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Eisteddfod - NYA Festival of Traditional MusicPerformers - 2007 |
Folklore Sessions | ||
Concert Emcees
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 | Hillel Arnold Biographical blurb: Born and raised in the Bruderhof community in southwestern Pennsylvania, Hillel Arnold is a classically trained guitarist as well a Woody Guthrie scholar. Formerly the Assistant Archivist at the Woody Guthrie Archives, he is currently a graduate student at NYU. |
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Norris Bennetthas played banjo, mountain dulcimer, guitar, and autoharp in 14 different countries from Europe to the far east. Born in Ocala, FL and raised in Buffalo, NY, he has been a devotee of the high mountain sound of the music of the southeastern United States, for most of his life. He is lead vocalist of the Ebony Hillbillies. |
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Colleen Clevelandis a decendant of Scottish and Irish settlers in the Adirondacks. Her family's music and stories from the old country include ancient ballads or story-songs, for which the Scots are known. Sara Cleveland, Colleen's grandmother, was a nationally-famous ballad singer of her generation, and Colleen learned many songs from her. |
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Jeff Davisis a great singer of material from the mountains (north and south), the coast, from Canada, very much in the old styles, and a master instrumentalist on everything that has strings. |
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Craig Edwardsbrings together a broad range of American roots music, finding the common thread of rhythmic power, poetry, and passion that’s sustained these musical cultures for so long. Old-time fiddle and banjo, delta blues guitar, Cajun and Zydeco accordion, solo and group singing, and Irish and French Canadian dance tunes form the core of his music. This weekend, he'll be playing some of the time with with Ken Sweeney |
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Jerry Epsteinis a singer of (mostly) unaccompanied traditional song of the Eastern US and Canada, and a pretty fair concertina player. |
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Alan Friendplays old time music on a variety of instruments (banjo, guitar, concertina) and is also a singer of ballads. He is a founding member of the Chelsea String Band. |
 | Julia Friendsings ballads with a directness and ease born of long, close contact. Although a young singer she is mindful of the lasting traditions from which the old songs come. Her repertoire includes English and American ballads, chorus songs, chanties, and pub songs. She plays clawhammer banjo. Julia
has performed at NEFFA and NOMAD, Richmond Town Restoration, Oberlin
College, and at the last Eisteddfod. She has recorded a ballad as part
of the Heritage Muse Digital Child ballad project."Julia
is an impressive performer. She has a great sense of style, and attacks
a song with self-confidence and a sureness of how she wants to express
its meaning" |
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Howard Glasseris the founding father of the Eisteddfod and Festival Director Emeritus. He has also collected folksongs in Scotland and other places. A noted calligrapher, Howard designed the Eisteddfod-NY logo. |
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Martin Grosswendtis a multi-instrumentalist and singer long known as an interpreter of 1920s and '30s blues. He is equally at home playing the old-time music of the Southern Appalachians or the Cajun and Creole music of Southwest Louisiana. He plays six- and twelve-string guitar, five-string banjo, mandolin, fiddle, bass, Cajun accordion, and Dobro. Martin is music co-director and teaches at Banjo Camp North and Old Time Music Camp North, and has performed and taught at numerous festivals. |
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Jodee Jamesbrings a new energy to the music of Wales and the other Celtic lands. Singing ancient tales and ageless themes of love, loyalty, longing and mystery, with a voice that is touching and intimate, Jodee conjures the very essence of tradition, whether of this century or many centuries before us. |
 | The Johnson Girls(Joy Bennett, Alison Kelley, Bonnie Milner, and Deirdre Murtha) Reknowned international performers of maritime music, powerful chanteys, hair-raising harmonies, lilting ballads and laments. Each member of the group brings a specialty and style to the ensemble. |
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David Jonesis a master of English traditional song, everything from the ballad tradition to the Music Halls, and an always welcome regular at the festival. |
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The Karelian Ensembleis a lively and entertaining trio from the Russian Republic of Karelia, on the Finnish border. Their music ranges from ancient epic songs accompanied by kanteles to a cappella Russian village songs, from old shepherd melodies on wooden trumpet and flutes to Finnish dance tunes on accordions and from scythe accompaniment to church bells. The members of the group are Arto Rinne, Igor Arhkipoff, and Alexander "Sasha" Bykadoroff. |
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Keith Kendrickwas born in Derbyshire, England,and still lives there. He reflects his upbringing in some of his repertoire. There are traditional and contemporary songs of the city and county as well as poems. Occasionally translation is required as the dialect is strong, rich, and genuinely delivered. But it isn't all local stuff -- there are ballads , shanties, traditional and contemporary, songs and tunes to thrill. Keith sings and plays the gamut.** a traditional Derbyshire instrument?
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Evy Mayersings and plays ukulele, guitar, dumbek and a host of other percussion instruments. She collects popular songs of the early 1900s, as well as humorous songs, children's music, plus Balkan and other international music. She loves to sing harmony and funny songs, and to folk dance. |
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Dan Milnerhas been involved in Irish traditional song all his life as a singer, author, collector, organizer and teacher. He is best known for his book of folk songs, The Bonnie Bunch of Roses, published by Oak; his classic Folk-Legacy maritime song recording, Irish Ballads & Songs of the Sea with Louis Killen, Mick Moloney, Bob Conroy and others; and for the weekly traditional music club he ran for 10 years at Malachy McCourt's Bells of Hell and The Eagle Tavern in New York. |
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Anne Priceis a versatile and gifted singer born and raised in New York City. She sings a wide variety of traditional folk songs and many songs from contemporary songwriters, as well as songs she has written. |
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Jean Ritchiereally needs no introduction. Born in Viper, Kentucky, Jean sings and plays the songs of her family -- and much more. Described as "a living embodiment of rural American music," Jean effortlessly takes us back to the days when singing was a part of family life. She's been honored by the National Endowment for the Arts with a Heritage Fellowship, by the University of Kentucky Library with an Associates Medallion for Intellectual Achievement, and the Folk Alliance with a Lifetime Achievement award. |
 | Riki Schneyer A broad range of traditional (mostly) American (mostly) songs from White and Black traditions, sung with power and passion, including lots of American ballads, work songs, union songs, gospel songs learned from her mother, and much more. |
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Steve Suffetis best described as an old-fashioned folksinger. His repertoire is a mixture of railroad songs, trucker songs, cowboy songs, union songs, old time ballads, ragtime, Gospel, bluegrass, topical-political songs, and whatever else tickles his fancy. |
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Ken SweeneyFine exponent of mountain ballads, old time songs, and sea music, and top notch player of clawhammer banjo, English concertina and harmonica. |
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Bill & Livia Vanaverare the founders of the famed Vanaver Caravan dance and music ensemble. Together they sing and play new, traditional-styled music from across the world. Along with banjo and guitar, expect to hear unusual ethnic instruments such as the Bulgarian tambura, Greek lauto and much more. Bill enjoys leading the audience in song, so get your pipes in order! |
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Jeff Warnerconnects 21st-century audiences with the music and everyday lives of 19th century people with warmth, humor and understated scholarship. He presents musical traditions from the Outer Banks fishing villages of North Carolina to the lumber camps of the Adirondack Mountains and the whaling ports of New England. His songs have “the stamp of authority and real experience” (Tykes News, Yorkshire, UK). He has honed his craft in front of audiences across the country at festivals, museums, clubs and schools. His songs, rich in local history and a sense of place, bring us the latest news from the distant past. |
 | Tzvety WeinerA young master from the ancient traditional ballad tradition of Bulgaria,Tzvety Weiner was born and raised in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in a family steeped in Bulgarian folk music. |
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Heather Woodis a veteran singer from the English revival for some 40+ years, dating from her days with The Young Tradition. In addition to the old songs, she has written some dynamite new ones. |
Folklore Sessions | ||
 Ed Harrigan |
Margaret Farrellof CUNY will talk about the music of Ed Harrigan. |
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Concert Emcees | ||
 Mary Cliffis the host of "Traditions" on WAMU, 88.5 FM, greater Washington area. |
 Oscar Brandis a great performer as well being in the Guiness Book of World Records as the host of the longest-running show in history, on WNYC, 820 AM, NYC. |
 Ron Oleskohosts a show on WFDU, 89.1 FM, Fairleigh Dickinson University, NJ. |
| Mary Cliff's website | Oscar Brand's website | More on Ron Olesko |
Broken Links? Corrections? contact: DonWade rev. 12/26/08