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| Al Gallodoro |
John Hartford & Lena, 1989 |
Guy Davis, 2009 |
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PDF Downloads:
Full Calendar
(2.8 MB) Sep-Nov |
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Fridge Calendar
(207 KB) Sep-Nov |
All ticket sales are handled by our box office service, Brown Paper Tickets.
Tickets are available online, or through a 24/7 call-in box office.
See our Ticket Info page. |
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Calendar
November 2009
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Members receive 20% discount on most shows. Tickets sold at door cost additional $2.
Doors open 30 min. before showtime. Please, no earlybirds! |
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| Sunday, Nov. 1 • 3 PM |
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Poetry Reading |
$5 at door
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with George Drew, Nancy White & Barbara Ungar |
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Take in an afternoon of readings by three popular Capital District poets.
George was born in Mississippi and raised there and in New York State. His poetry has received numerous awards and appeared in journals such as The Amherst Review, Antioch Review, Salmagundi, and Southern Poetry Review. He is a strong and confident reader who easily conveys meaning.
This event celebrates the publication of George's new book of poems, American Cool.
Nancy White's first book, Sun, Moon, Salt, won the prestigious Washington Prize for poetry. Her poems have appeared in Antioch Review, Black Warrior Review, Diner, FIELD, Harpur Palate, New Letters, New England Review, Rattle, and many others.
She teaches at Adirondack Community College.
Barbara Louise Ungar is an Associate Professor at the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY, where she has taught poetry, literature, and the performance of literature for twelve years. She, too, is a strong live performer and has read widely in NYC, upstate NY, and further afield.
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 Pyrenean-born Nicole Peyrafitte is a performance artist who sings, paints, makes films, writes contemporary poetry, and cooks. Her voice work is often integrated into multimedia staging based on her visuals (paintings and/or videos) and writings.
Nicole has two CD's out: "The Bi-Continental Chowder /La Garbure Transcontinentale" released in 2006 and "Whisk! Don't Churn!" both released with Ta'wil productions. Peyrafitte performs locally, nationally and in Europe.
Poetry Open Mic |
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 “Just as precious antiques should be preserved and displayed, the melodic gems of the folk tradition need to be handed down and performed. Fiddler-banjoist George Wilson, fiddler-mandolinist Frank Orsini, and guitarist/pianist Peter Davis are the consummate curators of a marvelous musical museum bursting with Celtic fiddle tunes, old French Canadian songs, and Appalachian string-band music.
In the realm of acoustic trad, the Whippersnappers rule.”
—Metroland
The Whippersnappers have been making music together for more than three decades. They offer stately Old-world tunes, rousing mountain music and bluegrass, and plenty of sprightly Celtic jigs and reels.
Opening act the Beeline Ramblers are longtime area folkies Fran Mandeville and Lisa Burnstine. They've been entertaining around the country with good pickin', fine harmonies and happy spirits.
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 “Sounds like Kronos Quartet meets Led Zeppelin and Gene Pitney in a Munich beer hall where Marlene Dietrich is the barmaid.” —Tower/Pulse Magazine
Zen for Primates is a highly entertaining, strange and beautiful cabaret ensemble from Bethlehem, PA. The five-piece band offers brilliant, sardonic vocals by T. Roth ("T. Roth is a deliciously original weapon!" —Rolling Stone) backed by a surprisingly delicate amalgam of pop, classical, world, rock, blues and jazz music, for a sound that has left critics baffled yet raving for years.
Instrumentally they are two violins, cello, saxophone and electric guitar. In addition to some surprising cover material, their usual themes include drinking, smoking, living, dying, perfection, sheepherding, indecision, insanity and Italian food. They are humorous-in the driest, most insinuating way-but with such redolence of truth about the way we are that one is left not only laughing, but sighing.
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 Singer and multi-instrumentalist Tracy Grammer, who gained widespread recognition for her work with the late songwriter Dave Carter, returns for an evening of eloquent music. With her masterful violin, guitar, and mandolin playing, and a distinctive, velvety voice, Tracy carries on her role as interpreter of Dave's mystical and finely honed songs.
 She adds to the mix her own lovely originals and gems from other artists such as Jackson Browne, Tom Russell, David Francy and Paul Simon.
Opener Kelleigh McKenzie is a banjo-plucking indie folk songstress from the Hudson Valley who was swept almost inadvertently into a career of national prominence when she sent a CD of her songs to some folk radio stations. Her untutored soprano, spare lyrics and quietly passionate, sultry power is genuinely captivating.
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| Wednesday, Nov. 11 • 7 PM |
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Emerging Artist Breakout Series |
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Nineteen Acts and Grey Fedora |
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  Matt & Shannon Heaton's original Celtic music is built on strong traditional bones, fleshed out with a deep engagement with the modern world around them. They learned their chops in Irish music sessions in Chicago and on regular trips to Ireland, where they studied with some of Clare's finest. But once you scratch the traditional pedigree you find a unique vibe.
Shannon contributes a keen love of language and folk melody accrued through a childhood spent on Navajo Reservations and in Nigeria and Thailand. Matt is a life long music student who has played classical guitar in Italy, rock in Chicago, and tango in Denver.
Matt and Shannon have invited local Irish storyteller, author, and teacher Bairbre McCarthy, to lend a few of her tales to the night. Bairbre grew up in a large family in County Clare on the west coast of Ireland. She is treasured around the Capital District and far beyond for her fast-paced, highly animated and fun telling of Irish legends.
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| Saturday, Nov. 14 • 8 PM |
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Roy Book Binder |
$18 advance / $20 door
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35th Anniversary Appearance at Caffè Lena |
| www.roybookbinder.com |
 For decades Roy Book Binder has traveled the world as a "keeper of the flame" and ambassador of the blues. One of the finest fingerpickers working today, Roy has an eclectic repertoire that includes blues, country tunes, bluegrass and folk.
Roy learned his craft from the great Reverend Gary Davis and has performed with bluesmen and women such as Homesick James, Pink Anderson, and Bonnie Raitt.
He is also a gifted storyteller and has been a featured performer at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN. This year's concert marks the 35th straight year Roy has played the Caffè Lena stage!
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Dan Berggren is a familiar presence in libraries, schools, and concert venues across New York. For the past thirty years he has collected, written and sung gentle folk songs about his Adirondack home. Inspired by the stories and songs of rural neighbors, Dan has developed a ballad style that explores the many dimensions of home, hard-working people, and taking care of our planet and each other. Vermont Public Radio calls Dan, "A genuine treasure. Fresh and timeless, full of courage and down to earth richness."
For this special matinee performance, Dan will be joined by popular Adirondack fiddler and singer John Kirk. |
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| Wednesday, Nov. 18 • 7 PM |
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Emerging Artist Breakout Series |
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Sea of Trees |
| seaoftrees.com |
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Born in Buffalo on his father's bowling night, Greg Klyma grew up in a blue-collar town with a blue-collar work ethic and an appreciation of blue-collar fun. He has matured into man of homespun, timeless elegance, clad in a vintage black suit and felt hat, and telling stories with a delightful precision of language.
The stories blend seamlessly into songs, evoking a flavor of Mark Twain, Woody Guthrie, and David Sedaris. Greg has racked up numerous songwriting awards and released a new album, Rust Belt Vagabond, an exploration of his own shortcomings, the way we depend on each other, and the healing power of love.
Canadian singer-songwriter Layah Jane has been seen with increasing frequency in the Northeast US in recent years. Her soulful vocals and poetic, political, articulate tongue have lured listeners at jazz and folk festivals and clubs across North America.
With a sound that recalls Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones and Ani Difranco, and a resonance all her own, this folk-soul songstress is currently touring with guitarist Oliver Johnson.
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 Susan Trump's gentle voice and inspirational, uplifting songs, both original and traditional, have been crowd pleasers at Caffè Lena for years.
Her song writing prowess and outstanding instrumental skill on mountain dulcimer, guitar, and banjo can be heard on four solo recordings, including "Live at Caffè Lena" which captures the excitement of one of her many sold-out weekend performances.
Her songs recall simpler times and the gentle delights of family and neighborliness.
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 This is a show for all who hunger for an edge-of-the-seat musical experience. Harmonica virtuoso Jason Rosenblatt, one of the few musicians who can play the blues harmonica chromatically, leads montreal-based Shtreiml.
With thrilling creativity and consummate skill he leads the band through a program of Klezmer, gypsy music, and jazz with a unique spin that is at once Eastern European folk music, down-home blues, and sophisticated modern jazz. Jason is joined by his wife, trombonist Rachel Lemisch, one of the leading figures in klezmer brass revival, plus Thierry Arsenault on drums and Montreal jam band mainstay Adam Stotland on bass.
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| Friday, Nov. 27 • 8 PM |
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Woods Tea Company |
$18 advance / $20 door
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| www.woodstea.net |
 This Vermont stringband performs a winning combination of Celtic tunes, bluegrass, sea shanties and folk songs, interspersed with plenty of down-home wit and camaraderie. In the last year they added to their line-up one of Vermont's finest singer-songwriters, Patti Casey.
Patti has been a guest on Prairie Home Companion, a songwriting winner at Kerrville and Merlefest, and brings to Woods Tea her skills on guitar, penny whistle, flute and French-Canadian clogging.
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 Hailed as "an acoustic guitar god" whose playing is "electrifying," "dazzling," and "breathtaking" Brooks' style is rooted in blues, and finds full flower with elements of jazz, classical and folk. He is, almost unbelievably, a self-taught guitarist.
 A native of Statesboro, GA Brooks has long made his home in Northampton, MA. He is a warm, earnest and captivating performer who loves to make his audience happy, and always succeeds.
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| Sunday, Nov. 29 |
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Closed |
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Photo:
Al Gallodoro
© 2005, Joseph Deuel
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Photo:
John Hartford & Lena, 1989
© 1989, Joseph Deuel
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Photo:
Guy Davis
© 2009, Joseph Deuel
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Copyright © 1998-2011, Caffè Lena, Inc.
All Rights Reserved |
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