Concerts__    

Jeff Martell--Acoustic Groove

Born some thousand years ago, Jeff has spent the intervening centuries perfecting the lost arts of acoustic music. Performing in a variety of venues throughout the east, Jeff has demonstrated time and time again the amazing breadth and scope of his musical abilities. He is at home with Bluegrass flat picking, blues, reggae , and rock and roll as well as traditional and modern folk. Jeff weaves a spell around his audience with driving guitar, blistering harmonica and a voice that can only be described as heart stopping. In this age of cookie cutter clones and MTV culture, it is truly refreshing to hear an original voice. Jeff also writes great songs and is not afraid to pick on a few sacred cows.

A blend of traditional and contemporary American and Celtic folk music.

Pat and Tex LaMountain

Contemporary and Original Acoustic Harmony.

Boys of the Landfill

Bluegrass and beyond!

Michael Nix

Classical Guitar and Classical Seven String Banjo  Michael Nix and the Pioneer Consort- Michael Nix, Banjar (Classical 7 string banjo guitar), and guitar; Chris Devine, violin; and Greg Snedeker, cello. The Pioneer Consort explores the creative relationship between improvised and composed music in a high energy juxtaposition of Latin dances, jazz, ragtime, classical and original compositions.
"Nix's work is... breathtakingly beautiful to hear." --Peter Mix, "Acoustic Musician" 

Michael Nix performs on the seven string Banjar, an instrument he has designed, which combines elements of the classical five string banjo and the classical guitar. The Banjar's seven high tension nylon strings sound somewhat like a cross between the banjo and guitar or lute. Nix combines lyrical expression with an insatiable musical curiosity to forge an intriguing performance style incorporating various styles and textures drawn from classical guitar and banjo, jazz, blues, folk. He has performed throughout the United States and Asia, and won awards and grants for his work.

Contemporary Folk singer/songwriter with a strong voice and thought provoking lyrics.

Stephanie Marshall:   Her debut CD Reality is an innovative mix of folk with a touch of country. Her reflective lyrics and engaging performances connects you to the honesty of her songs.

Joe Graveline

Singer, guitar stylist

Genre-bending folk artist

A Genre-bending folk artist with a beautifully haunting voice, this singer/songwriter and published poet from western Massachusetts has released two albums, "when I left loss" and "Love Flows Like the Blood
of a River", both featuring her unusual textured keyboard style and spoken word. Graduate of Berklee College of Music and winner of several ASCAP awards, she tours regularly, played at major art festivals around the country and opened for such artists as John Gorka, Cheryl Wheeler, Connie Kaldor, Brooks Williams, Lori McKenna
and Dana Cooper"Folk fans should take note, as well as those that like classical music, and Tori Amos." (Tampa Tribune) "With the soul and lyrics of a true poet, Laura Siersema will tug at your heart with her words and her voice. ..an acoustic craftsman, a wordsmith whose verses are real-life vignettes that could be paintings
on a wall." (Indie-Music)  "She sounds like a young Judy Collins, but don't expect traditional fare from this young singer-songwriter..." (Sing Out!)

Russ Thomas

Tunes That Amuse and Surprise.

Warm, witty, sensitive, articulate, eclectic, versatile, unpredictable, occasionally irreverent, Russ Thomas has entertained audiences from California to Switzerland, playing in intimate coffee-house settings and
to festival crowds of 8,000. "Patchwork," his CD of original songs reached #1 in sales by local artists for five weeks, according to the Valley Advocate. Garrison Keillor performed Russ's "New Birthday Song" on his popular NPR show. Russ has written and recorded jingles for commercial radio and cable TV and has been active for social causes, performing at the State House in Boston at an affordable-health-care rally and at various events in
support of sustainable energy and non-violence. Russ's original work draws from the entire spectrum of emotions, leading listeners often to laugh and cry at successive songs. His goal is to heal, encourage, unite, educate, and entertain, in that order.

Seven Mile Line

Seven Mile Line is a bluegrass foursome known for high-energy shows guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Our repertoire is wide,  
including classic traditional numbers, barroom blues, instrumentals and gospel songs. With a special emphasis on driving rhythms and  
heartfelt harmonies, we know our unique arrangements of the songs you  love will keep you comin' back for more. We love to make music, and it
shows!

Tom Carroll

Contemporary Folk, singer, songwriter

" Canto for Kids" is Laurie Davidson and Tom Carroll, an interactive program of music for children in
English and Spanish

 Kathy and George Chapman

 Kathy and George Chapman perform a mix of acoustic original and contemporary music. Once part of the trio Limited Edition, now they are performing as a duo in and around the Pioneer Valley and beyond.

Katie Clarke and Charlie Conant

Katie Clarke and Charlie Conant mix traditional old-time, country and bluegrass numbers with
their distinctive contemporary originals.  Katie's big voice backed by Charlie's dobro guitar and
vocal work has earned them a solid reputation as a crowd-pleasers able to navigate the territories of
folk, country, gospel, bluegrass and old time music without sounding
derivative.  On the heels of their new release "Wrap Me in Green," Katie and Charlie  look forward to
performing at the Energy Park again this summer.

Roland LaPierre:

Roland Lapierre is a songwriter from Greenfield, and twice a finalist in WRSI's annual songwriting contest. Roland's songs blend a mix of Country, Rock and Roll, and traditional roots music with a touch of Twang. Roland has played guitar for many local bands, including The Rewinders, The Rocky Knoll Band, and The Hilltones, along with some of the other COOP musicians. He is currently working with a group to provide back-up and vocals to his original tunes. Roland says that writing a good song can still make him feel as excited as it did when he was 16. It's not about money or fame, it's about creating something that has meaning for you and hopefully for whoever is out there listening as well.  

The Ambiguities’

The Ambiguities’ sound is hard to pin down, making attempts to categorize it ambiguous at best. Daniel Oppenheimer, in The Valley 

Advocate described their music as “eccentric, cerebral, and eerily beautiful.”  Of their debut album he wrote: “If Beck had more of 

an Apocalyptic bent, he might produce a record that sounds something like this.” April Boyle wrote in Northeast Performer that their songs are 

“intricately orchestrated  pieces that require several spins to fully appreciate their complexity...there’re always new things to hear.”

The current Ambiguous ensemble, lead singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter Daniel Hales, bassist Leo Hwang-Carlos, keyboard player and 

vocalist Carrie Ferguson, drummer Steven Freiman and harmony vocalist Hilary Weiner, came together in 2004. Based in a Greenfield, MA 

basement, The Ambiguities continue to “rock and unrock...audiences  throughout the Pioneer Valley”(Bill Waltz, Conduit magazine) and 

 are hard at work on their forthcoming disk, Invitation To The Voyage. 

Julia lives in Western Massachusetts and has been performing her original songs in concerts, clubs, on radio and TV for twenty years. Julia has opened in concert for various artists including Natilie Merchant, 10,000 Maniacs, Ellen McIlwaine, Cathy Winter, and many more. This is what people have had to say about Julia's work: Brighter Road, her third album "is one of the most powerful and courageous recordings ever by an area artist." David Sokol, music editor Spfld Advocate, 1993.
"Her vocals could make the classifieds sound inspirational." John Reily, Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Falltown String Band

The Falltown String Band is now in its twentieth consecutive year of existence.  It is a rather loose network of community-based and community-minded musicians, none of whom was ever foolish enough to give up their day job to play music full time.  Our repertoire borrows from several traditions, all of them unique to North America:  New England country dance; Quebecois; Celtic-American; Old-time; Appalachian; Gospel; New Orleans Jazz; and Blues.  Its technical name is American Roots music, but we try not to be technical.  We are primarily a string band, but had enough good sense to realize that Sue Shedd and her flute were an invaluable addition.  We now play at the only surviving Eastern singing-call square dance series in Western Massachusetts, second Saturdays of the month at the Goshen, MA town hall.

Jenny Goodspeed

Jenny Goodspeed combines beautifully crafted lyrics, evocative chord progressions, and sweeping melodies to create delicious literate folk-pop.   In her brand new CD, "Under the Ash Tree", Jenny draws on influences from 70's era singer/songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Bruce Cockburn as she explores the intricacies of love and longing all the while informed by the surrounding New England landscape.

Michael Orlen

New to the Greenfield area, Michael Orlen is a singer/songwriter, graduate of Boston's 

"Charles Street music scene" of the late 60's....expect anything
from ballads to bluegrass to ragtime.....