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 Lowell Folk Festival strives to present the very finest traditional artists from across the country. Festival stages reverberate with the sounds of traditional music more often heard in homes, social clubs, dance halls, and annual celebrations.

You’re invited now to place Lowell Folk Festival 2013 on your calendar. The dates are Friday, July 26 to Sunday, July 28 in downtown Lowell.

Last Dance Productions is thrilled to be part of the production team for the festival.

Join us for the Working Waterfront Festival in New Bedford, America’s largest commercial fishing port, to learn about the men and women who harvest the North Atlantic. Walk the decks of a scalloper, dine on fresh seafood, see fishermen’s contests, and watch a cooking demonstrations. Experience the workings of the industry which brings seafood from the ocean to your plate.

The Annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance  conference includes:

1. Workshops,

2. Panel discussions,

3. Seminars,

4. Exhibit hall,

5. Formal showcase in the Manhattan Theater,

6. Quad Showcases in the Conference Center,

7. Private Showcases in designated areas with professional sound systems,

8. Guerrilla Showcases in designated hotel rooms,

9. Access to hundreds of folk musicians, agents, venues, festivals, folk DJs, business services and friends.

10. The opportunity to network with hundreds of other people involved in the folk music business.

Singer-Songwriter and folk icon Tom Rush will return to Symphony Hall with the next of his series of Club 47® concerts on Saturday, Dec 28th at 8:00pm. As is traditional with these shows, Tom will bring together different generations of musicians to share the music. This Holiday Season show will feature the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, with Bill Keith, Geoff Muldaur and Maria Muldaur; Massachusetts favorite Patty Larkin; and (relative) newcomers Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion.

In 1981 Tom Rush assembled the first of a series of concerts named for the fabled Cambridge coffee house where many of the legendary artists of his generation got their start. His Club 47 shows played at venues across the country, including New York’s Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Last year, Tom renewed the tradition with a sold-out show at Symphony Hall marking his 50th year on stage.

“These shows are fantastic musical events,” said Tom Rush. “Having a mix of fabulous performers from different generations, sharing the stage, collaborating , exploring each other’s music — it’s a recipe for magic. ‘Honoring the past, celebrating the future,” is the Club 47 slogan, and we try to live up to it.”

The Jim Kweskin Jug Band got their start at the Club 47 in Cambridge and were the original “Americana” band, playing everything from classic blues to hillbilly country, ragtime, jazz, and rock ‘n’ roll. Their imitators were legion, including a San Francisco jug band that became the Grateful Dead and a New York jug band that became the Lovin’ Spoonful, but their loose, exuberant style was uniquely theirs.

“Boston was the home of our Jug band, and our first gig as the Jim Kweskin Jug Band was at Club 47,” Kweskin remembered. “It is fitting that the last performance of our 50th anniversary be performed in Boston. We thank Tom Rush (who started in Boston about the same time we did) for inviting us to join him at Symphony Hall.”

The individual members of the original Jug Band also have made indelible marks on American music. Maria Muldaur is perhaps best known for her 1974 mega-hit Midnight at the Oasis, but her career can best be described as a long, adventurous odyssey through American roots music, including 40 solo albums and multiple Grammy nominations. Geoff Muldaur is one of the great voices and musical forces to emerge from the Cambridge scene. He composes scores for film and television, and his definitive recording of Brazil provided the seed for – and was featured in – Terry Gilliam’s film of the same title. Bill Keith introduced his own melodic approach to the banjo, now called the “Keith-style,” and as member of Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys and later collaborations, revolutionized the way the banjo is played.

Patty Larkin redefines the boundaries of urban-folk music with her inventive guitar wizardry and uncompromising vocals and lyrics. She has been described as “riveting” (Chicago Tribune), “hypnotic” (Entertainment Weekly) and “drop dead brilliant” (Performing Songwriter). Patty has called Boston home since her studies at Berklee College of Music where she holds an Honorary Doctorate of Music and is currently an Artist in Residence. Patty and Tom’s friendship was kindled nearly 28 years ago when she was on his Maple Hill Artists’ booking roster, and occupied the “Newcomer” slot at several of Tom’s Symphony Hall Club 47 shows.

“Tom Rush has an iconic connection to the singer songwriter movement of which I am a part. His performances continue to be fresh, full of humor and heart, Larkin said. “I’m pleased to be returning to the Symphony Hall stage to join Tom and his esteemed musical guests.” Her 13th album, Still Green, has just been released.

Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion embody the spirit of the Club 47 tradition. Guthrie— the daughter of Arlo and the granddaughter of Woody— grew up in a musical family rich in the American folk tradition. She and her husband Johnny Irion have been playing together as a musical duo for over thirteen years. They just released their fourth album, Wassaic Way, produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and Pat Sansone.

“It’s the kind of night I love,” Tom Rush concludes. “To be on stage with some of my favorite players and favorite people, mixing it up, having fun … it doesn’t get much better than that!”

Carolyn Waters…Socially Conscious Soul…

“Carolyn’s music is hypnotic, in a deeply soulful groove. You’ve heard it said that pure music seems to “flow” through a great singer? Go hear Carolyn to experience the real thing” – Pete and Maura Kennedy, The Kennedys.

Carolyn Waters is a performing singing/songwriter who fuses blues/roots/folk and other musical genres into a unique unforgettable blend of songs and sounds.

As a young girl growing up in Philadelphia, Carolyn Waters sang alone in her bedroom or out loud in the house when she was sure it was empty. It wasn’t by choice, but as the result of thoughtless teasing she got from her family. Even in her church choir, a place where many singers first get noticed and make early names for themselves, she mouthed the words to avoid embarrassment. She, however, never lost her love and passion for music and spent endless hours moving up and down the radio dial, and listening to albums from her parent’s collection.

A life changing event about a decade ago pushed Carolyn to take a voice lesson. This time she wasn’t teased. She was taken notice of, supported, and given a start in folk music, which highlights included opening for Judy Collins, Tom Rush, and Kate Campbell among others.

Oh, and have we mentioned the blues?

“Carolyn Waters is a force of nature. Some people are simply created to sing and bless those who listen, Carolyn is one of those people”. Rev. Robert Jones, Sr. Acclaimed Blues/Roots Musician/Blues Historian – September 2013

Carolyn can belt out barrelhouse and juke joint blues, or fuse them with a pinch of Gospel and roots. She has been featured in the Boston Blues Society’s Ladies Sing the Blues Events where she shared the stage with the late great Shirley Lewis “Regal Queen of the Blues”, Lydia Warren, Lisa Marie and the wonderful Diane Blue to name a few.

Recently Carolyn joined forces with Satoru Nakagawa, a Japanese-born blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and member of the Tokyo Tramps to record her first all blues ep. This powerful duo merged the Delta slide with soulful singing and produced a deep blues experience.

“Carolyn’s voice is amazing, captivating, compelling—any superlative will fit. I don’t believe I have heard such a rich, velvety, and yes—bluesy—voice locally in years” – Karen Nugent, Boston Blues Society – May 2010

Performing solo, and with various accompanying musicians ranging from an incredible single guitarist to fronting her new dynamic Carolyn Waters Band, she can and has performed at all sizes and types of venues including clubs, festivals, galas, coffeehouses, vigils, and intimate-private functions in New England, New York, Maryland and Virginia.

“Carolyn’s songs are personal and have an emotional quality that moves the soul. Her easy natural style communicates immediately with your heart. Her performance is calm but powerful, putting you at ease and making you feel that all is right with the world. I look forward to hearing Carolyn perform her wonderful creations in the future. The best is yet to come”. Charles Williams, Principal, Phillip Glass’ Einstein On The Beach (2012-13 World Tour)

A benefit for Folk New England.

The Lowell Folk Festival. There’s so much to eat, play and discover at this year’s 29^th Annual Lowell Folk Festival! This year’s festival features five stages of traditional music, authentic crafts demonstrations, ethnic foods, art and children’s activities.

The Festival is always the last full weekend in July. We look forward to seeing you July 24-26, 2015 in downtown Lowell!

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