The Linden Tree Concert series is excited to bring back Pete and Maura Kennedy to Wakefield on Saturday,October 5 at 7:30 pm. Often seen on festival stages around the country, their visits to coffeehouses are extra special. The Kennedys are an American folk-rock band recognized for their harmonies and instrumental prowess, blending elements of country music, bluegrass, Western swing and janglepop.
The Kennedys began performing together in 1992, shortly after they met while on the road with Nanci Griffith. The pair’s musical influences are quite eclectic from Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, the Beatles, and the Byrds, but also jazz, blues, and world music. With over 14 recordings as the Kennedys and many recorded individually and with others, Pete and Maura have no plans to slow down either on tour or in creating music.
Their latest recording Headwinds, their title track, shows their love of the United States. Political and social headwinds are making it hard to get back home to our greatness as a nation. The duo want to push back in a positive way against those winds. The thirteen songs are cast in a soundscape that draws from American roots. With a mix of instruments which includes a vintage steel guitar and a slide Ukulele, Pete and Maura believe that these sounds will have the power to pull us through again. https://www.kennedysmusic.com
Come celebrate Linden Tree Concerts 40th season opener on Saturday, September 21 with award-winning singer-songwriter (and more!) David Roth as he returns to Wakefield. Linden Tree has a new home at the Wakefield Lynnfield United Methodist Church on Vernon St. Easy to find off 95 and Lowell St. The church is handicapped accessible and has a convenient parking lot by the back entrance.
Note: Greg Greenway was originally scheduled but, sadly, had to cancel. We thank David for joining us on such short notice!
From his website: “David Roth strikes many chords, hearts, and minds with his unique songs, offbeat observations, moving stories, sense of the hilarious, and powerful singing and subject matter. As singer, songwriter, recording artist, keynote speaker, workshop leader, and instructor, David has earned top honors at premier songwriter competitions – Kerrville (TX) and Falcon Ridge (NY) – and taken his music, experience, and expertise to a wide variety of venues in this and other countries full-time for three decades.”
This quote from Barbara and Graham Dean of Mostly Folk sums things up:
“From the beginning, David Roth has been a bold and fearless writer of songs. Nothing has changed with the release of ‘Last Day On This Earth.’ The stories are compelling, the songs are well-crafted, and David continues to take on the real issues that matter to all of us – and he does it with his signature gentle humor and biting wit.”
Tickets will be $25, cash or check at the door. Tickets for those under 13 are $10. Reservations are recommended for preferential seating by calling 781-246-2836. The Linden Tree Concerts are now held in the social hall of the Wakefield Lynnfield United Methodist Church, 273 Vernon St. Wakefield, MA 01880. Easy to find from 95. Parking Lot by church rear entrance. Handicapped access too.
Originally scheduled as our season-opener, Greg Greenway had to postpone appearing at the Linden Tree. Please visit his website to access his wonderful music: Greg Greenway
Here is a bit about Greg:
Born in the shadows of the now famous fallen statues of Richmond, VA, Greg Greenway moved to Boston for its rich Folk Music tradition. He has since become one of its most unique and superlative emissaries. Musically raised on the magically percussive right hand of Richie Havens, and the flowing lyricism of Eric Andersen, these seminal influences became the DNA of his own unique and continuing growth. He has blended them into a multi-instrumental, genre crossing style – the never-ending process of a musical omnivore.
His eight-year collaboration with Pat Wictor and Joe Jencks as Brother Sun, reached thousands of fans with their intricate three-part harmonies being heard in festivals and concert halls across the US and Canada. His newest project with his beloved friend of 35 years, Reggie Harris, is a musical presentation on Race in America called Deeper Than The Skin. \ One African-American, one White, together they convey a quintessential American story.
In the process, Greg’s music has touched people all over the world. “What Must Be Done” and “In the Name of Love,” (a lead into the U2 classic, “Pride,”) have been sung by choirs internationally. They have become defining pieces on his journey to becoming a consummate artist capable of addressing sensitive topics like Race in a way that connects audiences to their humanity while entertaining them at the same time.
In concert, Greg has been described as “one of the strongest, and finest voices in folk music.” The Boston Globe wrote, “Confessional one moment, rambunctiously disarming the next, few modern folk singers can own a coffeehouse stage as completely as Greenway.” Another reviewer perhaps described it best, “A profoundly rich poet and musician. Folk Music is too narrow a description.”
Musically, his guitar, piano, ukulele, and melodica reflect inspiration from all over the map–gospel, rock, blues, Jazz, and world music. But his center is in the singer/songwriter tradition that traces it roots all the way back to the social awareness of Woody Guthrie. His central appeal is that it all comes through the singular lens of Greenway’s own humanity and affinity for the audience. He has legendary energy, the wellspring of a presentation of high-spirited give and take of such good humor that audiences unfailingly walk away uplifted.
“Greg Greenway is one of those artists who is so rich a talent that it is difficult to categorize him. He traverses, combines and mixes up musical genres, and manages to open a window on global events that bring us together as citizens of the world. Like other great performers before him, Greenway’s message is that we can all play a part and make a difference in the course of both our private and public lives. But few musicians can do just this with such style, passion and sheer musicality.”Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
Linden Tree Concerts is completing its thirty-ninth season presenting national, regional, and international performers on Saturday, June 1. Making music memorable is Chicago based singer-songwriter Joe Jencks. Linden Tree’s Winter Potpourri winner 2023 Sam Bayer will open the evening at 7:30pm.
A Linden Tree favorite, Joe Jencks, is an international touring musician, award-winning songwriter, of musical beauty, social consciousness and spiritual exploration. For more than 25 years, Jencks has been a member of the international Folk circuit, In that time Jencks has released 15 CDs Merging conservatory training with his Irish roots and working-class upbringing, Joe delivers musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove and grit. Blending well-crafted instrumentals and vivid songwriting, Jencks serves it all up with a lyrical baritone voice that has the edgy richness of a good sea-salt caramel. Joe’s a talented performer whose repertoire moves between the world of contemporary and traditional folk, combining them into a mix of memorable music. JoeJencks.com
“Joe Jencks is the type of musician that will cause you to drop that morning newspaper or pull your car to the side of the road when you hear his songs. He is the type of artist that will turn heads in his direction when he walks onto a stage. His voice will instantly draw you into his passionate songs. He is the type of musician whose music will become part of you. His craft and artistry will remind you of the best efforts of Phil Ochs, Stan Rogers, and Woody Guthrie. The troubadour tradition is alive and well in the 21st century with the music of Joe Jencks.” •Ron Olesko, WFDU “FM Teaneck, NJ, Folk Music Network.
“Boston musician Sam Bayer is your literate, exuberant guide to an imaginary world where housewives win the Nobel Prize in physics, poker-playing children gamble over their bedtimes, and metaphorical elephants pirouette in the den, four and a half minutes at a time. His latest studio CD, The Great Indoors, brings 11 gems from his universe to yours.” https://sambayer.com
Tickets will be $25, cash or check at the door. Tickets for those under 13 are $10. We thank the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Wakefield Chapter for supporting our concert series that has allowed us to bring quality programming to our community. Reservations recommended for preferential seating by calling 781-246-2836. In our area, shows featuring Joe Jencks are popular. The Linden Tree Concerts are held in the social hall of Wakefield’s UU Church, 326 Main St. Wakefield, MA 01880
On Saturday, May 18th at 7:30pm, national touring singer-songwriter Anne Hills will return to the Linden Tree Coffeehouse. Regional favorite Gail Finnie Rundlett will open the show in the social hall of Wakefield’s Unitarian Universalist Church.
Anne Hills is one of the most beloved voices of the contemporary folk music scene receiving awards and recognition for her live performances, her unique solo and collaborative recording projects, and her overall artistry and benefit work. Her song “Follow That Road” was the title cut of the Martha’s Vineyard Songwriter Retreat and has been a certified folk classic since the late 1990s. Whether she is singing her own songs, the words of six-year-old Opal Whiteley, or her song settings of the Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley; accompanied with her guitar, banjo, or simply a Tibetan bell, she puts her whole heart and soul into the moment. You won’t want to miss a chance to hear her songs and stories in person. She tours extensively, winning over audiences with her warm, lively and humorous performances. The AllMusic Guide says, “A stunning soprano tone has made Anne Hills one of contemporary music’s premiere vocalists … Her knack for writing heartfelt songs [has] brought her to the upper echelon of her craft.” and Tom Paxton says, “Anne Hills is such an exquisite singer that it’s understandable that people might be swept up in the pure beauty of her voice and thereby overlook her writing. That would be a mistake. For me, Anne’s writing, in songs like ‘Follow That Road’ and many others, is as direct, melodic and deep as any work being done today. She is quite simply one of my absolute favorite songwriters.” With 23 recordings and new song projects in the works, an evening of Anne Hills will leave the audience smiling. For a preview listen on her website: www.annehills.com.
Gail Finnie Rundlett is a singer-songwriter, drawing some of her repertoire from American traditional music. A long-time Linden Tree audience pleaser, she plays guitar, ukulele and is considered to be one of the primary innovators of the Appalachian dulcimer in New England. Her career in the Boston folk scene spans thirty-five years, with four solo albums, and two with her former a cappella group Taproot. She’s a dynamic singer whose optimistic spirit is infectious, and her love for performing delights anyone who hears her.
Thanks to the Mass Cultural Council, Wakefield’s Art Council tickets are $25 with students under 18 just $10. Reservations are recommended by calling 781-246-2836. Linden Tree Coffeehouse is located in the social hall of the Unitarian-Universalist Church, 326 Main, Wakefield, MA 01880.
Linden Tree concerts’ thirty-ninth season continues with Kemp Harris and Alastair Moock on Saturday, April 6th at 7:30 pm. This show promises to lift up your spirit with these two master performers, a show for all ages.
We are welcoming to Linden Tree’s stage for the first time Kemp Harris, a singer-songwriter who defies categorization. He is a singer and songwriter, a master weaver of American musical styles. He’s an actor, activist, author, and storyteller, and an award-winning educator who has taught young public school students for more than 40 years.
“It’s all about communication,” Kemp says. “Everything I do.” “Nobody tries to pigeonhole me,” says a delighted Kemp, “My audience allows me to be myself and do it all.”
Born in segregated Edenton, North Carolina, and transplanted to Massachusetts, where he bounced between relatives’ homes, Kemp learned to adapt to whatever world he found himself in – a talent that has come to define him as a person and an artist. He began writing songs at 14 and recording them in college, using a pair of old cassette players to track parts, and has been delighting music lovers ever since with his earthy, soulful creations.
Kemp honed his powerful, intimate performance style in Cambridge’s coffeehouses, developing into a magnetic frontman who has shared stages with artists such as Koko Taylor, Livingston Taylor, Gil Scott-Heron, Kandace Springs and Taj Mahal. He has composed original music for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Complexions Contemporary Ballet, established a songwriting residency at Boston’s Wang Theater, and recently delivered a series of master classes at Berklee College of Music on the subject of Artists as Activists, alongside Chad Stokes of the band Dispatch and members of the dance troupe Urban Bush Women.
Kemp’s most recent album, Edenton, featuring vocals from the legendary Holmes Brothers, is a modern blues journey that fuses the personal and the political, the sacred and the profane, to haunting effect. Edenton’s title track, a bittersweet valentine to his birthplace, explores a simpler time in a racially-divided town with the clear-eyed grace that is a hallmark of Kemp’s work. Everything he makes is built on a foundation of social awareness and the desire to reflect the world as he sees and experiences it. Whether he’s performing a rousing soul tune backed by a 14-piece orchestra in a grand concert hall or a hushed meditation alone at his piano, Kemp speaks truth the only way he knows how: by baring his soul. Linden Tree invites those who haven’t seen Kemp before to join fans who have discovered this seasoned Renaissance man. kempharrisbandbio
Award winning singer songwriter Alastair Moock has been a long time favorite of Linden Tree’s audience ever since he began performing the Boston coffeehouse circuit in 1995. He has gone onto tour the USA and Europe, performing at renowned events like the Newport Folk Festival and Norway’s Bergen Music Fest and opening for acts like sharing the stage with acts like Arlo Guthrie, Taj Mahal, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, and Greg Brown. Alastair Moock is an award-winning singer-songwriter having won songwriting contests at Falcon Ridge, Great Waters and Sisters Folk Festivals. He was nominated for a Boston Music Award for Outstanding Singer-Songwriter of the Year. The Boston Globe calls him “one of the town’s best and most adventurous songwriters” and The Washington Post says “every song is a gem.
When his twin daughters were born, he turned his focus for a time to family music. His five albums for children have garnered many of the top awards in American children’s music, including a 2013 Grammy Nomination, three Parents’ Choice Gold Medals, and ASCAP’s Joe Raposo Children’s Music Award. In recent years, Alastair has focused his career on the mission of uplifting historically marginalized voices. Alastair co-founded two antiracism organizations, Family Music Forward, and in Boston, The Opening Doors Project, an anti-racist music organization through which he collaborates regularly with the likes of Reggie Harris, Pamela Means, Vance Gilbert, and Kemp Harris. They use music to entertain and educate audiences of all ages around racial understanding and communication.
His most recent CD is a self-titled ALASTAIR MOOCK evokes a wide breadth of American musical textures: early Nashville, country blues, Western swing, and a tinge of gospel. But most of all, the album is infused with the kind of intimate storyteller’s approach at which Moock excels. The songs on ALASTAIR MOOCK touch on death and love, politics, marriage and family, big universal questions and minute everyday observations. It’s a hard album to pin down, but then Moock has always been a hard songwriter to pin down. “I don’t care who I’m singing to,” he says, “I just want to tell stories.”
Tickets for this show will be $25, for those under 18 are $10. WUMB members receive a $2 discount with their membership card. We accept cash or personal check at the door. Reservations are recommended for preferential seating by calling 781 246 2836. Masks recommended but not required. The Linden Tree Coffeehouse 39th season of acoustic music is located in the social hall of the Unitarian-Universalist Church, 326 Main St Wakefield, MA 01880 Linden Tree Fair Trade Music Local 1000.
The Linden Tree Concert’s thirty-ninth season continues with veteran singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey on Saturday, March 9th. Peter has recently launched a new solo CD, “More Notes From Elsewhere, ” which has already received great reviews. Mike Laureanno, our Winter Potpourri Winner, will perform an opening set.
Peter Mulvey has been a songwriter, road-dog, raconteur, and almost-poet since before he can remember. Raised working-class Catholic on the Northwest side of Milwaukee, he took a semester in Ireland, and immediately began cutting classes to busk on Grafton Street in Dublin and hitchhike through the country, finding whatever gigs he could. Back stateside, he spent a couple years gigging in the Midwest before lighting out for Boston, where he returned to busking (this time in the subway) and coffeehouses. Small shows led to larger shows, which eventually led to regional and then national and international touring. The wheels have not stopped since.
Peter has kept busy with nineteen records, an illustrated book, thousands of live performances, a TEDx talk, a decades-long association with the National Youth Science Camp, opening for luminaries such as Ani DiFranco, Emmylou Harris, and Chuck Prophet, appearances on NPR, and an annual autumn tour by bicycle supporting causes such as the Trustees of Reservations. Mulvey never stops. He has built his life’s work on collaboration and an instinct for the eclectic and the vital. Peter folds everything he encounters into his work: poetry, social justice, scientific literacy, & a deeply abiding humanism are all on plain display in his art. His music is inventive with roots in rock and roll, folk, jazz, spoken word, and Americana. petermulvey.com
Mike Laureanno was the audience favorite at December’s Winter Potpourri. He is a passionate performer, with songs that are visceral and evocative. He is proud of his routes and many of his songs deal with his gritty-blue collar hometown and the lives of his friends and family. An excellent songwriter proven by his winning the 2017 Wildflower, Texas songwriting contest. http://mikelaureanno.weebly.com/
Tickets for this show will be $25, and for those under 18 are $10. WUMB members receive a $2 discount with their membership card. We accept cash or personal check at the door. Reservations are recommended for preferential seating by calling 781 246 2836. Masks recommended but not required.
The Linden Tree Coffeehouse in its 39th season of acoustic music is located in the social hall of the Unitarian-Universalist Church, 326 Main St Wakefield, MA 01880 Linden Tree Fair Trade Music Local 1000
Linden Tree Concerts are excited to present three Songwriters in the Round on Saturday, February 3. This year’s trio are Rachel Sumner, Susan Levine, and Chris LaVancher. In the Round is a great format for performers to showcase their talents while interacting with each other on stage. Often planned set lists are abandoned as other songs they’ve written will complement songs the others have sung. Audiences will enjoy their song choices, musicianship, and overall an evening of live music.
Rachel Sumner has been praised for her powerful, lonesome voice and haunting songs.Shecarefully spins melodies that get caught in your head and delivers them “with an attitude and drive in her guitar playing…sure to strike a chord and dig deep into your heart.” (Red Line Roots) Rachel may be best known as the former guitarist and singer-songwriter from bluegrass string phenom Twisted Pine, but it is in her recent venture as a solo artist that she is beginning to be fully recognized as a writer and performer. Whether she’s fronting her new band of lush, low-voiced strings or appearing with only a guitar, audiences will be mesmerized by her elegantly intricate arrangements and captivated by the delivery of each and every word. Rachel is both a Willie Nelson and a Patsy Cline of indie-folk – writing the heartfelt but catchy songs and conveying their emotional complexity with candor and an achingly beautiful yodel. And it is her diverse love of pop, classical, country and everything in between that she draws upon to synthesize into her own unique sound. Rachel’s songs have been critically acclaimed, winning the Lennon Award in the folk category of the 2021 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for her song “Radium Girls.” WBUR/NPR has chosen her three consecutive years as one of the top Massachusetts entries in the Tiny Desk Competition. rachelsumnermusic.com
Susan Levine is a writer of well crafted songs.You might not find a straight-out love song in Susan Levine’s music, but you will find honest songs about the complexity of modern-day relationships, including the challenges and joys of single motherhood, the ambivalence of finding new love after heartbreak, and the search for grace in the smallest moments. Susan explores the emotional terrain of love, loss and hope with a poetic blend of folk, Americana, pop and country, and a voice that has garnered comparisons to Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton. Since the release of her solo cd, “Atlas” (2007) – described in the Boston Herald as “That rare album where a whole mind and heart are revealed” – Susan has not stopped writing or performing. Through a painful divorce, single motherhood of two young boys, her “day job” as a music therapist, and performing and recording as one half of Americana duo, The Lied To’s, with singer-songwriter, Doug Kwartler, music has remained her constant, her way of processing and experiences and stories. Susan over the past 20 years is frequently nominated for her songwriting. Susan’s song “Time” (on The Lied To’s new record, The Worst Kind of New) was chosen as a top 5 winner for Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting in the Great American Song Contest! susanjlevine.com
Chris LaVancher will host the evening as well as participate with his repertoire of great songs he has written from his three albums. Chris’s performance evokes a mini-movie festival in your head, complete with a full soundtrack. He writes cinematic, character-driven songs. His song Nostalgia from his second album, Big Fat Love, received an honorable mention in the 2018Woody Guthrie Folk Festival Songwriting Contest. In 2023 and 2014 Chris was selected as a Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist. He was also selected for the Suzi Wollenberg Folk DJ Showcase at the North East Regional Folk Alliance. His third full-length album in November 2021 – “After The Flood” is a collection of songs full of heart from a seasoned and skilled craftsman mining life’s subject matter – family, work, love and love lost, childhood memories, and finding one’s place in the universe. Much of his inspiration comes from his growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania. chrislavanchermusic.com
Tickets for this show will be $25, for those under 18 are $10. WUMB members receive a $2 discount with their membership card. We accept cash or personal check at the door. Reservations are recommended by calling 781 246 2836. Masks recommended but not required.
The Linden Tree Coffeehouse in its 39th season of acoustic music is located in the social hall of the Unitarian-Universalist Church, 326 Main St Wakefield, MA 01880 We thank the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Wakefield Arts Council for supporting our concert series that has allowed us to bring quality programming to our community. Linden Tree also supports Fair Trade Music Local 1000. For more information see www.LindenTreeCoffeehouse.org and our page on Facebook
If folks have reservations they cannot use, please phone at 781-246-2836 (after 5pm – 781-521-3564) to let us know. We have a lot of reservations for this show, but we should be able to accommodate anyone who would still like to come.
With respiratory cases on rise, masks are not required, but recommended. If you are ill, please do not attend the show. Thank you.
Bluegrass with a touch of gospel is back at the Linden Tree with fan favorites: Southern Rail. Celebrating over forty years of performing, Southern Rail’s bluegrass is high-octane exuberant fun, with lush harmonies, irrepressible humor, and sparkling banjo, mandolin, and guitar.
“The vocal harmonies are exquisite and the musicianship is impeccable.” – Radio Star, Ireland. The group has released 11 recordings to wide acclaim. Their special Bluegrass Gospel compilation entitled “Glory Train” was nominated for the Best Gospel Recording of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. The group just re-released their ever-popular CD, “Live at the Linden Tree”, a special recording made during their unforgettable 30th-anniversary concert at the Linden Tree Coffeehouse. The band’s two founding members, guitarist Jim Muller and bassist Sharon Horovitch, were recently inducted by the Rhode Island Bluegrass Alliance, into their Bluegrass Hall of Fame.
JIM MULLER, Guitar and Lead Vocals: Jim was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. Jim is the band’s principal lead singer and songwriter. Jim’s rich, distinctive lead vocals and offbeat humor have become one of the group’s trademarks. A guitarist for over 40 years, he is also known for his polished flat-picking and rock-solid rhythm. Jim was also a respected staff-writer for Bluegrass Now Magazine (Rolla, MO). His regular feature on sound reinforcement, titled “Plugged In”, received a great deal of international attention.
SHARON HOROVITCH, Acoustic Bass and Harmony Vocals: Aggressive, creative and irrepressible, Sharon is known for her limber bass work, infectious smile and her tireless energy on stage and off. She also sings tenor and high-baritone harmonies. Sharon started playing bass while a grad student at MIT, (which is where she met Jim) and she never looked back. Sharon and Jim are co-founders of Southern Rail.
RICHARD STILLMAN, Banjo and Harmony Vocals: Rich has been playing bluegrass banjo for over 30 years.. Rich was New Jersey banjo champion in 1983, as well as the 2002 and 2003 New England banjo champion. He is a six-time winner of the annual banjo contest held at Lowell, Massachusetts (1985-1995). Rich has been a regular on the faculty of Banjo Camp North, has taught bluegrass banjo classes for Boston Bluegrass Union, and is an adjunct faculty member of Tufts University.
JOHN TIBERT, Mandolin and Harmony Vocals: Hailing from Northboro, MA, John started playing guitar at age 14. But once he heard Dave Grisman on”Old and in the Way”, his life was never the same. He’s been addicted to bluegrass ever since. He’s a prolific songwriter and also has taught mandolin for over a decade. John’s mandolin playing is fluid, lyrical and from the heart, and his superb bass vocals are a powerful addition to the group’s signature quartet harmonies.
One of the most significant groups in contemporary bluegrass…on the cutting edge of creativity. – Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine. Tickets for this show will be $25, for those under 18 $10. WUMB members receive a $2 discount with their membership card. We accept cash or personal check at the door. Because this is a popular show, reservations are recommended by calling 781 246 2836. The Linden Tree Coffeehouse in its 39th season of acoustic music is located in the social hall of the Unitarian-Universalist Church, 326 Main St Wakefield, MA 01880. We thank the Massachusetts Cultural Council and Wakefield Arts Council for supporting our concert series which has allowed us to bring quality programming to our community. Linden Tree also supports Fair Trade Music Local 1000.
Linden Tree Coffeehouse 