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| Wednesday, August 2 @ 7 PM |
POETRY OPEN MIC
With Featured Reader Yi Ping |
$3 |
 Poetry Open Mic takes place on the first Wednesday of every month. Our host is poet Carol Graser. Each participant will read two short poems or one longer poem. The featured reader will perform for about twenty minutes.
Born in Beijing, Yi Ping, founded and contributed poetry and essays to pro-democracy literary journals in China. Because of his protests and publications, he was banned from working in educational and cultural fields. Granted political asylum in the US in 1997, he has since been teaching in Ithaca, NY, where his poetry readings have gained a wide following.
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| Friday, August 4 @ 8 PM |
MODERN MAN
With Special Guest Red Molly |
$18/15 |
 www.modernman3.com
Bridging the gap between the three tenors and the three stooges... it's Modern Man! A cross between Crosby, Stills & Nash and the Marx Brothers - David Buskin, Rob Carlson and George Wurzbach are three celebrated singers and songwriters who have written for Judy Collins, Pat Benatar, Johnny Cash, etc, and they are "terrific instrumentalists with gorgeous voices and hilarious wits."
Together they are fast  redefining something-or-other and delighting audiences as they interweave themes anging from God to Godzilla, from manliness to cluelessness, from ESPN to the FBI with a vocal blend that has not been heard since Ella and F. Scott Fitzgerald went their separate ways.
Opening the show will be hot New York City trio Red Molly whose tight 3-part harmony is the foundation of their rootsy, Americana sound. www.redmolly.com |
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| Saturday, August 5 @ 8 PM |
JACK WILLIAMS
With Special Guest Mark Elliott |
$15/12 |
 www.jackwilliamsmusic.com
A veteran of club and festival stages coast to coast, Jack Williams is known for his excellent guitar playing and classically Southern songwriting and persona. His original material bears hints of Stephen Foster, Jimmie Rodgers, and Hoagy Carmichael, all filtered through the mist of Appalachian mountain music.
In the words of WUMB radio's host Dave Palmater, "Whether Jack thinks of himself in this way or not, he is a poet and philosopher who helps us understand and appreciate the beauty of the struggles we have been through individually and as a people. He is an American institution walking, a road warrior, a talker, an inspiration and a great guy to hang with. He is the Song Dog."
Critically acclaimed Nashville tunesmith and Kerrville New Folk winner Mark Elliott will open the show with a handful of folk and bluegrass songs off his new record, Pickin' Blackberries. www.markelliottmusic.com
If you'd be interested in joining THE CHAD MITCHELL TRIO and singer/songwriter JACK WILLIAMS for a "music" cruise in the Western Caribbean - sailing from Tampa, FL on Sunday, January 28th, 2007 - please visit www.travelingtroubadour.com , or call Lynette at (800)584-6724 for information. |
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| Sunday, August 6 @ 7 PM |
LAURA WETZLER
Kabbalah Music: Songs of the Jewish Mystics |
$15/12 |
 www.laurawetzler.com
Renowned folksinger, teacher, and activist Laura Wetzler, accompanied by her band, will present a concert of meditations, devotions, and ecstasies both new and old from around the world.
She draws her inspiration from the Torah, the Zohar, the Hechalot poets, and the Jewish mystics. As with all of her diverse programs, this is a meticulously researched production that is both beautiful and illuminating, encompassing the full span and scope of Jewish music.
Laura is a renowned vocalist who is up to the job of singing in English, Hebrew, Aramaic, Yiddish and more, and skillfully handles everything from Arabic-style chant to American folk to Ashkenazic cantorial singing. Robert Sherman of the New York Times calls her recent album of Kabbalah music "A fascinating new album...vastly impressive...superb performances...a major achievement." Pete Seeger has called her "one of the very best." Hadassah Magazine calls her "spirited and beautiful." |
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| Friday, August 11 @ 8 PM |
ADIRONDACK NIGHT
Peggy Lynn, Dan Duggan & Dan Berggren |
$15/12 |
 www.quercusmusic.com/triobio.html
With masterful harmonies and instrumental virtuosity, Peggy & "The Dans" have wowed audiences from Maine to California.
Peggy, an "Adirondack Woman of the Year," is noted for her extraordinary voice and soulful songs. Dan B joins in with a rich baritone and repertoire of original work that marks him as one of the northeast's favorite folk songwriters. Dan D is known nationally for his wizardry on hammered dulcimer and flat picked guitar.
This will be a night of sweet, old-fashioned sounding new folk songs that celebrate the people and culture of the Adirondacks. |
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| Saturday, August 12 @ 8 PM |
DANNY KALB
With Special Guest Jeremy Wallace Trio
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$15/12 |
 members.aol.com/silvastr/danny/danny.htm
As a protege of the late Dave Van Ronk, Danny Kalb established himself on New York's seminal folk and blues scene in the '60s. In 1965 he founded The Blues Project. Even today, this important group flourishes with numerous album reissues and compilations on MCA, Polygram, and Rhino.
After taking a break from music for several years, Danny Kalb's story is once again unfolding as he brings his luminous guitar talents to a new generation of students, musicians and fans. 
His latest album, All Together, Now, was envisioned as a healing response to 9/11 and features folk, blues and jazz standards and originals -- including a heartfelt tribute to Van Ronk. Kalb is an important player who keeps alive the lore and sounds of the Folk Revival for those who missed it, or miss it.
Special guest Jeremy Wallace is a fabulous country-blues songwriter whose most recent album includes a duet sung with one of his best known fans, the late Dave Van Ronk. www.jeremywallace.com |
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| Sunday, August 13 @ 7 PM |
SONNY & PERLEY
"Fascinatin' Rhythms:" The Music of Gershwin and Ellington |
$12/10 |
 www.sonnyandperley.com
This concert featuring the ever-popular husband and wife duo of jazz singer Perley Rousseau and pianist Sonny Daye, along with bassist Tom Charlap, highlights the music of great American composers George and Ira Gershwin and Duke Ellington.
Along with the songs you'll hear engaging stories about the music and the composers. Sonny & Perley do a beautiful job on classics such as: Fascinatin' Rhythm, I've Got a Crush on You, They Can't Take That Away from Me, Our Love is Here to Stay, Summertime, Take the A Train, Satin Doll, Mood Indigo, I'm Beginning to See the Light, and many others. |
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| Friday, August 18 @ 8 PM |
BILL STAINES |
$15/12 |
"A craftsman who has cobbled together evocative details, pithy aphorisms and singalong melodies into a trunkful of unassuming, marvelous songs." - The Washington Post
www.acousticmusic.com/staines
For nearly 40 years Bill Staines has played Caffè Lena summer and winter, packing the house every single time.
His gentle folk songs and funny stories have become a family tradition for many, passing from parent to child and on down the line. They've also become a tradition in the music world, having been recorded by Nanci Griffith, Jerry Jeff Walker, Grandpa Jones, and others. Once you discover his brand of entertainment, you too will return year after year. |
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| Saturday, August 19 @ 8 PM |
TOM WINSLOW |
$12/10 |
 Tom is an old-school bluesman, picking and singing in a classic country blues style.
He studied with Rev. Gary Davis, collaborated with Pete Seeger, and released an album on the Biograph label. He first came to Saratoga to work with the horses and has for many years enjoyed playing gigs around the area, including at Lena’s.
We’re greatly honored to welcome him back to our stage for a night of classic blues.
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| Sunday, August 20 @ 7 PM |
JONATHAN WHITTON |
$10/8 |
 www.jonwhitton.com
Local twenty-five-year-old actor/director Jonathan Whitton takes to the Caffe Lena stage with his acclaimed solo cabaret evening.
Whitton's onstage energy is unparalleled.
Regional audiences have enjoyed seeing him in recent months in CABARET and THE SANTALAND DIARIES. Critics have called him "mesmerizing" (Saratogian), "stunning" (Times-Union), and "a performer with charisma to spare" (Free-Times, SC).
Don't miss this rare opportunity to see Whitton share his favorite musical selections from contemporary musical theater composers with Musical Director Valerie Lord. |
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| Friday, August 25 @ 8 PM |
ROSANNE RANERI |
$12/10 |
 "Raneri serves up the complete package: stunning songs, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous voice and an almost palpable charisma." - Times Union
www.rosanneraneri.com
Reviewers have called her breathtaking, exciting, the best in New York's Capital Region, a star-in-waiting.
Her joy and energy in performances is electric, immediate and contagious. It's her uniquely rich, throaty, sexy voice that hushes an audience and holds their undivided attention throughout the show.
With a modern style all her own, you'll hear hints of jazz, pop and R&B in her melodies. Her lyrics paint images, hint at stories, dig deep into the lives of people around her. She has released three albums to date, all of which have served to increase her recognition and win new fans throughout the Northeast. |
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| Saturday, August 26 @ 8 PM |
HILLTOWN RAMBLERS |
$12/10 |
 www.geocities.com/hilltownramblers
Bringing you their own "Northern brand" of acoustic bluegrass music from high in the beautiful Helderberg Mountains in Upstate New York, it's the Hilltown Ramblers!
The fine vocal harmonies of Chuck Batcher on the stand-up bass, Moe Safford on the 5-string banjo, and Dick Stock on the mandolin drive along on the guitar of Morrie Safford. While adept at covering the classics of traditional and contemporary folk and bluegrass music, the Ramblers are especially proud of the reception their original songs have received. Songs like "I Met Her in the Mountains," "Everytime the Train Went By," and "Rainbow in the River" stand up well among the classics.
Add some "up home" humor and an occasional magic trick, and you'll find that the Hilltown Ramblers are great family entertainment--especially when they come to their favorite venue: Caffè Lena! |
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Sunday, August 27 @ 7 PM |
ED PETTERSEN & SCOTT KEMPNER |
$12/10 |
| Cancelled |
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