Woodsongs Vodcasts

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Woodsongs 642: Michael Martin Murphey and Horse Crazy Cowgirl Band Dec 23, 2011

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MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY's song "Wildfire" was one of the biggest pop hits of the 70's. He returns to the WoodSongs stage with a brand new bluegrass CD called 'Tall Grass & Cool Water.' It's his third album in this Grammy nominated series that explores the similarities between Bluegrass and American Cowboy Music. This "singing cowboy poet", is not only the number one, best-selling singer/ songwriter of American Cowboy Music, he's one of the world's most respected singer/ songwriters in the Pop and Country-Western field. HORSE CRAZY COWGIRL BAND is an award winning western trio featuring beautiful harmony, excellent musicianship, and heart-hugging hilarious stage presence. Performing all over the United States and Canada, this wonderful group brings the audience along the trail of the American Western experience with traditional cowboy music and original compositions about love of place and land. This rural Washington State Trio are winners of the 2010 Western Music Association's Harmony Trio Award and were nominated for Cowboy/Western Swing Group of the Year and Album of the Year 2008 and 2009. The trio's latest recording is 'My Horse Knows The Way.'

Woodsongs 641: Keith Medley and Donna Ulisse Dec 19, 2011

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KEITH MEDLEY is a Kentucky native and plays one of the most unusual instruments that we've ever come across. It's a one-of-a-kind 27-string guitar that Steve designed himself. In the late 70's his band opened for up-and-comers like George Strait, Johnny Paycheck, Ed Bruce, Rita Coolidge, Neil Young and many more from that era. When Keith got off the road in the late 80s he focused on another passion, building and repairing guitars. He eventually went to work for one of the largest guitar companies in the country building custom guitars, and for a few years also ran his own company, Medley Guitars and with it performs his own compositions. DONNA ULISSE (pronounced "you-liss-ee") was born in Hampton Virginia and surrounded by a musical family. Donna made her first appearance singing at the tender age of three when she wandered onto the stage with a bluegrass band. Since then, bluegrass fans are getting to know Ulisse for her songwriter-driven brand of bluegrass, often called "bluegrass without borders." As a writer she has recently had songs recorded by Claire Lynch, Darin & Brooke Aldridge and also had the title cut to Louise Mosrie's "Home" which was the #1 Folk album in the nation in January 2010. In June of 2011 Hadley Music Group released a fourth CD on Ulisse; another collection of original tunes by this gifted singer songwriter titled "An Easy Climb". Also, she just completed a tour of Russia. The invitation to perform was sent from the U.S. Embassy in Russia where Donna performed with several Russian bluegrass bands.

Woodsongs 640: John Gorka & Eliza Gilkyson and Blitz the Ambassador Dec 08, 2011

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JOHN GORKA AND ELIZA GILKYSON are considered two of the best contemporary Singer/songwriters touring today. These longtime friends recently teamed up with Lucy Kaplansky to form the super folk group Red Horse. The trio's self titled debut CD was released last year and it became an instant folk classic and a big hit with fans. JOHN GORKA is a world-renowned singer-songwriter who was raised in New Jersey and came out of New York City's Greenwich Village folk scene that produced such songwriters as Suzanne Vega and Shawn Colvin. His award-winning songs have been recorded and performed by such notable artists as Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nanci Griffith and Mary Black. John has recorded eleven solo albums, six on Red House Records. His latest is So Dark You See. ELIZA GILKYSON is a politically minded, poetically gifted singer-songwriter, who has become one of the most respected musicians in roots, folk and Americana circles. The Grammy-nominated artist was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2006, she was recognized with 3 Austin Music Awards and 4 Folk Alliance Music Awards, one of which was for "Song of the Year" for her tune "Man of God." Her latest solo CD is Roses at the End of Time on Red House Records. BLITZ THE AMBASSADOR may seem like an unusual booking for WoodSongs at first glance. The Ghanaian-born, New York-based composer, and producer unleashes psychedelic Afrobeat colors and triple-time rhymes with a lightning-fast mind, the political boldness of Chuck D, and the sixth groove sense of Fela Kuti. All set to swirls of brass, distorted guitars, and the crackle and pop of old amplifiers. However, for his WoodSongs performance, Blitz will be performing a more intimate, stripped down set. Check out his video for "Remembering The Future" to see this talented artist in action as Michael welcomes the show's first hip hop artist and explores the genre's connection to folk music.

Woodsongs 638: Ollabelle & Goitse Nov 23, 2011

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OLLABELLE is a multi-talented, democratic collective whose participants share vocal and songwriting duties. This New York quintet draws from a deep well of gospel, blues, bluegrass, and country influences to create timelessly resonant music that honors the integrity of its sources while remaining effortlessly contemporary. Emmylou Harris said of the band, "Every time I hear something on the radio I truly love, it's Ollabelle." The band has emerged from a five year period of great artistic and personal change - including marriages, births, tours and other projects - to deliver their most assured, deeply felt album to date, "Neon Blue Bird." The CD was produced by Ollabelle and recorded in Athens, NY and at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock. GOITSE (pronounced gwi-cha) is a five member Irish Trad band which specializes in their unique rhythmic arrangements of well known tunes and own compositions. Goitse is a Donegal Irish word meaning 'come here'. The band, now in it's third year, are all students of Traditional Music and Dance at the University of Limerick and have captured several prominent awards including Colm Phelan becoming the first World Bodhr�n Champion. This is the band's first tour in the states.

Woodsongs 637: Woody Pines and Colin O'Brien Nov 16, 2011

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WOODY PINES transports you to the Mississippi Delta when AM radio was king with his energetic brand of Roots Music, Ragtime, Country Blues, and Viper Jazz. The band; comprised of Woody on guitar, banjo, harmonica and lead vocals, Zack Pozebanchuk on upright bass, Nathan Taylor on drums, and Darin Gentry on fiddle; epitomizes the Dixieland sound and embraces a simpler time. If Pines' elegantly-disheveled fedora and vintage resonator guitar don't set the mood (both are strongly suggestive of the musician's mix of ragtime, country blues and lightning-speed folk), the backing band does the trick. Crackerjack musicianship goes a long way toward a band's greatness, but showmanship seals the deal. Pines, on stage, is an old soul and natural performer, storied and steeped in the best of Americana. As honky tonk hero, Billy Joe Shaver puts it, "Woody Pines is the best band I ever heard in my life I swear.... I'm their biggest fan now!" COLIN O'BRIEN is a prolific nationally touring performer, recording artist and master multi-musician known for his John Hartford Tribute show. Colin plays the daylights out of the banjo, fiddle and guitar, and his feet stay mighty busy as well dancing rhythms on his magic hardwood "Clogginator." Colin didn't start out as a folkie. He studied classical guitar at the Cornish College of the Arts, before moving to Milwaukee in 1993 to study guitar at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. He's on the faculty there now teaching Banjo, Guitar and Fiddle, has been since 2000. Colin has published two banjo instructional books and a DVD and most recently he's released an all instrumental guitar record, "Inside These Guitars."

Woodsongs 636: The Hillbenders and Al Petteway & Amy White Nov 02, 2011

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THE HILLBENDERS are undeniably the hottest young band on the acoustic scene. Claiming the championship title at the 2009 Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition helped put The HillBenders on the map, and their recent victory at the 2010 National Single Microphone Championships prove that they continue to be a force to be reckoned with. These buzz-worthy bluegrass whiz-kids are quickly rising above many of their peers and gaining international recognition for their aggressive combination of contemporary influences with traditional inspiration and instrumentation, as well as their infectiously energetic stage performances. The HillBenders released their debut album Down To My Last Dollar in spring 2010 and are currently working on their follow-up CD AL PETTEWAY & AMY WHITE are an award winning duo that performs contemporary Celtic- & Appalachian-Influenced Acoustic Groove. Their music was featured throughout the soundtrack of the 2009 Ken Burns EMMY-winning documentary, The National Parks: America's Best Idea. And in 2010, their album, "Caledon Wood" (which includes the main theme of the National Parks documentary) was names one of the essential albums of the past 20 years in Acoustic Guitar Magazine. Their recent album "High in the Blue Ridge" released early this year.

Woodsongs 635: Nu-Blu and Darin and Brooke Aldridge Oct 06, 2011

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NU BLU is a great bluegrass band fronted by husband and wife team Daniel and Carolyn Routh and are creating quite a stir in the bluegrass community. In 2011, Nu-Blu was again nominated by the Carolina Music Awards and geared up for their new album, THE BLU-DISC on Pinecastle Records. The label has released the first single, "Other Woman's Blues" written by Kira Small and providing a unique twist on Dolly Parton's hit song "Jolene." DARIN AND BROOKE ALDRIDGE is a rising bluegrass duo, newlyweds singing and playing a rich combination of bluegrass and country duets. Their rich harmonies, supported by a first rate band, showcase two fine individual voices with a superb blend. Darin played with Acoustic Syndicate and worked several years in the legendary band The County Gentlemen. Brooke Justice Aldridge grew up on the mountains of Avery County, NC. Her voice carries the lilt of the mountains along with the sophisticated sounds of a singer with experience way beyond her 25 years.

Woodsongs 634: Hot Tuna and Mountain Heart Oct 06, 2011

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HOT TUNA is founding members of the legacy rock band Jefferson Airplane, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady. They have just released their first studio record in 20 years "Steady As She Goes" on Red House Records and will be performing on WoodSongs in a special acoustic performance to celebrate the album. From their days playing together as teenagers to their current acoustic and electric blues, probably no one has more consistently led American music for the last 50 years. The pair began playing together while growing up in the Washington D.C. area. While in The Jefferson Airplane, putting together the soundtrack of the 60s, the pair remained loyal to the blues, jazz, bluegrass, and folk influences of the small clubs and larger venues they had learned from years before. While in San Francisco and even in hotel rooms on the road, they would play together and worked up a set of songs that they would often play at clubs in the Bay Area and while on the road, often after having played a set with the Airplane. This led to a record contract; in fact, they had an album recorded before they decided to name their band Hot Tuna. With it they launched on an odyssey which has itself continued for more than 35 years, always finding new and interesting turns in its path forward. MOUNTAIN HEART is bluegrass super group that has been fearlessly revolutionizing the way acoustic music can be presented and played. The band's name has been synonymous with cutting-edge excellence in acoustic music circles since the group's creation in 1999. Widely known throughout the music industry for continually redefining the boundaries of acoustic music, the band is one of the most highly awarded ensembles ever assembled. Mountain Heart, or members of the band, have either won or been nominated for Grammy's, ACM, CMA, and multiple IBMA Awards. The band is out touring in support of their 7'th album, "That Just Happened", which was released in late 2010 on their own imprint, MH Music Group.

Woodsongs 633: Vintage Wildflowers and Hoots & Hellmouth Sep 30, 2011

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VINTAGE WILDFLOWERS is a Tulsa Oklahoma-based trio of women that has developed an enthusiastic legion of fans with their vibrant blend of Celtic harp, Irish flute, fiddle and harmony vocals. Mix in bits of mandolin, whistle, guitar and banjo and you have an idea of what it's like to spend an evening with these women. Their second CD, "Lovely Madness" was released in the spring of this year. HOOTS & HELLMOUTH is a Philadelphia-based roots music act whose music brings together the passion of alt-country and the rustic tone of acoustic folk, merging them with loping jam band grooves. Sean Hoots and Andrew Gray (aka Hellmouth) were both veterans of the Pennsylvania alternative rock scene when they began making music together in 2005. After a breakthrough appearance at the 2006 Philadelphia Folk Festival, the group established a loyal following. The band's latest is an EP called "Face First in the Dirt."

Woodsongs 632: Blame Sally & The Twilite Broadcasters Aug 31, 2011

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BLAME SALLY is one of the most powerful word-of-mouth success stories in recent years.. Each of the four women put her individual career aside to start Blame Sally in the San Fransisco Bay-area when they were in their late thirties and forties � the age at which bands are traditionally supposed to break up and begin solo careers. Their latest CD is "Speeding Ticket and a Valentine" released on Ninth Street Opus.Water." THE TWILITE BROADCASTERS continues the longstanding tradition of two part rural harmony vocals with simple acoustic string instrument accompaniment once common in the Southern part of the United States (starting in the 1930's). The irinfluences include The Monroe Brothers,The Louvin Brothers, The Stanley Brothers, Jim and Jesse, and more but have a sound that is uniquely theirs. Adam Tanner and Mark Jackson formed the group in 2009 in Weaverville, North Carolina. They have just released a new recording called "The Trail of Time."

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