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LilFest presents

Jim Post CD Release Party with Basil & Heller 

Opening Friday, January 22 at 8PM Evanston SPACE
1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston 60202

Great pizza and More at Union - right in the venue.

"Post is one of the Midwest's great treasures."

Chicago Tribune

Post performed and recorded in the 1960s as the duet Friend and Lover with his wife at that time, Cathy Conn Post. He worked as a solo singer-songwriter in Chicago and throughout the Midwest in the 1970s and 1980s. Post was a regular performer at the Earl of Old Town and other Chicago folk music bars, and was a contemporary of notable singer-songwriters Steve Goodman, John Prine, Fred Holstein and Bonnie Koloc.

 In 1971, he produced and played on an album of Chicago folk musicians, Gathering at the Earl of Old Town, that included the first recording of Goodman's City of New Orleans. During the 1990s and 2000s, he focused on performing in the character of Mark Twain in one-man shows. Post has also recorded an album of children's songs.

Larry Basil and John Heller: High energy harmonies! They cover traditional folk songs, often recalling the times of Bob Gibson and Chicago's great venues.

Links:
www.jimpost.com
basilandheller.com

 Bill & Kate Isles

Friday, January 23, 2009

7:30 Doors and Pot Luck Dinner, 8:00 Concert,
711 Lake Street, Wilmette IL

Welcoming home two LilFest true favorites

“There are moments of brilliance.” Many! NJE

Bill Isles' songs are down-to-earth poetic reflections of life experiences and often explore adventurous metaphorical worlds. These worlds vary greatly in scope and texture such as the differences between the clever honky-tonk ambiguity of "The Hole in Our Town" and the enchanting feel of "Sistine Chapel", both from his 2003 release "The Threshold". Each of his compositions provides a spectrum of interpretation opportunities, as well, as demonstrated by "Sistine Chapel". It is this multi-layering that has drawn fans to listen over and over again, and to describe his live performances as "mesmerizing".

Bill's performance at the Just Plain Folks Anniversary Party in Minneapolis caught the attention of City's Tone Publisher David Keiski. "Isles' use of word pictures and metaphors separates his work from the others in more ways than one. He is a more seasoned craftsman that has put a lot of work into the task of songwriting, and it's easy to tell that Isles takes a lot of time, is serious and diligent about his subjects. He is a thoughtful and creative storyteller, mixing interesting images into what is the perfect introduction to the other songwriters, and to our table, this song, Photo Mosaic... I imagine Bill Isles doing very well in Nashville, and at bluegrass and folk festivals... he has the craft of songwriting down... The musical feeling of (his) CD is warm like Isles' voice... there are moments of brilliance"  

LilFest presents

 Sally Martin

Friday, December 5, 2008

6:30 Doors, 7:30 Concert, Holiday Pot Luck Dinner
711 Lake Street, Wilmette IL

A very special night of folk cabaret elegance to open the Holidays

Meet her in person before her WFMT 98.7FM radio live broadcast on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 8PM
http://sallymartinmusic.com/index.html 

To buy tickets, click: www.BrownPaperTickets.com/event/50182 Suggested Artist Contribution: $15 plus Potluck/BYOB

Singer and actress Sally Martin is a favorite of audiences and critics alike for her vocal range and multilingual interpretive skills in concert, cabaret and musical theatre. The Washington Post hailed her first CD as "extraordinary" and called her "wonderfully controlled singing…both dreamy and wise." She has performed in wide-ranging venues including Washington's Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Baltimore's Everyman Theatre, Arlington's Signature Theatre, and New York's Dramatists Guild and Federal Hall. Her eclectic interpretive abilities in French and German have drawn comparison to Edith Piaf and Lotte Lenya. She released her second album, "Another Time, Another Place" in September 2007 with a concert at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC. The recording was nominated for a Wammie award as jazz recording of 2007 by the Washington Area Music Association and was praised by writer and lyricist Judith Viorst for its "dazzling array of choices." A Chicago native and New Trier alumna, she studied voice at Stanford University and later with the well-known lieder singer Ilse Wolf of London's Royal Academy of Music. For more information, go to www.sallymartinmusic.com.

 Saturday, Oct. 25      "Bound to Go" with "Andrew Calhoun & Campground"

7PM Pot Luck & Dessert, 7:30PM Concert, Doors 6:45PM
Information Nancy Emrich @ 312-371-2284

LilFest House Concerts is pleased to host the Chicago - North CD release party for Andrew Calhoun's "Bound to Go." A tribute to Andrew's determination and perspicacity, his release is a collection of 35 African American spirituals and secular folk songs with 18 musicians/singers. The musical material is astounding: authentic spirituals, shout songs from the Sea Islands, prison ballads and rare secular songs from the African American folk tradition, all researched with Andrew's intense and detailed ear and musicological genius. The works will be performed by Campground, Andrew's band, with guitar, cello, trumpet, percussion, banjo and vocals. You will hear: Andrew Calhoun , Lana Lupiani, David Young, Runako Robinson, Valerie Carter-brown, Katherine Davis, Tyisha Williams, Casey Calhoun, and Big Llou Johnson. 

Listen at Andrew Calhoun's MySpace page.

Andrew's Accolades

"History with a great sound," Bill Hahn, WDFU

"Extraordinary CD. It is wonderful work, saving the songs" - Nikki Giovanni

"...this is a tremendously powerful album with a great sense of atmosphere and the deepest possible commitment that shines through both in the performances themselves and the exceptionally fine recording and presentation. Prepare yourself for a heap of neck-prickling moments. This is a landmark release..."
-David Kidman, www.netrhythms.com  

Andrew Calhoun, a nationally-renowned singer-songwriter based in Chicago, has put together a phenomenal CD of African American spirituals and folk songs. Bound to Go, with original cover art and detailed liner notes, is really an important, relevant work. It's heavily researched and includes songs that haven't been performed in decades, and some that may never have been recorded. Campground is a fabulous ensemble of talent, comprised of young and old, black and white, with a chemistry that resonates from the stage. My overall impression--this is not your average folk concert, but a "show" deserving of major staging."
-Lilli Kuzma, host of Folk Festival, WDCB, Glen Ellyn/ Chicago

Calhoun and 17 other musicians, white and black, resurrect these wonderful songs from graveyard silence and place them inside spare arrangements with the voices up front.
-Jerome Clark, www.Rambles.com 

Biographies
Andrew Calhoun was born in New Haven, Ct, and raised in Long Branch, NJ, and Glen Ellyn, Illinois. He's lived in Chicago's Rogers Park, Evanston, and Portland, Oregon, returning to Glen Ellyn in 2005, where he lives now with his father and son. He has recorded 9 albums, on Hogeye, Flying Fish and his own Waterbug Records label as a singer-songwriter, plus a collection of Scottish Ballads translated from dialect. A lifelong love of traditional folk songs along with events around his mother's passing led to an immersion in African American spirituals, with extensive research into their connection to American history and West African religious traditions. Bound to Go, a collection of 35 spirituals and rare secular folksongs, is the debut project of Andrew Calhoun and Campground. Andrew sings lead and vocal harmonies, plays guitar, and does ongoing research for the group. (Listen at Andrew Calhoun's MySpace page.)

Tyisha Williams grew up in the Cabrini Green housing project. Her father, LeCarlton Williams, was a preacher and songwriter who sang with the Jericho Travellers. Tyisha sang "Move On Up the Mountain" in church at age 6 and continued to perform at talent shows and in church. Ms. Williams sang with the All-City Elementary Youth Chorus of the Chicago Public Schools, which performed at the White House and in Vienna with the Vienna Boy's Choir. She performed in gospel choirs at Lane Tech and College, and with Joshua's Generation.  A single mother of three, she has been writing songs since the age of 9. She says, "I love to usher in the spirit."

A Chicago native, Big Llou Johnson has been in dozens of stage plays, including "Master Harold and the boys", Fences & others.  His distinctive signature voice is heard on TV and radio  ads internationally.  His film credits include Quentin Tarrantino's "Grindhouse"  "Lets go to Prison"  both Barbershops I and II and others.  He has also voiced such TV shows as "Ballers" on BET and "Mix It Up" for Courtney Cox on the "WE". Vocally, he has performed overseas with his gospel quartet group "Phava", The Oak Park Concert Chorale & Sue Conway and the Victory Singers. He has recently retuned from Poland performing with Polish vocalist Dorota Jeremy for her CD release concert.   He is currently working on his second single release entitled "Thick" .. a follow up to his European hit song.. "Step Wit Chu"  as well as publishing two audio books entitled "Stories of the Bible" & "Stories for African American Children".  Big Llou started his career in entertainment as a saxophonist turned talent agency owner representing then little known artists such as Queen Latifah, Lisa Raye and Halle Berry.

Casey Calhoun, born and raised in Evanston, began performing in dance theatre at the age of 9. She studied at Dance Center Evanston and Cornish College in Seattle, and danced solo on the mainstage during Dan Bern's set at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in 2006. She grew up singing rounds with her mother and stepmother (Kat Eggleston), sang in the choir at Evanston Township High School and studied voice with Kathy Cowan. She has performed in a duo with her dad and adds lead and vocal harmonies and a few smooth moves to Campground.

Runako Robinson was born and raised on the West side of Chicago, Runako has been singing and dancing since she was 5 years old. Both of her parents were avid music connoisseurs. Runako graduated from Alabama State University with a degree in Secondary Education. She was cast in 9 productions with the Alabama State Theater Company. Recently, Runako graduated from National-Louis University with a Masters in School Counseling. A teacher and guidance counselor now living in Oak Park, she moonlights in local theater productions and with Campground on lead and vocal harmonies. 

David Young, trumpeter and music educator, was born and raised in Evanston, receiving a music performance degree from Northwestern University. He studied and performed with Wynton Marsalis, and has performed with Howard Levy, Eddie Palmieri, Michele N'degeocello and Lauryn Hill. He released his debut jazz recording, Appassionata, at the age of 20, in 2001. A 2000 trip to Cambodia has led to a continuing interest in Khmer culture and education; Young will return to Cambodia in early 2009 to continue studying traditional flute styles with surviving masters. With Campground, David plays trumpet, flute, and percussion, and sings. 

Lana Lupiani's father,  Henry Ferrante, studied  piano and violin at The Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY.  He taught, played gigs, tuned pianos and supported a family of 6 children with music. When Lana was in 4th grade,  he brought home a cello, taught her the basics and she played in his school orchestras. Ms. Lupiani studied with the late Al Trnka of The Chicago Symphony for 2 years.  Played cello and sang with "Rainy Day People" folk group in the 80's.  She lives in Glen Ellyn and works in horticulture sales.  She is now Campground's principal cellist.

Josh White, Jr.

Friday, January 2, 2009

6:30 Doors, 7:30 Concert, Holiday Pot Luck Dinner
711 Lake Street, Wilmette IL

A very special night of songs and stories to welcome the New Year

Meet him in person after his WFMT 98.7FM radio live broadcast on New Year’s Eve
http://www.joshwhitejr.com/

Josh White, Jr., became, a 'hit' literally over night at the age of four, by performing with his legendary father JOSH WHITE one night at New York's famed "Café Society" night club (America's first integrated nightclub). For the next five years, Josh, Jr. and Sr. performed from New York to Boston to Philadelphia. In 1949, Josh, Jr. landed his first role on Broadway, and as Josh says, "It was type casting..." he played his father's son in How Long Til Summer? with Dorothy Gish and Don Hanmer. While continuing a solo acting career, Josh went on to perform and record with his father for the next seventeen years on radio, television, Broadway, concert halls and nightclubs around the world. A solo career as deep and wide as his voice followed. As a concert artist, Josh, Jr. has performed on the world's greatest stages of four continents, including Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Odeon Hammersmith Hall, Berlin Philharmonic Hall, and Madison Square Garden to name a few. At the peak of this folk boom, in the mid 60s through the late 70s, Josh was considered one of the college circuit’s most celebrated and honored performing artists, the 'Dean of College Concert Attractions'.

LilFest, Bill's Blues and S.P.A.C.E. present

ODETTA
CANCELLED DUE TO HEALTH REASONS

 Sunday, Nov. 16 at 2PM

Venue: S.P.A.C.E., 1245 Chicago Avenue, Evanston, IL 

LilFest, Bill's Blues and S.P.A.C.E. work together to welcome you to experience live music at its best, right here in Evanston and the North Shore.

There are few musical opportunities in lifetime that are on a par with a concert with Odetta (with Radoslav Lorkovic) in an intimate setting like S.P.A.C.E.

From Tonight with Belafonte in the '50's to the Tavis Smiley Show in 2008, Odetta has been an American treasure and an icon. She was a deep musical influence for Dylan, Baez and Joplin, and the musical "Voice of the Civil Rights Movement" alongside Martin Luther King. (He called her "The Queen of American Folk Music" in 1964.) Her artistry is extraordinary, her spirit transcending and her music deeply affecting. This will be unforgettable. With her deep, rich voice she has carried blues, gospel and songs of America throughout the world, bringing diverse individuals together through music.

Tickets are available through www.BrownPaperTickets.com/event/47583 or Bill’s Blues or S.P.A.C.E.

General Seats $40.00

Armchair Patrons $65.00

Date	Artist		A Little About...
Friday Jan 13, 8pm	James McCandless & Julianne Macarus		James McCandless From his earliest “attaboy” from Pete Seeger in the ‘80’s through his recent illness induced sabbatical, James McCandless has been known as Chicago’s poet-songwriter.  Now, healthy and performing again, I am so pleased to reunite James with his past audiences and introduce the new ones to him.  This will be a special night for LilFest as James is also a well-loved teacher at Hogeye Music on Central Street in Evanston – making him a teacher-father-son-partner-cousin figure to so many around us.  So bring your friends, prepared for wonderful songs, great guitar, and a ride on James’ stories and images.  He’s a writer who brings fascinating created worlds to life with words.  Come and watch your mind’s TV. Julianne Macarus Julianne has been James’ musical partner for 15 years.  When they perform together, the space where folk overlaps Irish music widens, becomes richer and brightens up.  Julianne’s work as a violinist-vocalist, add vim, energy and grace.  Especially notable: their instrumentals are little gems.
Thursday February 2, 7:30pm	Cliff Eberhardt		Cliff Eberhardt It’s hard to say more about Cliff than Jay Votel of the Washington Times did:  “If life were fair and stardom based on raw talent, Cliff Eberhardt would be a household name. In another age, Mr. Eberhardt would have found his niche on Tin Pan Alley or writing for Broadway shows. His songs display the highest level of craftsmanship, his guitar playing is superb and his singing deeply emotional. But if life were fair, singer-songwriters would also have less insight into quotidian ironies of life and their material would be lacking. Mr. Eberhardt takes advantage of every angle in this extended look at relationships: "School For Love," which features 12 new songs and closes with a rich version of the traditional "Clementine."   Although most of these songs are about affairs of the heart, only two - "Blessings" and "My Sweet Liza" - qualify as love songs. The rest deal with love from some other perspective, such as a wise confidante, as in the title track, when he sings "Someone should have told you from the very start/love could lead you to this broken heart."    … These songs - like all of Mr. Eberhardt's work - have a timeless quality. The title track starts with a musical and lyrical introduction, the like of which hasn't been heard in popular music since The Beatles' "If I Fell."
Friday March 17, 8pm	Garnet Rogers & Natalia Zukerman		Garnet Rogers and Natalia Zukerman Garnet is a formidable instrumentalist and a highly literate balladeer with a powerful baritone voice.  Traversing Canada and the US regularly, Garnet used his travel experience to create music which reflects the Maritimes, the plains, the mountains and the seas.  His songs of less-than-obvious heroes and everyday victories bring optimism into the audience’s reality.  His humor and wit are legendary.  Sing Out says it all:  “The greatest interpreter and vocalist performing in the contemporary folk scene.”  Will LilFest have crowd control issues?  Maybe, if people really figure out that Garnet is coming to 711.  Wake up and reserve!arnet is a formidable instrumentalist and a highly literate balladeer with a powerful baritone voice.  Sing Out says it all:  “The greatest interpreter and vocalist performing in the contemporary folk Natalia Zukerman will open for Garnet.  People had e-mailed me out of the blue last year to say I really should hear Natalia and have her for a house concert. To be honest, before I got myself organized, this wonderful concert appeared on my horizon to my great delight.  Some of you remember my friend Daniel Mehta who has stayed here in the summers.  He’s a special friend of the Zukerman family and recommends Natalia to you all!  From the New Yorker Review of last Nov. 21: "Natalia Zukerman, comes from a family of noted classical musicians (her mother, Eugenia, is a flutist; her father, Pinchas, is a violinist; and her sister, Arianna, is an opera singer), but she has chosen to forsake grand performance halls for a dusty resophonic slide guitar in small clubs. She has nimble fingers capable of picking upward of thirty notes per measure, and when she sings she can switch from scat to swoon in the course of a glissando."
Sunday April 9, 7pm	Jonathan Byrd		Jonathan Byrd’s buzz "izz" big and broad. (Say that with a deep southern accent.) That’s what happens when you are one of six winners of the 2003 New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival. How much of an honor is that? Lyle Lovett, Nancy Griffith, and Shawn Colvin have all been finalists at the legendary Texas festival. Born in Fayetteville, NC, Byrd convinced his father to buy him a cheap electric guitar. Then Byrd started breaking the rewind button on cassette players, learning Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix licks. He carried a guitar behind his bunk for three Navy tours in the Mediterranean. Back home, Byrd connected with the folk scene and fell in love with traditional music. His writing took a hairpin turn, as he flat picked fiddle tunes and began writing the new ballads that have gotten much attention.
Saturday, April 22, 8pm	Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart		Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart, the dynamic Tennessee folk singer/songwriter duo, have an elegant southern way about their performance, all at once world-traveled and Texas down-home friendly.  Stacey Earle is a member of the intensely talented family Earle.  Her brother Steve Earle leads the clan with many nationally known records, tours and concerts – to say nothing of his books and plays.  Stacey’s nephew Justin performs his own songs, and plays southern blues guitar around Nashville.  (I cut my music business teeth promoting a gig for Justin and Bucky Halker at Uncommon Ground, many years ago.)  Stacey and Mark debuted as a musical duo with 2001’s double live CD Must Be Live. Their songwriting gifts sum up to more than one plus one with many interesting stories and moods, rhythms and lyrics.  Mark contributes a rock and roll background, while Stacey’s brand of country-folk springs comes from the south-Texas roots of people like Steve Young, David Olney, Eric Taylor.  Stacey Earle's touring experience started on an arena stage in Sydney, Australia, playing rhythm guitar in her brother's band, Steve Earle & the Dukes, on "The Hard Way" tour in 1990. Mark is a veteran touring artist, making appearances with Neil Young, Freddie Fender and also with the Dukes.  Learning from and listening to the greats, Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, John Fogerty, The Beatles and many more, as a teenager Mark found himself playing in the School of Honky Tonks and Beer Joints in and around Nashville by age 15.
Sunday, April 23, 1pm	Gerry O'Beirne		Trust me, Gerry O’Beirne is not to be missed: Ireland’s Celtic music darling Gerry O’Beirne is an inspiring master guitarist, songwriter, singer and producer. This Brunch (pot luck) House Concert is the perfect April Sunday family and friends memory-to-be. These quotes will make it clear if I haven’t! “Gerry O’Beirne has written some of the best new tunes to come out of Ireland’s Celtic music scene. O’Beirne’s guitar playing is always a thing of wonder and his lyrics have become increasingly poetic and emotionally deep.”  - Dirty Linen “The instrumentals are out of this world. A self taught master of the 6 and 12 string guitar, the playing of O’Beirne is superlative and subtle beyond words.” - The Sunday Times "While much of his material (Isle of Malachy, Shades of Gloria, Western Highway, The Holy Ground) is best known sung by others, Gerry reclaims his songs. He involves the listener with a gentle intensity that allows the beauty of his melodies to envelop and sweep them along: images abound of mountains and deserts, foreign lands, and County Clare, loves lost and loves won.” - Irish Edition
Sunday July 16th, 7pm	Buddy Mondlock		You've heard Buddy Mondlock's songs for years- he has written for Guy Clark, Nanci Griffith and Janis Ian, wrote and recorded an album (and then toured) with Art Garfunkel and Maia Sharp, had a song recorded by Joan Baez, as well as written songs alongside Garth Brooks... As passionate a performer as he is a writer, come listen to some of the best modern songwriting performed by the man who understands it like no other.
Sunday July 23rd, 12:30pm	James Lee Stanley & John Batdorf		All Wood and Stones: Intimate Acoustic covers of Rolling Stones songs In an album that has the critics taking notice, James Lee Stanley and John Batdorf strip eleven classic Rolling Stones songs down to their bare essence and breathe new life into them; rendering the Stones' larger-than-life songs with acoustic instruments and tight harmonies. In an era where Britney Spears has covered "Satisfaction," this album is a stroke of