Saturday, May 31 2008

Riverbend Show at 6pm - A blend of traditional and interpretive folk,Celtic and New England dance tunes, woven into performance art.

Plainfolk Show at 8pm - From their start in1978 at local Irish pubs, with two guitars and rich three part harmony, Plainfolk celebrates 30 years together.

"Erelli's gentle vocal inflections and starkly beautiful fingerpicking especially capture the mood in his interpretation of James Taylor's 'Close Your Eyes.' In addition, 'Alright For Now' delivers Tom Petty's sentimental lullaby with haunting harmonies that feature the vocals of Jeffrey Foucault; the result is a spine-chilling take on the original." - Northeast Performer

2nd Show 10:00pm

3-time Emmy Award winner and 5-time Grammy Award winner Gordon Goodwin brings the finest studio musicians in the Los Angeles, California area to this historic venue. Find out more about Gordon and the band at www.gordongoodwin.com. This will be just the band's second trip to the Northeast, and this will their only stop in New England for this tour.

The Compaq Big Band will open with a short set 25 minutes long. After a short intermission the Big Phat Band will go on for one set 60-80 minutes long. As exciting as the concert and reception will be, there is even more terrific news for high school and college jazz musicians, as well as adult big band enthusiasts.

Members of the Big Phat Band will be available for 1-hour instrumental performance clinics as follows: Trumpet: Wayne Bergeron; Saxophone: Eric Marienthal; Trombone: Andy Martin; Rhythm: Gordon Goodwin on piano, along with the entire Big Phat Band rhythm section.

The above clinics will run simultaneously from 2:00pm to 3:00pm, with the rhythm section clinic at The Palace Theatre, and the sax, trombone, and trumpet clinics held at the Manchester Community Music School, located at 2291 Elm Street, Manchester, New Hampshire.

But wait - there's even more! Gordon Goodwin will also be conducting a separate 1-hour jazz composition and arranging clinic from 3:30pm to 4:30pm, using the Compaq Big Band and handouts to give attendees an unprecedented view into his composing and arranging.

For the concert there will be Student*, Adult, and VIP ** tickets. For the clinics, Student* and Adult tickets will be available. Doors open at 6:45pm

Throughout the 70's and 80's, Foreigner was universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world, racking up scores of smash hits, multi-platinum albums, and sold out concert tours.

Today, some 30 years later, Foreigner is an ensemble of talented musicians each adding their individual credentials to the band to mix to make the band stronger and more powerful than ever.

A special reception will also be offered for those patrons purchasing tickets at the $197 price level. The Foreigner VIP Reception gives concert goers a chance to meet the band up close in a sophisticated environment. Tickets include a concert seat, a free CD, and entrance to the pre-concert reception. The band will make an appearance to sign autographs and take time for some photo opportunities.

This trio plays classic rock with a twist of classical music. It is made up of Tom O'Donnell on guitar, keyboards and vocals. (Tom has played classic rock since the days of the Everly Brothers and James Brown with his brother, John, including the grand tour of the Surf Nantasket and other New England classic gig spots). Ann O'Donnell, previously of the classic rock dance band Canvas Sky joins the trio with vocals. Ellen Watters, principal cellist with the Melrose Symphony Orchestra plays the cello and adds vocals.

The trio performed regularly as the Sat night entertainment at the now defunct MelDiva Coffeehouse in Franklin, MA; the Rockport Acoustic Festival; the Halibut State Park Summer Sounds Series; to name a few venues. Harvest Café is happy to host Livin' on Luck in Hudson MA.

Call to verify performance time

The Sublime Secrets of the Bulgarian Sisterhood.

Imagine a group so selective that since 1990 only one new member has been added, and you'll get some idea of the iconic Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, a carefully selected group of female folk singers that returns this spring for their eighth North American tour. Conductor Dora Hristova knows something about longevity, as she's been directing the group since 1988. Throughout that time, she says, the group has become like a family. They rehearse together, live together in Sofia, and tour together, celebrating birthdays and namedays on the road. While that could test the resilience of even the closest of families, Professor Hristova says "we never miss the opportunity to be together. Our lives become the life of the choir."

Audiences the world over have come to fall in love with their characteristic sound. This "bouquet of flowers," as the choir is frequently described, has a sonic and timbral range that captures the spectrum of historical singing traditions in Bulgaria. From the throaty, piercing singing of the Western regions to the rich ornamentation of central regions, audiences are treated to an aural lesson in cultural geography. Little-known history also shines through, for example, in the complex asymmetrical rhythms that Hristova suggests are linked to the ancient Greek poetry that was probably once recited on the land.

Blues guitar slinger Jeff Pitchell channels the spirit of Stevie Ray while carving out his own brave blues identity. As singer, songwriter, and guitarist Jeff achieved national recognition when his CD "Heavy Hitter" reached #7 on the Billboard blues charts. Jeff has recorded with Rick Derringer, Dave Mason, James Cotton and Clarence Clemons. His newest CD, "One For The Fans," shows many different sides to Jeff… from Texas Blues to hard edged funk and soul.

The Cliff Henricksen Band consists of Tom Yates (guitar and vocal), GW Jenkins (bass and vocal), Tom Beier drums and vocal) and Cliff Henricksen (composer, piano, organ and vocal). All are veteran players from the Boston area. The band will deliver a concert of songs from their debut CD as well as popular songs with exciting new musical arrangements. The revolutionary Bose L1(TM) sound system is used exclusively, providing rich, spatial and "kid-safe" sound levels that are a pleasure for all audience members to experience.

Presented by: LiveNation.

David Yazbek is a long-time cult favorite—a recording artist, vocalist, and pianist known for his thrilling live performances and irreverent style. He is a two-time Tony Award nominee whose shows The Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels have played in over 20 countries. His first album, "The Laughing Man", won the N.A.I.R.D. Award for Best Pop Album of the Year. He is also a Grammy-nominated record producer and an Emmy-winning TV writer (for Late Night with David Letterman).

This event will be cabaret style with tables and chairs.

Corey "Lil Pop" Ledet & His Zydeco Band Corey

"Lil Pop" Ledet, a native of Houston, Texas, excels at both the urban Zydeco sounds of his home town, the Creole music played in days past by his relatives in rural Louisiana, and the contemporary Zydeco beat that draws crowds to dance halls across the region and beyond.

He has now settled in the small town of Parks, La., in St. Martin Parish, where he put together his first CD, 3 Years 2 Late, in Dirk Powell's Cypress House Recording Studio. On the CD, Corey Ledet shows his versatility in performing in just about any style and on any accordion, whether single-row, triple row, or piano. The CD title may represent postponed intentions, but Corey has certainly finally delivered in full.

free beginner Zydeco dance lesson 7:15pm -  potluck at 6:45pm - Bar service  - free parking - Singles and couples welcome

International jazz and cabaret artists The Follen Angels return to the Enter Stage Left Coffeehouse to present “An Evening with Porter and Gershwin.” Come enjoy Hildy Grossman on vocals, Rieko Tanaka on piano, Kenny Dantzig on drums, and Rick Stone on saxophone and clarinet as they fill the air with music that is as timeless as it is elegant.

2nd Show 10:00pm

As songwriters and performers, Ashford & Simpson have long ranked among the most acclaimed and admired creative couples in contemporary music.Career laurels aside, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson are currently hotter than ever. A two-week stint at New York’s elegant Feinstein’s at the Regency in 2006 was so successful that they were brought back for three weeks in 2007, garnering some of the best notices of their career. “Singles, doubles gays straights, blacks, whites, all mixed together and singing along”, concluded the New York Times’ Stephen Holden in his rave review, “Ashford & Simpson turn diversity into unanimity”.

2nd Show 10:00pm

It's always Oktoberfest at Nick's - Come on down and do the "Ein Prosit" with us.

Seven WC Handy National Blues Award nominations (including 2003, 2004 and 2005 "Soul-Blues Female Performer of the Year" nominations..), and many previous award nominations "Album of the Year" at the W.C. Handy Awards, "Album of the Year" at the NAIRD Awards, and "Outstanding Blues Album" at the Boston Music Awards.