Showing posts with label geoff bartley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label geoff bartley. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Do You Remember the Earth Stringband?



Back in 2011 young gentlemen...
Sam Grisman – Bass, Vocals
Andy Reiner – Fiddle, Vocals
Eric Robertson – Mandolin, Vocals
Stash Wyslouch – Guitar, Vocals

...notloBBers all and collectively known as
The Earth Stringband
kept a blog during their tour of Asia.

READ IT HERE

Just personally and happily rediscovered, tucked away on one of the pages is an invitation to download their album (donation requested).

DOWNLOAD ALBUM HERE

Stash and his Blujegrass Pals were looking handsome and sounding very good last night at Geoff Bartley's Tuesday Night Bluegrass at the Cantab Lounge.

Watch out for anything Stash does, it's bound to be just fine, or your money back.

------
*and his Blue Grass Pals, left-to-right, Julian Pinelli (fiddle), Brittany Karlson (bass) and BB Bowness (banjo) 

Monday, April 22, 2013

The Cantab Monday Night Open Mic is in Trouble


Reported here Monday, April 8, 2013 in Geoff Bartley's Monday Night Open Mic at the Cantab Changing Format, here is the information again, from the man himself.




Dear friends and fans,

The Cantab Monday Night Open Mic is in trouble.

Monday night bar sales are too slow.

To keep the stage, we must pay our way better than we have been.

So I've come up with some evil schemes to keep more people in the bar longer.

First off I want you all to start drinking a lot more... a hell of a lot more.

I'm kidding I'm kidding.

But seriously... starting in May every open miker will be charged $3 to play two songs.

The money will go to the bar. 

I'm also going to make up the list as we go along, instead of making the whole thing up right before eight o'clock.

And no more feature acts.

Yup... after Paul Geremia on April 22 and Cosy Sheridan on April 29... no more feature acts.
Paul Geremia and Dakota Dave Hull are each playing a house concert this weekend thanks to Jeff Boudreau.  Go here: notloB Parlour Concerts  Dakota Dave Hull has threatened to come to the open mic on Monday to sass Paul Geremia, who goes on at 10:00.  Dave... hope you will squeeze in a visit... and I'd love to put you on for a couple three.

Starting in May, the evening will be devoted entirely to open mikers*.  We welcome with open arms their friends and fans, their wives and girlfriends, husbands and boyfriends, especially the heavy drinkers.  Kidding... kidding.
*
Except for Memorial Day when the a cappella group The Mass Whole Notes will sing 10:00 to 10:40 and I'll pass the hat for them as usual.

I'm open to your thoughts comments reactions suggestions observations advice... but mostly I just want to see your faces.

Help us keep this stage.  I've taken a pay cut and will take another.  I'm feeling my way in the dark... nothing is set in stone... I don't want to charge... but the Cantab can't carry us.

I don't want to cancel features either... maybe the set could be shorter and earlier... 8:30 to 9:00 say.

My shifts have been hemorrhaging... the open mic is in triage...

Yes I know I'm being melodramatic... but it's for good cause.

Come visit me! 

Bring a friend!

FOOD
Food (but not drinks) may be brought into the Cantab... there are many good inexpensive restaurants on our block... African... Mexican... subs wraps pizza salads... Falafel Palace Middle Eastern... vegetarian vegan organic... good beef salmon turkey soy burgers... homemade sweet potato fries... a wide menu at the Tavern two doors down... and they all make orders =to go.

CANTAB PARKING
Drive around slowly and think pure thoughts.  The Parking Goddess Will Provide.

Geoff Bartley & Howie Tarnower MUSIC
~ Howie Tarnower and I play Phil Ochs Song Night Benefit for WAMC at the WAMC Performing Arts Studio, a beautiful restored bank building, in Albany on Saturday, May 11.  Greg Artzner and Terry Leonino of Magpie and Happy Traum will be there... also Sonny Ochs and my friend Wanda Fischer from the station.  Howie and I will sing one of my songs and two Phil Ochs songs, The Thresher and Gas Station Women.  We will be fabulous.

~ And on Friday, July 19, Howie and I play the Amazing Things Arts Center in Framingham, MA.  Tickets are $18 / $15 members.  Showtime is 8:00.  We'll be playing old blues and early jazz numbers, some traditional songs, a little bluegrass, and some of my songs.

~ I played two shows w/ Tom Paxton last weekend... one at the Amazing Things Arts Center in Framingham, and the other in Schenectady NY for the 8th Step... at a theatre w/ 440 seats.  Coincidence?  Inquiring minds want to know.  Tom had stir fry w/ chicken.  I had spicy shrimp Pad Thai.  As usual, both shows were funny moving.

~ I plus a Special Guest... either Howie (mandolin, banjo, harmony singing) or Dave Rizzuti (Telecaster)... play EVERY SUNDAY NIGHT at Smoken' (sic) Joe's BBQ Restaurant in Brighton Center, Brighton MA ! ! ! FREE PARKING IN BACK AFTER 6:00 ! ! !

~ Chuck Brodsky was wonderful at the Cantab 4/15... story songs of high order.

Some people at the Cantab know the family of marathon bombing victim Krystal Campbell and knew her.  Be careful out there and be good to each other.

Geoff
Geoff Bartley (1948 - ?)
acoustic blues guitar etc
geoffbartley@pobox.com
www.geoffbartley.com 



Geoff's Cantab open mic is responsible for launching many successful artists, as well as giving a supportive environment to newcomers and regulars alike. I sincerely hope the community responds to his appeal. Please share this blog article and sister post in Cecilia's Choices via social media. Show Geoff's open mic some love.

-------------------

5/2/13
Here's the latest scoop, directly from Geoff.

Hello everyone,

THANK YOU ALL for the outpouring of support I have received from you.

I feel so loved!

I've gotten too many emails to respond to everyone individually, so here's another shotgun one to say THANK YOU and apprise Interested Parties about the Current State of Open Mic Affairs.

DELETE?  Don't give a flying fish about this open mic?  Want me to quit pestering you?  Say the word and it shall be done!

Until I settle on a winning formula, the Open Mic Situation is fluid.

With your good suggestions and my fabulous decision-making perspicacity, I believe the Open Mic will not only endure but will thrive.

The Latest Evolutions in the Formulation of a Winning Formula include the Following Elements:

1) Sign-up is now first come, first served, or in advance... email me at <geoffbartley@pobox.com>

2) Each open miker will now be charged $3 to play two songs... the money will go to the bar.  I chose this option as a way to help keep our stage.  The option I eschewed was the two-drink minimum. 

This issue would be moot if you'd all just start drinking like Don Draper on Madmen...

3) I have reinstated feature acts, but the set is now shorter and earlier... 20 minutes starting at 9:00PM.  I will pass the hat for features as before.  Bring money.



! ! ! This Monday Night May 5 the feature act will be GEOFF BARTLEY AND HOWIE TARNOWER  ! ! !

! ! ! Special Surprise Cash Prize for Some Lucky Open Miker ! ! !

! ! !  It Won't Be Much  ! ! !


4) I'll be choosing feature acts from the local/regional singer-songwriter community with more frequency.

5) I'll be encouraging more duos trios quartets and will encourage open mikers to accompany each other instrumentally and vocally.  I will attempt to lead by example.

6) I'm going to play four songs quick at 8:00.

7) If these measures do not resuscitate the Open Mic, I will begin booking Young Acoustic Bands and will present them in a Format that Encourages Group Music.

As everyone knows, the Cantab Monday Night Open Mic (December 1991 - ?) is the finest in the land. 

However, there are many other fine open mics around.  Neal Braverman runs one on Monday nights... but not every Monday night... in Roslindale called ROM (for Roslindale Open Mic).  Their website is www.roslindaleopenmike.org and Neal's email is neal@roslindaleopenmike.org.

Also on Monday nights, Tom Bianchi runs a contest style open mic at the Lizard Lounge on Mass Ave four blocks north of Harvard Square on the right.  Contact Tom at <tom@24hourtom.com>.

Thanks to Neal and Tom for their support.

If neither of these open mics is within your reach (you poor soul), visit http://www.openmikes.org and type in your Postal Zip Code... you'll get a list of Open Mics in your area.

Open Mics are a forum we use to express ourselves about anything and everything.

Novice? 

Come on down!

Polished veteran? 

Come on down!

Long live Open Mics!

Sincerely,
Your Host,
Geoff Bartley (1948 - ?)

The "World Famous" Cantab Lounge
738 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge MA 02139
617 354-2685
http://www.cantab-lounge.com
In Scenic Square, Psychic Vortex of the Great Northeast

 

Monday, April 8, 2013

Geoff Bartley's Monday Night Open Mic at the Cantab Changing Format


Geoff Bartley's Monday Night Open Mic
at the Cantab Lounge has been in existence for some twenty two years. That is not news. What is news is Geoff is changing its format (see screen capture at end for details of the current format). In a nutshell, Geoff opens at 8pm with a couple of songs, then, using a magic formula only known to him and the observant, some ten are selected for the first half of the evening. A featured performer does a 20-30 minute set, for which the proverbial hat is passed. After the feature's set, those not selected for the early set and latecomers fill the remainder of the night, until last call. Sound duties are very ably handled by P.J. Shapiro.

December 11, 2011

Geoff Bartley and David Massengill

John Gorka and Geoff Bartley

Geoff Bartley and Tom Paxton

Geoff has announced, "The Open Mic is moving into a new phase as I try to make it better serve the singer-songwriter open mic community. Starting in May, the evening will be devoted entirely to open mikers. Your suggestions and comments are welcome."

I can speculate on the reason for the format change but will leave further elaboration (or not) to Geoff.  Whatever the reason, Geoff and the remaining features, who are always top notch, deserve the community's full support.

From the Cantab calendar:
April 8 - Ed White
April 15 -
Special Guest!
April 22 - Paul Geremia
April 29 - Cosy Sheridan

Whether you are a young musician just starting out or a Cantab veteran who has not been back for some time, come down to the open mic to see Geoff and his last remaining features, and continue to give support to the series after the format change.

From the Cantab website, these are the best open mic guidelines I have ever read. I am sure Geoff would not mine others using his model.
Geoff Bartley's Monday Night Open Mic
Thank you for your interest in the open mic at the World-Famous Cantab Lounge in Central Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. We cordially invite you to visit, at which time you'll be privileged to view Jimmy's Christmas lights (which are up and on year 'round) with your very own eyes. You must be 21.

We hope this page will answer more questions than it raises. Geoff Bartley runs an open mic w/ a feature on Monday nights and bluegrass on Tuesday nights. All the other nights are sewn up until the end of time.

Can we talk you into visiting us and playing a couple? If you're a newcomer and arrive by 7:45 any Monday night Geoff will probably be able to give you one of the fiercely-coveted slots before 10:00 as a way of saying thank you for coming. Plan two songs.

On subsequent visits, throw your name into our hat and take your chances about when you go on... we pull names out at random. Playing later in the night also has advantages. If you come late... like 11:00 or midnight or later... you'll still get a slot and sometimes we can put you right on. We usually run right up to 12:45 AM closing.

This open mic is primarily a place for people to learn stagecraft, try new songs, learn to present a song, learn how to end a song, to develop stage presence, to be inspired, to inspire others, to express themselves, to comment on some aspect of The Modern World. Geoff plays two songs at 8:00 PM to get the thing started. All kinds of music are encouraged... original songs, cover songs, acoustic blues, jazz, pop, soul, unaccompanied singers, instrumentalists... almost anything goes. (Spoken Word poets are encouraged to visit the Cantab downstairs on Wednesday nights when the Boston Poetry Slam meets. )

The only thing that hurts us is overly long set-up and tear-down times. So if you're an electric band, come very stripped down... hand percussion and small amps... or better yet we'll plug your electric instruments into our sound system. This means you don't hafta schlepp the amps! Our soundman PJ Shapiro is an excellent musician and songwriter... he will take care with your house and monitor mixes and will help you sound good. The sound system is pretty good and rarely catches on fire.

The feature set runs from 10 to 10:40. Pay for this is via $5 requested pass-the-hat only, no guarantee. The open mic resumes after the feature set.

Getting Hired as an Open Mic Feature: The process by which Geoff chooses feature acts is so complicated that even he doesn't understand it, but he listens to everyone and does hire some acts after hearing them and meeting them at the open mic.

Your open mic host, Geoff Bartley, is a respected acoustic fingerstyle folk and blues guitar player. He also writes songs, plays the harmonica, and sings.
So come on over to the Cantab Lounge (Psychic Vortex of the Great Northeast) and share your music or grab a brew and just listen . . .

Source: http://www.cantab-lounge.com/public_html/cantab_openmic.html

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Lord Geoffrey Presents


One Sock On 
(Geoff Bartley & Howie Tarnower) 
and Marylou Ferrante & Alan Kaufman


Wednesday, March 27, 8:00pm
Johnny D’s, 17 Holland Street, Davis Square, Somerville, MA 02144
$10 general admission.
Reserved seating and dinner packages are available.
Age 10+...Under 21 requests can be directed to carla@johnnyds.com. 
Under many circumstances, if under 21 and guardian are seated for dinner, the underage may be allowed to stay. 
Prior approval needed.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Local Musician Geoff Bartley Donates Proceeds of "The Ballad of Dave Rizzuti" to Rebuilding New Orleans



From 3x notloB artist Geoff Bartley (8/18/07, 11/14/08 & 3/7/10)

"Dear friends, fans, and everybody else with no idea how they ever ended up on this scurrilous list,
Following Hurricane Katrina, my friend Dave Rizzuti was so ticked at the 
George W. Bush administration's indifferent response to the destruction in New Orleans that he went down there to help. When he got there, he hooked up with an outfit called Community Collaborations International (CCI). CCI works around the world to restore and rebuild communities that have suffered damage from natural disasters. Dave goes down to the Big Easy every year to help rebuild and has also been to Haiti with CCI to help down there.
I wrote a swampy bluesy song about Dave called... you guessed it... The Ballad of Dave Rizzuti... and sent it to the guy who owns and runs CCI. He liked it and sent it to his marketing guy. I suggested putting it up for sale to benefit New Orleans, and he promptly put it up at NoiseTrade.com with all proceeds going to CCI specifically to help rebuild New Orleans.
If you go here: www.noisetrade.com/ccineworleans you can hear my fabulous song. Give your email and zipcode to CCI in the spaces provided on the page if you want to download my song for free.
It's a pretty cool song... bluesy and swampy. I sang all the parts, played the basic National steel guitar part, then added mandolin, electric upright bass, and two electric guitar parts... whoa!
You'll also be given the opportunity to send from $1 to $25 to CCI specifically to help rebuild New Orleans.
Geoff
P.S. The page at NoiseTrade.com says "support this artist"... the "artist" is CCI... this is the way all pages at NoiseTrade.com are set up.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Nick DiSebastian Launches Country Wednesdays at The Cantab Lounge

Nick DiSebastian Launches Country Wednesdays at The Cantab Lounge, making it "Boston's hot spot for classic country music." 




Actually, the Cantab Lounge, is located in Central Square, Cambridge, and is the long-time home of Geoff Bartley's Monday night singer-songwriter and Tuesday night bluegrass jam. Now it is also home of a new country music series, hosted by Nick Di Sebastian.
Series description from its Facebook page:

Wednesday nights at the Cantab Lounge bring about that classic country sound. Fiddle, Tele, Pedal Steel and more, you'll know what's hot as you walk in the door!
First Act 8:30-9:45Second Act 10:15-11:30Third Jam Set 11:45-1 
There is no cover charge. Instead there is a $7 suggested donation for both the first and second act that will go straight to the bands. 
The Cantab is a 21+ establishment, specializing in adult beverages of all sorts and various unique odors. The country music will be taking place in the upstairs room. We hope to see you there all saddled up and ready to let loose!
Note to bands: Currently booking! This is a great spot to play on a Wednesday night. There is a built in crowd with the potential to make a few bucks. Full sound system and back-line provided. If interested, please contact Nick DiSebastian via email nickdisebastian@comcast.net


Good luck with the series, Nick! And remember, you have only 20 years to catch up to Geoff.


========

About Nick:

“Nick’s fluid musical imagination is matched by a wonderfully solid and authentic grounding in traditional American music.”
-John McGann
“Nick’s playing is solid and full of great texture and variety.”
-Dan Miller, FPG Magazine

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Geoff Bartley (Newton, 3/7); Andy Cohen (Grafton, 3/10)

Two stellar folk/blues artists are on the horizon,
Geoff Bartley in Newton, Sunday & Andy Cohen in Grafton, Wednesday

notloB Folk Concerts

presents


Geoff's THIRD notloB appearance!

August 18, 2007 (with Eliza Blue) @ the Loring-Greenough House in Jamaica Plain

November 15, 2008 (CD release party), co-feature with Mary McCaslain @ the Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church, Somerville

GEOFF BARTLEY

Sunday, March 7, 2010

@ Jackson Homestead

527 Washington Street, Newton, MA

Doors 5pm, Concert 5:15pm

(arrive early, the museum is open free of charge to Newton residents noon-5pm)

Minimum suggested donation $15, 25% less for museum members.

All donations go to the museum and artist.

Reservations recommended - notlobreservations @ gmail.com


Geoff

Geoff writes, “My music is a mix of blues, folk and roots jazz. I play fingerstyle acoustic guitar and harmonica to support my bluesy baritone "singing". I’m also getting better...slowly... with traditional bluegrass and old-time flatpicking styles. Of the songs I’ve written, people seem to like most Who Should Know, Death is the Robber, One Kind Word, Welcome to the Spiral Dance, Noah’s Ark, Natural Law, the instrumental Blues Beneath the Surface, and the co-writes, Cut by Wire and We’re All Alike. My influences are probably as numerous as yours, but my principal ones are early Bob Dylan, Lightnin' Hopkins and Dave Van Ronk. I’ve also listened to a lot of jazz, primitive and modern. I've opened for or shared festival workshop stages with Doc Watson, Richard Thompson, Tom Rush, Jorma Kaukonen, Dr. John, Odetta, Leo Kottke, The Persuasions, Leon Redbone, and others. In my younger days I played up-down-and-sideways across the US but wasn't able to make a sustainable living at it. Now I play almost exclusively in southern New England and actively support local music.

The folk press has called me "folk music at its best" (Music Reviews Quarterly, Arden, NC), "a brilliant songwriter and a world-class guitarist" (The Boston Globe), a "local legend" (All Music Guide, now Allmusic... see www.allmusic.com) and "the prophet" (WBUR 90.9 fm, Boston) and "spiritual godfather" (Dirty Linen magazine, Baltimore, MD) of the Boston folk scene. As a consequence, my head is now too big to fit through the door. But seriously, I certainly try to send people home from a show feeling better than when they walked in. I also try to keep growing as a person, which is more difficult.

Some of my songs have been recorded by other artists in the US, Nashville, Canada and Ireland, and some are included in the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings of the Fast Folk Musical Magazine collection in Washington, DC. In the 1980s, I won four guitars at the National Fingerpicking Championships hosted by the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, and that was a thrill. As a consequence of these and other factors, I'm occasionally called to record and produce for other artists.

In addition to my own (usually) solo shows in southern New England, I play guitar and sing harmony for topical songwriter and veteran folk entertainer Tom Paxton www.tompaxton.com. I was also instrumental in bringing the Tom Paxton signature model Martin guitar into production in 2004.

I play many of the church coffeehouses in southern New England plus a few festivals, at Passim in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA, roughly every eighteen months and at Johnny D's in Davis Square, Somerville, MA, occasionally. I currently have a steady gig playing acoustic pre-war country blues and Delta blues every Sunday night at Smoken' Joe's BBQ in Brighton Center, MA (www.smokenjoesbbq.com 617 254-5227). A guest soloist joins me each week on reeds, trumpet, harmonica, mandolin, fiddle, electric guitar, accordion, keyboard, upright bass, or percussion. Some of these players are reed master Billy Novick; jazz violinist Matt Glaser, Chairman of the String Department at the Berklee College of Music, Boston; upright bassist Eric Levenson; John McGann, bluegrass / newgrass / jazz guitarist / mandolinist who won the National Mandolin Championship at Winfield, Kansas in the 1980s and Berklee faculty; Jeff Stout, jazz trumpeter and Berklee faculty; and harmonica master Mike Turk. I present two nights of acoustic music each week at the Cantab Lounge www.cantab-lounge.com in Cambridge, MA. Both nights have been voted Best of Boston.

In recognition of my career as an independent music professional and for my support of local acoustic music, the Cambridge, Massachusetts, Mayor’s Office in conjunction with the Boston Bluegrass Union proclaimed February 13, 2004 as Geoff Bartley Day. The award was presented to me that night at the Joe Val Memorial Bluegrass Festival in Framingham, MA. On September 13, 2009 at the Boston Folk Festival, the Boston Area Coffeehouse Association (BACHA) awarded me its Jerry Christen Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award. Previous award-winners include Boston Globe folk music correspondent Scott Alarik (2003); New England radio professional and acoustic music promoter Dick Pleasants (2004); WUMB 91.9 fm founder and principal organizer of the Boston Folk Festival Pat Monteith (2005); Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton-Levy, the founders of Rounder Records (2006); New England songwriter, singer and guitarist Bill Staines (2007); and traditional music supporter and radio host Sandy Sheehan (2008). Geoff’s Hollywood debut: My song 'A Letter from Prison' (recorded by The Infamous Stringdusters on Sugarhill Records / Welk Music Group) in which Nelson Mandela speaks to his wife, Winnie, from his jail cell on Robben Island, South Africa, appeared briefly in the independent Lionsgate film “The Lucky Ones” that opened in US theatres on September 26, 2008 starring Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins, and Michael Pena. Thirteen is now my lucky number (26 divided by 2 = ?).

Acoustic guitar instrumentals and songs I've written have been used on the History Channel, Animal Planet, A&E, the Learning Channel, the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, NOVA and Nature on PBS and in other commercial and non-commercial television programs on other stations in the US and other countries, in documentary and commercial films and in private and commercial advertising in the US and other countries. These recordings are licensed to the Sonoton Music Library in Munich, Germany and are distributed internationally by APM Music.

My latest CD is called “Put the Big Stone Down” and was released January, 2010.

I play Martin guitars
www.martinguitar.com and National Reso-Phonic guitars www.nationalguitars.com and string 'em all with Elixir strings www.elixirstrings.com.
http://www.geoffbartley.com

notfarG House concerts presents

Andy Cohen



Wednesday, March 10

Doors/pot luck @ 6pm
Concert @ 7pm

Andy Cohen grew up in a house with a piano and a lot of Dixieland Jazz records, amplified after a while by a cornet that his dad got him. At about fifteen, he got bitten by the Folk Music bug, and soon got to hear records by Big Bill Broonzy and the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, both of which reminded him of the music he grew up to. At sixteen, he saw Rev. Gary Davis, and his course was set. He knew he had it in him to follow, study, perform and promote the music of the southeast quadrant, America¹s great musical fountainhead. Although he's done other things- a certain amount of writing, and physical labor from dishwashing and railroading to archaeology, playing the old tunes is what he does best.

What I do mostly any more, is a sort of Country Blues 101. It¹s broader than that, of course, covering material from before the twenties to about the fifties, and ranging over the several states to which Memphis is adjacent. I grew up during the Sixties Revival in Massachusetts, but I¹m a Southern boy at heart. I made a point of acquainting myself with all the blues players I could, on record and in person. In my shows, I do material by Rev. Davis, John Hurt, Big Bill, Gus Cannon, Frank Stokes, Memphis Minnie, Bukka White, Barbecue Bob, Charlie Patton, Ted Bogan, Henry Spaulding, or any of a hundred other blues people.

SEATING EXTREMELY LIMITED, RESERVATIONS REQUIRED ~ notlobreservations@gmail.com

Suggested minimum donation $10

Andy's website ~ http://www.andycohenmusic.net
More information at ~ http://notlobmusic.googlepages.com

Friday, January 29, 2010

notloB Folk Concerts News, February, 2010


Bringing traditional American, Canadian, British, and Celtic folk, folk revival, world, blues, roots and bluegrass/newgrass music to Newton and Somerville and Grafton!

notloB Folk Concerts are volunteer run and not for profit. Patron donations go to production expenses and the artists.

In this edition

  1. Winter Season Concerts in Somerville, Newton and Grafton
  2. Mailing list – back to roots
  3. Reservation address changed
  4. Fans of Folk Radio WUMB
  5. Other traditional folk, folk revival, roots, bluegrass, blues and Celtic concert recommendations.
  6. Dinner and a show.
  7. Volunteer and needs wish list.
  8. Housekeeping.

1. Winter Season Concerts in Somerville, Newton & Grafton

Two old friends return, two performing art center-caliber artists in intimate surroundings, and a new production partnership is being formed.

Day/date

Artist

Venue

URL

$

Friday, January 29

Jim Infantino

Jackson Homestead, Newton

http://jiminfantino.com/

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=202032106698&ref=ts

Suggested minimum donation $15, $5 children under 12, $50 immediate family max. 25% less for museum members. All donations go to the museum and artist.

Singer Songwriter,

Rockstar Geek

Friday, February 12

Sam Weiser

Unity Church of God, Somerville

http://www.myspace.com/samweisermusic

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=278328113326&ref=ts

$15

A notloB production of a benefit concert for the New England Folk Music Archives

http://www.newenglandfolkmusic.org/

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=181609436757&ref=ts

Sunday, February 21

Tony Bird

notfarG House Concerts, Grafton

http://www.mangotime.net/

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=266226028285&ref=ts

$15 suggested donation

From southeast Africa, Tony Bird, a Malawi-born song man, is a complete original.

Thursday, February 25

Sarah McQuaid

notfarG House Concerts, Grafton

http://www.sarahmcquaid.com/

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=211628365457&ref=ts

Suggested donation $10-15

"Sparkling guitar and compelling alto voice ... reminiscent of Pentangle’s best efforts…"

Sunday, March 07

Geoff Bartley

Jackson Homestead, Newton

http://www.geoffbartley.com

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=205596869006&ref=ts

Suggested minimum donation $15, 25% less for museum members. All donations go to the museum and artist.

Geoff's 3rd notloB appearance!

Wednesday, March 10

Andy Cohen

notfarG House Concerts, Grafton

http://www.andycohenmusic.net

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=308634898272&ref=ts

$10 suggested donation

Country Blues 101











2. MAILING LIST. The “ReverbNation” mailing list is full, we are using again notloB Music. If you are on both you can unsubscribe from one or the other (ReverbNation is “just the facts”, once per month and once per concert; “notloB Music” is a news and discussion group that sends additional information about the local folk music community as well as the occasional free ticket contest/give-aways and other fun stuff.

3. NEW INFORMATION & RESERVATION ADDRESS. Effective immediately, send reservation and information requests to notlobmusic@gmail.com, do not use the old Comcast address.

4. “Supporters of folk and blues on WGBH” has served the community well as a grieving and venting and organizing device. We should have had something similar two years ago when “folk radio” WUMB was lost to AAA “music mix.” Such a group does now exist, but it is private. If you would like an invitation, please send an email, containing name and your feelings about “folk radio” vs. “music mix” to notlobreservations@gmail.com.

5. OTHER CONCERT RECOMMENDATIONS. We believe the wider information about quality concerts is spread, the larger the folk/roots/Celtic/blues/bluegrass community will become. This is especially important as the world, national and local economies sour. Spread the word, support local live music and build the community. We wish there were one unified, uncensored music calendar for such events (for a listing and analysis of such resources, click here), but until it exists, these are notloB Folk Concerts’ recommendations.

January 30 - Northern Roots Traditional Music Festival

@ New England Youth Theater, Brattleboro, VT

http://www.bmcvt.org

Featuring the best of Irish, Scottish, English, Swedish, & French Canadian traditions.

February 6 – Fire on the Mountain

@ Harvard University, The Barker Center (Thompson Room)

Time: 10:30am - 8:30pm

Come hear some of the most renowned bluegrass musicians and scholars perform and discuss the style! Three panels (on bluegrass scholarship, instrument-making and bluegrass performance) will be followed by an evening concert featuring three Grammy Award-winning musicians.

To view the complete schedule, please visit: http://web.me.com/folkmyth/Folk_%26_Myth/Bluegrass_Symposium.html

Participants include:

Alison Brown ’84 – Grammy Award-winning banjoist and co-founder of Compass Records

Sam Bush – Grammy Award-winning mandolinist and co-founder of the New Grass Revival

Lynn Dudenbostel – World-renowned guitar- and mandolin-builder

Matt Glaser – Jazz/bluegrass violinist, director of the American Roots Music Program at the Berklee School of Music

Bobby Hicks – Grammy Award-winning bluegrass fiddler, former member of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys and Ricky Skaggs’s Kentucky Thunder

Michelle Kisliuk – Associate professor of Music at the University of Virginia, recipient of the ASCAP Deems Taylor Special Recognition Award

Neil Rosenberg – Grammy Award-winning author and professor emeritus of Folklore at the Memorial University of Newfoundland

Jack Tottle – Mandolinist, founder of the Bluegrass, Old Time & Country Music program at East Tennessee State University (ETSU)

Garry West – Bassist, producer, co-founder of Compass Records

Clint Miller '11 and Forrest O'Connor '10 will also participate.

February 6 Ladysmith Black Mambazo

@ Sanders Theater

http://www.mambazo.com/

February 9 Tony Trischka, Andy Statman, Matt Glaser and The Boston Boys

@ Johnny D’s Uptown Restaurant

http://www.johnnyds.com/

February 11 Town Mountain: Bluegrass from Asheville, NC

@ Johnny D’s Uptown Restaurant

http://www.johnnyds.com/

The Johnny D's mailer describes them thusly: Imagine the band that occupies the common round between traditional bluegrass, outlaw country, and pure old time mountain music and you'll have a pretty good idea of where this NC band is coming from. Harnessing the frantic enegy of the modern punk string band, yet still respectfully rooted in the traditonal of Bill Monroe. I saw these guys a couple of times in the late night suites at IBMA and look forward to hearing them with a good sound system. They had great energy and really seemed to enjoy themselves.

February 12-14 Joe Val Bluegrass Festival

@ Sheraton Hotel, Framingham

http://www.bbu.org/jvhome.htm

Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper (Sat) J.D. Crowe and the New South (Sat) Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (Sat) Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass (Fri) Special Consensus (Sat, Sun) Josh Williams Band (Fri) The Gibson Brothers (Sun) Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out (Sun) White Mountain Bluegrass (Sat) Sierra Hull and Highway 111(Sat) Buddy Merriam and Back Roads (Fri) Bluegrass Gospel Project (Sun) Southern Rail (Sun) The Reunion Band (Sat) The Spinney Brothers (Sat, Sun) Acoustic Blue (Fri) Joe Sings Joe (Sat) Back Eddy Bluegrass (Sat) Rabbit in a Log (Sat) Berklee Bluegrass All-Stars (Fri)

February 13 - The 18th Annual Cajun & Zydeco Mardi Gras Ball

@ Cranston, RI

http://mardigrasri.com/

featuring:

STEVE RILEY & THE MAMOU PLAYBOYS

DONNA THE BUFFALO

COREY LEDET & HIS ZYDECO BAND

HOT TAMALE BRASS BAND

February 14 – A Concert for Loved Ones in Haiti

@ Colonial Theater, Pittsfield

http://www.thecolonialtheatre.org

Artists from the Berkshires and surrounding cities come together to show solidarity and help bring money and more awareness to the devastation from the earthquake in Haiti!

This once-in-a-lifetime event will feature performances by Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, The Mammals, The Guthrie Family and more!

February 26 - DAVID BROMBERG with Special Guests Paul Rishell and Annie Raines

@ First Parish Church

Harvard Square, Cambridge

http://www.mktix.com

This information was as accurate as we could determine at the time it was transcribed from the sources. Verify with the artist/producer/venue before heading out.

Read more folk/roots concert and event notices in NEFolknRoots. If you have folk/roots events to add, please join and post.

6. DINNER AND A SHOW. Somerville concert patrons can save 10% when dining at the House of Tibet Kitchen, 235 Holland Street, 617-629-7567 (in nearby Teele Square). ...and Newton patrons can and also save 10% when dining at the Ginger Root, 136 Adams Street, 617-928-3337.

Simply make a concert reservation, print and bring your confirmation email and show it to restaurant staff. 10% excludes alcohol and taxes. Please tip at the pre-discount rate.

For both fine restaurants, before being seated please identify yourself to the staff as attending the “notloB concert”.


7. VOLUNTEER NEEDS & WISH LIST.

@ UCG ~ admission table, merchandise, hospitality & lighting.

@ all venues ~ publicity & flyer/handbill duplication and distribution.

If you are interested, please read the volunteer policy and apply via the email address listed there. Benefits await.

8. Housekeeping.

The fine print. notloB Folk Concerts are volunteer run and not for profit. We present the best local and touring roots, newgrass, traditional and contemporary folk, Celtic and blues artists at several venues around the greater Boston area. Past artists include the Spider John Koerner, the Sacred Shakers, The Folk Brothers (David Massengill and Jack Hardy), Peggy Seeger, Geoff Bartley, Mary McCaslin, Bob Franke, The Rowan Brothers, The Ungar Family Band, Aoife O’Donovan, Kristin Andraessen, Mike and Ruthy Ungar Merenda, Sometymes Why, Pat Wictor, Jud Caswell, Dennis Brennan and many others. Concerts in your home, as was done with the Bowmans in May, and Matt Brown in October can be arranged.

Reservations / information. At most concerts an incentive for making a reservation is offered. Send email to notlobmusic@gmail.com at least 24 hours prior to the concert. Information about the concert series, the venues and the artists can be found at the website or by sending an email to the reservations address.

Keeping in touch. There are several ways to stay informed of scheduled events:

Volunteering / Street team. This is a 100% volunteer-run effort. Concerts would not be possible without volunteer assistance. All interested in helping can read the Volunteer Policy. “Guerilla” publicity builds community by spreading the word to family, friends and neighbors. Posting flyers in your neighborhood music shops, book stores, coffee shops and workplace is appreciated. To register, go to http://www.reverbnation.com/notlob, then send an email to notlobreservations@gmail.com requesting printer-ready files. Be a regular guerilla and you’ll receive a nice reward.

Admission is by donation. A suggested minimum donation (varies by concert), often with discount to those making reservations and sometimes to students and seniors, is requested. Your donations cover rent, sound system rental, sound engineer, publicity and other production expenses. 100% of the balance goes to the artists (many of whom travel many miles). Sometimes there are shortfalls, so extra donations are gladly accepted.

Photography, video recording, & sound recording. No still, video or sound recording is permitted without permission of the artist and the house. If you would like to share photos of past concerts, email the pictures and/or web link to notlobreservations@gmail.com

Keep your lamp trimmed and burning!
Jeff Boudreau

notloB Folk Concerts
Website ~ http://notlobmusic.googlepages.com

Blog ~ http://notlobmusic.blogspot.com

Folk news ~ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthEastFolknRoots/

Facebook ~ http://tinyurl.com/notlobfacebook

"In this era of pop-driven acoustic music, Notlob is keeping the folk tradition alive."

~ Jack Hardy

"The concerts always have a warm atmosphere and are fun to play. From a musician's perspective, I really appreciate the effort Jeff puts into his shows. Nobody on the Boston folk scene works harder to pull a concert together."

~ Alastair Moock

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Put the Big Stone Down

I have yet to hear "Put the Big Stone Down", but if it is half as good as "Blackbirds in the Pie", buy it on blind faith!

Geoff will be appearing solo and without amplification in notloB's "kitchen" series at at the Jackson Homestead on Sunday, March 7. Capacity is limited to 30, so reservations are recommended*.

More information at

http://notlobmusic.googlepages.com

&

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38565709718&ref=ts


This will be Geoff's third notloB appearance


8/18/07 at the Loring-Greenough House (Eliza Blue opened)

&

11/15/08 at the Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church (co-feature with Mary McCaslin) - CD release party for "Blackbirds in the Pie"



*Please note the new notloB Folk Concerts reservation address is notlobreservations@gmail.com

=======================

From Geoff Bartley

Dear friends, fans, and everyone else with no idea how they ever ended up on this scurrilous list,

My new CD Put the Big Stone Down is here! To receive one by mail, send $20 check or money order made payable to me to Cantab Lounge, 738 Mass Ave, Cambridge MA 02139, attn Geoff Bartley. Remember to include your mailing address. I'll sign your copy(s) upon request. Signing activates the CD so it plays in its Full Stereo-Phonic Splendor. All my CDs come with an Unconditional Money-Back Guarantee.

Song titles for Put the Big Stone Down are:

1) Put the Big Stone Down (Bartley) w/ Howie Tarnower on mandolin
2) Blue Moon on New Years Eve (Bartley) w/ harmony vocal by Miss Tess
3) Occam's Razor (Bartley / guitar instrumental)
4) Muscle for the Wing (Bartley)
5) Song to a Hawk (Bartley / instrumental w/ Jeff Stout on trumpet and Paul Lenart on electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and percussion)
6) Good-Bye Father (Bartley)
7) The Losing Part (Tom Paxton)
8) The Cat Song (Bartley)
9) Trickle-Down Theory (Bartley / instrumental)
10) Money is King (The growling Tiger) w/ Hiro Arita on 2nd guitar
11) Nobody Cares (Ed White)
12) Look Down the Road (Skip James)
13) Look Down outro (Bartley / instrumental)

Put the Big Stone Down will shortly be available as downloads. 250 physical copies will also be available shortly with a download card that you can give to a friend for a FREE DOWNLOAD of a song I have yet to choose. Each card contains wildflower seeds. After it's been used to get a FREE DOWNLOAD, each card can be planted. The paper will bio-degrade and wildflowers will grow. Cool idea from Nimbit www.nimbit.com!

This CD (and all my others) are available at the Cantab every Monday and Tuesday night and at all my live shows.

THANK YOU everyone for your encouragement and support.

Geoff
www.geoffbartley.com
www.myspace.com/geoffbartley