Performers Who Entertained prior seasons
2006-7  2005-6  2004-5 2003-4

2002-2003

September 15th - Ginny Johnston with Guitarist Don Bowen

Ginny Johnston has been performing in the NJ/NY area as a solo artist, duo, and with her band Mosaic since 1993. Her songs have drawn comparisons to such songwriters as Joni Mitchell and Shawn Colvin. With a fluent Keyboard style and ballads. She has released two independent CD’s with her band Mosaic, True and Scrapbook, featuring all original songs. Don Bowen has been performing with Ginny Johnston since 1993. He is a guitarist, banjo player and vocalist with musical influences ranging from jug bands to Woodstock to Pennsylvania coffeehouses and the country-rock bands of the 1970’s.

October 20th - Jessica Schoenberg

Jessica Schoenberg hales from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, but now makes her home right here in NJ. She is a compelling songwriter with an unmistakable ability to draw you into her explorations of life and the human experience. In the same vein as storytellers Ani Difranco and Sarah McLachlan, Jessica’s beautiful voice journeys through her unforgettable melodies and powerful acoustic guitar playing. Whether it’s an infectious groove or a heart-breaking confessional, Jessica always delivers with exquisite style and honesty. Jessica’s artistic career started out at the age of seven in the acting business when she starred in a children’s television series, Harriet’s Magic Hats (still in worldwide syndication). She embarked on her music career after graduating from college in 1994. She launched her own independent record label, Sway Gypsy Records, that same year. Since 1994, Jessica has released three albums in Canada and one in both Canada and the U.S. She has enjoyed great success with her latest release, Humanisms, from which, two songs have been featured on TWO episodes of NBC’s hit series “Providence.”  

November 17th -Greg Greenway

Greg Greenway is a powerhouse singer and guitarist with a notable talent for expressing universal emotions in personal frames, and a songwriter whose melodies resonate in your head for days. He has been described as “one of the strongest, and finest voices in folk music.” The Boston Globe wrote, “He made his mark on the national folk scene with the foot-stomping passion of his shows, but also with a winning and credible between-song intimacy.” His performances take listeners on musical journeys tracing his many varied influences; the passion of Richie Havens, the lyrical guitar of James Taylor, and the rhythmic politics of Peter Gabriel. Greg’s critically acclaimed debut album, A Road Worth Walking Down, was nominated for two Boston Music Awards, which led to a performance at Carnegie Hall in the New York Singer/Songwriter Festival (rebroadcast on NPR’s World Cafe), and an appearance on Mountain Stage. In August of this year, Greg was seen world wide on CNN’s World Beat in a segment on socially conscious artists.   

December 15th  David Roth

David Roth blends a dash of Dan Fogelberg, a pinch of David Letterman, a whoosh of Will Rogers, and a touch of James Taylor-meets Jerry Seinfeld in his highly original, sometimes hilarious and always thought-provoking award-winning music.  Recognized as an exceptional, charismatic performer David has gained national attention for his unique songs, moving stories and creative guitar artistry. Since emerging as New Folk Winner to open Texas’s 1987 Kerrville Folk Festival, the Chicago native (and two-time national anthem singer for the NBA’s Michael Jordan-era Bulls) has often been cited for his entertaining stage presence and powerful singing and subject matter. In 1996 David was the landslide top vote getter at New York’s Falcon Ridge Folk Festival’s “Most Wanted” Showcase. In addition to singing “Earth” at the 40th Anniversary of the United Nations in New York, David’s “Rising in Love” was performed at the 100th Anniversary of Carnegie Hall.  “Manual Garcia” and “Nine Gold Medals” both appear in the international best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul books by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. Jack Canfield says “David’s music will touch you to the very depths of your soul. He’ll make you laugh and cry, inspire you to rise and fly.

David Roth was scheduled to appear this Saturday evening, at the Coffee With Conscience Concert Series in Westfield, NJ. Unfortunately, he had to cancel due to a death in his family. He was kind enough to help us find another artist to replace him at such short notice.... And what an artist! Christine Lavin! We never would have dreamed of such good fortune!

January 19th - Dayna Kurtz

Dayna Kurtz, a New Jersey native, received the ‘Songwriter of the Year’ Award from the National Songwriters Association three years in a row, in ’96, ’97 and ’98! She was applauded for writing riveting poetry, having a truly incredible voice, being a terrific guitarist and simply dominating a room with her presence. She gets lost deep in her songs and takes you with her. Accompanying herself on acoustic guitar, Dayna creates an atmosphere that’s soulfully intense. Her recent recordings with Steven Boyer (Rolling Stones, Ricki Lee Jones, Chaka Khan) showcase her husky, sultry and always passionate vocals. Her songs combine the introspection of Joni Mitchell with the more subdued aspects of early blues and jazz. Dayna is quickly moving into the national spotlight with a recently signed publishing agreement and performing in national venues from New York to Los Angeles and New Orleans to New England. She has shared the stage with such diverse artists as Ani DiFranco, Richie Havens, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Martin Sexton among others.  

February 16th - Bob Malone & Carla Ulbrich

“Bob Malone walks on stage, sits down at the keyboard, grins ear to ear and blows the audience away!” Everyone is instantly attracted to Bob’s powerful voice and blend of musical styles, but he also manages to fill the room with “fun energy.” He is considered heir to the legacy of Professor Longhair and Dr. John. Bob grew up in New Jersey, but tours extensively. He has developed a unique combination of a finely tuned sense of songcraft and a gutsy, bluesy, soulful delivery. It has been said that Bob is “an almost encyclopedic compendium of blues and roots piano styles...and as a scribe, he’s in John Hiatt’s league.” Whether he’s writing a sublimely crafted ballad destined to become a radio classic, or a New Orleans-style barroom stomp that shows off his world-class band, virtuoso piano chops and one-of-a-kind lyrical wit and humor, the music is always unmistakably Bob Malone. 

Carla Ulbrich hales from Clemson, NC. She is a fan favorite on the long-running, nationally syndicated Dr. Demento show. Carla considers herself a ‘musical smarty-pants’ and brings a mix of humor, poignancy and nifty guitar playing to the stage. She has been compared to the likes of Ray Stevens, Christine Lavin, Jerry Seinfeld, Chet Atkins and even Jewel! Carla began playing guitar at the age of nine, and writing songs in high school. She made her singing debut at a pig pickin’ on Spring Break in college. Her live shows and CD, Her Fabulous Debut, have earned her rave reviews and cool songwriting awards like the coveted “Best Upbeat” and “Best Overall” from the 1999 South Florida Folk Fest’s Song Competition. But of all her accolades, she is proudest of the fact that she is the fourth most requested artist on the Dr. Demento Show.    

March 16th - Dave Nachmanoff

Dave Nachmanoff is a dynamic performer. He is full of energy, personality, and fun. His shows are “family friendly” and appeal to people of all ages and all walks of life. Drawing from the best of his East Coast folk heritage, he has a knack for transforming a roomful of passive listeners into active participants. With a repertoire of several hundred original songs covering a broad spectrum of topics and musical genres, Dave is able to tailor each concert to his listeners. He backs his songs with virtuoso playing on acoustic guitar and other instruments, and intersperses his concerts with stories of the road and the occasional philosophical insight. Dave grew up surrounded by the active folk scene of Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. during the 1970s, where he was exposed to a variety of musical traditions. He wrote his first song at age 9 — the same year he met the legendary Libba Cotton (“Freight Train”) and was invited to accompany her on stage. Dave studied music and philosophy at Columbia and Oxford universities. He earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of California, Davis, in 1997 but promptly retired from academia to dedicate himself to music.  

April 20th - Dan Pelletier & Jean Bratman

Dan Pelletier was the winner of the top honor—”best all around songwriter of 2001”—at the South Florida Folk Festival’s Songwriting Competition. He was praised for writing some of the cleverest, most insightful music on the contemporary folk scene today. His soulful voice can at turns be powerful and gritty, or tender and emotive. He never fails to delight audiences with his wit and tenderness. His shows feature just the right touch of sarcasm tempered by warmth, realistic idealism and a passion for life, love and the pursuit of happiness. Somebody once said that if Tom Lehrer, Shel Silverstein, Sting, Joe Cocker and James Taylor all had a kid together, it would be Dan. The world strikes Dan as funny. Not ha-ha funny, but often in an ironic way that’s somehow funnier than ha-ha funny. His songs cut pioneer trails across the emotional landscape: to the far corners and back again to the closest, most personal terrain. This fiery piano-playing songwriter will make you laugh as he breaks your heart, and takes you through unpredictable twists and turns to the always satisfying conclusion. Dan’s songs resonate in the secret places that make us who we are and inspire us to become who we can be.

Jean Bratman is an emerging artist and songwriting award winner. She has showcased at both the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Listeners of Jean’s songs are drawn to her satisfying melodies, expressive voice, gift for wordplay, and smart, thoughtful lyrics. She is a singer, guitarist and piano player, who loves to perform for folk audiences, but her acoustic-based music is thoroughly infused with pop and rock ‘n roll energy. In fact, her recently released CD, Imperfect World, has been praised for its “unique bluesy-pop sound” and Jean’s “rich, melodic voice [is put] to good use with witty, well-written songs”. Originally from the Washington, DC area, Jean now makes her home in New York. As a former news reporter for television, radio, and newspapers, Jean used to tell other people’s stories. Now she weaves them with her own experience, in work that reflects her worldliness and knack for knowing where the story is.

May 18th - Alice Di Micele

Alice De Micele grew up in Linden, NJ, but has spent the last 15 years out west in Oregon. Alice’s musical journey has exposed her to many styles of music: R & B, Jazz, Folk, Rock and Roll, Blues, Soul, and Gospel. She has incorporated all these musical influences into her very own personal style. Since her musical hybrid doesn’t fit neatly into any standard category, Alice has dubbed what she does “groove-folk” or “acoustic soul.” Every track on each of her seven CD’s is unmistakably Alice Di Micele! “I love solid, moving rhythm and I do a lot of improvising vocally. My lyrical content varies a lot since I write about life, love, and the state of things as I see them. Music to me is inherently spiritual, and I hope my songs show it. I don’t tend to write from a particularly religious perspective, in fact, I choose to embrace spiritual diversity, yet it is the connection of humans, earth, and the divine that absolutely intrigues me and becomes the subject of much of my work.” Alice’s true passion is performing. She has performed at Folk Festivals and Listening Rooms all across the US, and is completely at home on stage. In fact, she considers her audience as part of her family. The audience usually senses this and responds to her in kind.

June 15th -Lui Collins

Lui Collins established herself as a powerful presence in the folk community in the late seventies and early eighties with the release of her early Philo and Green Linnet recordings. The Boston Globe dubs Collins “one of New England’s first and brightest stars,” and Sing Out! Magazine calls her “incomparable.” Renowned guitarist Dave van Ronk calls her “one of the best guitarist-arrangers I have heard in years.” Her newest and 7th solo recording, Leaving Fort Knox, confirms her place as a compelling writer, singer and instrumentalist. International folk rag, Dirty Linen, sums it up: “Her gorgeously poetic lyrics are wrapped around a solid bed of traditional and old-timey-influenced music, which is at once simple and perfect for conveying the mood and subtleties of her words.” “Quite simply, this is the best Lui Collins recording, ever.” Dirty Linen’s assessment is a clear affirmation of the continuing vitality, after 30 years, of Collins’ art. This vitality expresses itself in her live performances, as Collins blends her original songs, dynamic readings of her poetry, and traditional banjo tunes, in an intimate conversation with her audience. The Champlain Valley Folk Festival Newsletter says “…to truly experience Lui Collins it should be required to spend an entire evening with her. No one weaves a spell quite like she can.”