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An Evening with Lucy Kaplansky

[Artist website]

"...a truly gifted performer with a bag full of enchanting songs" (The New Yorker)

"...the troubadour laureate of modern city folk" (The Boston Globe)

Lucy Kaplansky started out singing in Chicago folk clubs as a teenager. Then, barely out of high school, Lucy Kaplansky took off for New York City where she swam in musical circles with the likes of Suzanne Vega, Steve Forbert, The Roches, and others, and sang in a very promising duo with Shawn Colvin. Life then steered her towards a different calling, and she shifted career goals, earning a doctorate in clinical psychology and then working in NY in both hospital and private practice settings. She did continue to sing during that time, including session work with Shawn Colvin and also Nanci Griffith and Suzanne Vega and others. She returned to full-time music pursuits in 1994 when she was signed by Red House Records, releasing a number of acclaimed albums since then.

"[Joe’s music] builds and restores and provides much-needed clarity and hope." (Victory Music Review)

"[Deirdre McCalla is] a highly distinctive voice in a crowded field of contemporary folk music." (The Austin-American)

No stranger to Mad Folk audiences, Joe Jencks is a 25-year veteran of the international folk circuit, an award-winning songwriter, and celebrated vocalist based in Chicago. Merging conservatory training with his Irish roots and working-class upbringing, he delivers musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove and grit. Joe is noted for his unique merging of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration. He blends well-crafted instrumentals and vivid songwriting, serving it up with a lyric baritone voice. Joe has penned #1 folk songs and is co-founder of the harmony trio Brother Sun. From festivals such as Falcon Ridge, Kerrville, Mariposa, and Old Songs, to Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, Joe has enthralled audiences with his approachable style. In 2022, he released his 17th recording, The Coming of the Years, an album that stands firmly in the modern Celtic traditions and is still quintessentially a Joe Jencks record.

https://www.joejencks.com/

Deidre McCalla’s songwriting reveals an unyieldingly honest perspective expressed with a lyric touch that relentlessly celebrates the power and diversity of the human spirit. A Black woman, mother, lesbian, and feminist, her songs embody hope and celebration, struggle, loss, and longing. Deidre has been in the forefront of Black musicians redefining the understanding of how Black folk do folk. Deidre has shared the stage with a long list of notables that includes Suzanne Vega, Tracy Chapman, Holly Near, Odetta, Cris Williamson, and Sweet Honey in the Rock. Her current release, Endless Grace, dominated the June 2022 Folk Radio Charts as the #1 Album with the #1 Song, “Shoulder To The Wheel,” which also won the 19th Annual International Acoustic Music Award for Best Folk/Americana/Roots Song. PopMatters, Rhythms Magazine, and the Folk Alley Listener Favorites Poll ranked Endless Grace among the Ten Best Folk albums in 2022.

https://deidremccalla.com/

"A masterful performer, wildly funny one moment, deeply personal the next." - The Boston Globe

Canadian Folk Icon Connie Kaldor — singer-songwriter, entertainer, TV personality, and women’s music pioneer—is celebrating 45 years in show business this year with her upcoming 18th recording, titled Keep Going! She began her career in folk music as part of the Canadian wave alongside artists like Stan Rogers and Valdy. Armed with her enormous stage presence, her unforgettable melodies, and her emotional depth as a songwriter, Connie became a headline act on the festival circuit.

Her extensive touring has earned her a loyal fan-base that extends far beyond the traditional boundaries of folk and the Boston Globe has described her as, "a masterful performer, wildly funny one moment, deeply personal the next." A three-time Juno Award winner, Connie is a member of the Order of Canada, a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal recipient, holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Regina, and is the first songwriter to receive a Western Literature Association Award of Merit.

https://www.conniekaldor.com/