"Francey's clear, simple songs speak volumes  to his followers. After a decade in music, David Francey is known as one of Canada's finest tunesmiths and a champion of the Everyman, admired for his less-is-more approach to writing. It's amazing how he manages to address deep stuff with such spare ingredients" - The Edmonton Journal

David Francey is a Scottish-born Canadian carpenter-turned-songwriter, who has become known as “one of Canada’s most revered folk poets and singers” (Toronto Star). Born in Ayrshire, Scotland to parents who were factory workers, he moved to Canada when he was twelve. For decades, he worked across Canada in rail yards, construction sites, and in the Yukon bush, all the while writing poetry, setting it to melodies in his head and singing it to himself as he worked.
 

A truly authentic folk singer, Francey is a documentarian of the working person who never imagined earning a living from his music. But when he was in his 40s, his wife, artist Beth Girdler, encouraged him to share his songs and sing in public. The reaction was instant. His first album Torn Screen Door came out in 1999 and was a hit in Canada.

Since then, David has released thirteen albums, won four Juno Awards and has had his songs covered by such artists as The Del McCoury Band, The Rankin Family, James Keelaghan and Tracy Grammer.

Francey also had the honour of receiving the prestigious SOCAN Folk Music Award as well as taking home the Grand Prize in both the International Acoustic Music Award and in the Folk category for the John Lennon Songwriting Award.
 

"David’s straightforward songs tell honest stories of real people and real places. Poetic perception and a keen eye for the heart of the matter are trademarks of the man and his music. His songs and stories are a direct connection for audiences seeking depth and meaning in the day-to-day." Shelter Valley Folk Festival

Website: https://www.davidfrancey.com/
Videos: All Lights Burning Bright
The Breath Between

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"Perhaps the greatest cowboy balladeer alive today." --Seth Hopkins, Director, Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, GA

Dave Stamey has been a cowboy, a mule packer, a dude wrangler, and is now one of the most popular Western entertainers working today. He has been voted seven times Entertainer of the Year, seven times Male Performer of the Year and Five times Songwriter of the Year by the Western Music Association, and received the Will Rogers Award from the Academy of Western Artists. He’s delighted audiences in twenty three states, and finds that he prefers this to being stomped by angry horses.

Western Horseman Magazine has declared his “Vaquero Song” to be one of the greatest Western songs of all time.

True West Magazine named him Best Living Western Solo Musician four years in a row.

In November of 2016 Dave was inducted into the Western Music Hall of Fame.

Website: https://davestamey.com/
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ja3E7B87Ak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CLyDuzRIjU

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Growing up, Joe Newberry and April Verch absorbed traditions of home and hearth – in his Missouri Ozarks and her Ottawa Valley of Canada. Although they are on the road much of the year, the two musicians are fond of saying that they are rarely homesick, because their music means they always have a bit of home with them wherever they go.

Known around the world for his clawhammer banjo playing, Newberry is also a powerful guitarist, singer and songwriter. The Gibson Brothers’ version of his song “Singing As We Rise,” featuring guest vocalist Ricky Skaggs, won the 2012 IBMA “Gospel Recorded Performance” Award. With Eric Gibson, he shared the 2013 IBMA “Song of the Year” Award for “They Called It Music.”

Before launching her professional career, Verch was the first woman to win both the Canadian Grand Masters and Canadian Open Fiddling Championships. In 2000, she formed “The April Verch Band,” and together they have toured the world, performing in 18 different countries. She has released 14 solo recordings to date, receiving JUNO, Canadian Folk Music and Independent Music nominations and awards for several of those releases.

 

Ever since Newberry & Verch met, and discovered a musical spark that few can match, they have toured across North America, Europe, and the U.K., including Nova Scotia’s signature festival Celtic Colours International Festival, the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in New York state, and Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Scotland.  Their CD, “Going Home,” was released to wide acclaim in 2018.  In 2021 they released “On This Christmas Day,” an album to accompany their annual Holiday Cheer Tours.

 

Whether it is the power of two voices lifted in harmony, or the sound of traditional tunes calling people to get up and move, these two masters of tradition put on an unforgettable show. And, when their feet kick up the dust in perfect rhythm and those two voices become one, Joe Newberry and April Verch make folks remember why this music existed in the first place.

 

Website: https://aprilverch.com/2022/02/03/newberry-verch/
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oegtfDF3oAo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qqfrfrwIa8

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The Acoustic Guitar Summit is made up of three of the country's best acoustic fingerstyle guitarists. Their music has been heard on national television (Martha Stewart Living, Late Night with Conan O'Brien), major films (Twister, Moll Flanders) and National Public Radio.

Together the Acoustic Guitar Summit - Mark Hanson, Terry Robb, and Doug Smith - performs a wide range of music. A blistering original may lead into a tightly interwoven arrangement of a classic ballad like "What a Wonderful World" or "You Make Me Feel Brand New." A gypsy jazz tune like Django Reinhardt's "Nuages" may lead into their stunning version of the folk classic "The Water Is Wide."

Website: https://www.acousticguitarsummit.net/
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNJgnR-8z4Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaOuS06AcC8

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The Clements Brothers are George and Charles Clements, identical twins from New England. They’ve been playing and writing music together for as long as they can remember and ‘The Clements Brothers’ marks their first project together since playing in the internationally touring grass-roots band, ‘The Lonely Heartstring Band’ with whom they put out two albums on Rounder Records.

With roots, rock, bluegrass, jazz, and classical influences, George (on guitar) and Charles (on bass) aim to capture their singer-songwriter sensibilities in a unique blended voice, at once enthralling and intimate, groovy and serene. They are joined by drummer Mike Harmon, who joined the band after an impromptu late night set at the Ossipee Music festival, and adds his unique roots-conscious musicality to the group's evolving sound.

The trio is a fusion of each member's unique musical journey, and the result is music all its own, filled with vocal harmonies, instrumental virtuosity, and a genuine love of song.

Website:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qqfrfrwIa8

Videos:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfMC6_TaCQk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu5_eByt0-Y

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Windborne’s captivating show draws on the singers’ deep roots in traditions of vocal harmony, while the absolute uniqueness of their artistic approach brings old songs into the present. Known for the innovation of their arrangements, their harmonies are bold and anything but predictable.

With a 20-year background studying polyphonic music around the world, Lauren Breunig, Jeremy Carter-Gordon, Lynn Rowan, and Will Rowan share a vibrant energy onstage with a blending of voices that can only come from decades of friendship alongside dedicated practice. The ensemble shifts effortlessly between drastically different styles of music, drawing their audience along on a journey that spans continents and centuries, illuminating and expanding on the profound power and variation of the human voice. The singers educate as they entertain, sharing stories about their songs and explaining the context and characteristics of the styles in which they sing.

BBC Traveling Folk describes Windborne as “subverting expectations and redefining the genre… just absolutely phenomenal!” Audiences and critics lavish praise upon the singers not only for their technical mastery, but for the passion, engagement, and connection with each other and the audience that imbues each performance with a rare power.

But there’s another, crucial dimension to Windborne that guides and roots their artistry. They are adherents to folk music’s longtime alliance with social activism, labor and civil rights, and other movements that champion the oppressed, the poor, and the disenfranchised. Their latest project, Of Hard Times & Harmony, explores themes of social consciousness, singing in four languages and showcasing the depth of emotion their voices can evoke, as well as moments of true hilarity and wit.

The group is committed to bringing vocal traditions to a younger audience and over the past year has found surprisingly viral success on TikTok for such unlikely genres as Corsican polyphony or early 20th century labor anthems.

Website: https://www.windbornesingers.com/
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ur744qu6nU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYJpYPq-fn4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St_4Sz3ssKk

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Hailing from Durham, NC, Jon Shain is a veteran singer-songwriter who’s been turning heads for years with his words, his fiery acoustic guitar work, and his evolved musical style – combining improvised piedmont blues with bluegrass, swing, and ragtime. Jon has released nine solo albums to date, along with two albums with duo partner FJ Ventre, a Jon Shain Trio live album, and one album of co-writes with Joe Newberry.

Over the last several years, Shain has headlined listening rooms both as a solo and with duo partner FJ Ventre throughout the US and he's done two solo tours in Europe. He has opened shows for John Hiatt, Keb’ Mo’, Little Feat, and many other roots legends. When Shain is not recording, producing other artists, or performing, he stays busy giving private instruction in guitar, and teaching group workshops in songwriting and blues guitar.

FJ Ventre began playing music with Jon in 1982 when they met in high school and have developed a brotherly connection that continues to this day. Ventre went to University of Massachusetts-Lowell, earning a B.A. in Music Performance and Sound Recording and remained for some time in the Boston area, performing in the city's vibrant music scene. Since relocating to Chapel Hill, NC in 2000, Ventre has performed with his own group The Swang Brothers, as well as with Chris Stamey, Wes Collins, Huzzah, and a who's who of NC music groups. In addition to being a sought-after bassist, Ventre spends his time behind the mixing board, producing and engineering at his own Good Luck Studio as well as writing his own songs. Presenters note: Ventre is pronounced ven-tree.

Website: https://jonshain.com/jon-shain-and-fj-ventre/
Videos: https://www.google.com/search?q=Jon+Shain+%26+FJ+Ventre&sca_esv=e4952731b002d90d&sxsrf=ACQVn08_XNCzxZrOeVYI2JN2DbTjXZKBdw%3A1712723091075&source=hp&ei=kxQWZsbTAqHK0PEPsOiV6AQ&iflsig=ANes7DEAAAAAZhYioxNZa-G_b_qJf8AC6kw1GzTWqKaD&ved=0ahUKEwiG6cLb5raFAxUhJTQIHTB0BU0Q4dUDCBc&uact=5&oq=Jon+Shain+%26+FJ+Ventre&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IhVKb24gU2hhaW4gJiBGSiBWZW50cmUyBxAjGLECGCcyBhAAGBYYHjIIEAAYgAQYogQyCBAAGIAEGKIESPMWUNsSWNsScAF4AJABAJgBUqABUqoBATG4AQPIAQD4AQL4AQGYAgKgAlmoAgrCAgcQIxjqAhgnwgIHEC4Y6gIYJ5gDBZIHATKgB9oD&sclient=gws-wiz#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:80ef3e57,vid:YSn2WCrcpJ8,st:0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzE3gOB4szE

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Mollie O'Brien and her husband, guitarist Rich Moore, have for nearly 30 years quietly made it their mission to find, mine and reinvent other artists' songs. They are geniuses at the craft of interpretation in the way that great singers, since the beginning of popular American music, have made the songs of their era their own. As songwriters they add their own tunes to the canon of American roots music they inhabit and show us they’re completely at home with their musical selves.

Mollie has long been known as a singer who doesn’t recognize a lot of musical boundaries, and audiences love her fluid ability to make herself at home in any genre while never sacrificing the essence of the song she tackles. She is a singer at the very top of her game who’s not afraid to take risks both vocally and in the material she chooses. Mollie won a Grammy in 1997 for her participation in Sugar Hill Records True Life Blues and is a member of the Colorado Music Hall of Fame.

Rich, while known to produce some of the funniest onstage running commentary, is also a powerhouse guitar player who can keep up with O’Brien’s twists and turns, from blues to traditional folk to jazz to rock and roll. He creates a band with just his guitar and, as a result, theirs is an equal partnership. Between them they have released fifteen CDs including three as a duo on their label Remington Road Records; a CD with their daughters, Brigid and Lucy Moore; and Rich’s solo CD (Voiceless), recorded in 2020 during the first months of the pandemic. 

Website: https://mollieobrien.com/
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkLbDVrq5qE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHn_BMRXEug&t=7s

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Roots powerhouse duo The Small Glories are Cara Luft & JD Edwards, a musical tour-de-force partnership planted on the Canadian Prairies. With a stage banter striking a unique balance between slapstick and sermon, these veteran singer-songwriters have a way of making time disappear, rooms shrink, and audiences feel as though they are right there on the stage with the band. 

On record, Luft and Edwards take the musical synergy honed from hundreds of shows together, and expand it into a new soundscape amplified by pounding drums and other textural embellishments which only reinforce the magic of their innate chemistry — a chemistry labeled the “Lennon-McCartney syndrome,” by Americana UK, writing, “Some things just work together... to witness a performance by The Small Glories is a rare opportunity to experience that indefinable quality that creates perfection.” 

Luft and Edwards duplicate and reinforce each others’ many strengths and yet allow their distinct personalities to shine through, resulting in a live show that is as heartwarming as it is hilarious, as finger-picking proficient as it is relatable, and as Canadian as, well... it’s very Canadian. But that hasn’t stopped ‘em from winning over audiences from Nashville to the Australian Outback.

The duo won "Artist of the Year" at the International Folk Awards in New Orleans 2020, with their highly anticipated sophomore album “Assiniboine & The Red” garnering 3 Canadian Folk Music Awards, a JUNO Award nomination, Critics' Choice for 'Album of the Year' in Penguin Eggs Magazine, and captured the #1 Folk/Roots album spot on the national earshot! radio charts.

Website: https://thesmallglories.com/
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxaEz5amcoc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igTWZHNH61w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MFOvce-eFI

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