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.
UPDATE: Linden Tree Coffeehouse was able to donate to the Wakefield Food Pantry after Saturday’s Winter Potpourri thanks to all who participated: volunteers, performers, and the wonderful Audience. THANKS. Happy New Year.
Pictured: Debra Jones of wakefield food pantry… and Liz Freeman, Linden Tree Coffeehouse.
This year’s winner Mike Laureanno will open for Peter Mulvey on Saturday, March 9th!
Special holiday tickets are $10 minimum donation to be shared with Wakefield’s food pantry.
Welcoming to Wakefield will be several new singer-songwriters in our Linden Tree’s Annual Winter Potpourri. Area folks who have never been to a Linden Tree show are encouraged to attend. They will get to meet over 10 acoustic music performers and help the volunteers with audience participation in discovering new talent. At the same time, audience will be supporting the local music venue in its 39th season and the Wakefield Food Pantry.
Hosting the show is Kirsten Manville, a Wakefield based singer-songwriter who engages audiences with melodic and lyric-focused Americana music, with a touch of blues and country. Her songs have singable lyrics and memorable melodies that capture stories about every day life , the ups and downs and in-betweens. Her latest CD is “Blossom in the Sun.” It was a Top 5 pick in the September 2022 issue of Metronome Magazine. www.kirstenmanville.com
The feature set will be performed by Last year’s winter potpourri winner Erin Ash Sullivan. She is a Massachusetts-based folk singer-songwriter who loves a good storytelling song. In 2021 she released her debut solo album, We Can Hear Each Other, which reached #10 on the FAI DJ Chart. In 2022, she has been a Grassy Hill Emerging Artist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, the recipient of the Mark Erelli Judge’s Choice Award in the New England Songwriting Competition, and a Songwriter Serenade Semifinalist. Victor Infante of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette describes her music as “delicate and evocative” with songs full of “nuance and emotional resonance.” erinashsullivan.com
Erin Ash Sullivan
Participating in contest to win tonight’s audience favorite acts will be: Diane Battistello, Sam Bayer, Mark Belanger, Mike Laureanno, John Ferullo, Anne Sandstrom, Peter Vilbig, and Mark Zelermyer. Each of these performers will sing two songs each. The audience will be able to rate each. Two with top votes will be invited for a future Linden Tree concert.
A speechwriter by trade, Diane Battistello relies on those techniques and methods for both her songwriting and her political activism. Her short story writing turned into songwriting in the 1970s when she bought her first guitar. Influenced early by the music of Joni Mitchell, it was during the 1980’s when she found herself drawn to the lyrics of Greg Brown. She credits her finger-picking style to the guidance she’s received over the years from different guitar teaches, including the south coast’s Steve Allain and John Baptista. With one EP behind her, ‘Green Mountain Blue’, Battistello is just releasing a full CD, ‘Introvert’s Buffet (or What I Did on My COVID Vacation)’. www.dianebattistello.com
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
Mark Belanger has been writing and recording original songs and music for many years. He is currently doing solo performances of his original songs, along with curated offbeat cover songs ranging from Jellyroll Morton to Duke Ellington, to T-Rex to Steely Dan to the Motels, etc. His music ranges from Leo Kottke style fingerpicking to original funk/fusion music. He is a member of the EBASS and WASSA original music groups. His original music can be found on all the major streaming sites and videos of performances can be found on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc. He is currently working on a new album of original songs.
He is the bandleader of “The Rhythm Party” original music (funk, jazz, folk, rock, etc.) that has played throughout New England. They released 2 EP’s “Breakfast with Kafka” & “Lunch with Satre” which feature vocal and instrumental original music. He has taught and played guitar professionally in a number of cover, dance, reggae, top 40 and tribute bands (Blue Suede Shoes — Steve Connolly’s Elvis show band, playing Scotty Moore’s parts) previously. He has produced cable access shows (Persona) for WCCA in Worcester, focusing on local performances and has created performance and scripted videos which are available on YouTube and Facebook. https://therhythmparty.com/musiclinks.html
John Ferullo is a songwriter and open mike host from Massachusetts. He performs his own songs and other folk’s songs all around New England. His music has been described as “about important things with his stories about seemingly small things”. Stories about regular people. John runs the long running PCA Open mic. in Westford Ma. and is in the process of recording a new collection of songs. johnfreullo.com
Mike Laureanno hails from Fall River, MA an old mill-town infamous for its axe wielding resident Lizzie Borden and famous for its chow mein sandwiches and pork pies! A passionate performer, Mike’s songs are visceral and evocative. He is proud of his roots and many of his songs deal with his gritty blue-collar hometown and the lives of his family and friends. He is a winner of the 2017 Wildflower, TX songwriting contest, the 2016 Woody Guthrie songwriting contest and a 2016 Kerrville New Folk finalist. mikelaureanno.com
Anne Sandstrom is a singer-songwriter who draws inspiration from life (and near-death) experiences, history, social issues, and even books. She carefully crafts lyrics and sets them to intricate melodies, accompanied by guitar played in one of a number of open tunings. Although trained in music theory and composition as a high school student at Berklee, Anne relies on her innate musical sense to create her poetic songs. During COVID lockdown, Anne took the opportunity to virtually travel to the U.S. southwest, Scotland, England, and Israel, where enthusiastic audiences requested numerous repeat appearances. Her music was featured in a video produced by Nobel Peace Prize recipient International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. She has also performed at events to advocate for nuclear disarmament. https://annesandstrom.bandcamp.com/
Pete Vilbig, a fiction writer and former journalist, writes songs that combine strong narrative and evocative language, often about the American scene. Pete covered the contra war in Central America for the Boston Globe and crime and politics in Miami for the Miami Herald, but he’s also been a furniture mover, apartment painter, a group home counselor, and a New York City public high school teacher. Currently he teaches writing at Harvard College. In NYC Pete busked in the subway and Central Park, and joined the Jack Hardy Songwriters Exchange. In Providence, he performed at the Rhode Island Folk Festival and PVD Fest, and in recent months, he’s been part of the Folk Music Notebook’s Artist in Residence series, the Rhode Island Songwriters Association Songwriters in the Round, and as the feature performer at open mics at Strings Bar and Grill and the Sandywoods Center for the Arts. The best place to hear his music is on his YouTube page at Peter Vilbig Music.
Mark Zelermyer’s originals tell stories about everyday life. His songs are always thoughtful and engaging, ranging from touching to funny, heartfelt to uplifting. Backed by Bob Metzger on guitar and John Vandale on bass, Mark and the band perform around Greater Boston and livestream as far away as England. Their second full-length album will be released in the Spring. According to Metronome, “Mark Zelermyer delivers a collection of poignant songs on his debut release, Prior to Leaving.” www.markzelermyer.com
Admission to this special Linden Tree concert is a suggested $10 donation, cash or check at the door. Reservations for preferential seating are by calling 781-246-2836. There will be seats available at the door. Linden Tree Concerts are held in Wakefield UU Church 326 Main St. Wakefield, MA 01880
We thank the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Wakefield Chapter 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 Facebook page.
The Linden Tree 39th concert series continues with the often-amusing singer-songwriter Don White on Saturday, November 4 at 7:30 pm. Opening the night is Rob Siegel, audience favorite from last year’s Winter Potpourri.
There is no one-word description for what Don White does. He’s an award-winning singer/songwriter, a comedian, an author, and a storyteller. He’s been bringing audiences to laughter and tears for thirty years, released ten CDs, three live DVDs, and a book, Memoirs of a C Student. His latest album is Live at the Guthrie Center, available now. In 2011, he won the Jerry Christen Memorial Award, given out by Boston Area Coffeehouse Association, for his work with the community and that same year was given a key to the city in his hometown of Lynn, Massachusetts.
Don’s approach to music is a unique blend. If he just played folk music, it would be a handy label. But he has invented his own genre with a mix of humor and powerful songwriting. White’s arc as a writer and performer has taken him from his industrial hometown of Lynn, Massachusetts, through Boston’s comedy clubs and coffeehouses, and onto stages around the country. At every point, White has been the ultimate observer, infusing his work with his experiences as a husband, a father, grandfather, a seeker, and a joker.
White has opened for Arlo Guthrie, Ritchie Havens. Louden Wainwright III, and Taj Mahal, shared a bill with David Bromberg, Janis Ian, and Lyle Lovett. White has been featured in storytelling festivals around the country including the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee and the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival in Utah. Since 2015, he has joined master storytellers Bil Lepp and Bill Harley in Father’s Daze, a hilarious three-man storytelling show about the triumphs and tribulations of fatherhood. He toured North America for nine years with folk songwriting legend Christine Lavin, with whom he still plays the occasional show most recently in September. https://www.donwhite.net/
Rob Siegel is well-known in Boston folk music circles who describes himself as an innovative songwriter who draws from his idyllic yet stressed-out middle-class suburban existence and produces memorable well-crafted songs. Rob has opened for Bill Staines, Vance Gilbert, Catie Curtis, Jack Hardy, Geoff Muldaur, and others. His 2000 debut CD Shaker Chair received airplay on the WUMB radio network, and his 2004 CD Voices from the Right Brain reached #52 on the FolkDJ ranking, which isn’t bad for a geophysicist who rarely traveled outside Massachusetts for a gig. Rob took his foot off the gigging pedal in the mid-2000s when he projected the college bills for his three kids, but now that they’re grown, he’s back. His first new CD in 14 years, A Landscape of Ghosts, was released in 2018 at a sold-out show at Club Passim and charted on FolkDJ.” Songs from his repertoire were our audience favorites naming him as Linden Tree’s Winter Potpourri Winner 2022. https://robsiegel.com
Tickets will be $25, cash or check at the door. Tickets for those under 13 are $10. Reservations for preferential seating are by calling 781-246-2836. Linden Tree Concerts are held in Wakefield UU Church 326 Main St. Wakefield, MA 01880 We thank the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Wakefield Chapter 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.
The Linden Tree’s thirty-ninth concert series will continue on Saturday, October 21 at 7:30 pm in the social hall of the Unitarian-Universalist Church in Wakefield. Singer-songwriters Cliff Eberhardt and Louise Mosrie are back for an encore performance.
Cliff Eberhardt is an American folk singer-songwriter. He is a founding member of the Fast Folk Music Cooperative in New York City. Eberhardt joined Red House Records in 1997 and has recorded ten albums for the label. His 2009, 500 Miles: The Blue Rock Sessions, showcases powerful originals and unique covers and a reworking of his hit, The Long Road, a song more poignant after his two decades of touring and recording.
In 2019, Cliff reunited with old songwriting pals, John Gorka, Christine Lavin, Cheryl Wheeler and Patty Larkin to tour nationally again as On A Winter’s Night – five great writers in the round. The pandemic interrupted the tour, but began again in 2022.
In 2021, Cliff released a new album of original songs, “Knew Things”, to critical acclaim and wide-spread Folk and Public radio airplay. The single, “All the Things I Left Behind” and “Room in the City” are stand out tracks.
Cliff’s songs have been recorded by many folks including Richie Havens, Buffy Sainte Marie, and Shawn Colvin. The New York Post says, “Eberhardt sings with passion and with wit…what makes his brand so rare is the self-assurance and poise he brings to his nearly flawless show.” www.cliffeberhardt.net.
Growing up on a cattle farm, riding horses and writing poetry, Louise Mosrie began writing pop and folk songs after college. With a move to Nashville in 2004, she began co-writing with country, bluegrass, and folk artists which led to her 2008 album “Home” filled with stories and songs about southern life.
In 2014, Louise recorded ten songs of love, loss, and surrender in her album, “Lay It Down.” Collaborating with Cliff Eberhardt, the album was released to critical praise and made several top 10 lists in folk radio. Her latest album “Home” was released in 2022. “Louise Mosrie may well be the brightest young folk-oriented artist to emerge from Nashville in many a year.” – Rich Warren, WFMT-FM, The Midnight Special, Chicago.
Louise is an award-winning songwriter earning top awards at Kerrville Folk, Telluride Bluegrass, and Falcon Ridge Folk festivals. www.louisemosrie.com
Tickets will be $25, cash or check at the door. Tickets for those under 13 are $10. Reservations recommended by calling 781-246-2836 as in our area, shows featuring Louise and Cliff are popular. Linden Tree Concerts are held in Wakefield UU Church 326 Main St. Wakefield, MA 01880
We thank the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Wakefield Chapter 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 Facebook page.
Linden Tree Concerts in its thirty-ninth season presenting national, regional, and international performers, continues making music memorable on Saturday, September 30th with national singer-sonwriter Joe Jencks. Jane Fallon will also return for an opening set. Concerts are held in the social hall of Wakefield’s Unitarian-Universalist Church.
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.
Jane Fallon has been called the “quintessential folk storyteller performer” whose smooth, rich voice and well-written songs get noticed. Her vocals have been called “angelic” and “mesmerizing”, and her original songs “combine humor, intelligence, and deep musicality with an artfulness that is unusual.” She has 8 musical CD’s and three books to her credit and has won many songwriting awards including the Woody Guthrie Songwriting Competition, The American Songwriter Magazine Lyric Contest, and the South Florida Folk Festival. Her songwriting has led her to the Clancy Brothers Festival in Ireland, the Port Gamble Festival in Washington, and places in-between. Jane wrote a song about Wakefield’s Nan Freeman, who was Cesar Chavez’s first martyr in 72 and set the song to video for the 50th memorial at New College in Florida jin 2022. Most recently her songwriting talents have gained recognition from the Braver Angels and Talent is Timeless organizations. She has recently relocated from New Hampshire to Dunedin, Florida and is gratified to have been welcomed into the Florida Folk community, performing at state-wide festivals and featuring on local radio.
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. Linden Tree also supports Fair Trade Music Local 1000.
Reservations recommended by calling 781-246-2836 as in our area, shows featuring Joe Jencks are popular.
The Linden Tree Coffeehouse is presenting the final show of its 38th season with a special event on Saturday, May 6 at 7:30pm, at the Wakefield Unitarian-Universalist Church.
Long-time friends, singer-songwriters Sloan Wainwright and Tret Fure will bring the joy of music and artistry on stage in an upbeat, energetic, and moving evening. For Tret, this is an encore visit to our stage, for Sloan, it’s her first time to the Linden Tree and like her we are excited to have this opportunity.
Sloan Wainwright is a songwriter, singer, performer, teacher, mentor and collaborator. A unique hybrid of pop, folk, jazz and blues, Wainwright’s music is unified by her melodious tone and rich, powerful contralto. Over the course of a 30-year career in music, she has played the great concert halls, the most storied listening rooms and top music festivals while also teaching at the nation’s leading music retreats. She has inspired hundreds of students on their creative journeys and collaborated with dozens of musicians, writers, choreographers and performers.
Most of all, Wainwright is an artist. As a member of an acclaimed family of artists (brother Loudon Wainwright, sister-in-law Kate McGarrigle, nephew Rufus Wainwright and nieces Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche), Wainwright has charted an artistic path all her own, one based in close observation, joy, and spiritual connection.
It is said that Sloan’s warm and welcoming contralto voice could “fell a redwood,” Defying standard categorization, with 10 original CDs under her belt, Sloan has a command of a variety of American musical styles: pop, folk, jazz and blues. Her incredible gift is not only her unique songwriting ability but also her dramatically voiced rendition of original songs. She performs with power house guitarist Steve Murphy. They will be playing A beautiful new collection of never-released Sloan Wainwright songs connected by the spirit of collaboration:songs from the new CD Red Maple Tree.
A prolific artist in the contemporary singer-songwriter arena, Tret Fure has released 17 albums and CDs over the course of her 48 year career. Her most recent recording is “Stone by Stone, a collection of very personal and heartful songs. ”To engage with Tret Fure is to feel her warmth, her humanity and her fierce determination. Tret invites you to be part of her family, her stories are our stories at once current and timeless, her lyrics are always well crafted and her music supports and enhances but never overpowers her message. Every album from Tret is a treat and “Stone by Stone” is no exception. Ron Cooke, KTAL 101.5 FM – Las Cruces, NM
“Tret is an award-winning singer-songwriter who draws you into her personal world without self-indulgence because her themes are universal and the songs, well-written. Tret’s also a folk singer, touching on important issues like gender identity, and peace. Her lyrics are lovely, she can still do it with just a simple guitar and vocal. In one of her songs, she sings, “When you think you just can’t sing / You find a better song.” For this performance, Tret will be bringing new songs from her soon to be released CD, The Language of Love”
Fure also markets her own line of clothing named after her popular song “Tomboy Girl”. In addition, Tret teaches guitar and songwriting individually and in workshop settings. She paints pet portraits on commission and, an accomplished cook, Fure has also published a cookbook, “Tret’s Kitchen”, featuring her own recipes. Along with bridging the marketing, production, music and art worlds, Tret served for 6 years as President of Local 1000, The Traveling Musicians Association–a union geared toward helping traveling musicians find security and longevity. Tret is truly a Renaissance Woman!
Note tickets are $25 at the door or $20 for advanced reserved seats, cash or check at the door, Please reserve your seats by calling 781-246-2836. Wearing masks is optional. Beverages and wrapped snacks will be sold.
The Linden Tree Coffeehouse is located in the social hall of Wakefield’s Unitarian-Universalist Church at 326 Main St. Wakefield, 01880. The Linden Tree Coffeehouse operates, in part, with thanks to partial support from Wakefield’s Art Council of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. For more information: 781-246-2836.
The Linden Tree Coffeehouse is excited to welcome back acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Dave Gunning to Wakefield on Saturday, April 22. He is an engaging performer who has entertained audiences in the U.S., Europe and Australia and is highly respected by his peers.
With a career now spanning 20 years and 11 albums, folk-based singer/songwriter Dave Gunning has earned multiple Canadian Folk Music and East Coast Music Awards (and a Juno nomination) for his well-crafted work. Including his recording Up Against the Sky.
· 2020 Solo Artist of the Year Nomination (Up Against The Sky) and
· 2019 Folk Recording of the Year – Winner (Gunning & Cormier – Two)
As a songwriter, Gunning has been compared to Gordon Lightfoot, Bruce Cockburn, and Stan Rogers. Many songs on his albums are story and character-based. He loves songs that tell a real story such as “I Robbed the Co. Store,” which tells the true story of a group of British settlers in Nova Scotia in the 1770s forced to steal from a storehouse reserved for troops just so they could feed their families. A more contemporary song with a Pictou County setting is “They Don’t Do That No More.” “That one is inspired by the fight we have here against a pulp mill that is just an environmental disaster,” explains Gunning. The mournful sound of the pedal steel punctuates his lament that “there’s poison on the harbor floor.” It’s a song one of Dave’s key inspirations, the late folk great Pete Seeger, would have been proud to call his own.
Though many of Gunning’s songs remain rooted in his home providence, they have proved they can travel well and have been covered by others. The popular trio, Brother Sun, has recorded and frequently perform, his song These Hands, he co-wrote with George Canyon.
Not only is Dave Gunning a gifted and prolific writer on stage, but he is also a delightful entertainer with charming wit. Audiences are enthralled with his storytelling and musical style. He is remarkable as an entertainer with a rare gift to befriend the audience from the stage. After each night of songs, stories, and laughs, Gunning makes new friends.
Opening the concert will be Allison Rose, a winner of Linden Tree’s Winter Potpourri 2019. “Allison is a Rhode Island native singer-songwriter who is turning heads with her pure voice, heartfelt lyrics, and a solid serving of humor and sass. Her influences are evident in her artistry, as her vocal and songwriting styles have been likened to traditional folk styles of Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell, with a splash of Emmylou-esque country and a Sara Bareilles pop vibe. “Her powerful, silky vocals were awe-worthy from the very first note.” (Katie Murray—Your Heaven Audio). She has several music awards to her name including 2021 Motif Music Award Winner: Favorite Americana Singer/Songwriter.
Snacks and beverages will be sold prior to the show and during intermission. For more information or RESERVATIONS Email lindentree85@comcast.net or call 781-246-2836.
The Linden Tree Coffeehouse is located at the UU Church, 326 Main Street, Wakefield. Tickets will be sold at the door beginning at 7:00. Admission for this show is $20 w/reservation $25 at the door (cash/check) thanks to partial support from Massachusetts Cultural Council, Wakefield chapter.
The Linden Tree Coffeehouse In its 38th season is known for presenting a wide variety of acoustic music performers, from local, national, and international favorites. On March 4th at 7:30 pm, a triple header of Massachusetts songwriters will return to our stage at Wakefield’s Unitarian Universalist Church’s social hall. We welcome back: Tom Smith, Kim Moberg, and Chris LaVancher all area favorites with wonderful songs they wrote and sing, with beautiful musicianship.
Tom Smith is an award-winning performer and songwriter, applying his old-school folk tradition to timeless stories of people’s wants, needs, struggles, and triumphs, much like Pete Seeger and Tom Paxton. In the words of former WUMB folk radio host, Dave Palmater, “Tom Smith writes songs that seem like they’ve always been there—a true folksinger.”
Award-winning singer-songwriter Kim Moberg was born in Juneau, Alaska, the daughter of a classical pianist mother of Alaskan Tlingit descent and a US Coast Guard veteran. Kim’s passionate and heartfelt vocals mesmerize listeners while her compositions tug at feelings of melancholy, heartbreak, healing and social consciousness. Kim draws inspiration from both traditional and contemporary folk and country genres.
Chris LaVancher’s performances evoke mini-movie festivals for his audiences, complete with a full soundtrack. He writes cinematic, character-driven songs with a humble, relaxing delivery that makes for a truly unique and moving evening of song. His song Nostalgia received an honorable mention in the 2018 Woody Guthrie Folk Festival Songwriting Contest. In 2014 and 2022, Chris was selected as a Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist.
Tickets for those attending are $20, cash or check at the door. Please reserve your seats by calling 781-246-2836. Masks are recommended but not required. Hot and cold beverages and wrapped snacks are currently available.
Our previous streaming shows, including last month’s Harvey Reid & Joyce Andersen are still available for viewing on our YouTube and Facebook pages.
The Linden Tree Coffeehouse operates, in part, with thanks to partial support from Wakefield’s Arts Council of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. For reservations and more information: 781-246-2836
If you were not able to make it to the show in person or if you had such a good time and want to see it again, we’ve got you covered! Enjoy recordings of both sets performed by Harvey and Joyce. Please consider making a donation via PayPal or by sending a check made out to Linden Tree Coffeehouse and mailed to 8 Dexter Lane, Wakefield MA 01880
Set 1
Set 2
The Linden Tree Coffeehouse continues its 38th season of live performances with the return of long-time area favorites: Harvey Reid and Joyce Andersen on Saturday, February 4th at 7:30 pm. In the social hall of the Unitarian-Universalist Church, 326 Main St. Wakefield, MA.
Joyce Andersen and Harvey Reid have combined their talents to create one of the most potent duo teams in acoustic music. They are both gifted instrumentalists, strong and versatile singers, and prolific songwriters, and are comfortable in a dizzying array of styles of roots and Americana music. They jump from showstopping Celtic jigs and old-time fiddle tunes to house-shaking blues rockers, soaring gospel duets, and achingly beautiful ballads. Reid’s legendary acoustic and slide guitar work make a perfect backdrop for Andersen’s powerful fiddling, and they take turns on lead and harmony vocals to showcase a large and interesting repertoire of original, traditional and contemporary music. They have brought audiences to their feet at folk & bluegrass festivals, clubs, coffeehouses and concert halls across the US and in Europe, and have released 32 highly-acclaimed albums of music between them.
After 35 years as a full-time performer, Harvey Reid is a familiar name to acoustic music fans everywhere, for his peerless stringed instrument work, profound composing and songwriting, lively stage shows, and his in-depth knowledge of traditional music. Raised in the music-rich DC area, in the 1970’s he played street fiddle, as well as guitar, mandolin, and dobro in a number of bluegrass and old-time bands before moving to New England and embarking on a solo career in 1979. Reid won the Beanblossom Flatpicking contest in 1976, the National Fingerpicking award in 1981, and the International autoharp contest in 1982, and has shared the stage with most of the great pickers of today. His “Solo Guitar Sketchbook” was included in Guitar Player Magazine’s Top 20 acoustic guitar CDs, and “Steel Drivin’ Man” was the only recording of the last 25 years chosen by Acoustic Guitar Magazine in its Top 10 Folk CDs Of All Time list. He also has released the only recording ever devoted entirely to the 6-string banjo and may be the best autoharp player performing today. Reid has released 17 solo albums to great critical acclaim, exploring traditional as well as his own brand of modern roots music.
Joyce Andersen is a greatly talented and versatile fiddler, songwriter and singer from New Hampshire who has recently stepped out as a solo artist. She spent over 10 years in New England, New York and Nashville, playing in numerous bluegrass, swing, Celtic and country bands, taking her from the club and festival circuit all the way to Carnegie Hall and The Conan O’Brien Show (with Marshall Crenshaw) In Sept 2003 she released her 2nd solo CD, “Right Where I Should Be” which garnered a great deal of national attention. The Boston Globe called her “…an exciting young fiddler-singer with precocious traditional savvy and street-smart contemporary sensibility” and she has received significant national radio airplay as an emerging artist. She can trade licks with the hottest bluegrass or jazz pickers, tear the house down with a blood-curdling Appalachian-voodoo fiddle & vocal duet, melt you with a Billie Holiday torch song, dash off a flawless set of Swedish fiddle tunes, or hypnotize you with one of her haunting guitar songs.
Harvey Reid & Joyce Andersen form a rare and versatile musical partnership, combining the best of American virtuoso instrumental work with razor-sharp harmony singing and a captivating stage presence. They take to the stage with a rich and varied songbag, an arsenal of stringed instruments, and a deeply-satisfying emotional purity, with a fresh northern New England sensibility, free from showbiz and pretense.
Tickets for those attending are $20, cash or check at the door. Please reserve your seats by calling 781-246-2836. Mask-wearing is optional to protect the band, volunteers & audience members. The Linden Tree Coffeehouse operates, in part, with thanks to partial support from Wakefield’s Arts Council of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. For more reservations and information: 781-246-2836.
UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who came out to see the show in person. What a great night of bluegrass music! If you missed it, you can catch all the fun recorded live. Please consider making a donation via PayPal or by sending a check made out to Linden Tree Coffeehouse and mailed to 8 Dexter Lane, Wakefield MA 01880
The Linden Tree Coffeehouse is pleased to announce that January 7th a night of Bluegrass is back, live in the social hall of the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Wakefield. The Ruta Beggars will entertain all with their energy, instrumental expertise, powerful vocals, and remarkable creativity.
The Ruta Beggars infuse traditional bluegrass and early swing to create a timeless act filled with intricate vocal harmonies, fiery instrumentals, and plenty of fun. They have been praised for their creative yet tasteful arrangements and charming performances, winning Thomas Point’s band competition in 2019. The Ruta Beggars have been featured on the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Showcase, Steve Martin’s Unreal Bluegrass, Brian O’Donovan’s A Celtic Sojourn and the main stages of Joe Val, Grey Fox, Thomas Point, and Ossipee Bluegrass Festivals. Brought together by their passion for bluegrass, The Ruta Beggars are Micah Nicol (guitar), Sofia Chiarandini (fiddle), Ariel Wyner (mandolin), Trevin Nelson (banjo), and Noah Harrington (bass) who met while studying at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in the American Roots Program.
“Lettuce speak now of the Ruta Beggars. These up-and-comers have a fine, fresh sound, rooted in swing, bluegrass, and beyond. They’re not your garden variety, so to speak, band, because they take unexpected turns that put a smile on your face and a carrot in the patch. Whether burning on a Tex Logan fiddle tune or blending sweetly on a chordally expansive tune, these Beggars can’t be beet.”~ Tony Trischka – IBMA Banjo Player of the Year
Tickets for those attending are $20, cash or check at the door. Please reserve your seats by calling 781-246-2836. Mask-wearing is optional but recommended to protect the band, volunteers & audience members. The Linden Tree Coffeehouse operates, in part, with thanks to partial support from Wakefield’s Arts Council of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. For reservations and more information: 781-246-2836
Linden Tree Coffeehouse 