Wednesday MidDay Medley
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Music from Folk Alliance International Conference with:
Megan Slankard + Kristen Ford + SONiA disappear fear + Betse & Clarke + Nicholas St. James

10:00

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
from: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / 1980
[WMM’s theme song]

2. The Jellyman’s Daughter – “Anna”
from: The Jellyman’s Daughter / The Jellyman’s Daughter / September 24, 2014
[The debut full length album from Edinburgh, Scotland based alt.acoustic duo of Graham Coe on cello & vocals; and Emily Kelly on guitar & vocals. Written and arranged by The Jellyman’s Daughter. Mixed by Garry Boyle at The Depot, Edinburgh Mastered by Andrew Mitchell at Audio Bay.]

[The Jellyman’s Daughter play Folk Alliance International Conference, including The MudStomp Records Showcase, Saturday, February 20.]

[The Jellyman’s Daughter play the Saturday Afternoon Stomp that Celebrates International Folk Music, Saturday, February 20, at 3:00 pm, at Coda, 1744 Broadway, KCMO, with Delaney Davidson from Christchurch, New Zealand]

[The Jellyman’s Daughter play the Kansas City Folk Fest, Sunday, February 21, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, at Westin Crown Center.]

10:06

3. Birds of Chicago – “Dim Star of the Palisades”
from: Real Midnight / Five Head Entertainment / February 19, 2016
[2nd full length release from Birds of Chicago, “This year’s biggest roots surprise” says L.A. Times. The band is a collective built around the husband and wife duo of JT Nero from Chicago, and Allison Russell from Montreal, Quebec. Since forming in 2012, they’ve toured internationally 10+ months of the year. Russell and Nero are most at home on the road, zigzagging across North America and Europe in their family band van, with their new baby daughter, Ida Maeve]

[Birds of Chicago play an Official Showcase of Folk Alliance International Conference, Thursday, February 18, at 10:15 pm in the Shawnee Mission Ballroom at The Westin Crown Center.]

4. The Matchsellers – “The Gohlis Waltz”
from: Songs We Made Up / Independent / February 12, 2016
[Julie Bates is a classically trained violinist from Kansas City. Andrew Morris is a Chicago blues guitarist from Warsaw, Indiana. They met in Leipzig, Germany. During their year of living in the former East Germany, the pair began reanalyzing the songs of their homeland, and developed a tight yet gritty bluegrass style. In the summer of 2013 they left their jobs to hit the road and haven’t looked back. In late 2014 they released their debut full length recording, “Kosciusko County,” one of Wednesday MidDay Medley’s 115 Best Recordings of 2015. The Matchsellers have toured 3 European countries and 25 US States, performing 180 shows a year, including last year for the KC Fringe Festival, Bluegrass Bazaar in Flint, Michigan, Norman Music Festival in Norman, OK, and a 1st place win at the Eddie Owen Presents songwriting competition in Atlanta, GA.]

[The Matchsellers will be playing the upcoming Folk Alliance International Conference, including The MudStomp Records Showcase Tonight at 12:30 am in Room 722, and The Rural Grit presents The Murder Ballad Ball Showcase Thurs night at 11:00 in Room 655, and The KC Music Collective Showcase Room 739, Thursday night at Midnight.]

5. Leyla McCalla – “Heart of Gold”
from: Vari-Colored Songs / Music Maker Recordings / February 4, 2014
[Leyla Sarah McCalla was born October 3, 1985. She is a classical and folk musician. She has been a cellist with the Grammy-winning string band Carolina Chocolate Drops but left that group to focus on her solo career. Both of McCalla’s parents were born in Haiti. Her father Jocelyn McCalla was the Executive Director of the New York-based National Coalition for Haitian Rights from 1988 to 2006 and is credited as translator on Vari-Colored Songs. Her mother Régine Dupuy arrived in the United States at age 5, is the daughter of Ben Dupuy who ran Haiti Progrès, a New York based Haitian socialist newspaper. McCalla’s mother went on to found Dwa Fanm, an anti-domestic violence human rights organization. McCalla was born in New York City and raised in New Jersey. She lived in Accra, Ghana for two years as a teen. After a year at Smith College, she transferred to New York University to study cello performance and chamber music. She then moved to New Orleans where she played music on the streets. Her critically acclaimed album Vari-Colored Songs is a tribute to Langston Hughes which includes adaptations of his poems, Haitian folk songs sung in Haitian Creole and original compositions. McCalla says the first song she wrote for the album was Heart of Gold because it provided “a window into Hughes’ thinking”.McCalla chose to dedicate this work to Hughes because she says “reading his work made me want to be an artist.” McCalla started working on the album 5 years prior to its release. Commentators have noted the influence of Louisiana musical traditions such as old Cajun fiddle melodies and trad-jazz banjo on the album. Members of the Carolina Chocolate Drops appear on the album.]

[Leyla McCalla plays an Official Showcase of Folk Alliance International Conference, Friday, February 19, at 8:00 pm in the Century C Ballroom at The Westin Crown Center.]

10:15

6. The Sea The Sea – “In the Altogether”
from: In the Altogether – EP / The Sea The Sea / February 26, 2016
[2nd full length album from Chuck e. Costa and Mira Stanley who met at a songwriting contest that Mira had volunteered to stage-manage. Five years they reconnected to form THE SEA THE SEA. “We had both just gone through major upheavals in our lives,” says Mira, “And we were ready to test our faith in what was possible – in our art and in the world.” They borrowed their name from Xenophon’s Anabasis, the ancient tale of Greek soldiers returning to their coastal home after a long arduous battle inland. “The Sea! The Sea!” is a cry of joy. They accompany each other with electric/acoustic guitars, the occasional banjo, piano, and percussion, but it is Chuck and Mira’s rich harmonies that provide the depth to their songwriting.]

[The Sea The Sea play an Official Showcase of Folk Alliance International Conference, Saturday, February 20, at 6:15 pm in the Brookside Ballroom at The Westin Crown Center.]

7. Violet and the Undercurrents – “Anything You Want”
from: Waves / Nation of Love / April 22, 2014
[Columbia, Missouri based, four-piece, all-female band. Violet and the Undercurrents have been described as “..Sophisticated folk-rockers ..” Members include: Violet Vonder Haar on Lead Vocals and Guitar; Linda Bott on Bass Guitar; Caitlin Lukin on Cello; Phylshawn Johnson on Drums.]

[Violet and the Undercurrents will be playing the upcoming Folk Alliance International Conference, including The MudStomp Records Showcase Thursday night at 2:00 am in Room 722, and The KC Music Collective Showcase Room 739, Saturday night at 1:00 am.]

8. Under The Big Oak Tree – “Stars Songs Faces (After Sandburg)”
from: Local Honey / Mudstomp Records / January 22, 2016
[Acoustic Folk – Country Roots from Saint Joseph, Missouri based band formed by: Kristin Hamilton, Doug “Sluggo” Ward, and Simon Fink. More info at: http://www.UnderTheBigOakTree.net/%5D

[Under The Big Oak Tree play multiple showcases at this year’s Folk Alliance International Conference, including The MudStomp Records Friday, Febraury 19.]

[Under The Big Oak Tree play the Kansas City Folk Fest, Sunday, February 21, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, at Westin Crown Center.]

9. The Suitcase Junket – “Dying Star”
from: Dying Star – EP / Signature Sounds / March 4, 2016
[The Suitcase Junket is Matt Lorenz, a Vermont born musician, and visual artist. Currently based in Amherst, Massachusetts The Suitcase Junket’s artistic vision is one of salvaged and repurposed objects, images and emotions. Matt Lorenz sings, plays guitars, and plays up to four instruments including a suitcase drum, with his feet, in a lo-fi, one-man-band triumph of sound and spirit..]

[The Suitcase Junket play an Official Showcase of Folk Alliance International Conference, Friday, February 19, at 6:15 pm in the Liberty Ballroom at The Westin Crown Center.]

10:31 – Interview with Megan Slankard and Kristen Ford

San Francisco indie-alt-rocker Megan Slankard, has sold over 35,000 copies of her four previous independently released CDs, and she is currently touring across the US to support her fifth album, “Running on Machinery”, which was recorded with the help of Nashville producer, Alex Wong who has worked with, Vienna Teng, and Delta Rae. Megan calls “Running on Machinery”…a healthy mix of stories about the end of the world, bank robberies, prison escapes, failed relationships, and other adventures.”

Nashville based indie-folk-rocker Kristen Ford performs over 200 shows a year, fusing indie, folk, country, blues & rock and roll. Her one-woman band performance includes guitar, percussion and variety of effects pedals, creating a unique musical experience. Kristen released her Live Video album, Tighten it Up, on March 19, 2015. Her critically acclaimed album Dinosaur was released the year before on May 24, 2014.

Kristen and Megan are in KC, along with thousands of musicians from around the world, to play at Folk Alliance International Conference.

Megan Slankard began learning the guitar when she was 10 years old. At the age of 17 Megan Slankard produced and recorded her first album, “Lady is a Pirate” with her brother at home on her computer.

Slankard was nominated for the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards for Folk/Singer Songwriter Song of the year for her song “The Happy Birthday”. Megan Slankard won the 8th annual Independent Music Awards Vox Pop award in the Best Cover Song category for her rendering of the song “America”.

Slankard appeared on an episode of TLC’s What Not to Wear in July 2004 and in a follow up episode a year later.

10:38

10. Megan Slankard – “Best In Me “(LIVE) (4:00)

a brand new song that might be on her next release

During her childhood, Kristen Ford, moved around a lot, growing up in 6 different states. She began working as a dishwasher at 14 to save up enough money for her first guitar.

Being left-handed, she soon discovered that the south paw guitars were too expensive and went with a right handed guitar. This perhaps explains her dynamic and expressive rhythm hand, which she uses to drive her band forward and push acoustic songs into a new realm of dance, rock and reggae music.

Kristen’s parents supplied an interesting musical upbringing. Her father sang in a barbershop quartet, and now conducts vocal groups and takes Gospel solos at church. Her mother is a folkie of the 60s and 70s, playing guitar and spinning the likes of Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Simon and Garfunkel records around the house.

Her love of touring has led her through 47 states and 6 countries, spending at least a third of each year on the road. Her solo performance of beat-boxing, playing percussion with her feet, looping guitar riffs and hushing the crowd for intimate finger-picking songs.

10:49

11. Kristen Ford – “February Song”(LIVE)

Kristen Ford plays multiple showcases at Folk Alliance International

Thursday, February 18, at Access Film Music- Blue Room
Thursday, February 18, at Bliss Happy Room
Friday, February 19, at Folk Alliance International First Timers Room
w/ Suitcase Junket, Derek…
Saturday, February 20, at Access Film Music- Blue Room
Saturday, February 20, at Access Film Music- Yellow Room

Megan Slankard’s Schedule of performances during Folk Alliance International

Wed February 17, at 10:30pm: Pushing Chain/Kingswood Records – #612
Wed February 17, at 12:30am: Momentary Love Management – #601
Wed February 17, at 1:30am: Jared Ingersol Music Management – #701
Thurs February 18 at 2:30pm: Wisconsin Room – #543
Thurs February 18 at 10:30pm: MPress – #542
Thurs February 18 at 12:30am: High Sierra Music Festival – #745
Thurs February 18 at 1:30am: ISC/Unsigned Only – #756
Friday, February 19, at 1:30am: Comboplate Booking – #652

More info at: http://www.meganslankard.com http://www.kristenfordmusic.com

10:57

12. Kristen Ford – “El Camino” (LIVE)
Also available on Dinosaur / Independent / 2014

11:00 – Station ID

13. SONiA & disappear fear – “Call me SONiA”
from: Blood, Bones & Baltimore / disappear fear records / March 9, 2010
[The album was recorded on November 11 and 12, 2009. The majority of which was mixed on December 16 and 17, 2009 at The Deep End Studio located in Baltimore, MD ]

[SONiA disappear fear plays multiple showcases at Folk Alliance International Conference.]

[SONiA disappear fear plays The Kansas City Folk Festival, on Sunday, February 21, at 2:00 PM in Liberty Ball Room for the Remembering Pete Seeger Concert]

11:03 – Interview with Betse & Clarke and SONiA disappear fear

disappear fear is an influencial and groundbreaking indie pop-folk-Americana-world beat band formed in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1987, by visual artist Sonia Rutstein with her sister Cindy Frank. The band has sold more than half a million copies of disappear fear records. In 1996 after 6 albums, Cindy stopped performing to focus on her family, and Sonia continue making and releasing 4 solo albums, touring all over the world, and performing on stages with Pete Seeger, and Bruce Springsteen. Since 2005 Sonia has been releasing her music as Sonia & disappear fear, working with a regular collective of band members, and most recently releasing 2013’s Broken Films.

Betse & Clarke seem to be everywhere… onstage at the Rural Grit Happy Hour, on Mondays at The Brick, supplying the strings for “The Band That Fell To Earth a Tribute To David Bowie “on January 31 at The Uptown,, performing in multiple showcases at this year’s Folk Alliance International Conference, including instructing at the Folk Alliance International Music Camp. The duo released their EP Bird Notes, last year on June 4, 2015.

SONiA has participated either alone or with the band in events including the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation and the Concert for Peace at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC with Peter, Paul and Mary (March 2003). Her performing destinations have taken her as far away as Jerusalem (where she toured bomb shelters), Fiji, and Australia’s Sydney Opera House.

disappear fear’s eponymous album won the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Media Award for Best Album in 1994. Both No Bomb Is Smart and Tango garnered multiple Grammy Award nominations for SONia Rutstein in the pop and folk categories.

In 2002, Santa Cruz Guitar Co created its “SONiA” model guitar in Rutstein’s honor.

Betse & Clarke’s schedule for the camp at Sheraton Hotel:

Thurs 18th 2:45-4:15pm in Van Horn C – Betse: Hands On Theory for Fiddlers & Friends

Thurs 18th. 2:45-4:15 Empire A – Clarke: Intermediate Old Time Banjo – Playing Melody

Fri 19th, 10:00-11:30am, Empire A – Betse: Singing with the Fiddle

Fri 19th, 2:45-4:15pm Fremont – Clarke: Intermediate Old Time Banjo – Three Shapes

Sat 20th, 10:00-11:30am, Van Horn A – Betse & Clarke – Old Time Fiddle/Banjo Duets

Betse & Clarke’s late night schedule:

Thurs 18, 10:30pm, Rm 655 Rural Grit presents Murder Ballad Ball

Fri 19, 11pm, Rm 655 Rural Grit presents Here’s to the Roots

Fri 19, 11:30pm, Rm 655 Rural Grit, a special set w/ David Amram!

Fri 19, 1:30am, Rm 739, KC Music Collective

Sat 20, 1:00pm, Rm 645 The Jean Ritchie Traditional Room hosted by Andy Cohen

Sat 20, 1:00 am, Rm 722, MudStomp Records

Sat 20, 2:30am, Rm 655, Rural Grit presents Jubilee

SUN 21, 1 pm, Foyer of Westin Square Dance! Kristin Andreassen, Brushy Creek playing

In 2016 Betse & Clarke will be performing and teaching at Montana Fiddle Camp, Earful of Fiddle Camp, and Grand Targhee Music Camp.

Both Betse & Clarke are 2015 fellows of Artist, INC.

11:10

14. SONiA disappear fear with Betse & Clarke– ” “(Live)

Rutstein’s 2006 Middle East tour led to the founding of Guitars for Peace, a non-profit foundation that delivers instruments to children in impoverished or war-torn nations.

SONiA of disappear fear’s schedule at Folk Alliance

Tonight, Wednesday, February 17, SONiA disappear fear plays Shubb Capos, Cabana Room 541, Westin Crown Centre

Friday February 19, SONiA disappear fear at Shubb Capo Cabana Room 541, Folk Alliance, Westin Crown Centre,

11:19

15. Betse & Clarke – “Shelven Rock” (LIVE)
From upcoming new release

Betse & Clarke upcoming shows:

FEB 17 WED Folk Alliance Music Camp

FEB 18 THU – Ollie’s Old Time Sessions and Beefsteak Banquet

MAR 1 TUE – Tuesday Tunes with Betse at Olathe Public Library

MAR 17 THU – Ollie’s Old Time Sessions and Beefsteak Banquet

MAR 26 SAT – Halfway To Winfield!

APR 2 SAT – Kitchen Session Fiddle Workshop, Lunch, & Jam at Culinary Center of Kansas City! Music By Betse Ellis, Overland Park, KS

More info at:
http://www.betseandclarke.com/fai-2016
http://www.soniadisappearfear.com

More info on the camp, conference, music fair at http://www.folk.org/

11:33

15. Nicholas St. James – “Something Better”
from: THEATRES / Independent / February 22, 2016
[Debut album for Lawrence based vaudeville-folk-troubadour.]

11:36 – Interview with Nicholas St. James

At 11:30, Lawrence based, vaudeville-folk-troubadour, Nicholas St. James, joins us to share new music from his debut full-length album, THEATRES to be available with a special Album Release Show, Monday, February 22, at 7:30 pm at Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire St, Lawrence, Kansas with the Jazz Cigarettes. The evening will also feature performances from Lawrence’s own folk-singer-songwriter, Tyler Gregory and Gadjos-Chapeaux member of the Jazz Manouche Quartet. More information at: http://www.nicholasstjames.com

From Nicholas St. James Bio:

Nicholas St. James is a folk troubadour who is more a throwback to Vaudeville than the Dust Bowl. Blogger Brian Clifton writes, “Nicholas St. James blends together old and new to create a sound as distinct as its stage show. St. James mixes folk, blues, vaudevillian drama, and country together.” Based in Lawrence, Kansas, by way of St. Louis, Missouri, Nicholas is an authentic Midwestern folk musician, and credits Tom Waits as the missing link in his own musical formation.

2016 looks to be a big year for the up-and-coming songwriter; his debut LP, Theatres, scheduled for release February 22, is just the first in a line of releases scheduled for the year. The consummate performer, 2016 also looks to be Nicholas’ busiest year on the stage with an expected 200+ live dates. No one has ever called his act or his music “traditional,” and Nicholas looks to continue to defy expectations with collaborations and projects as the year progresses.

11:43

16. Nicholas St. James – ” Misery” (LIVE)
Also available on: THEATRES / Independent / February 22, 2016

From Nicholas St. James Bio:

Nicholas St. James, joins us to share new music from his debut full-length album, THEATRES to be available with a special Album Release Show, Monday, February 22, at 7:30 pm at Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire St, Lawrence, Kansas with the Jazz Cigarettes. The evening will also feature performances from Lawrence’s own folk-singer-songwriter, Tyler Gregory and Gadjos-Chapeaux member of the Jazz Manouche Quartet.

In addition to performing alongside a number of larger touring acts (Split Lip Rayfield, Old Man Markley), Nicholas is recognized as a national touring artists in his own right. His songs and electric live show have opened many doors for the full-time musician, including invites to perform at intimate house concerts, all the way up-to more public events, like SXSW and Folk Alliance International; however, it’s not always Nicholas’ own music that brings positive attention his way. In a display of true versatility, Nicholas has also written and arranged music for theatrical productions, acted on screen when called to do so, and runs a recording studio, Yellow Ribbon Studio, from his home, where he continues to record acclaimed, honest folk records for himself and other artists. Recently, Nicholas was chosen as one of five songwriters for the 2015 Kansas City Acoustic Guitar Project, again recognizing his skill as a true-born songwriter.

Ed Danger, of American Roots Magazine, took notice of Nicholas and wrote, “If Bob Dylan and Tom Waits were the same person, t

More information at: http://www.nicholasstjames.com

11:56

17. Nicholas St. James – “Sewer Service”
from: THEATRES / Independent / February 22, 2016
[Debut album for Lawrence based vaudeville-folk-troubadour.]

[Nicholas St. James plays a special Album Release Show, Monday, February 22, at 7:30 pm at Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire St, Lawrence, Kansas with the Jazz Cigarettes. Tyler Gregory and Gadjos-Chapeaux member of the Jazz Manouche Quartet.]

11:59:30

18. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]


Next week, on Wednesday, February 24, members of the KC based band Be/Non join us live in our 90.1 FM Studios. Also joining is Rachel Mallin from Rachel Mallin and the Wild Type. Plus Poet Jen Harris jons us to share information about her book release, and Sondra Freeman of Midwest Music Foundation joins us to talk about the upcoming MidCoast Takeover Fundraisers.

Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org 


Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:

www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,

http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM,
http://www.kkfi.org

Show #617