The oldest son of folk pioneer Woody Guthrie, he was just 13 when he played his first public show. With hits like "Alice's Restaurant" and "Coming into Los Angeles," Guthrie, who performed at the original Woodstock Festival, became an icon of the 1960s counterculture generation.

The Autumn Defense is the result of a collaboration between John Stirratt, longtime member of Wilco and formerly Uncle Tupelo and musical compatriot [/Wilco multi-instrumentalist] Pat Sansone...Between noontime highs and slipping sunsets, the Autumn Defense create a sound which both embraces and resists the moods of autumn, and so defines their name. The multi-instrumental duo chase the sun westward to the California coast, gathering inspiration from classic L.A. pop and well-crafted melody basking in the warmth of the 60s and 70s AM Radio tradition.

"Bear is the 007 agent for Rock and Roll." Jimmy Vivino

Click here to view Bear's image gallery

 Join us for a very special reception meet & greet with stars of the Lantern Tour DC: concerts for migrant and refugee families - Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Lila Downs and special guests - to support the Women's Refugee Commission & O Museum In The Mansion.

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About Bill Small

Born in Washington, D.C. in 1946, Billy Hancock is a rockabilly musician who has become an integral part of the Washington, D.C. music scene. He as been inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and the Southern Legends Hall of Fame, and in 2005, was awarded a Special Recognition Award by the Washington Area Music Association.

Billy Harvey is an Austin based singer-songwriter, formerly of the band Flame. Harvey's musical style is a blend of country and pop/rock with influences from other musicians like Jakob Dylan and Matt Nathanson.

"With one foot planted firmly in Appalachian music culture and the other always expanding and evolving, the Black Lillies have created a unique sound embraced by fans old and young." -- Vanity Fair

This Americana band from Knoxville, Tennessee has performed at the Country Music Association's Festival & Fan Fair, Bonnaroo and they were one of the first independent bands to play the Grand Ole Opry and have since returned dozens of times.

Their latest album Hard to Please, produced by Grammy winner Ryan Hewitt and recorded at Nashville's legendary House of Blues Studio D, earned praise from Rolling Stone Country, NPR, American Songwriter and beyond, debuting at #12 on Billboard Heatseekers and #30 on Billboard's Top 200 Country Albums. 2013's Runaway Blues and 2011's 100 Miles of Wreckage both fared similarly well, with outlets like Entertainment Weekly praising the band's "strong roots-folk songwriting, sweet harmonies, and charismatic indie spirit."

Boston native Bob Margolin joined legendary bluesman Muddy Waters on the road and in the studio in 1973, playing festivals and clubs around the U.S., Canada, and Europe. In 1975, they recorded Grammy Award-winning "Muddy Waters Woodstock Album", Muddy’s last for Chess Records, which featured Paul Butterfield, and Levon Helm and Garth Hudson from The Band. In '76, Muddy brought Margolin with him to San Francisco to perform at The Band’s "Last Waltz" concert. Martin Scorsese filmed the concert for the classic film. Margolin also played on the four albums that Muddy recorded for Blue Sky Records, which were produced by Johnny Winter, and with Johnny on his Nothin' But The Blues album. Three of those albums won Grammy Awards.

Margolin left Muddy’s band in 1980 and went on to appear at the 1984 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, joining The Fabulous Thunderbirds for a tribute to Muddy Waters (with Etta James singing, and Taj Mahal and James Cotton opening.) He formed his own band and opened shows for Stevie Ray Vaughan, George Thorogood, Johnny Winter, and The T-Birds.

Throughout his career he's recorded many solo albums including;"The Old School" and "Chicago Blues" for Powerhouse Records, "Down In The Alley", "My Blues and My Guitar", and "Up & In" for Alligator records, "Hold Me To It" on Blind Pig Records, "The Bob Margolin All-Star Blues Jam" for Telarc, and "In North Carolina" and "Blues Around The World" for his own VizzTone Label Group (formed in 2007).

In 1994, Margolin joined The Muddy Waters Tribute Band, and went on a national tour with B.B. King, Dr. John, and Little Feat. In December of that year, they cut an album featuring the band and special guests from the Rock and Blues worlds. “You Gonna Miss Me, a Tribute to Muddy Waters” on Telarc Records was nominated for a Grammy Award in ‘96. 

Bob Margolin has played on several Grammy-winning recordings, won numerous W.C. Handy/Blues Music Awards and is a KBA Award recipient for Journalism. [In the early ’90s, Margolin began a second career as a music writer. In 2011, he released an eBook featuring the best of his writing — “Steady Rollin’ – Blues Stories, Snapshots, (Intentional) Blues Fiction.] He’s produced albums for numerous artists including Muddy’s son Big Bill Morganfield, Candye Kane, Pinetop Perkins, Mac Arnold, Ann Rabson and produced and consulted on reissues of Muddy Waters’ recordings for the Blue Sky Label for Sony/Legacy.

Singer, songwriter, poet, actor Bobby Bridger has performed on PBS's Austin City Limits & American Experience, C-Span/Booknotes, ABC's Good Morning America, on CNN, A & E, National Public Radio, and the Australian Broadcasting Company.

Bobby was one of those incredible musicians whose accomplishments defy description. Appearing on albums by The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Joe Cocker, John Lennon Lynyrd Skynrd, and so many others. With a career spanning decades, Bobby toured from 1956 until his death in 2014, delighting audiences across the country with his sultry but still rock and roll style of saxophone.

 

From a young age, Bobby had music in his blood, starting his first tour with Bobby Vee and Buddy Holly when he was just 15 years old. His career took off from there, meeting the Rolling Stones, who he would later go on to record and tour with, in 1964. It is also rumored that Bobby participated in the last ever recording session between Paul McCartney and John Lennon in 1974 (though he could not remember if he participated in the session).

In his memoir, Every Night's a Saturday Night, saxophonist Bobby Keys, known as "Mr. Brown Sugar", tells many tales of an over-the-top rock 'n' roll life in his own inimitable voice.

Texan Bonnie Bishop is an award winning country singer-songwriter whose songs have been covered by such notable artists as famous blues singer Bonnie Raitt and the character Rayna Jaymes (played by Connie Britton) on the hit TV show Nashville. Her song "Not Cause I Want To" was named one of the best songs of 2012 by the New York Times, and was featured on Raitt's Grammy Award winning abum Slipstream. In 2015, Bishop began collaborating with producer David Cobb and started working on a soul album.

Arkansas born and bred Bonnie Montgomery released her self-titled LP in July 2014 on Portland/Arkansas label Fast Weapons. A classically trained singer whose Southern roots run deep, Montgomery has taken her authentic spin on golden-era country/western music through the U.S. and Europe, headlining shows and also supporting Gossip, Shovels and Rope, Robert Ellis, Hayes Carll, Billy Joe Shaver, Turnpike Troubadours, Pokey LaFarge, and Wayne "the Train" Hancock. Her self-titled debut album earned critical acclaim as well as the title for the Ameripolitain Outlaw Female in 2016.

Bonnie Whitmore

Born with music in her blood (she toured in a band with her parents "Daddy & the Divas" when she was 8) Bonnie delivers spry country music, whiskey-soaked songs that recall prime Loretta Lynn and early Neko Case and, in their more uptempo moments, Miranda Lambert at her rowdiest.

 

Graham Weber

"Weber's a master of narrative and image in his songs, capturing slight, glinting moments that pass so tentatively by." - Austin Chronicle.

 

Graham grew up in Ohio, but has been based in Austin since 2004. His albums received rave reviews from The Austin Chronicle, The Houston Chronicle, Lonestar Music Magazine, Texas Music Magazine, Songs:Illinois, and bluerailroad.com. On his album, Women, Graham collaborated with renowned artists, Carrie Rodriguez, Amanda Shires, BettySoo, Dana Falconberry, Bonnie Whitmore, and Leslie Stevens, as well as his wife, Michelle Keffer. On his most recent album, Faded Photos, Graham worked with Peter Stopschinski on string arrangements.

When he's not writing for himself, Graham works as an ambassador for The House of Songs, providing lyrical expertise for artists around the world while aiming to use this artistic collaboration to create relationships that transcend borders worldwide.

Graham has several exciting upcoming projects! He recorded an EP with Austin-based WESTERN YOUTH, due out in January of 2018, as well as a solo album to be released in late 2018.

Box Set has been entertaining audiences for over 20 years with their powerful songs, brought to life by inspired guitar interplay and vocal harmonies that warm the senses.

Their connection has been responsible for 12 albums of original music, thousands upon thousands of miles on the road, and a handful of awards.

Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls once described them as "a cross between the Grateful Dead and The Smothers Brothers."

Grammy Award winner Buddy Miller is a Nashville country singer-songwriter and producer whose powerful ballads carry the soul of Americana. He is a multi-instrumentalist and has collaborated with music powerhouses such as the Dixie Chicks, Lee Ann Womack, Brooks & Dunn, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Patty Griffin, Jim Lauderdale, and Emmylou Harris to name a few. He is married to fellow country singer-songwriter Julie Miller.

Caroline grew up in Chicago and attended Northwestern University, studying theatre and dance. Her style is one part Folked-Up Americana, one part Chicago blues, and a hint of hootenanny bluegrass. Caroline Ferrante takes inspiration from R&B to create her own unique form of folk music, which when combined with her powerhouse vocals creates an experience like no other!

 

Caroline performs regularly on our Americana Jam and Radio Show every 2nd and 4th Sunday at the Mansion. If you can't make it to the Mansion, the show broadcasts on West Norfolk Radio.

Chaise Lounge is a collaboration of five of Washington, D.C.'s top jazz musicians covering originals and creating their own unique renditions of classic jazz sounds. Led by vocalist Marilyn Holder, Chaise Lounge brings a fresh approach to the jazz genre.

Chris Berardo is an Americana roots rock singer and songwriter. With his various musical compatriots he has spent much of the past quarter-century traveling around America, playing music and building an unfailingly devoted and loyal fan base, while accumulating an extensive array of life experience that's reflected in his vivid, personally-charged songwriting.
 
Having released three critically acclaimed CDs and toured much of the country, New York native Chris Berardo and his band, The DesBerardos,  have both headlined and appeared as Special Guests of artists such as The Doobie Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band, Dickey Betts & Great Southern, America and many more ... And of course, Chris' voice, which has been described as ..."soaring with the wingspan of the eagle" (by no less than Jessie Scott - Music Fog/ Radio Personality WMOT Roots Radio 89.5 FM Nashville/Sun Radio Austin).

Chuck Leavell is a multi-instrumentalist who has demonstrated his talents both individually and with other renowned musicians throughout the course of his career, such as The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, The Allman Brothers Band George Harrison and John Mayer, to name a few. He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his work with the Allman Brothers Band and is a member of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

ABOUT CINDY LEE BERRYHILL:
San Diego's own Cindy Lee Berryhill (http://www.cindyleeberryhill.com/) is one of the key early figures in the '80s anti-folk movement. Her music combines a deeply personal point of view and an edgy wit leavened with a compassion for the world around her.

Her newest album on Omnivore records is full of songs pertaining to the subjects of love and desire and inspired by the love she shared with her late husband, rock journalist and founder of the magazine Crawdaddy, Paul Williams.

 LISTEN NOW >
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ABOUT BILL KELLY:
A poet, singer songwriter, multi instrumentalist and producer, he has released 5 albums of original work that have appeared in films by Gus Van Sant, (Promised Land) Weinstien films (Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden) Roadside Attractions (Super Size Me) Ken Russel films (Whore) network television, (ED, Northern Exposure) documentaries (Alligator on the Zipper) Mary MacGowan (Morning Glory).

Buddy Miller praised Bread on the Waters as "a beautiful record with songs that won't let go"

Bill is currently finishing up a new record with producer Lincoln Schleifer, and includes Larry Campbell, John Leventhal, John Ginty, Clifford Carter, Bob Telson, Marc Shulman, Gary Sieger, Anthony Krizan, Joe Bonadio, Denny McDermott, among others due for 2017 Spring release.

Bill is involved in multiple projects including: the nationally touring tribute show, CSN Songs, celebrating the music of Crosby Stills and Nash and Young, Chris Berardo and the DesBerardo's, Brother Flower, the Civil War Jam Band and Folkfoot.

 LISTEN NOW >
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PRESENTED BY PITCH PIPE FOUNDATION

Featuring: Jennifer Heemstra & Wendy Case

Join us as we honor our nation's veterans with an afternoon of classical music. The Pitch Pipe Foundation brings you the works of Debussy, Beethoven and Mozart performed by Internationally acclaimed pianist Jennifer Heemstra and award-winning violinist Wendy Case.

ABOUT JENNIFER HEEMSTRA
Jennifer has performed extensively in India, Nepal, USA and Europe; she recently received the College of Music Distinguished Alumni Award from Michigan State University. She founded the Kolkata Classics trust in India, which provides health services for trafficked women and educates children from the slums to the elite. She has put on over 70 concerts in South Asian and performed for and worked with over 65,000 adults/children. For her work, she was presented with the Secretary of State Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad.

ABOUT WENDY CASE
Wendy has performed all over the US, Canada and India and is currently the Artist Affiliate Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at Berry College. A dedicated teacher as well as performer, Wendy Case has been actively involved in training the next generation of violinists for over fourteen years. In November 2016 Ms. Case released the premiere recording of Joshua Rodriguez's Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano in addition to Schubert's beloved three Sonatinas for Violin and Piano.

Coco Montrese Also known as Martin Cooper, Coco is an American Drag Performer, pageant contestant, and Las Vegas entertainer. Coco was crowned Miss Gay America in 2010. In 2013, Montrese appeared as a contestant on Season 5 of RuPaul's Drag Race and Season 2 of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars.

"There's one chance meeting that will stay with me the rest of my life, and really captures the essence of The Mansion.

"Within a few months of moving in, I discovered a musician singing in a thrift store and asked him to perform at The Mansion that night. Months later, he came and asked if he could sleep here for the winter.

"For the three winters Cordell lived here, he went from living on the street to learning to play the piano at The Mansion, to performing for $2500 dollars a night as at a local hotel. "If Cordell was alive today, he would have performed "Oh Holy Night" on The Mansion's anniversary album, as he incorporated the soul of The Mansion into his vocal arrangements, never singing a song the same way twice.

"Cordell (he needed no last name) performed every Christmas Eve, until his passing. But we continue to smile with his memory knowing that Cordell's soul truly is resting with God."

PRESENTED BY SUSIE'S SONGWRITER SERIES

ABOUT CRAIG BICKHARDT
Craig Bickhardt, an artist and author, who was formerly signed with Bob Dylan’s manager Albert Grossman, had development deals with Atlantic records’ Ahmet Ertegun, had songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, BB King, Poco, Art Garfunkel, Janis Ian, Martina Mcbride, The Judds, Alison Krauss & Kathy Matteain, and placed two songs in the Robert Duvall Academy Award winning film “Tender Mercies,” and shared a stage with Bruce Springsteen, Stephen Stills & Harry Chapin.

When Craig Bickhardt steps onto a concert stage, he comes equipped with his trusty acoustic guitar. He’s also accompanied by something invisible, yet ever-present: the stories of a lifetime, vividly translated into words and melody. His decades in music have given his performances the depth of experience – his love songs seem sweeter and more poignant, his story-song narratives more true-to-life than they could have in the past.

With his latest release, HOME FOR THE HARVEST, Craig Bickhardt demonstrates that folk music needn't be musically dull or iterative. Always in search of forms that challenge not only his songwriting abilities but also his considerable guitar chops and vocal skills, Bickhardt's accessible style is nearly unparalleled in the genre today. There are singers and there are pickers and there are song poets, but very few do all three as well as this."

VISIT: craigbickhardt.com

WATCH: https://www.facebook.com/CraigBickhardt/videos/1023977484311129/
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ABOUT JESSE TERRY
A true musical journeyman, New England-based singer/songwriter Jesse Terry has made it his mission to share his love of music fully and completely, without regard for shading his emotions or tempering his convictions. The ability to create a connection, to bare his soul and express his feelings through his songs has been the defining thread in a career that began in 2010 and has spawned five albums (The Runner, Empty Seat on a Plane, Stay Here With Me, and his latest pair, Stargazer and Natural). Terry has play over a thousand shows around the world, including such notable festivals as Bonnaroo, 30A Songwriters Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival and the Americana Music Association’s AmericanaFest.

Natural, a very sparse and acoustic album compared to its predecessor Stargazer, finds Jesse relying on a more organic approach to his music, while adding an additional layer of emotional impact with the help of some of the female singers he admires most: Dar Williams, Cary Ann Hearst of Shovels & Rope, Liz Longley, Kim Richey, Annie Clements, Sarah Darling and Erin Rae. The relationship between the two singers, the male and female -- the contrast in emotion, tone and texture -- became the focus of the album, while still keeping true to the power of a song, stripped down to one guitar.  

VISIT:  jesseterrymusic.com
LISTEN: https://youtu.be/FijgXjG77yA

Dallas is a pure honky tonk singer/songwriter and was awarded his second Will Rogers Award for DJ of the Year in 2009 for his SIRIUS XM shows Outlaw Country & Willie's Roadhouse.

 

Dallas got his start making music in Nashville, and while touring in Europe in the early 90s, was signed to make an album. This first album led to several more albums, most recently Songs the Jukebox Taught Me in 2016.

 

Making music is not the only way in which Dallas shares his love with the world, as he got his start in radio in 1989. In 2005, he joined Outlaw Country on Sirius Radio. In 2006, he accepted a position at KHYI 95.3 FM in Dallas, and returned to Sirius Radio after it merged with XM in 2008.

 

Dallas's career has earned him such accolades as the Academy of Western Artists' Will Rogers Award for Classic Country Major Market DJ of the Year (2006), Academy of Western Artists' Will Rogers Award for DJ of the Year (2009), Ameripolitan Music Awards DJ of the Year (2014), Ameripolitain Music Awards Honky Tonk Group of the Year (Heybale!, 2014) and was inducted into the Disc Jockey Hall of Fame by the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame (2015).

Dan Nainan got his start by taking a comedy class to get over the nervousness of speaking on stage. In his job as a demo engineer with Intel Corporation, Dan toured the world with CEO Andy Grove, demonstrating the latest technology for audiences numbering into the thousands.

After leaving Intel to pursue comedy full time, Dan has toured as a feature act with Robert Schimmel and Russell Peters. Dan, who is also an actor and a voice over artist, has appeared on network television including "Last Comic Standing", "America's Got Talent", "Billions", "Family Guy" as well as in feature films, on radio and in an Apple "Get a Mac" commercial. He has performed for President Obama, President Trump, Hillary Clinton and many other luminaries, and he has done comedy in 28 countries.

He has performed at TED India, at a Toastmasters International convention, and at the Muscular Dystrophy Association Labor Day Telethon live from Las Vegas.

Dan started out as a songwriter, most often with Eric Lowen, for artists as diverse as Pat Benatar (the Grammy-nominated "We Belong"), The Bangles, Jackson Browne, Dave Edmunds, The Temptations, Dionne Warwick, The Triplets, Dutch star Marco Borsato, and Austin outlaw legend Rusty Weir.

In the 1990s and 2000s, he and Eric recorded and toured as the acclaimed acoustic duo Lowen & Navarro until Eric's retirement in 2009.

He has a parallel career as a voice actor and singer, in films like Pirates of the Caribbean 5, The Book Of Life, Rio (on the Oscar nominated "Real In Rio"), Happy Feet, The Lorax, Ice Age (2 & 3); TV series Turbo Fast, Prison Break, Family Guy and American Dad; records with Neil Young, Andrea Bocelli, Luis Miguel, Jose Feliciano, Janiva Magness, and Jon Anderson of Yes; hit video games Fallout 4 and Uncharted 4, and hundreds of TV ads for Subaru, Shakey's, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Honda, Nationwide and more.

He has appeared in Washington on artists' rights and intellectual property issues, including testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Copyright Royalty Board. Dan also serves on the boards of SAG-AFTRA and The Levitt Pavilion Pasadena.

Danielle Howle has been described as "a punk rock girl with the voice of a honkeytonk angel." Originaly hailing from South Carolina, Howle began her career in the early 1990s, and gained notoriety for opening for a number of acts, including Bob Dylan, Fugazi, and the Indigo Girls. She currently tours with the band Firework Show (named "the most experimental band in Charleston, SC" in 2011), and together they opened for the Avett Brothers to a crowd of 10,000 in 2012.

 

Her musical style is one of musical storytelling. Danielle's poetic lyrics are all about pure, honest expressions that come from her own self-awareness and her journey of self-discovery. Her lyrics combined with her unique style of songwriting, which takes inspiration from jazz, country, and southern rock, make for incredible music that is a joy to listen to!

Danielle began creating music with the band, Lay Quiet Awhile, in the early 90s. After this, Danielle started her solo career with the album, Live at the McKissick Museum, in 1995, and has consistently released new music. Her most recent album, New Year Revolutions, released in 2011. Since 1997, Danielle has released 7 albums with Danielle Howle and the Tantrums, most recently, Hey You, in 2002.

“Darden Smith is one of the most respected American musicians working today.” — Daily News critic Jeffrey Sisk

Darden Smith is a singer-songwriter based in Austin whose thirty-year career redefines what it means to be a musician. His music remains rooted in the songwriting traditions of his home state of Texas, while reflecting influences of rock, folk, and Americana rhythms and melodies.

His latest album, Everything, carries a timely message of unity. In addition to fifteen critically acclaimed albums, Smith continues to break new ground using the craft of songwriting in education, entrepreneurship and service. He is the founder and creative director of Songwriting With:Soldiers, a nonprofit organization that pairs professional songwriters with veterans and service members in retreat settings to craft songs about combat and the return home.

ABOUT BRUCE SUDANO
Singer-songwriter Bruce Sudano has a storied history in the world of music.  The tale includes an early songwriting mentor in Tommy James, chart success in the 70’s with his NYC neighborhood bands (Alive N Kickin' - “Tighter Tighter” and Brooklyn Dreams - “Heaven Knows”), and hearing his songs recorded by iconic artists like Donna Summer (“Bad Girls”), Dolly Parton (“Starting Over Again”) and Michael & Jermaine Jackson (“Tell Me I’m Not Dreaming”).

Today Bruce mainly writes for himself, and has found his voice expressing the internal challenges central to everyday life. His 2016 release, "With Angels On A Carousel", was a heartfelt farewell to his late wife Donna Summer, which he followed up in 2017 with "21st Century World", an album filled with hard questions, some well-aimed finger pointing and poignant observations about the human experience.  Billboard Magazine has now premiered Bruce’s latest single “Forbidden Fruit”, a “stark folky” duet with NYC singer Dina Regine, produced by Mike Montali of the band Hollis Brown.  

Bruce Sudano “Forbidden Fruit”
https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8469311/bruce-sudano-forbidden-fruit-video
http://www.brucesudano.com/
https://www.facebook.com/brucesudanomusic/
https://www.instagram.com/brucesudano/
https://twitter.com/brucesudano

Davis is an international recording artist, published author, actor, and leader of The Daryl Davis Band. Known for his energetic style of boogie woogie piano he's worked with Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Platters, The Drifters, The Coasters, Bo Diddley, Percy Sledge, Bruce Hornsby, President Bill Clinton and Sam Moore. Davis was also the featured pianist on the Cephas & Wiggins Grammy-nominated album "Flip, Flop, &Fly".

His efforts to improve race relations, as an African American he engaged with members of the KKK, have been reported by CNN and The Washington Post. Davis summed up his advice in an interview with The London Daily Mail, "Establish dialogue. When two enemies are talking they are not fighting."

Hardin is one of those rare talents who combines the ability to write great songs and inspired lyrics with a voice that is instantly recognizable. An accomplished musician, he has opened for Willie Nelson, Leon Russell, Pierce Pettis, Kim Richey, Patty Larkin, Vance Gilbert, Andy Pratt, Aztec Two-Step, The Nields, and Tommy Malone.

A prolific storyteller, songwriter and musician David Gans has been a fixture on the music scene since the early 1970's.

He has performed onstage with members of the Grateful Dead, The Schwag, JGB, the New Riders of the Purple Sage, Donna the Buffalo, Peter Rowan, Ollabelle, The Waybacks, Blueground Undergrass, Dark Star Orchestra, Keller Williams, moe., Hot Buttered Rum, the Rowan Brothers, and Henry Kaiser.

A regular at music festivals he's performed at the Gathering of the Vibes, the High Sierra Music Festival, MagnoliaFest, Grateful Fest, Free Folk Festival, and others.

As a music journalist David Gans has written for Mix magazine, Relix and Rolling Stone. He is the co-author of the book Playing in the Band: An Oral and Visual Portrait of the Grateful Dead, and the host of the weekly syndicated radio show The Grateful Dead Hour. He currently co-hosts a radio show with Gary Lambert on Sirius-XM called Tales from the Golden Road, a call-in show about the Grateful Dead.

Philadephia's first lady of soul Dee Dee Sharp was launched into stardom at 17 years old with her number one smash, "Mashed Potatoes Time." A regular guest on Dick Clark's American Bandstand; she appeared on the syndicated teen dance show many times from 1962 to 1981. The first black female teen idol, Sharp also became a fixture on Clark's Caravan of Stars tours, and a familiar face in the popular 16 Magazine.

Dee Dee played on sessions with Lloyd Price, Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Rydell, Jackie Wilson, and Chubby Checker. Lady luck helped when her vocals were added to Chubby Checker's "Slow Twistin'" (1962) making it a duet.

In additions to her music career, she appeared on TV and in films including Desperately Seeking Susan, Don't Knock the Twist, Hairspray, Sister Act, and Troop Beverly Hills. 

Dick is an American comedian, civil-rights activist, author, social critic, and entrepreneur. He made a name for himself in stand-up comedy in the 1960s, mocking racism and bigotry, performing for mostly segregated clubs -becoming the first black comedian to cross over to white audiences on television. As an activist, he protested the Vietnam War and racial injustice, frequently getting arrested and going on a hunger strike.

His comedy career started out in the mid 1950s when he was drafted into the army, and his commanding officer encouraged him to enter Army talent shows. After his time in the army, he moved to Chicago in hopes of becoming a professional comedian, and became the master of ceremonies at the Roberts Show Club in 1959. His endeavors landed him the number 82 spot on Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Stand-ups of all-time.

In addition to his comedy career, Dick was an established civil rights activist, attending Freedom Day in Selma, Alabama in 1963 and running for president with the Freedom and Peace Party in 1968. This unsuccessful bid for president led him to write a book, Write Me In, which told the story of his campaign. He continued advocating and writing, most recently releasing Defining Moments in Black History: Reading Between the Lies in 2017.

This trio of talented multi-instrumentalists delight audiences with a variety of styles: jazz standards, bebop and bossa nova, as well as original tunes influenced by music from around the globe.

For over a decade, Washington, D.C. based Doc Scantlin and his 18-piece ensemble infuse traditional F. Scott Fitzgerald era jazz with a new vibrancy and energy that is impossible to replicate. Called "the World's Best Band" by Forbes Magazine, Doc Scantlin and his orchestra keep the music of the 1920's, 30's and 40's alive and well in the present day!

Notable record producer Don Dixon's decades-long career in the music business began as the singer/ bass player for the North Carolina based band Arrogence. He is perhaps best known for co-producing two albums for famous "jangle pop" rockers R.E.M., including their highly successful debut album, Murmer. Over the course of his carreer, he has produced albums for artists such as the Smithereens, Chris Stamey, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Tommy Keene. He has also releasd a number of solo albums, and an album of duets with his wife, singer Marti Jones.

The Doo Wop Cops are notable for their ability to combine the distinct 1950s and 60s doo-wop sound with a new vitality that has earned them performances with former Presidents and other well-known musicians. Originally from Washington, D.C., the group has appeared on major television networks such as FOX, ABC, CBS and NBC showcasing their talent and activism against drugs and violence.

Drew Kennedy
With a voice described as distinct, relatable, and admirably flexible, Texas native Drew Kennedy has been praised for his artistry in being able to find 'quiet spaces in the littlest of moments and build his stories there'.

Diva's from every decade will be descending on Dupont Circle for this live musical extravaganza. Illusions Drag Show features a rotating cast of female impersonators belting out songs you know and love — sing along and laugh out loud! Every show is different, you never know who will perform!

Come before the "live show" to shop and search for secret doors.
Great for bachelorette and bachelor parties!

Guests are invited to explore the museum's themed rooms and secret doors, signed guitars, memorabilia, art and much more before the event begins. Be sure to bring a shopping bag nearly everything is for sale!

*Must be 21+ with valid ID to consume alcohol
*Show suitable for 21+

Few artists have had as profound an impact on contemporary music as Emmylou Harris. Blessed with a crystalline voice, and a remarkable gift for phrasing she has touched nearly every genre of music. In fact, Emmylou and Graham Parsons started the genre, now called Country Rock. She has played with Ryan Adams, Joan Baez, The Band, James Burton, Elvis Costello, Rodney Crowell, John Denver, Dixie Chicks, Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, Arlo Guthrie, Mark Knopfler, Little Feet, Dave Matthews, Mumford and Sons, The Milk Carton Kids, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, John Prine, Linda Ronstadt, Bruce Springsteen, Lucinda Williams, Neil Young, and Warren Zevon, just to name a few of the hundreds of artists she has performed with.

A 13-time Grammy Award winner - including one in 2014 for Best Americana Album of the Year - she was named #5 on CMT's Most Influential Women in Country Music and #22 on VH1's 100 Most Influential Women in Rock and Roll. She has contributed to soundtracks for films including Brokeback Mountain and O Brother Where Art Thou? - for which she won a Grammy.

Hailed a prodigy on the acoustic double bass at 15-year-old, Esperanza Spalding has won 4 Grammy awards -- including one for Best New Artist in 2011 -- making her the first jazz artist to ever win the award. She has distinguished herself through her impassioned improvisatory performances and unique artistic aesthetic that includes elements of blues, funk, jazz, hip-hop, fusion, soul, R&B, and Brazilian musical traditions.

She has toured and played with a host of artists, including Joe Lovano, Patti Austin, Michel Camilo, Charlie Haden, Regina Carter, Pat Metheny, Dave Samuels, and many others.

Spalding has released 5 acclaimed solo albums and appeared on a number of others including: 2008's Esperanza, which scored big with critics and listeners alike. The album topped Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and remained on it for over 70 weeks. In addition, it became the best-selling album by a new jazz artist internationally.

In 2010 Spalding released Chamber Music Society, comprised of eight originals and three covers — including Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington's "Wild Is the Wind" and Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Inutil Paisagem The album reached number one on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.

In addition to her Grammys, she has also received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Artist, Boston Music Award for Jazz Artist of the Year, Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award for the Performing Arts, Soul Train Music Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Artist/Group, Frida Kahlo Award for Innovative Creativity, and ASCAP Foundation Jazz Vanguard Award.

Esperanza has been a long-time supporter of O Street Museum's Artist-in-Residence and Heroes programs.

ACCOLADES:
- 7 top 10 Hits
- 20 top 40 singles
- 5 top 20 albums
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
- Grammy Hall of Fame
- Songwriters Hall of Fame

Freda Payne is a renowned soul, R&B, and jazz singer who is best known for her hit single "Band of Gold", which reached number three in the U.S. music charts and number one in the U.K. in 1970. Her most recent album, Come Back to Me Love, was released in June 2014.

This workshop focuses on exploring the creative process through songwriting. Attendees will work with and learn from seasoned songwriter Freebo to develop new techniques and enhance existing ones.

All levels of songwriters welcome. If you have an instrument your want to use, please bring it, and bring your songs, in whatever stages they are.

ABOUT FREEBO
Freebo is a genuine folk, rock and blues icon who, after over 40 years of recording and touring with many of the great artists of our time (Bonnie Raitt 10 years, CSN, Maria Muldaur, John Mayall, Ringo Starr, Dr. John, Neil Young, & many more) is regarded as one of the most gifted singer-songwriters of today. A multi award winner and finalist in numerous songwriting contests, Freebo was also recognized as the 'Best Folk Artist 2007' by the Los Angeles Music Awards. In addition, he has appeared on Saturday Night Live, The Muppet Show, The Midnight Special, and in concert with the legendary Spinal Tap.

Freebo's compassionate concern for the world and people around him, as evidenced both in his lyrics and his open stage banter, has helped him connect with listeners worldwide. He will take an audience from insights about what kind of positive mark we hope to leave on the world upon our own passing with "Standing Ovation" to where you stand with your pets and your partner with "She Loves My Dog More Than Me." A musical evening with Freebo will be astute, insightful, clever, and truly melodic.

ABOUT FREEBO

Freebo is a genuine folk, rock and blues icon who, after over 40 years of recording and touring with many of the great artists of our time (Bonnie Raitt 10 years, CSN, Maria Muldaur, John Mayall, Ringo Starr, Dr. John, Neil Young, & many more) is regarded as one of the most gifted singer-songwriters of today. A multi award winner and finalist in numerous songwriting contests, Freebo was also recognized as the 'Best Folk Artist 2007' by the Los Angeles Music Awards. In addition, he has appeared on Saturday Night Live, The Muppet Show, The Midnight Special, and in concert with the legendary Spinal Tap.

Freebo's compassionate concern for the world and people around him, as evidenced both in his lyrics and his open stage banter, has helped him connect with listeners worldwide. He will take an audience from insights about what kind of positive mark we hope to leave on the world upon our own passing with "Standing Ovation" to where you stand with your pets and your partner with "She Loves My Dog More Than Me." A musical evening with Freebo will be astute, insightful, clever, and truly melodic.

LISTEN > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IleUnlQMm7Y

ABOUT ALICE HOWE

A lifelong songwriter, Alice's musical sensibility lies in '60s folk and '70s Southern California songwriters, with comparisons drawn to the pure, distilled sounds of Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell. As a performer, Alice is sure-footed and captivating, familiar to her audience from the very first song.

During her three years in Seattle, Alice became a familiar face in the acoustic music scene, playing a variety of local gigs, from the Doe Bay Cafe on Orcas Island to the basement stage of Northwest favorite Dusty Strings Music Store. In the summer of 2016, Alice returned to her home town of Boston, and has been busy making herself known on the stages at Club Passim, the Burren Backroom, and the me & thee coffeehouse. Alice has opened for the likes of Antje Duvekot, Ellis Paul, Chris Trapper, Vance Gilbert, and Brooks Williams.

LISTEN > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOzEjYcHwOc

Johnston was raised in Kinsley, KS, where there were no record shops or music stores. When he was 16, he bought his first guitar from a mail order catalog.

In 1999 Rolling Stone named him "songwriter of the year". He has contributed songs to soundtracks for movies, including Kingpin, Things to Do In Denver When You're Dead and Kicking and Screaming.

American singer, songwriter, music producer, and band leader, Clinton is one of the foremost innovators of funk music. The innovator of the style of music known as P-funk, Clinton was the mastermind behind the seminal and highly influential funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

LA based Harold Payne is a multi-platinum songwriter whose soulful uplifting songs and husky, heartfelt vocals have graced stages around the world. He has written songs for diverse artists such as Rod Stewart, Patti Labelle, Kelly Rowland, Carlos Santana, Peter Paul & Mary and Snoop Dogg to name a few. He co-wrote Bobby Womack's "Bravest Man in the Universe" album which won the prestigious "Q" award in the UK for "album of the year" 2012.

An imaginative lyricist with a powerhouse voice, Heather Mae is forging new ground with her newest album -- "I AM ENOUGH"

Mae breaks ground in "I AM ENOUGH" not only for her interesting indie-pop sound, but also for her musical take on touchy subjects ranging from LGBTQ discrimination, gender stereotypes, body image, and mental health issues.

"I AM ENOUGH" reached #60 on the Pop Album charts on iTunes.

Mae was selected as a 2016 Kerrville New Folk Finalist, as well as, a Falcon Ridge songwriting finalist, and has been lucky enough to perform, work, open for, and study one-on-one with diverse talents such as Tom Paxton, Paul Reisler, Amy Speace, Ron Browning (Wynonna Judd), Beth Nielsen Chapman ("This Kiss"), Sarah Clanton, Rebecca Loebe (The Voice S1), and Paul Pfau (The Voice S8).

LISTEN NOW >

"Mae's songs are charming even outside the context of the original 'One Year of Songs' project" and popculturez.com noted that the album was "beautifully written, engagingly crafted, and accomplished in execution." --The Washington Post

"Behind vocals that suggest a younger Crosby, Stills & Nash, there's a solid songwriting heart" - Q Magazine

This UK based band takes inspiration from artists such as Fleetwood Mac, Angus & Julia Stone, Devandra Banhart, Ray Lamontagne, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Ella Fitzgerald, Bon Iver, and Johnny Cash to create their own unique brand of Folk music with a hint of pop. Three of the members, Alex, Noddy and James, met at university, where they all studied music, and upon convincing Alex's brother, Rob to join them, House of Hats came to life. The members share a love of the combination of raw, powerful voice and acoustic guitar that, when paired with rich harmonies created a sound that set them on the path to success. The band made their U.S. debut in 2014 and haven't slowed down since!

Blades is an American musician who has worked with various bands, including Rubicon, Night Ranger, and Damn Yankees. He is also a member of the band Revolution Saints. In 2006 Jack played the role of an 80's Sunset Strip club owner in the Las Vegas version of the Broadway musical show "Rock Of Ages".

Legendary songwriter Jack Tempchin has written for The Eagles, George Jones, Glenn Frey, Glen Campbell, Trisha Yearwood & many others. With discography dating back to 1976, Jack is an accomplished songwriter, writing songs such as "Peaceful Easy Feeling", "East of Eden", "Swayin To The Music" and co-writing "The Girl From Yesterday", "Somebody", "Already Gone" and "It's Your World Now". His own solo album, Peaceful Easy Feeling, is Jack's tribute to his long-time friend, bandmate and "musical brother" Glenn Frey, which contains Jack's take on songs that he and Glenn wrote and performed together. Jack is also currently a member of the band, Rocket Science.

 

Jack's success as a performer speaks for itself, as he has toured extensively as a solo artist and has opened for Ringo Starr, Dave Mason, Jackson Browne, Chicago, Karla Bonoff, Poco, Dolly Parton, Tom Rush, Emmylou Harris, Al Kooper, Christopher Cross, Timothy B. Scmit, Kenny Loggins and Barry McGuire.

"I finally met someone more quiet and private than I am, H" - Jackson Browne

Jackson is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. Browne's career spans decades, touring with bands such as The Eagles, writing songs for Bruce Springsteen, and having his own music featured in films such as Taxi Driver, few artists are more accomplished than Jackson Browne!

 

Jackson's musical career started in his youth, and he was signed as a staff writer for Nina Music, the publishing company owned by Elektra Records, before his eighteenth birthday. By 1971, he was signed with Asylum Records, and has been making music ever since, with his most recent album, Standing in the Breach, releasing in 2014. In his accomplished career, Jackson has sold over 18 million records in the United States alone, and earned an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Occidental College in Los Angeles in 2004.

 

Other accolades Jackson has received are the John Steinbeck Award in 2002, Chapin-World Hunger Year Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award in 2007, the NARM Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award in 2008, and the Courage of Conscience Award from The Peace Abbey in Sherborn, Massachusetts.

A Green Hill, Alabama native with a workingman's brand of country soul - Jason Isbell delivers crowd-pleasing music that is equal parts blues, gospel and rock & roll. Jason is best known for his solo work, and his work with The 400 Unit and Drive-By Truckers (2001-2007).

Critically acclaimed, Minneapolis-based band The Jayhawks have made music in 4 different decades. From their album Tomorrow the Green Grass - considered a masterpiece - to their mainstream hit in "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" they have earned their reputation as a true American treasure.

"JD Souther is one of the most celebrated songwriters of his generation" - Interview Magazine.

One of the architects of the Southern California sound, JD Souther has penned countless hits for everyone from the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Roy Orbison, and James Taylor, to Don Henley, George Strait, Trisha Yearwood, and Brooks and Dunn. His chart topping songs include "Heartache Tonight," "Victim Of Love," "New Kid In Town," "Best Of My Love," "How Long," "The Heart Of The Matter," "Faithless Love," "You're Only Lonely" and "Her Town, Too" which JD co-wrote with James Taylor. The Dixie Chicks 1998 hit "I'll Take Care of You," was also written by JD and featured on their album Wide Open Spaces, which sold over 12 million records.

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013, Souther has received countless Grammy nominations, in addition to Academy of Country Music Awards, American Music Awards, 21 ASCAP performance awards, and the prestigious ASCAP Golden Note Award in 2009.

JD's latest album Tenderness -- produced by Larry Klein, finds Souther stretching musically, balancing his pop and jazz sensibilities, paying particular homage to his earliest influences, the geniuses of the 20th Century Great American Songbook: Cole Porter particularly, as well as the Gershwins, Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne, Fred Coots, Yip Harburg, and picking up along the way some of the modern grace of Paul Simon and Bob Dylan. His classic albums John David Souther, Black Rose and Home by Dawn have been released as expanded reissues (Omnivore Recordings).

As an actor, he has appeared in the TV Shows Thirtysomething and Nashville, among others.

A long time supporter of O Museum in The Mansion JD is also a passionate animal lover and advocate involved with Best Friends Animal Society.

JD Souther
Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013, Grammy-nominated Souther has penned countless hits for the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Roy Orbison, James Taylor, Don Henley, George Strait, Trisha Yearwood, Brooks and Dunn and found success as solo artist.

He is the author of numerous classics including "New Kid in Town", "Heartache Tonight", "Heart of the Matter", "Best of My Love", "You're Only Lonely", "Her Town Too" and "Faithless Love" to name a few.
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Ida Jenshus
Ida Jenshus made her debut in 2008 -- her first studio album "Color of the Sun" earned her the Norwegian Grammy for best country album 2008. Her following 2 albums each garnered her additional Norwegian Grammy's making her the first Norwegian solo artist to win Grammys for their first three albums.

"A True Gift from The Heavens with a Sound for Our Times" — Dr. Maya Angelou

Jeff Majors, “…energizes my faith and transports my spirit. For me, it is the best way to start my day.” — Oprah Winfrey

A Washington, D.C. native, Jeff Majors studied under the wings of jazz pianist and harpist Alice Coltrane, wife of jazz legend John Coltrane and legendary jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby.

Upon his return to D.C. he formed several jazz bands and became a radio personality at Radio One, as the Vice President of gospel music programming for the Radio One network, and the host of “Sunday Joy,” the semi syndicated inspirational and gospel on-air ministry that can be heard on Magic 95.9 and 102.3 in the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia area.
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Hailed as an inspirational jazz / gospel producer and renowned harp master Jeff Majors has touched the hearts of millions through his television program, TV One’s “Gospel of Music with Jeff Majors,” and his faith-affirming, soul-stirring Sacred series.
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After being welcomed to perform on her talk show, media mogul Oprah Winfrey stated that the music of Jeff Majors, “…energizes my faith and transports my spirit. For me, it is the best way to start my day.” And when he was hand-picked by the Martin Luther King Family to perform at Coretta Scott King’s memorial service, Jeff Majors demonstrated that his music could console a nation.
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Today, he appears in more than 40 million homes through “The Gospel of Music with Jeff Majors,” the flagship program on TV One. The hit show provides a venue for diverse well-known and emerging talent, and has showcased some of the biggest names in the industry, including James Ingram, Mavis Staples, Shirley Caesar, Yolanda Adams and Gerald Levert in his last television appearance.
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The current project is the Jeff Majors Sacred series of the “Epistles,” which includes for the first time ever a DVD of some of the most memorable performances of Jeff Majors on the Harp. Thanks to the popular success of the series, the release is eagerly anticipated within the industry of inspirational/Jazz music and by fans alike. It is projected to meet the expectations set by his acclaimed Sacred 2000, of which Billboard said: “One listen will make believers out of even stone-cold cynics.”
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He is an ardent activist for the nation’s homeless through his non-profit organization “The Network of Doves.”, his annual “Jeff Majors Blankets for the Homeless” and the newly established “Hiphop for the Homeless,” where he has collaborated with some of today’s emerging artist and youth in the inner cities drive awareness of and help homeless communities around the country.

Texas-born actress and sing Jennifer Holliday started her career on Broadway in the original production of the musical Dreamgirls, for which she won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical in 1982. She got her start in the recording business when she released a pop version of the Dreamgirls hit "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", which reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. She has since recorded five studio albums. This single also won Jennifer a Grammy Award for Best Female Performance in the Rhythm and Blues category.

Jesse Winchester was the music world's most prominent Vietnam War draft evader, moving from Memphis to Montreal in 1967. In 1969, he met Robbie Robertson of the Band, who helped launch his recording career. Jesse's career took off in Canada, where he grew in popularity until he was able to expand his career into the United States upon being granted amnesty from evading the draft in 1977.

While Jesse's own albums are incredible, Jesse is best known as a songwriter for others. His songs were recorded by artists such as Reba McEntire, Elvis Costello, Patti Page, Joan Baez, Anne Murray, Jimmy Buffett, Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett and the Everly Brothers.

Jesse's career earned him several accolades, including a Juno Award for Best Country Male Vocalist in 1990, and Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in 2007.

If you want to see how great Jesse is, watch this video to the end, or speed forward. The end is awesome!

PRESENTED BY SUSIE'S SONGWRITER SERIES

Named "Premier Male Vocalist" five times by the Memphis Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Jimmy Davis' songs have been recorded by Martina McBride, Restless Heart, Joy White, Johnny Rivers, and more.

 

In addition to his writing talents, Jimmy has lent his vocal talents to artists such as The North Mississippi Allstars, Jim Dickinson, Johnny Lang, Bernie Leadon, Keith Sykes, Michael Hearne, Toy Caldwell, Susan Marshall, Mark Collie and William Lee Golden.

 

Jimmy's career started in the early 80's when he started playing with Charlie McClain, joining Junction in 1987. The band's first release Kick the Wall, was a top 40 hit and had a hit MTV music video. He moved to Memphis and joined The Riverbluff Clan in the mid 90s, where they released two albums, one of which, Two Quarts Low, was an Americana Top 20 record. He recorded his first solo album in 2001, and now lives in the Texas Hill Country making solo music and playing with Walt Wilkins and the Mystiqueros.

Jimmy Vivino is the Music Director on the TBS late night show Conan, and has worked with the late-night comedian since his first episode of Late Night with Conan in 1993. In addition to his work on television programs, Vivino tours and performs both as a solo artist as well as with bands such as The Prisoners of 2nd Avenue, The Barn Burners, The Fab Faux (Beatles Tribute Band) and The Rekooperators. He's recorded and played live with such legends as Johnnie Johnson, Levon Helm, Hubert Sumlin and Al Kooper. Jimmy has produced, played and arranged for such artists as Pheobe Snow, Lauro Nyro, John Sebastian and Donald Fagen.

"Joe is unquestionably among our greatest living guitarists, destined to be counted among the greatest of all-time."
-The Orange County Register

Joe Bonamassa is an American blues-rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. Unlike many blues artists before him, Bonamassa states that his primary influences are British and Irish blues acts. Though he primarily performs as a solo artist, he has collaborated with other musicians such as Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and Steve Winwood, among others.

His career has earned him several accolades, including a nomination for Grammy Award for the Best Blues Album in 2003 for his collaboration with Beth Hart, SeeSaw. In 2015, he won a Blues Music Award in the category of "Instrumentalist - Guitar".

In addition to his music career, Joe runs a nonprofit organization called the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, an organization that strives to further music education by providing music education resources to schools in need.

He's performed with Crosby Stills & Nash, Sheryl Crow, and Emmylou Harris to name a few, now you can see this singer-songwriter and recording artist live at O Street! With more than a half century of experience and nine albums under his belt, Joel has mastered the art of the performance. Joel's latest album, Baladista, was written as a personal reflection that celebrates the human spirit, and is sure to touch your heart.

Joel hails from San Diego, California and has been releasing music since 1994. Inspired by the likes of Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, among others, Joel formed the Joel Rafael Band and soon earned accolades such as the Kerrville Folk Festival's New Folk Emerging songwriter award in 1995.

By 2003, Joel had created quite a name for himself in the music world and was invited to perform in a tribute to one of his inspirations, Woody Guthrie, in a show called "Ribbon of Highway, Endless Sky". Joel then released two albums of Woody Guthrie songs, Woodeye: Songs of Woody Guthrie, and Woodyboye: Songs of Woddy Guthrie and Tales Worth Telling, Vol. 2, released in 2003 and 2005 respectively. These albums were well received and in 2007, Joel was honored at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival.

Martinez is an American country music artist. Martinez finished second place on the first season of the talent show "Nashville Star". In 2004, Martinez released a studio album for Dualtone Records, which produced one single on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

John Batdorf is a singer-songwriter solo artist and one half of Las Vegas Rock and Roll Hall Of Famers folk-rock duo Batdorf & Rodney.

John is the co-founder of the group, Dark Star Orchestra, a band exclusively devoted to playing the well-documented actual setlists of the Grateful Dead. Originally started as a side-project house band for some of the best local deadhead musicians, "DSO" rapidly became a nationally touring band, attracting many guests to join them onstage, including John Fishman, Mike Gordon, Sam Bush, Jorma Kaukonen John Popper, Sanjay Mishra, Tom Constanten, Vince Welnick, Donna Jean Godchaux-Mackay, Bill Kreutzmann, and Bob Weir to name a few.

A Washington D.C. native, Johnny Gill got his start singing in his church choir as a boy.

He recorded his first demo at age 16 and it found its way into the hands of the president of Atlantic Records. In the early 1980s, he launched a successful solo career, before being recruited into the popular R&B group New Edition in 1987. With New Edition, he helped to shape a more mature sound, and was nominated for a Grammy award with the group in 1989 for "If it isn't Love." As a solo artist, he has been nominated for several Grammy awards, including Best R&B Song for "My, My, My," and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his album Johnny Gill, both released in 1991. More recently, Johnny returned to his solo career and started his own record label, J Skillz Records in 2014.

 

In addition to a successful music career, Johnny has more than 80 television and film credits to his name, including appearances on Family Matters and Madea’s Family Reunion. His career has named him accolades, including four Grammy nominations; one for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus for "If It Isn't Love" in 1989, one for Best R&B Song for "My, My, My" in 1991, one for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male in 1991, and best R&B Album by a Duo or Group for Levert.Sewat.Gill in 1998.

"Johnny Nicholas is one of the best bluesmen ever, black or white." - Stephen Bruton

Johnny was born in Rhode Island. When he was in his early teens his heart was already set on being a musician and he was playing with various blues greats across Chicago, Ann Arbor and Detroit. His travels to Louisiana exposed him to Cajun music. He then moved to Austin (1978-1980) mixing western swing with jump blues as a member of Asleep at the Wheel.

Johnny says he spent the 70s traveling because, "I was in the river, man, and I was just flowing with it, you know?" Despite this flow, he and his wife fell in love with the Texas Hill Country in the early 80s, where they have resided ever since. Together, they opened the renowned Hill Top Cafe in Fredericksburg, Texas and raised 3 sons.

In 1991, Johnny returned his focus to music, working with Johnny Shines and Snooky Pryor on their album, Back to the Country. Despite taking inspiration and being trained by notable blues artists, something about the term "bluesman" doesn't completely match the sound that Johnny creates. Marcia Ball calls him an "innovative traditionalist", which despite sounding like an oxymoron, gives Johnny a point of direction. He incorporates blues sound with Cajun, swing, folk, and barrelhouse rock 'n' roll to create what he calls "a rich gumbo" of Americana. His most recent album, Fresh Air, “showcases the hard-earned wisdom of a man determined to use his time left on earth not just to revel in the blues, but to plant seeds of kindness, humility and love. His end goal, as revealed in the sweet, spirit-lifting acoustic sigh of the closing title track, is to ultimately help listeners relearn how to just breathe in the thick of a materialistic and distraction-filled world."

Joining Owen are legendary Los Angeles session musicians Leland Sklar (bass), and British-based master percussionist Pedro Segundo.

For most artists, an album of cover songs is an idea of last resort, a Hail Mary pass when one’s creativity has stalled out or there’s a contract to be fulfilled...

But most artists aren't Judith Owen.

This firebrand singer-songwriter and pianist is currently riding the wave of a tremendous couple of years. Her previous album Somebody's Child was adored by critics around the world - The Sunday Times UK chose it as one of the best records of 2016 and Analog Planet said that it "sparkles with Owen’s witty energy" and noting that "the songs will stay with you long after the record ends".

Her live performances, whether as a headliner or as the handpicked opening act for Bryan Ferry's recent tours of Europe and North America, have been wowing listeners and gaining fans like fellow artist Jackson Browne, who said of Owen’s onstage prowess: "It’s a masterclass on how a show should be done."

So with all that wind in her sails, why then turn to the music of others for her forthcoming album redisCOVERed? For Owen, it is something of a gift for her fans, both old and new.

"Over the years, so many people, whether it be [film producer] Nick Wechsler or audience members who hear the covers I’ve done over the years, have always had the question, 'Why don’t you make a collection of these things because they’re so unique and unusual?'" Owen says. "And I had to really ask myself why I do these covers and why they bring me so much pleasure."

Those questions are easy to answer once you listen to redisCOVERed. As she has done since her earliest days attempting to plunk out the music of Mozart and Debussy on her family's piano to her days playing four hour sets in piano bars fulfilling customer requests, Owen makes these songs her own. She molds the familiar melodies and lyrics to contemporary pop hits and longtime favorites to her unmistakable voice and style.

"The line I always use is, ‘I don’t do karaoke.’ I don’t perform or sing music unless it means something to me,” Owen insists. “I knew I had to make these songs matter to me, to have my truth in them.”

It doesn’t take much digging to find the deeper layers of meaning in her song choices and her performances on redisCOVERed. Look within even the seemingly silliest selection and you’ll find a big piece of Owen's heart waiting for you.

For some songs, the connections are fairly easy to make. She pays loving homage to one of her biggest influences Joni Mitchell, recording a pair of the Laurel Canyon legend’s compositions: "Cherokee Louise" and "Ladies Man." They’re somewhat surprising choices, as they come from Mitchell’s post-'70s heyday when her commercial star had faded somewhat yet she was still producing incredible work. Work that resonated loudly with Owen.

"There’s a line in 'Ladies Man' where she sings, 'Why do you keep trying to make a man out of me?'" Owen says. "And I really relate to that because when I met Joni, I realized I knew exactly what she was talking about.  She is someone who is one of the guys. She does not lead with her sexuality. She leads with her musicianship and her abilities. The most important thing is to be respected on stage and in the studio. Yet, there are times when I've wished that the person I was working with could perhaps notice that I was a woman. She nailed it in that one line and it really touched me."

Owen had a similar relationship within the lyrics and mood of "Black Hole Sun," one of the breakout hits for grunge icons Soundgarden that she performs with such thoughtfulness and verve on redisCOVERed, in tribute to the late Chris Cornell and to the message she found within the song.

"When I heard it, I thought, 'This is the best song about depression and being in the darkness that I’ve ever heard,'" she says. "You couldn’t make that song darker, but what you can do is bring this kind of pompous kind of perkiness to it, which always how I feel when I have my game face on. Like most people who struggle with the 'black dog,' they have their daytime face that they go out with so you won't see what's going on inside. So I liked the idea of doing this almost skipping, 'Take Five' version of it, which belies the words."

Her biggest test, though, was seeing herself within the very modern hip-hop of Drake's "Hotline Bling."

"I said to Harry [Shearer, her husband], 'Choose the most extreme thing; something contemporary that you would think I could not relate to,'" she says. "But of course I can because I've been in that place where I was constantly waiting for the phone call that would come from the guy who would call me only when there was no one better to be around. That song became more of a torch song. That's absolutely a woman's song if ever there was one."

Owen's arrangements breathe fresh life into these familiar songs recording with Grammy® winning co-producer/mixer/engineer David Bianco (Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Meghan Trainor) whilst surrounding herself with some sharp musical talent. She’s joined throughout this album by legendary bassist Leland Sklar (James Taylor, Carole King, Leonard Cohen) and master percussionist Pedro Segundo, both key members of Judith's recent live band.

You'll also find contributions from the likes of Paul Beard (Bryan Ferry, James Blunt), George Shelby (Phil Collins, Bette Midler), Snarky Puppy member Michael 'Maz' Maher, Grammy® winning jazz trumpeter Nicholas Payton and her dazzling London string players; longtime cellist collaborator Gabriella Swallow and violinist Lizzie Ball (Nigel Kennedy, Jeff Beck).

What every track on redisCOVERed--be it a pop chestnut from Grease ("Summer Nights"), a modern chart hit (Ed Sheeran’s "Shape Of You" or Justin Timberlake "Can’t Stop The Feeling"), an icon (Beatles "Blackbird" or Deep Purple "Smoke On The Water") or evergreen 70s dance floor classics (Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff" or Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music") -- reveals is that what we bring to a song that we love is what ultimately defines its truth. 

"These are great songs that I've deconstructed and re-claimed or simply found my life and new meaning in the lyrics"

"What started as a "Dream A Little Dream Of Me' request sung for a good friend’s wedding, this version turned into one more akin to Sinatra"s "One More For The Road" -- the joy of first love was exchanged turned in a 'not into you' and the perfect bookend for the album starting with "Hotline Bling" and seemingly perfect ending for the album"

"This is the thing about music," Owen avers, "We always get a different read from the same song. A song means so many different things to different people, and they're all true. It's what it means to you that matters."

"The kind of wailing folk-jazz voice that slices away surfaces to touch the vulnerable emotional nerve endings and leave you quivering." -- The New York Times

“ They were one of the finest f**king rock bands of their time.... They were extraordinary: They wrote everything, they played like motherf**kers.... They are as important as anyone else who’s ever been, ever....” (RS, January 2000)

June left Fanny in 1973 and continued to record and perform with Jean (Ladies on the Stage, Ticket to Wonderful, Melting Pot, Play Like a Girl) as well as releasing solo albums Heartsong, Running, and One World, One Heart.  In 1976 she toured with Cris Williamson on her first groundbreaking national tour backing the explosive Changer and the Changed.  She produced Cris' followup, Strange Paradise, and continued with other artists including Holly Near (Fire in the Rain), Mary Watkins (Something Moving), Melanie DeMore (Share My Song), and Bitch and Animal (Sour Juice and Rhyme).  She is the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Institute for the Musical Arts [IMA], a non-profit organization for women and girls which hosts Rock ‘n Roll Girls Camps each summer. The Institute for the Musical Arts is an internationally known teaching, performing and recording facility supporting women in music and music-related business.  

June released her autobiography “Land of a Thousand Bridges: Island Girl in a Rock ‘n Roll World” in June of 2015 and has received a great deal of resulting press including articles in Pitchfork, MS Magazine, and Newsweek as well as on NPR.  Millington continues to perform, write and record and teaches at IMA as well as colleges and universities around North America.

Kasey is an Australian country music artist who first came onto the scene in 1998, when she recorded her album, The Captain, which was released the following year. The Captain won the 1999 ARIA Award for Best Country Album. Her follow-up album, Barricades & Brickwalls, came out in 2001, debuting at number 4 on the ARIA chart, and going 7x platinum. The lead single on the album, "Not Pretty Enough", went number one, making Kasey the only Australian country artist to have a number one single and album simultaneously. Since then she has released 9 more albums, the most recent of which, Dragonfly, in 2017.

"Kate Vargas hails from Albuquerque and masterfully assimilated her southwestern storytelling into a medley of blues guitar, bass lines and faint banjo pluckings. It's her throaty rock vocals, though, aged far beyond their actual years, that pierces through it all..."
- Rachel Downes, The Bluegrass Connection

Kenneth Bruce Gorelick (better known by his stage name Kenny G) is a Grammy Award-winning saxophonist. His musical style is notable for its ability to seamlessly blend the sounds of jazz and R&B influences. His 1986 album Duotones led to his discovery and subsequent fame. The biggest-selling instrumental musician of the modern era, Kenny G proves that saxophone music never goes out of style.

Hailed by reviewers from the New York Times to the San Francisco Chronicle for his "thrilling" and "unique" piano playing, Kenny White is a talented singer/songwriter and a successful NYC-based record producer. He has written, performed, and produced music for hundreds of TV and radio commercials as well as film soundtracks, and has worked with stars like Keith Richards, Merle Haggard, and Linda Ronstadt.

• Video from Session 1
• Video from Session 2
• Video from Session 3

Although he is an accomplished and sought-after pianist, White is known for his clever lyrics - compared to artists as diverse as Randy Newman and Leonard Cohen. His shows include original music, with songs ranging from humorous to heart-breaking, with White accompanying himself on piano and guitar.  He often tours with Cheryl Wheeler and with Judy Collins, who released three of his CDs on her Wildflower Records label. He has just completed 18 months traveling as opener for the Stephen Stills & Judy Collins reunion shows.

White is currently touring in support of his current album, LONG LIST OF PRIORS, which features guest musicians such as David Crosby, who says that “Kenny has earned a place among my favorite singer/songwriters. A true wordsmith and musician who reveals a fine sense of humor as well.

ABOUT MARC DOUGLAS BERARDO
Rhode Island based Marc Douglas Berardo is a hardworking, fast moving, adventure seeking, keen observer who lives for the story and the song. He has been nationally recognized for his music and performances (Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Song contest, Telluride Troubadour Contest, Sisters Folk Festival, 2013 Rams Head Onstage Rammie for Show of the Year.) No Depression Magazine called his latest CD Whalebone: “a highly polished personal collection with songs that are on the delicate trapeze of poignancy.

Berardo's first music show was in a biker bar in St Augustine, Florida in 1988 and since that day he has never stopped performing made up songs. In the past year alone, he has shared the stage with heavyweights such as The Doobie Brothers, The Pousette Dart Band, Jimmy Lafave, Martin Sexton, 10,000 Maniacs, Red Molly, John Haitt, The New Riders of the Purple Sage, The Buffalo Springfield, Kevin Welch, Lucy Kaplansky and Livingston Taylor. As a member of Chris Berardo and The DesBerardo Band with his brother Chris, Marc has been a part of shows with classic rock acts including Little Feat, The Marshall Tucker Band, Foriegner, Badfinger, Reckless Kelly, America, David Allen Coe, Levon Helm, Dickey Betts and Great Southern and others.

In May of 2014, Berardo won the 2014 Wildflower Art and Music Festival Song Contest in Texas. The following week he performed as a finalist in the legendary Kerrville New Folk Contest at the Kerrville Folk Festival. In early 2015, Berardo's interview and live performance feature on Sirius/ XM Satellite Radio's The Village was voted one of the best of the year by listeners. Berardo was nominated as Best Americana Vocalist by readers of Motif Magazine in early 2017.

When not playing his songs all over the place, MDB lives in a heavily secluded and fortified compound on a river near the ocean in Westerly, RI.

"If Elvis had been a woman, he probably would have sounded just like Kim Lenz" - Rolling Stone

"Kim Lenz breathes new life into the familiar tropes of roots revivalism... with a mix of maturity, depth and zing." - The Austin Chronicle

 

Kim grew up in San Diego and Phoenix, and draws her inspiration from the music she listened to as a child, such as Blondie, The Pretenders, X, Big Star, and The Buzzcocks. She made her debut in 1998 and has been developing her unique form of rock and roll ever since!

Kim's fifth studio album, Slowly Speeding, is slated for release in 2018 and is sure to impress! Kim creates unique blends of pop, rock and roots music, and combines it with her own life experiences to create a distinct sound, which has created a loyal fanbase and gained her accolades, such as "Female Vocalist of the Year" by the Dallas Observer.

Indie/Soul Singer-Songwriter, Kylie Odetta, is lighting a fire within the underground music scene. With music that is powerful, dreamy, and full of passion she uses the piano & raspy vocals to draw you in.

Kylie has been called an old soul and penned over 250 songs. An indie artist with hints of jazz, soul and pop influences her southern roots make for a unique twist in her vocal character. Her iconic sound is refreshing, original and emotional.

A seasoned performer she has opened for Gavin DeGraw, Colbie Callait, Mat Kearney, Austin Mahone and Kelly Pickler.

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Lanterns On The Lake is an indie-rock band from The United Kingdom. This four-piece band was formed in 2007 and signed in 2010 to Bella Union record label. Their latest album was released in November of 2015 with the lead singer, Hazel, stating, "We wanted it to be more raw. At its darkest points, we wanted it to feel like you'd dived into the deepest part our dreams and were taking a look around. At its lightest we wanted it to feel like you were coming up for air." Their song "I Love You Sleepyhead" appeared in the film Where Soldiers Come From.

Lawrence Gowan is a Scottish born, Canadian musician who is known both for his extensive solo career and for replacing Dennis DeYoung as the vocalist for the band Styx. Gowan's style, electric energy and vibrant performances led to him opening for, and eventually becoming a member of Styx. His impressive solo career earned him numerous accolades, such as 12 Juno nominations, 2 Juno wins, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, among others.

Lee Roy Parnell is a Texan guitarist and singer-songwriter, with a long line of musicians in his family before him. He effortlessly brings together the sounds of Texas Swing, Gospel and Delta Blues in his unique fusion of blues and country, refusing to adhere to conventional sounds that traditionally accompany the two genres.

Leni Stern is a world leader in the jazz tradition of electric guitar playing. For over 20 years she has led critically acclaimed ensembles featuring some of the most notable names in jazz, blues and African music. Stern has also won multiple awards for composition and songwriting. Guitar Player Magazine recently named her one of the 50 Most Sensational Female Guitarists of All-Time in their 50th Anniversary issue.

Leni is a long time supporter of The O Street Museum's Artist & Heroes-in-Residence programs.

Listen > https://soundcloud.com/lenistern/once-upon-a-time-lebone#t=0:00

"One of the World's Most Fully Realized Songwriters and Guitarists" - LA Weekly

"One of the World's Most Fully Realized Songwriters and Guitarists"
-LA Weekly

Leni Stern is a world leader in the jazz tradition of electric guitar playing. For over 20 years she has led critically acclaimed ensembles featuring some of the most notable names in jazz, blues and African music. Stern has also won multiple awards for composition and songwriting. Guitar Player Magazine recently named her one of the 50 Most Sensational Female Guitarists of All-Time in their 50th Anniversary issue.

Stern's most recent project is a Trio collaboration with Senegalese artists Alioune Faye and Mamadou Ba. Teir latest album "Dakar Suite" is a celebration of the griot tradition that Faye and Ba come from, featuring Faye's percussive family as the driving groove on Stern's poignant and timely original songs which speak of racial justice, environmentalism, love and family.

Five consecutive wins of Gibson's Female Jazz Guitarist of the Year.

Platinum-selling Lenny Kravitz is one of the preeminent rock guitarists in the world. Notable for his retro style, Kravitz is known for his chart-topping hits, his Grammy-award winning music, and his multi-instrumentalism. His funk style has earned him comparisons to one of the best guitarists of all time- Jimi Hendrix. He has worked with a myriad of influential artists, including Slash, Steven Tyler, Mick Jagger, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie,and Curtis Mayfield. Between 1999 and 2002, Kravitz won four consecutive Grammy awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, and his 2000 Greatest Hits album reached #2 on the Billboard 200. In the last decade Kravitz has expanded his musical style even more, working with hip-hop artists like Jay-Z, P. Diddy, and N.E.R.D. and touring with the rock band U2.

Lester Chambers is a soul and folk rock artist hailing from Mississippi who got his start as the lead singer of the Chambers Brothers. He has used his fame to speak out against record labels that steal from their artists and to fight racial injustice. In recent years, Chambers has performed with his new band, Lester Chambers and the Mud Stompers, under his own record label, Stomping Mud Records.

Hailed by SPIN Magazine as "the most powerful all-female band in rock history" in the hard rock "tribute" bands genre, Lez Zeppelin has gained worldwide critical acclaim for the musicianship, passion and gender-bending audacity they bring to the music of Led Zeppelin.

They have been featured on The BBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, MTV, VH-1, FOX and radio shows worldwide, including SIRIUS XM and NPR.

Jimmy Page attended their show in London and said of the group, "They played the Led Zeppelin music with an extraordinary sensuality and an energy and passion that highlighted their superb musicianship."

An American singer-songwriter and actress, she launched her career in 1994 with the song "Stay (I Missed You)" which was used in the film Reality Bites. She was the first artist to have a number one single in the U.S. while not signed to a recording contract. Loeb has also released several songs for children, including "Catch the Moon" and "Camp Lisa".

This Grammy award winning group combines a hefty helping of Tex Mex conjunto, Texas rock, blues, and R&B, to cook up their own tasty TexManiacs groove.

TexManiacs have toured and recorded with everyone from Flaco Jimenenz, to the original Texas Tornados, Los Super Seven and even the Rolling Stones.

"A sound as big as Texas" -- Cam Fuller, The StarPhoenix, 8/12/14

 

The band is a conjunto band that formed in 1997. They combined sounds and elements from several genres from Rock to Jazz, and incorporated the sounds of their childhood in New Mexico. Their dynamic sound means that they have collaborated with several artists including Rick Trevino (Country), Flaco Jimenez (Tejano), Los Lobos (Latin) and even Hip Hop recording artist/songwriter King Montana.

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Described by critics as the female Bob Dylan singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams has has garnered 3 Grammy awards and countless top charting albums.

Named "America's best songwriter" by Time magazine in 2002 her songs have been recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter, Emmylou Harris, and Tom Petty.

She has toured with Bob Dylan, the Allman Brothers, Roseanne Cash, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers to name a few.

In 2016 she was nominated for Artist of the Year by the Americana Music Association at their Honors & Awards Ceremony which were held at The Mansion on O Street.

Madison Violet is a JUNO-nominated duo of Canadian singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac. With pop, indie, Americana and root influences, Madison Violet has transfixed audiences across the world with their unique musical sound.

 

The duo released their first three albums independently before being signed with True North Records for their fourth and fifth albums. In addition to their JUNO nomination, the band also won Song of the Year it the 2010 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for "The Ransom". The 10th Annual Independent Music Awards were also successful for the band, earning them a nomination in the Singer-Songwriter category for their album, No Fool For Trying, and a win in the Folk/Singer-Songwriter Song category for "The Ransom and Small of My Heart".

“Gritty, cinematic tales of the real west...at times stripped bare, at other times dramatic and haunting...an experience like no other album I’ve heard this year.” - MAVERICK, U.K.

Rhode Island based Marc Douglas Berardo is a hardworking, fast moving, adventure seeking, keen observer who lives for the story and the song. He has been nationally recognized for his music and performances (Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Song contest, Telluride Troubadour Contest, Sisters Folk Festival, South Florida Folk Fest, 2013 Rams Head Onstage Rammie for Show of the Year.) No Depression Magazine called his latest CD Whalebone: "a highly polished personal collection with songs that are on the delicate trapeze of poignancy." In May of 2014, Berardo won the 2014 Wildflower Art and Music Festival Song Contest in Texas. The following week he performed as a finalist in the legendary Kerrville New Folk Contest at the Kerrville Folk Festival. In early 2015, Berardo's interview and live performance feature on Sirius/ XM Satellite Radio's The Village was voted one of the best of the year by listeners. Marc Douglas Berardo has shared the stage with heavyweights such as The New Riders of The Purple Sage, The Doobie Brothers, Jimmy LaFave, Martin Sexton, Terri Hendrix, Kevin Welch, Red Molly, Eric Taylor, The Pousette Dart Band, John Haitt, and Livingston Taylor. He is also a member of Chris Berardo and the DesBerardos who are frequent performers and friends of the Mansion on O Street.

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A classic 70's singer/songwriter Margo Price's voice has that alluring mix of vulnerability and resilience that was once the province of Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton.

Margo was nominated for 2016 New/Emerging Artist of the Year and for Song of the Year for "Hands of Time," by the Americana Music Association at their Honors & Awards Ceremony which were held at The Mansion on O Street.

Mary is a jazz and blues artist, often compared to Janis Joplin, who has moved on from performing in New York City subway tunnels to releasing four albums and sharing a stage with countless big names in music. In 2010 McBride also founded the Home Tour, an organization that assembles local and nationally recognized musicians to perform for residents in communities that do not have access to live music, with the goal of enriching those people's lives and engaging the communities.

There's no harmony quite like that of two people in love-not only with each other but with the music they share. The talent-abundant. The appeal-obvious. The Mastersons deliver magic in the form of rootsy, melodic, twangy, pop songs.

Austin singer songwriter Matt the Electrician (he started out as an electrician...) songs are delivered somewhere between Paul Simon's folk-pop and Tom Waits's back-alley sandpaper growl. There's just the right mix of vulnerability and strength, ennui and hope to make women want to take him home and mother him.

She's toured with Eric Clapton, Chris Isaak, and Stevie Nicks and collaborated with Eurythmics Dave Stewart.

"Her sublime grit & gravel voice lands her squarely between Lucinda Williams & Bob Dylan." - Boston Globe.

Mia came onto the scene in 2003 with her album, Cold Water, and didn't slow down with her second album in 2005, Parking Lots, which won the ARIA Award for Best Blues & Roots Album.

Hotels and Highways
"A gleeful blend of country, pop, and rock and roll" - Dan Bolles, Seven Days Vermont

Featured in the New York Times, USA Today, on PBS' The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and National Public Radio's All Things Considered, Fitzpatrick has performed around the world for the past 30 years.

Hailed by The New York Times as possessing "A sense of humor, virtuosity, and an ear for musical dialogue", Michael Fitzpatrick has shared the stage with His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama for the past 17 years as part of the TUNING THE PLANET recording/film/performance platform he is spearheading. He is the recipient of The Prince Charles Award for Outstanding Musicianship conferred by H.R.H. The Prince of Wales.

He has performed for the Pope and as cello soloist at The Hollywood Bowl, Lincoln Center, Town Hall, the Aspen Music Festival and most recently at the Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds' 100 Year Anniversary Concert honoring its founder, Pulitzer Prize winner Gian Carlo Menotti. He was instrumental in bringing together Nobel Peace laureate His Holiness the Dalai Lama and United Nations Messenger of Peace Muhammad Ali, performing for their historic joining and blessing of the Kumbum Chamtse Ling Temple.

"If we all had a little bit of Michael Jackson in us, I think it would make the world a better place." - Tracy Morgan Michael Jackson was an American pop star, dancer and actor, known for his success both with his family band the Jackson 5 and as a solo artist. His 1982 album Thriller is the best-selling album in history. His music videos, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" from his 1982 album Thriller, are notable for both their artistic style and their promotional functions. In addition to his wide range and powerful singing voice, Jackson was a talented dancer who propagated the use of two dance moves still used today: the robot and the moonwalk. His unique sound has influenced artists across the board for generations to come. His accolades include 13 Grammy Awards, Grammy Legend Award, Grammy Lifetime Achievement, Award 26 American Music Awards, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (twice, the only artist to do so), Songwriters Hall of Fame, Dance Hall of Fame, Guinness World Records.

Hailing from Eagle Rock, California, Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan formed The Milk Carton Kids in early 2011. The Grammy-nominated harmony duo have emerged as a powerful voice defining the new folk tradition. Their 2013 album, The Ash and Clay, received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Folk Album. In 2014 they won Best Duo/Group of the Year by the Americana Music Association.

They were nominated for 2016 Group Duo of the Year by the Americana Music Association at their Honors & Awards Ceremony which were held at The Mansion on O Street.

Favorite 2016 festival performance - Rolling Stone Magazine

Chapel Hill's indie Americana quartet Mipso are influenced by the contradiction of their progressive home and the surrounding rural southern landscapes. Currently celebrating the release of their new album Coming Down The Mountain (April 7, 2017), Mipso ventures further than ever from their string-band pedigree to discover a broader Americana - where classic folk-rock and modern alt-country sounds mingle easily with Appalachian tradition. Mipso's music is lush and forward moving, with words that sear and salve in turn.

Hailed as "hewing surprisingly close to gospel and folk while still sounding modern and secular." (Acoustic Guitar), Mipso brings a distinctly unique sound- full of wistful beauty, hopeful undercurrents, and panoramic soundscapes.

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Guests are invited to explore the museum's themed rooms and secret doors, 60 signed guitars, memorabilia, art and much more before the event begins. Be sure to bring a shopping bag everything is for sale!

From Carnegie Hall to the Nomad Women's Festival in the Sahara Desert, Morley has brought her unique blend of jazz, folk and soul to the world's stage.

She has performed for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Ban Ki-moon, Mary Robinson, and Ela Gandhi. She has written, collaborated, and shared the stage with Richie Havens, Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow, Queen Latifah, Sarah McLachlan, Wynton Marsalis and many more.

Click here to see the full list of music performers that have appeared at the museum.

As featured on the PBS Music Gone Public TV Series, Vancouver Folk Festival and FreshGrass

Nell & Jim Band bring all of your favorite elements of authentic music together, creating a genre-busting sound that combines Americana, folk and bluegrass music. The “beloved Bay Area bluegrass stars” (San Jose Mercury News) have been featured on Prairie Home Companion, at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, the PBS series Music Gone Public, Kate Wolf Music Festival and Strawberry Music Festival.

“Nell Robinson and Jim Nunally love the road, and they revel in the adventure of uncovering new corners of this old world that people call home.” — NO DEPRESSION

Nell Robinson has been described as one of the freshest voices in roots music. Jim Nunally is a San Francisco Bay Area-native, a musician, composer, record producer, and teacher. Jim joins master American guitarists Doc Watson and Tony Rice as one of the finest interpreters and performers of bluegrass and traditional music. Jim Kerwin is considered simply one of the best string bass players in the country. Playing with David Grisman for over 30 years, he is featured on all of Grisman’s Jerry Garcia recordings. Jon Arkin is a versatile, gifted percussionist who is known for his performances & recorded work in a wide variety of musical contexts. He has performed with jazz greats such as Lee Konitz, Gene Perla, and Ira Sullivan. Renowned San Francisco musician and accordion player Rob Reich joined the band in 2017 and is best known for his work with Tin Hat, Gaucho, and Circus Bella. This is truly an all-star band!

No Second Troy proves that the indie rock and pop music genres are not mutually exclusive. Originally from Washington, D.C., No Second Troy employs strong vocals, guitars, and layers of electronic synthesizers to accomplish a harmony between rock and pop. Their impressive musical renderings have lead to features on ESPN, XM Radio, MTV and in Spin Magazine. They've performed alongside bands like Pete Yorn, Dr. Dog, Coldplay and at the SXSW and NXNE festivals.

Native Ohioans Detweiler and Bergquist launched Over the Rhine in the spring of 1989, naming the ensemble after the historic, bohemian Cincinnati neighborhood Over-the-Rhine, where they lived, wrote, and recorded together. They quickly struck a chord with listeners, and had a solid local following by the time they launched their first two albums, Till We Have Faces (1991) and Patience (1992).

Over the next two decades, Over the Rhine continued to build a musically and emotionally potent catalogue. Over the Rhine’s 15th studio album Love & Revelation marks the duo’s 30th continuous year of writing, recording and touring together. In that time, singer songwriters/multi-instrumentalists Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler (who’ve been married for 22 years) have built a vivid, emotionally-charged body of work that has won them a deeply devoted following and critical acclaim.

They have shared the stage with Bob Dylan, John Prine, Adrian Belew, Squeeze, Ani DiFranco, My Morning Jacket, Hem, and toured as "adjunct" members of Cowboy Junkies.

Paul Williams is an Oscar, Grammy, Golden Globe-winning songwriter. Williams is recognized as one of America's most prolific and gifted lyricists and composers. A Hall of Fame songwriter and recipient of the 2004 National Music Publishers President's Award, Williams' standards have been recorded by such diverse musical icons as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand, Ray Charles, David Bowie, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan, Johynny Mathis, Bing Crosby, The Carpenters, Luther Vandross, Mel Torme and Diana Ross. "The Rainbow Connection", from the children's classic The Muppet Movie, is one of two Paul Williams songs that grace the American Film Institute's list of top movie songs of all time; the second, "Evergreen" is from the award-wining Streisand/Kristofferson remake of A Star is Born.

Although most people first came to know Mr. Williams as one of Johnny Carson's recurring favorites on The Tonight Show, or as an actor in dozens of films, television comedies and dramas, it is his musical legacy that continues to inspire. "We've Only Just Begun", "Rainy Days and Mondays", "You and Me Against the World" and "An Old Fashioned Love Song" all remain pop classics.

Privately a devoted father and publicly lauded for his work as a songwriter, performer, actor and humanitarian, he predicts he'll be remembered for playing Little Enos in the Smokey and the Bandit trilogy and for his lyrics to "The Love Boat" theme. In April 2009, Paul Williams was elected the new President and Chairman of ASCAP.

2011 NEA National Heritage Fellow and "Guitar Man" Warner Williams diverse repertoire reflects a wide range of musical influences, from bluesmen Blind Boy Fuller, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Muddy Waters, to country artists Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, and Gene Autry, as well as jazz, big band, and popular tunes.

Though more famous for his work in Pennsylvania each Groundhogs Day, Punxatawny Phil has also graced the Mansion with his presence! Unlike his appearances each February, his appearance at the Mansion didn't predict the weather.

Renee Dion hails from Columbus, Ohio and released her first album, Rhapsody Inn, in 2011. The Ohio native honed her skills in Chicago, where she attended Columbia College, Los Angeles and Atlanta, working with industry up and comers. Through this experience, she developed a unique sound, combining R&B, hip hop, jazz and soul in a way that is unlike any other.

Renee has opened for N'Dambi, Eric Roberson and Jesse Boykins III, and has sung with Gordon Chambers.

According to Renee, "My mission is to create the soundtrack to navigate through life’s many ups and downs, see people set free from fear, bondage of the mind and begin to see yourself as God sees you. Victorious!"

Renee will embark on her first national tour in the summer of 2018.

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Richie Havens Brooklyn native and the eldest of nine children, Richie was known for his intense and rhythmic guitar style. He became well-known for his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival. Richie went on to start his own record label, called Stormy Forest. Later that year came Alarm Clock, which included the George Harrison-penned hit single, "Here Comes the Sun". This was Havens' first album to reach Billboard's Top 30 Chart.

Houston, Texas based country singer/songwriter Robert Ellis blends aspects of country, folk, jazz, and bluegrass to create a genre defying sound that earned him a place on American Songwriter Magazine's best albums of 2011 for his album Photographs. He has toured with Alabama Shakes and Old Crow Medicine Show, and just released his third album, simply titled Robert Ellis, in June of 2016.

"One moment he’s turning out harmonically rich Paul Simon-esque art-folk; the next he’s digging into the kind of good ‘n’ greasy Americana groove John Hiatt would kill for.” - Jim Allen, Culture Sonar

Roger Street Friedman is a singer-songwriter based in Sea Cliff, New York. Friedman restarted his music career in 2010 following the loss of his parents and the birth of his daughter. His works have received critical acclaim from top outlets including No Depression, American Songwriter, Relix Magazine, and the New York Daily News, and his 2017 album, Shoot The Moon, reached #2 on the Roots Music Report Americana Country Album Chart.
 
His new single, Sun Never Sets, features some of the finest voices in Americana including Tom Chapin, Guy Davis, Joel Rafael, and Peter Yarrow. The track serves as a soothing protest track in support of all immigrants past, present, and future. For more information please visit www.rogerstreetfriedman.com

One of South Asia's most influential cultural figures, Salman is a musician, physician and United Nations goodwill ambassador.

He popularized a blend of Western rock music and Eastern/Islamic music which has been called "Sufi rock" and hailed as a cultural bridge within South Asia and between the East and West.

The Legendary Soul Man

Voted one of the 100 top voices of all time

Rolling Stone Magazine 2008

". The Frank Sinatra of soul"

B. B. King

"My favorite instrument is Sam Moore's voice"

Dan Aykoyd/Elwood Blues

"One of the greatest voices of all time"

Sting and Billy Joel

 

Sam is best known for being the sultry tenor voice behind the soul music duo, Sam & Dave, along with his solo career. Throughout his incredible career, Sam has performed at the Grammys, the 1994 tribute to Elvis Presley, the Kennedy Center’s tribute to Smokey Robinson, SXSW. Sam has recorded or performed with the biggest names in music including Phil Collins, Elton John, Don Henley, Bruce Springsteen, Conway Twitty and Lou Reed among many others.

This husband and wife duo meld his love of rock and blues with her roots of folk and country to develop their own original southern rock sound. Their divine harmonies and fresh melodies are a hallmark of this southern rock group.

"Keepin' the blues alive, one gig at a time" Shawn Amos is a Los Angeles based blues singer-songwriter. His most well known album, Thank You Shirl-ee May, was released in 2005. It was written as homage to his mother, a nightclub singer who performed under the same name. After several years of songwriting Amos decided to set his own work aside and began working as an artists' representative and a producer. He has produced songs for musicians like Heart, Quincy Jones and Solomon Burke.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia Shawn specializes in folk rock, adult alternative and Americana Music. He is best known for his Grammy nominated song "Lullaby". which hit number one on the adult top 40.

 

Shawn's musical inclinations started early in life, when he was mentored by Amy Rau of Indigo Girls. He continued to study music in his college career, eventually becoming the bandmaster of the military marching band at his university, North Georgia College and State University.

 

He pursued music professionally after resigning from the U.S. Army Reserve. His songs have been featured on tv shows such as Scrubs and Dawson's Creek, as well as promotional campaigns for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

Sierra Hull
An accomplished mandolin player Sierra Hull was mentored by Alison Krauss. Hull and Krauss, along with Dan Tyminski, performed at the White House on November 21, 2011.

In addition to winning International Bluegrass Music Association nominations three years in a row Hull received the Bluegrass Star Award, presented by the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation for advancing traditional bluegrass music and bringing it to new audiences while preserving its character and heritage.

Ethan Jodziewicz
Nashville-based double bassist Ethan Jodziewicz thrives in performances and collaborations that combine traditional and contemporary elements, technical virtuosity with simplicity and passion. A rising star on the new acoustic music scene, he has been inspiring audiences with music that is fresh, exciting, and without boundaries.

Baxter has been the lead guitarist for Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers and has been a well known and uniquely talented musician since the 60's. Aside from his passion for music, he also serves as a defence analyst and consultant for the United States Government. On tour, he would study technical defense magazines and other defense technology manuals. "To most of the world, Skunk Baxter is one of the great rock and roll guitar players. Inside the Beltway, he's one of the leading experts on military defense, and we listen to his advice all the time," said Republican California congressman Dana Rohrabacher.

Singer, Songwriter mramericana.com

[ASCAP] Bill Kelly's song "Luck of the Irish" was in the TV series Northern Exposure and the Ken Russell film, Whore. Bill's song "It Must Stink to be Pink" can be heard in the Academy Award nominated documentary, Super Size Me. Kelly also performs on the movie soundtrack of Don Gorske: Mac Daddy, and the Lisa France feature film, The Unseen. Bill's song "She's Single Again" was featured in the NBC show, Ed.

Sonny is one of those artists whose career could fill volumes, but at the same time defies description. He began as a songwriter for Specialty Records, where he wrote "Things You Do to Me" for Sam Cooke. By the early 60s, he was working for Phil Spector. He then began singing with his then-wife, Cher, and by the end of the 60s his career had skyrocketed.

 

In addition to music, Sonny entered the realm of television on The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour (1971 to 1974). Despite the couples' divorce, they continued to work on The Sonny and Cher Show in 1976 and 1977. Their last television appearance was in 1987 on Late Night with David Letterman. As an actor, he appeared in shows and films such as Men in Black and The Golden Girls.

As a politician, he began his career as they Mayor of Palm Springs, California, and is most remembered in that community for creating the Palm Springs International Film Festival, which is still held every year in his memory. Sonny also ran for a Senate nomination, and despite losing this race, ended up in Congress anyway upon winning a seat in the House of Representatives representing the 44th District of California. While in Congress he fought for a bill to extend copyright protections, which never made it to the Senate. The Senate passed the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act in his memory after he passed away in 1998.

Formerly Beck & Cauthen
The dynamic Texan duo David Beck and Paul Cathen come together to perform as Sons of Fathers, a band that is creating "a country shuffle reminiscent of Robert Earl Keen, Americana music with the lyrical weight of Bob Dylan, and a no-frills rocker like when the Stones were at their best." (ReverbNation).Their ability to transcend genre and produce original sound has earned them comparisons from bands such as The Byrds, The Everly Brothers and The Avett Brothers. Their tight "Everly-esque" harmonies bring life to their timeless classics.

4:00 – 6:00pm
— Poetry reading (Bring your favorite Irish poem or pick one from our collection)
— Traditional music
— New Irish short cinema
— New video art from Northern Ireland

6:00 – 7:30pm [Concert]
Michael Brunnock
Singer - Song Writer
In this special St. Patrick’s Day solo show Michael will bring music old and young from Ireland, sharing family songs and stories handed down with a natural wit and sincerity.

Michael has an extraordinary voice, whose songs mine the profound. It is not surprising that David Byrne cast him to sing the role of an Irish musician on the brink of success whose voice guides Sean Penn through an emotional journey of self-discovery in This Must Be the Place. The score by Byrne with lyrics by Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy) called for a distinctive vocalist, which Brunnock is. Michael has won an Italian Oscar (Di Donatello) for the best original song If it falls and has written and performed music for Italian movies Noi 4 and Manuel.

Brunnock’s roots are deeply evident on the acclaimed The Orchard, a collection of gorgeously crafted songs featuring guest performances from Glen Hansard, Julia Stone, Ari Hest and Joe Sumner.

Michael has collaborated with acclaimed Irish playwright Deirdre Kinahan (Solas Nua: Wild Sky and The Frederick Douglass Project), on a new musical project called Ettie, a reimagining of the story of Ettie Steinberg, one of the very few Irish citizens to die in the Holocaust. He is currently finishing a song cycle based on poetry and letters by Sir Roger Casement.

Guests are invited to explore the museum's themed rooms and secret doors, 60 signed guitars, memorabilia, art and much more before the event begins. Be sure to bring a shopping bag everything is for sale!  

Sons of Fathers (formerly Beck & Cauthen)
A country shuffle reminiscent of Robert Earl Keen, Americana music with the lyrical weight of Bob Dylan, and a no-frills rocker like when the Stones were at their best.

Join us for a live reading of the play The Honey Trap by award-winning playwright Leo McGann, directed by Matt Torney, the Associate Artistic Director at Studio Theater.
________________

Leo McGann Leo is an award-winning playwright from Belfast. He began writing with Tinderbox Theatre Company through their Fireworks Young Writers group, was part of the Royal Court's Young Writers Programme and Studio Group in London. He was awarded the Kennedy Center's Harold and Mimi Steinberg National Student Playwriting Award in 2018. The Honey Trap was produced as a workshop production at Boston Playwrights' Theatre in 2017. He holds a BA in Modern History from Oxford and an MFA in Playwriting from Boston University.

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Matt Torney, Director Matt originally from Belfast is the Associate Artistic Director of DC’s Studio Theatre. Previously he was Director of Programming for Origin Theatre in NYC, Resident Assistant Director at The Abbey Theatre and Associate Director at Rough Magic Theatre Company in Dublin. In 2010 he directed Solas Nua’s production of Arthur Reardon and Bell Helicopter’s Irish WWII-era musical comedy, Improbable Frequency. He holds a BA in Drama and English Literature from Trinity College Dublin and an MFA in Theatre Directing from Columbia University.

PRESENTED BY SUSIE'S SONGWRITER SERIES

Award winning husband-and-wife folk-pop team, have been tearing up the music scene since their 1995 debut album, the Celtic-tinged River of Fallen Stars (Green Linnet) which won the National Association of Independent Record Distributors indie award for best contemporary adult album. Their follow-up album, 1996's Life Is Large, included cameos from Roger McGuinn, Steve Earle, Kelly Willis, Nils Lofgren and Susan Cowsill to name a few -- and garnered the couple many awards, including more than 30 Wammies (Washington Area Music Awards).

Individually accomplished Pete has played with Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Nanci Griffith while Maura performed with the Delta Rays and won the New York Country Music Association's Songwriter of the Year Award.

LISTEN >

Thelma Houston is an American singer and actress. She scored a number-one hit in 1977 with her cover version of the song "Don't Leave Me This Way" which won the Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

 

The daughter of a cotton picker, Thelma grew up in Leland Mississippi. She later joined the Art Reynolds Singers gospel group. From there her career took off, and she was signed with Dunhill Records. Her debut album, Sunshower, was released in 1969. Thelma's most popular song, "Don't Leave Me This Way", reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. Most recently, she released an EP entitled Forty-Two which was a collaboration with a Los Angeles based producer, Janitor.

Constanten wrote orchestral pieces as a child. He became the 7th member of the Grateful Dead in 1968, recording the band's second album, Anthem of the Sun, while on weekend leave from the Air Force. "It was like a magic carpet ride that was there for me to step on," he says. "I would have been a fool not to." He was inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

 

He stated his personal philosophy in a 2002 interview, "I know of no path that is better marked than the study of music. Maybe I just think so because it's the path I'm on. There's the old question "How come there's never enough time to do it right, but there's always enough time to do it over." Well, here's an answer. Settle down. Do it right. However long it takes. That's the direct route to the fast lane!"

 

He practices what he preaches, and after time in Grateful Dead, Constanten turned to academics and held a Creative Associate fellowship in composition at SUNY Buffalo at their music-oriented Center of the Creative and Performing Arts from 1974-75. In 1986, he was an artist in residence at Harvard University. He also taught at the San Francisco Art Institute.

 

Constanten also began to tour as a solo pianist, and was the house pianist for the radio program, West Coast Weekend, from 1986 to 1993. He also plays with a number of Grateful Dead tribute bands, including Jazz is Dead, a band which covers classic Dead songs with jazz influences.

Constanten has been an artist in residence off and on at the Mansion for the past 15 years! Keep an eye out for his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Award when you tour the Mansion.

"Every year the mounting landfill of new releases... yields a few unexpected gems, and Tom Freund is one of them."

- The New York Times

"Truly unique and absolutely brilliant."

- All Music Guide

"I get shivers down my spine on almost every tune. Along with Lucinda Williams, Freund is the best singer/songwriter operating today."

- Graham Parker

 

Tom's musical career began in 1992 with the release of his duo's self-titled album, Pleasure and Pain. After this, Tom began playing bass with The Silos and launched his solo career with the album, North American Long Weekend, in 1998. Following the success of this album, Tom became a favorite on NPR's Weekend Edition.

Tom's unique singer-songwriter style incorporates his previous experience writing across several genres, from pop to folk to jazz to rock and roll and beyond. His latest album, Two Moons, is unlike anything he's ever created before, blending confidence with his own life experience to create an album that is sure to impress.

Tommy Shaw is a guitar player and singer-songwriter, best known as a member of STYX. Some of his own material including "Fooling Yourself", "Blue Collar Man" and "Too Much Time On My Hands" contributed to the success of the group that he ultimately recorded over ten albums with. In addition to his work with STYX he has toured with other bands such as the Damn Yankees and as a solo artist.

Tommy describes his first gig as when, at age 5, his grandfather gave him a nickel in exchange for singing a song. His parents gave him his first guitar at age 10. By age 14, he had joined his first band, The Vagabonds, and hasn't stopped making music since!

His discography alone is impressive, having recorded 19 albums with STYX, 6 solo albums, 2 albums with Damn Yankees and 2 albums with Shaw/Blades. Of these, several went platinum, in part due to Tommy's efforts. He travelled the country and personally asked radio stations to play the band's single "Come Sail Away", which led to the band's album The Grand Illusion going platinum in 1977. Damn Yankees' second album, Don't Tread, also went platinum.

Tommy was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in his hometown of Montgomery in February of 2008.

The brainchild of Johnny Irion, U.S. Elevator's music is filled with loving and wily winks at the visionary forces of the 1960s and 1970s - The Beatles, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Gram Parsons, and The Hollies, for starters - and is at the same time thoroughly original, contemporary, and richly melodic.

Ultra is a singer, songwriter, DJ, producer & promoter who has eight studio albums under her belt. She takes pride in the fact that she has always written her own songs, even after being signed to Warner Brothers Records in the UK in 1989. In her 25 years, she has collaborated with The Basement Boys, Nellee Hooper, D-Inflience, Mood II Swing, Nona Hendryx, Lenny Kravitz, N'Dea Davenport, DJ Class, NERVO, Tony Moran, StoneBridge, Todd Terry, David Morales, Michele Williams (of Destiny's Child), Boy George, Morgan Page, and Quentin Harris among others. Her unique sound combines elements of house, soul, disco, rock, hip-hop, R&B, and electro pop. Ultra says she is honored to considered an icon of the dance and LGBT communities. She lives in Baltimore.

Walt Wilkins and the Mystiqueros
San Antonio-born Walt Wilkins has been called a genius. His plaintive guitar and hard-edged vocals have made him a fixture of the Texas music scene. His masterful crafting of story-songs can be heard on Kellie Pickler's new single "Someone Somewhere Tonight" which he co-wrote with Davis Raines.

San Antonio-born Walt Wilkins has been called a genius. His plaintive guitar and hard-edged vocals have made him a fixture of the Texas music scene.

His masterful crafting of story-songs are sought after and have been recorded by a multitude of artists including Kenny Rogers, Kellie Pickler, Eric Church, Bonnie Bishop, and Brandon Rhyder.

Walter Parks has forged a distinctive career as the lead guitarist for Woodstock legend Richie Havens, The Nudes, and the swamp/blues-outfit Swamp Cabbage. With the release of "Walter Parks" on Judy Collins' Wildflower Records in March 2011, he will now make his debut as a solo artist.

Guitarist and songster Warner Williams is one of the greatest unsung heroes of the Piedmont blues—an Eastern seaboard style that incorporates fiddle tunes, ballads, country and popular songs, ragtime, and gospel.

The son of a cement finisher and a house cleaner, Williams was one of 11 children raised in a musical family. He was a garbage collector in Maryland for nearly 60 years.

By his early teens, Williams was hopping streetcars to get to the District, often paying his fare with a song. He’d wander through the city, playing tunes for change until police shooed him away.

At 22, he won an on-air talent show on WWDC hosted by Jackson Lowe, a white DJ who was an early champion of R&B. Williams started playing juke joints and house hops around the Maryland suburbs soon after.

When Williams married his wife, Karoline, and started his family, he continued to play on weeknights and weekends. All the blues legends tried to get him to go on tour with them — B.B. King the most notable. But he was afraid he would die on a tour bus, and he did not want to leave his family, so he always said no, only playing with them when they came to D.C.

Williams’s major-label debut, “Blues Highway,” was released in 2004 and helped bring him to wider attention. Summerour has also helped guide Williams to bigger gigs at Wolf Trap, the National Folk Festival and other spots in recent years, but Williams is still more likely to be found playing a house party or a small club or busking on a street corner.

At the age of 88 Mr. Williams plays the fourth Sunday of each month at O Museum in The Mansion.

PRESENTED BY SUSIE'S SONGWRITER SERIES

Will Kimbrough is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer whose credits include the 2004 Americana Music Association Instrumentalist of the Year Award, 12 songs on four recent Jimmy Buffett albums, current touring and recording with Emmylou Harris and her Red Dirt Boys, and producing two of Todd Snider's most acclaimed collections. Will was a member of guitar pop legends Will and the Bushmen and The Bis-Quits.  He is a member of Willie Sugarcapps with Grayson Capps, Sugarcane Jane and Corky Hughes, whose 2013 self-titled album was critically acclaimed album recieved the Independent Music Award for Best Americana Album. When Emmylou Harris tours, he is her guitar player in Red Dirt Boys. Will is also a member of DADDY, a collaboration with Tommy Womack, with a new record release, that is currently in the Top 40 Americana Radio Chart - "Let's Do This!"

​“Will is a tremendous songwriter, a great guitarist and just an inspirational person.  There’s nobody out there like him. No wonder everybody wants to work with him.”
--- Emmylou Harris

“...On stage, he can charm a crowd whether fronting a band, or playing solo. That is why you see his songs on my albums and his face on our stage”
- Jimmy Buffett

“His records make me jealous. So do his songs”
- Todd Snider

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Grammy Award-winning Will Lee delivers more than just fine music; his unique combination of talent and love of entertaining provides good feelings for all who see him perform. He's played with B.J. Thomas, Bette Midler, Ricky Martin, George Benson, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Mick Jagger, Billy Joel, Mariah Carey and many more. You can see him every week night playing bass with Paul Shaffer and the "CBS Orchestra" on the "Late Show with David Letterman".

Yusuf Islam, commonly known by his former stage name, Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter. His 1967 debut album's titular song, "Matthew & Son" charted at #2 on the UK's Singles Chart. His later albums Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat, both went triple platinum in the US. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

 

Yusuf started his career playing songs in London pubs and coffee houses. He was discovered at age 18, recorded his first album, Matthew and Son, in 1966. He spent the next two years touring with artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Engelbert Humperdnick. He wrote "The First Cut is the Deepest" for his second album, and though it was not a huge success for him, it became an international success when covered by several artists including Sheryl Crow. Nearly 40 years after he first wrote it, the song earned back to back ASCAP "Songwriter of the Year" awards, in 2005 and 2006.

SAVING WASHINGTON:
The Forgotten Story of the Maryland 400
and the Battle of Brooklyn

SAVING WASHINGTON follows two young merchants-in-training, Joshua Bolton, who swears to avenge his father’s murder by British forces, and his best friend, Benjamin Wright, a free black man. Enlisted in the Maryland militia as part of the Maryland 400, they march to New York with only minimal training. Their mission: to prevent the British from taking Brooklyn Heights, which will turn into a battle for the survival of the Continental Army and General George Washington.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Novelist Chris Formant is a student of history. He’s a former top executive of a multi-billion-dollar global business and now technology company CEO. Formant is an unlikely author of historical fiction, but the heroic story of Maryland’s Forgotten 400 drove him to assemble an expert team to help him conduct painstaking research and then write his highly anticipated second book, SAVING WASHINGTON. The book has already captured the attention of filmmakers and has been optioned by the Emmy Award-winning producer of HBO’s Big Little Lies and Deadwood.

His debut novel, Bright Midnight, received lavish praise and has been dubbed the “Da Vinci Code for rock and roll fans.” In the thriller, Formant created a unique mystery in which he re-imagined the deaths of rock icons as murders. Chris divides his time between Baltimore, Maryland and Sedona, Arizona.

MAIN STREET SMARTS
There's a world of difference between receiving a Master of Business Administration degree and actually launching and running a successful small business. Even those with the highest level of academic expertise don't necessarily have the "street skills" and hands-on experience it takes to drive a profitable company. In his new book, Main Street Smarts, successful entrepreneur and business leader David Morgan provides the real-world, street-smart tactics needed to take your small business to the next level.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Morgan is the cofounder and COO of STS International, where he oversees worldwide operations for rapid design, development and deployment of cutting-edge antiterrorism and physical security technologies, medical simulation training applications and professional engineering services. Through his strategic leadership, STS has grown significantly by penetrating new and emerging markets through a diversified client base in 18 countries across four continents. A former firefighter and paramedic, Morgan also serves on the advisory boards for several companies and regularly speaks about entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland Smith School of Business and Georgetown University Law School. He recently coauthored a book with his brother Daniel Morgan, an active duty infantry colonel in the U.S. Army, titled Chasing The White Rabbit: A Discovery Of Leadership In The 21st Century(Advantage Media Group, January 2016).

#Values is packed with stories, real-life lessons, and wisdom from some of the top values-based leaders in the world. Throughout her book, Dr. Betty highlights her own leadership journey in business and in life. She deftly blends academic models with her own experience, as well as that of men and women she regards as exemplars of varied styles of effective leadership. She explores the broad spectrum of leadership types and the unifying principle and importance of values. Dr. Betty provides the tools, advice, and encouragement needed to help anyone become a better leader.

— What can #Values do for you?
— How to pinpoint your life and leadership values
— How to identify your strengths and those of your leadership team
— How to lead effectively when you face obstacles “ in the trenches”
— How to make decisions using her proven decision-making model
— Dr. Betty’s Top Ten Guiding Principles
— How to live with a greater purpose and find fulfillment through serving others

Visit www.DrBettyUribe.com for more about #Values and Dr. Betty Uribe.

It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear

April 13 2009 | By John Harrington

We spend a great deal of time in my office thinking about how to communicate to clients. For example, "I need to get my contract to you to review and sign before I can get started on your assignment" can sound off-putting. Instead, we say, "We'll send along some paperwork for this assignment, and once you sign it, we'll be all set."

Note the use of "we" over "I," "some paperwork" over "my contract," "we'll be all set" over "before I can get started." This set of choices is more appealing, isn't it? I've been attentive to words in this way ever since a photography consultant named Elyse Weissberg helped me to name my business more than a decade ago.

Photography or Photographer?

Elyse, who passed away in 2001, was among the top photography consultants in the country. She worked with Eddie Adams and wrote Successful Self-Promotion for Photographers.

Years ago, I was struggling with whether to name my business "John Harrington Photography" or "John Harrington, Photographer." Elyse had a clear answer for me: John Harrington Photography.

She said, "You're a business, and you want your clients to see you that way. When you're John Harrington, Photographer, you're seen as just an individual, and businesses want to hire other businesses."

She needed say no more. This was one of the earliest lessons in branding I applied to my business, and it set me on the right path for years to come.

The Power of Words

This provocative book prompts a more constructive conversation about poverty by engaging with how we feel about poverty. When we ignore those feelings, we get stuck in limited understandings of poverty that produce limited efforts to reduce it.

Poverty has always been with us, and by some definition it probably always will. But we have made great efforts in reducing human suffering. How well we continue to do so will be determined by how we each answer the question posed in the introduction to Reframing Poverty:


Eric has served as the vice president of a think-tank, as a sourcing executive in China, and as a naval submarine officer. He has taught university classes at three universities, served on the board of a global development NGO, and started three companies of his own. These diverse experiences have prepared him to build relationships with people at all levels across all types of organizations.

"Train lovers will have reason to delight in musician Titcomb's bittersweet song turned picture book...."
Booklist

..."this stunning book both celebrates and eulogizes the golden era of railway travel. Minor's luminous, occasionally almost photographic, paintings portray the adult narrator as a boy, surrounded by a ghostly haze as he walks along the tracks...an affectionate and nostalgic tribute."
Publishers Weekly

"I don't think a tough question is disrespectful" Helen Thomas was a reporter for the United Press International for 57 years, covering the administrations of 11 U.S. presidents during her time there. In addition to her White House reporting she was also a columnist for Hearst Newspapers, as well as an established author. She was also an inspiring role model for women during her time, as she was the first female officer of the National Press Club, the first female member and president of the White House Correspondents' Association and the first female member of the Gridiron Club. Front Row at the White House describes Thomas' career as one of the first female reporters covering the presidency, as she reflects on the turbulent but essential relationship between the press and the President, in her own words.

About The Author
A consummate storyteller, Jackson Coppley illuminates in his writing what happens when technology intersects with human behavior and emotion.

Leaving Lisa:
What if a device could capture everything imaginable about one person, that person dies and you could ask it anything...especially the questions you neglected to ask when alive?

"A Bittersweet Season is sure to become required reading for anyone with an elderly parent who depends on long-term care. It's also a worthwhile read for anyone who is interested in America's health care system as it braces for the demands posed by demographic changes that include a sharp rise in the group now termed the "old old." - The Huffington Post Jane Gross is a former New York Times columnist, specializing in the topic of elderly care and contributing to the New Old Age blog. In 2012 she published A Bittersweet Season: Caring for Our Aging Parents - and Ourselves, a reflection on her experiences as the primary caretaker for her eighty-five year old mother.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Jim Gilmore has created a unique and useful tool to help improve our observational skills. His "Six Looking Glasses" provide a set of skills to master in order to enhance the way we look at the world around us. These include the ability to:

- Survey and scan to see the big picture
- Compare and contrast to overcome personal bias
- Spot significance in any scene
- Scrutinize numerous details
- Uncover potential opportunities
- See what’s in the mind's eye

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jim Gilmore coauthored the highly influential book, The Experience Economy: Work Is Theatre & Every Business a Stage (Harvard Business School Press). Now published in nineteen languages—the book spawned worldwide interest in experience design, experiential marketing, and customer experience management.

Jim's other book, Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want (Harvard Business Review Press), prompted TIME magazine in a March 2008 cover story to name its insight on the subject as one of "Ten ideas that are changing the world."

Jim is co-founder of Strategic Horizons LLP, based in Aurora, Ohio. He is a Batten fellow and adjunct lecturer at the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia, a visiting lecturer in Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California, as well as a teacher at Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.

He is a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, an alumnus of Procter & Gamble, and, before co-founding Strategic Horizons LLP, was head of CSC Consulting's Process Innovation practice.

Eley wrote the book "Tickers: What Makes People....Tick! And Pursue a Career They Love!" after a career shakeup in 2014. Eley knew she wanted to make a life change. Along the way, she interviewed a man who uses flying monkeys to reach his students, an inspiring coach and teacher who defied death, an entrepreneur who travels the country with a toilet suitcase, an animal trainer who crisscrosses the country with her cat circus, a travel agent who sends her customers into the unknown, and many more!

Eley asks the questions many people ask themselves: Why can’t I have fun at work? If you love what you do, will you really never work another day in your life? Are people who are passionate about what they do really different from everyone else? "Tickers" takes the reader on a journey across America, talking with many different people who share one thing in common: They do what they love to do.

As a writing coach and publisher, Eley is passionate about helping others become their best selves - to find a career they love, to pursue what makes them "tick", and to look forward to getting out of bed every morning (yes, even on Mondays!) Her client Shirley T. Burke, who is publishing her first book this year, joins her!

A member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, and Phi Mu Sorority, River City Express Network, FAB Women, and James River Writers, Eley is involved in helping her community. She is currently taking the Martha Beck Life Coach Training which she is living and loving! She adores cats, orchids, Marvel movies, cooking for her husband and friends, '80's hair metal, and gets all her news from comedy channels.

Lulu in the Sky, is the last chapter in a life that began with her bestselling, critically memoir First They Killed My Father. It reveals Loung's daily struggle to keep darkness and depression at bay and her tentative steps into love, activism, and marriage-a journey that takes her back to Cambodia to reconnect with her mother's spirit and to a vocation that focused on healing the landscape of her birth.

Mary Matalin is an American political consultant best known for her work with the Republican Party. She served under presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George Bush. Since 2005, she has held the title of Chief Editor of Threshold Editions, a conservative imprint of Simon & Schuster that specializes in conservative non-fiction.

"We are to the universe only as much as we give back to it." - Meera Gandhi

Meera created The Giving Back Foundation as a catalyst to aid women and children to create a new generation of leaders and thinkers. "Giving Back" features people and charitable organizations who have inspired her for their unique ways of giving back to humanity, including Mother Teresa, Bono, Prince William, Donna Karan, Kristi Yamaguchi, Kerry Kennedy and many more.
CBS 2 NY interviews Meera

Create Your Escape: A Practical Guide for Planning Long-Term Travel

In 2012, Mike and Tara Shubbuck sold their possessions, quit their jobs, and traveled around the world for 14 months on their "extended honeymoon." They are writers, photographers, and travel experts. Together they run the Two Travelaholics website, documenting wild adventures, international cuisine, and unforgettable scenery around the world.

Create Your Escape is the comprehensive guide you need to plan the trip of a lifetime, whether it's a career break or grown-up gap year!  

This book's invaluable tips will guide you through the planning process and help you modify your lifestyle so you can afford to travel for an extended period of time. Experienced backpackers Mike and Tara Shubbuck will take you through every important step:
- Reduce your possessions
- Implement money-saving techniques
- Draft a dream itinerary and create a budget
- Discover necessary life skills for travelers
- Choose the best credit cards and health and travel insurance plans
- Learn about visas, immunizations, and important legal documents
- Announce your trip to family, friends, your boss, and coworkers
- Pack for life on the road
- Track and analyze your spending abroad ... and more!

Randal Pinkett is a business consultant and chairman and CEO of BCT Partners. In addition to his five academic degrees, Pinkett is both a Rhodes Scholar and Walter Byers Scholar. Additionally, Pinkett won season four of Donald Trump's reality television show, The Apprentice, and was the first African-American to do so. In addition to his business background Pinkett is also a successful author and public speaker.

"the first lady of Civil Rights"

Rosa Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, and an international icon of resistance to racial segregation. Her refusal to give up her seat in the colored section of a bus to a white passenger was an important emblem of the Civil Rights movement, and she spent the rest of her life fighting for the rights of African-Americans in the United States.

Many may not know that for many years, Mrs. Rosa Parks called the Mansion on O Street her home. Mrs. Parks entertained friends, dignitaries and Mansion guests in the Mediterranean room, because she loved sitting on a sofa. She also used to host gospel brunches at the Mansion on the first Sunday of every month.

The mansion founder H and Mrs. Parks had a very special relationship, including daily meetings where H would braid Mrs. Parks' hair. When the Pope extended an invitation to Rosa Parks to meet she invited H along with her.

The Rosa Parks Room was named for the room that Mrs. Parks lived in during her time here at the Mansion.

"What a delight -- in this non-human times -- to meet you two flesh-and-blood humans -- who are so gracious -- and make me feel better than I've felt in years. Here's to Peace, Grace and Beauty"
Studs Terkel, 10.5.05

"Full democracy requires the full participation of women. Your voices are vital. The word 'vital' means necessary for life. A democracy, to be fully alive, must include all its citizens." An important figurehead for women's rights, Swanee Hunt is the founding director of the Women and Public Policy Program at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She also serves as the Eleanor Roosevelt Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard University, and is the former United States Ambassador to Austria.

"Tom Patterson captures a compelling and practical view of security in a multinational environment. Your CSO needs to read this book!" - Dr. Vint Cerf Tom Patterson is an American author and technical strategist, with experience with companies like Deloitte, Dell and the Unisys Corporation. He also serves as a member of the board of directors for CyberDefender.

Gerald Johnson's art can be found in the National Gallery of Art, The White House, and the Treasury Department, as well as over three hundred corporate collections in America, Europe and China.

He was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and now lives in the DC area. He earned his fine arts degree and completed his graduate studies in printmaking and painting at Carnegie-Mellon University and the University of North Carolina.

"The O Museum has challenged my creativity and championed my art. Every artist's dream is to find a receptive audience for their work. Twenty-five years ago, carrying 10 tiny collages into this mysterious house on O Street I found that audience; always saying "Do what is in your heart."

Nina Miller loves all animals, some people, music, books, sparkly things, and all things vintage. Perpetually getting lost, but with a strong inner-compass, she resides in Nashville with her little monster, Oliver.

Founded in 2002, The Gibson Foundation is committed to making the world a better place for children by creating, developing and supporting programs and other non-profit organization in their efforts to advance education, music and the arts, the environment and health and welfare causes. Nina is the Executive Director of The Gibson Foundation.

Nomad Indigenous Mexican Art & Culture Exhibit

This wonderous collection showcases mexican contemporary indigenous arts & crafts, created by world renowned artists, and has exhibited in Montreal, Boston and New York. The D.C. exhibit is supported by the Mexican Cultural Institute of Washington DC.

Mersad Berber is one of the greatest and most distinctive Bosnian painters and graphic artists. His inspiration is derived from Bosnia, its Ottoman past, and its people. An honorary member of the Russian Academy of Arts, he has received approximately 50 awards and he has had exhibits in cities all over the world, from London and Madrid, New York to Moscow, Jakarta and New Delhi.

Born one of 14 children in Persia, 1948, Elie's religious affiliation prohibited him from painting, learning to read, and write. It wasn't until he was in the Israeli army, that he became an artist.

Despite his family disowning him for becoming an artist, he sent 80% of his earnings to them, until their death.

Abrahami's delicate watercolors and oil paintings, combining eastern and western traditions, have been exhibited in various galleries throughout the world and acquired by some of the most important collections in the world, including the Metropolitan Museum, the Guggenheim Museum and the British Museum. He resides in Paris and his work is in major museum collections, globally.

Fabric is her chosen medium of expression through which she creates realistic portraits of people and objects.

Her work has been exhibited in many venues throughout the United States including the American Folk Art Museum in New York and the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum as well as abroad in Madrid, France, Japan and Namibia. Her work has been purchased or commissioned by a number of individuals and public entities including the County of Alameda, Kaiser Hospital, Highland Hospital and the Sunnyvale Medical Facility.

From the artist: "I find color, light, shadow, line and value in the pattern of ordinary household fabrics. From these I snip small pieces which I arrange and fuse into a figurative composition. As such the work grows from within rather than being applied to the surface of a canvas by paint, pencil or similar drawing tools. When the image is complete, I sew it together with the stitch line constituting the final “drawn” line."

Fairey's 25-year career started when he was a student in 1989 with his hugely popular Andre the Giant Has a Posse sticker campaign, which transformed into the OBEY GIANT art campaign. His work has evolved into an acclaimed body of art that includes the 2008 Hope portrait of Barack Obama, which can be found in the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. The artist has executed more than 50 large-scale painted public murals around the world as of 2015. His works are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and many others.

Debuting this summer, American Civics is the first-ever collaboration between Fairey and the estate of legendary photographer Jim Marshall. Fairey interprets Marshall's iconic photography with new works vividly depicting the humanity behind some of America's enduring social justice issues.

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Called the most celebrated and prolific photographer of the 20th century, Marshall is widely known for his iconic music photography. Because Jim lived life alongside his subjects and never betrayed their trust, he was granted second-to-none access. His images of the Monterey Pop Festival, which chronicled the breakout performances of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Otis Redding, were woven into the lore of the era. Marshall also photographed unguarded moments of his subjects, such as Janis Joplin lounging backstage with a bottle of Southern Comfort and Brian Jones and Jimi Hendrix strolling the Monterey Pop Festival fairgrounds. Johnny Cash's groundbreaking concerts for prison reform at Folsom Prison and San Quentin Prison were captured in the lens of Marshall's camera. In a career that ended with his untimely death in 2010, Marshall shot more than 500 album covers; his photographs are in private and museum collections around the world.

Posthumously, Jim Marshall holds the distinction of being the first and only photographer to be presented with the Recording Academy's Trustee Award, an honorary Grammy presented to individuals for nonperformance contributions to the music industry. The award was bestowed on the Jim Marshall estate in 2014 in recognition of Marshall's unprecedented chronicling of music history from the 1950s through the early 2000s.

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