encinitas – San Diego Folk Heritage

That’s What Banshee Said

On Saturday, August 22, 2015 at 7:30pm, San Diego Folk Heritage is happy to host the touring Celtic band Banshee in the Kitchen. The all ages event will take place at San Dieguito United Methodist Church (170 Calle Magdalena Encinitas, CA 92024). Admission is $15 for members and $18 standard – tickets are available at the door or online.

About Banshee in the Kitchen: Banshee in the Kitchen play Celtic music with eclectic skill and merry abandon. Touring and recording since 2002, this group has delighted audiences in festivals, theaters, living rooms and countless other venues from New York to Los Angeles, and as far as Japan. They take traditional Celtic tunes, find the sweet spot between old and new, stirring it all up with trademark playfulness and musicality they term “banshee-fying.” On stage, National Champion hammered dulcimer player Brenda Hunter (fiddle, hammered dulcimer) and Jill Egland (flute, accordion, whistle) trade off inspired flights of lead and counter melody over dynamic backing by Kat Edmonson (six and twelve-string guitar, bouzouki) and Kris Weber (bass). No strangers to the microphone, the three trade off lead and backing vocals on a choice selection of songs, as well as jocular commentary in between.

Behind the Name: In a happy coincidence of co-location, Jill, Brenda and then-guitarist Mary Tulin met years ago in that hotbed of Celtic music, Bakersfield, California. Brenda and Jill moved to town first, and met at local musical gatherings, yet joined different bands. Mary arrived soon after and joined Jill’s band, and later (finally!) so did Brenda. The three discovered a strong musical and personal synergy, and were soon off on their own. The name came easily. Brenda wanted to be in a band called Banshee. Jill liked the feminist ring of Barefoot in the Kitchen. Mary offered, “How about Banshee in the Kitchen?” And so they were. When Mary’s doctor husband retired in 2009, the two headed to the wilds of Washington State. Just when Brenda and Jill thought all was lost, Kat, who had taken dulcimer lessons from Brenda, mentioned she played guitar, and… well… you just don’t mess around with providence. She was in.

Behind the Music: San Diego Folk Heritage had the opportunity to chat with Kat Edmonson, asking her to list three interesting non-musical facts about herself and the group. She shared:

1. Both Jill and Brenda lived in Indonesia at one time (though not at the same time) and speak the language.

2. I used to drive heavy equipment in Arizona, carpentry in Wyoming, and had a brief time of doing stunt work for commercials and television in Hollywood.

3. Everyone has been married at one time except Jill, who stubbornly refuses too. All of us Banshees have little Banshees (sons and daughters).

For more information about our upcoming concert, please visit our upcoming event page. Looking forward to seeing you all in Encinitas this weekend!

Additional links:
www.sdfolkheritage.org
http://www.bansheeinthekitchen.com/
Media Kit

First Thing’s First with Eve Selis

This Saturday May 2nd, San Diego Folk Heritage is excited to welcome not one, but five stellar musicians to our Encinitas stage in the form of local Americana act Berkley Hart Selis Twang, featuring notable songwriters Jeff Berkley, Calman Hart, Eve Selis and Marc “Twang” Intravaia and special guest opener Barbara Nesbitt (a former San Diegan who now calls Austin home).

In the interest of folk heritage, we challenged each songwriter to revisit their personal music heritage and recall their first songwriting experience. So far you’ve heard from Barbara, Jeff, and Calman. Here’s Eve’s first songwriting memory:

Eve Selis: The first song I ever wrote was with my older sisters and our neighbor. It was 1971 and I was 8 yrs old. We wrote it as a surprise for our dad’s 38th birthday. My mom paid $100 for all 5 girls to go into a recording studio and then had a 45 rpm record made for our dad. My sister Lee played guitar on it. I can’t remember what it was called – possibly “Laugh, Sing, Live.” But I do remember the lyrics. It’s very cheesy and sugar sweet but the entire experience obviously made an impression on me even if I didn’t know it at the time.

The first record I ever bought was Jesus Christ Super Star and I loved to listen to Simon & Garfunkle, Loggins & Messina, Seals & Crofts and of course, Barbara Streisand because my older sister Gabrielle owned every album of hers and was in charge of the record player! It wasn’t until I heard the song “You’re So Vain” on the radio that I knew I wanted to be a singer when I grew up. My sister Jeanne found the original recording reel while moving my mom and gave us all cassette tapes for Christmas one year.

Chorus:
Laugh and people will laugh with you
Sing and people will sing with you
Live and people will live with you – ooh
AhAhAh

Share your love my friend
And it will never end
Give all the love you can
And lend a helping hand

Chorus

Here’s more from Eve on the topic of songwriting and performing…

First Thing’s First with Calman Hart

Calman Hart: The first song I remember writing was called “I Love Her”. It was 1970 and I was 11 years old. This was when pop radio wasn’t broken down by genre. In one afternoon you would hear The Beatles, The Guess Who, Bobby Sherman, Santana, The Kinks, The Temptations, CSN&Y, Elvis Presley and Anne Murray, all on the same station. “Fire and Rain” was big. I decided I wanted to be James Taylor. 1970 was also a year when Walter Cronkite was coming on the TV each night and showing us horrible pictures of the Viet Nam war, which was in full swing. As a kid in the fifth grade, it was hard to fully understand all that the war meant, but I understood enough to be terrified that I might one day be drafted and sent off to fight in a war that no one seemed to believe in. The words are understandably corny and juvenile; yet they are also charmingly heartbreaking to me because when I think of them, I remember the anxiety I felt. I still remember the melody and all the words:

When they took me away from my broken down shack
I told her that I’d be coming back
And she said she’d wait for me till she died

I love her, yes I do
I love her, more than you
I love her, yes I do
I love her, more than anything else

All you are is a bloody fight
You really don’t know what is wrong or right
And you’re gonna keep going till one side dies

[chorus]

Here’s a lovely live performance of Calman’s song “It’s Going to be Okay” from last year’s Acoustic Alliance anniversary party.

First Thing’s First with Jeff Berkley

In the interest of folk heritage, we challenged each songwriter to revisit their personal music heritage and recall their first songwriting experience. Over the next few days, we’ll be revealing their answers one by one!

Jeff Berkley: “I do remember writing my first song. Maybe I was 17? It was about love and loss. I don’t remember it or the title even. I recorded it on my dual cassette deck that had an input for mic’s and guitar cables. I’m not sure where that is? I was inspired by so much different music from Bauhaus to Dylan. From The Replacements to Woody Guthrie. Pink Floyd, Nick Drake, James Taylor, ACDC, all sorts of stuff. A song called “Not My Heart” I wrote when I was 19 was the first time I wrote a song that I thought was good. That song ended up on a Berkley Hart record called Crow that came out just a couple years back. It was inspired by The Waterboys Room To Roam Record! There’s a song called “A Bang On The Ear” that I love!!!! It moves the same as “Not My Heart” did when i wrote it in 19…”

Here’s one of our favorite Jeff Berkley-penned songs from a 2014 house concert performance:

Check back in tomorrow for the next installment of our series with Calman Hart! For more info/tickets for Saturday’s concert, click here.

First Thing’s First with Barbara Nesbitt

Barbara Nesbitt: “The first original songs I was singing were written by the guitar player in my first band when I was 16 and were based on things I shared with him about my life mixed with imagery from incredibly vivid dreams I had (still have). It was a few years later that I wanted to learn to play guitar so that I could write songs myself. The first song I really wrote for the band was inspired by the relationship (or lack thereof) I had with my estranged father. It was an appeal for understanding and a statement that my heart was open and was called, “Where Are You Now?” I wouldn’t say the sound was inspired directly by any artist but I was listening nonstop to CCR, James Taylor, Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan among many, many others! It wasn’t until i moved to San Diego about 10 years ago and was inspired by the creativity of my friends and support of my writing that I really began to open up as a writer and I hope never to stop!”

We hope so too! Here’s a great 2010 live performance of one of Barbara’s many wonderful songs, “Message to You,” performed with her full band in San Diego.

Check back in tomorrow for the next installment of our series with acclaimed songwriter and producer Jeff Berkley! For more info/tickets for Saturday’s concert, click here.

Catching Up with John McCutcheon

It took everything we had not to name this blog “McCatchin’ up with McCutcheon.” Everything! But since we are true professionals, we showed some restraint. We will not show restraint, however, when it comes to our excitement in welcoming the incredible John McCutcheon back to San Diego on Saturday March 21st for a performance at San Dieguito United Methodist Chuch in Encinitas, CA!

John has graced us with his stories and songs many times, developing a strong fan base in San Diego. We took a moment to ask him about his upcoming performance.

What might die-hard John McCutcheon fans find familiar or comforting about next week’s performance in Encinitas? What might they find different or unique about the new album you will be previewing?
One thing different is that, for 30 years, I’ve always come in January. So the weather will be a little nicer. I’m always packing a new quiver of songs and stories, everything from childhood remembrances to musings on the day’s news. This year you all will be one of the very first concerts I’ll be doing supporting a brand new album. The SDFH audiences know my debt to those who’ve come before me. I learned from some of the great musicians of Appalachian music. Without them I’d simply be another white guy with a guitar. But I was also mentored by many of the greats of contemporary American folk music, Pete Seeger, Utah Phillips, Tom Paxton, and more. Many, though thankfully not all of them, are gone now. But they learned from those before them…and I’ve been honoring those writers and musicians, as well.

Back in 2012 I released an album celebrating Woody Guthrie’s 100th birthday. 2015 is the 100th anniversary of the death of Joe Hill…the “I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night..” Joe Hill. He was a songwriter for the IWW, the Industrial Workers of the World, at the turn of the 20th century. Mastered the art of writing parodies of popular songs to be used in labor struggles. Woody learned from him. Dylan and Seeger from Woody. I learned from all of them. And this year I’m releasing Joe Hill’s Last Will to honor this songwriting pioneer and, not incidentally, show how many of the things ordinary people and workers were dealing with a century ago are still relevant today.

So, lots of new stories and songs, a new album, but still my usual arsenal of instruments and guaranteed good time.

For those handful of San Diego folk music lovers who perhaps haven’t yet heard your music, please give them the “John McCutcheon 101” crash course…List 5 of your songs you’d suggest they check out to get a sense of your journey as a songwriter.
Someone once described my shows as a mini-folk festival: a half dozen different instruments (fiddle, banjo, guitar, hammer dulcimer, piano, autoharp), singer-songwriter, traditionalist, political commentator, storyteller, stand-up comedian, song leader, keeper of the flame. It’s hard to compare it to anything or anyone because I’ve forged a pretty unique route over the past 40+ years. Songs? All of these should be available on Youtube…

And they were!

Christmas in the Trenches

Kindergarten Wall

Leviathan

Pretty Boy Floyd

Not in My Name

We hope you’ll join us in Encinitas on March 21st! Visit here for more information and tickets!

Timeless Love Songs

In preparation for our upcoming Valentine’s Day event, we asked the performers to share their all-time favorite love songs. What do you think about this list? What would you add to it?

Artist: Jeffrey Joe
Favorite Love Song: Stardust (Music, Hoagland Carmichael / Lyrics, Mitchell Parrish)

“Some songs will take us back to a place, a time and/or a person. Stardust is about a fellow singing a song at twilight in the garden about a couple that’s been apart. He reminisces about the songs they shared. Memories of the twinkling stardust of a song that will not die. The strongest tie that still binds them together is the music they shared. We don’t know whether the couple is temporary or permanent or whether she’ll be back. I like to think that she came back and they go to smell the roses. Exit singing.”

Artist: Marilyn McPhie
Song: Moonlight and Roses (composed Edwin Lemare, below Jim Reeves recording)

“When I was growing up in the 50s and 60s, my family would often take long car trips, and of course, we’d pass the time with singing. The kids would always choose songs like “The Bear Went Over the Mountain,” but my parents would always choose love songs from their courtship days. “Moonlight and Roses” was one of their favorites. My parents had good voices. My mother was a soprano and my father a bass, and they could really get into crooning the mushy love songs. They usually ended the song with a kiss — which made all of us kids groan.”

Artist: Veronica May
Song: Love (composed by Bert Kaempfert, lyrics by Milt Gabler, below Nat King Cole recording)

Artist: Sarah Saulter
Song: Evergreen (composed and performed by Barbra Streisand, lyrics by Paul Williams)

“It reminds me that in love, as in everything else, mediocrity is just one of many options. It’s up to each couple to decide how it goes for them. If we’re willing to give our attention to staying in love, and remembering why we got together in the first place, we really can make ‘each night a first, every day a beginning.'”

Artist: Lindsay White
Song: Buckets of Rain (Bob Dylan)

“This song encompasses everything I love about love and coincidentally everything I love about Bob Dylan. Love is sarcastic, silly, sexy, serious, substantial, sacrificing, simple, ‘strong and slow,’ all wrapped into one beautiful composition. Like always, Dylan says it all without saying too much. This song always makes me feel worthy of receiving love and capable of giving it.”

Join these artists and San Diego Folk Heritage on Valentine’s Day for an evening of stories and songs. For more info and tix, visit www.sdfolkheritage.org.

A Holiday Interview with David Brewer of Molly’s Revenge

We can’t tell you how excited we are to be hosting acclaimed Celtic/bluegrass trio Molly’s Revenge for our Holiday event at beautiful Seaside Center for Spiritual Living in Encinitas, CA on Saturday December 13, 2014. In promotion of their new album Wintersong, Molly’s Revenge will be accompanied by vocalist Christa Burch as well as several traditional Irish dancers.

Since it is a holiday event supporting a holiday album, we thought we’d take a moment to chat with member David Brewer about a few of his favorite (and not so favorite) holiday things:

SDFH: What is the best holiday gift you’ve ever received?
When I was 24 and on my first national tour with a Irish music & dance show, much of the tour consisted of shows in snowy east-coast states, ending up me in Pennsylvania on Christmas eve. The last trans-continental flight I was booked on to make it home to my family in California in time for Christmas had broken down, and I thought I was going to miss Christmas entirely, stranded in an airport. Well, that ground crew worked tirelessly to fix the plane, and fix it they did, sacrificing their Christmas eve so that I could return home. I never met them, and I’m sure no one ever thanked them, but I never forgot their sacrifice. Though unbeknownst to them, in my eyes, that was a gift– a true Christmas gift.

SDFH: What is your all-time favorite holiday movie?
There are many great ones, but all-time favorite, definitely National Lampoons Christmas— it just sums up everything about an American family Christmas weekend, for better or worse, and has so many elements we all can relate to.

SDFH: If you could strike one holiday song from the popular songbook, what would it be?
I love everything by Paul McCartney, but this song: A Wonderful Christmastime. I just wish it would go away, and apparently I’m not alone–even according to wikkipedia it’s one of those songs you either love or hate. It’s not the sentiment of course, it’s just too repetitive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonderful_Christmastime

SDFH: This tour will be accompanied by a brand new album, Wintersong – which track off the new album would you want to be stranded on the North Pole with?
Difficult to decide, since we purposely tried to make the album a well rounded collection including all of the holiday moods, but if we had to pick one, I think we’d all say the Somerset Wassail, or Jolly Wassail as we nick-name it…the very track we’ve offered as a complimentary download on our website. It has all of the hallmarks of a classic carol of the season, angelically sung by Christa Burch, and then launches into a rousing Irish dance tune at the end, featuring the energetic virtuosity of the bands instrumental playing, so much so to inspire our dancers to leap to their feet & listeners to clap their hands!

SDFH: Several dancers will be joining you on this tour, along with guest vocalist Christa Burch. How do you feel these elements will contribute to the live performance and the overall feel of the new album?
Christa’s masterful singing shines like a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, giving even familiar carols a captivating vigor, and the dancers create an exciting visual depiction of the instrumental music which memorizes & energizes onlookers to the point of hooting & hollering with joy.

Event Details:
Date: Saturday, December 13th
Time: 7:30pm
Location: Seaside Center for Spiritual Living (1613 Lake Drive Encinitas, CA 92024).
Admission: All-ages. $18 for members and $22 standard. Tickets here.