John Flynn is an American singer-songwriter and activist known for his powerful music and tireless efforts on behalf of “the lost and the lonely, the shackled and scarred”. His career has embodied an authentic troubadour odyssey that moved legendary folk DJ Gene Shay to call Flynn "the most quintessential folk singer in my life". Over three and a half decades, John Flynn’s music has carried him from Jersey shore bars to Nashville’s Music Row; from home plate performances in major league ballparks to concerts in maximum-security prisons; from star-studded benefit shows at Tipitina’s in New Orleans to awareness-building appearances at the Walter Reed Military Hospital and the Dover Air Force Base. Along the way Flynn has continued to make new friends and fans as he has given of his defiantly unguarded heart and optimistic spirit from large and small stages, living rooms, pulpits and schools across this country. The father of four spurned touring when his kids were young, but, as the children grew older, superlatives began to welcome their dad's arrival to the national stage. -- Photo by Jane Twohey

Josh White, Jr., became, a 'hit' literally over night at the age of four, by performing with his legendary father JOSH WHITE one night at New York's famed "Café Society" night club (America's first integrated nightclub). For the next five years, Josh, Jr. performed with his father from New York to Boston to Philadelphia. In 1949, Josh, Jr. landed his first role on Broadway, and as Josh says, "It was type casting..." he played his father's son in How Long Til Summer? with Dorothy Gish and Don Hanmer. While continuing a solo acting career, Josh went on to perform and record with his father for the next seventeen years on radio, television, Broadway, concert halls and nightclubs around the world. As a concert artist, Josh, Jr. has performed on the world's greatest stages of four continents, including Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Odeon Hammersmith Hall, Berlin Philharmonic Hall, and Madison Square Garden to name a few.

In Austin, Texas—a town overflowing with gifted singer/songwriters and guitar players—Christine Albert & Chris Gage have a long track record of making beautiful music together, although both musicians' individual pedigrees are far more extensive. Over the course of six duet albums, the duo has demonstrated that disparate backgrounds do not preclude musical soul mates from finding one another. Chris maintains a busy studio schedule and over the years they have expanded MoonHouse Records with Gage productions by Cowboy Johnson, Michael Austin and Abi Tapia. Christine's latest release, "Everything's Beautiful Now" is an exploration into the richness of loss, and has been well received by critics and fans alike. Everything's Beautiful Now were the last words spoken to Christine by her mother-in-law Darleen as she was making the final move towards the other side. Christine Albert's French grandmother lived in Paris and her mother was born in Switzerland, so perhaps it's inevitable that the occasional Edith Piaf song migrates into her sets of original material and carefully chosen covers. The duo’s most recent CD, Dakota Lullaby (2009), features twelve songs by an unheralded songwriter from South Dakota – Tom Peterson. FAME described it as “a pure, unadulterated labor of love…Albert & Gage, obviously on the same page at all times, blend voices effortlessly, fluctuating between smooth country and western swing like they were born to it. Beneath those voices Gage placed a bang-up group of sidemen most musicians would kill for and handled production like the pro he has become.”

Denton, Texas' singer songwriter Isaac Hoskins has been a Kerrville New Folk finalist, and we have enjoyed all the songs we have heard in his other appearances on our stage.

Pushing Chain, a folky-tonk duo from Minnesota’s north shore, features Boyd Blomberg on guitar and vocals and Adam Moe on fiddle and vocals. Their Americana-roots sound has been winning them fans across the Midwest. Recent highlights: they sang the National Anthem at Target Field before a Minnesota Twins game, Opened for Bill Staines, Flatt Lonesome (IBMA 2014 Emerging Artist of the Year), Layla McCalla, David Grier, and John Hiatt, played New York Mills Cultural Center, Harmony for Mayo Music Series in Rochester, MN, Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis, and the Big Top Chautauqua, among many other great venues. Boyd, former frontman for the national touring band, the Gooneybirds, is an award-winning songwriter (2012 Big Top Chautauqua – second place; 2014 River Falls Roots & Bluegrass – first place, Upper Midwest Songwriter of the Year.)

This will be Annie Benjamin's seventh solo appearance on our stage, with her music being described as a lot like the weather in Texas…. unpredictable and constantly changing. She started off playing flute and was one of those nerdy kids who loved to practice her etudes, and to make up new parts for music... short step to songwriting.

Chamberfolk: Three classically trained musicians playing original music, as intricately arranged as a string quartet, lyrically rooted in the singer/songwriter tradition, and wrapped in three-part vocal harmonies reminiscent of both Appalachia and Medieval Europe. Building from the tonal depth of the cello (or is it a bass?), layer in the shimmering sounds of a violin and the strikingly natural addition of banjo to create a sound at once familiar and impossible to categorize. Unapologetic genre-benders, Harpeth Rising fuses Folk, Newgrass, Rock and Classical into something organically unique. Maria Di Meglio cello, was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Michelle Younger in Charlottesville, VA, and Jordana Greenberg, violin, grew up with many influences from many differering genres of the music world, and each graduated from prestigious music schools and love presenting original music to happy audiences. New for our stage tonight, here is your chance to see three beautiful musical souls come together and entertain us with their totally original presentation! (Photo by Michael Wilson)