
Kee Wherry. We offer our sincere
sympathy to Ellie Riggs, Joe’s wife,
and Jessica Riggs Lannine, Joe’s
daughter, as well as the rest of his
family.
Corine Waterman, long-time Folk
Society member, autoharp player,
and participant in Marilyn Price’s
fourteen-year-long Jam Class
passed away on July 7th at her
home in Newland. We extend to
her husband, Don, and her children, grandchildren, and siblings
our heartfelt sympathy on their
loss.
Charlotte Folk
Society Celtic
Sessions
By Ed Gebauer
Each month folks who enjoy playing
Irish and Scottish music gather together in what are called Celtic Music
Sessions. The Charlotte Folk Society
sponsors both Slow and Intermediate
learner sessions for those that come
and play.
Information about the Slow Session
can be found at www.folksociety.org/
celticsession_slow.shtml, and may be
the perfect place for you to play if you
are:
a beginner who wants to learn to play
Celtic tunes (though we assume you
know how to play your instrument);
you're not a beginner, but you're new
to Celtic tunes and want to ease in;
you're not a beginner, but you want a
slow pace to work on some techniques;
you're conversant in one instrument,
but want to dabble in another.
At the Regular Intermediate Session,
we play from an expanded list of
tunes, and it is the place to be for
working your tunes up to speed, freeing oneself from the sheet music, and
adding the signature styling to the
melodies that make this music so special. You can learn all about the Regular Session by visiting www.
folksociety.org/celticsession.shtml.
At these website locations, you can
download copies of the music we'll
play and sign up to be on the monthly
email distributions that share where
these sessions will be held. Or, you
can contact John Goldsbury directly at
[email protected]. Hope
to see you there!
9
Greater
Charlotte
Ukulele
Meetup
By Timothy Scott Williams
The ukulele is enjoying a current
wave of popularity, appealing to
folks of all ages and backgrounds and lending itself to
many different genres of music.
The Greater Charlotte Ukulele
Meetup reflects this diversity.
We have members from all over
the world, some of whom are
experienced musicians and many
that are just learning. We meet
at various venues around the
Charlotte area to develop skills,
play different types of music,
and socialize. There is no pressure on members to perform for
live audiences, but for those so
inclined we also look for performance opportunities, and
some of our members recently
played our first festival this past
April 20th (the Charlotte World
Parade & Festival http://www.
worldparadefestival.org/index.
html). If you are interested in
learning more and/or joining
our meetup group, visit http://
www.charlotteuke.com.
We meet on the third Saturday
of each month at 1 PM at The
Roasting Oven and Grill, 855
Gold Hill Road, Fort Mill,
South Carolina. Our next meeting is on July 20th.
FOLK CALENDAR
July 20th CFS
Slow Jam At
Carl J. McEwen
Historic
Village
By Ed Gebauer
The Charlotte Folk Society OldTime Slow Jam meets next at 10:30
AM on Saturday, July 20th, at the
Carl J. McEwen Historic Village,
7601 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, in
Mint Hill. While we're out ”under
the trees,” it may be a good idea to
bring along your favorite jamming
chair!
Note: in keeping with the historical
and compact nature of the museum
property, this setting is not ideal for
pets, amplified instruments, or unattended children. Visit the Carl J.
McEwen Historic Village website at
www.minthillhistory.com.
We'll still do our hour of tunes in
the announced key just like we always have. But when we're finished, the regular Mint Hill
Farmer’s Market Jam starts up, and
we can keep on playing! Still casual! Still welcoming! Still the best
way ever to get started playing
your instrument!
You can learn all about the Charlotte Folk Society Slow Jam by visiting our website at www.
folksociety.org/slowjam.shtml.
There, you'll find all the music we
play as well as mp3 files you can
download and, with your instrument, play along.
If you're new to the idea of an OldTime Instrumental Slow Jam, here
are the particulars! Led by fiddler
Ed Gebauer, the group will meet on
the third Saturday of each month
and this is where beginning players
of all acoustic instruments are introduced to old-time dance tunes at
a gentle pace. This is the place to
start learning to jam with other
players after learning those first
few chords on your guitar or banjo;
or your first tune on your lead instrument. Please check out the
Slow Jam web page at www.
folksociety.org/slowjam.shtml to
see the tunes we'll be playing each
month. In July, we'll be playing the
tunes in the key of D!
If you were a long-time or even a
part-time participant in the Slow
Jam when it happened at the Great
Aunt Stella Center, I certainly hope
you'll make the new habit of trekking over the Carl J. McEwen Historic Village to join us in the jamming there!
If you have any questions, please
get in touch with me at: [email protected].
Keep on playin’!
Willow Grove
Old-Time Jam
August 3rd
Mint Hill
Old-Time Jam
Summer
Schedule
By Rita Hartmann
The Mint Hill Old Time Jam takes
place each Saturday, May through
September, at the Carl J. McEwen
Hsitoric Village Farmers’ Market,
10 AM to 1 PM. Jams are open
and acoustic. The Village is located at 7601 Matthews-Mint Hill
Road (Route 51) in downtown
Mint Hill. Look for the red cushions in front of the Doctor’s Museum. That’s the place!
Come out and jam with us. Newcomers are welcome.
Check with Rita Hartmann at 980949-8687 if you need more information.
Queen City
Bluegrass Jam
At Aldersgate
Join fiddlers Bill Williams and
Dwight Moody on the first Saturday of every month from 2 PM to 4
PM in the Activities Room at the
Willow Grove Retirement Center,
located at 10043 Idlewild Road,
Matthews, NC.
The Queen City Bluegrass Jam
meets every other Saturday, 2-4
PM, at the Asbury Care Center at
Aldersgate, 3800 Shamrock Drive,
(between Eastway Drive and
Sharon Amity Road) in east Charlotte.
The next jam will
take place on Saturday, August
3rd. For information, call Bill Williams at 704-5736154 or 704-517-
For the exact meeting dates each
month, contact Jerry Leonard at [email protected]. Or, join
the group at www.meetup.com in
order to keep current. Search on
that site for “Charlotte Beginner
Bluegrass Jam.”
10
FOLK CALENDAR
Calendar
All calendar listings are subject to change and
should be verified.
Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., Asheville,
NC. 828-225-5851; www.theorangepeel.net
Ovens Auditorium, 2700 E. Independence
Blvd., Charlotte. 704-335-3100; www.
ovensauditorium.com/default.asp?ovens=11
VENUE INFORMATION
Puckett’s Farm Equipment, 2740 W. Sugar
The Altamont Theatre, 18 Church St., Asheville, Creek Rd., Derita, NC. 704-597-8230; www.
NC. 828-348-5327; www.myaltamont.com
puckettsfarm.com
The ArtsCenter, 300-G E. Main St., Carrboro,
NC. 919-929-2787; www.artscenterlive.org
Purple Onion, Hwy. 176, Saluda, NC. 828749-1179; www.purpleonionsaluda.com
Belk Theater, Blumenthal Performing Arts Ctr.,
130 N. Tryon St., Charlotte. 704-372-1000;
www.blumenthalcenter.org
Ri~Ra Irish Pub, 200 N. Tryon St., Charlotte.
704-333-5554; www.rira.com
Blue Ridge Music Center, milepost 213, Blue
Ridge Parkway, 700 Foothills Rd., Galax, VA.
Call 276-236-5309, ext. 112; visit www.
blueridgemusiccenter.org.
Rodi, 245 W. Garrison Blvd., Gastonia, NC.
704-864-7634; www.rodiworld.com
Stage Door Theater, 5th & College Sts., Charlotte. 704-372-1000; www.blumenthalcenter.
org
The Comet Grill, 2224 Park Rd., Charlotte. 704Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St., Davidson,
371-4300.
NC. 704-895-9090; www.summitcoffee.com
Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place, 2 Pack
The Sylvia Theater, 27 N. Congress St., York,
Place Square, Asheville, NC. 828-257-4530;
SC. 803-684-5590; www.sylviatheater.com
www.dwtheatre.com
The Visulite Theatre, 1615 Elizabeth Ave.,
Don Gibson Theatre, Theatre, 318 S. WashingCharlotte. 704-358-9200; www.visulite.com
ton St., Shelby, NC. 704-487-8114; www.
DGshelby.com
CALENDAR LISTINGS
The Double Door Inn, 218 E. Independence
THRU AUG 18, Art in Clay: Masterworks of
Blvd. Charlotte, NC. 704-376-1446; www.
North Carolina Earthenware Exhibit, NC Mudoubledoorinn.com
seum of History, 5 East Edenton Street, RalThe Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St., Chareigh. Free admission. 200 objects made by
lotte. 704-376-3737; www.theeveningmuse.com
Piedmont potters in the 18th and 19th centuFairview Ruritan Club Concerts, Fairview Rd., ries. 919-807-7900; www.ncdcr.gov/ncmoh/
Home.aspx
SR821, Galax, VA. 276-238-0376; www.
fairviewruritan.com
Mineral Springs Music Barn, 5901 Eubanks St.,
Fiddle & Bow Society Series, Community Arts
Mineral Springs, NC 28108. 7 PM, $8; 12 &
Café, 411 W. 4th St., Winston-Salem, NC. 336under free with adult. Contact Steve Whitesell
724-9393; www.fiddleandbow.org
at 803-517-4404. www.
mineralspringsmusicbarn.com/index.html
The Garage, 110 West 7th St., Winston-Salem,
NOW CLOSED!
NC. 336-777-1127; www.the-garage.ws
JULY 9, Red Rocking Chair (Michael Reno
Harrell, Jack Lawrence, Tom Kuhn & Dale
Meyer) (Tuesdays), Comet Grill, 8:30-11:30
PM.
JULY 9, Lemonds Family Bluegrass Band
(Tuesdays), Skyland Family Restaurant, 4544
South Blvd., Charlotte, NC. 6-8 PM. 704- 5226522.
JULY 10, Bluegrass with Dixie Moon, Puckett’s Farm Equipment, 8 PM.
JULY 11, Peter Rowan, High Rock Outfitters,
13 S. Main St., Lexington, NC. 8 PM, $TBD.
336-248-4444; www.highrockoutfitters.com
JULY 11, Whitewater River Jam w/Town
Mountain, U.S. National Whitewater Center,
5000 Whitewater Center Parkway, Charlotte,
NC, 7-10 PM, FREE. Parking $5/car. 704-3913900; http://usnwc.org/category/riverjam
êêJULY 11, The Testosterones ( Glen Alexander, David Grant, Randy DeBruhl, Dave Ballenger), The Pizza Peel & Tap Room, 4422 Colwick
Rd., Charlotte. 8-10 PM. 704-714-8808; www.
tapandpeel.com
êêJULY 12, Mipso, Common Chord Concerts,
Venue in north part of Charlotte. Gather at 7:30
PM; concert at 8 PM. Suggested donation $12.
To reserve spots for any show, email [email protected]. Put the name of
the performer in the subject line and mention
the number of spots you need. You’ll receive a
response saying if you’re confirmed for the
show or on a wait list, and the address.
JULY 12, John Dee Holeman & Tad Walters,
Blues Out Back Concert Series, Gaston County
Museum of Art & History, 131 W. Main St.,
Dallas, NC, 6:30-8 PM, Free. www.
gastoncountymuseum.org
JULY 12, Battle Axe Band, Twilight at the Tater
JULY 7-13, Swannanoa Gathering Traditional
Shed, Tater Shed, 105 Park Dr., Simpsonville,
Song Week, Warren Wilson College, SwanSC. 8 PM, Free, donations accepted. 864-430nanoa, NC. 828-298-3434; www.
1003
The Handlebar, 304 E. Stone St., Greenville, SC. swangathering.com
864-233-6173; www.handlebar-online.com/
JULY 12-13, MusicFest ‘n Sugar Grove w/
JULY 8, Find Your Muse Open Mic with feaindex.asp
Carolina Chocolate Drops, The Kruger Brothtured artist Abbey Elmore Band, The Evening
ers, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Richard
Jack of the Wood, 95 Patton Ave., Asheville,
Muse, 8 PM, $3.
Watson & Charles Welch, The Snyder Family,
NC. 828-252-5445; http://jackofthewood.com/
The Cockman Family, Whitetop Mountain
JULY
8,
Open
Bluegrass
Jam,
hosted
by
AnKnight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC.
Band & many more, Sugar Grove, NC. www.
thony Scruggs, Stowe Park Gazebo, 24 S. Main
704-372-1000; www.blumenthalcenter.org
musicfestsugargrove.org
St., Belmont, NC, 7-9 PM, free; beginners to
McGlohon Theatre, Spirit Square, 345 N. Col- advanced and listeners welcomed. Bring a
JULY 12-14, Uncle Dave Macon Days, Canlege St., Charlotte, NC. 704-372-1000; www.
folding chair. Contact Anthony Scruggs at
nonsburgh Village, Murfreesboro, TN. Compeblumenthalcenter.org
[email protected]
tition, concerts, dance, jamming. 800-716-7560;
th
The Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E. 36 St.,
www.uncledavemacondays.com
JULY 9, Charlotte Nashville Songwriters AsCharlotte, NC. 704-358-9298; www.
sociation
International
Meeting
(second
neighborhoodtheatre.com
JULY 12-14, Red Wing Roots Music Festival
Tuesdays), The Well Church & Coffeehouse,
w/The Steel Wheels, Robin & Linda Williams,
Old Rock School, 400 Main St. West, Valdese,
220 West Main St., Pineville, NC, 7 PM. ConDel McCoury Band, Tim O’Brien, Sam Bush,
NC. Call 828-879-2129; visit www.
tact Carl Dews at [email protected].
Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Ana Egge, The
bluegrassattherock.com
http://nsaicharlotte.com
Duhks, Claire Lynch Band, Town Mountain,
Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall, 185 Clingman Ave., Asheville, NC. 828-232-5800; www.
thegreyeagle.com
11
FOLK CALENDAR
Calendar, continued
Lost Bayou Ramblers & more, Natural
Chimneys Park, 94 Natural Chimneys Lane,
Mount Solon, VA. http://redwingroots.com
Grass Strings, The Arts Center, 8 PM, $9-13.
JULY 17, Bluegrass with Toby Creek, Puckett’s Farm Equipment, 7 PM, $8. Purchase tickJULY 13, The Loudermilks w/Kenny Roby
ets online at www.charlottemusicawards.org/
(Americana/roots/singer/songwriter), Double tickets.cfm
Door Inn, 9 PM, $8, $10 under 18.
êêJULY 18, Glen Alexander (fiddle), David
JULY 13, Tarheel Hoedown w/Riley Baugus McGuirt (guitar & mandolin) & Scot Cavi& Ira Bernstein, The Stuart Brothers, Blue
ness (fretless bass), The Pizza Peel & Tap
Ridge Music Center, 7 PM, $10. Free flatfoot- Room, 4422 Colwick Rd., Charlotte. 8-10 PM.
ing workshop on main stage with Ira Bern704-714-8808; www.tapandpeel.com
stein at 6 PM; free with concert ticket purchase.
êêJULY 18, Songwriters Round featuring
host Rob McHale & Guests, Summit Coffee, 8
JULY 13, Whitewater River Jam w/Mipso, U. PM. Takes place on outdoor stage if weather is
S. National Whitewater Center, 5000 Whitefair; indoors if weather is inclement.
water Center Parkway, Charlotte, NC, 7-10
JULY 18, Patty Griffin Tribute to Benefit the
PM, FREE. Parking $5/car. 704-391-3900;
Urban Ministry Center w/Shana Blake, Etta
http://usnwc.org/category/riverjam
Lea, Rick Spreitzer, Donna Duncan, Reeve
Coobs, Amissville, John Dungan, Jill Dineen
êêJULY 13, Mint Hill Old-Time Jam
& many more, The Evening Muse, 8 PM, $8-10.
(Saturdays), Ashcraft Schoolhouse, Carl J.
McEwan Historic Village, 7601 MatthewsJULY 18, Bluegrass Thursday Night, Allison
Mint Hill Rd., Mint Hill, NC. 10 AM-1 PM;
Free open jam. Gar & Rita Hartmann at 704- Creek Presbyterian Church, Family Life Center, 5780 Allison Creek Rd., York, SC, Doors
496-4321 or [email protected].
open 6 PM. Hamburgers & hotdogs for sale
http://www.celebrationofseagrovepotters.
6:30 PM. Music 7-9 PM, FREE. 803-366-1302;
com
www.allisoncreekbluegrass.com
êêJULY 13, Music of the 19th Century feaJULY 18, Whitewater River Jam w/Holy
turing Marilyn Price, Pam Garcia, Tom
Ghost Tent Revival, U.S. National Whitewater
Hanchett, John Cone, Janet Dyer & Julie
Center, 5000 Whitewater Center Parkway,
Harris, James K. Polk State Historic Site,
12031 Lancaster Hwy., Pineville, NC. 10 AM- Charlotte, NC, 7-10 PM, FREE. Parking $5/
car. 704-391-3900; http://usnwc.org/
3 PM, Free.
category/riverjam
JULY 13, Deeper Shade of Blue (bluegrass),
Mt. Gilead Bluegrass Music Barn, 108 N.
JULY 19, Mike Strauss Trio, Rodi, 8-10 PM.
Main St., Mt. Gilead, NC 27306. 7:30 PM, $7
JULY 19, Friction Farm (Country/folk/pop
Adults; 12 & under Free. Music Barn hours:
6:30-10 PM. Light refreshments for sale. 910- duo) w/Keeley Filgo (English blues singer)
opening, Fiddle & Bow Society, Community
220-6426; www.mgmusicbarn.com/index.
Arts Café, 8 PM, $12.
html
JULY 14, Irish Session with Carroll Brown,
RiRa The Irish Pub, 6:30 PM.
JULY 14, BattleAxe Band, Greenville Museum Of Art, 420 College St., Greenville, SC.
2-3 PM, Free. 864-271-7570
JULY 14-20, Swannanoa Gathering Celtic
Week, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa,
NC. 828-298-3434; www.swangathering.com
JULY 19-20, Alleghany County Fiddler’s Convention, Higgins Agricultural Fairgrounds,
Sparta, NC. Competition, jamming. 336-3634383; www.alleghanyfiddlersconvention.com
JULY 20, New Orleans Festival w/Carolina
Gator Gumbo, Zydeco YaYa, The Iguanas,
The Neighborhood Theatre, 7 PM, $10-12.
Dance, food & more.
êêJULY 20, Charlotte Folk Society Old-Time
Jam, In front of the Ira V. Ferguson Country
Store, Carl J. McEwan Historic Village, 7601
Matthews-Mint Hill Rd., Mint Hill, NC. 10:30
AM; Free open jam. Bring a chair. Tunes in
JULY 16, Tim Gordon Plays Dexter Gordon, the key of D. Ed Gebauer at [email protected]. Visit www.folksociety.org/
The Jazz Room, Stage Door Theater, 6 PM,
slowjam.shtml for tune list & details.
$10.
JULY 15, Find Your Muse Open Mic with
featured artists Jon Hogan & Maria Moss,
The Evening Muse, 8 PM, $3.
JULY 17, Jean Luc Leroux & Co. and The
JULY 20, Whitetop: Passing It On w/Crooked
12
Road Ramblers and Whitetop Mountaineers,
Blue Ridge Music Center, 7 PM, $10; ages 12 &
under Free.
JULY 20, Greater Charlotte Ukulele Meetup,
The Roasting Oven & Grill, 855 Gold Hill Rd.,
Fort Mill, SC, 1 PM, Free. Visit http://www.
charlotteuke.com to learn more & to join the
group.
JULY 20, Artistic Café, Jim Rivers Hall, Wedgewood Church, 4800 Wedgewood Dr., Charlotte,
NC. 6:30-8 PM, Free admission; donations to
benefit The Restored Dreams Project are appreciated. Burger, veggie burgers & hot dogs available to purchase; 6-6:45 PM. Variety show.
Contact Cathey Franklin at clognnut@hotmail.
com (Note: 2 “n’s” in address) or call 704-5253256 for questions or if you wish to perform.
JULY 20, Whitewater River Jam w/Common
Foundation, U.S. National Whitewater Center,
5000 Whitewater Center Parkway, Charlotte,
NC, 7-10 PM, FREE. Parking $5/car. 704-3913900; http://usnwc.org/category/riverjam
JULY 20, Cabin Creek Bluegrass Band, 108 N.
Main St., Mt. Gilead, NC 27306. 7:30 PM, $7
Adults; 12 & under Free. Music Barn hours:
6:30-10 PM. Light refreshments for sale. 910220-6426; www.mgmusicbarn.com/index.html
JULY 20, Wood Pines, The Evening Muse, 8 PM,
$8-10.
JULY 20 Truckstop Preachers w/Mike Strauss
Band opening, Double Door Inn, 10 PM, $10.
JULY 21, Irish Session with Acme Celi, RiRa
The Irish Pub, 7-9 PM.
JULY 21, Charlotte Jazz Orchestra Rehearsal,
The Excelsior Club, 921 Beatties Ford Rd., Charlotte. 4–5:30 PM; Free. 704-334-5709; http://
excelsiorclub.net
êêJULY 23, Nuala Kennedy & John Doyle
House Concert, Home of Mark & Bethli Mischer
Clemens, Cornelius, NC. 7:30 PM, $20. Limited
seating; reservations required. Guests are invited to bring the beverage of their choice and a
dessert to share. Make reservations by contacting Bethli; call 704-892-4914 or email [email protected]. Directions will be given
with reservations.
JULY 25, Whitewater River Jam w/Honey Island Swamp Band, U.S. National Whitewater
Center, 5000 Whitewater Center Parkway, Charlotte, NC, 7-10 PM, FREE. Parking $5/car. 704391-3900; http://usnwc.org/category/riverjam
êêJULY 26, Nashville Singer/Songwriter
Sally Barris House Concert, Dilworth home of
Katie Oates, 6:30 PM, $30 Admission includes
dinner. Combo price of $50 for those attending
both Saturday workshop & Friday concert. Res-
FOLK CALENDAR
Calendar, continued
ervations required. RSVP to
[email protected]. Directions given
with reservation.
JULY 26, Kickin’ Grass, The Evening Muse, 8
PM, $6-8.
êêJULY 26-28, 25th Annual Old-Time Music Jam Virginia Weekend, Phlegar Family
Farm, near Pearisburg, VA. Jamming, dancing, Sat. night covered dish dinner w/BBQ.
Bring chairs, instruments & a covered dish to
share. Free; small donation requested of all
to cover expenses. RSVP to hosts Tom and
Barbara Phlegar: 704-535-2154.
êêJULY 27, Songwriting Workshop with
Nashville Songwriter Sally Barris, Dilworth
home of Katie Oates, 1-5 PM, $30. . Combo
price of $50 for those attending both Saturday
workshop & Friday concert. Open to all ages,
all levels, all styles of songwriting. Bring one
song to sing live or on a CD with extra copies
of your lyrics. Here’s a chance to have your
song seriously listened to and critiqued. Get
advice on the Art & Craft of Songwriting.
Learn how to write a osng about anything,
anytime, anywhere. Reservations required.
RSVP to [email protected]. Directions given with reservation.
JULY 27, Donna Duncan Band, Double Door
Inn, 9 PM, $10.
JULY 27, Whitewater River Jam w/Mike
Strauss Band, U.S. National Whitewater Center, 5000 Whitewater Center Parkway, Charlotte, NC, 7-10 PM, FREE. Parking $5/car.
704-391-3900; http://usnwc.org/category/
riverjam
JULY 27, Real Deal Bluegrass w/Big Country
Bluegrass, Marshall Brothers, High Road,
Blue Ridge Music Center, 7 PM, $10.
JULY 27, Nuala Kennedy & John Doyle, The
ArtsCenter, 8 PM, $16-20.
JULY 28, Celtic Session & Ceili, The Dandelion Market, 118 W. 5th St., Charlotte, 5-7 PM.
JULY 28, Irish Session with Acme Celi, RiRa
The Irish Pub, 7-9 PM.
JULY 28, Craver, Watson, Hicks & Newberry, The ArtsCenter, 7 PM, $12-16.
JULY 28, High Lonesome Strings Bluegrass
Association featuring Fret High and Ice
Cream Party, Stonefield Cellars Winery, 8220
NC Hwy. 68 North, Stokesville, NC. 2 PM,
Free. 336-202-1536; www.
highlonesomestrings.org
JULY 28-AUG 3, Swannanoa Gathering Guitar
Week and Contemporary Folk Week, Warren
Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC. 828-298-3434;
www.swangathering.com
JULY 30, Catawba River Bluegrass Association
Jam, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Gastonia, NC. 7
PM, Free. Contact Mike McDonald at m.
[email protected] with questions.
AUG 1, Whitewater River Jam w/Paper Bird, U.S.
National Whitewater Center, 5000 Whitewater
Center Parkway, Charlotte, NC, 7-10 PM, FREE.
Parking $5/car. 704-391-3900; http://usnwc.org/
category/riverjam
AUG 1, Bluegrass Thursday Night, Allison Creek
Presbyterian Church, Family Life Center, 5780
Allison Creek Rd., York, SC, Doors open 6 PM.
Hamburgers & hotdogs for sale 6:30 PM. Music 79 PM, FREE. 803-366-1302; www.
allisoncreekbluegrass.com
AUG 1-3, 86th Annual Mountain Dance & Folk
Festival w/Trantham Family, Southern Highlanders, Cockman Family, Stoney Creek Cloggers, Don Pedi & many more, Diana Wortham
Theatre, Pack Place, Asheville, NC. 7 PM; $20/
night Adults; $10 ages 12 & under. 7-10 PM. All
3 nights $54 Adults; Children $24. 828-257-4530;
www.dwtheatre.com
AUG 2, Irish Singer & Multi-instrumentalist
Sean Keane, Neighborhood Theatre, 8 PM, $10-15.
AUG 2-11, Virginia Highlands Festival, Abingdon, VA. Music, arts, photography, antiques, living history, performing arts. www.
vahighlandsfestival.org
AUG 3, Beausoleil with Michael Doucet, The
Neighborhood Theatre, 8 PM, $22-25.
AUG 3, Whitewater River Jam w/Overmountain
Men, U.S. National Whitewater Center, 5000
Whitewater Center Parkway, Charlotte, NC, 7-10
PM, FREE. Parking $5/car. 704-391-3900; http://
usnwc.org/category/riverjam
êêAUG 3, Willow Grove Old-Time Jam, Willow
Grove Retirement Center, 10043 Idlewild Rd.,
Matthews, NC. 2-4 PM. Call Bill Williams at 704573-6154 or 704-417-2822 (cell).
AUG 4, Charlotte Blues Society BlueSunday, The
Double Door Inn, 8 PM, $5 non-members, Doors
open 7 PM. Call Jeri Thompson at 704-488-9608.
www.charlottebluessociety.org
AUG 4, The Black Lillies, The Evening Muse, 8
PM, $12-15.
AUG 4, Hymn Sing, Myers Park United Methodist Church, 1501 Queens Rd., Charlotte. 5:30 PM,
13
Free. Congregational singing; requests will
be sung. If you play an instrument, email
Nancy Hamff at [email protected]. All
are invited for a free, hot supper after singing. Call 704-376-8584 with any questions.
AUG 4, Music on the Mountain: Balsam
Range and Cullen’s Bridge, Blue Ridge
Music Center, 7 PM, $15; ages 12 & under
Free.
AUG 4, Craicdown, bE. Carroll Joyner
Park, 701 Harris Rd., Wake Forest, NC. 5
PM, Free. www.pinecone.org
êêAUG 4, Joe Crookston House Concert,
presented by Common Chord Concerts,
North Charlotte venue, 5 PM, $15 donation. RSVP to [email protected]. www.
commonchordconcerts.com
AUG 4-10, Swannanoa Gathering Mando
& Banjo Week, Fiddle Week, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC. 828-2983434; www.swangathering.com
AUG 5, Rock Hill Nashville Songwriters
Association International Meeting, Thursdays Too Restaurant Private Room, 147
Herlong Ave., Rock Hill, SC. 7 PM. 803366-6117; http://thursdaystoo.com
AUG 7, Tosco House Party Open Mic, The
Evening Muse, 8 PM, $3.
AUG 8-10, Old Fiddlers Convention, Felts
Park, Galax, VA. Competition, jamming,
concerts. 276-236-8541; www.
oldfiddlersconvention.com
AUG 8-11, Camp DoReMi, Wildacres Retreat, Little Switzerland, NC. Workshops,
jamming, shape note singing. 706-7698782; www.campdoremi.org
êêAUG 9, Charlotte Folk Society Gathering Concert & Jams with Singer/
Songwriter Kate Campbell, 926 Elizabeth
Avenue, Charlotte, NC. 7:30 PM, FREE;
donations appreciated. Doors open 7 PM.
Free parking. www.folksociety.org
êêAUG 9, Charlotte Appalachian Dulcimer Club Free Dulcimer Tune-Up; Strings
Provided, Great Aunt Stella Center, 926
Elizabeth Ave., Charlotte, following the
CFS concert, approx. 8:30 PM, free. Call
Mark Willingham for information: 980254-8059.
AUG 9-10, Ola Belle Reed Festival w/
Sheets Family Band, Wayne Henderson &
Charles Welch Tribute to Doc Watson, Big
Country Bluegrass, Elkville String Band &
more, Lansing Creeper Trail Park, Lansing,
NC. Admission by donation. 336-3844000; www.olabellefest.com
FOLK CALENDAR
Calendar, continued
AUG 9-11, 35th Annual Oak Grove Folk Music
Festival w/Robin & Linda Williams, Tom Paxton, The Black Lillies, Ed Miller, Sally Barris
& Don Henry, Oak Grove Theater, 845 Quicks
Mill Rd., Verona, VA. Weekend ticket $50.
Daily tickets available. 540-885-3000; www.
theaterwagon.com
AUG 9- OCT 26, Foodwares: Pottery for Storage and Preparation (Exhibit), North Carolina
Pottery Center, 233 East Ave., Seagrove, NC.
Open Tues.-Sat.; 10AM-4PM. Admission $2
Adults; $1 9th-12th Grade Students; Others Free.
336-873-8430; www.ncpotterycenter.org
AUG 10, John Dee Holeman & Tad Walters,
Sertoma Amphitheatre, Bond Park, 801 High
House Rd., Cary, NC. 6 PM, Free. www.
pinecone.org
AUG 13, Muriel Anderson, Americana Stage,
Grind Café Coffeehouse, 136 W. Union St., Morganton, NC, 7:30 PM, $20. To reserve seats,
contact Clint Bernard at 828-368-0381 or 828443-2544 day of show; or email [email protected]
AUG 15, Robin & Linda Williams, CoMMA
(City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium), 401
S. College St. , Morganton, NC. 7 PM, $5-10.
Buy tickets: 800-939-SHOW or online at www.
commaonline.org/index.php/tickets
AUG 16, Jon Shain & Lightnin’ Wells (blues),
Fiddle & Bow Society, Community Arts Café, 8
PM, $12.
AUG 17, Red Clay Ramblers, Joy Performance
Center, 202 Railroad Ave., Kings Mountain,
NC. 8 PM, $20-25; reserved seating. Purchase
tickets online at TicketsNC.com or by phone at
704-472-7762.
AUG 17, Sundown Blues: John Dee Holeman,
Williette Hinton & Lightnin’ Wells. Blue Ridge
Music Center, 7 PM, $10; ages 12 & under Free.
AUG 23, Dove & Grammy Winner Michael
English (lead singer Gaither Vocal Band), The
Foundation Performing Arts and Conference
Center, Isothermal Community College, 286
ICC Loop Rd., Spindale, NC. 7 PM; Adults $20.
Tickets: 828- 286-9990; www.isothermal.edu/
foundation/contact
AUG 23, Byron Hill and Wil Nance, Fiddle &
Bow Society, Community Arts Café, 8 PM, $12.
AUG 25, High Lonesome Strings Bluegrass
Association presents Wood Family Tradition,
Clyde Davis Memorial Stage, Hagan-Stone
Park, 5920 Hagan-Stone Park Rd., Pleasant Garden, NC. 2 PM, Free. 336-202-1536; www.
highlonesomestrings.org
SEP 14-15, 19th Annual Festival of India, Belk
Theater, Noon-7 PM, $7 Adults, Children 10
& younger Free. Performances, cultural information, Indian food court, children’s activities. http://indiafestival.iacofcarolinas.org
CONTRA DANCES
Charlotte Dance Gypsies, Chantilly Community Bldg., 2101 Shenandoah Ave., Charlotte.
Potluck 6:30 PM, lessons 7:30 PM, dance 8-11
PM, $8, students $5. Gretchen at 704-537-1377
or Dean at 704-361-6387; www.
charlottedancegypsies.org
JULY 17: Waltz Wednesday; free instruction
by Lesly Bowers & Dennis Spring to recorded
music.
JULY 27: Good ’n’ Plenty w/Charlotte Crittenden calling.
Charlotte Country Dancers, Chantilly Community Bldg., 2101 Shenandoah Ave., Charlotte. Every Monday evening. Lesson 7:30
PM. Dance 8-10 PM, $7. www.
charlottedancegypsies.org
Bands & Callers TBA.
The Grey Eagle, Haywood Rd. & Clingman
Ave., Asheville, Mondays, 8 PM, $5. Call 828232-5800 for details; visit www.
oldfarmersball.com
JULY 8: Perpetual c-Motion w/Beth Molaro.
JULY 15: Free Raisons w/Tamara McGovern.
JULY 22: Contraversial w/Charlotte Crittenden.
JULY 29: Hot Sonata w/Diane Silver calling.
AUG 5: Expresso w/John Combs calling.
Boone Country Dancers, Apple Barn, Valle
Crucis Conference Ctr., Valle Crucis, NC.
Lessons 7:30, dance 8 PM, $7; wear soft-soled
shoes. Bob Oelberg at 828-265-2627; www.
boonecountrydancers.org.
JULY 13: Hands Four w/Connie Carringer.
Carolina Song & Dance Assn., Carrboro Century Ctr., Greensboro St., between Weaver &
Main, Carrboro, NC. Lessons 7:30 PM, Dance
8-11 PM, $8. Call 919-967-9948 for directions.
Visit http://csda-dance.org/index.htm
JULY 19: Buz Lloyd Dance w/Band &
Caller TBA.
Columbia Traditional Music and Dance,
Arsenal Hill Park Bldg., Laurel & Lincoln Sts.,
Columbia, SC. Lessons 7 PM, Dance 7:3010:30 PM, $8. Call 803-796-8935 or visit www.
contracola.org.
NO JULY DANCE.
Fiddle & Bow Country Dancers, The Grange,
Guilford School Rd., off I-40 E, Greensboro.
Lessons 7:30 PM, Dance 8-11 PM. Call Carol
Thompson at 336-272-3245 or email George
Segebade at [email protected]. Visit
website at http://feetretreat.com
JULY 20: Entwyned w/Ken Gall calling.
14
Fiddle & Bow Country Dancers, Clemmons
Civic Club, 2870 Middlebrook Dr., Clemmons, NC. Every Tuesday; Dance 8-10 PM,
$6; $4 students. See contact info above.
JULY 9: Pilot Mountain Bobcats w/George
Segebade calling.
JULY 16: Toast Tones w/Kristin Seibert.
JULY 23: Entwyned w/Ken Gall calling.
JULY 30: Reel Shady w/Lindsay Morris.
Harvest Moon Folk Society, River Falls
Lodge, near Marietta, SC, Set up 5 PM, Potluck 6:30 PM, lessons 7:30 PM, dance 8-11
PM, $8, Children free. Call Terry Pizzuto at
864-639-6113 or email [email protected];
www.harvestmoonfolk.org
JULY 12: Advanced Dance w/Carolina Dingos & Seth Tepfer calling. Experienced
dancers only!
JULY 13: Eel House w/Seth Tepfer calling.
JULY 20: Good ‘n’ Plenty w/Cis Hinkle.
JULY 27: The Red Wellies w/Cary Ravitz.
Harvest Moon Folk Society CityDance,
Landmark Hall, 156 Landmark Dr., Taylors,
SC. Lessons 7:30 PM, dance 8-11 PM, $8,
Children free. Call Terry Pizzuto at 864-6396113 or email [email protected]; www.
harvestmoonfolk.org.
JULY 26: Good ’n’ Plenty w/Kristin Seibert.
Old Farmer’s Ball, Bryson Gym, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC, Thursdays,
Lessons 7:30 PM, Dance 8 PM, $6. Beginning
& intermediate music jam Thursdays, 7:30
PM. Information: 828-299-8823/828-2987821 or visit www.oldfarmersball.com
JULY 11: Eelhouse (Alaska) w/Seth Tepfer.
JULY 18: Ceili Dance w/Swannanoa Gathering Celtic Week Staff & Maldon Meehan
calling.
JULY 25: Appalachian Square Dance w/
Swannanoa Gathering Old-Time Week
Staff led by Erynn Marshall & Brad Leftwich & Phil Jamison calling.
AUG 1: Boom Chuck w/Diane Silver.
AUG 8: Squares & Contras w/Swannanoa
Gathering Mando & Banjo & Fiddle Weeks
Staff & Michael Ismeno and David Kaynor
calling.
Triangle Country Dancers, Carrboro Century Ctr., Greensboro St., between Weaver &
Main, Carrboro, NC. Lessons 7:30 PM, Dance
8-11 PM, $9. Dance hotline: 919-286-6624;
questions 919-220-8411. www.TCDancers.
org
JULY 12: Eel House w/Louie Cromartie.
AUG 3: Footloose/Contrazz Dance; Contrazz w/Diane Silver calling.
Triangle Country Dancers, Reality Center.
916 Lamond Ave., Durham, NC. Lessons
7:30 PM, Dance 8-11 PM, $8. Dance hotline:
919-286-6624; questions 919-220-8411. www.
TCDancers.org
JULY 26: Good ’n’ Plenty w/Kristin Seibert.
FOLK CALENDAR
Calendar, continued
DANCE WEEKENDS
AUG 23-25, Splash Dance Weekend, Camp
Merri-Mac, Black Mountain, NC. Open Bands
& Callers. Info: email [email protected] or visit
www.oldfarmersball.com/SplashDance/index.
php
SEP 6-8: MoonDance, Table Rock State Park,
Pickens, SC. Hot Point String Band & Curious
George w/Beth Molaro & Robert Cromartie
calling. www.harvestmoonfolk.org
ONGOING EVENTS
MONDAYS
Find Your Muse Open Mic, The Evening Muse,
8 PM, $3.
1st MONDAYS
Open Bluegrass Jam, Belmont Soda Shop, 31
Main St., Belmont, NC, 7-9 PM, free; beginners
to advanced and listeners welcomed. Contact
host Anthony Scruggs at [email protected].
Nashville Songwriters Association International Meeting, Thursdays Too Restaurant Private Room, 147 Herlong Ave., Rock Hill, SC. 7
PM. 803-366-6117; http://thursdaystoo.com
4th MONDAYS
Wilkes Acoustic Folk Society, Watson Stage,
Wilkes Community College, Wilkesboro, NC, 7
PM; www.wilkesfolks.org
TUESDAYS
Charlotte Scottish Country Dance Society,
Selwyn Ave. Presbyterian Church, 2929 Selwyn
Ave., Charlotte, 7:30-9:30 PM, donation. Call
704-366-9260 or 704-333-6917.
Community Singers of Charlotte Practice,
Sharon Presbyterian Church, 5201 Sharon Rd.,
Charlotte, 7-8:30 PM, free. Carol Raedy at 704367-2536. Check for updates at www.
charlottecommunitysingers.org
Lemonds Family Bluegrass Band, Skyland
Family Restaurant, 4544 South Blvd., Charlotte.
6-8 PM.
2nd TUESDAYS
Nashville Songwriters Assoc. International,
Workshop Meeting, The Well, 220 Main St.,
Pineville, NC, 7 PM. Call Fiona MacAllister at
704-483-1671; http://.NSAICharlotte.com.
LAST TUESDAYS
Catawba River Bluegrass Association Jam,
Bethlehem Baptist Church, 3100 Bethlehem
Church St. (just off South New Hope Rd.),
Gastonia, NC, 7-9 PM. Open jam; all welcome.
Contact Mike McDonald at m.
[email protected]
WEDNESDAYS
Too Wet to Plow (Chris Sekerak, Pam Englebert, Josh Campbell & Michael Plumley), Philosopher’s Stone Tavern, 7th & Caswell Sts.,
Charlotte, 7 PM, no cover. 704-350-1331.
Bluegrass, Puckett’s Farm Equipment, 2740 W.
Sugar Ck. Rd., Derita, NC. 9-11 PM. No cover.
704-597-8230; www.puckettsfarm.com.
Bluegrass, Old-Time Country, Folk & Gospel Jam Session, Cabarrus Co. Senior Ctr.,
331 Corban Ave., SE, Concord, NC. 6-9
PM. Open to the public; free. 704-920-3484.
Old-Time Jam, Jack of the Wood, 95 Patton
Ave., Asheville, NC. 6 PM. 828-252-5445;
http://jackofthewood.com
1st WEDNESDAYS
Tosco House Party (open mic), The Evening
Muse, 3227 N. Davidson, Charlotte, 8 PM, $3.
Host John Tosco. www.toscomusicparty.org.
THURSDAYS
Open Mic, Puckett’s Farm Equipment, 2740
W. Sugar Ck. Rd., Derita, NC. 8 PM.
Bluegrass Jam, Jack of the Wood, 95 Patton
Ave., Asheville, NC. 6 PM. 828-252-5445;
http://jackofthewood.com
1st & 3rd THURSDAYS
Bluegrass Thursday Night, Allison Creek
Presbyterian Church, Family Life Center, 5780
Allison Creek Rd., York, SC, Doors open 6
PM. Hamburgers & hotdogs for sale 6:30 PM.
Music 7-9 PM, free. 803-366-1302; www.
allisoncreekbluegrass.com
3rd THURSDAYS
Songwriters Round, hosted by Rob McHale,
Summit Coffee, 128 S. Main St., Davidson,
NC. 704-895-9090; www.summitcoffee.com
FRIDAYS
Bluegrass Jam, E. H. Montgomery General
Store, 750 Saint Stephens Church Rd., Historic
Gold Hill, NC. 7-9 PM. Call Vivian Hopkins:
704-279-5674. www.historicgoldhill.com/
eh_montgomery_general_stor.htm
Charlotte Appalachian Dulcimer Club, home
of Carol Rousey, 9:30 AM-Noon. Call Carol
at 704-321-2020 for directions.
English Country Dance, Matthews Orthodox
Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 2701
Rice Rd. (off Idlewild Rd.), Matthews, NC, 7-9
PM. Free. 704-309-7649 or [email protected].
2nd FRIDAYS
**Charlotte Folk Society Gathering (AugustJune), Great Aunt Stella Center, 926 Elizabeth
Ave., Charlotte. Concert, song circle &
jams. Free & open to the public; donations
appreciated. 7:30 PM. 704-563-7080; www.
folksociety.org.
Charlotte Appalachian Dulcimer Club, Great
Aunt Stella Center, 926 Elizabeth Ave., Charlotte. After Folk Society concert, app. 8:30
PM. Mark Willingham at 980-254-8059.
2nd & 4th FRIDAYS
Boots-N-Slippers Square Dance, Steele Creek
Presbyterian Church, 7407 Steele Ck. Rd.,
Charlotte. 8-10 PM. Call 704-525-1940.
SATURDAYS
Morning Jam Session, Cook Shack, Union
Grove, NC. Exit 65 off I-77 North; turn west;
travel 2 miles; sits on left of road. Call Pal
Ireland at 704-539-4353 for directions.
15
Mint Hill Old-Time Music Jam, Farmer’s
Market, Carl J. McEwen Historic Village,
7601 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd. (Route 51),
Mint Hill, NC. Open jam; 11-1 PM; free.
Rita Hartmann: 980-949-8687 or [email protected].
Bluegrass Jam Session, Pat’s Gourmet Coffee Shop, 166 North Main St., Mooresville, 9
AM-1 PM. Call 704-662-6299.
Old-Time & Bluegrass Jam Session, Dixie’s
Coffee Roasters, 102 S. Main St., China
Grove, NC. 9 AM- Noon. Contact The Rev.
Greg Yeager at 704-754-6288.
1st SATURDAYS
Willow Grove Old-Time Jam, Willow
Grove Retirement Center Activities Room,
10043 Idlewild Rd., Matthews, NC, 2-4 PM.
Call Bill Williams at 704-573-6154/704-5172822 (cell).
3rd SATURDAYS
Greater Charlotte Ukulele Meetup, The
Roasting Oven and Grill, 855 Gold Hill
Road, Fort Mill, 1 PM. To join the group/
learn more, visit www.charlotteuke.com.
Old Time Square Dance (Traditional Appalachian style), Denton Civic Ctr., W.
Salisbury St., Denton, NC. Bluegrass & oldtime bands, 7-10:30 PM, $5 adults. 336-4722802; www.dentondance.net/dentondance
Folklife Demonstrations and Traditional
Artists & Musicians, Historic Hagood Mill,
3 miles N of Pickens, SC, off Hwy. 178, on
Hagood Mill Rd. www.co.pickens.sc.us.
EVERY OTHER SATURDAY
Queen City Beginners Bluegrass Jam,
Asbury Care Center Living Room, Aldersgate, 3800 Shamrock Dr., east Charlotte,
2-4 PM, free. Email jerryleonard@yahoo.
com for meeting
dates/search “Charlotte Beginner Bluegrass
Jam” at www.meetup.com.
SUNDAYS
Live Celtic Music at Ri-Ra, The Irish Pub,
208 N. Tryon, 7-9 PM, food available, no
cover. 704-333-5554.
1st SUNDAYS
Charlotte Blues Society, Double Door Inn,
218 E. Independence Blvd., Charlotte, 8
PM, $5. Concert & open mic blues jam. 704455-5875.
2nd SUNDAYS
Storytellers Guild of Charlotte, Wedgewood Church Social Hall, 4800 Wedgewood
Dr., Charlotte, 3:30-5 PM, Free. 704-5686940. MEETINGS TO RESUME IN SEPTEMBER.
3rd SUNDAYS
Dixieland Jam Sessions, Fraternal Order of
Police Hall, 1201 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte, 6-9 PM, free. Dinner & bar service
available.
Triad Scottish Fiddlers & Friends of North
Carolina Monthly Meeting, 3 PM, Location
TBA. Contact Debbie Morris at 336-2488629 or [email protected]. http://sites.
google.com/site/triadscottishfiddlers/
FOLK CALENDAR
Announcing! 2013-2014 Folk
Society Gathering Season
Charlotte Folk Society second-Friday
Gatherings at the Great Aunt Stella
Center (GASC), 926 Elizabeth Avenue, are family-friendly and open to
the public. Gatherings are free; donations are appreciated and essential to presenting this series in
GASC. The front doors open at 7
PM; concerts begin at 7:30 PM and
last about one hour. Refreshments,
jams, a song circle, and the Charlotte
Appalachian Dulcimer Club follow
the concert. Parking adjacent to
GASC is free. Accessible entry and
an elevator are available through the
ground floor door on the parking lot
side of GASC.
Kate Campbell
August 9: The daughter of a Baptist
preacher from Sledge, Mississippi,
Kate Campbell spent her formative
years in the very core of the Civil
Rights movement of the 1960s. The
indelible experience of those years
have shaped her heart, character,
and convictions ever since. As a
child of the South, her musical tastes
were forged in the dampered,
smoky fires of soul, R&B, Southern
rock, country, and folk music. Her
endearing, clear-water vocal delivery, eloquent gift for storytelling
(which has drawn repeated com-
parisons to such bastions of the
Southern writing tradition as Flannery O’Connor, Eudora Welty,
and William Faulkner), and easy
command of a full-range of
American music styles, have combined to earn Campbell recognition as a formidable talent by critics, musicians, and a discerning
public. http://www.
katecampbell.com
September 13: The Whitetop
Mountaineers are a young duo,
Martha Spencer and Jackson Cunningham. Both live in Whitetop,
Virginia, among the highest
mountains in the state. Their
families include some of Southwest Virginia’s most accomplished
and respected old-time musicians - legendary fiddler and
luthier Albert Hash and Thornton
& Emily Spencer of The Whitetop
Mountain Band. Martha and
Jackson are carrying forward the
family tradition. Their shows feature old-time country duet singing, up-tempo old-time fiddle,
clawhammer banjo, bluegrass
mandolin, and guitar instrumentals as well as high energy Appalachian dancing. The duo have
performed throughout the United
States, the UK, Ireland, and Australia, including such venues as:
MerleFest, Smithsonian Folklife
Festival, and the National Folk
Festival in Richmond. http://
www.whitetopmountaineers.
com/fr_home.cfm
October 11: Legendary organizer
and musician Si Kahn and The
Looping Brothers, a popular German trio who perform in the tradition of The Louvin Brothers, team
up for a bluegrass concert. Si
Kahn is known all over the world
16
by fans of American folk music.
He has performed in concerts and
festivals in the United Kingdom
and European countries, as well as
the United States. His body of
work includes 18 albums of original songs for adults and children.
A songwriter as well as performing
and recording artist, Si's songs of
family, community, love, work,
and freedom have been recorded
by more than 100 artists and translated into half a dozen languages.
Such songs as Aragon Mill, Gone
Gonna Rise Again, and Go To
Work On Monday have become
part of the oral tradition the world
round. Si Kahn and The Looping
Brothers have recorded a CD, Aragon Mill: The Bluegrass Sessions,
which will be released in 2013 and
their Folk Society appearance will
be part of a limited U.S. tour.
http://www.sikahn.com; http://
www.youtube.com/watch?
v=CdEBhGHxIv4
The Stray Birds CD cover
November 8: The Stray Birds
make their Charlotte debut at our
Gathering. The young Americana
trio, rooted in traditional music,
but breaking new ground, made an
impact in the musical world with
their first, self-titled release. In
naming The Stray Birds as one of
the Top 10 Folk & Americana Albums of 2012, National Public Radio said: “New bands seeking to
make a lasting impression on a nationwide audience are often inclined to lay it all on the line from
FOLK CALENDAR
the get-go. Unleash the full throttle
of your instrumental gifts through
intense solos and voice-stretching
vocal performances, and perhaps
folks will have no option but to listen. There's more grace and artfulness, though, in exercising restraint,
as The Stray Birds do beautifully on
their self-titled debut. Clearly these
are players with chops, songwriters
with a fierce command of their craft.
But they also seem to
have a grip on when
to lend a hand, and
when to let the songs
fly on their own.
This record was certainly one of the finest debuts of the year
from a band to
watch.” http://
thestraybirds.com
December 8
(tentatively): Holiday Jam & Potluck
Scott Ainslie
features a short performance of seasonal selections by
Little Windows, the duo of Mark
and Julee Glaub Weems. They draw
on both Appalachian and Irish traditions, with a special focus on unaccompanied ballads and the exploration of the spiritual nature of song
and harmonic sound. Dilworth
United Methodist Church, 605 East
Boulevard, Charlotte. 4:00-9:45 PM.
Bring a dish to share or donate $5/
person towards expenses. Song circle & jams before and after dinner.
http:// www.littlewindows.net
January 10: The annual CFS Young
Talent Showcase highlights the impressive talents of our young musicians. Featured performer will be
2013 Marilyn Meacham Price Scholarship recipient Lando Pieroni.
February 14: Scott Ainslie has followed his passion for the blues ever
since, as a teenager, he heard bluesman John Jackson perform in 1967.
He straight away took up playing
the guitar and never looked back.
A traditional acoustic blues singer,
guitarist, historian, and songwriter
with personal roots in the Civil
Rights era and a great affection for
cross-cultural exchange, Scott is a
powerful musician, a fine singer,
and a masterful storyteller. He has
studied with elder musicians on
both sides of the color line – in the
old-time Southern
Appalachian fiddle
and banjo traditions,
as well as with black
gospel and blues
musicians. http://
scottainslie.com
March 14: Cuppa
Joe & the Big Cigar
Band is a Charlottebased bluegrass
band that created a
sensation on the CFS
Folk Stage at Festival
in the Park last year.
They love playing
music together and
have fun playing for live audiences. Band members include Michael York (banjo), David Woodie
(fiddle, vocals), David Grant
(guitar, lead vocals), Justin Powell
(bass, vocals), and Drew Parrot
(mandolin). They’re a local super
group of experienced singers and
players who have played a variety
of genres with lots of bands
through the years. They say to expect bluegrass with bounce – fast
movin’ flat-out pickin’ and grinnin’! https://www.facebook.com/
BigCigarBluegrassBand
April 11: Singer/songwriter
Danny Ellis was born in Dublin,
Republic of Ireland. When he was
eight, his mother placed him in Artane Industrial School, an orphanage run by the Christian Brothers.
He left Artane at 16 and became a
professional trombonist, playing
with Irish show bands, eventually
becoming a session player for the
famed Abbey Road Studios in Eng17
land. In 2009 he released the album 800 Voices, an autobiographical account of his time in the orphanage. Storyteller Connie Regan
Blake says of 800 Voices, "It may
just be the most powerful storytelling through music and stories I
have ever experienced.” JPF, the
largest independent music awards,
honored him with the Lyricist of
the Year award in 2009. Danny
has three other CDs to his credit.
The most recent, released this year,
is Rest Yourself. Danny Ellis now
lives in Asheville. http://www.
dannyellismusic.com/home.cfm
May 9: The New Southern Ramblers from Asheville formed in
1982 as the stringband that backed
up the inimitable Tennessee oldtime fiddler Ralph Blizard until his
death in 2004. Band members include John Herrmann (fiddle),
Gordy Hinners (banjo), Phil Jamison (guitar), and Meredith McIntosh (bass); all perform vocals.
Hinners and Jamison also toured
extensively as Green Grass Cloggers and will show some of their
dance moves during this exciting
concert.
https://myspace.com/
newsouthernramblers
June 13: The popular Charlotte
Folk Society Members’ Showcase
returns to shine a spotlight on our
many talented member musicians!
CFS Gatherings are made possible, in
part, with funding from the Arts &
Science Council and the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency of the
Department of Cultural Resources,
and the National Endowment for the
Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.
FOLK CALENDAR
Cuz’s Corner
By Dennis Frost
Welcome, friends, to another edition
of Cuz’s Corner! Can you believe
that about a year ago we had to cancel the CFS ice cream social due to
those dry, scorching 1-0-4 degree
temperatures that had folks wondering if they were living in Charlotte or
Las Vegas? This year the norm is
rain, rain, and more rain, but being
an avid gardener, I won’t complain . . . well, except for the blossom-end rot on those beautiful tomatoes. Not to let the rain and gloomy
conditions get us down, we’ll forge
ahead with all the news and views
from the regional music scene.
The weather broke back on the third
weekend in June and we made the
journey up to beautiful Grayson
Highlanda State Park in Virginia for
the wonderful Wayne Henderson
Festival. While some great festivals
over the years have morphed into
“bottom Line” events, Waynefest
maintains its musical integrity year
after year. You see, proceeds from
this event go to Wayne’s scholarships, which strive to ensure the survival of traditional music through
the fingers of young, Appalachian
children. By the end of the day, as
the sun is beginning to hide behind
those 5000 foot peaks and the sky
turns hews of amber and pink, you
get this wonderful feeling that you
have been part of something unique
and special. This year the headliners
were the wonderful Rosanne Cash
and her husband, John Rosenthal.
They delivered a powerful set that
was a mix of tunes from her last disc,
The List, and new material from a
new project they are writing and recording – I can’t wait! Rosanne is
one of those singers that gets to the
end of the set and I realize I haven’t
taken a breath since the first note of
the first song. By the way, the duo
made the drive down from Nashville to benefit Wayne’s scholarship
program – how cool is that?
etc., go to www.musiccityroots.
com and click on the big ole roots
radio box around 7:00 on Wednesday night, and bam, you are all set!
If you’ve been reading this column
for a while, you probably have
picked up on the fact that I really
Next week we head up to the Shehave a love and respect for the
nandoah Valley for the first ever
young artists that are a part of the
Red Wing Music Festival (July 12current “folk process,” adding
14) and I can’t wait! This might be
their unique stamp to the music.
the best first year lineup in the hisFor this month’s
tory of roots music
reviews, the vetfestivals and is loerans simply rock
cated in one of the
and are showing
prettiest spots in Virus again how it’s
ginia. Because it is
done! Peter
located in a state
Rowan started his
park (Natural Chimcareer in the early
neys), the ticket sales
to mid-sixties as
will be held to 3000
one of Bill
folks, so the festival
Monroe’s Bluewill be a small, intigrass Boys with
mate experience. If
the likes of Richyou want your mind
ard Greene and
blown, check out the
Bill Keith. In the
incredible lineup at
years following,
www.redwingroots. “Cuz” (Credit Daniel Coston)
he set out on
com. By the way, the
nothing other
festival is hosted by our friends,
than a musical odyssey exploring
The Steel Wheels, so gas up the
folk, rock (Earth Opera, Seatrain),
car and join the growing Charlotte
hippygrass (Old & in the Way),
(and Statesville, I believe) continSouth American traditions, Texgent up to the “Big Valley!”
Mex, Reggae, and about any musical genre he absorbed along the
In related Virginia news, we underway. His songwriting is highly restand Robin Williams (Robin &
nowned and his songs must keep
Linda Williams) suffered a nasty
the royalty checks rolling in. Refall and cracked a number of ribs
cently he has been circling back to
and punctured a lung. The good
his bluegrass roots and his new
news is that he is mending and will
release, The Old School, definitely
probably be back with Their Fine
is a prime example. This wonderGroup by the time you read this!
ful new recording pays homage to
artists like The Stanley Brothers,
I apologize for not mentioning this
Bill Monroe, Jim & Jesse McReybefore, but if you haven’t already,
nolds, The Osborne Brothers, and
do check out the Music City Roots
others that crisscrossed America in
live webcast from Nashville’s Lovebroken-down vehicles for relaless Café every Wednesday at 7
tively little money to play their
PM. Hosted by Jim Lauderdale,
music. Except for his cover of the
this show always features the best
Civil Rights anthem O, Freedom,
in live roots/Americana week after
these are all originals accompanied
week. To bring this wonder conby great pickers and a few of the
cert series to your computer, tablet,
remaining old schoolers like Del
18
FOLK CALENDAR
McCoury, Jesse McReynolds, and
Bobby Osborne. His tribute to Doc
Watson, Doc Watson Morning,
simply brings a tear to my eyes at
every listening. The line “Drive all
night, shave in cold water, hold
your hand up high and smile” in
the first tune sets the mood for a
project that gets Cuz’s highest recommendation. êêêêê
Nobody can write a song and then
deliver the song like the great Guy
Clark. I must admit that with recent health concerns and his losing
his wife and mentor, Susanna, I didn’t really know what to expect
when I picked up his new disc, My
Favorite Picture of You. With a
shaky hand I slipped the CD into
the player and sat there in amazement as I proceeded to be blown
away by not only the songs, but the
beauty of the record. Simply accompanied by Verlon Thompson,
Shawn Camp, and Bryn Davies, this
record is lean and just plain wonderful. Did I mention the songs?
Wow! This CD is packed with one
great line after the other, but my
favorite goes like this: “She got her
heart broke by a banjo man - now
she’s had about all the bluegrass
she can stand.” The album title is
just perfect, as I think Guy’s forte is
indeed taking a snapshot of his
character’s lives when they are at
the proverbial crossroads of life.
So, if you see me at a stop light
singing, I’m probably singing along
with Guy! êêêêê
For that road trip this summer, I’d
recommend a listen to the new recording from Delbert McClinton
and Glen Clark, two more crusty
veterans that began their careers
together more than 40 years ago in
their native Texas and have now
reunited for their new Blind, Crippled and Crazy disc. Most of these
songs come from the perspective of,
as the line says, not being old, but
having been around a long time.
This album is pure Texas boogie
and is a delight, especially driving
down the proverbial “lost highway!” êêêê
Let me finish with a young duo
from Charleston, South Carolina
that fuses indie rock with equal
parts of folk, alt-country, and
Americana. They call themselves
Shovel and Rope and their first
disc, Oh Be Joyful, satisfies my
search for a sound that is just a bit
different from the norm. The instrumentals are refreshingly lean,
the songs are strong and their
“edgy” harmonies are awesome. I
admit that this CD sat in a stack for
more than a few weeks until I noticed that when the Americana
nominations came out, they were
nominated for Duo/Group of the
Year, Emerging Artist of the Year,
as well as Song and Album of the
Year. Believe me, I was soon listening to this wonderfully odd recording and loving it! Although
not for everyone, I think that it is a
keeper for the more adventurous
listener! êêêê1/2
Finally, if you are a fan of either
traditional or contemporary Celtic
music, you would be absolutely
crazy to miss the July 23rd house
concert with John Doyle and Nuala
Kennedy at the home of Mark and
Bethli Clemens. This is about as
good as it’s ever going to get, as
both artists are legends in the making and are appearing together this
one special night . . . Oh, my! This
is hands down Cuz’s Gig of the
Month, so be there or be square!
Reservations at 704-892-4914.
That’s it for now, so get out there
and catch a gig, go to a festival,
hug a child . . . you get the picture!
Until next time!
Cuz
Tell Cuz about your favorite
music! Call him at 704-532-8846
or email him at
[email protected].
19
Catawba River
Bluegrass
Assn. Jam
July 30th
The Catawba River Bluegrass Association sponsors an open jam at 7
PM the last Tuesday of each month
at Bethlehem Baptist Church, 3100
Bethlehem Church Street, in
Gastonia. The next jam takes
place on Tuesday, July 30th.
Contact Mike McDonald at
[email protected] with
questions. The association has
pages on both Facebook and
Meetup.com. From the group’s
Meetup.com page:
Our group is searching for the perfect
jam. We are bluegrass enthusiasts and
practicing musicians. We treat everyone with respect. Come when you can;
have a good time.
Join The
Refreshments
Team!
Refreshments Volunteer Coordinator Justine Koch needs some
more folks to join her committee.
This group of folks seems to always be having a good time. If
you enjoy shopping or baking and
meeting our visitors, please consider helping with this important
aspect of hospitality for our Gathering guests. Just bring your receipts for purchases and see
Wanda Hubicki for reimbursement. Please contact Justine at
[email protected] if you
would be interested in volunteering. Please put “FS Refreshments” in the subject line.
FOLK CALENDAR
Free Member Ads
1918 Gibson Mandolin $1200.
1982 Flatiron Bouzouki $1100.
Call John Wofford at 704-537-7230.
For Sale: Two Appalachian Lap
Dulcimers Handcrafted by Harold Miller. Two: 8” X 34”; $250
each. Beautiful woods. Free Bamboo; either cut poles or dig out
plants. Call Marilyn Price at 803548-5671.
What Hath God Wrought! Four
kitties – all spayed/neutered &
vaccinated for rabies - seeking
loving, homes. One calico and
three tuxedos (“the triplets“), black
with white bibs and paws. Carpe
diem! Call Stephen Jordan at 704287-3055 to arrange a visit to meet
some amazing felines!
Next Month . . .
CONTACT MARK PONISCHIL
FOR RENTAL INQUIRIES
704-944-6014
[email protected]
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rehairing –
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Loar Mandolin, A Style $379!!
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25th Annual CFS Virginia Jam Weekend, Phlegar’s Farm, July 26-28
Join Mr. Pig at
the CFS OldTime Music Jam
Weekend on
Phlegar’s Farm,
July 26-28!
KATE CAMPBELL
Acclaimed mSouthern Singer/Songwriter
Friday, August 9th, 7:30 PM
Great Aunt Stella Center
926 Elizabeth Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28204
Independence Blvd.
Great Aunt Stella
926 Elizabeth Ave.
McDowell Street
Parking Lot
704-373-0551
www.theviolinshoppe.net
Recording King Adirondack Dread
$700!!
Charlotte Folk Society
PO Box 36864
Charlotte, NC 28236-6864
www.folksociety.org
Deck
2112 EAST 7TH STREET
CHARLOTTE, NC 28204
Kings Drive
20