Performers

HARLYM 1TWO5 remains well known nationally and in multitudes poetry circles. Known as Harlym 125, He is a frequent and highly regarded figure in competitions, performance, concert and beyond.

125 has become a part of the Boston area poetry scene and joined teams of poets who have won numerous competitions regionally and nationally. 125 has also become well known in the Boston area for his work leading workshops dealing with issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. Several times in the last couple of years, Harlym has been called to local high schools, colleges and communities to help bring a calm and constructive unity after incidents of racial injustice have occurred.

Known for his work, Harlym 1Two5 is often asked to be a panelist or to give presentations on a broad range of topics regarding diversity and pluralism, and also is asked to prepare presentations in response to very specific incidents or conditions. Appearing at dozens of college campuses every year. He is the “HUMAN HIGHLIGHT OF POETRY AND EDU-ACTIVISM.”

MICHELLE NICOLE ABADÍA is a soprano vocalist and accoustic guitarist, as well as an instructor of Spanish, French and English as a second language. She’s originally from Puerto Rico and has lived in the Boston area for many years. She has both a bachelors and a masters degree in French literature and culture from Boston College and Tufts University respectively, as well as a masters degree in vocal performance from the New England Conservatory of Music. She’s a performer of Americana, Musical theater, standard oldies, covers of soft pop songs, Spanish-language “boleros” and folk songs, French “chanson”, Italian arias and German “lieder”. She has recorded 3 albums and hopes to soon record her 4^th. She splits her time between teaching various levels of language in adult education programs, and performing live and via Zoom. Click here for Michelle’s YouTube Link.

Steve Azzaro– Steve, at fifteen got his first guitar as a gift from his uncle and learned to pick the melody of “Tom Dooley” popular at the time. He was and is influenced by country/western tunes and the folk song movement of the 1950-60’s and favors the Merle Travis fingerpickin’ style. He has sung tenor in the Greater Middletown Chorale and Lead in the Connecticut Yankee Chorus for many years. Currently Steve sings lead in his barbershop quartet, FIREAWAY! Some years ago he began writing original songs and now you can find over 50 of them produced as videos on his YouTube channel, THESTEFANOJAY. He formed his group, “Anything Goes” (with Marian Bairstow on ukulele and Bob Lee on bass) and perform at local senior and community centers and open mics. He records his original songs at Valley Shore Community TV (VSCTV.com), the community access station in Westbrook, CT where you can find over 70 compositions ON DEMAND at “Tales and Tunes”. When Ukraine was invaded he decided to write “Slava I Svoboda Ukraine” dedicated to all the people of the world who cherish freedom and especially for the Ukrainians. He believes music can unite people, contribute to the greater good and defend freedom.

HEINZ BACHMANN I am a singer/songwriter. Appalled by what is happening in the USA and, indeed in the whole world, I have decided to focus on protest songs. There don’t seem to be that many just when we really need them. Click here for Heinz’ YouTube Link.

NEAL BRAVERMAN is a Singer-Songwriter and for the past 15 year was the Founder of Roslindale Open Mike (ROM). He is also a member of Musicians of the Greater Good. In the 70’s Neal put out 2 CD’s of all original songs and has a large repertoire of covers. He Retired as an EMT Lt. after 33 years from Boston Emergency Medical Services. In 1985 was the Founder for the 1st in the National Union based Peer Support Team. In 1986 he Founded the Metro-Boston Critical Incident Support Management Team (CISM). For 30 years Neal Performed on Guitar and piano for children who were Hospitalized at Holiday time regardless of the Holiday or Beliefs. He was Nicknamed the “Jewish Elf” by the Boston Media outlets. In 2007 after retiring he launched the RESCUE Support Network International with all volunteer positions. Neal’s Belief has always been that “I most certainly get more more out of Giving to others than I could ever Possibly need in my own Lifetime!!!”

DAN BRIELMANN started writing songs 40 years ago. Known as Daniel C., Musician for the Environment, he creates protest as well as motivating songs. e-Awakening.com was created 10 years ago by Dan and Marilyn Brielmann to bring attention to the Environment. We believe that getting people out into nature to love and care for it is the first step in making our Earth the place it should be. Clean, healthy and happy! Dan and Marilyn are retired working for a better world for us all!

OLIVIA BROWNLEE lives and works in Eastern Washington State. A descendent of musicians, pastors, doctors, and hunters, she describes her theatre degrees as her “training in semantical agility.” This education has found application in a broad range of fields, including but not limited to live historical interpretation, reimagined community marketing strategies, and teaching music abroad and domestically without using words. She currently makes a lot of noise in the Spokane area performing hot jazz and rockabilly, and collaborates with a wide- strewn swath of friends new and old, from Seattle to Boston, invigorating communities with music by, with, and for the people.

BOB CHABOT is a songwriter based in Northampton, MA.  Over the years, he has performed his songs throughout the Northeast, has recorded with the Music To Life organization, and has appeared several times at the Kerrville Folk Festival.

TOM CHAPIN With 26 recordings and hundreds of songs in his repertoire, Tom Chapin serves up a tasty mix of story songs, ballads, comedic and political songs, family music, sing-alongs, old-time folk classics and a favorite song or two of his late brother, Harry’s. Tom accompanies himself on guitar, banjo and autoharp.

MIKE DELANEY is a Boston-area singer-songwriter and part of the music group “The Tritones”, with Karen Sauer and Chris Lee. He is a founding member of the Roslindale Open Mike. He has released five CDs, including “Boston Harbor: No Longer Dirty Water”. In 2017, he recruited fellow open mikers to perform an evening of his songs as “Open Mike – The Musical”. Since November 2019, he has been releasing songs and videos on the theme “PERSIST-RESIST-2020” and is working on a production of a one-person show, “Petty Dictator – The Musical”. mikedelaney.org

CiCi EBERLE is an original singer/songwriter covering a range of musical styles, with influences drawn from folk, rock, blues stirred into the mix. CiCi relocated from Northern Colorado to the Boston Area. “I’m enthralled with the local music and open mic scene, and I have literally and figuratively found my voice since I moved here”. CiCi’s songs use stories and a splash of humor to illuminate social justice issues. cicieberlemusic.com

PEG ESPINOLA I have been playing the guitar since age fifteen–first teacher was fellow teenager Mike Seeger. Only sang Other People’s Songs until 2004, when a class with Bob Franke at WUMB’s music camp (SAMW) made me into a songwriter. My songs reflect my (long) life but also my lifetime concern for social justice and Democratic values. I am currently the Sudbury captain of the Metrowest for Biden campaign, as well as for our state rep, Carmine Gentile, for whom I just wrote a song. I’ve also written songs for Hillary, for Biden, and for “the Donkey.” And an anti-Trump rant (Resistance, on YouTube).

JENNIFER EVANS I am a fingerstyle guitarist and singer and perform the socially relevant compositions of my gifted songwriter brother, Griff Evans. NYC’s legendary radio host Oscar Brand featured our CD “The Last Cheap Hotel” on his tribute show to friend Pete Seeger saying, “These are songs that Pete would have sung.”  jennifer-evans.com

MARK BISHOP EVANS grew up in southern California where his major musical influences were Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul and Mary and most all of the folk, folk rock and beach music of the early sixties. Originally a trumpet player, his desire to sing caused the transition to guitar in his early teens. Listening and playing the folk and protest music of the late sixties inspired him to begin writing his own songs. His musical migration has taken him through folk rock, pop, country, gospel and back to folk where it all began. It has been noted that he has a way with words and melodies, bringing them together in meaningful combinations intended to make you think and feel and even sing along. His music is an intriguing blend of folk, folk rock and ballads, lyrically rich in emotional content and melodically comfortable. Mark moved to north of Boston in the early 90’s and has spent a considerable time in the contemporary Christian, Folk and Singer/ Songwriter circles learning and sharing his gifts.

REGIE GIBSON has lectured & performed in the U.S., Cuba & Europe. In Italy, representing the U.S., Regie competed for & received the Absolute Poetry Award & the Europa en Versi Prize. He appears in “love jones”: a film based on events in his life. He’s received the Walker Scholarship, an MCC Award, a YMCA Writer’s Fellowship & the Brother Thomas Fellowship from The Boston Foundation. Regie has served as a consultant for the NEA’s “How Art Works” initiative & the “Mere Distinction of Color”- an exhibit at James Madison’s Montpelier home examining the legacy of slavery & the U.S. constitution. He teaches at Clark University & works with members of the Red Cross-Red Crescent Climate Center (Hague, Netherlands) to craft language regarding issues of climate change. regiegibson.com

VANCE GILBERT Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Vance started out hoping to be a jazz singer, and then discovered his affinity for the storytelling sensibilities of acoustic folk music. Word spread like wildfire about Gilbert’s stage-owning singing and playing, and Shawn Colvin invited him to be special guest on her 1992 Fat City tour where he took much of America by storm and by surprise. “With the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god..” wrote the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Noted not only for being the ever consummate performer, Gilbert has recorded 14 albums, including 5 for Philo/Rounder Records.  Along with being opener of choice for artists as varied as Arlo Guthrie, Anita Baker, and Southside Johnny, the mid 2000’s found Gilbert opening 140+ shows for comedian George Carlin. Most recently he’s the opener of choice for Paul Reiser, the Milk Carton Kids, and the Subdudes, along with his own busy acoustic music touring schedule.Considered by many to be an integral part of the national folk scene, his most recent record Good Good Man features an eclectic roster of musical types including rocker Mike Posner, Celtic harpist Aine Minough, bluesman Chris Smither, and Al Green’s organist Stacey Wade. He even has a tune on a Grammy Nominated children’s album. How rounded is that? vancegilbert.com

ART GROSSMAN Growing up in the late 50’s and 60’s, Art was greatly influenced by the folk music revolution.  He was attracted to the simplicity of these performers using only their voices and acoustic guitars to tell their collective stories through their songs. Among his favorites are Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Don McLean, Simon and Garfunkel, John Denver and Tom Paxton. He also admired artists of the 50’s like the Everly Brothers and the Kingston trio as well as lesser known local talents such as Bill Staines and David Mallett.

REGGIE HARRIS is a songwriter, a storyteller, an educator, a Kennedy Center teaching artist, and travels the world presenting over 300 performances a year spreading hope and light through song to audiences of all ages. As Co- President and Music Education Director for the Living Legacy Project, he leads pilgrimages to sites of the Modern Civil Rights movement in the south. Reggie’s solo CD “Ready To Go” was the #5 CD on the Folk DJ charts for 2018. He is as an artist who entertains, educates and builds community throughout the world. reggieharrismusic.com

LARA HERSCOVITCH A singer-songwriter-poet-performer gem, The Boston Globe describes Lara as “a luminous voice and a buoyant stage presence… big-hearted lyrics embrace the sum of life… Herscovitch’s music blows on the embers of a lagging spirit…” Sound Waves Magazine calls her music “expertly written prose… songwriting at its best… good for your ears AND your soul.” Acoustic Live in NYC adds, “She possesses not only a huge reservoir of musical talent and a voice with a bell-like clarity, but a keen sense of global concern and a fierce intellect… It might seem too good to be true, but true it is.” LaraHerscovitch.com

A.G. HAMMOND was born and raised in Asheville, N.C. She has been performing as a singer, writing and producing music for about 30 years. She is a Survivor of Domestic Violence and is an advocate for DV Survivors, Human Rights, with a focus on Indigenous Peoples of the United States and the eradication of racism. She has a degree from the Art Institute of Atlanta, is a graphics and fine artist and a U.S. Army Veteran with a Broadcast Journalism degree from the Defense Information School, Ft. Meade, Maryland. Her favorite job is and has always been being a Mom of four children.  soundcloud.com/aghammond

NICOLAS HYACINTHE was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. During his treasured childhood he witnessed his homeland endure drastic political and cultural changes. He immigrated to the United States of America at the age of 10. While living in Boston he had the opportunity to receive a great education at Boston Latin School and Emerson College. He achieved a Bachelor of Arts in film production. Beyond his formal education, he has utilized a plethora of different medium to create powerful, insightful and compelling artworks. Nicolas Hyacinthe has matured into a multifaceted and prolific award winning artist. His life- long passion for creative expression, artistic integrity, and visual meditation is coupled (not rivaled) by his dedication to speak up for those whose voices have been stiffed, oppressed and marginalized.  Nicolas’ art and activism is fueled by his unique experience and perspective straddling the chasm within the worlds in which he has lived, loved, created, and confronted.  He embraces and challenges the shifts between the languages, cultures, landscapes, and ideology.

DAVID IPPOLITO Playwright David Ippolito has made his living for the past 30+ years as a singer/songwriter known to hundreds of thousands of people as That Guitar Man from Central Park. He is also now the host of a twice-weekly, internationally attended LIVE online music hang called It’s Just Us. (Visit: thatguitarman.com)

TRISTAN ISRAEL is a Singer/Songwriter who lives on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts and he has been performing in public since the early 70’s when he was with the band “The Penciltappers .” Tristan has been a fixture on the local music scene and his style of writing and playing is unique, blending many musical influences from old country blues to folk and rock and even some jazz. tristanisrael.hearnow.com tristanisrael.com

RON ISRAEL Ron Israel has been writing songs since he was 12. His work focuses on expressions of life, love, and world in which we live. His work has been praised by the late John Hammond Sr. of Columbia Records, Ritchie Havens, Barry McGuire, and NPR’s Susan Stamberg. www.ronisraelmusic.com

DAVID JACKSON and BRENDA JANE MEEHAN David (Cape) Jackson is a guitarist, singer, song-writer, a true supporter of all artists and musicians. David is a former coffeehouse producer and open mic host. He started playing with the Marshfield Ceilidh in 1978. Dave was an impressionist with more than 50 impressions. David performs with an acoustic style that has a wide range, including blues to fiddle and jazz songs.
Brenda Jane Meehan is a versatile flutist (flute teacher), for a wide ranging repertoire, with her flute background and performing in various flute groups, orchestras, and jazz groups. Brenda’s wide variety of material, includes an eclectic range of genres such as performances of the American songbook, showtunes, rhythm & blues, Celtic, fiddle tunes, folk, country and chamber music. Her classical repertoire, all of which has waived seamlessly through her sets in various group settings.

JOE JENCKS is an 20-year veteran of the international folk circuit, an award-winning songwriter, and celebrated vocalist based in Chicago. Merging conservatory training with his Irish roots and working-class upbringing, Joe delivers engaged musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove and grit. Having penned several #1 Folksongs including the ever-relevant Lady of The Harbor, Jencks is also co-founder of the harmony trio, Brother Sun. From Festivals like Falcon Ridge, Kerrville, Mariposa, and Old Songs, to venues like Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, Jencks has enthralled diverse audiences with his approachable style. Joe is noted for his unique merging of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration. Blending well-crafted instrumentals and vivid songwriting, Jencks serves it all up with a lyric baritone voice that has the edgy richness of a good sea-salt caramel.
https://joejencks.com/

REV. ROBERT JONES and MATT WATROBA Ever since their first meeting, over twenty years ago, Robert Jones and Matt Watroba have been musical partners. Their relationship started when they hosted back-to-back radio shows on WDET-FM, Detroit. Later on they started performing together and in doing so discovered a friendship based on mutual respect and a love for traditional American music. Now Matt and Robert literally travel the nation extolling the virtues of “Music That Matters”.

JOANNA KATZEN Hailing from Southern California, Joanna grew up in an environment that exposed her to folk-music gatherings from an early age. She began singing and creating vocal harmonies with her father while still playing with dolls, and the music of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Joan Baez was as common to her as milk and cookies are to other children. Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree from the Berklee College of Music where she studied performance and songwriting. Graduating summa cum laude, Joanna has a firm footing in Berklee’s core curriculum including contemporary music theory. Her main instrument is voice, and she was privileged to study both voice and guitar with some of Berklee’s most outstanding teachers. Joanna brings with her over a decade of performance experience both in the US and abroad. She has performed in various sized ensembles and choirs, and as a solo and duo performing-songwriter act. Joanna is the recipient of the 2013 Walter W. Harp Liberal Arts, Music & Society Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research, Civic Engagement & Performance Relating to Music and Society.

TERRY KITCHEN Called “one of New England’s best songwriters” by The Boston Globe, Terry Kitchen creates songs that are portraits of ordinary people and emotions, captured with extraordinary compassion, honesty and humor. He’s been performing on folk stages across the country since the 1990s, releasing a dozen albums of distinctive, literate musical storytelling. His latest CD Lost Songs recently debuted at #13 on the national Folk-DJ chart. His songs have won the Mid-Atlantic and USA Song Contests and been runner-up in the John Lennon Song Contest, and have appeared in numerous films. In the 1980s he was the leader of the groundbreaking Boston band Loose Ties, whose experiences he recounts in his novel Next Big Thing, called “a great debut novel” by The San Francisco Book Review. He also published a short story collection, Coping Mechanisms, in 2020. More on Terry at terrykitchen.com

ROBERTA LAMB rocks to the beat of a variety of musical styles, from blues and pop, to Americana. She picked her first guitar as a child in Texas and took to singing folk songs, Spanish traditional tunes, and ballads. Roberta honed her vocal craft as a classical musician. Her originals are harmonically sophisticated and her lyrics reflect her optimism and wry humor. She released her first album, Not Your Mama’s Blues in 2019. robertalamb.com

JOAN LANGE wrote her first book when she was 5 and continues to write driven by her lifelong commitment as an Environmentalist, Equality & Human Rights Advocate & poet & entrepreneur. She has been a spokesperson for UNICEF, worked with President Carter to promote solar energy & alternative fuels & writes to open eyes & open lives.

THE LIED TO’S are Susan Levine and Doug Kwartler, two MA-based singer-songwriters who joined musical forces in 2014. Their self-titled debut cd, released in 2015, rose to the top of the roots rock charts and landed in the top 100 of the prestigious No Depression readers’ poll. Their second cd, The Lesser of Two Evils, released in May 2018, received universal praise for its gritty instrumentation, impeccable harmonies and honest songwriting.  Tom Haugen of The Daily Vault called it, “…nothing short of brilliant.”  liedtomusic.com

JOHN LORETZ, a lifelong antinuclear and environmental activist, was program director at International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War until his retirement in 2017. He represented the organization on the steering committee of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, the 2017 Nobel Peace Laureate. John continues to consult with IPPNW, and frequently performs at local (virtual) open mics, sometimes with his wife, Anne Sandstrom.

JAN LUBY is a storyteller known for her engaging stage presence and a voice full of passion, range and power.  Her original songs range from socially relevant, to irreverent, heartbreaking to humorous.  She is every bit as comfortable on a festival stage in front of thousands as she is in more intimate settings like coffee houses or singing from her cell in in solitary confinement. www.janluby.com

CHARLOT LUCIEN is a Haitian storyteller, poet and visual art artist. He offers lectures, storytelling performances and consultations to promote Haitian culture and bridge cross-cultural gaps. He has released 5 storytelling CDs featuring stories that draw from his observations of Haitian culture, history and lifestyles in the Haitian Diaspora. He has performed storytelling or poetry recitals or presented talks on Haitian culture in Haiti, Canada, the US, France, Guadeloupe for various audiences. He uses his artistic productions and his passion for history to contribute to humanitarian and civil rights causes, from immigration advocacy to responding to public health emergencies or environmental disasters that have battered Haiti over the past thirty years. His cultural achievements and his civic engagement are featured in various media outlets and he is the recipients of several awards from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the City of Boston and several cultural organizations.

JIMMIE LUNSFORD cut his teeth in songwriting and performing in San Diego, where the music and the artists are plentiful and deeply influential and inspirational. Playing guitar since college, regular live performance and songwriting are relatively new for this late bloomer, having begun in 2006. He considers himself very blessed to have worked with some of the most amazing musicians in the studio, recording two full-length, fully produced cds of original songs, the eponymous “Jimmie”, released in 2009, and “Be. Love.”, released in 2012. He’s kept steadily writing and hopes to have his third record out within 6 months, a double album of original material tentatively titled, “Ballads and Bullets.” He plays acoustic guitar and his music reflects the sound of the major artists that have inspired him, most especially Dan Fogelberg, John Denver, Jackson Browne and James Taylor.

LINDA MARKS is a piano playing singer-songwriter and recording artist who writes and sings from the heart to the heart of the audience. Her music has been featured in the Boston Globe, in Boston Magazine and on NPR.  Linda is a the co-founder of artist-alliance group Women In Music Gathering, and is a LadyLake Artist. lindamarksmusic.com

STEPHEN B MARTIN Singer/songwriter/journalist/author Stephen B Martin is a lifelong activist who can sing Anne Feeney’s “Have You Been to Jail for Justice” with authority, having been arrested more than once during direct actions. A one-time member of Boston Sound band Orpheus, Stephen still writes, performs, and records  and produces. He produced Liberator, a Redress of Grievances, a compilation of Massachusetts artists performing songs of social justice, available on MGG Records.

ANGELA MASCIALE is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, with a powerful, wide-ranging, versatile voice. In addition, she is a poet, and her lyrics reflect her poetic language. She has performed widely in the Boston area, as both a singer-songwriter and a poet. She is also a psychiatric nurse practitioner and is inspired by her clients’ triumphs in overcoming the hardships and injustices of everyday living. She has travelled world wide with her husband, Daniel Zampino, as her travels have influenced her musical writing and poetry. AngelaMasciale.com

MARY ANN McALLISTER was singing as soon as she could talk: her first word was “downtown”.  She started figuring out chord diagrams with her father’s guitar in grade school and sang with groups and as a solo act through high school and college.  Since raising and mentoring her family of musicians, she has returned to her own music career, first earning a vocal performance music degree and studying classical guitar. She plays from a cabin on a wooded slope in farm/horse country north of Baltimore; grateful for the virtual open mics as she happily isolates.

JOHN McDAID is a folk/filk singer-songwriter from Portsmouth, RI. Over his 40 years of performing, he’s played his geek-inflected songs at political events, science fiction conventions, and venues including NYC’s Speakeasy and Folk City. The New York Times called him “A mischievous guitarist and vocalist with a gift for the inimitable phrase.” An award-winning science fiction short story author, he brings a writerly focus to his
lyrics, complemented by a guitar style that draws on contemporary and traditional folk. New album, “Trail Of Mars” released September 2020. johnmcdaid.com

STUART MARKUS is a member of Gathering Time, an internationally touring folk-rock harmony trio in the spirit of the ’60s. Like a co-ed CSN, GT is known for astute songwriting, accomplished musicianship, and a stellar vocal blend. Gathering Time swept the international folk radio chart in March, 2016, as their CD ‘Keepsake’ took the #1 album, #1 song and #1 artist slots. They’ve followed up with four top-5 singles; their latest, “Get Together,” was #1 in July, 2020. Named “Long Island’s Best” by L.I. Press in 2011, they were voted Most Wanted to return among the 2012 FRFF emerging artists.

TOM MAYNARD is a singer-songwriter from the Greater Boston area. He has been writing and performing in the local music scene for 20+ years. His songs are grounded in his family life and the natural world, as well as inspired by current or historical events, often addressing social and cultural inequities. He has two albums of original music, and is most recently found performing at various virtual open mics.

KIM MOBERG Award winning singer/songwriter and Native Alaskan Tlingit (Klingit) Kim Moberg began playing guitar at age 14 but for many years debilitating stage fright kept her from pursuing her dream of becoming a performer. In 2014, she set out to overcome that stage fright and wrote her first song.

Kim teamed with Grammy-nominated producer Jon Evans to record two albums “Above Ground” and “Up Around The Bend”. Both recordings have received world wide airplay and critical acclaim, charting on the Folk International Folk DJ and NACC charts.

CHRIS MORGAN is a folk singer who has been performing since the 1970s both as soloist and as a member of The Morgan’s, a Connecticut-based folk music group he confounded with Don Sineti in 1972. They perform Irish, Scottish, English, and American folk music, and specialize in humorous songs.

SUZANNE MROZAK and BRIAN CARTWRIGHT have been performing off and on for the twelve years we’ve been together. We are regulars at the Roslindale Open Mike, now thriving online.

MUSTARD’S RETREAT (David Tamulevich & Libby Glover) Formed in Ann Arbor in Spring 1975, Mustard’s Retreat has performed owner 7,000 concerts throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. Mustardsretreat.com

JUNKO OGAWA Born and raised in Yokohama, Japan, Junko is a singer-songwriter who writes songs and sings in both English and Japanese. Visit her website at junkosings.com.

JOHN OLIVERE Author, educator and singer-songwriter John Olivere was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds suffered during the Tet Offensive in 1968. He spent 11 months in Chelsea Naval Hospital and is now on the front lines of the Peace Movement here at home. John can be heard on WATD (95.9 FM) each Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day and he hosts an annual Veteran’s Day Observation at the Catbird Cafe in South Weymouth, MA. John has lectured on the history of the Vietnam War at numerous Boston-area colleges and universities.

JIM PALANA While still in High School, Jim became part of the vibrant folk music community centered in Boston and Southeastern New England during the 1960s. He has performed on stages in the United States, Europe, Great Britain and Ireland. He continues to write and play his own songs while paying tribute to the songwriters who influenced him in his youth, Bob Dylan, Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, Eric Andersen, Tim Hardin and others. He has released multiple recording since his first in 1983. Says Cashbox Magazine, “… his ability as a tunesmith is unmistakable…”

CHERYL PERRAULT is a poet and spoken-word artist who has two cd recordings of original poetry accompanied by the guitar music of Steve Rapson. She has worked as an educator with people of all ages and with hospice patients writing their stories of life in review. Cheryl has also hosted programs of poetry, story and song for community and HCAM-TV.

UNCLE DICK PIERCE has been writing songs since the ’60s, but only began performing and recording regularly in 2018. A lifelong student of popular music, his performances are divided between historical songs, some over 100 years old, and his originals. Though a rocker at heart, his songs fall anywhere within the pop-folk-rock-baroque spectrum. He has recently collaborated with John McHugh on CDs, and enjoys setting the creations of his poet friends (Johnny Flaherty and Kimball Hunt) to music. His recordings, available at no cost on CD and YouTube, entertain a small but intrigued cadre of listeners.

ASPIE CHRIS ROBBINS is an eccentric artist who celebrates individuality, racial and gender equality and promotion of autistic spectrum acceptance. aspiechrisart.blogspot.com

DAVID ROTH’S David’s songs have found their way to Carnegie Hall, the United Nations, several Chicken Soup for the Soul books, the Kennedy Center, NASA’s Space Shuttle “Atlantis”, Peter, Paul, & Mary and Kingston Trio CDs, (and 15 of his own), 5 Positive Music Awards, the Rise Up Singing and Rise Again (sequel) songbooks, and countless venues in this
and other countries (and now other WORLDS) for more than three decades. (photo credit: econosmith) davidrothmusic.com

ANNE SANDSTROM is an inventive singer/songwriter/guitarist who uses poetry, carefully crafted melodies, and open guitar tunings to sing of social justice and personal experience. annesandstrom.com

KAREN SAUER – After I retired from my career as a collaborative pianist (“classical” music), a friend talked me into taking a free on-line songwriting course. I started singing because who else was going to sing my songs? As I write mostly political rants and love songs, there’s no shortage of topics. I make videos of some of them and they can be found on Youtube at Karen M Sauer.

KENNY SELCER is a warm, eclectic performer that plays a wide range of material: folk rock, blues, country and reggae and more! The stunning guitar work and intimate vocals keep audiences asking for more. He plays known classics with original spice, as well as originals that will get you tapping your feet and singing along. He has 4 solo cds to his credit and is working on another with Steve Gilligan. kennyselcer.com

JAN SEIDES Singer/Songwriter Jan Seides (sigh-deez) writes and performs original, lyrics-driven, award-winning songs that combine uptown sophistication with  down-home truth. They have been presented with style and spirit  in prestigious venues in the U.S., the Middle East and Europe. janseides.com

SHANNA IN A DRESS is a rising star in the folk scene who can bring you to tears whether it’s with her clever hilarity or detail-ridden heart wrenching ballads. A 2020 Kerrville New Folk finalist among many other accolades, she says what everyone is thinking but didn’t have the guts to say. www.youtube.com/shannainadress

DEBORAH SILVERSTEIN Singer-songwriter, Deborah Silverstein, has been performing in the Boston area and beyond since the mid-seventies.  Her first album, “And Ain’t I a Woman,” recorded with New Harmony Sisterhood Band, resides in the American Folk Life Collection at the Smithsonian Institute.  Her repertoire is filled with songs of social justice. “Draglines,” has been recorded by numerous artists and sung around the world. Most recently, she’s been working on a full length musical tribute to the generation of women who served as “Rosie the Riveters” during WWII. debobiz.com

TOM SMITH grew up in rural Pennsylvania in a family where music was part of the fabric of everyday life. As a young man living at the epicenter of the folk-quake that was Cambridge, MA in the 1960’s, Tom solidified what has become a life-long love of self-made music. Now a folk veteran of over forty years, Tom performs at festivals, coffeehouses, schools, and concerts throughout the Northeastern United States to audiences large and small, young and old. In the words of Dave Palmater of WUMB-FM Boston, Tom “writes songs that seem like they’ve always been there. […] a true folksinger.” TomSmithMusic.com

SOL Y CANTO–Rosi and Brian Amador–Latin roots music to change the world; passionate, poetic, playful and honest. Sol y Canto features Rosi Amador’s crystalline voice and husband Brian Amador’s sumptuous Spanish guitar playing and unique compositions from the Nueva Canción tradition. Powerful and often humorous songs in richly diverse Latin rhythms touch on themes of hope, social justice, food and love in genres ranging from gentle ballads to churning Latin dance tunes. www.solycanto.com New live CD ¡En vivo, en familia! available now.

CRAIG SONNENFELD Born in southern New Jersey, Craig Sonnenfeld has performed at many venues in greater Boston, New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio in recent years. His music has been played on several radio stations.Craig plays finger-style guitar and performs both original songs and covers of American music. craigsonnenfeld.net

SUNITA STANESLOW Sunita moved from Minnesota to Israel over 20 years ago. From teaching a blind Palestinian near the city of Nablus to working with Israelis of all ages in Israel, Sunita has crossed cultural barriers with music. As a musician and therapeutic harpist, Sunita has had the opportunity to share music with people from diverse backgrounds in concert halls and at the bedside in a Childrens’ Hospital near Tel Aviv. Best known for her arrangements of Jewish and sacred music, Sunita teaches and performs at harp festivals around the world. Sunita and her husband have made Shetland their new home and are restoring an old stone house by the North Sea. www.hamars.uk

GARRET SWAYNE is a master song craftsman.  Widely recognized for his expressive voice, tasty guitar licks, and an easygoing comfort onstage, what truly sets him apart is his songwriting. Swayne’s iconic songs are arresting, infectious, so smartly crafted, so immensely appealing, you can’t help but break into a smile when you hear them!  Some are broadly political; others deeply personal. Some are funny; some sad. They engage the Heart and the Mind. So you usually leave a Garret Swayne show touched on some level…and with his songs resounding pleasantly in your head on the way home! www.garretswayne.com

TOUDENKOU As the name indicates, is a musical group formed suddenly out of a need to revitalize our long-standing tradition of Haitian folkloric songs, among others. TOUDENKOU aims to promote the Haitian language and culture while catalyzing recollecting with the culture. TOUDENKOU collaborates with many organizations in the Haitian community and performs in various spiritual, social, political, and cultural events. TOUDENKOU is a family-based group comprised of husband and wife and spiritual brothers. Lead singer: Lunine Pierre-Jérôme; guitaristes: Jean Forest Petit-Frère & Gréam Pierre-Jérôme (frequent guest); keyboardist: Antonio Balan

BOB UVELLO Active in the Folk scene from the late sixties, into the eighties.
Toured England as opening act for John Martin and Pentangle. Recorded for a Swedish company in 1980. Album sold enough to go gold in Sweden.
Returned to music several years ago. Recording of an album of new material interrupted by Covid. Hope to complete recording soon.

BO VEANOR Performing in a non-performing pandemic band TMBB with Ken Porter and John Zaia. Raised on Woody Guthrie, nurtured by Dylan and currently on my own.

SANDRA WADDOCK is a singer-songerwriter who tends towards country folk. When times are good, she can be found at local open mikes and, in summers, at SAMW music camp.

CAROLYN WATERS is a performing singing/songwriter based in Worcester, MA. Her style, described as “socially conscious soul”, reflects her deep connection and love for all things music as well as her commitment to use music and the arts as a tool to promote healing and positive social change. As a songwriter her original music not only looks to support and encourage, but also challenges people to actively examine and change the world in which they live.  carolynwatersmusic.com

MATT WATROBA is a song leader, a song writer, and a custodian of American folk and roots music. He is committed to getting the world to sing, one town at a time. He has shared his compassion for the music as a writer, performer, and radio host for more than 30 years with one goal in mind: to leave the audience feeling better than they did when they got there. www.mattwatroba.net

CHRIS WILHELM is known for bringing positive vibes and an uplifting message. His indie folk rock is infectious and insightful. Based in the beautiful mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, he loves to play in Western North Carolina and abroad. In his new album Chris Wilhelm reveals new layers of vulnerability that had previously been unexpressed. Chris also speaks to the pandemic with a sense of hope. His first album in five years, This Too Shall Pass is a record for survivors, outsiders & dreamers. Musicians include Co-Producer Chris Rosser (Free Planet Radio), Zack Page & Josh Maddox, Debrissa McKinney and Asher Leigh. Hear the new album at: chriswilhelm.org

LINDSEY WILSON Throughout her musical career, Lindsey Wilson has embraced issues of the heart and mind within her original music. Love songs, protest tunes and lyrics of empowerment have all been a true representation of her style and sensibilities. Her songs “Stand for the People” and the “People Shall Rise” have caught the attention of culturally diverse audiences throughout the country.

Her influences stem from a myriad of musically conscious voices such as Odetta,
Richie Havens, Joni Mitchell, and Joan Armatrading. However, Lindsey’s message is truly her own! Click here for a video of Lindsey performing.

DANIEL ZAMPINO is a poet, stone sculptor, lawyer with a long history of social activism. He has travelled around the world in search of inspiration, incorporating his experiences into his art. He has also performed as a spoken word artist widely in the Boston area.

ZAMA is a Haitian-American songstress and songwriter. She has had a lifelong love of music and began singing and performing as a child. Having grown up influenced by R&B, Caribbean, and African musical styles, ZAMA’s music is a fusion of all of the different worlds that have inspired her music today. 2016 ushered in a new chapter of ZAMA’s career, as she brought her R&B/Neo-Soul background and fused it with Caribbean sounds to make her special mark in the Caribbean scene. Singing in English, French, Haitian Creole, and Spanish, ZAMA brings her high energy and soulful vocals to global stages. Zama’s skills also span beyond music. She is also a model, actress, dancer, and poet. She embodies an artist in all senses of the word. rebeccazamamusic.com

ZILI MISIK All female, Zili performs an acoustic & electronic fusion of roots music of the African diaspora. With captivating sounds that evoke the African continent, Zili retraces routes of forced exile and cultural resistance through diasporic rhythm and song. Powerful Haitian, Brazilian and West African rhythms infuse Zili’s original creations and traditional folksongs. Reconnecting Haitian mizik rasin, Jamaican roots reggae, Afro-Brazilian samba, Afro-Cuban son, and African American spirituals, blues, jazz, and neo soul, Zili Misik honors its influences while creating a sound that is uniquely its own: New World Soul. Yanvalou Drum & Dance Ensemble, in its 31st year at Wellesley, is a faculty-directed ensemble that performs the folkloric music and dance of Africa as it exists today throughout the African Diaspora, particularly in Haiti.

CHRIS LEE My musical journey began in elementary school, singing in church. I discovered rock and roll early on, and sang with older musicians. I attended UMASS at Amherst, where I really discovered folk and blues, and I began to learn to play the guitar. I left UMASS and transferred to what is now BSU (Bridgewater State University). There, I began to perform, primarily as a solo performer, and my musical interests became broader, playing rock and roll, folk, and songs of contemporary writers of the time. Not being a prolific writer, I borrowed heavily from established writers, covering their songs, and some of friends such as Jim Palana. Once in a while, I will find myself writing a song that I feel is worth keeping and added to my repertoire. Usually the songs are from my own experiences or autobiographical.

HE SAID/SHE SAID are Charlie Ortolani and Melissa Fleming. They have been performing together in bands and folk groups since the 1980s. They have played in bars and truck stops, music and arts festivals, large concert venues (Hatch Shell, Portsmouth Music Hall, Hampton Beach Casino, Cape Cod Melody Tent) and prestigious local coffeehouses (Me and Thee, Rose Garden, Linden Tree). They have shared stages with country artists (Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Brenda Lee) and folk artists (Bill Staines, Barry and Holly Tashian, Jez Lowe, Michael Smith, Brother Sun). They feature tight harmonies and interesting guitar arrangements in an  eclectic mix of original and cover songs. 

TOM PRASADA-RAO is a musician’s musician – an unassuming presence on the folk scene since the early nineties. His voice belies his musicianship and his extraordinary songs. From Rishi’s Garden with its homage to Ravi Shankar to the groove of Sleeping Beauty, Tom’s music is melodic, ambitious, and reverent. In the fall of 2007 Tom quit the road to produce records, raise two stepdaughters, and walk a rather large Golden Doodle named Thurman twice a day. In addition to producing, he took a job teaching music at White Rock Montessori in Dallas. From headlining major festivals 20 years ago, to the relative obscurity of a recording studio – Tom continued to mature as an artist. That work blossomed into an impressive resume of producing credits as well as cuts (his songs covered by other artists). In 2014, Tom’s returned to the road. His new release “ADAGIO” – features bass guitar legend Chuck Rainey, and piano virtuoso Julie Bonk who was Norah Jones teacher – all masterfully produced by Jagoda. https://tomprasadarao.com/