Tag Archives: Folk Alliance Region West

FAR-West 2016: Saturday Showcase

FAR-West 2016 Conference Logo KC Cafe Radio’s live coverage from the Folk Alliance Region West conference concluded with an outstanding evening of original music representing Washington State, California, Iowa, and Oregon. Performances featured the talents of Jaspar Lepak, Rita Hosking and Sean Feder, Melanie Devaney,Claudia Russell & Bruce Kaplan, Nathan & Jessie, and Otter Creek. Here are the archived recordings of the performances:

Jaspar Lepak

Singer-songwriter Jaspar Lepak is best known for her bell-like voice and introspective storytelling. Sweeping across landscapes with an emotional depth that is extraordinary, her lyrics expose a brave vulnerability while her clear, pure voice touches the heart.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Jaspar Lepak

Rita Hosking and Sean Feder

Hosking’s fierce and captivating country-folk voice narrates a working class legacy in songs and stories that span forest fires, culture clash, dishes, black holes and hope. Feder accompanies artfully on dobro and banjo. Their performances transform audiences and deliver authentic American folk music to stir the soul, awaken the senses and inspire action.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Rita Hosking & Sean Feder

Melanie Devaney

Classical training in piano and guitar, a degree in creative writing, and limitless curiosity combine to craft elegant, yet accessible, songs from personal experience and/or keen observations of the world and characters she encounters. Unapologetically, this rural-Iowa-bred singer-songwriter’s gentle mission is to create beauty and change the world one song at a time with compassion and understanding.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Malanie Devaney

Claudia Russell & Bruce Kaplan

This duo has traversed a wide Americana landscape, tipping their hats to bluegrass bands, Village folkies, blues divas, jazz cats and singing cowboys. Claudia’s expressive voice and distinctive guitar style lend an unassailable authenticity to each genre. Bruce’s accompaniment, on mandolin and guitar, is the perfect polish. Their shows are warm and comfortable with a side of funny.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Claudia Russell & Bruce Kaplan

Nathan & Jessie

Delightful trilingual performances are a synchronous fusion of jazzy folk and blues on National Reso-Phonic guitars and accordion, with an interesting interplay between female and male vocals that always feels fresh and spontaneous. Often joined by Trevor Mulvey on upright bass, their shows are uplifting, fun, and bridge all ages and cultures. The duo travels worldwide.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Nathan & Jessie

Otter Creek

The alchemy of patience, skill, artistry and humor presented by this charming duo with 10 instruments and 53 strings delights audiences who clamor for more. Touring coast to coast these married folkies spread their musical joy from house concerts to school assemblies to concert halls to folk radio and also license their music for TV shows.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Otter Creek

FAR-West 2016: Best of the West Awards

FAR-West 2016 Conference Logo KC Cafe Radio’s live coverage from the 2016 Folk Alliance Region West music conference continued on Saturday, October 15, with an event that celebrated folk music’s finest in the great West. This year’s Best of the West (BOTW) honorees were legendary songwriter/performer Danny O’Keefe music educator Peter McCracken with the Centrum Foundation, and the Seattle Folklore Society.

Danny O’Keefe (Photo: Jeanette Lundgren)

Danny O’Keefe, the FAR-West BOTW Performer Honoree, has released a string of albums since the early 70s that have cemented his reputation as one of the best songwriters of his generation. Although casual fans remember him best for his Top Ten hit, “Goodtime Charlie’s Got the Blues,” or Jackson Browne’s version of “The Road” on his classic Running on Empty album, his story didn’t end in the 70s. He has continued to record the occasional brilliant album and recently returned with “Light Leaves the West,” released in September 2015. Danny’s songs have been recorded by a veritable Who’s Who of legendary artists over the past thirty-plus years including Elvis Presley, Cab Calloway, Charlie Rich, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Earl Klugh, Chris Hillman, Conway Twitty, Leon Russell, Dwight Yoakum and Jerry Lee Lewis among many others. He has also shared his knowledge and experience with students and other musicians through classes and workshops that he has presented throughout the West for more than thirty years. As a prime mover in the Songbird Foundation, Danny has taken an active role in successfully preserving habitats for Western Songbirds and has selflessly held numerous benefit concerts in support of the environment, Native American rights, and other key social issues. For over four decades, Danny O’Keefe and his music have been a source of inspiration and delight for colleagues and fans throughout the world.

Danny O’Keefe joins previous Best of the West Performer Honorees Cris Williamson, Barbara Dane, Chris Hillman, Eric Lowen & Dan Navarro, Utah Phillips, Rosalie Sorrels, The Kingston Trio, Joe Craven, John McEuen, Laurie Lewis, and Barry McGuire.

Peter McCracken (Photo: Jeanette Lundgren)

Peter McCracken and the Centrum Foundation were the BOTW Ambassador Honorees. The Centrum Foundation of Port Townsend, WA, is a unique arts education and advocacy program that promotes creative experiences that change lives through intergenerational workshops, bringing together aspiring and master artists to foster creativity, provide mentorship, and build community. Peter McCracken has long been an integral part of this inspiring organization, serving in many capacities over the years including Arts Program Manager and Traditional Arts Program Manager. Peter has established and led the Foundation’s Country Blues, Voice Works, and Ukulele programs and has organized many other short, themed, focused workshops. In 1992 he started the Blues Workshop and Festival and in 2000 he led the initial curatorial project for Centrum’s Festival of American Fiddle Tunes Preservation and Stabilization. As a visionary and administrator, Peter McCracken has influenced and inspired thousands of musicians from the western states and around the world through his brilliant leadership.

Peter McCracken and the Centrum Foundation join previous Best of the West Ambassador Honorees Russ & Julie Paris, Cassandra Flipper and Bread and Roses, Ed Pearl and the Ash Grove Foundation, Roz & Howard Larman, Steve Baker, Clark & Elaine Weissman, Mike McCormick, Bob Stane, Cloud Moss, Phil & Vivian Williams and Chris Strachwitz.

Seattle Folklore Society (Photo: Jeanette Lundgren)

Seattle Folklore Society received an Organizational Achievement Award in recognition of 50 years of service to preserve and foster awareness and appreciation of folk and traditional arts in the Seattle area. A non-profit folk organization, founded in 1966, SFS has one of the largest and most stable memberships in the country. They produce folk music concerts, dances, song circles, camps and a newsletter. Many members are active concertgoers, dancers and players of the acoustic guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, dulcimer, ukulele and other folk instruments. The award was presented by Victory Music founder and Ancient Victorys president, Chris Lunn.

Listen to the ceremony here:

Part 1:

Download Part 1 here: Best of the West Awards Ceremony, Part 1

Part 2:

Download Part 2 here: Best of the West Awards Ceremony, Part 2

FAR-West 2016: Friday Showcase

FAR-West 2016 Conference Logo KC Cafe Radio’s live coverage from the 2016 Folk Alliance Region West conference got underway Friday night, October 14, with a showcase featuring musical talent from California, Washington, North Carolina, Alberta, Canada, and Colorado. Performances featured Rachel Garlin, Uncle Bonsai, Jamie Laval Duo, Scott Cook, Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore, and March to May. Here are the archived recordings of the performances:

Rachel Garlin

A far-from-weary world traveler with new and different stories delivered with an infectious on-stage joy. As an accomplished guitarist, vocalist, crafter of inspired melodies, and storyteller, she serves up themes that are fresh and moving. She seamlessly weaves her middle school teaching skills with a natural stage presence to deliver tasty folk, rock, roots, and bluegrass flavors.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Rachel Garlin

Uncle Bonsai

Original, contemporary folk/pop music. With soaring and intricate 3-part harmonies and incisive humor, accompanied by only an acoustic guitar, the trio delivers unflinching portrayals of first-world problems, underachievers, and the passing of time and genes — the truth of everything seemingly buried somewhere under the family tree. Crowd pleasers and perennial favorites in multiple venues/festivals.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Uncle Bonsai

Jamie Laval Duo

U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion creates rapt audiences with his passionate, virtuosic performances, uncanny imitation of Highland bagpipes, and engaging stories and humor. Jamie performed for Her Majesty the Queen and presented a TED Talk.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Jamie Laval Duo

Scott Cook

A roots balladeer with a rare personal warmth, he has distilled the stories collected over a decade of near-constant touring across Canada, America, Europe, Asia, and Australia into straight-talking, keenly observant verse. His shows are mesmerizing and fun. Hard miles notwithstanding, he still believes that songs can change people’s lives, and, in turn, change the world.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Scott Cook

Mollie O’Brien and Rich Moore

For 30 years her Grammy-winning voice and his stellar guitar accompaniment (and side-splitting patter) have treated audiences to classic interpretations of America’s most popular music along with an impressive canon of original tunes. Genre-defying, ear-pleasing, heart-opening, laughter-inducing performances are their stock in trade. A marriage of music and mirth: few do it as well or as (seemingly) effortlessly.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore

March to May

Serendipitously meeting around a campfire on the Washington coast, March to May overlays driving, rhythmic guitar and the mellifluous timbre of Celtic harp, with rich vocal harmonies, haunting melodies and riveting lyrics. Their live performances are heartwrenchingly captivating and unabashedly raw, charming the audience with an undeniable onstage chemistry.

Listen to the performance here:

Download the performance here: March to May

FAR-West 2015: Conversations at FAR-West

The saying “birds of a feather flock together” was proven true for us at KC Cafe Radio during the recent Folk Alliance Region-West (FAR-West) Music Conference in Oakland, California. The miles between Kansas City and Oakland seemed to dissolve away, as we were made to feel right at home among old friends and new at this outstanding event.

As we wrap up our archived coverage of the conference, we extend a heartfelt thank-you to those who were influential in making our broadcast coverage possible: Thank you Far-West President Mark Kaufman and the Board of Directors who allowed us to visit Oakland and broadcast from the conference. Thank you conference organizers Jeanette Lundgren (who extended the invitation for us to come out to Oakland) and John Roy Zat (who also loaned us his audio equipment to assist in getting a reliable signal back to our broadcast system in Kansas City). Thank you Official Showcase organizers Peggy Glenn and Jime Van Booven, who graciously worked our broadcast coverage of the shows into their master plan. To house sound engineer “smilin'” James Heyser and his technical crew who went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure a good clean signal back to Kansas City. And to all those who went out of their way to welcome us into the far-West family, thank you for your kindness, hospitality and the generosity of your time. For us, it was an experience we won’t soon forget.

We conclude our archived broadcast coverage with the conversations we aired over KC Cafe Radio during the conference.

Alice Wallace

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_alice_wallace.mp3″]

Calman Hart and Jeff Berkley

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_calman_hart_and_jeff_berkley.mp3″]

Cary Morin

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_carey_morin.mp3″]

Dan Weber

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_dan_weber.mp3″]

David Luning

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_david_luning.mp3″]

Doug Adamz

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_doug_adamz.mp3″]

Erica Sunshine Lee

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_erica_sunshine_lee.mp3″]

Freebo

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_freebo.mp3″]

James Lee Stanley

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_james_lee_stanley.mp3″]

Jeanette Lundgren 1

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_janette_lundgren_1.mp3″]

Jeanette Lundgren 2

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_janette_lundgren_2.mp3″]

John Zipperer

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_john_zipperer.mp3″]

Joshua Johnson and Reese Douglas

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_joshua_johnson_and_reese_douglas.mp3″]

Karrie Pavish Anderson

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_karrie_pavish_anderson.mp3″]

Judy Nazemetz

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_judy_nazemetz.mp3″]

Melissa Greener

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_melissa_greener.mp3″]

Pam Loe and Chad Watson

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_pam_loe_and_chad_watson.mp3″]

Rick Ruskin

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_rick_ruskin.mp3″]

Peter Spencer

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_peter_spencer.mp3″]

Michael Henchman

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_michael_henchman.mp3″]

Kiki Wow

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_kiki_wow.mp3″]

Russ and Julie Paris

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_russ_and_julie_paris.mp3″]

Sarah Frank and Luke Frazer

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_sarah_frank_and_luke_frazer.mp3″]

Susie Glaze

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_susie_glaze.mp3″]

Tapia Corel

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_tapia_corel.mp3″]

Velvy Appelton and Anita Sandwina

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_velvy_appelton_and_anita_sandwina.mp3″]

Lee Ferris and Bianca Caruso

[powerpress url=”https://kccaferadio.com/audio/kccaferadio_fw2015_interviews_lee_ferris_and_bianca_caruso.mp3″]

FAR-West 2015: Saturday Night Showcase

KC Cafe Radio’s live coverage from the 2015 FAR-West Music Conference concluded Saturday night, October 17, with a stellar, award-winning lineup of showcase musicians. The evening’s performance began with Best of the West award winner Cris Williamson, and continued with the talents of Spark and Whisper, Rick Ruskin, Jalan Crossland, Freddy and Francine, Dan Weber, and Susie Glaze and The Hilonesome Band. Here are the performances: