$10 | Streaming LIVE from Allyworld and Tonal Park Recording Mixing and Mastering in Takoma Park, MD
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Celtic Duo Seán Heely and Kevin Elam have been praised for their beautiful traditional arrangements and expressive playing as well as having an authentic sound in many different styles. Fiddle legend Liz Carroll calls Seán “One powerhouse of a fiddler.” He is a U.S National Scottish Fiddle Champion as well as an award-winning Irish Fiddler and singer in the folk traditions of Scotland and Ireland.
Kevin Elam is the 2019 All-Ireland Men’s Singing Champion and an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist in the Washington D.C area. Kevin performs on guitar, tenor banjo, whistle, and sings in the Seán Heely Celtic Trio and with Seán in their Celtic Duo. Kevin is also a classically trained pianist and holds a degree in Jazz from George Mason University, and performs regularly as a solo pianist and as a keyboardist. Seán and Kevin have performed together at venues such as the Kennedy Center, Strathmore music center, All-Ireland fleadh, Acadia Trad Festival, CCE Irish Folk Festival in Fairfax, VA, and the Virginia Scottish Games.
A fiery set of polkas: The Banks of Inverness / Ievans's / Laurel's Fancy / Britches Full O' Stitches Sean Heely & Kevin Elam performing at B Chord Brewing
Cuil Mor consists of Jesse Winch (bodhran, octave mandolin, guitar, harmonica), his children Fiona Winch (vocals), Patrick Winch (tenor banjo, octave mandolin, guitar), and Brendan Coyne (banjo, fiddle).
Jesse is the son of Bridie and Patrick Winch, Irish immigrants who met and married in New York City in 1930. His father played the tenor banjo and encouraged all of his five children to play the Irish music he loved so well. Jesse and brother Terence (button accordion) formed the band Celtic Thunder in 1977 to great critical acclaim. In recent years, Jesse and Terence and Terence’s son Michael, a world-class fiddler, along with Fiona and Patrick have performed as the Winch Family Band.
Today, Jesse’s son Patrick, has taken up the mantle and plays his grandfather’s banjo and the guitar and octave mandolin. Fiona grew up hearing the Irish song tradition first-hand at house parties and at numerous Celtic Thunder rehearsals and concerts and has studied traditional Irish singing with Eileen Estes, Robbie O’Connell, Jennifer O’Riordan and others.
Brendan is a long-time friend and musical companion of Patrick’s. They both studied banjo with Keith Carr at MAD Week, the annual Irish immersion program sponsored by the O’Neill Malcom Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoírí Éireann. Brendan honed his fiddle skills under the tutelage of visionary fiddler Mitch Fanning and several guest instructors at MAD Week over the years. He is also a frequent visitor to the Irish Inn at Glen Echo at the Irish Inn Mates sessions and is a veteran of the DC-based Bog Band.
Past IMT : LIVE
Missed a show? Wished you didn't? Loved a show? Want to relive it? Here are Covid-era IMT : LIVE shows since March.
$10 | Streaming LIVE from Allyworld and Tonal Park Recording Mixing and Mastering in Takoma Park, MD
$2 box office fee added to all advance purchases
We apologize for the inconvenience - due to inclement weather this show has been POSTPONED to the following Wednesday night! Thank you for your patience.
Celebrating TWO wins from this year's Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, ilyAIMY has crisscrossed the nation for almost two decades. They have played everything from bait shops to biker weeks to clothing-optional resorts. They engage audiences with humor and award-winning narrative songs that pair an unforgettably soulful and powerful female vocalist with a percussive, clawhammer-like guitarist. Their infectious energy and rapid-fire lyricism is softened with cello and lush harmony, making ilyAIMY “a welcome jolt” and “an acoustically roiling, combustible attack on the usual singer/songwriter fare,” say reviewers.
Collectively their energetic brand of new-folk has garnered honors from the Ebb Bernard Songwriter Awards, Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, Kerrville Folk Festival, the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Washington Area Music Awards, Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, National Association for Campus Activities, the Northeast & Southeast Regional Folk Alliances and more. They are three-time winners of the Washington Area Music Association Winners for Best Contemporary Folk Group and are known for combining their award-winning songwriting, tight male/female harmonies, signature intricate slap-style guitar work, ukulele, percussion and an eclectically humorous stage show into an exquisite package.
Jillian Matundan is an award-winning, singer-songwriter in Northern Virginia by way of Central New York, where she was trained in classical violin from the age of three. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, she took a fifteen-year hiatus from writing and performing her own music. In 2019, she began playing songs she had only started writing a few months earlier at an open mic and has been on a tear ever since, winning awards and releasing her debut EP in June 2020. She plans to begin work on an acoustic and full-length album in 2021.
After performing with several of the DC area's most popular groups since the late seventies, and currently as a member of Ruthie and Wranglers, Bill Starks has become recognized as a noted songwriter as well. The bluesy anthem "300 Miles From Memphis To New Orleans" won a WAMA song of the year award in 2011. "Repo Man", a honky-tonk lament about personal finances was featured on an NPR program on the economy. And Bill's debut solo CD "I See Trouble" , which featured both those tunes garnered a WAMA "Songwriter of the Year" Award. Bill has also collaborated with fellow writers Ruthie Logsdon and Greg Hardin on such tunes as "Ka-Ching" and "In the Tank", both of which were featured on the Wranglers' "Americana Express" album. Bill's most recent recording"Do You Hear Me Now" revisits some early up-tempo rockers, a reunion of original band-mates and pals, and harmony vocals from members of The Starks FamDamily. While hibernating during the 2020 pandemic, Bill has been tinkering with a handful of new song ideas, still in the works...
Pam de Ocampo began training in modern dance at the age of 10 in her native Manila, Philippines. She was later drawn to flamenco upon discovering the artform’s rhythms. Since moving to the U.S. in 2003, Pam has studied flamenco extensively and performed with Natalia Monteleon’s Arte Flamenco Company, Flamenco Aparicio Company, Ziva’s Spanish Dance Ensemble and the Washington Performing Arts. She has also trained consistently with renowned artist Mercedes Ruiz. In 2016, Pam sought to get close to the artform’s roots and immerse herself in its current pulse by spending time in Seville, Spain, learning from masters Juana Amaya, Carmen Ledesma, El Oruco, Miguel El Rubio, and Cristina Hall. That experience birthed her production, “Dos Almas”, in 2019. Pam continues to work as an independent artist and performs weekly. She teaches flamenco classes at the Arte Flamenco Studio and at The Washington Ballet for their summer intensive program.
Yiyi Orozco, Singer and Percussionist
Yiyi Orozco is from an Andalusian family, born in Barcelona, and was introduced to Flamenco rhythms at the tender age of four. Yiyi was trained by his father, Flamenco singer “Joselón de Jerez”, in his Spanish peña named “Peña Fosforito”. Considered a child prodigy of percussion Yiyi began his professional career at the age of twelve. By 17 years of age and one CD later, he became more involved with singing, particularly for dancers, and left Spain for Germany on a long-term contract with the company “Flamenco Rubio”. Since that time he has performed throughout Europe, South America, Asia, and the United States. Critics worldwide have praised Yiyi’s performance as “fiery”, “riveting”, his percussion technique executed with “machine-gun speed” that possesses and “casts a spell”.
Ricardo Marlow, Guitarist
Ricardo Marlow is one of the most sought after solo Flamenco guitarists and Flamenco accompanists in the United States. His brilliant technique, lyrical compositions, and masterful interpretations of Flamenco are unsurpassed. As a young child, Ricardo was introduced to the guitar by his father, the eminent classical guitarist John E. Marlow. He went on to receive a degree from the James Madison University’s School of Music in 1997. Ricardo subsequently took up the flamenco guitar and studied with master, Gerardo Núñez, in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain, and continues to do so yearly since 1999. He has played professionally since 1997 with the Arte Flamenco Dance Company, the Danza del Rio Dance Company, the Paco de Malaga and Anna Martinez Dance Company, and the Flamenco Aparicio Company. Ricardo has had the honor and pleasure of accompanying international flamenco artists, including world renowned cantaora, Esperanza Fernandez, all over the United States.
$10 | Streaming LIVE from Allyworld and Tonal Park Recording Mixing and Mastering in Takoma Park, MD
$2 box office fee added to all advance purchases
Marc Avon Evans, newly relocated to Takoma Park, hosts the long-running, verging-on-legendary Thursday Night Acoustic Soul open mic and is the very personification of charisma. His elegant baritone vocals exude confidence and honey one moment, sheer sensuality the next, all the while expressing a positive message of community and family. He's truly the SOUL of Baltimore Soul.
"Marc A. Evans, a native Baltimorean, was born into music. Yet amazingly, this son of a vocalist and jazz saxophonist didn't discover his own music until his late teens. Finally, as a student at Morgan State University, under the tutelage of Dr. Nathan Carter, Evans began nurturing a love for music. Out of that nurturing arises one of the most sultry, smoky baritones ever. That smooth voice meshed with passionate delivery sets Evans apart from the rest as one of the most talented vocalists of the millennium."
Laura Luv is a singer-songwriter from Colombia. She writes songs in Spanish influenced by her life experiences and what is happening in the world today. Some of her lyrics have been interpreted by others as a call to consciousness and people can easily relate to them. For example, the song "Déjame Ser" (Let Me Be) is about animal abuse, and "Apaga la luz" (Turn off the light) is about global warming. Musically, Laura Luv has been influenced by pop, rock, folk, indie and latin music.
Justin Trawick and The Common Good’s debut record, “The Riverwash EP”, exemplifies the raw emotional live sound Trawick and the band have cultivated over the years playing in clubs and festivals up and down the East Coast. With instrumentation consisting of acoustic guitar, upright bass, fiddle, mandolin, and pedal steel, the band’s live performance plays fast and loose with the “Americana” genre, performing heartfelt ballads followed by raucous bluegrass melodies and even moments of hip hop verses. Written by DC based songwriter Justin Trawick, “The Riverwash EP” introduces the listener to Trawick’s unique brand storytelling with five original songs about love, loss, longing, resilience, and time pulling heartstrings of listeners young and old. Adam Levy (Norah Jones, Tracy Chapman) guest performs on guitar during “All the Places That I’ve Been”, a song inspired by Trawick’s ninety-seven year old grandmother and her stories of the World War II generation. Finally, the album closes with the band’s unique take on “Wonderwall” by Oasis, a track sure to trick the audience into thinking they’re listening to another Trawick original.
A feeling of optimism and warmth resonates through Nora Jane Struthers’ new album Bright Lights, Long Drives, First Words which finds the artist looking back on a year of big changes. Recorded when Struthers was eight months pregnant with her first child, she worried if she would have the lung capacity to sing this set of soulful ballads and upbeat anthems. (“I had a lot of other stuff going on in my body,” she laughs.) But with her band the Party Line behind her — and her husband, musician Joe Overton, singing backup — Struthers breezed through some of the most inspired and inspiring songs of her career.
Súle Greg Wilson, M.A., with over fifty years experience as a community musician, inter-cultural healer, and storyteller, consciously mines tradition for the power of Success and Spirit inherent within. This calling has led him to play and dance ceildhs, horas, bembés, shouts, jooks, batucadas, the bantaba, the hora, and block party.
Born and raised in Washington, DC, with school time in Ohio and New York City, Súle served as Director for the Smithsonian Institution’s Afro-American Index Project, as well as 2005’s historic Black Banjo Gathering, and he is a founding member of the Grammy Award-winning string band, the Carolina Chocolate Drops.
Súle has careered as an archivist (the New York Stock Exchange, the World Bank) and an educator (New York, NY and Tempe, AZ Public Schools, Arizona State University). His work as a composer, writer, and performing artist has graced stage and screen, print and the street, taking him from Antrim to Kumasi, Newport to Bahia, Juneau to Hermosillo, and he’s been blessed to share the stage and/or studio time with Babatunde Olatunji, Pura Fé, Taj Mahal, Tania Leon, Peter Rowan, Abraham Laboriel, Ruthie Foster, Ysaye Maria Barnwell, the Copasetics, Mike Seeger, the International African-American Ballet, the Phoenix Symphony, John Sebastian, Laura Love, and more. Wilson is the producer of numerous CDs, and his book, The Drummer’s Path: Moving the Spirit with Ritual and Traditional Drumming, is an inspirational standard in the field. Be on the lookout for the Funky Banjo method book, and The Moving the Spirit in Rhythm Workbooks!
Two Sisters is composed of two actual sisters, Guen and Liz Spilsbury, who have been singing together since the age they could carry a tune. Born to musical parents, they were introduced to both classical and folk music at a young age and fell in love with both. They sing everything from classical art songs and madrigals to work songs and bawdy ballads, blending their voices in unique harmony. They have sung in many of the ensembles in the area, including the Washington Revels and the Victorian lyric Opera Company, and have been performing as Two Sisters for the past 3 years. No siblings were harmed in the making of this duo.
Darrow and Abe started playing fiddle tunes together almost a decade ago. They are excited to reunite as Kinfolk to perform traditional and new songs on fiddle, banjo, guitar, bouzouki, and more.
Patty Reese Band is known and celebrated for her ability to raise the roof with a "get down" rocker or to bring tears to your eyes with a heartfelt ballad. With 17 Wammies, Washington Area Music Awards, to her credit, including Artist of the year, Album of the year, 2 Song Writer Awards and many vocalist awards, Reese is still writing and performing throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Look for her new release in 2010!
"With a voice like honey and sand, Patty Reese can hold her own with any other soulstruck singers. Her sense of dynamics brings out the drama inherent in any good song - and she can write them too." -- Michael Jaworek, the Birchmere
Hubby Jenkins is a talented multi-instrumentalist who endeavors to share his love and knowledge of old-time American music. Born and raised in Brooklyn he delved into his southern roots, following the thread of African American history that wove itself through America's traditional music forms. As an integral member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and later Rhiannon Giddens band, Hubby has performed at festivals and venues around the world, earning himself both Grammy and Americana award nominations. Today he spreads his knowledge and love of old-time American music through his dynamic solo performances and engaging workshops.
Praised for her “drive and virtuosity” by The New York Times, multi-award-winning instrumentalist/vocalist/bandleader Cynthia Sayer is regarded as one of the top 4-string banjoists today. An inductee into the American Banjo Hall Of Fame and the first 4-string banjoist to be on the cover of the musician union’s International Musician Magazine (Jan 2021), Cynthia is the first banjoist to win the 2019 Bistro Award and 2018 Global Music Awards. In 2018 she was also the first 4-string jazz banjoist ever featured at the iconic Newport Jazz Festival. Sayer first rose to international prominence as a founding member of Woody Allen's New Orleans Jazz Band, and has played with many leading artists, ranging from Bucky Pizzarelli and Les Paul to Andy Statman and Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox. Cynthia has appeared as a guest and performer CBS, FOX & ABC television, on NPR's “Piano Jazz,” and elsewhere. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, DownBeat, Fretboard Journal, People Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and countless other local, trade, and foreign media outlets. Cynthia can be heard on feature film and tv soundtracks, and her 9 feature albums have received and multiple "Best of" nominations and awards in various categories. She has played at The White House, performed with symphony orchestras including The New York Philharmonic, was the official banjoist for The New York Yankees, and is proud to be the subject of a Trivial Pursuit question. Cynthia is also an avid educator, and published a popular play-along program, “You’re IN The Band.” She believes in the power of music to nourish the soul, and hopes you are always wearing a mask around others!
Born in the Mississippi Delta, Mark learned the true meaning of the Blues down on Parchman Farm Penitentiary. He was taught by David Kimbrough, the son of Jr. Kimbrough, how to play the guitar inside Parchman, and soon after, Mark joined the Parchman Prison Band. After Mark left Parchman, he followed his love for the Blues towards bettering himself. Along the way, he met the Blues legend Big Jack Johnson. He became both a mentor and friend to Mark and even gave Mark the nickname "Muleman".
25 years later, Muleman has played a host of festivals all across Mississippi, including opening for B.B. King at his annual homecoming festival the last few years of B.B. King's career. In 2017, Muleman traveled overseas to Crissier, Switzerland to perform at the Blues Rules Crissier Festival, and Bollenblues4 in the Netherlands as well as Haarlem, Holland. Muleman has been featured on the online blues show "Moonshine and Mojo Hands" and the culinary television show "Bizarre Foods" with Andrew Zimmern.
In 2016, Muleman's story was documented by audio recordings into the Library of Congress. Muleman's aspiring story and songs have touched his fans from all over the world. The combination of Muleman's distinguished voice and captivating lyricism is a force to be reckoned with. Visit his website here : markmulemanmassey.wixsite.com
"the album bursts with optimistic energy that feels positively needed in the world right now." - PopMatters
"Folk music is at its best when it helps uplift the listener in a deeper sense, and the Sweater Set has lavishly honed that ability on Fly on the Wall." - Americana Highways
Around the DMV, Jarreau (juh-ROW) Williams is known as the "man with the golden pipes.” The Alexandria, VA native and recent Wammie nominated artist is a consummate showman and charismatic front-man who brings high-energy, soul, funk, groove and a special form of kindness to each one of his performances.
Williams and his band, JWX: The Jarreau Williams Experience, have been entertaining crowds at some of DC’s premier music venues such as 9:30 Club, Blues Alley, Farm Brew LIVE, and Jammin Java... and have appeared in major area music festivals like DC Music Rocks, PIKEtoberfest, The Wharf and Capitol Riverfront Summer Series.
Jarreau’s professional credits include backing 4-time Grammy Award winner Michael Buble, praise and worship with President Barack Obama and the First Family, as well as performing the National Anthem for thousands in DC’s most prominent professional sports arenas.
Anyone who has seen Jarreau perform will agree, it is truly an ‘experience’ from the moment he grabs the microphone. His enchanting personality and extraordinary voice has a way of creating those special moments in performance; inviting you to join in the experience right along with him.
Tea & Honey serves up a unique take on contra dance music with their blend of backgrounds in old time, French Canadian, ragtime, and classical music Since Tea & Honey formed nearly two years ago, the group has played for contra dances throughout the Mid-Atlantic region including Glen Echo, Silver Spring and Baltimore, MD; FootFall Dance Weekend; the Washington Folk Festival; Birdsboro, PA & Princeton, NJ. The members of Tea and Honey bring a diverse range of musical experiences and are fearless in exploring the possibilities of dance music. Tea & Honey is: Sophie Chang - cello, Colleen Holroyd - fiddle, feet, Bobby LaRose - piano, mandolin, bones, Rebecca Weiss - fiddle
Amadou Kouyate is the 150th generation of the Kouyate family of Manding Diali (oral historians/musicians of West Africa) and the first generation born of his father’s lineage in America. Amadou performs a musical montage on the 21-string Kora, and rhythmic presentations on Djembe and Koutiro drums. His repertoire ranges from traditional songs from the 13th century to contemporary original compositions incorporating blues and jazz riffs. In addition to his solo work, Amadou Kouyate performs with his world rock ensemble Proper SKANKS, Amadou Kouyate Ensemble, the international duo project WEEDOU Everything! and Memory of African Culture. Amadou has worked extensively with Chuck Davis and the African American Dance Ensemble, Farafina Kan and Kankouran West African Dance Company. Some of his credits include performances at The Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Institution, The NAMM Show, Bristol Academy and Isle of Whyte (England), Tim Festival (Brazil), Petronio Alvarez Afro-Colombian Festival (Colombia), Garvey Festival (Costa Rica), Lowell, Baltimore Rhythm Festival, East-Lansing and Dayton National Folk Festivals, Harrisonburg International Festival, Intersections Festival (DC), DanceAfrica DC, Atlanta, and Chicago, with The National Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, National Geographic, The Creative Alliance and the Victoria World Rhythm Festival, and had played on two Grammy-nominated projects. Amadou has worked on various film and video game scores and has presented and lectured at over 30 colleges and university institutions worldwide. Amadou received the Maryland Start Arts Council Governor’s Citation, The Maryland Master/ Apprentice Award and other artistic awards from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Special Talents and Musical Theatre Scholarships at Howard University and Levine School of Music. In his traditional scholarship, Amadou has studied in Mali, Senegal, Guinea and The Gambia with master musicians of the Djali tradition including Djimo Kouyate and Toumani Diabate. Thus far, Amadou having an illustrious career as both a performer and educator. He was an Adjunct Lecturer of African Music and Ethnomusicology at the University of Maryland, and director of the African Drum Ensemble, and Artist-In-Residence at Montgomery College of Rockville, and is now working at Goucher College and UMBC. Amadou an alum of the distinguished Artist In Residence program at the renowned Strathmore Music Center, and a teaching artist at the Wolftrap Organization for the Performing Arts, and continues to present to audiences around the world.
Brian Weber is a talented multi-instrumentalist who has been performing in and around the Washington, D.C. area for close to 30 years. His shows have also taken him up and down the east coast and as far west as California. Brian loves playing his originals and some covers that he spins his own unique way. He enjoys engaging the audience for a memorable musical experience every time he takes the stage. He is regularly joined by guest musicians which adds to the sound and fun! Brian says, “Stop through and stay for awhile...check out the music, make a request, sit and enjoy or get up and dance! Thanks for listening and see you at a show soon!”
Named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch," dancer and musician Nic Gareiss has been hailed by the New York Times for his "dexterous melding of Irish and Appalachian dance" and called "the most inventive and expressive step dancer on the scene” by the Boston Herald. A child of the folk revival, Gareiss grew up being dragged to folk festivals (against his will at the time!) in the Midwest. At these events Nic learned Appalachian, Irish, English and Canadian step dance surrounded by fiddlers, banjo-players, balladeers and folksingers. This mix of traditional music, song, and movement from rural places has become the heart of Nic's creative work as a performer. Nic has earned numerous accolades including a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination for traditional singer of the year, a MA in Ethnochoreology, and the Michigan Heritage Award, his state's highest distinction bestowed on traditional artists. He has performed in sixteen countries with many of the luminaries of traditional music and dance at London's Barbican Centre, the Irish National Concert Hall, the Munich Philharmonic, and the Kennedy Center. Always jubilant, often puckishly queer, Nic Gareiss has emerged as one of the most beloved young masters of traditional dance and music.
Trio Caliente unites and inspires audiences around the globe with their inimitable blend of Flamenco, Pop, and Latin Dance Music. Enjoyed by political luminaries stateside and abroad, notable Fortune 500 companies, and venerated international organizations, festivals and concert venues around the world, Trio Caliente delivers unique sound and style to any occasion– providing an unforgettable experience for your private event.
Phil Wiggins : Washington, D.C. native Phil Wiggins, a Takoma Park, Maryland, resident, blues musician, teacher and artistic director, a two time winner of the prestigious WC Handy Blues Foundation awards, is only the third harmonica player to receive the lifetime honor of an NEA National Heritage Fellowship. Today he is the only living player of the instrument to hold the prestigious honor of being a “Master of Traditional Arts.” Often referred to by its unofficial designation as “Living Cultural Treasure” award, the fellowship honors and preserves the diverse cultural heritage in the United States. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) annually awards one-time-only NEA National Heritage Fellowships to master folk and traditional artists, to recognize lifetime achievement, artistic excellence, and contributions to our nation’s traditional arts heritage.
Yasmin Williams is an acoustic fingerstyle guitarist with an unorthodox, modern style of playing from northern Virginia. After beating the video game Guitar Hero 2, she asked for, and received, her first guitar. Her music has been described as relaxing, uplifting, and thoughtful and has raised the bar of what is possible to play on the acoustic guitar. She uses a combination of fingerstyle guitar and lap-tapping guitar techniques, with percussive sounds to play melody, bass, and drum parts all at the same time, creating sophisticated and intricate compositions.
MLEMON is a duo of musical monks who have been creating funky and awe-inspiring tunes at the rate of a mile a minute since the beginning of the COVID outbreaks. Their mission is to spit in the eye of genre and to set free all music born of natural surrender to a world of infinite inspiration. Wielding a collection of more than 35 instruments, their two full-length albums, “Monkfruit” and “Cat Parade”, appear on every streaming service under the sun, while their third album “Are You Just Going to Stand There Like a MLEMON?” is due for release at any moment.
Lilt is the duo of Tina Eck on flute/tin whistle and Keith Carr on Irish bouzouki/tenor banjo. They met in the Washington DC Irish session scene some years back and found that “flute and zouk” were a good instrumental match for what they love to play: traditional dance music from Ireland. Since 2009 they have performed at countless concerts, festivals, and renowned venues. They have released four critically acclaimed CD’s: “Lilt”, “Onward”, “Little Falls”, and their latest, marking 10 years together, “X” (released 2019). Their performances capture the essentials of Irish traditional music: boundless energy, wildness and melancholy.
"This is a Lilt with real fizz, platinum quality. Well done!!” - Irish Music Magazine, review of Lilt’s “X” CD, September 2019
"...one of the finest recordings of Irish music I've heard in a long time. The whole thing, from beginning to end, feels fresh, exhilarating, and wonderfully, blissfully alive." - IrishPhiladelphia.com, review of “Little Falls” CD, January 2014
"Visually and musically, Tom is the most compelling presence to emerge in the singer-songwriter genre as I've seen in a long time." —Jim Bessman, Billboard
Tom Prasada-Rao writes songs of extraordinary power evoking his Indian heritage and his love of R&B. A musician’s musician, an award-winning songwriter, teacher and producer – Tom joyfully returns to the stage after a year recovering from cancer, with a bunch of new songs in his head.
Known for his inspiring songs, his unique guitar style, and his smooth voice, TPR was born in Ethiopia of Indian parents. Fresh from his 15-year exile in Texas, he’s finally returned home to Washington, DC. TPR has been a fixture on the singer-songwriter scene since winning the Kerrville New Folk songwriting competition in 1993. He will soon resume touring around the country, playing festivals and house concerts, teaching songwriting, and producing albums.
Tom Prasada-Rao sings an original song co-written with Renee Azarri called "Show You My Love". Recorded 'In The Moment' on Friday February 19, 2016 at the Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City, Mo
Greg Klyma is out to make the world a better place one song at a time. A prolific songwriter and multi-instrumental, Greg is right at home whether he's playing a folk ballad, a country waltz, or rockin' out like a high school kid.
Rob Guttenberg has been performing his original music over the past 30 years. During the 1970s he opened for Tom Paxton and Harry Chapin.
In 1975 Rob composed the Brown University strike song, ‘Rich White American University’ which was featured on the Walter Cronkite CBS evening news. After healing from a severe brain hemorrhage in 1983, Robs’ songwriting focussed on songs about overcoming adversity, disability and social justice. As a result of a request made by the National Organization on Disability, Rob composed the song ‘FDR in a Wheelchair’, that was honored with proclamations from the U.S. States House of Representatives, and the Montgomery County, Maryland County Council. Rob continues to write songs that serve to lift spirits and encourage persons to persevere in the face of adversity.
This show is being made possible through the generous support of the following sponsors:
Jake Blount is an award-winning banjoist, fiddler, singer and ethnomusicologist based in Providence, RI. He is half of the internationally touring duo Tui, a 2020 Strathmore Artist in Residence and a board member of Bluegrass Pride. Although he is proficient in multiple performance styles, Blount specializes in the music of Black and Native American communities in the southeastern United States, and in the regional style of Ithaca, New York. A versatile performer, Blount interpolates blues, bluegrass and spirituals into the old-time string band tradition he belongs to. He foregrounds the experiences of queer people and people of color in his work. His teachers include Rhiannon Giddens, Bruce Molsky and Judy Hyman. He has claimed first place in both the Banjo and the Traditional Band categories at the prestigious Appalachian String Band Music Festival in Clifftop, WV. Blount has shared his music and research at the Smithsonian Institution, Yale University, and Berklee School of Music, among other venues and institutions. He has also appeared on Radiolab. He regularly teaches fiddle and banjo at festivals and camps like the Augusta Heritage Center’s Old-Time Week, the Ashokan Center’s Old-Time Rollick, and Midwest Banjo Camp. Blount tours domestically and internationally as a solo performer, with his duo Tui, and with his band The Moose Whisperers. He has performed and recorded solo, and in ensembles of up to six people. His first full-length solo album, Spider Tales, is out now on Free Dirt Records & Service Co. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart, received positive coverage from NPR, Rolling Stone and Billboard among others, and earned five out of five stars as The Guardian's Folk Album of the Month.
Seamus Egan : It’s hard to think of an artist in traditional Irish music more influential than Seamus Egan. From his beginnings as a teen prodigy, to his groundbreaking solo work with Shanachie Records, to his founding of Irish-American powerhouse band Solas, to his current work as one of the leading composers and interpreters of the tradition, Egan has inspired multiple generations of musicians and helped define the sound of Irish music today. As a multi-instrumentalist, he’s put his mark on the sound of the Irish flute, tenor banjo, guitar, mandolin, tin whistle, and low whistle, among others. As a composer, he was behind the soundtrack for the award-winning film The Brothers McMullen, co-wrote Sarah McLachlan’s breakout hit, “Weep Not for the Memories,” and has scored numerous documentaries and indie films since. As a bandleader, Solas has been the pre-eminent Irish-American band of their generation for the past 20 years, continuously renewing Irish music with fresh ideas, including a collaboration with Rhiannon Giddens on their 2015 album. As a performer, few others can make so instruments or such wickedly complex ornaments seem so effortless. Music comes as naturally to Seamus Egan as breath, but his mastery of the tradition is only one facet of his plans to move the music forward.
Seth Kibel & Flo Anito : Flo Anito is a quirky, clever songwriter with a great big voice, that is in turn, sweet, sultry, powerful, and emotive. Her stage presence is undeniable. Classically trained in Voice, Piano, and Cello, raised on the stages of Summer stock musical theatre, and studying Music under Anthony Braxton and Alvin Lucier at Wesleyan University, Flo's sound is a rare hybrid. Seth Kibel is one of the Mid-Atlantic's premier woodwind specialists, working with some of the best bands in jazz, swing, and more. Wowing audiences on saxophone, clarinet, and flute, Seth has made a name for himself in the Washington/Baltimore region, and beyond. He is the featured performer with The Alexandria Kleztet, Bay Jazz Project, Music Pilgrim Trio, The Natty Beaux, and more. Winner of 28 Washington Area Music Awards (Wammies), including "Best World Music Instrumentalist" (2003-11) and "Best Jazz Instrumentalist" (2005, 2007-8, 2011-14).
Dennis Lichtman : Dennis Lichtman is a multi-instrumentalist whose main axes are clarinet, mandolin, and fiddle. He is deeply entrenched in the early era of jazz and its permeation into other American roots genres, from ragtime to bluegrass to blues to western swing (and most importantly, the meeting-points in between). His weekly jam session at Mona’s in New York City has been called “ground zero for an emerging late-night scene of young swing and traditional jazz players” by the Wall Street Journal. His most recent clarinet album, Just Cross the River, features nine original compositions, two of which can be heard in the HBO miniseries The Plot Against America.
Dennis has performed and recorded as a member of The Lovestruck Balladeers, Ghost Train Orchestra, Pokey LaFarge Band, Nation Beat, Jim Kweskin Band, duo with Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton, and many more in addition to his own projects, The Brain Cloud and Mona’s Hot Four. During the coronavirus lockdown he’s been staying busy and creative making Social Distance Concert videos for fans and supporters with vocalist Tamar Korn or as the Dennis Lichtman “Quarantet.”
Psh. Dennis worried that this video would be "too silly to use".
Christylez Bacon : Christylez Bacon (pronounced: chris-styles) is a GRAMMY® Nominated Progressive Hip-Hop artist and multi-instrumentalist from Southeast, Washington, DC. As a performer, Christylez multi-tasks between various instruments such as the West African djembe drum, acoustic guitar, and the human beat-box (oral percussion), all while continuing the oral tradition of storytelling through his lyrics.
Ruthie Logsdon : Lead singer of Ruthie and the Wranglers! Ruthie & the Wranglers play rockin’ American Roots music (also known as FUN!) and are based in the Washington, DC area. After 25 Years of Wrangler Twang, including recording, touring and radio airplay, the band remains a cornerstone of the DC roots music scene. From original Americana Country to rousing Surf instrumentals, their clever lyrics, high energy and spritely hillbilly harmonies set them apart from the rest.
LEA : “A great voice singing great songs.” That is the simplest way to introduce you to LEA’s music. While she often draws comparisons to other female phenoms like Tracy Chapman, Joni Mitchell and Ani DiFranco, LEA’s sound seamlessly blends gospel, jazz, country and R&B into her own style - SoulFolk.
LEA was born in Baltimore to a father who toured the world playing trumpet in the funk band Black Heat and a mother who dreamed of opera while performing with her siblings in the Jones Family Gospel Singers. LEA was singing on the pulpit of the Baptist church where she grew up as soon she could speak. When she discovered the acoustic guitar as a teenager, she began teaching herself to play by writing songs. LEA’s final year in high school in Germany at a classical conservatory, where she sang with the jazz ensemble Black & White and co-wrote with the British pop trio Indigo Wild. Having shared the stage with luminaries including Odetta, Mavis Staples, Dar Williams and Anthony Hamilton, LEA performs at a far-ranging array of venues, including arts centers, universities, festivals, and places of worship. She is consistently acknowledged by the Washington Area Music Association* as one of the region’s best vocalists, songwriters and recording artists. She is a graduate of the prestigious Artist-in-Residence program at The Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, MD and a beloved children's music performer among DC families.
Freebo is a genuine folk, rock and blues icon who, after over 40 years of recording and touring with many of the great artists of our time (Bonnie Raitt 10 years, CSN, Maria Muldaur, John Mayall, Ringo Starr, Dr. John, Neil Young, & many more) is regarded as one of the most gifted singer-songwriters of today. A multi award winner and finalist in numerous songwriting contests, Freebo was also recognized as the 'Best Folk Artist 2007' by the Los Angeles Music Awards. In addition, he has appeared on Saturday Night Live, The Muppet Show, The Midnight Special, and in concert with the legendary Spinal Tap.
Freebo’s compassionate concern for the world and people around him, as evidenced both in his lyrics and his open stage banter, has helped him connect with listeners worldwide. He will take an audience from insights about what kind of positive mark we hope to leave on the world upon our own passing with “Standing Ovation” to where you stand with your pets and your partner with "She Loves My Dog More Than Me." A musical evening with Freebo will be astute, insightful, clever, and truly melodic.
Here's what critics are saying about Freebo: "Freebo is more than one of LA's best players, he's also a richly gifted and distinctive songwriter, as expressive in his writing as on a bass" (Paul Zollo, Songwriters On Songwriting)
"Freebo's intimate and go-down-easy personable vocals tie in light-hearted fare, social commentary and spiritual quest with love-sweet-love, and make it sound seamless." (Janet Goodman, Music News Nashville)
"Standing Ovation is an astounding song which encompasses a profound view of life, destined to become a classic." (Russ Paris, Folkworks.org)
"Listening to Freebo is like riding on a cumulus cloud of peaceful awareness, a cosmic blend of folk/country/rock/soul ear-pleasing genre-defying music." (Walt Falconer, Cool Album Of The Day)
"Freebo sounds as if he's not really singing to you; he's talking to you. One of the best albums of the year." (John Shelton Ivany, jsitop21.com)
Rhia : Rhia is a professional dance artist that specializes in folk dances from the Levant, Turkey, and Egypt -- an umbrella term being bellydance/raqs sharqi/dans oryantal for most of her work. She has been on the Maryland, DC, and Virginia circuit for almost a decade as one of the premiere dancers for countless clubs, restaurants, weddings, events for local MENAT (mid-east, north African, Turkish) communities, families, and the region at large. She is known for sticking to the dances improvisational roots as it was back in the time when dancers danced to live musicians, and when there was more play and less choreography. Rhia is a firm believer of the ability of music and dance to connect people, to connect back to our own soul, and to transform hopelessness to hopefulness, & disillusionment to enchantment.
Pepper & Sassafras : Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, grand prize winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and leader of the collective Dead to the Core: An Acoustic Celebration of the Grateful Dead, teams up with multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Wendy Sassafras Ramsay in this dynamic Americana duo. For this live-stream event, the duo will perform songs from the Dead to the Core project as well as originals.
Attics of My Life - Grateful Dead cover - Pepper and Sassafras
Elena La Fulana : Elena La Fulana is a singer-songwriter and leader of the DC-based bilingual Latin-folk band Elena & Los Fulanos. Originally from Managua, Nicaragua, Lacayo identifies as both American and Nicaraguan and her music, which ranges from twangy, heartbreak-themed folk Americana, to soothing, introspective, violin-infused Latin cumbia reflects this dual identity. Her band Elena & Los Fulanos has twice been nominated for a Wammie-award, and their most recent album, Volcán, was hailed as "a bilingual folk album for the resistance" by the Washington City Paper, a publication that also selected Elena for their People Issue 2017 highlighting notable Washingtonians. Most recently, Elena has begun touring with the Latin-Grammy winning and Grammy nominated band, Flor de Toloache.
Alice Howe : “There's an uncomplicated beauty to Alice Howe's music, and on Visions' ten songs, the beauty rarely falters.” – PopMatters
When Alice Howe wants to unlock a memory or understand an emotion, she steps outside. “There’s something about the stillness,” she says. “When I’m sitting with my guitar and looking out at a forest or the ocean, I have the space to reflect to on people and places. My muse strikes.” Vistas and the faces and emotions they summon unfurl with compelling grace on Visions, Howe’s anticipated debut album.
A modern love letter to 60s and 70s folk and timeless blues, Visions pays homage without succumbing to imitation, and offers an intimate snapshot of a young artist discovering her own power. Early praise for Visions has streamed in from gatekeepers such as American Blues Scene and smitten local press alike. “Sometimes we’re lucky enough to catch an up-and-coming artist as they fly into our radar,” critic JD Nash writes. “This is one of those times.” ...
Gabrielle Louise : "One of the finest songwriters of her generation" -David McGee, Deep Roots Magazine
Gabrielle Louise is a songwriter and storytelling living in the mountains of Colorado. Half her time she's touring and making records, and the other half she's gardening, watercolor painting, and writing songs on her porch.
Her live show is honest, introspective and engaging. Gabrielle’s sound is anchored deeply in folk and Americana, but undeniably drawn to rich harmonies and melodic adventurism. She has the earthy feel of early Joni Mitchell while also veering into the spirited and versatile delivery of fellow genre-hopping artist Eva Cassidy....
This song is about taking inventory of my values, and calming my nervous system so that I can get in touch with what those are. When I feel blocked in communicating, I try to remind myself that radiating from a calm, happy, compassionate center is the best way to connect with others.
Joey Jenkins : Silence Echoez is a singer/songwriter from the DC area whose tunes come in flavors from café ambient to protest anthem. His music and his message emphasize reflection and action, combining influences such as Citizen Cope and Dispatch with icons such as Train and Bob Marley.
Recorded live at the Teavolve Open Mic in Baltimore, MD on January 30, 2017.
Dalton Potter : "After years of hosting open mics and helping others build their musical portfolios, I decided it was time to preserve some of the songs that I have shared with audiences across several states and a bunch of years. My new album, Train To Wonderful features 12 of my most popular tunes, ranging from dusty acoustic ballads to pop and blues. I hope we can all get together sometime soon and swap music and stories, but for now, here’s a little something to keep you company..." - Dalton Potter
Heather Aubrey Lloyd : Recovering reporter, performance poet and fairy tale collector turned songwriter, Heather Aubrey Lloyd has co-fronted Baltimore’s ilyAIMY for nearly two decades. Her stunning and emotive alto ("Melissa Etheridge, Carly Simon, Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell blended into a spark plug with curly black locks," says one review) highlights fingerpicked guitar and hand percussion. After a stint backing Dar Williams, Lloyd started work on a solo CD. “A Message in the Mess" received the Director's Award for Album of the Year from the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, and the awards haven't stopped since: 2018 FreshGrass/No Depression Songwriting Award Finalist, 2018 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival MOST WANTED Artist, 2018 National Women's Music Festival Emerging Artist, 2017 Telluride Troubadour Top 4. Lloyd is the reigning Grand Prize winner of the Bernard Ebb Songwriting Award.
Recorded at the South East Regional Folk Alliance Conference in Montreat North Carolina on Friday, May 18, 2018.
Rowan Corbett : Rowan Corbett has toured many states with ilyAIMY, the nation as an Irish artist perfecting his skills on bones and bouzouki, and the world as a member of the African-American stringband the Carolina Chocolate Drops. As a singer/songwriter he brings a unique perspective flavoured by travel and tempered by temper – quantum physics and complicated relationships that go beyond the charm and strange weave their way through his writing.
Recorded in the Lair in Catonsville, MD - Rowan Corbett and rob of ilyAIMY performing Rowan's arrangement of the traditional tune "the Blacksmith". Thanks to Heather for being the hidden assistant!
Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer : 2X GRAMMY Award Winners Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer know how to Swing It! Featuring Marcy’s tasty lead guitar work, Cathy’s rhythm chops and harmony vocals, the duo plays Western Swing a la Patsy Montana, Django Reinhardt classics, a dab of the Great American Songbook and original tunes. Past performances include the Kennedy Center’s Women in Jazz Festival, Takoma Park Jazz Festival, performances with the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble and the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. This well homed duo will delight the crowd with elegance. Marcy is a top instructor on Swing Guitar and Swing Ukulele at www.Truefire.com and Homespun.com. Cathy provides a solid swing rhythm section. Their new CD, “WAHOO”, includes several swing songs as do many of their 47 other recordings. You read it right, a total of 48 recordings.
DJANGO'S CASTLE played on a Paul Lestock 6 string guitar by MArcy. Cathy's rhythm on a Grit Laskin acoustic.
Baltimore Swing Drop : Modern jazz in acoustic setting - with rhythm section consisting of resonator guitar and upright bass, Baltimore Swing Drop employs acoustic instrumentation from pre-amplification hot jazz era to explore modern swing, jazz and bebop concepts.
Baltimore Swing Drop Acoustic Swing and Jazz Manouche
Ultrafaux : “Ultrafaux stands out from all of the other Django Reinhardt-inspired bands because they perform original material: strong tunes played by a hot band.” - Tom Cole NPR and WPFW
"Tangent sees Ultrafaux exploring a more nuanced, contemporary sound, rounded out by a cast of virtuoso players. True to the album's name, songs like "Jaguar" and "Convergence" often veer into unexpewhich cted and rich sonic territory. Just when you think you've got this band pegged, they surprise you. This is some of their most adventurous and beguiling music yet.” - Sam Sessa WTMD
Ultrafaux Ensemble performs at 5th Annual Charm City Django Jazz Fest 2020 filmed by Jefferson Steele at Creative Alliance in Baltimore Maryland USA. Produced and edited by Michael Joseph Harris
John McCutcheon, IMT veteran, will join us for a couple of songs, Live interview and a rebroadcast salute to baseball. Songs and stories with numerous guest stars including singer/songwriter Chuck Brodsky and a wonderful interview with Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Kaat as well as a cameo appearance from the Atlanta Braves’ team organist, Matthew Kaminski. Many of us who Love folk music also Love baseball – and this is a unique opportunity to combine these two things. We hope this show will help bridge the gap in our psyche as we still wait for Opening Day.
“John McCutcheon is not only one of the best musicians in the USA, but also a great singer, songwriter, and song leader. And not just incidentally, he is committed to helping hard-working people everywhere to organize and push this world in a better direction.” - Pete Seeger
"The most impressive instrumentalist I've ever heard."
— Johnny Cash
No one remembers when the neighbors started calling the McCutcheons to complain about the loud singing from young John's bedroom. It didn't seem to do much good, though. For, after a shaky, lopsided battle between piano lessons and baseball (he was a mediocre pianist and an all-star catcher), he had "found his voice" thanks to a cheap mail-order guitar and a used book of chords. Join us for an evening as he combines the two loves of baseball and music.
In an effort to keep the music going, Institute of Musical Traditions is doing this whole webcasting thing! We heard about computers a little while ago, and those seem pretty great, so it seemed the next logical step! We've invited three performers to join us in a showcase setting with our own Dave Eisner hosting for a webcast of truly epic proportions. Tune in Live at facebook.com/Institute.of.Musical.Traditions and / or youtube.com/imtfolk as we build our Traditions in a new way.
Bruce Molsky : "Bruce is one of those great players who 'gets it': has all the links to the past but is happy not to be chained to it" - Mark Knopfler
Grammy-nominated, and “one of America’s premier fiddling talents” (Mother Jones), Bruce's take on tradition has landed him in collaborations with some of the world's most highly respected players from roots to rock. He is a special guest on legend rocker Mark Knopfler’s recent CD, “Tracker.” His 1865 Songs of Hope & Home with Anonymous 4, was on Billboard’s top 10 for weeks, the third record with Andy Irvine & Donal Lunny’s supergroup Mozaik is in the works, and you can see Bruce on the BBC TV Transatlantic Sessions Videos with Aly Bain and Jerry Douglas, and on “David Holt’s State of Music” airing nationally. His new trio, Molsky’s Mountain Drifters includes banjo virtuoso Allison de Groot and genre-defying Stash Wyslouch on guitar. Their self-titled CD has been released to great acclaim and their new release this spring topped the Folk-DJ charts .
Fiddler Bruce Molsky performs in a segment from the public TV series "David Holt's State of Music." The song was written by Craig Johnson.
Annette Wasilik : "Love & Fire is a masterpiece." ~ Tom Prasada-Rao
Love & Fire, released nationally in January, 2020 #6 on FAI Folk DJ chart and #1 on NACC chart. Annette's performances are marked by her compelling alto and moving songs that "touch you to the bone". In the tradition of the poet songwriter, with rich tones reminiscent of Linda Thompson or Natalie Merchant, she weaves a spell both startling in its intimacy and expansive in its vision. "I found my first guitar in an old tin wardrobe in my basement. Its bridge was broken but it was love at first sight, as if I found a buried treasure in my backyard. The room spun and everything. I glued the bridge back on and never looked back.”
On a chilly fall day Annette, Brian Evans and Jeff Karn perform the single, The World is on Fire from her second album Love & Fire, released in January, 2020. After being deeply affected by the drone footage of the brutal devastation of the city of Homs, Syria, Annette sat down to write. But what started as an anti-war song changed into a kind of keening for our Earth and all of us.
And Meghan Mette: A life-long fiddler, Meghan began her musical career in the Irish Traditional, Cape Breton, and Appalachian Old Time styles, and has studied with some of the highest profile performers in these genres. Meghan completed a degree in Irish Traditional Music at the University College Cork, and a study in Bluegrass immersion in Nashville, TN. She is also proficient in Quebecois and Scottish traditional music and New England style fiddling, among other styles, and is accomplished in Irish Step-Dancing and Appalachian Flatfooting.
In an effort to keep the music going, Institute of Musical Traditions is doing this whole webcasting thing! We heard about computers a little while ago, and those seem pretty great, so it seemed the next logical step! We've invited three performers to join us in a showcase setting with our own Dave Eisner hosting for a webcast of truly epic proportions. Tune in RIGHT HERE or Live at facebook.com/Institute.of.Musical.Traditions and / or youtube.com/imtfolk as we build our Traditions in a new way.
For some users the preview may not display correctly for your timezone... but trust us - 8pm EDT!!!
Adele McAllister : a MD/DC-based singer-songwriter whose folk-inspired style combines finger-picked guitar, intricate vocal harmonies, and expressive lyrics. Inspired by nature, tales of fantasy, and everyday kindness, Adele’s music seeks to find joy in the small moments of life.
This is an original song I wrote a few months ago back when staying inside was a choice- now it certainly hits in a different way, making an unintentionally fitting quarantine song. Hope this can give you a little moment of enjoyment in all the craziness. Please excuse the low notes- anxiety’s got my throat feeling tight and I haven’t been able to shake it quite yet, but I still wanted to share this.
Carol Anne Bosco : DC-based since 2014, Carol Anne’s career is built on performing, teaching, songwriting and illustrating.
Her current project is Boss Company, which plays gypsy noir with a lot of help from their friends. Carol Anne writes, sings, and plays the cello. The ensemble of each show is different, as she is joined by local professionals on guitar, bass, drums, violin, and sometimes accordion, ukulele, other cellists, and singers, you name it. They released their self titled album in 2019 and their sophomore album will be recorded in Summer of 2020.
"Don't care what they say. Now is no time to behave" - Cello/Vox: Carol Anne Bosco
And Jon Carroll :a founding member of the Grammy Award winning Starland Vocal Band and has been writing, recording and performing on his own and touring with artists like Mary Chapin Carpenter, Rodney Crowell, Peter Wolf and Eric Lindell for over 40 years, and his songs have been recorded by Linda Ronstadt, Tom Jones and others. He’s been busy on his next collection, and you can hear some previews on his website joncarroll.org.
I've always loved this song (and Lowell & Little Feat!) and have performed this a few times over the years (heretofore not on organ, but hey--let's explore!). Seems like a pertinent tune for this here time we're pining through. I hope it brings some comfort to your soul and perhaps inspires a phone call or two to someone who'd just love to hear from you!
In an effort to keep the music going, Institute of Musical Traditions is doing this whole webcasting thing! We heard about computers a little while ago, and those seem pretty great, so it seemed the next logical step! We've invited three performers to join us in a showcase setting with our own David E. Eisner hosting for a webcast of truly epic proportions. Tune in RIGHT HERE or Live at facebook.com/Institute.of.Musical.Traditions and / or youtube.com/imtfolk as we build our Traditions in a new way.
For some users the preview below may not display correctly for your timezone... we've got a help ticket in to Facebook but trust us - 8pm EDT!!!
Bobby Thompson : It’s been said that creativity takes courage, and self-expression is a way to show the world your inner soul. With a new group of songs and a new full-length album in the works, Bobby has let down his guard, and become more than the instrumentalist he gained a reputation for. He recently won a WAMMIE (Washington Area Music Association) award for 2018 best blues album, and although there are strong overtones of the blues in his writing, he sees himself essentially as a folk-blues singer-songwriter, sometimes solo, and sometimes with a little amp, and a band. He will as easily spend an evening entertaining a small listening room with his acoustic guitars and his songs, and the next night, he will have the dance floor packed grooving to the same songs with his band. “I want to carry on the tradition, of blues and folk music, without mimicking, but with solid interpretation and writing. People like Taj Mahal, John Hammond Jr., and Mississippi John Hurt are top-shelf in my vinyl catalog. Lightnin' Hopkins and Townes Van Zandt were friends. Bob Dylan sang blues songs. Blues music and folk music are close relatives. That's the tradition I want to continue in with my songwriting and performances.”, Thompson states.
“Hard Road”, performed by Bobby Thompson at the Institute of Musical Traditions (www.imtfolk.org), Seeker’s Church, Washington, DC, USA on March 10, 2019.
Jimmy Stewart : ‘Soulful’ ‘pure’ ‘haunting’ – these words are clichés often heaped upon the works of acoustic instrumentalists, but in the performance of Baltimore’s Jimmy Stewart they ring beautifully true. Watching Jimmy curl around the body of his customized acoustic guitar, knowing smile on his face, fingers prowling up and down the fretboard, you feel that you are in the presence of something sublime – a music so urgently alive, it eagerly escapes to wander the world. Through a love of simplicity and exquisite attention to detail, Jimmy’s music has no need to FILL space - it EXPLORES it. – rob Hinkal (Focus Music, Takoma Park Folk Festival, ilyAIMY)
"Air of Autumn" and "Lemoyne", at the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest Awards Gala.
And Laura Baron : Jazz-tinged world music, infectious pop and soulful acoustic performances – Laura Baron is a versatile singer/songwriter with a string of awards. "Discover a voice you need to hear." Terry Kester, WPFW FM
Visit her website here : laurabaronmusic.com
"Kindness Don't Rest Easy", performed by Laura Baron (www.laurabaronmusic.com), at the Institute of Musical Traditions (www.imtfolk.org), Takoma Park, Maryland, USA on January 23, 2013.
The Bumper Jacksons duo : "Entering a Bumper Jacksons show is warm and inviting, like opening the front door of a neighbor who's just taken bread out of the oven. Roots jazz rhythms and country swing harmonies are vignetted by stories and sounds of Appalachia. Come in, take a seat, and be woven into a musical story that never stops being told."
This is a live performance by Bumper Jacksons of their arrangement of "Miss Mary Mack" - Sept 2018.
Tom Prasada-Rao : "Tom Prasada-Rao writes songs of extraordinary power evoking his Indian heritage and his love of R&B. A musician’s musician, an award-winning songwriter, teacher and producer – Tom joyfully returns to the stage after a year recovering from cancer, with a bunch of new songs in his head."
Tom Prasada-Rao sings an original song co-written with Renee Azarri called "Show You My Love". Recorded 'In The Moment' on Friday February 19, 2016 at the Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City, Mo
And We're About 9 (duo) : "Their 20 year career has taken We’re About 9 from fire-code-breaking shows at a Baltimore-area coffee shop, to a national reputation for brainy and emotionally-connected songwriting, captivating vocal harmonies, and impromptu fun at shows. You may know WA9 from their main stage performances at over a dozen festivals (Falcon Ridge, Kerrville, Four Corners, Philadelphia), from their two NERFA formal showcases (2002, 2011), or from Folk DJ favorites like Nobody Flying and Albany. "
Visit their website here : wereabout9.com
We're About 9 Trio debut performance of Future Pilot at Sugarloaf Coffeehouse.
Friends & Relations
Here are a few organizations that share goals and values with IMT.
Artivate Since 1972, HMT's been the DC-area's source for new and vintage folk instruments from around the world + books & DVDs, lessons & workshops, repairs, instrument & pro audio rentals. Institute of Musical Traditions was born from a concert series started by David Eisner, HMT's owner.Barnaby Productions
Barnaby presents the fall & winter Celtic Concerts series at the Old Brogue & the Swift Run summer house concerts in Great Falls, VA & is the home of DC's pan-Celtic band IONA. Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eirean, O'Neill-Malcolm Branch The largest, single, non-profit group involved in the preservation & promotion of Irish traditional music and culture. The O'Neill Branch of CCE presents concerts, dances, summer music and dance schools & the Musical Arts & Dance Week school.
Carpe Diem Arts DC Bluegrass Union DCBU promotes bluegrass in the DC area. They maintain an online calendar of bluegrass events & present a bluegrass festival each February.Focus Music Focus presents concerts in Rockville, Alexandria & Mount Vernon in an intimate, "up-close" environment, creating the opportunity for audiences to discover high-quality new artists & for artists to find sustainable & supportive audiences in the Greater DC / Metro area.Folklore Society of Greater WashingtonFSGW presents concerts, dances & special weekend gatherings. They also publish a comprehensive monthly newsletter listing events in the Washington area on their website.
The Greater Washington Ceili Club GWCC hosts monthly ceili dances with live music & sponsors a year-round program of dance instruction.Mary Cliff's Traditions
Mary hosts two radio shows and publishes lists of upcoming folk music events on her website. The Songwriters Association of Washington
SAW presents concerts & workshops & hosts the annual Mid-Atlantic Song Concest.
Information for Agents and Performers
IMT, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has been presenting traditional music in Montgomery Country, Maryland, for over 30 years. We present events in a range of venues, from weekly concerts in rooms with 150 to 240 seats, to our Next to the House concerts suitable for emerging performers new to the DC area, to special events, icon concerts and benefits in halls seating 500 to 1,000. We work with artists and agents to find the right venue for each performance.
IMT's shows are usually presented in a listening-room or theater environment. Because we try to keep ticket prices low, income from ticket sales, refreshment sales at the intermission and IMT's percentage of merchandise sales all go to cover the cost of presenting the show, and cannot be separated.
IMT presents its Weekly Concert series beginning in late September and running through late May. On the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, the Weekly Concerts are usually held in the 154-seat auditorium of the Comunnity Center in Takoma Park, Maryland. In other weeks, the Weekly Concerts are held on Mondays in the 240-seat Fellowship Hall of Saint Mark Presbyterian Church in Rockville, Maryland. Occasionally, we present the weekly concert in a larger hall or on a weekend night.
For the weekly shows, performers usually need to draw an audience of 100 or more people to have a succesful show. Advance ticket prices start at $18 and are usually not higher than $25.
Next to the House Concerts
For performers who may not be able to do a weekly concert, IMT started the "Next to the House" (NTTH) concert series in Takoma Park. The shows usually take place on weekends (Saturday or Sunday night) in a space that is provided to IMT without cost or at very low cost, and all or most of the ticket revenue is paid to the performers.
IMT usually selects performers for NTTH shows that we want to introduce to the DC area and that we hope to later book for shows in our larger venues. Bookings for NTTH shows are usually by invitation.
IMT usually does not present more than one NTTH concert in a month. The season for NTTH concerts is the same as for our weekly series: late September through late May.
While the NTTH shows are somewhat like house concerts, they have the same professional sound and receive the same publicity support as IMT's Weekly Concerts. They take place in public spaces, not private homes, and have advance and door tickets sales. But like a house concert, they are low-cost shows, so they can be a good venue for a performer that does not have a large following in the DC area.
Ticket prices are $12 to $18. Depending on the performer's expectations, an audience of 30 to 40 people can make a succesful show. A performer needs to have some following in the DC area for a successful Next to the House show.
IMT does not provide a guarantee or housing for these shows. (We can help find housing.) We will usually not book an NTTH show the weekend before a Monday night weekly show.
Special Events
IMT presents occasional special event concerts on weekend nights. The shows may take place in one of our regular venues, or we may use a larger venue of 300 to 500 seats.
Workshops
IMT occasionally presents workshops. Workshop instructors are performers of note who are generally considered masters of their style and instrument, and should be able to attract 10 to 15 students at ticket prices starting at $35 per person. Workshops are usually associated with an IMT show, but do not have to be. IMT workshops generally take place on a Saturday or Sunday.
IMT CONCERT SUPPORT
Sound
IMT's Weekly, Next to the House and Kids Concerts series include professionally produced sound by engineers experienced with acoustic music. Performers will need to submit a sound specification and stage plot at least two weeks before the show.
Marketing & Publicity
All of IMT's activities are supported by a professional publicist and are also promoted through IMT's website and mailing list. IMT will work with performers or their publicists to get coverage by local newspapers and magazines and to get radio airtime for the performer's music and, if possible, to arrange on-air radio interviews.
Performers are expected to provide IMT with promotional materials:
Band descriptions.
Performer biographies.
Digital copies of print-quality photographs. Photos should be color, at least 300 dpi resolution and approximately 1,800 by 2,400 pixels (for portrait orientation). Photos should be provided in both portrait and landscape orientation. To get the photos published in a newspaper,we also need the photo credit (the name of the person who took the photo, or who owns the copyright to the photo) and the names of the people in the photo, from left to right, if it isn't obvious who they are.
Performers should have a well-maintained and up-to-date website in addition to any social media sites they may use.
We generally need to book shows at least two months in advance to meet promotion deadlines, and prefer to book weekly shows well in advance so that they can be included in our season's advance promotion.
IMT performing artists, managers and agents: Please feel free to contact the IMT publicist directly for media lists and media questions. Email: publicity@imtfolk.org.
Video
IMT has an all-volunteer video crew that can shoot and edit three-camera, high-definition video of our shows, using the audio from our board mix, to produce high-quality clips that artists can use for promotion.
BOOKING SUBMISSIONS
IMT's weekly shows and special event concerts are usually booked 6 to 12 months in advance. Next to the House shows and workshops are usually booked in a shorter time frame, after the season's weekly shows and special events have been booked, so as not to conflict.
Please note: Next to the House shows, family concerts and workshops are usually by invitation.
If you are interested in discussing a booking, please send information to:
Submissions should be for music that fits within the range that IMT's established audience expects in a IMT show.
Submissions should be for dates that fit into one of our regular concert series: Mondays and Wednesdays for Weekly shows, Saturdays and Sundays for Next to the House shows.
In addition to information about the performer, please include links to:
The performer's website.
A location where we can listen to their music.
Video of live concert performances.
Submissions must include the following information:
Tell us what kind of IMT event you are interested in and when the performer will be available for a show.
Provide information about the location and attendance for recent past performances in concert settings (not festivals) when performing as the headliner, including:
venues,
attendance numbers, and
ticket prices.
For the weekly shows, performers usually need to draw an audience of 100 or more people with advance ticket prices no lower than $18.
Provide information for performanaces in the DC area, if available, but do not leave this information out if you haven't performed in the area yet.
If you are introducing us to an artist who is new to IMT or the DC area, it is critical that you provide this general performance history, including venues, attendance and ticket prices.Without all three elements of your performance history, we cannot make an informed decision about the kind of show that would be appropriate and successful for your performance, and will not be able to consider your submission.
Tell us about the other venues where the performer will appear around the date of any proposed IMT show. Note that IMT usually requires that performers not book shows within sixty miles of the IMT venue for 60 days before or after an IMT show.
Booking submissions must address all six of these points to be considered.
If your your music can't be described as folk or tradtional, you probably shouldn't take the time to ask us about booking.
If sending a physical press kit, post it to:
Institute of Musical Traditions
P.O.Box 5930
Takoma Park, MD 20913
Submissions by email will generally be looked at sooner than mailed submissions.
IMT cannot guarantee that all submissions will be reviewed or responded to. Submissions that do not include the requested information will not be considered.
$10 | Streaming LIVE from Allyworld and Tonal Park Recording Mixing and Mastering in Takoma Park, MD
$2 box office fee added to all advance purchases / upon purchasing a ticket you will receive a link to view the show, additionally you will receive two emails (1 receipt, 1 with a text download repeating the viewing link) - if you do not receive these emails (please check your spam folders) then contact office@imtfolk.org for help
Celtic Duo Seán Heely and Kevin Elam have been praised for their beautiful traditional arrangements and expressive playing as well as having an authentic sound in many different styles. Fiddle legend Liz Carroll calls Seán “One powerhouse of a fiddler.” He is a U.S National Scottish Fiddle Champion as well as an award-winning Irish Fiddler and singer in the folk traditions of Scotland and Ireland.
Kevin Elam is the 2019 All-Ireland Men’s Singing Champion and an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist in the Washington D.C area. Kevin performs on guitar, tenor banjo, whistle, and sings in the Seán Heely Celtic Trio and with Seán in their Celtic Duo. Kevin is also a classically trained pianist and holds a degree in Jazz from George Mason University, and performs regularly as a solo pianist and as a keyboardist. Seán and Kevin have performed together at venues such as the Kennedy Center, Strathmore music center, All-Ireland fleadh, Acadia Trad Festival, CCE Irish Folk Festival in Fairfax, VA, and the Virginia Scottish Games.
A fiery set of polkas: The Banks of Inverness / Ievans's / Laurel's Fancy / Britches Full O' Stitches Sean Heely & Kevin Elam performing at B Chord Brewing
Cuil Mor consists of Jesse Winch (bodhran, octave mandolin, guitar, harmonica), his children Fiona Winch (vocals), Patrick Winch (tenor banjo, octave mandolin, guitar), and Brendan Coyne (banjo, fiddle).
Jesse is the son of Bridie and Patrick Winch, Irish immigrants who met and married in New York City in 1930. His father played the tenor banjo and encouraged all of his five children to play the Irish music he loved so well. Jesse and brother Terence (button accordion) formed the band Celtic Thunder in 1977 to great critical acclaim. In recent years, Jesse and Terence and Terence’s son Michael, a world-class fiddler, along with Fiona and Patrick have performed as the Winch Family Band.
Today, Jesse’s son Patrick, has taken up the mantle and plays his grandfather’s banjo and the guitar and octave mandolin. Fiona grew up hearing the Irish song tradition first-hand at house parties and at numerous Celtic Thunder rehearsals and concerts and has studied traditional Irish singing with Eileen Estes, Robbie O’Connell, Jennifer O’Riordan and others.
Brendan is a long-time friend and musical companion of Patrick’s. They both studied banjo with Keith Carr at MAD Week, the annual Irish immersion program sponsored by the O’Neill Malcom Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoírí Éireann. Brendan honed his fiddle skills under the tutelage of visionary fiddler Mitch Fanning and several guest instructors at MAD Week over the years. He is also a frequent visitor to the Irish Inn at Glen Echo at the Irish Inn Mates sessions and is a veteran of the DC-based Bog Band.
Help Support IMT!
Our shows wouldn't happen without our family of volunteers and we're always looking for more people to help with all aspects of our operation. You can give easily at
In addition, our tickets only cover about 70% of the actual cost of a show. Click here to learn how to become a patron of the arts by supporting the Institute of Musical Traditions!
Connect with us!
Join the Institute of Musical Traditions mailing list and never miss a show! (or at least never miss KNOWING about one)
Get weekly emails and show reminders about folk and traditional music in the Greater DC area!
With Covid-19 comes cancellations and it would be useless to try to guess when a regular events calendar might resume. However, there are still many online events to "attend" and all of our organizations can be supported in different ways.
One of our fellow local-music organizations, FocusMusic is maintaining a great list of their alumni performers' upcoming webstreams. We've got a lot of crossover with FocusMusic - take a look at focusmusic.org/Online-Shows
In addition the Maryland States Arts Council is maintaining a list of online events varying from virtual film festivals, online sing-alongs, music and more. Visit tinyurl.com/VirtualMarylandArts to view the list.
Saturday, March 13, 2021 7:30 PM • $15 Ian Foster has been touring his dynamic, character-driven songs internationally since 2007 in Canada, the US and Europe. His duo album with longtime partner Nancy Hynes, ‘A Week in December,’ won both a 2020 MusicNL and East Coast Music (ECMA) Award, and they have toured together internationally since 2010.
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