Anyone not familiar with the music of Bill Staines  is in for a special treat.

Last Dance Productions is pleased to welcome Bill Staines to one of the great listening rooms in town, the New England Folk Music Archives.  The event takes place on on Wednesday, July 17th at 7pm.  We’ll have a conversation with Bill recording his thoughts about the Folk Scene in New England over the past years that will be deposited into our growing oral history collection.

After the conversation we’ll be treated to a performance by Bill Staines.

For more than forty years, Bill Staines has traveled back and forth across North America, singing his songs and delighting audiences at festivals, folksong societies, colleges, concerts, clubs, and coffeehouses. A New England native, Bill became involved with the Boston-Cambridge folk scene in the early 1960′s and for a time, emceed the Sunday Hootenanny at the legendary Club 47 in Cambridge. Bill quickly became a popular performer in the Boston area. From the time in 1971 when a reviewer from the Boston Phoenix stated that he was “simply Boston’s best performer”, Bill has continually appeared on folk music radio listener polls as one of the top all time favorite folk artists. Now, well into his fifth decade as a folk performer, he has gained an international reputation as a gifted songwriter and performer.

The New England Folk Music Archives is thrilled to have Deborah Holland and Cidny Bullens   perform this special benefit concert.

Produced by Last Dance Productions, only 40 tickets will be sold for this performance.

DEBORAH HOLLAND was introduced to the world as the lead singer and songwriter of Animal Logic, (with Stewart Copeland of The Police and jazz bassist Stanley Clarke). She went on to record 4 solo albums, 2 with the folk-Americana “super-group” The Refugees, scored 5 films, and wrote and performed dozens of songs for film and TV. Her new solo album, VANCOUVER, was released on June 4th, 2013 and is already getting airplay on over 75 US and Canadian radio stations.

CIDNY BULLENS began a music career touring with Elton John and in the studio with mega-hit songwriter/producer Bob Crewe. A 30+ career includes the breakthrough hit “Survivor”, (Grammy nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance), three lead vocals as part of the Grease movie soundtrack album (also Grammy-nominated), and 6 critically acclaimed albums featuring a who’s who of Americana artists including Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, Rodney Crowell, Bryan Adams, Beth Nielsen Chapman, John Hiatt, Steve Earle, and Emmylou Harris, and Delbert McClinton. In 2007, Cidny formed the super-trio The Refugees.

This year’s event will feature of the best of voices and musicians from Canada and the US.

The Music
The Lucky Sisters (Allison Lupton, Rosemary Phelan, and Tannis Slimmon) have brought their individual talents (from their own solo careers) to comprise this exquisite and ethereal vocal harmony group. From Cambridge, Toronto, and Guelph, Ontario, they’ll be making their first U.S. appearance.

We’re tremendously lucky to have Paul Mills, who has produced many hundreds of masterful recordings, and is a folk icon in Canada, make the trip southwards for the night. Paul, who is producing The Lucky Sisters upcoming album, will accompany the gals as well as others through the night.

Healing Garden stalwart and fave Kelli Trottier will bring her singing, fiddling, and stepdancing self down from Kingston, Ontario for her fifth Waltham appearance.

Rebecca Hosking, hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, will be unveiling her latest CD at our special event. Scott Neubert, another Nashville resident (and Healing Garden staple) will accompany Rebeca and others in the show.

We’re also delighted to present local artist Angela Simonneli for her first Healing Garden special Guest appearance. You may be familiar with Angela from her Red Line Radio rock group. It wouldn’t be a HG fest without Mr. Versatility and Dependability, Matt Leavenworth to provide his accompaniment. We’ll be enjoying the night of festive music at the French Club in Waltham.

Event Sponsor Patio Records
Patio Records of Waltham, MA is dedicated to the mission of building healing gardens at Hospital treatment centers. These gardens are designed to aid patients’ well-being during their times of receiving cancer treatments. While working with local hospitals towards patio construction, a concurrent pursuit is the universalization of the concept of having such a facility be part of an overall treatment plan for those unfortunate to be so afflicted.

The American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront brings the world to Bangor.

Mark you calendars for the 2015 AFF – August 28-30.

The American Folk Festival is a large-scale, three-day event. Held each year at the end of August in downtown Bangor, Maine, the Festival presents the music and dance from the many cultures that make up America today.

Here’s what awaits you at the American Folk Festival:

• the nation’s finest performing groups sharing the traditional arts of their region, culture and heritage
• 4 stages of music and dance
• traditional craft demonstrations and exhibits
• a children’s area with activities for the whole family
• dozens of food vendors offering ethnic food, regional specialties and traditional festival favorites
• a Marketplace offering unique, handcrafted items and “Taste of Maine” treats for sale

Danielle Miraglia comes armed with a strong steady thumb on an old Gibson and an infectious stomp-box rhythm with tunes ranging from heart-felt to socially conscious that will move both your heart and hips. Her latest “Bright Shining Stars” debuted at #15 on the Billboard Blues Charts. Cascade Blues Association calls it “… tough as rawhide, but smooth as blended whiskey.”  Released Oct 2020 with Vizztone Label Group, it’s a solo acoustic folk/blues record that highlights the one-woman-band live sound she’s honed over the years, featuring guest appearances by talented friends Laurence Scudder, Peter Parcek and Richard “Rosy” Rosenblatt. It includes originals as well as a collection of songs she covers at live shows, paying homage to influences like Big Bill Broonzy, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and more, plus the title track “Bright Shining Stars,” written by her husband, Tom Bianchi.

For More Last Dance Productions events, click here.

Kathy Mattea. Hailed by The Washington Post as “one of Nashville’s finest song interpreters,” Kathy Mattea has enjoyed much success and acclaim during her 35-year career in Country, Bluegrass, and Folk music, including 2 Grammy wins, 4 CMA Awards, four #1 country singles, and five gold albums (plus a platinum Greatest Hits collection). Her latest album is “Pretty Bird,” produced by her old friend, roots music wizard Tim O’Brien. The wide-ranging collection of songs chronicles a period of rededication to singing, digging back in with a vocal coach and emerging with a poignant and eclectic CD. In addition to creating and recording music and performing live on tour, Kathy is increasingly involved with public broadcasting, consulting and contributing on screen in Ken Burns’ 2019 documentary for PBS “Country Music,” and recently replacing founder Larry Groce as the host of the long-running NPR show “Mountain Stage.” For more Last Dance Productions events, click here.