folk music

Pianist Jacqueline Schwab will perform a concert entitled “Mothers and Children: A Mother's Day Concert of Hope and Peace” at the Guilderland Public Library this Sunday, May 14 at 2 p.m.Schwab’s signature piano playing features in over a dozen of Ken Burns’ documentaries, including his Grammy-winning “Civil War,” “Baseball,” “The War” and others. As a solo pianist, she has performed vintage American music in almost every state of the union. Her latest album is “I Life My Lamp: Illuminations from Immigrant America.”

Music journalist Will Hermes is a regular contributor to NPR, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Pitchfork. He’s the author of the upcoming “Lou Reed: The King of New York” which is scheduled to be published by FSG this fall. Hermes recently spent time exploring the music scene in Ireland and an article he’s written about what he heard and learned on the Emerald Isle will be published in The New York Times this weekend.

“Retirement Was Fun While It Lasted.” That’s the word Arlo Guthrie, the folk troubadour who made his first stage appearance at age 13. After six decades on the road, Arlo hung up his guitar a few years ago. But now he’s getting ready to return to the stage this spring in a new format, including appearances at The Egg in Albany on April 21st and Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center in Stowe, Vermont on May 27th. The new tour is called “What’s Left Of Me.”

In June, singer-songwriter Lucy Kaplansky released her ninth solo album, “Last Days of Summer” - it features four covers and six new original songs, co-written with Kaplansky’s husband Rick Litvin. She joins us to talk about her songwriting, how she picks covers, and the band she assembled for this record.

Central Park in Schenectady, New York is ready, once again, to come alive for the summer, as Music Haven kicks-off its 32nd season of “traveling the world one concert at a time.” The much-heralded concert and event series will feature high caliber national and international touring artists, plus some theater and film, in its ambitious comeback season. On top of a boisterous itinerary that includes sun splashed reggae; South Louisiana Zydeco; Balkan party music; harmony-driven bluegrass – even Finnish folk music for the first time. We welcome Music Haven Producing Artistic Director Mona Golub.

Singer and songwriter, Janis Ian, had her initial burst of fame as a teenager with her self-titled 1967 debut album and its hit single "Society's Child." She returned to the public eye in the mid-'70s with deeply personal songs about life and relationships on albums like “Stars” (1974) and “Between the Lines” (1975) - which featured her best known song, “At Seventeen.”Her self-determined final album “The Light at the End of the Line” was released in January on her label Rude Girl Records. She is traveling the world on her farewell tour and will play tonight, Friday, and Saturday evenings at Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi are touring in support of their latest album “They’re Calling Me Home” and will be at The Bardavon in Poughkeepsie, New York on Friday, November 5 and at SUNY Potsdam in Potsdam, New York on Saturday, November 6.

(Airs 10/21/21) WAMC’s Alan Chartock In A 2012 Conversation with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, folk musician and former member of The Byrds, Roger McGuinn.

Each Wednesday and Sunday evening at 8 p.m. “Live At The Linda” brings you some of the best musical acts to grace the stage at The Linda - WAMC's…

Berkshire County singer-songwriter Wes Buckley released his vinyl record debut this week on a brand new label based in North Adams, Massachusetts.Buckley,…