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Ronnie ran into a few of the fine folks of the wonderful band The Mammals at this years' Folk Alliance International – back in the days when we were able to sit across from one another and talk about music.
Those days will return once again soon enough, but in the meantime, Lets listen to Ronnie talk to founding members Ruth Ungar and Mike Merenda.
Their website says they are a warm-blooded party band with a conscience, equally inspired by their folk predecessors and Americana peers, which fits right on with our mission at the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame.
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When you meet Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale, it’s clear that the energy in the room just dialed up a notch -And this is not just about the Americana award-winning and Grammy-nominated duo’s unique yet classic sound, it’s their collective personality. Joey and Kenneth are the Milk Carton Kids out of California.
You may have seen them on the big screen as part of Inside Llewyn Davis, along with colleagues and mentors Joan Baez, Jack White, Marcus Mumford, and The Punch Brothers. Or perhaps you’ve seen them on tour with the Lumineers or Old Crow Medicine Show.
Joey and Kenneth complement each other in harmony, instrumentation and personality. They finish each other’s sentences and can banter like brothers who knew each other long before forming this duo that may remind you of a 21st century Simon and Garfunkel.
We sat with the MCK along with CEO of the Boch Center Joe Spaulding for a chat at the Cabot theater north of Boston and were privileged to sit back during a sound check that filled the theater with crisp guitar picking and vibrant vocal harmonies.
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It’s hard to know where to start when talking about our next great artist. And it wasn’t a surprise to Hallways when Joe Spaulding asked Kevin Roosevelt Moore, Aka Keb’ Mo’, to be an honorary Chair at the FARHOF.
Over 25 years, Keb’ Mo’ has collected 5 GRAMMY Awards for his Blues-meets-Americana Signature sound. If you haven’t had the pleasure to hear his work in action, just picture a musical cross between the legendary blues of Robert Johnson and infectious groove of Jack Johnson
Keb’ Mo’ will connect with you at his show, or even on film. He’s collaborated with some of the most talented and respected artists and directors of our time. And when President Obama invites you to perform at “A celebration of American creativity” at the White House along with the likes of Buddy Guy, James Taylor, Usher, Carol Burnett and Esperanza Spalding... you’re in pretty good company.
We sat with Mr. Moore at Berklee School of Music and talked about putting musicians into musical buckets, collaborative writing and how women need to be in charge.
We look forward to having our honorary Chair, GRAMMY winning, Blues-Americana guest Keb’ Mo’ join us someday at the FARHOF / Boch Center, and we hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.
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Ani DiFranco’s music, songwriting and performances are only part of the story of her success as an artist that rings true in the Folk Americana Roots extended family. It’s also the connection to those who have grown up with her and the ongoing conversation she has with her audience. This is the essence of the Folk artist, that engagement with the people, whether in person, or straight from the vinyl or the streaming platform.
Ani began her musical journey at the age of 9 in Buffalo, NY. House concerts, open mics, and a caring folk family helped give rise to this GRAMMY winning artist with 20 albums in her archives to date. Through The Righteous Babe Foundation she has supported multiple grassroots cultural and political organizations and causes including abortion, gay and women’s rights to name only a tiny fraction.
Ani has recorded with Prince, performed with Cyndi Lauper, and has been covered by Chuck D of Public Enemy. And although her roots are in folk, her collaborative spirit reverberates throughout a diverse musical catalog. She also released in 2019 her memoir No Walls and The Recurring Dream which you can purchase on her website at righteousbabe.com.
In this episode of HALLWAYS, Ani talks about being mentored by her folk community at open mics and the importance of pushing that envelope as far as you can. And it was as if Joe Spaulding, our fearless FARHOF leader and CEO of The Boch Center in Boston had whispered in Ani’s ear our mission statement when she emphatically offered… “When it’s the music of the people, the people have something to say!”
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We spoke with the great Tom Rush in New Orleans at the Folk Alliance International conference. Have a listen to our chat, where we talk about Maine, small venues, the interaction Tom has with an audience, the great Club '47 (now Club Passim), his Harvard days and Folk as a community.
Born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Tom began performing in 1961 while studying at Harvard University. He regularly performed at the Club 47 (now called Club Passim) in Cambridge.
He recently release his latest album Voices (2018) and is still on the road, performing and touring the United States.
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In January 2020, the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame journeyed to New Orleans for the annual Folk Alliance International Conference. The meeting brought together the artists and supporters who keep storytelling alive and well, and it is a unique opportunity for all musicians of different generations and styles to listen, perform and learn. Over the next 3 months, the Hallways team will bring the meeting to you through music and conversation… starting with Executive Director of the FAI, Aengus Finnan.
Since 2014, Aengus has led the Alliance, and he happens to be the first non-American Director – A Dublin-born, Canadian-raised artist and humanitarian. Aengus knows first hand the touring life of a folk musician, and has recorded three of his own albums, including award winning songs. He has produced highly successful music festivals, and as an administrator of the arts, he has seen the importance of musical culture and community. As a musical anthropologist of sorts, Aengus teaches us all about the music of “Americana before America” and that we cannot lose sight of our roots of Folk.
We were honored to get to know Mr. Finnan and have a conversation about where the Folk Alliance has been and where it is heading. We talk about the voice of the Indigenous artist that cannot be forgotten, and should be celebrated, and the responsibility we have to care for ourselves and others, and a planet that allows us to keep sharing the story, from one generation to the next.
Hallways is created in Partnership with the Boch Center and Above The Basement – Boston Music and Conversation.
www.folkamericanarootshalloffame.org
www.abovethebasement.com
https://www.folk.org
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We first met Chuck at the Wang Theater at an event for all the board members of the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame. But Chuck’s story starts much earlier than that. Growing up in Dubuque Iowa, Chuck started playing guitar at a young age and never looked back. In 1963 while living in DC, Chuck was hit hard by the arrival of The Beatles. When he finally arrived in Boston he formed the influential country group Wheatstraw. Their two albums Last Straw and Follow the Music, drew critical praise from Rolling Stone, the Village Voice, the New York Times, Billboard, Variety and others.
Later moving to Los Angeles, Chuck met The Kingston Trios John Stewart, and began a friendship and musical collaboration that continued throughout John’s life.
Over the last few decades, Chuck has devoted himself to energy and environmental policy issues, working in government and the private sector, but he never turned away from music.
In 2015 Chuck was an inductee into the Massachusetts Country Music Hall of Fame and in 2017, Chuck released his album Gin & Rosewater.
We met Chuck just before a performance at the legendary Club Passim in Harvard Square to talk Wheatstraw, his collaboration with John Stewart, songwriting, and last but not least the importance of have a Folk Amerciana Roots Hall of Fame in Boston.
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Hallways is proud to report that our next guest Patty Griffin has received a 2020 Grammy award! This is the third Grammy for our friend Patty Griffin, a New Englander from Maine with with a heart in Boston heritage and a love for music that goes back to her family roots in Ireland.
We caught up with Patty just before her performance at the 60th anniversary of Club Passim event at the Boch Center’s Schubert Theater.
As an artist covered by music icons from Emmylou Harris to Kelly Clarkson, it is obvious how her music resonates with so many people. All you need to do is listen to her and a guitar on stage to appreciate all she contributes, down her own Hallway of this music culture and the Folk Americana Roots Hall Of Fame.
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Welcome to Hallways!
We are excited to talk to artists from all over the world through conversation and live performance. We will bring you the voices and artists that inspire – and continue to inspire generations of artists, musicians and music lovers, like Patti Griffin, Keb Mo, Milk Carton Kids and many more throughout this new year.
But let's start with the genesis of the whole idea of this podcast – and the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame - with Boch Center CEO, Joe Spaulding. American music history has been right below our feet in The Wang Theater in downtown Boston, a nearly 100 year old theater, once known as The Music Hall. Joe Spaulding’s longtime dream of new Hall Of Fame for the music that inspired him ever since his days of touring as a folk artist is finally here. It was Canadian artist Neil Young who pulled Joe aside to ask him - "Why wouldn’t you have the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame right here in this living breathing museum."
And that was all Joe needed to hear.
After touring with his band after college, Joe stayed in the music world, eventually running his own record label, pressing folk and blues into vinyl and recording some of American music’s greats. During the time when Boston raised folk legends and gathered musical styles from the roots of Ireland, Africa and Eastern Europe, Joe was there – at Club 47 - that would eventually become Club Passim. And it wasn’t just the music – It was and continues to be about the places that bring people together like The Wang Theater and The Hall Of Fame that lives inside.
Joe brought his own passion into an iconic building so others with a love for this music can share that same experience. History, music and physical artifact come together in one special place, for visitors and Bostonians alike, to look and listen to an American musical story.
It is fitting to sit with Joe in the heart of The Hall and look around at the music history surrounding us.
Thank you for joining us at the Hall for our first episode of Hallways with Joe Spaulding.
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This is an introduction to a new podcast called Hallways - the official podcast of the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame in Boston, Massachusetts. (www.folkamericanarootshalloffame.org)
Hosted by Chuck Clough and Ronnie Hirschberg from the Boston based podcast Above The Basement - Boston Music and Conversation. (www.abovethebasement.com)
Music by Honeysuckle (www.honeysuckleband.com)
