After Hours in the Village
Concert Series
4&20 Blackbirds Bakery and Cafe, Fanshawe Pioneer Village
1424 Clarke Road, London Ontario
Come for the music...stay for the desserts!
An established presence on the historical re-enactment scene, Gayle Allen has recently made a new
home for her 4&20 Blackbirds Bakery and Cafe (www.4and20blackbirds.com) at Fanshawe Pioneer Village (www.fanshawepioneervillage.ca) in London Ontario. She has kindly agreed to open her doors to
showcase London-area folk musicians and raise both general awareness of this London treasure, Fanshawe
Pioneer Village, as well as funds for its restoration. This is an intimate venue, accomodating about 60 in cafe style seating. The
venue has already been kindly and positively compared to London's well-loved Smale's Pace Folk Club of bygone days...
We hope to offer this series as an alternative concert setting for London-area folk acts, where
quality folk music can be showcased in a casual and intimate setting, and where artists can receive community-recognition and $-support for
their work. We will occasionally feature some wayfaring folkish souls traveling through our area, as
our way of supporting the artists who work in the folk-music industry. Our first choice will be to support Canadian folk musicians,
though we may invite a few international acts to stop by while touring.
If you know of a folk music act
we should consider for this series, heck..if you ARE a folk music act you feel we should consider for this series,
please give us a call at 519-438-3924 or drop us an
email at rmcmaster@knockgrafton.com.
And, yes, the desserts are delicious!
After Hours in the Village is on indefinite hiatus
We are no longer associated with Fanshawe Pioneer Village. We are looking for a new home, but are also taking time out to focus on our own performance schedule and the completion of 2 album projects. If you would like to be kept posted about when the series will get underway again, please drop us an e-mail (rmcmaster@knockgrafton.com or jenwhite@knockgrafton.com) and ask us to put you on our After Hours mailing list.
Tickets are available at our local outlets:
The Village Idiot (Wortley Village)
Attic Books (Downtown London)
Music Department at Chapters (Fanshawe Park Road)
4&20 Blackbirds (Fanshawe Pioneer Village)
or by calling Knockgrafton Productions at 438-3924 to make your reservation
Please get your or speak for your tickets early as seating is limited...
and we don't want to have to turn you out to the mercy of the village wildlife!
Ok, it's not as bad as all that...we've been assured the groundhogs are friendly.
There is no additional charge to enter the village after hours.
In the off-season, entry to the village is off Fanshawe Park Road East just east of Clarke Road
(follow the signs to 4&20 Blackbirds).
Those who have already appeared in this series...and may do so again...
BERNIE GILMORE AND MARY LYNNE ASHTON
Wednesday, July 16, 2003
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
Life is uncertain...so we're starting our July series with dessert...ear candy from Bernie and Mary.
Bernie Gilmore and Mary Lynne Ashton blend guitar, violin and voices when they perform original music or ancient
Celtic traditions. Over the past few years they have opened for such Canadian performers as Stephen Fearing and NightSun,
and have received airplay on CBC's "Ontario Morning" and "Hometown Tunes" programs. Bernie's song, "Dear World", has been used
at Remembrance Day services at Valleyview Public School and for Montessori School programs in Toronto.
Bernie and Mary Lynne's broad musical influences are evident in their music, whether it be Mary's classical training, their mutual dabbling in
traditional Celtic fare, through to the soul-moving rhythms of Africa,
picked up by Bernie during his work with the London Medical Relief Team in Ethiopia in 1985.
And if you don't want to take our word on how wonderful this music is, here are a few more from Kirk Elliott: "It was my great pleasure to hear a performance by Mary Ashton and Bernie Gilmore. Their well written and
arranged songs featured strong vocals, solid guitar work and Mary's wonderful fiddle/violin playing. Do yourself a favour and
check them out. You'll laugh, you'll cry but more important you'll get your money's worth."
JENNIFER WHITE and ROBERT MCMASTER
Wednesday, July 30, 2003
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
You know about us already if you came the regular route. For the rest of you: www.knockgrafton.com.
MOSAIC
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
A hearty helping of blues, jazz and swing, and home-cooked tunes with a sizzle!
For more information, please check out their website at:
www.meetmosaic.com. Mosaic released its latest CD Oct 4. Check it out at Chapters North in London.
THREE PENNY PIECE
Wednesday, October 8, 2003
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
Classic Acoustic Folk meets Irish-Canadian-Country...and Jazz? Plus more than a wee
bit of humour! Check out their website at: www.threepennypiece.ca. If you missed this act
you also missed "(I wish I had legitimate reason to go to)Canadian Tire" and the "Bulk Barn Romance". But, fear not, the "boys" will be back in the new year.
MARTHA'S TROUBLE
Wednesday, November 5, 2003
8 pm
Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door
Jen's voice, rich with experience, conviction, and wonder is what keeps audiences alert and returning to hear Martha's Trouble.
Add to this Rob's elegant and patterned acoustic arrangements and a live experience that transcends expectations and you have just a few
of the many reasons why Martha's Trouble is being heralded by critics as a duo to watch. You can learn more about this great folk act by
checking out their website: www.marthastrouble.com. And if you are kicking yourself for missing
this particular concert, please visit Martha's Trouble's website where you can order your very own official bootleg recording of live at
4&20 Blackbirds (After Hours in the Village) concert.
JORY NASH
Wednesday, November 26, 2003
8 pm
Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door
A leading contemporary folk-style singer and songwriter with elements of jazz, blues, country, R&B and pop peeking through the
musical curtain. Past winner of the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals "Songs of the Heart" songwriters contest. We met/heard Jory
for the first time at Eaglewood Folk Festival (Pefferlaw) in 1999, and still remember the gripping tale he told about his adventuresome border-
crossing to perform in the US (without a visa!). We're happy to hear he has since gone legit! We welcome him back London-way, via...Utah, Iowa, Ohio and Maryland?!
He says he likes to drive... His touring itinerary leaves us breathless. For more on Jory, visit his website at: www.jorynash.com.
JENNIFER WHITE AND ROBERT MCMASTER and BERNIE GILMORE AND MARY LYNNE ASHTON
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
A double bill to celebrate the season. Come see 4&20 all decked out for the holidays. Jennifer and Robert will be doing a set
followed by a set by Bernie and Mary, then we come back together for a third combined set. A little traditional, a
little original and a little seasonal fare served up for you.
SHAGGY HAGGIS
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
If you're not tapping your foot after two minutes of this group's playing,
have someone check your pulse.
This five member ensemble brings you a range of contemporary and traditional Celtic
music via an ever changing mix of lead and backing instruments. All seasoned players from various musical
backgrounds, the members of Shaggy Haggis never lost touch with their traditional roots. They have
come together building an exciting sound from the finest music in the Celtic repertoire.
KEN BROWN
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
Veteran folk musician, maker of works of social significance who's often guitar player of choice at traditional Irish sessions, record producer who puts his own music only on his website, author of monkey stories, singer of old songs, writer of new ones, Ken Brown has been composing since before he could play, and singing before that.
Home is where you help make community--Ken makes Guelph his home.
For more information on Ken Brown, please check his website at: www.kbrown.ca.
ALLISON BROWN AND FRIENDS (Alyssa Wright and Alfie Smith)
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
Three worlds collide for an intriguing, experimental TRIPLE BILL concert featuring Blues Man ALFIE SMITH, Innovative Cellist ALYSSA WRIGHT and London Folk Songstress ALLISON BROWN. Never before have these three folk music contemporaries joined forces to present traditional folk music, country tinged gospel, banjo, dirty blues, slide guitar, classical cello and original songsmithing before any audience.
The concert will open with Allison Brown's eclectic mix of folk favourites, traditional songs and original repertoire. After a short break for decadent desserts, Alfie Smith takes to the stage for some authentic howlin' blues, ragtime, and soulful songs wrought from his own blue heart. As the spirit moves her, formally trained and world traveled cellist Alyssa Wright will accompany both Allison and Alfie with sweet melancholy improvisations. The concert will conclude with a "grande finale" jam featuring all three artists. Recordings from all three musicians will be available for sale at the concert.
Born and raised in Hamilton, Alfie Smith took up guitar at the age of 13. His music owes as much to the past as to the present, blending Blues, Folk, ragtime & Jazz to create a unique sound. A multi-instrumentalist, Alfie's
talented fingers lovingly free the voice of each of his individual "babies". Whether howling blues on his National Delphi, picking a delicate original on his flattop, punching out ragtime on his 30's vintage archtop, swinging with some old timey jazz on his banjo or a wailing a gospel tune on his lap steel, Alfie's playing is honest.
Alyssa Wright's cello playing conjures images of the land-of earth and wood-and emotions, dark and sweet like bitter chocolate. Musicians and audiences alike are drawn to that sound, and to the music that comes from years of study and formal education, and from a heart in tune with the instrument. Alyssa's consummate musicianship and her sweet, sad tone have taken her to venues and recording studios throughout Canada. Whether performing in a club, church or concert hall, her work is always in service of the music, and neither her instrument nor playing know any artificial boundaries-classical music, rock, pop, folk and jazz become but timbres and accents in the one voice of her cello.
Folksinger Allison Brown's engaging and eclectic performance invites each member of her audience on a journey through a wide range of emotions and experiences. As an excellent interpreter of folk and roots music, she treads the thin lines between folk, blues and country with a diverse repertoire of both traditional and original songs. Allison plays guitar along with her smooth vocals, delivered with the honest intensity of an authentic
storyteller. With over ten years of performance experience, Allison's confident stage savvy is evident whether in an intimate coffeehouse or a raucous nightclub atmosphere.
LISA WINN
Wednesday, April 28, 2004 (postponed from January)
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
Her voice is pure, beautiful and sweet, but equally rich, earthy, powerful and haunting. The adaptability of
Lisa's voice shows its magic as it drapes over gospel-tinged songs like silk, envelops blues-rock numbers like velvet,
and cozies up to folk-country tunes like a good pair of worn-in denim jeans. The striking voice that can simultaneously melt
butter and electrify your skin, combined with poetic lyrics of the same capacity, make her music and concerts an emotionally
invigorating place to be.
Music Industry types throughout North America and Europe best know Lisa Winn as a most prolific and respected supporting
vocalist; she has shared her stellar harmonies with such artists as Gordon Lightfoot, Shannon Lyon, Jacob Moon, Mike Trebilcock
(Killjoys), Rob Lamothe, and Jamie Oakes.
For more information visit Lisa's website at: www.lisawinn.com.
BRENDAN NOLAN
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
8 pm
Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door
Straight from Ireland.... well ... via his first Canadian home in Montreal, Quebec and now his home-base of St. Petes Beach, Flordia, Brendan will be passing through Ontario and stopping at the 4 & 20 as part of his Spring 2004 North American Tour.
Brendan is a real troubador, a singer - songwriter - storyteller in the true Irish tradition, writing and telling the stories of the Irish immigrants of days gone by and of those just getting off the jet plane. Throw in a little bluegrass lick now and then mixed in with stories of his own cross-country travels and the people and critters he meets along the way, and you have a enjoyable night with a rare musical tallent.
"Nolan has been blessed with a rich Irish voice and an Irish way with words. In his singing and his musical arrangements he helps his listeners to feel the pain, the joy, the humour, the triumph, the sadness, the longing, as deeply as did the old songs of the tradition."
-- Ron Duffy, Canadian Folk Music Bulletin, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Brendan has five solo albums to his credit. His most recent recording is titled "Where Do I Go From Here." It was released in May of ‘03. It marks a bit of a departure from his previous albums. Half of the CD was recorded and produced in Montreal by David Gossage. The rest of the songs were recorded in Tampa. The CD is mostly a showcase of original work. Standout tracks include the title track ‘Where Do I Go From Here’ and ‘Old Ned’, a song about the last milk-cart in the city of Dublin. It highlights again Nolan’s gift for story-telling which was evident in his Emigration album "Across The Great Divide." One of the tracks from that album ‘Far From Their Home’ was written about Grosse Isle, an island burial ground in the St. Lawrence River near Quebec City for victims of the Irish Famine. It was published in Sing Out! Magazine. "Where Do I go From Here" has an eclectic mix of material that also includes the bluegrass-influenced ‘Cabin Fever’ and the comical ‘Bodhran Song’ as well as historical songs like ‘Murdoch McRaw’ and ‘The Battle of Clontarf.’
Tickets for this performance are expected to go fast, so get yours early.
For more information visit Brendan's web-site at: www.brendannolan.com
PAUL LANGILLE
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
Paul Langille is a familiar musical name in the London area, from his performances in Orchastra London's Jeans and Classics Concerts to work with the Live Bullet Band (a Bob Seger tribute band).
In his "After Hours in the Village" concert you'll get to hear the accoustic side of Paul as you are introduced to many of his original works with some folk tunes and a possible side helping of some classic rock, blues and maybe even some '40's standards.
For mor information visit Paul's Website: www.execulink.com/~langill1
JENNIFER WHITE and ROBERT MCMASTER
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
We step out from behind the "organizer" desk for a repeat performance to celebrate the one year anniversary of the series.
Old tunes and new tunes for the upcoming CD will be featured as well as Celtic story and myth with evocative settings for harp, voice and percussion. Want to know more
about us as artists, start here: www.knockgrafton.com.
GREG QUILL and THE USUAL SUSPECTS
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
In Canada most people know him as one of the country's leading cultural journalists, senior arts writer at the Toronto Star, long-time music critic, former television columnist and analyst for the past 18 years of shifts and meaning in the country's arts, media and entertainment forums.
In Australia, a few will remember another Greg Quill, the award-winning singer-songwriter and leader of the seminal Australian roots band Country Radio, which scored hits with "Gypsy Queen", "Wintersong", "Fleetwood Plain" and "She Do It To Me", toured the country endlessly, headlined at the Sydney Opera House, and shared stages with many musical icons of the era, including Fairport Convention, Elton John, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Santana, J.J. Cale and Stephen Stills, among others.
For more information, please check Greg's website at: www.gregquill.com
MARTHA's TROUBLE
Wednesday, August 4, 2004
8 pm
Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door
Back by popular demand. Jen's voice, rich with experience, conviction, and wonder is what keeps audiences alert and returning to hear Martha's Trouble.
Add to this Rob's elegant and patterned acoustic arrangements and a live experience that transcends expectations and you have just a few
of the many reasons why Martha's Trouble is being heralded by critics as a duo to watch. You can learn more about this great folk act by
checking out their website: www.marthastrouble.com. You can also order an official "bootleg" recording of this concert.
ALISTAIR BROWN
Wednesday, September 8, 2004
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
Alistair Brown has been singing the old songs, and new songs written by people who like the old songs, since he was fifteen years old. His career began helping out in the folk clubs of his native Scotland during the great folk scare of the 60s, opening bottles (and occasionally concerts ) for many of the great names in folk music, and performing guest spots whenever the sound man wasn't looking.
From 1972 to 2002, he lived in Canada, where he was active in many aspects of folk song and dance, as a recording artist, radio broadcaster, columnist, festival director, dance teacher, university lecturer, and program director at folk music and dance camps. With several visits each year, he continues to be a regular performer in North American folk clubs and festivals, often as a card-carrying member of the Friends of Fiddler's Green.
In 2002, he returned to the UK, to live in Cornwall. He is active in the busy scene there, with regular club and festival performances, and can frequently be heard holding forth at many of the sessions in the southwest.
The London Free Press has described his concerts as "mastery of storytelling in song." Scene says he, "shone vocally" as guest soloist with Orchestra London. Audiences at concerts and festivals across North America and the UK have responded enthusiastically to his performances, covering the field from big ballads, comic ditties, songs of struggles (usually unsuccessful) against temptation, odes to conviviality and songs of unashamed sentimentality to outrageously funny stories from a master of the art - all this accompanied by anglo concertina, button accordion and harmonica. One minute he has them enthralled with a Child ballad, and the next, falling about as he describes the communication difficulties of a Glasgow holidaymaker and a Spanish barman.
He has entertained groups of elementary and secondary school pupils from 20 to 300 with songs and stories, been MC at many festivals and concerts, including hosting a symphony concert for a audience of 5000, has been guest on numerous radio and television programmes. He has called dances and has played in numerous dance bands. He has run courses on folk music in university and summer music camps, and has taught folk dance for many years. ...For more info check out Alistair's website at www.alistairbrown.com.
TERRY TUFTS
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
TERRY TUFTS has been playing professionally for three decades. His music is inspired and his lyrics speak straight from the heart. His guitar playing is from the same school that created John Fahey and Leo Kottke: strong melodies supported by uniquely crafted finger-style orchestrations, painting stirring backdrops for some engaging stories. His rapport with the audience is strengthened by a lightning deftness and a command of the fingerboard that leaves the listener breathless. TERRY was born on Lake Erie in Gasline, Ontario, Canada and grew up in the U.S., Italy, Eastern and Central Canada. His talents have carried him all over the world where he has been employed by numerous artists in the studio and in live performance for his abilities on a variety of instruments and a seemingly limitless vocal range. He has released four independently produced albums. His fifth album, WALK ON, was released in February of 2001 on the Borealis record label, produced by Ian Tamblyn. Borealis has also re-released Two Nights Solo, a CD that captured Terry's performance at Rasputin's Cafe in Ottawa with one guitar, one voice, and no net. He is a featured artist on Borealis's SIX STRINGS NORTH OF THE BORDER VOLUME 2 (DORVAL'S DESCENT) and on BEAUTIFUL: A TRIBUTE TO GORDON LIGHTFOOT (FOR LOVIN' ME). TERRY is the 1997 regional winner of Standard Radio’s National Songwriting Competition and the only two-time winner of the Ontario Council Of Folk Festival’s Songs From The Heart competition, taking that honour in 1998 and 2001.
TERRY TUFTS blends a well-traveled personal history into music without boundaries.
...For more info check out Terry's website at: www.terrytufts.com.
TOM SAVAGE
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
"..moments reminiscent of Mike Scott's faux Irish take on Dylan, propelled
by a country swagger and lit up with flute, mandolin, and violin. Much of
the album smells like sweet hayseed but as is Savage's fashion, just when
you think he's gone all Fred Eaglesmith he drops in a stray blues("Lovin'
Arms"), or a flute-infused jammer ("Barstool Conversations," " Ragged
Road").
Brent Hagerman,
Echo Weekly
Tom Savage has been performing music and writing songs for over ten years. His music has covered a broad spectrum including genre's such as folk/rock/alt country and blues. It was while living in Vancouver, BC that Savage began to discover the art of songwriting.
" I was earning my money busking on the
streets and I began to write music that focused on lyrics. Songs that would
still sound complete when they were stripped down to acoustic guitar and
vocal."
Tom's 1999 debut release was Day-To-Day Truths. A Lo-fi country-tinged album, showcasing songs that were written during Savage's street strumming period. The album received favourable reviews and considerable airplay on CBC and university stations across Canada. Tom spent the next couple of years touring Ontario and Manitoba promoting the album with flautist Vanessa longul.
" Vanessa brings something unique to my songs in the way that she plays the flute. A Jethro Tull style. It is unusual to hear that instrument used in Folk or Alt. Country music."
Spring 2001 saw the release of Tom Savage's second album, Brand Of Sympathy. The recording
(with the exception of the drum tracks) was done at Savage’s home in Kingston, Ontario. The result is a grass roots recording with an 'off the floor' feel. Over a 6 month period Tom and Vanessa performed in numerous coffee houses/house concerts/ bars/ song series across six provinces supporting the CD release.
For more info: check Tom's website at: www.tomsavage.ca.
JOHANN KINTING
Wednesday, November 3, 2004
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
TRANBY CROFT
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
8 pm
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door
Tranby Croft have been performing in clubs and festivals around Ontario since 1991. They have recorded two albums, the second one, "Timeline",
received extensive airplay across North America, Australia and Britain. As longtime residents of London, they have performed at many club and
concert venues around the city, including The Home County Folk Festival, The Cuckoo's Nest Folk Club and main stage at the Western Fair. The current
line-up of Phil Floyd, Helen Jarvis, Bob Cuningham, Doug Long and Mark Turner play a variety of instruments from guitar to fiddle, mandolin to flute, with
occasional forays into penny whistle, harmonica, dulcimer and keyboard. Taking turns singing lead and back-up vocals, the band members perform many of their
own compositions as well as big helpings of North American, British and Celtic folk music. Their enjoyment of their music and each other is infectious.
JORY NASH (Returning by popular demand)
Wednesday, December 8, 2004
8 pm
Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door
A leading contemporary folk-style singer and songwriter with elements of jazz, blues, country, R&B and pop peeking through the
musical curtain. Past winner of the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals "Songs of the Heart" songwriters contest. We met/heard Jory
for the first time at Eaglewood Folk Festival (Pefferlaw) in 1999, and still remember the gripping tale he told about his adventuresome border-
crossing to perform in the US (without a visa!). We're happy to hear he has since gone legit! We welcome him back London-way, via...Utah, Iowa, Ohio and Maryland?!
He says he likes to drive... His touring itinerary leaves us breathless. For more on Jory, visit his website at: www.jorynash.com.
"AFTER HOURS IN THE VILLAGE" is the creation and property of KNOCKGRAFTON PRODUCTIONS
Photography by Robert McMaster
Site Design by Jennifer White ©Knockgrafton Productions 1998-2003
P.O. Box 23132, London, Ontario Canada N6A 5N9
Phone/Fax: 519-438-3924
www.knockgrafton.com | jenwhite@knockgrafton.com