NOTE: Coffee and Souls has been on hiatus for the fall of 2007 (the staff is taking a well deserved break!). We are planning a couple of shows for the spring of 2008 -- we'll keep you posted on who's coming and when just as soon as we get it nailed down.

Here are the shows we presented in 2006-07:

• Slaid Cleaves
  Saturday, September 9, 2006 
  (Adam Carroll opening)
  
  

• Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez
  Saturday, October 21, 2006
  (Katie Clarke Trio opening)
  

• Bill Morrissey
  Saturday, November 18, 2006
  (Jennie McAvoy opening)
  

• Herdman, Hills and Mangsen, 
  "Voices of Winter"
  Saturday, December 2, 2006
  
  

• CD Release Concert with 
  Pat Humphries and Sandy O
  Saturday, April 21, 2007
  
  

• Special Sunday Coffee and Soul 
  with Dana and Susan Robinson
  Sunday, April 22, 2007

• Jim Scott with 
  the Dan Tinen, Ferne Bork, Bruce Kahn Trio
  Saturday, May 26, 2007

Tickets for all shows go on sale on July 15, 2006. All shows begin at 7:30 PM. The sanctuary opens for seating at 7:00 PM. 

For directions to the church, click on "Directions" on the left side navigation bar.

Contact:
Diane Dix (413) 773-5018
music@uugreenfield.org
or
coffeeandsoul@yahoo.com

Slaid performed on the Coffee & Soul stage in April 2004 and the show was a sellout! We're thrilled to have him back to open our 2006-07 season.

Slaid Cleaves’ music is marked by both the quirky blend of isolated eccentricity and steely resilience of his Yankee upbringing and the weathered soul of Texas, the state he has called home for over a decade now. First registering on the national folk scene by winning the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk competition in 1992, Cleaves released his national debut No Angel Knows (Philo/Rounder) in 1997, following a string of self-released albums and many nights logged in folk clubs as both a performer and a soundman. Met with effusive critical praise, No Angel Knows was followed by Broke Down (Philo/Rounder) in 2000, which expanded his audience exponentially by virtue of its exceedingly well-crafted songs and rugged Gurf Morlix production. In addition to the title track, a Rod Picott collaboration that won Song of the Year at the Austin Music Awards in 2001, Broke Down featured a couple of interpretations of other writers’ songs prefiguring Slaid’s later work, including a poignant reading of fellow Austinite Karen Poston’s "Lydia." 

Following Broke Down came 2004’s Wishbones (Philo/Rounder), a richly detailed exploration of life’s darker corners where still a ray of hope somehow shines. Wishbones climbed to the top of the Americana Radio chart coming in at #1 for 2004 while Slaid toured relentlessly promoting the album. It was after the recording of Wishbones that Cleaves began to consider the endeavor that became his new recording Unsung. "Over the years," Cleaves explains, "as I grew as a songwriter, my songs began to make up the bulk of my sets. But I continued to throw in the odd song by a hero or friend, both in my shows and on the records I made. I did that partly out of tribute to my influences, but also to give my set, or album, some context and some variety." These are songs from the songwriter trenches – compositions Cleaves first heard at late-night song-swaps, open-mic nights, during downtime at recording sessions, and on modest self-released CDs. Thanks to the work of producers David Henry and Rod Picott (a long-time Cleaves cohort and fellow Mainer), the performances and backdrops on Unsung are as evocative and captivating as the songs themselves. Cleaves’ gifts as an interpreter are such that the line between singer and song vanish completely. 
 
"One of the finest singer-songwriters in Texas."
— Neil Strauss, The New York Times 

"The beguiling (Slaid) Cleaves has fashioned a timeless yet fresh sound rooted in the best storytelling tradition of the great singer-songwriter."
— Chicago Sun-Times

www.slaidcleaves.com

Opening for Slaid is Adam Carroll. Adam was born and raised in Texas, a state that has produced more than a few singer/songwriters with an uncanny ability to read the souls and touch the hearts of their listeners. With Far Away Blues, his debut album for Blue Corn Music, Adam Carroll joins the short list of down- home storytellers able to take the everyday events of ordinary lives and turn them into deeply moving, and often quite humorous, songs. Far Away Blues is more introspective, and more cohesive than his previous albums, but it has the same melodic invention and commanding poetic voice that earned South of Town and Lookin' Out the Screen Door nationwide rave reviews and considerable airplay. Carroll is already a major artist in Texas; Far Away Blues is sure to take that buzz nationwide.

"Adam Carroll might be peddling short stories to the New Yorker today had he not fallen into a rock n' roll fantasy, namely the notion that he could get girls with a guitar. He's not saying if it worked, but literature's loss is music's gain. Carroll's keen observations of the commonplace yield characters as familiar as the next cab driver, or the guy slinging suds in the coffee shop kitchen. With marvelous economy, the former student of poetry and creative writing imparts a vital sense of character and motivation, like, say, Faulkner or Steinbeck, or, for that matter, Guy Clark."

- Linda Ray, No Depression

"With song pacing and a voice reminiscent of John Prine and an active imagination and slightly twisted sense of humor that likely has the ghost of Townes Van Zandt smiling from the clouds, Carroll is making marks on the international troubadour road."

- Jim Beal Jr., San Antonio Express-News

www.adamcarroll.com

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Adam Carroll
website

Saturday, October 21, 2006, 7:30 PM 
Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez
Katie Clarke Trio opening

Chip and Carrie performed for Coffee & Soul in November 2005, and we're thrilled they are returning!

"If names like Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson and Townes Van Zandt mean anything to you, you should make a point of discovering Chip Taylor. Whether you know it or not, he's earned his way into that exalted company."

- Anthony DeCurtis, CD NOW

TO CALL CHIP TAYLOR'S LIFE AN INCREDIBLE STORY IS ALMOST AN UNDERSTATEMENT. As a songwriter, Taylor has hit the charts in five decades now. He wrote "Wild Thing," one of the primary songs of the rock'n'roll canon since it was a #1 hit for The Troggs in 1966. His song "Angel of the Morning" has been a hit for Merilee Rush, Juice Newton and most recently Shaggy, whose chart-topping version earned Taylor the status of having the longest span of #1 hits in music history. As No Depression magazine noted,"Maybe somebody else has had cuts by Jimi Hendrix, Frank Sinatra and Willie Nelson, but it's got to be a pretty elite club." Taylor has also been a spectacularly successful professional gambler, as well as a recording artist and producer of such acts as the young James Taylor (no relation) and pop superstar Neil Diamond. He was an integral part of the bustling New York pop songwriting scene in its 1960s Brill Building heyday, one of the pioneers of the progressive country style that was the grandfather of today's alternative country movement, and is today a respected elder statesman of the singer-songwriter scene. But for Taylor, what's next has always been more important than the past. 

And with his release on Lone Star Records, Let's Leave This Town, Taylor creates some of the most exciting and impressive music of his life. Not only is the CD one of his strongest and most assured sets of music in an acclaimed career - his 1973 album Last Chance was hailed in Rolling Stone as one of that year's best - but it also introduces a stunning new talent in fiddler and now singer Carrie Rodriguez. 

When Taylor first saw Rodriguez play at the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, TX in 2001, he was not only wowed by the brilliance he heard in her playing, but also sensed a magical presence. He invited her to join him on some subsequent shows in Texas, and then a tour of Europe. During that tour, he invited Rodriguez, who had never sung lead before, to step up to the microphone and sing. The audiences went wild. Inspired by her way with a song, Taylor teamed up with Rodriguez to create a dynamic duet album. It was cut with folk scene stalwarts John McGann (guitar) and Jim Whitney (upright bass) as well as noted drummer Dave Mattacks (Fairport Convention, Richard & Linda Thompson), augmented by Taylor's frequent accompanist John Platania (known for his work with Van Morrison) on guitar as well as string quartets. Mixing superb songcraft with musical and vocal excellence, Let's Leave This Town is a country-folk gem on which the veteran and the newcomer shine together brightly. 

Chip's first solo recording in 5 years, the two-CD set Unglorious Hallelujah/Red Red Rose will be released on July 18th. Carrie's first solo recording, Seven Angels on a Bicycle (produced by both Chip and Carrie, who also co-wrote most of the songs) will be released August 15th. 

www.trainwreckrecords.com

The Katie Clarke Trio opens for Chip and Carrie. Katie Clarke, a Conway based singer and songwriter, has been singing for the past few years with Franklin County's much-loved Conway Traditions. After several years of writing her own material, she has been working with Greenfield native Charlie Conant (dobro, vocals) and Conway's Matt Gravel (mandolin, vocals) playing a mix of traditional old-time, country, gospel and bluegrass numbers peppered with more contemporary covers and originals. The cornerstone of their dynamic sound is their focus on harmony vocals, and they have been wowing audiences with their crisp and eclectic mix of American roots music at cafes, festivals, clubs, parties and events around Massachusetts and Vermont. Katie and her band have just recorded a CD of Katie's original songs at Signature Sounds Studio and are busily planning a full summer to support it.

 Katie Clarke Trio

Tickets also available 2 weeks in advance at the following locations:
World Eye Bookshop, Greenfield or call the church at 413-773-5018. 

Singer/songwriter and native New Englander Bill Morrissey helped redefine the American folk culture at the end of the 20th century and tours the world telling rich and compelling tales about the lives of everyday people. His astute lyrical gifts and graceful, understated melodies have put him on festival stages across the world; into theatres, concert halls, and coffeehouses; garnered him critical acclaim from magazines, authors, and music peers; and have earned him two Grammy nominations. 

Since 1984, Morrissey has released a series of albums of original songs that have startled and delighted the following he's built up in touring around the Northeast. By the second one, North, he'd been picked up by the Philo division of Rounder Records. Morrissey sings in a surprisingly flexible deep voice (somewhat reminiscent of Leon Redbone's croak, but more supple). His songs are full of humor and pathos, expressed in keenly observed details. This is small-town life, sometimes desperate, sometimes hopeful, but always presented in new, unexpected ways on releases including 1989's Standing Eight, 1992's Inside, 1994's Night Train, and 1996's You'll Never Get to Heaven. Something I Saw or Thought I Saw continued that tradition in 2001. (William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide)

Morrissey's most recent recording is the 2004 release, The Essential Collection, which features many of his best known songs. 

www.billmorrissey.net

Local favorite Jennie McAvoy opens the show. A talented singer in the folk tradition, Jennie McAvoy plays Celtic, English and American songs of love won and lost, many from her recent CD So Long on the Flood. According to Brooks Williams (who often collaborates with her on stage), her music "combines the magic of the traditional ballad singer with the intimacy of the folk-chanteuse." 

www.jenniemcavoy.com

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Bill Morrissey
website

Jennie McAvoy
website

The trio of Priscilla Herdman, Anne Hills and Cindy Mangsen entrances audiences from fireside to concert hall with an evening of fresh enriching music, perfect for a season that asks us to listen to our ancestors, to our traditions, to our hearts and to each other.

These three talented women joined forces in 1987 while working on Priscilla's Darkness Into Light recording. The unique blend of their voices encouraged them toward additional collaboration on festival and cocert hall stages. Enthusiastic responses from audiences around the country culminated in the recording of their first album Voices (1990, Flying Fish Records).

Though the album met with critical acclaim, their busy solo careers made only occasional trio performances possible. In 1996 the trio decided to create a more formal program that would allow them to tour for three weeks out of each year.

Their second release, Voices of Winter, was recorded live during that tour and released the subsequent Fall (Gadfly Records). It instantly became a favorite seasonal recording of public radio stations across the country.

Called a "genuine folk super-group" by The Boston Globe, separately and together they have garnered countless accolades and awards from radio, press and concert presenters both within and outside the folk community. Their musical alliance has served to bring their collective vocal talents to an even larger and more diverse audience.

Priscilla, Anne and Cindy bring intricate arrangements to newly found musical treasures with an art-song vocal styling that crosses the boundaries of folk and classical music. Their empathy in performance is near telepathic, and the magic of a Herdman, Hills, Mangsen show engages people of all ages and musical backgrounds.

The trio headed into the studio in August of 2000 to record their third collaborative effort. At the Turning of the Year includes old and new songs exploring the cycle of the seasons.

They were honored to be included in a tribute album, Seeds: The Songs of Pete Seeger, volume 3 released by Appleseed Recordings in the Fall of 2003. They recorded a version of Pete's song "River of My People" for the 2-CD set, which also includes songs and commentary by Pete himself, and versions of his songs sung by many of his friends, including Pat Humphries, Magpie, John McCutcheon, and Tom Paxton.

www.compassrosemusic.com/trio.html

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Herdman, Hills 
and Mangsen
website

Ferne Bork, Dan Tinen
and Bruce Kahn Trio

"The epitome of great, contemporary political music" - Sing Out

In May 2002, NPR's All Things Considered featured the story of an underground "folk anthem" that was 'everywhere,' despite its having no commercial airplay and no major label, or even moderate-sized indie label, support. The song was "Swimming to the Other Side," by activist musician and award-winning songwriter, Pat Humphries. The NPR segment included interviews with Pat and folk legend, Pete Seeger, who said, "The powers that be can control the media (but) it's hard to stop a good song . . . Pat's songs will be sung well into the 22nd century." The response from NPR listeners was tremendous and unprecedented. In addition to emails that flooded Pat's and NPR's inboxes, so many people ordered "Hands" that it was the #1 seller on Amazon.com for three days--outselling Eminem's just-released live recording, and every other rock and pop artist. There is hope! 

Called the "true spirit-child of Woody Guthrie," Pat Humphries brings her powerful, singable songs to concert halls, coffeehouses, festivals, conferences and demonstrations across the country. Pat has traveled twice to Cuba as part of the Pastors for Peace Caravans and was part of a women's delegation that included author, Margaret Randall, to observe the 1996 Nicaraguan elections. In addition to performing at local and national demonstrations, Pat has written music and advocated for migrant farmworkers in New York State, the Refugee Women's Network in Atlanta, United Students Against Sweatshops and the School of the Americas Watch.

Pat's much acclaimed anthems, "Keep on Moving Forward (Never Turning Back)," "Common Thread," and "Swimming to the Other Side," are sung at peace and justice events around the world and have been translated into 7 languages. The U.N. Fourth Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995, opened with "Keep on Moving Forward" and "Common Thread" has been chosen as the theme song of the NYC Labor Chorus.

Pat is now performing with her partner, Sandy Opatow, who adds exquisite vocals, guitar playing and songwriting. Pat and Sandy were in the process of moving to the Washington DC area from New York City when the events of September 11th, 2001, occurred. Since then, Pat Humphries & Sandy O. have been performing at concerts, teach-ins and rallies, including leading 10,000 people in NYC singing their song "Peace, Salaam, Shalom," less than a month after September 11th and again at a peace vigil in NYC on the first anniversary. The duo's songs, including "CodePINK," written for the CodePINK Women's Vigil for Peace, have been featured on Pacifica Radio's "Democracy Now!" with Amy Goodman.

Pat's singing has been described as "spellbinding" and Kathyrn LaMar of the San Francisco Folk Magazine said about "Hands", "Every single song is full of heart, soul, and verve, and I still can't listen to the whole thing without crying while trying to sing along--a sign of a true masterpiece."

www.emmasrevolution.com

Ticket Prices:
Adult - $15.00 advance, $18.00 at the door. 
A service fee of $1.00 will be added to each ticket ordered online.

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website

Acclaimed acoustic guitarist Jim Scott will perform an evening of his songs of peace, and the environment at Coffee & Soul on Saturday, May 26th. With insight and more than a little humor, Scott makes his case for harmony in the world with a jazz / world folk music styling and some great guitar technique in accompaniment.

Admission is $10 at the door.

Known to many as the voice on the Paul Winter Consort's "Common Ground," Scott's musical output runs from lyrical songs, and instrumentals, to choral compositions. He has performed in the company of luminaries of the jazz and folk worlds. Pete Seeger said of Jim's guitar virtuosity "(Jim is) some kind of a magician." Paul Winter said of his long time collaborator "His music sings of the life spirit."

His most recent project has been compiling The Earth and Spirit Songbook, an anthology of songs of earth and peace and he has added many of these songs to his concert repertoire. From this widely varied background, Scott considers himself a contemporary folk artist in the sense that folk music represents people with a positive and hopeful spirit. "Folk follows a long tradition of social commentary," Scott says. "It's the voice of the people. That's what I like to think I'm representing."

HIs musical, The Tree and Me, has been staged at colleges in New York and Michigan. He also performs for kids and has written songs with elementary school classes. His Big and Little Stuff - Songs for Kids" marks his 5th recording of original songs released on CD. He's taught at numerous colleges, including Oberlin College in Ohio, and conducted workshops throughout the country.

"My messages are of ecology and social conscience, but also of optimism," Scott says. "I believe in the power of song and self-expression for change."

www.jimscottsongs.com

Jim will be joined by special guests and local favorites the Dan Tinen, Ferne Bork and Bruce Kahn Trio. 

Admission is $10 at the door.

Jim Scott
website

Dan Tinen, Ferne Bork, 
Bruce Kahn Trio

2005/2006 Shows:
September: Vance Gilbert
October: Tracy Grammer and Jim Henry
November: Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez
March: Celtic and Bluegrass Concert with Conway Traditions, Spancill Hill and Jennie McAvoy
April: Modern Man with the Jazz Beat Blues Poetry Ensemble

2004/2005 Shows:
September: The Stone Coyotes
October: Kate Taylor, John Coster, Joel Zoss
November: Sonya Kitchell Band
January: Viva Quetzal
February: Chris Smither
March: Patty Larkin 
April: Lori McKenna and Amy Rigby
May: 2nd Annual Celebration of Peace and Justice with Jim Scott, Charlie King and Karen Brandow and Peter Siegel

[2002-2003 C&S] [2001-2002 C&S] [2003-2004 C&S]

All Souls UU Church
399 Main Street, P.O. Box 542
Greenfield, MA 01301
413.773.5018
uugreenfield@uugreenfield.org