Allison de Groot combines love for old-time music, technical skill and a creative approach to the banjo forming her own sound – unique and full of personality. Although firmly rooted in old-time and music, she has shown her ability to collaborate and create outside this genre, pushing the boundaries of the clawhammer banjo.
Allison has toured all over the world with various groups, performing at venues such as Newport Folk Festival, Stockholm Folk Festival, Winnipeg Folk Festival and Tønder Festival in Denmark. The music scene in her hometown of Winnipeg, Canada, immersion in Appalachian old-time communities, a performance degree at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and touring extensively throughout North America and Europe have all had a great impact on her playing. She is dedicated to honoring old-time music, the community that music creates and exploring the clawhammer banjo style. She is currently performing with Bruce Molsky’s new project Molsky’s Mountain Drifters and The Goodbye Girls, among others.
Jordan Tice is a musical seeker of the most dedicated sort. Listening to the breadth of his discography, which includes 7 projects as a solo artist and 6 as a founding member of the string band, Hawktail, one will hear this dedication at play. Equally virtuosic as a flatpicker and fingerstylist, and with a casual vocal style, Tice conjures ingredients from far-flung worlds with ease which has earned him glowing press from such outlets as NPR and American Songwriter and taken him to stages such as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Ryman Auditorium.
His performances call upon the repertories of American and British Isles folk, bluegrass, blues and pop-oriented songs, and though his earlier releases are instrumental in focus, he has been carefully honing his craft as a singer-songwriter in his most recent work. This includes his Motivational Speakeasy (produced by Kenneth Pattengale of The Milk Carton Kids) and Badlettsville projects which make it easy to confuse his originals for timeworn chestnuts. Having filled the roles of guitar ace, sideman (w/ Aoife O’Donovan, Andrew Marlin of Watchhouse and David Rawlings), songwriter and student of American music for the better part of his life, Jordan’s songs are enriching for all manner of listeners, from guitar fanatics to more casual fans of Americana music. He delivers performances that are not weighted by any one area of his prowess, allowing listeners to join his world of candor, wit and ineffable facility with comfort.
It’s still as Alan Lomax wrote “folk music in overdrive” but the Resophonics introduce elements frequently lacking in modern bluegrass music – great original songs played with passion, energy and humor that would be as at home in a rock club as on a festival stage. Longtime members Sean Staples, Eric Royer, Tim Kelly and Paul Kochanski combine elements of the traditional string band and the contemporary songwriter to create a unique sound that is rooted in tradition without sounding dated, modern yet with substance. Following over a decade of local shows and international touring that culminated in a Boston Music Award as Outstanding Folk Act, the band went on hiatus in 2010. Tonight they joyfully reunite in the familiar and homey confines of Club Passim for a special show featuring new music as well as songs from their four studio recordings. The Resophonics are back!
NERFA is the northeast regional afiliate of Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org), a Kansas City, MO-based nonprofit organization that seeks to nurture, engage and empower the international folk music community — traditional and contemporary, amateur and professional — through education, advocacy and performance. Our goal is to provide opportunities for our members to network regionally and advance the overall mission of Folk Alliance International to:
- Increase understanding of the rich variety, artistic value, cultural and historical significance, and continuing relevance of folk music among educators, media and the general public. (Education),
- Provide a bridge to and from folk music organizations and needed resources, and to help those organizations link with their constituencies. (Networking),
- Influence decision-makers and resource providers on the national, state, provincial, and local levels — ensuring the growth of folk music. (Advocacy),
- Support and encourage the development of new and existing grassroots folk music organizations. (Field Development),
- Strengthen the effectiveness of folk music organizations by providing professional development opportunities. (Professional Development).
To help accomplish these goals, NERFA holds an annual four-day conference where artists, agents, booking agents, venue and festival promoters, recording industry professionals, graphic artists, folk DJs, journalists, photographers, publicists and production professionals get together to exchange ideas, learn by attending workshops, panel discussions and seminars, participate in an exhibit hall, attend formal showcases of juried performing artists, and go to private and guerilla showcases hosted by performers, agents and promoters. NERFA has expanded its outreach by holding more local one-day conferences within its region, as well as NERFA Showcase concerts at venues around the region and NERFA Presents Young Folk showcases at various festivals in both the U.S. and Canada.
A virtuoso multi-instrumentalist and award winning songwriter with a distinctive voice, Molly has turned the heads of even the most seasoned industry professionals. She began performing on stage when she was 11, and recorded her first album, The Old Apple Tree, at age 13. Since then, she’s appeared on A Prairie Home Companion and at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, was featured on the cover of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine, won first place in the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Competition at Merlefest, and, this fall, received a Momentum Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association in the instrumentalist category. Her lovely voice, impeccable guitar playing, and sensitive song writing make her a star on the rise. She has already received more than two million YouTube views and is currently gearing up to release her first solo EP.
A cocktail of americana that’s behind the times by about 100 years. Formed when four good lookin’ musicians met at a bluegrass jam and wondered what would happen if they threw in some oldtime religion and minor swing. Inspired by a time where blues, jazz, and jugbands were young, the west had just been won, and the country was still gettin’ down to Appalachian murder ballads, yodeling cowboys, hoedowns, sea shanties and medicine shows.
Gin Daisy is:
Jasmine Moran – Guitar, Flute, Bodhrán, Vocals
Bryant Tow – Fiddle, Guitar, Vocals
Mark Stoughton – Mandolin, Guitar, Vocals
Dan Gianotti – Banjo, Tenor Guitar, Tenor Banjo, Vocals
Dave Piper – Bass, Vocals
Isa Burke (pronounced like Lisa without the L) is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Boston, MA. She spends most of her time as one-third of the powerhouse indie-roots trio Lula Wiles, but she has also made a name for herself as a side musician, educator, writer, and occasional solo performer.
Her musical life has been a continuous process of finding new modes of expression, from studying Appalachian fiddle with Bruce Molsky to learning all of Lindsey Buckingham’s guitar parts for a Rumours tribute show to starting a group dedicated to writing a song every day for a month. In recent years her songwriting has moved to the forefront of her musical identity, and her songs contain a subtle power, blending the minimalism and grit of traditional folk and country with a modern indie sensibility and an eye for emotive detail. As an instrumentalist, she weaves textural, evocative lines and rhythms that support her assertive, soulful vocals. She is a collaborator at heart, drawing inspiration from the interlocking grooves of the fiddle and banjo or the alchemic harmony of a country duet.
In addition to her recording and touring with Lula Wiles, she has performed and recorded on fiddle, vocals, and acoustic and electric guitars with artists including Session Americana, Corporate Punk, Caitlin Canty, Stash Wyslouch, and many others. Driven by a love of good songs above all else, Isa is “as versatile a musician as they come, and a true showwoman who commands the stage and the audience’s attention” (Red Line Roots).
Mile Twelve is a modern string band from Boston, Massachusetts. Winners of the 2020 IBMA New Artist of the Year award, they have been making waves in the acoustic music community with their seamless blend of expertly-crafted songs, creative arrangements, and virtuosic execution. The band takes their name from the mile marker that sits at Boston’s southern border on Route 93, a road sign they’ve passed countless times while heading out on tour. They’ve found receptive audiences across the globe, touring throughout North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
Their latest full-length album City on a Hill, produced by guitar legend Bryan Sutton and nominated for 2019 IBMA Album of the Year, is centered on the theme of people facing and overcoming challenge. Many of its songs are set in urban landscapes, a significant departure from the often-rural lens of acoustic music. Sutton observes, “I’m a fan of bands who strive for a balance of being musically unique and individualized, while at the same time working to include time-honored traditions found in this music. This blend is not an easy thing to accomplish. Mile Twelve does this with well-honed and refreshingly honest songwriting, along with powerful playing, singing, and performing. Not only did I have the privilege of producing this album, but I also got a chance to know the band better. I’m impressed with how much they bring out the best in each other.”
More recently, the band has released an EP of covers titled Roll the Tapes All Night Long. They draw from a wide array of influences — from Ralph Stanley to Los Lobos, from Darell Scott to Tattletale Saints — demonstrating the surprisingly flexible nature of their instrumentation at every turn. The project features a who’s-who list of special guests: Billy Strings, Chris Eldridge (Punch Brothers), Brittany Haas (Hawktail) and Bruce Molsky. Folk Alley says “Roll the Tapes All Night Long showcases Mile Twelve’s restless creativity, their ability to inhabit a song and turn it inside out to make it their own, even as they preserve the spirit of the original.”
After a busy summer of touring including stops at RockyGrass, IBMA Bluegrass Live! and Milwaukee Irish Fest, the band is gearing up to record its next full-length project in early 2022.
