Ash & Eric, a married duo from Worcester, are known for their genuine storytelling through music. Their songs navigate the intricacies of love, capturing both its triumphs and tribulations. Their album, “Sure,” touches on love’s dynamics, offering both solace and reflection. Having been a team since 2012, their knack for transforming life’s challenges into lyrical narratives stands out. Their beautiful harmonies, acoustic guitar work, and warm stage presence have led them to perform alongside folk stalwarts like Livingston Taylor and Mark Erelli. Their latest album, “Sure,” was entirely produced by Eric, and a visual album based on “Sure,” called “A Song for Every Sadness,” was released June 2024.
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Mike Laureanno hails from Fall River, MA an old mill-town infamous for its axe wielding resident Lizzie Borden and famous for its chow mein sandwiches and pork pies.
A passionate performer, Mike’s songs are visceral and evocative. He is proud of his roots and many of his songs deal with his gritty blue collar hometown and the lives of his family and friends. He is a winner of the 2017 Wildflower, TX songwriting contest, the 2016 Woody Guthrie songwriting contest and a 2016 Kerrville New Folk, TX finalist.
Mike is also a skilled recording engineer, producer and veteran sideman. He produced and recorded all of his albums in his home studio and he served twelve years as the bass player for the legendary New York City FAST FOLK Musical Magazine founder, Jack Hardy.
Mike has released four albums to date, Pushing Back Wintertime (2013), Road Signs (2015), Tightrope (2017) and I come from Fall River (2021)
Bristol-RI-based singer-songwriter Michelle Saylors was raised on a 30-acre farm in bible-belt Tennessee. Early musical inspirations include country, bluegrass-gospel, folk and Memphis blues. Michelle performed bluegrass music in the early 90s at festivals such as Lester Flat Bluegrass Festival and the Country Showdown. Michelle moved to New England in 1998 and landed in Rhode Island in 2009 where she became involved in the Rhode Island Songwriters Association. Michelle played at the Bluebird Café in Nashville at Songwriters open mics on several occasions. Michelle performed at the Providence Folk Festival in 2014 and the Rhode Island Folk Festival in 2022.
In July of 2024, Michelle released her solo debut album titled “Hit the Creek” which features 10 original songs written solely by Michelle. The album has been well-received by fans and continues to gain momentum on streaming platforms nationally and recently hit the UK. Her songwriting is rooted both physically and metaphorically by the space and distance between small town Tennessee and coastal New England. Michelle is currently working on her second album. She identifies her musical style as Nashville blues-country/bluegrass/folk.
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Presenting the Reunion Tour of “On A Winter’s Night” from veteran singer-songwriters who remain among the brightest stars of the singer/songwriter movement for the past three decades. In 1994, Christine Lavin gathered them together, along with folk and Americana artists, to showcase the music of the Winter Season on the now-classic On A Winter’s Night CD, followed by several years of touring collaborations. These artists have released dozens of recordings and toured steadily through the decades, with fond memories of their touring days together. The winter season is again celebrated by these unique and popular performers, back together by popular demand.
One of the most original songsmiths currently on tour, Eberhardt is a highly intelligent, articulate artist whose penetrating and profound lyrics are sometimes overshadowed by his extraordinary guitar playing. Upon close listening, the Philadelphia-born singer’s gift for the English language is abundantly clear. The words that tumble from his mouth are framed by a raspy yet deeply elegant voice. Like John Hammond and Richie Havens, Eberhardt continues to carry the torch for traditional and contemporary folk music through his strong live shows. Whether he’s out on tour solo or with a small band, Eberhardt’s guitar playing, singing, and original folk songs and blues make for a compelling, thought-filled, emotional roller coaster of a concert.
Hailed by Rolling Stone as “the leading singer/songwriter of the New Folk movement,” John Gorka is perhaps the quintessential singer-songwriter of the 90’s folk scene. Originally from New Jersey, John served an apprenticeship at Godfrey Daniels coffeehouse in Bethlehem, PA, then the Greenwich Village Fast Folk scene. Winning the prestigious New Folk award at the Kerrville Folk Festival, in 1984, he was then signed to Red House Records on which he released his landmark first of 17 recordings, I Know. Boston Globe penned Gorka “for the sophisticated intelligence and the provocative originality of his songs.” Recent accolades include 2016’s Indie Acoustic Project’s Best Singer/Songwriter CD of the Year for Before Beginning (Red House Records). 2018 brought his latest release, and 14th of his career, True In Time (Compass Records). True In Time (Compass Records).
“A truly gifted performer…full of enchanting songs” (New York Times). Blending country, folk and pop styles, Lucy has the unique ability to make every song sound fresh, whether singing her own sweet originals, covering country classics by June Carter Cash and Gram Parsons, or singing pop favorites by Lennon/McCartney and Nick Lowe. Lucy’s iconic voice has been featured in film and on television, including commercials like Chevrolet’s iconic “Heartbeat of America” jingle. A Billboard-charting singer and one of the top-selling artists on Red House Records, she has topped the folk and Americana radio charts and has been featured on shows throughout the world from NPR’s Weekend and Morning Editions to BBC Radio to CBS Sunday Morning. One of the most in-demand harmony singers, Lucy has sung on countless records, performing with Suzanne Vega, Bryan Ferry, Nanci Griffith, and Shawn Colvin.
She redefines the boundaries of folk-urban pop music with her inventive guitar wizardry and uncompromising lyrics and vocals. Acoustic Guitar Magazine hails her, “soundscape experiments” while Rolling Stone praises her, “evocative and sonic shading.” She has been described as, “riveting” (Chicago Tribune), “hypnotic” (Entertainment Weekly), and a “drop-dead brilliant” performer (Performing Songwriter). Recently an Artist-in-Residence at Berklee College of Music – and now on the faculty at Fine Arts Work Center – Larkin reflects, “I have been energized by the poets, writers, and artists I have met while teaching, and find myself on a journey to break down some of the predictable pathways that songs can travel.” Bird in a Cage, her 14th CD now available, puts poems from ten notable poets to song, including US Poet Laureates William Carlos Williams, Stanley Kunitz, Kay Ryan, Robert Pinsky, and Billy Collins, for a new and haunting collection that pulses with the magic of lyricism. Poems are made to be shared aloud, and with Bird, Patty takes up that tradition and sets it aglow.
You’ll undoubtedly be warm On This Winter’s Night.
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The Folk Collective, normally at Club at Passim in Cambridge, MA, is an initiative focused on empowering diverse folk artists across New England by using music as a catalyst for community impact and social change. The Collective operates on a two-year, cohort-based model, specifically designed to address the unique challenges faced by underrepresented artists in the folk music scene. Through this model, participants receive performance opportunities, mentorship, and collaborative space, all aimed at helping them cultivate sustainable, creative careers.
The Collective serves not only the artists themselves but also the wider New England community by broadening the reach of folk music and making it more accessible. Success for the Folk Collective is measured through various metrics, including audience attendance, diversity of participants, engagement levels at events, social media interactions, and feedback from artists and the community. Partners supporting the initiative include institutions like Berklee College of Music, the Cambridge Arts Council, and the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation, among others.
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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’s been covering at live shows over the years, 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.
“Americana and blues practitioner Danielle Miraglia wisely avoids fuss and clutter on her latest album, Bright Shining Stars. Fingerpicking and strumming on acoustic guitar are central to her sound, with percussion frequently provided by the infectious stomp of her foot. Three of the 11 tracks here are solo recordings, reinforcing a truism that the artist frequently has proven on Boston-area stages: A charming voice and fluid guitar prowess are all an artist needs to keep a listener rapt.” – Bobby Reed, Downbeat Magazine
“Straddling the line where folk/roots meets rock/blues, Miraglia has a voice that can go from a raspy come-hither purr to an Etta James-esque powerhouse belt, although she may be best known for her lead thumb — a heavy, thumping strike on her Gibson that’s backdrop percussion in itself.” – Lauren Daley – The Boston Globe
“Danielle Miraglia is like a musical butterfly who’s been granted unlimited creative metamorphoses. Even her musical chrysalis stage was a surprise emergence. Unlike so many Boston artists who attended one of the city’s many music schools, Miraglia went to Emerson College, graduating with a creative writing degree. Though she owned an acoustic guitar she seldom played anywhere but at home, she hadn’t given any thought to making a career as a singer-songwriter until one fateful night at the famous, now-defunct Kendall Cafe. She went to an open mic at the Kendall just to watch and absorb. It didn’t take long for it to register with her: “I thought, ‘That’s what I want to do: Get on stage to do my storytelling that way.’” Voila!
Her evolution as a songwriter and performer since then has been remarkable. She quickly won great acclaim and a faithful national and regional following after beginning as a “folk-blues” picker, and it’s a persona she still skillfully embraces in solo shows, but to hear her musical storytelling with such a fine backing band as the satirically named Glory Junkies (Laurence Scudder, viola; Erik White, guitar; Chris Anzalone, drums; and Jim Larkin, bass) is an entirely different dimension. That soul of a creative writer thrives in a vast range of musical styles. Danielle now rocks an electric guitar with equal aplomb, and all with a rocking and soulful energy that pays homage to top influences such as Janis Joplin, Prince and the Stones. No matter how Danielle Miraglia’s stories unfold on stage, they are a joy to hear.
She and the Glory Junkies wowed the sellout crowd during their live-stream taping at the Fallout Shelter, playing tunes from the band’s second album, “All My Heroes Are Ghosts ” — now billed under the moniker “Danielle M & the Glory Junkies (sparing DJs the quandary of the pronunciation of her last name). Those stories she dreamt of telling musically on stage are now like butterflies of their own.” – Nate Dow – https://asheardhere.com/
“Danielle is a dynamic and captivating musician; her rich soulful voice and blues guitar mastery resonate in a performance both rare and unforgettable.”
– Paul Patchel, State Street Blues Festival – Media, PA
“The genius of Glory Junkies is that Miraglia successfully pokes fun at a proverbial “selfie nation,” while also fully owning that tendency. Glory Junkies offers up deeply narrative lyricism and carefully crafted compositions…Glory Junkies boasts a song about reality TV, and one (the title track) that pokes fun at immortalizing one’s own image. Others stray into more personal territory, hitting close to home on Miraglia’s family dynamic, but the concept of the album remains a mainstay throughout.” – Liz Rowley, BestNewBands.
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Abbie Gardner is a fiery dobro player with an infectious smile. Whether performing solo or with Americana darlings Red Molly, her tales of love and loss, both gritty and sweet, are propelled by her impeccable slide guitar chops. As an award-winning songwriter, captivating vocalist, and a world-class lap style dobro player, she has an unmistakable sound all her own. This is masterfully captured on her 2022 CD “DobroSinger.” The record made it to #11 on the Billboard Blues Charts and #2 on the Folk DJ Charts, receiving rave reviews in Bluegrass Unlimited, Acoustic Guitar Magazine and American Songwriter. It’s a raw intimate recording full of blues, ballads and the ache of the unknown. It’s quite a contrast to her previous CD, which featured a co-write with Chris Stapleton and leaned on full band production. Abbie stands strong as a solo act and has opened for Lori McKenna and Martina McBride.
Acoustic Guitar Magazine says, “sheer brilliance and power … her evocative guitar is a second voice throughout, sometimes singing in unison, in harmony other times, or answering as in a conversation with the singer. The playing and singing are both impeccable and loaded with personality. You can hear every nuance of the slide, smooth one moment or rattling slightly at the end of a phrase like punctuation; and her intimate, pitch-perfect vocals—wistful, playful, confessional—sound like they’re dancing with the guitar.”
Her background is as varied as the songs she writes. Her father, Herb Gardner, is a stride pianist and dixieland trombonist. Abbie didn’t get into music school on her original instrument (flute), but graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Occupational Therapy. She gradually found her way back to music in Boston’s folk music scene.
During the pandemic, Abbie started teaching free Woodshed dobro lessons in her backyard and posting them to YouTube. Helping other people fan the flames of their creativity has always been a nice balance to performing. She has taught in person at Nashville Dobro Camp, ResoSummit, Kaufman Kamp, Rockygrass Academy, and Roots Music Camp. Then for Songwriting, she’s taught at New England Songwriters Retreat, Swannanoa Gathering, Summer Songs, and Moab Folk Camp. Students can check out her month-long, small group virtual songwriting classes and her downloadable “Dobro from Scratch” course.
“Not only a first-rate Dobro player but a songwriter to be reckoned with.” –John Platt, WFUV.
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