David Amram
Amram, who lives in Greenwich Village, is equally at home with classical, jazz, folk, rock and avant garde music, and plays virtually every instrument in the orchestra, plus a few that aren't. He recently concluded a whirlwind tour which included five Central American countries and Egypt, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Iran. Since then he has done a hundred other things. Including performances in the Winnipeg Folk Festival and participation in the concert which marked the finale of "The Longest Walk" for Native land claims to Washington DC. His latest album, Havana/New York, features David with a strong American jazz contingent performing with a group of Cuban musicians in "the historic U.S.-Cuban musical exchange of 1977." David Amram's head is so full of music no one knows exactly what will come out when, but everyone knows it will be irresistible. Follow him around. top
Alistair Anderson
Alistair hails from Northumberland in Northeast England. His interest in British traditional music lead to his early involvement in the Newcastle folk music circle formed by Louis Killen and the musicians who now form the High Level Ranters, with whom Alistair has played and recorded since the middle sixties. "Melody Maker" called Alistair Anderson the "king of the concertina", and in recent years he has added the Northumbrian small pipes to his arsenal. We were lucky enough to arrange for Alistair to join our traditional British music contingent. top
Edmond and Quentin Badoux
Edmond and Quentin Badoux play the music of the Indians of Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. They use traditional instruments such as the quena (a notched flute), the sikus and rondador (variations of the panpipes), and the large drum; the harp, Spanish guitar and charango are also frequently used. At "The Green Cove" earlier this year Quentin said that it was "a luxury to play this music." This approach becomes apparent in any workshop, stairwell, street corner, coffee house or kitchen once they begin to play. Skill, respect and love for the music are their trademarks. Bienvenus Les Badoux! top
Jon Bartlett & Rika Ruebsaat
Jon Bartlett and Rika Ruebsaat are singers of traditional Canadian (especially BC) folk songs, and over the past ten years have been involved in every aspect of folk music today, from collecting and academic publishing in folklore to educational work in schools and to running folk song societies and folk music radio shows. Their songs are about real people and real life - traditional ballads and songs from the industrial revolution, Canadian lumber camps and American mining towns, shanties and modern political songs. Jon and Rika sing mostly unaccompanied, which encourages audiences to do just that, and impromptu singing and shanty workshops happen almost anywhere when they are around. top
Peter Bellamy
The son of a Norfolk farm foreman, Peter Bellamy became interested in folk music during his teens and was active in folk clubs during his years as an art student In Norfolk and Kent. In 1965, he made his way to London to embark on a career in folk music, joining with Royston and Heather Wood to form 'The Young Tradition'. The group was of seminal importance in the development of the English Folk revival. They made several LPs and toured the UK, Canada & the USA, appearing at the Newport Folk Festival for two consecutive years. 'The Young Tradition' disbanded in the Autumn of 1969 and since then Peter has worked as a soloist in the UK, USA, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, and Eire. In live performance he sings unaccompanied or with anglo concertina, with the occasional use of guitar and flageolet. Currently, he is receiving enthusiastic reviews for his double LP 'The Transports', Melody Makers' best folk album of 1977. Enjoy. top
Leon Bibb
Vancouver audiences are familiar with the versatile singer/actor, Leon Bibb. His knowledge and skills encompass a multitude of musical styles. Leon is here to sing songs in the folk idiom and we're sure that those of you who have never heard him sing field hollers or chain-gang songs are in for a big surprise - a pure pleasure. top
Ken Bloom
Not long ago Ken Bloom was a very successful studio musician recording sound tracks for television shows, including Mod Squad and the Monkees. Then one day Ken decided to return to his first love, folk music. There is little about American, European, Near Eastern and Indian music that he doesn't know. Ken also plays a few instruments, including guitar, bandura, sax, tamboura, banjo, clarinet, dulcimer, mandolin, zither and sitar." Recently Ken has gotten seriously involved with the Northumberiand pipes, which he constructs himself. We are happy to welcome this remarkable musician to Vancouver. top
Roy Bookbinder
Roy Bookbinder is a ragtime country blues singer and guitarist who has performed with blues veterans from Johnny Shines to Ray Charles and from each experience he has sharpened his skills as a performer. Living in a motor home for the past three years, Roy is always on tour, working winter in the south and following the sun north in the spring-keeping alive a tradition passed on to him by the Rev. Gary Davis and Pink Anderson. Roy travelled with and learned the music of Gary Davis in the late 60's, and he rediscovered Pink Anderson, a veteran medicine show performer from South Carolina in the early 70's, reviving the tatters career. He believes that music must have a sense of humor which is fitting for a performer who has had people smiling in hundreds of clubs, festivals and concerts throughout the USA and England for many years. top
Bryan Bowers
Bryan Bowers used to be just another guitar picker before he took up what was to become his life's obsession: the auto-harp. He travels with seven of them, doing things to them that no one else has accomplished before: occasionally he will treat his audience to five-part playing. Starting with a bass line, Bryan adds rhythm chords, a melody, and high and low harmonies on top of it all. He is undoubtedly the finest autoharp player around, backed up only by his powerful songs and the magic of his personality. top
John Allan Cameron
John Allan Cameron is an entertainer pure and simple, one of those people blessed with the gift of communication. He has the feeling for people, the knack, the style, whatever. He exudes a kind of natural good time. When it comes to the origins of a talent the likes of John Allan Cameron, it becomes obvious that only one place in North America could have produced such an individual. And that place is, of course, the Highlands of Cape Breton in the Maritimes. top
Diane Campbell
Diane Campbell is a singer and guitarist who has long been deeply involved in the West Coast folk scene. Through her years of singing she has developed a rich, strong voice and a large repertoire of Canadian, American, and British music. Among her specialties are songs of her native British Columbia and songs by and about women. Diane's past includes a year at Victoria's Medieval Inn, a six-month stint at the Expo 9174 Folklife Festival in Spokane, five months of teaching Canadian folk songs in Victoria schools, harmony teaching at the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, and the usual rash of coffeehouses, folk clubs, universities and bars throughout Western Canada. She particularly enjoys leading and participating in workshops and feels she Is on solid ground when dealing with traditional and contemporary women's music, old-time country songs, sea shanties, children's songs, train songs, and songs of unrequited love. top
Marg Christl
Originally from Scotland, Margaret Christi maintains a strong devotion to the traditional music of her homeland. She possesses a superb singing voice that breathes new life and vigour into her music. She is one of the very few traditional singers to have recorded Canadian folk songs. Marg has performed at a number of festivals including Mariposa, Fox Hollow and Winnipeg. top
Bruce Cockburn
Eight years ago, with the release of his initial True North record, Bruce Cockburn cast a most enchanting spell on Canadian music audiences. Today, with eight highly successful albums, numerous Juno awards, and five much heralded national tours, Bruce is certainly Canada's master musician. In these few short years, he has come to personify the word 'artistry' to music audiences everywhere. Bruce's music has thrived on its continual breaking of new frontiers, displaying at each moment a total dedication to his talent. Though the seriousness of his aesthetic intent is evident in each new endeavour, his gentle sense of humour and his way with words add pleasant overtones to each performance and to each effort of the pen. top
Andy Cohen
Andy Cohen turned on to various kinds of Southern folk music during the sixties, after spending his youth wrapped around a cornet and a piano. At the time he was trying to master the art of Dixieland Jazz but found that Southern string music, both black and white was just as satisfying, more variegated and a whole lot more portable. He has made much of this music as a part of himself, as a twelve-fingered guitar picker, boogie woogie piano player and scratcher out of tunes on a dozen more instruments. His models are people like Blind Blake, Charlie Poole, Boogle Woogie Red, Reverend Gary Davis and a lot of other musicians young and old, dead and alive, known and unknown. He can talk about these people and their music for hours. What you get when you hire him is a lot of hot country dance music, old country songs, hoary jokes and a lesson in how to find history in your backyard. top
Don Cullen
Don Cullen has written 1000 radio shows, 200 television shows, and performed in more than 50 Wayne & Shuster Specials. As a result, he feels that he has honed his art to perfection. Perfection or not, Don has kept people laughing for four consecutive years as the Main Stage Host at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. He is currently Artistic Co-Director of the Leacock Humour Festival in Orillia, Ontario and we are more than happy to welcome him to Vancouver. top
David Essig
Dave Essig lives in the Almaguin Highlands of Ontario, about halfway between the once thriving settlements of Scotia and Fern Glen. "In the Thirties, a lot of places here folded because the Ottawa-Parry Sound railway quit running," Dave says. "In the same year that my Martin guitar Was built, families were packing up and leaving our road for the cities." "I was just a farmer's son who left the fields like everyone was doing that year when they finished school. I hit the city, and I looked for work, with a 4-H emblem on my shirt. No one was going to take me for a fool." With his rough-hewn voice and his imaginative hot licks, Dave has played at most of the major Canadian folk festivals including Mariposa, Winnipeg, London, Hamilton, Northern Lights, Owen Sound, Regina and Faro, Yukon. At festivals, he is featured in concert, and in workshops on guitar, mandolin, blues, country music, and song writing. top
Mimi Fariña
Mimi Fariña represents a bridge between two generations of folk music audiences. In 1965 her second album with husband Richard, "Reflections in a Crystal Wind", was chosen as one of the best folk albums of the year by the New York Times critic Robert Shelton. Since then Mimi's music has grown. While keeping the spontaneity that has delighted audiences for over a decade, she has developed a new delicacy and sophistication in both her vocal and guitar techniques. In 1974 Mimi started "Bread and Roses", a non-profit organization which takes free entertainment into prisons and hospitals. top
Frank Ferrel & Bertram Levy
Get ready for some remarkable music. Bertram Levy is regarded as one of the foremost exponents of the Anglo-Concertina, approaching it as a complete concert instrument and disregarding the notion that it is an instrument limited in scale and tonal range. Frank Ferrel has played the violin for well over 25 years and has won numerous fiddling championships throughout the west and in Canada. His unique approach developed around the highly ornamented Celtic and Gaelic musical styles found in North America. Together they have opened a new door in presenting what they refer to as "A new direction based on an interpretive approach to the traditional music of North America." An album, "Sage Flower Suite", will be released in the early fall, and it is a real testimony to the musicianship of these two that they have been invited to tour Scotland in the late summer with The Boys of the Lough. top
Cathy Fink & Duck Donald
The increase in appreciation of old time country music in Canada during the past five years must be partially due to the non-stop touring of Cathy Fink and Duck Donald. Specializing in old time duets by such greats as the Delmore Brothers, Monroe Brothers, etc., Cathy and Duck also collectively play guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, dulcimer, jew's harp, and harmonica. Their sense of humour is also a fine point in any of their performances. Their new album is on Woodshed Records in Canada and Flying Fish in the U.S. Hot darn. top
Flying Mountain
Thus, the intrepid four, caught in the act of chasing away certain well-known demons, all in the name of Musicafrolicus. Float a van full of sound equipment, two dulcimers, a bouzouki, a violin, a viola, two guitars, conga drums, electric bass, flute and trombone around B.C. long enough, and what can you expect? Some of the area's most original musical shortcake, baked to perfection, not to mention fresh raspberries between the layers. Flying Mountain's first album, "Earth and Sky" will be available at the Folk Festival. top
Paddy Graber
Paddy Graber is a singer from a long line of Irish traditional singers. (His mother was Eileen Mead of Limerick). Since coming to Canada in 1948 Paddy has become well known for his unaccompanied traditional ballads as well as songs he has written himself and set to tunes from the Old Country. These are based on his experiences in Canada as a hard-rock miner, construction worker and concerned citizen. For the past twenty-four years he has earned his living as a Remedial Gymnast and Rehabilitation Therapist, but somehow found time to travel all over the continent participating in workshops in Irish street songs, labour and sea songs as well as contemporary songs and songs for children. Living in Vancouver, on Friday nights he is frequently found telling a joke or singing a song at that infamous hangout of hard core folkies --The Green Cove. top
Amos Garrett & Geof Muldaur
Now take Amos Garrett, whose performing career reads like a musical who's who of discography: The Dirty Shames, Great Speckled Bird, Jim Kweskin's Jugband, Paul Butterfield's Better Days, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Martin Mull, and Geoff Muldaur, to name a few. Now tale Geoff Muldaur -- Jim Kweskin, Better Days, Maria Muldaur, and the solo albums "Geoff Muldaur is Having a Wonderful Time" and "Motion". Now take the Garrett/Muldaur duo, formed in the spring of 1977 to do a concert tour of Japan, and staying together to share a popularity befitting their ability and accomplishments. Both are folk and blues veterans, excellent singers and instrumentalists, with an instinctive empathy that is relayed through the tightness of their music. top
Al Grierson
Al Grierson, a native of B.C., has been playing and singing folk music for about 12 years, doing it full time on and off for the past seven. A member of the Vancouver Folk Song Society and record review editor of Canada Folk Bulletin, Al has performed on radio, television, street corners, concert stages, picket lines, bars and folk clubs in Canada and the British Isles. The main emphasis of his repertoire is traditional music, with special areas of interest being labour (particularly IWW) songs, cowboy songs, hobo songs and songs of B.C., a number of which he's collected during singing engagements around the province. He also leans towards Woody Guthrie, Jimmie Rodgers and country and western, as well as songs from the British Isles. At last count his total repertoire was running somewhere between 500 and 1,000 songs! He considers himself a passable self-accompanist on guitar, a very mediocre harmonica player and a dabbler in tin whistle. top
Wendy Grossman
Wendy is a long time friend of folk music. She was the organizer of the Cornell Folk Festival and her knowledge and ability are quite considerable. Her music is traditional; she plays banjo, guitar and concertina. We're glad to see a folk festival organizer turn performer – it gives us hope. top
Peter Gzowski
Peter Gzowski, nationally known media personality, is a veteran host of Canadian folk festivals. In fact, he has performed this function more often than anyone else in the country. For more than half a decade Mr. Gzowski, along with introducing performers, has enhanced the festivities with his unique talents and helped create the kind of atmosphere that makes a festival a success. top
Bob Hadley
Bob Hadley is a guitarist who plays and composes in the tradition of John Fahey and Leo Kottke. His two albums, on Kicking Mule Records, have drawn critical praise, and Melody Maker has described him as "The greatest discovery of the Kicking Mule Tour". Born in Alabama and raised in Northern Virginia, Bob began playing in 1962. Largely self-taught, he has been most influenced by the playing of John Fahey, Leo Kottke, John Hurt, and Pete Seeger, with a special affinity for the sounds of Appalachia and Mississippi Delta Blues. He calls his music baroque bluegrass--about as close as you could come for this mix of folk, blues and classical sources. But by any name, Hadley is a sheer pleasure to hear. top
Barry Hall
Born, raised and living in Vancouver, Barry Hall is a songwriter and instrumentalist. At the age of 15 he recorded his first album for Folkways Records on the virtuoso five-string banjo. He performs his music primarily on the guitar as well as the five-string banjo and his songs reflect the personal themes of his life. Barry's melodies are rooted in traditional folk, blues, and country and yet, at the same time, he strives for creative freedom within a solid musical structure. top
John Hammond
A mild manner, youthful face and deep down raunchy voice combine into one of the best bluesmen around. Add incredible guitar, a wailing harmonica, and a feeling for the roots of the music and you have John Hammond. John grew up listening to the greats--Billie Holiday, Count Basie--exposure which ignited his own interest in music. In 1962, he learned to play the guitar and has since become probably the best young interpreter of traditional blues, both Chicago and Delta style. John has been performing almost exclusively acoustic music these days. You ain't heard the blues till you've heard John Hammond. top
Larry Hanks
Larry Hanks is a California folk singer who recycled himself to the northwest in 1974. His songs include a wide variety of traditional American styles -- old-time country and cowboy songs, old ballads and blues, and favorite folk songs, as well as topical and contemporary songs from such writers as Malvina Reynolds, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Utah Philips. In his own words, he sings "songs to stir the heart, tickle the funny-bone, kindle the political conscience, and revive the ancestral spirits." He has performed all over the continent, been an instructor at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, The Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, and the U.C. at Berkeley extension course, "The Folk musicians", in 1973. He was guest Jew's Harpist for the Fresno Philharmonic, playing Charles Ives' "Washington92s Birthday." What can we say? top
Tommy Hawkins
Tommy Hawkins is a local folk singer in the classical tradition of Pete Seeger. Tommy feels that folk music should address topical themes and he writes songs about what's happening in the province and the world. He also has a wide repertoire of labour songs, and he accompanies himself on guitar and banjo. top
Heartland
From its inception, Heartland has brought a fresh and lively approach to acoustic music-making. The uniquely varied musical backgrounds of its members enable Heartland to play everything from bluegrass to be-bop, from swing to Samba, from Gershwin to Gaelic, all the while maintaining and projecting its own distinctive musical vision. What of the members of Heartland? On banjo there's Tony Trischka, one of the most innovative and respected Bluegrass pickers around today. A charter member of the trail-blazing groups Country Cooking and Breakfast Special, Tony in addition has three solo albums to his credit and has authored numerous instruction books. Matt Glazer's encyclopedic knowledge of fiddle styles makes him as comfortable with Swing a la Venuti as with Bluegrass a la Baker. Matt recorded with The Central Park Shieks on Flying Fish Records, has written several instruction books and has frequently accompanied Hazel Dickens in the past two years. Guitarist Russ Barenberg, like Tony and Matt, is a published author. His work with Country Cooking earned him a reputation as one of the most skillful and inventive of flat-picking guitarists. John Miller, also a former member of Country Cooklng, has been concentrating on a solo career the past couple of years. Originally a Country Blues guitarist, John has recently been applying his unique finger-picking guitar style to the Pop hits of yesteryear. John has recorded for Blue Goose and Rounder Records. Joining Heartland in Vancouver will be Molly Mason, one of the original Mostly Sisters, on bass. top
John Hiatt
John Hiatt, a singer and songwriter from Indiana, is said to have the "unique ability to make you laugh out loud in one song, then scare the daylights out of you in the next." Pounding away at his 12 string guitar, six string, harmonica or playing the piano, John can make your emotions jump through hoops. And the hoops are his songs. He says he started out playing and singing when he was eleven because he wanted to be Elvis Presley. Didn't everybody, he says? Fortunately for the folk, things turned out a little differently--John moved to Nashville when he was eighteen and has been writing, singing, playing and recording steadily ever since. At the Wild Rose Folk Fair last summer John impressed everyone a whole lot, and we are glad to welcome him to the first Vancouver Folk Music Festival. top
Lou Killen
His rich voice, flavorful dialects, and traditional instruments paint a colorful living picture of the British Isles. Playing English concertina, penny whistle, or occasionally guitar or banjo, Lou Killen brings to life the ballads, shanties and stories of British folk music. One of the leaders of the British folk revival, Louis was instrumental in founding many British folk music clubs. Recognized as an authority of British musical history, he has appeared at Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, U.S. and British television, and lectured at many colleges. top
Vera Killen
Vera Johnson tours the folk clubs in Britain twice a year and performs in Canada and the U.S. in between. Her North American gigs include all of Canada's better folk clubs and Festivals and Unitarian Churches everywhere. Vera performs all original material about any conceivable topic-- politics, divorce, sex, food, etiquette, a series of songs on her family history, and anything of interest from the news or world around her. Her first album, "The Bald Eagle," is available on Boot Records, with a second due to be released any minute now. top
Tam Kearney and Jim Strickland
Tam Kearney and Jim Strickland specialize in British traditional music. They have long been part of "The Friends of Fiddlers Green" named after a well known Toronto hot spot. We have it on good authority that they are part of a motley collection of gluttonous, drunken, debauched and generally riotous madmen. They feel that folk music must be over and above all else, fun. Wanna have some fun? Give them a listen. top
Tex Konig
Tex Konig developed his style during the early days of the Folk revival. He has continued unswervingly over the years to present an extremely honest performance of folk songs. He is an urban singer, influenced by urban reality whose interpretation of traditional music rings true. We hope you will enjoy Tex. top
Alain Lamontagne
Alain is a young French Canadian, born near Montreal in 1952. His first contact with music was with his father who plays piano and harmonica. Alain's first approach to music was the blues, but he could not forget the traditional French Canadian sound; so, he adapted fiddle tunes to the harmonica. Now, with all his heart, his breath, and his feet, he performs folk music. French Canadian and his own compositions. top
Mountain Dance Theatre
Mountain Dance Theatre was founded in September, 1973 by a group of young choreographers who wanted to create and perform their own works for a wide range of audiences. The company takes its name from the region in which it is based. in the last year, the members of Mountain Dance Theatre have become increasingly interested in working in unconventional performance spaces. There are endless possibilities for exploration of the physical environment, in terms of dance or movement, and Vancouver and British Columbia provide a unique geographical theatre in which to work. These informal performances, which have been presented in Vancouver parks, on downtown streets, outside the planetarium, on an abandoned gas station lot, and while riding on the buses, are largely improvisational and have been termed "Dance Events". The company will be appearing at the Festival, around the Totem Pole area, on the afternoon of August the 12th. top
Debby McClatchy
Debby McClatchy was born in San Francisco in 1945. She spent her summers in the Mother Lode area of the Sierra Nevada mountains, surrounded by the legends of the Gold Rush. in 1988 she began singing and playing music professionally --traditional music of the United States, Ireland, and England--old ballads, resistance songs, old-time country music, songs of the Gold Rush, and instrumental dance tunes--as well as songs of her own making, written either in a traditional style or dealing with today's problems of ecology, urban alienation and women's rights, Debby performs with the guitar, mountain banjo, appalachian dulcimer, Irish whistle, and spoons. Among her albums are "Homemade Goodies" on Fretless Philo of Vermont and "Debby McClatchy with the Red Clay Ramblers" on Innesfree of Connecticut. top
Mary McCaslin
Mary McCaslin was six years old when her family moved to the Los Angeles suburbs. Disappointed that she wasn't moving to the "wide open spaces" she dreamed of, Mary has over the years become obsessed with the all too quickly vanishing western prairie and desert lands. Her own songs are mostly modern western ballads which reflect her deep love for the West and its history. She mixes her own songs with a blend of contemporary country and oldies. top
Robbie McNeill
Singer-songwriter, Robbie MacNeill, didn't start out to be either a musician or a songwriter, but spent a year studying engineering at Dalhousie University in Halifax, and working as a surveyor for two summers. However, by the time he was 20, music had become more than a hobby; "It came to me all at once that I was a musician, and my songwriting happened the same way. Now I Just do it." Some of Robbie's activities in his early years included: guitarist for CBC's Singalong Jubilee and director-arranger for The Privateers, a very popular Nova Scotia folk group. He also worked as guitarist for Anne Murray, John Allen Cameron and Ken Tobias, (another "graduate" of Singalong Jubilee). During the 1975-76 season he was the Musical Director for John Allen Cameron's weekly CTV television series, as well as producing an album for John Allan on Columbia Records. However, song writing was and remains Robbie's first love and his songs have been recorded by Anne Murray, Bob Ruzicka, Dianne Brooks, Bruce Murray,and Raffia. top
Dale Miller
Dale Miller is an excellent finger-picking guitarist specializing in ragtime, with a healthy dose of blues, a bit of jazz and even some classical thrown in. Dale began playing at 19 while still in university. He became serious about his music during the two years he spent in Peru with the Peace Corps. Since then, he has grown as a performer, both in technique and in musical arrangement. He teaches guitar, writes, and has recorded an artistically and commercially successful album, "Fingerpicking Delights", for Stephen Grossman's Kicking Mule Records. For excellent fingerpicking and some fine musical interpretation, don't miss Dale Miller. top
Rick Neufeld
Born and raised in rural Manitoba, Rick Neufeld was introduced to music by the Whitewater Mennonite Church Choir. Everyone has followed his rise to success which began in the late 1960's, when he penned the classic "Mary in the Morning" and "Moody Manitoba Morning" which gave birth to a repertoire of Manitoba and more generally Prairie Music. Rick has managed to reside in Manitoba and make his living at music. He has toured across Canada, playing numerous Festivals and clubs, gigs from coffee houses to the Grand Old Opry convention in Nashville. Rick has also appeared on numerous television and radio programs, including the CBC's "Touch the Earth." top
No Comhaile
No Comhaile (No Come-all-ya) is a dedicated group of musicians performing the traditional music of Ireland and Scotland. The band members, Dale Russ, Nick Voreas, Cohn Manahan, and Mike Saunders, are among the leading exponents of Irish music on the West Coast of America and they bring their own unique interpretations to this increasingly popular form of music. The members of No Comhaile provide entertainment with a great variety of musical instruments; fiddle, tin whistle, guitar, bodhran, flute, Anglo-German concertina, and five-string banjo, among others. Mike and Cohn were members of the group representing the United States at the Dundalk, Ireland World Folk Fiddling Championship in 1975, which took the prize for the best Quartet. In addition, they recorded programs of traditional music for Irish Radio. top
Odetta
Whether it is a spiritual song, folk tune, or the blues, Odetta's beautiful voice speaks with strength, simplicity, and warmth. But her music is more than a superb blending of voice with words; it is an expression of understanding humanity that has made her a vast influential force in our cultural life. She possesses a certain charisma, a human magnetism that opens the soul to deep feelings -- hope, understanding, compassion. Recipient of an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Human Letters, a Duke Ellington Fellowship at Yale, and one of America's outstanding ambassadors of music, Odetta is a very special person. top
Original Sloth Band
Chris Whiteley, Ken Whiteley, and Tom Evans first got together to play blues and jug band music over 13 years ago. They have persisted in that idiom, adding various forms of early jazz, gospel music, and "standards" to their repertoire which ranges from a capella to rhythm and blues. For the past couple of years they have worked with the rhythm section of Mike Gardner on string bass and vocals and Bill Bryans on drums. Between them they also play guitar, harmonica, trumpet, clarinet, soprano sax, piano, ukelele, mandolin, accordion, fiddle, jug, washboard, banjo and kazoo. They have recorded 3 albums, the most recent one featuring legendary Chicago pianist Blind John Davis on several cuts. top
Robert Paquette
The hero of Franco-Ontario music, Robert Paquette is a fifth generation Francophone from Sudbury. Most of his material is his own, some ingenious, but when he calls up an authentic traditional song, he sings it with dignity and fierce loyalty scarcely evident in the jocularity evident in most of his own material. He has appeared at many Festivals, both in Canada and in France, representing Ontario's French-speaking people. top
Colleen Peterson
Colleen Peterson was born in Peterborough, Canada and was raised in the Ottawa and Kingston areas of Ontario. She bought her first guitar with trading stamps when she was 13 years old. Her singing career began at Toronto's Riverboat Coffee House, well-known for launching the careers of many of Canada's finest singers. It was at the Riverboat, in 1966, that Colleen first made contact with Three's A Crowd, and began singing professionally with them at the Mariposa Folk Festival. In 1967 they entertained at the World's Fair in Montreal and Colleen left school, devoting all her energy to music. Colleen's music is steeped in folk and country idioms, but she has a diverse musical background that includes rock, blues, and even traces of jazz. She can sing her soul out on a blues number, follow it with a straight country hit (drawl and all) and then settle an audience right down into a comfortable groove with one of her own songs. Warm, sensitive singing, expressive guitar picking and sophisticated songwriting are the chief characteristics of this talented Canadian singer-songwriter. top
Faith Petric
"I was born and raised in the mountains of Northern Idaho and grew up on hymns, cowboy, country, and school book songs. In the 1930's came the Great Depression, the Spanish civil war, and social consciousness leading to topical, protest and revolutionary songs. The 1940's brought records: Huddie Leadbetter, Josh White, Burl Ives, John Jacob Niles, Richard Dyer-Bennett and Andrew Rowan Summers. And the more good songs one learns, the more there seems to be to learn, old and new; a repertoire just keeps expanding." A friend of Malvina Reynolds since the 1940's, Faith Petric probably knows and performs more of her songs than anyone else. We are proud to welcome Faith to the Vancouver Folk Music Festival to participate in the Malvina Reynolds workshop and share her music with us. top
U. Utah Philips
While the "Golden Voice of the Great Southwest" considers himself to be a rumour in his own time, others regard Utah Phillips to be a legend in the field of folk music. Proud of his outrageous puns, which flow unmercifully in conversation or in concert, Phillips has a magic that engages folks, whether he is reciting a terrible joke or singing "handmade songs" about his West, railroads, bums, or small towns. Among other things, he has had the experience of riding the rails in boxcars of freight trains that carry hobos from coast to coast. top
Pied Pear
This Vancouver-based group (formerly Pied Pumpkin) call their music, "A celebration of joy. . .a happening." "When we play a concert," says dulcimer player Rick Scott (Jumbuls), "we never know exactly what's going to happen: it all depends on the audience, and on us, and on what develops between us. Every time is different." According to piano, bass and guitar performer Joe Mock, "It doesn't start with notes on a piece of paper; it begins in the heart and grows with the energy of a situation, like love." This joyful duo needs no further introduction. They are known and loved by an ever-widening circle of fans. top
Red Clay Ramblers
There's no real name for the style of music the Red Clay Ramblers have developed, although it's based on old-time string band music, jazz, swing, and warp factor 9. They have a sophisticated sense of humor, incorporating their original material with traditional string band songs and carefully selected early pop music. Tommy Thompson on banjo, Jack Herrick on trumpet and bass harmonica, Mike Craver on piano, Jim Watson on mandolin, and Bill Hicks III on fiddle. top
Leon Redbone
Leon Redbone is an enigma, both musically and as a personality. His background is a mystery. He is apparently from some part of the United States, possibly from Shreveport, Louisiana, and his age is reputed to be anywhere from 25-? What is certain about Leon is that he has perfected his own style of ragtime guitar, specializing in music of the 20's and 30's. He adds kazoo and his own inimitable stage presence and style of singing to make a unique and enjoyable performance. Leon has worked festivals, concerts and clubs all over North America and will be a particular favourite in Vancouver. top
J. Rider Riley
Born on the northern prairies and raised on the west coast, Jim Riley strayed to wander the continent at an early age. With the exception of a few midnight buses, Jim travels by thumb and hobo rail, and the "University of Highway", where he claims to be a "Road Scholar" has led him around the North American Folk Scene for the past two years. Along the way he has taken on many an alias, including "Rider", by which he is known in some towns. An inspiring string of musicians, particularly an old beatnik, two weather beaten folksingers, and a classics professor, helped him find his way as a wandering minstrel. Jim plays the guitar and the banjo, and describes himself as a "loco local, traditional, contemporary and original musician, livin' the life of Riley." top
Jim Ringer
Jim Ringer has had a variety of occupations through the years, ranging from cook for a logging camp to furniture mover to operating engineer. He took up singing as a full time career in 1970, and has since recorded four albums, with material ranging from sweet, sad, sentimental songs and ballads passed down through his family, to contemporary country. Jim also sings his own special songs of the life he has lived and seen. top
Gamble Rogers
Gamble Rogers takes us through the American language like a highway winding through the backwaters of the coastal South to the Ozarks of Arkansas. A singer-poet-writer-musician who denies any category, except perhaps that of folksinger, he laces his stories and songs with ten-dollar words and paints a verbal picture of his southern experiences and caricatures. Describing these stories, Gamble says "The story is like a Christmas tree, and my job is to hang ornaments on it." He admires Samuel Clemens as the greatest standup comedian in American humour. An excellent Travis-style picker, Gamble uses music to enhance the tone of his own forms of American humour. top
Stan Rogers
Stan Rogers belongs to the genre of the folk-poet. His styles range from easy and mellow to dynamic and dramatic, and his voice has been described as powerful, smooth, and self-controlled. With his brother Garnet (violin, flute, guitar), Stan Rogers has covered thousands of miles as a performer. Stan's debut album, "Fogarty's Cove" has been followed by his recently released "Turnaround". Among things that he is famous for, Stan's parrot jokes have been banned in Boston. top
Bob Ruzicka
Over the past half dozen years, Bob Ruzicka has recorded six albums of original material, written and performed music for dozens of radio and television documentaries, including many on Canada's North. Regular T.V. performances include major variety shows such as Tyson, Prophet, Tommy Hunter, Tommy Banks, ACTRA Awards, and Peter Gzowski. Ruzicka's songs have been recorded by over twenty-five artists; notably Valdy, George Hamilton IV, Judy Collins, and Anne Murray. Last year Ruzicka hosted his own National T.V. series In which he featured songwriters and performers from all over Canada. He has performed at both the Winnipeg and Faro folk festivals. Ruzicka and his family live on a farm on Vancouver Island where he practices as a specialist in children's dentistry. top
Claudia Schmidt
Claudia Schmidt is a native of the U.S. Midwest--Wisconsin to be exact. From ages four to sixteen her main musical experience was singing in church and secular choirs. Then she fell in love with folk music, learned guitar, dulcimer, and more recently, penny whistle, bandura, and a lovely bowed and plucked instrument called a pianolin. Her repertoire has grown to include many of her songs as well as other contemporary and traditional music. Claudia's musical ability and energy are extremely contagious, as audiences all over the U.S. and Canada have discovered during the past five years she has spent on the North American folk circuits. top
Len Udow
Len Udow was born in Winnipeg and has travelled through coffee houses and clubs all across the country. A few years ago, Len made the trek to Toronto (in the grand style of all Canadians who want to make it big) and hasn't looked back yet. He is a versatile, accomplished guitarist and piano player who composes and arranges most of his own music. As a performer, Len is also blessed with one of those clear vibrant voices that always seem larger than life. If the eager reception awarded him by last year's Winnipeg Festival is any indication, Len promises to be a highlight of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival this year. top
Rosalie Sorrels
In the 60s Rosalie Sorrels hit the road and has been travelling ever since. She says, "I do not recommend it. it's a lousy way to make a living." But she says, "I'd rather sing than eat." She has created her own style by mastering an amazing spectrum of other styles. She writes and unearths the most amazing songs you've ever heard. The music is intense, emotional, and very human. top
Mike Seeger & Alice Gerrard
Mike Seeger and Alice Gerrard sing and play the traditional music of the Appalachian south, as well as some of the songs and tunes they have written. Between them they play banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, autoharp, mouth harp, pan pipes, jews harp, spoons and fiddlesticks. Their music spans a stylistic period from the earliest unaccompanied singing to duet and string band sounds, and more modern country sounds. Mike collects, performs, and is a proponent of the country and traditional music of the United States. He has field recorded 20 LP's of traditional music for Folkways Records. He has appeared at all the major folk festivals and has performed widely abroad and at home as a member of the New Lost City Ramblers, the Strange Creek Singers, and by himself. In 1958 he won first prize in the banjo category at Galax, Virginia. Alice is one of the growing number of women who have absorbed and transformed a musical tradition. Originally from California, she is a member of the Alice and Hazel Duet (Alice Gerrard and Hazel Dickens) and the Strange Creek Singers. She writes songs and occasionally country music articles for magazines and newspapers, has recorded 3 LP's with Hazel Dickens for Verve/Folkways, Folkways and Rounder Records, and 1 LP with the Strange Creek Singers for Arhoolie Records. In 1974 she won first prize in the old-time banjo category at the Kent State Folk Festival in Ohio. top
Roosevelt Sykes
Roosevelt Sykes, better known as "the Honeydripper", is a piano player in the classic barrelhouse tradition. Born in Arkansas, Mr. Sykes began his career in the barrelhouse or juke joints in the 20's, developing the hard driving style which distinguishes his playing today. He made his first recordings in 1929 and has since played and recorded all over Europe and North America. There is an excitement about him which is very contagious. He takes over any stage he is on, stomping and singing while the piano responds to his every whim. Thanks are due to him for taking blues and making it come alive for a whole new generation. Mr. Sykes now lives and works in New Orleans. An excellent entertainer with a fund of stories from his colourful past, his latest records can be found on the Delmark label. top
Phil Thomas
Phil Thomas was born in British Columbia and has lived here all his life. When, as a teacher Phil was looking for ways to illustrate the social and economic history of the province he turned to folk songs. He became an expert on the folk songs of British Columbia and has collected songs orally in most parts of B.C.'s vast area. Five hundred items from this valuable collection are on tape in the Aural History Division of the Provincial Archives in Victoria. Phil sings the songs he has collected, usually accompanying himself on the five-string banjo or guitar. A founding and honorary member of the Vancouver Folk Song Society, he is concerned with the spread of awareness and enjoyment of folk music. Many local musicians have been greatly aided by his research and advice. A book containing some sixty songs from Phil's collection, entitled Songs at the Pacific Northwest, is to be published late this fall by Hancock House. top
Jay & Lyn Ungar
Philo recorded artists Jay and Lyn have been playing old-time music for several years and have been at most of the major folk festivals. They present an interesting combination of traditional and original material. Jay has worked as part of David Bromberg's band and is an excellent fiddler. He also plays mandolin and guitar. Lyn has a beautiful voice -- to match some of her powerful songs. They live in upstate New York, and used to be part of both the Putnam County String Band and the Putnam String County Band. top
Jud Strunk
From a log cabin in Maine to a television studio on the west coast; from a campfire on the prairies to a sailboat in the South Seas, Jud Strunk continues to travel and entertain audiences of all ages. Jud is a welcome participant in the humour workshop during the daytime programming here, and we are sure you will enjoy his cowboy songs. top
Tam Lin
Tam Lin performs mainly traditional songs and tunes of the British Isles--songs of love, work, war and social comment. There are ballads, too, and sea shanties with lots of choruses to join in--it's really quite wonderful. The group was formed In 1977 by four Vancouver musicians all of whom had been part of the traditional group "Corn Riggs". Clockwise, starting at the top, they are Ross McRae, Geoff Parker, Dee Murphy, and Lorraine Helgerson --friends of Folk music, every one. top
Graham Townsend
"The best damn fiddler in Canada"-- that's how fiddle contest regulars describe Graham Townsend, a winner of so many championships that he no longer competes, appearing now at contests as a featured guest performer who inspires new contenders to do their best for Canada's great folk art. Graham's knowledge of folk fiddle styles is immense; his record library of fiddle music holds over 800 albums. His recording, "The Great Canadian Fiddle", has been called the finest fiddle album ever made. top
Valdy
A child of the city, Ottawa, Valdy sings to a generation of people mortified by the ravages of progress, who are reaching out for what they feel is the last citadel of sanity, the country. He has discovered a unique way of communicating with his listeners and soothing the anxieties created by modern urban environments. Valdy became known across Canada with his first single record, "Rock and Roll Song," which won a Moffatt award for the best record of the year. top
Peter Paul Van Camp
Peter Paul, the performing poet, is possibly the most prolific person presently performing. Toting a tome of voluminous verse (not just paltry portions of puny pentameter), he nattily navigates a capricious course through these troubled times. Van Camp reads aloud!!! Spurning the spotlight of spurious circumstance, renouncing the rabid, rapacious world of sham and shame, he wisely wanders worldwide. Fortunately he favors folk festivals-- our fabulous friend--Peter Paul Van Camp top
Rick Van Krugel
Rick van Krugel is a musician's musician who has been playing mandolin since 1968. His extensive background in blues, country, and old-time music prepared him well for his career as Vancouver's first landlord-street musician. His outstanding accompaniment skills have made him immensely popular and have led to performances and jam sessions with the Acme Jug Band, Casey Burke, Dianne Campbell, Flying Mountain, the Golden Age Minstrels, John Hammond, Pat Hernon, Doug Kershaw, Mississippi Fred MacDoweli, the Mountainaires, the New Era Indo-European-Nipponese-Calypso Space Band, the members of Pied Pumpkin, Randy Rain, Thom Roberts, Solid Comfort, Valdy and Marianne Grittani, Tim Williams, and others. In addition, he has recorded with Casey Burke, Pat Hernon, John Laughlin, the Mountainaires, and Solid Comfort. top
Josh White Jr.
Josh White Jr. is no newcomer to the stage. From a musical background, he has developed into a fine singer and performer. He will be appearing both in concert and workshop over the weekend. We know you will enjoy him. top
David Wiffen
David Wiffen is one of the best of Canada's contemporary songwriters. He's been doing it for years, even before he, Bruce Cockburn and Colleen Peterson worked as 3's a Crowd back in Ottawa ten years ago. His songs have been recorded by Anne Murray, Tom Rush, Jerry Jeff Walker and Ian and Sylvia to name a few. He wrote "More Often Than Not" for instance. David has become something of a legend among folk audiences. . . heard about but rarely heard. We're happy to have him to inaugurate the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. top
Kate Wolf
A native Californian, Kate Wolf has spent her most recent years in Sonoma County (about 70 miles north of San Francisco) in the company of "Back to the land-ers" who experienced the loneliness of rural life and rediscovered the meaning of small community living as a matter of survival rather than idealism. Her songs often reflect this Sonoma county lifestyle, as well as her love for old-time country and American folk music. Nonetheless, whether singing of Sonoma or the often cast aside values of urban life a genuine and honest concern with human reality shines through. As a result, Kate has become a popular performer in Northern California, where she has long been known as a singer, songwriter, folk festival organizer, and radio DJ. top
Winston Wuttunee
Born on the Red Pheasant Reserve in Saskatchewan, Winston Wuttunee is director of music at the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural College in Saskatoon, and a fine folksinger. His music reflects a strong love for the Native past and an unbreakable faith in the future for the Indian people. Winston represents a brilliant facet of the folk music spectrum and the Vancouver Folk Music Festival is proud to include him in our program. top
Robin Williamson & His Merry Band
Robin Williamson, born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, grew up steeped in border Scots lore, ballads, and traditional Scots and Irish music, and his interests rapidly expanded to include jazz, classical, Oriental, African, and European folk music. Moving from Scotland to California in the Fall of 1974, he has been seeking with the able assistance of his Merry Band to create a contemporary Celtic music in America using the old instruments in a new way. Robin founded his Merry Band in June 1976, getting together first with Sylvia Woods, and later with Chris Caswell and Jerry McMillan. Sylvia, a native of Southern California, started classical harp in her late teens and performed with local orchestras; but for some years now she has been devoting her abilities to Celtic harp. Chris, also a native Californian, played Scots drums in pipe bands at the age of 7; later took up bagpipes and now builds a line of Caswell harps, as well as playing the penny whistle, flute, bodhran and accordion. Jerry, a New Yorker of Scots ancestry, started playing the viola at the age of 10. He later developed an interest in Celtic music and picked up the fiddle. Robin seeks to utilize the versatility and talents of each band member in arranging the evocative sounds of these instruments in a contemporary context. top
Western Broom and Wooden Ware
Western Broom and Wooden Ware is a group of four B.C. musicians: Laurie Postans, Sharon Postans, Bill Stamps and Judy Stamps. Their repertoire is mainly traditional and includes Canadian, Quebecois, Appalachian and songs and tunes from the British Isles. They also do contemporary political and women's songs. They accompany themselves on fiddle, flute, guitar, banjo, whistle, mouth harp, tambourine and washboard. You can hear them regularly as the resident band at the Green Cove Coffee House. top