Newsletters
June 1 – 4
Balladeer and song poet since the ’60s, Eric Anderson’s cinematic songs (Thirsty Boots, Violets of Dawn) are timeless. His artful blend of love, despair, hope and stirred memory has earned him the admiration of artists ranging from Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen to Lou Reed and Bob Dylan. He returns to our stage on Friday, June 2.
May 22 – 28
Grammy-winning folk musician Dom Flemons reflects the Black experience in rootsy, banjo-based songs. In addition to his Grammy, his work has been recognized with two Emmy nominations, a USA Fellowship Award, and inclusion in the Country Music Hall of Fame. His new album is original Black country music that reflects our culture, environment, and values while still sounding rooted in tradition.
May 8 – 14
Mexican guitar virtuoso Gil Gutiérrez is joined by Dave Rodriguez (Grammy & Emmy-nominated upright bassist) and Bob Stern (violinist for Laura Brannigan, Jerry Miller and others) for an evening of vibrant Latin-influenced jazz and classical music. Gutierrez leads Doc Severinsen’s San Miguel 5, and you will hear some of those gorgeous compositions this evening.
May 1 – 7
May’s Bright Series features The Sweet Lillies from Colorado this Sunday. Guitar, bass & viola come together with ethereal vocal harmonies to create music with an old-time soul and powerful narratives. Social justice, self exploration, and evolution of the spirit are the themes of their new record. They’ve evolved from folk-and-bluegrass into a genre-bending powerhouse that might even throw in a string band take on ’90s hip-hop . . .
April 24 – 30
Gentle, genial, gospel-influenced blues musician John Hurt (July 3, 1893 – November 2, 1966) might have lived and died in obscurity if it hadn’t been for the folk music revival that also gave birth to Caffe Lena. Hurt had been working as a farmer for over 35 years when a scholar followed the trail laid down in Hurt’s song “Avalon Blues” and found him in Avalon, MS. Hurt was weary . . .
April 17 – 24
Pop to folk to old-style jazz, with lyrics that find fresh, incisive ways to address life gone good and bad. Cliff Eberhardt’s bittersweet songs and engaging storytelling are the product of a mature and tested performer with the highest level of craftsmanship. He has been an important voice in New Folk for four decades and he’s our pick for this month’s Folk Heritage Series concert.
April 10 – 16
In 2021, the International Bluegrass Music Association awarded top prize for an emerging bluegrass band to Colorado’s Stillhouse Junkies. The band went on to become two-time Telluride Bluegrass band contest finalists. This fast-rising trio plays a delirious, head-spinning mixture of original roots, blues, funk, swing, and bluegrass music and is a perfect fit for our Bright Series!
April 3 – 9
Folk songs tell stories, and if they’re good folk songs, they connect us with the emotional experience of another person. American folk music has a mixed history when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Certainly, folk songs have been central to movements for civil rights and labor organizing and peace. But there are also plenty of folk songs that have reflected the racism or war-mongering of their time and place. It’s a joyful fact that . . . .
March 27 – April 2
Armed with a guitar, deadpan humor, killer songs & a voice that makes tough guys cry, Lucy Wainwright Roche, daughter of Loudon Wainwright and Suzzy Roche, has fans across the USA and Europe. This Saturday she’ll play her first solo show at Caffe Lena. With “wry lyrics and gift of mysteriously beautiful vocals, Lucy leaves fans with no doubt that her music is her own, regardless of her family’s legacy.” – Billboard
March 19 – 26
GRAMMY-nominee Bruce Molsky and Scots harpist and composer Maeve Gilchrist (Silk Road Ensemble) create sheer joy when they play together. Molsky, described as an “absolute master” (No Depression), creates intimacy & warmth on fiddle, banjo and guitar. Grounded in the Irish & Scottish tradition, Maeve’s total command of the harp is entrancing . . .