November 25 - December 1

One of the planet’s great bluegrass mandolinists, Frank Solivan, plays with his wife, multi-instrumentalist & Celtic singer Jillian Lea, on Friday night.
Click photo & watch Frank showing us how to properly Scorch the Gravy!
Photo by FRANK THOMPSON at Stages Music Arts, Cockeysville, MD.
Direct Link to Tickets

Greetings – On behalf of the crew behind the scenes here at Caffe Lena, I want to wish you a Thanksgiving full of good food, friends and family, and maybe even a few sing-alongs. My family always sings the old familiar doxology Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow. We’re not the greatest of singers (!!!), but even we can manage some decent harmonies on that one. It’s a Caffe Lena Thanksgiving Weekend tradition to have Annie & the Hedonists play on Saturday night. This year, they played the Saturday before T-Day. Well, surprise! Due to a recent schedule change, their usual date opened up, and the band will be back for their second Saturday in a row. The whole week is going to be lovely so take your pick: the return of the great Jonathan Greene, a super special Lena Go Round, Celtic & bluegrass music, retro blues and jazz, and the first appearance by Fred Small in more than three decades!

See you at the show,
Sarah

– WEEK AT A GLANCE –

Monday
7 PM Open Mic Night
Tuesday
7 PM JONATHAN GREENE & THE GRAND BOUBOUSSE LOW TICKET ALERT
8 PM “Live From Caffe Lena” on WEXT 97.7 or 106.1 FM
Wednesday
10 – 10:30 AM – Folk Club Kids – NO SESSION TODAY CLOSED FOR THANKSGIVING
7:30 PM LENA GO ROUND SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE HOSTED BY ERIN HARKES
7 PM & 12 AM “Live From Caffè Lena” on Folk Music Notebook
Thursday
CLOSED FOR THANKSGIVING
Friday
12 – 1 PM CAPTAIN FUN LUNCHTIME LISTENING HOUR
8 PM FRANK SOLIVAN & JILLIAN LEA
Saturday
8 PM ANNIE & THE HEDONISTS
Sunday
9 AM Dharma Meditation with Pierre Zimmerman
7 PM FRED SMALL

– HIGHLIGHTS –

Sample Song | In-Person Tickets | Watch on Caffe Lena TV

Let Grand Boubousse transport you to the era of speakeasies and swing dance halls! This electrifying early jazz collective showcases top Capital Region talent, including clarinet virtuoso Jonathan Greene. The ensemble revives classics from Louis Armstrong to Django Reinhardt.

Sample Song | In-Person Tickets | Watch on Caffe Lena TV

This monthly showcase, curated and hosted by songwriter Erin Harkes, spotlights 518 talent taking turns playing their songs and telling stories “in the round,” for an audience and for each other. What an all-star line-up for November’s show!

Sample Song | In-Person Tickets | Watch on Caffe Lena TV

Solivan’s impeccable mandolin chops and original bluegrass have earned him two GRAMMY nominations and multiple IBMA awards alongside his band, Dirty Kitchen. Multi-instrumentalist Lea joins her husband to create an exciting show that combines family, tradition and string-band celebration. The perfect fit for Thanksgiving weekend!

Sample Song | In-Person Tickets

Audiences LOVE the high-spirited jazz and blues of the Capital Region’s favorite old-school band. From the gospel-rock of Sister Rosetta Tharpe to the irresistible swing of Fats Waller, the torchy, honey voice of Annie Rosen takes center stage, with super-tight, buoyant, full-band accompaniment.

Sample Song | In-Person Tickets | Watch on Caffe Lena TV

Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Everything Possible, social justice songwriter Fred Small returns to Saratoga after 39 years. Pete Seeger, Rosalie Sorrels, Steve Gillette, and Priscilla Herdman are a few of the many folksingers who have covered Small’s enduring, compassionate, humorous and topical songs.