PERFORMERS

Coffee House Performers
	STEVE LUTKE and the Appalachian Uprising are being hailed as one of the country's premier acoustic string bands whose sound delivers a tantalizing mix of traditional bluegrass and progressive string music highlighted by elements of jazz, classical music, some swing and mild newgrass. Bandleader Lutke is ranked as one the top progressive banjo wizards in the world, often referred to as "the Michael Jordan of the banjo". His consummate virtuosity and right-on phrasing recalls guitarist Django Reinhardt or supreme banjo artists Béla Fleck or Earl Scruggs. Steve's credits include work performing and touring with legendary greats such as Vassar Clements, David Grisman, Peter Rowan, Byron Berline and The Killybillys. This is a rare appearance in our area for Steve and his band, and they shouldn't be missed!
	Our evening will open with JOHN GUTH , a premier guitarist and composer, producer, and audio engineer. He has toured and/or recorded with many well known artists including Bob Gibson, Tom Paxton, Mimi Farina, Susanne Vega, Judy Collins, Red Grammer, Tom Chapin, Paul Winter, Galt MacDermot, Michael Wolff, Jordan Rudess, and Peter Allen. His music opens and closes the Grammy winning audio book production of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as well as the other Harry Potter audio books. Some of you might remember John's phenomenal guitar playing in our house band for our benefit last year at Wall to Wall 60's. John will be joined by Rich Stein on percussion and Gary Soloman on bass. See www. johnguthmusic. com
	Amy Speace has already won a loyal grass-roots fan base, thanks in large part to live performances that merge warmth, humor and emotional immediacy, and to a tireless touring schedule that's already taken her across the United States. On her new album Songs for Bright Street, New York-based singer/songwriter Amy Speace demonstrates why she's quickly become one of her adopted hometown's most celebrated emerging artists. Possessing a commanding voice, a distinctive melodic sensibility and an uncanny knack for nailing complex emotions in song, Speace makes music that's both illuminating and effortlessly accessible. Among those impressed by her sassy songcraft is legendary folk-pop songstress Judy Collins, who chose Songs for Bright Street to release on her new Wildflower label. See: http://www.amyspeace.com.
	Anthony da Costa is a performing songwriter from Pleasantville, New York. In January alone, he released his sixth record, Typical American Tragedy; opened for Livingston Taylor and Susan Werner; was nominated as Folk Alliance Emerging Artist of the Year; and recorded his seventh record, Bad Nights, Better Days—a duo project with his duo partner, Abbie Gardner of Red Molly—in three days. 2007 wasn’t half-bad either. Anthony was the youngest winner ever of the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk and Falcon Ridge’s Emerging Artist Competitions. He also showcased at the Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival in Nashville and was a Mountain Stage New Song Contest Finalist. Anthony’s writing and performing draw from a deep well of rich musical influences—from Bob Dylan and Dan Bern, to Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, to Ryan Adams and Johnny Cash. A prolific songwriter and self-taught multi-instrumentalist, he is a strict adherent to Zimmerman’s Theory of the Never-Ending Tour, playing perpetually at festivals, theaters, clubs and coffee houses throughout the Northeast and beyond. Anthony’s upcoming performances range from the Tarrytown Music Hall in New York, where he’ll open for Dan Bern, to the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas, where he’ll play the main stage, to Denmark, where he’ll make his European debut at the Tonder Festival.
	The Veltz Family has been setting their art, love and life to music in the U.S. since before the start of the new millennium. Their flawless harmony, rhythm and infectious original songwriting inspires their audiences, and just plain seems to make them happy. The Washington Post says "their music fills your heart and soul and makes you glad to be alive". Watch this incredible video to see and hear The Veltz's story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVScib61Yto. To tip our hats to St. Patrick's Day, the Golden Apple presents an opening set of music from the British Isles with Salt of the Earth. The songs and music are deeply rooted in the old folk traditions of Ireland, Scotland, and England, dating back to the 13C, are sung in an earthy traditional vocal style with beautiful and haunting two- and three-part close harmonies. The songs are enhanced by telling the historical and human stories behind them.
	Our evening will be opened by Lynne Robyn (of Salt of the Earth), a singer/ songwriter in her own right. Lynne's pure singing voice is filled with passion, expressiveness, and refined musicality. Musically, she grew up on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, where she consistently packed clubs with loyal fans drawn to her earthy, deep, soulful music. Lynne has sung her songs on the soundtracks of major film releases, off-Broadway plays, on concert hall stages, and on television and radio. She toured the globe with Jon Herington, the lead guitarist for the legendary group Steely Dan--he also produced her first CD, Red Bird. Hear her at: http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/itsaboutmusic_1989_6397525
	KJ Denhert is one of the Hudson Valley's musical gems. She is a unique artist, singer, guitarist and songwriter who calls her music Urban Folk and Jazz. Her voice is powerful, her lyrics full of intelligent insight, and her musicianship is impeccable. Her sense of joy onstage is infectious, bringing honesty and charisma to her talents as a songwriter, singer and guitarist. KJ has taken the rhythm, wit and passion of her performances, and wrapped them up in lush arrangements and sparkling production to create her signature music. Since 1998, KJ and her band maintain a regular standing room only gig at The 55 Bar in NY's West Village. She has appeared on Mountain Stage, at The Bitter End, The Bottom Line, Fez and The Living Room, and opened for Roberta Flack, Kenny Rankin, Tuck & Patti, Phil Roy, GQ and Loudon Wainwright. She is a powerhouse performer, and not one to be missed! See: http://www.kjdenhert.com/
	There was a time in America when folk music was relevant, edgy, even dangerous -- a tool of personal and political expression, at once raw and beautiful. That spirit lives on in the music of Alastair Moock. He has won top honors at many of the country's most prestigious contests, including those at the Falcon Ridge, Sisters, and Great Waters folk festivals. Moock's writing style is often compared to those of John Prine and Woody Guthrie. His songs have the smooth, clean lines of American classics -- a timelessness reinforced by his whiskeyed voice and muscular fingerpicking. The Boston Globe calls him "one of the town's best and most adventurous songwriters" and The Washington Post says "every song is a gem." See: www.moock.com/
	Marc Von Em is a soulful singer/songriter who started his solo career in 1999. With three independent releases, Marc has worked his way up through coffee houses and bars to prestigious bills shared with such artists as Lucy Kaplansky, Martin Sexton, Richie Havens, Glenn Tillbrook and others. In 2005, Marc joined Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20) as a vocalist/guitarist, and for a year and a half, toured the globe. Since ending the tour in 2006, Marc continues his solo career playing venues from New York to Seattle. © Copyright 2004-2008, Marc Von Em
	You probably know them as Fred Gillen Jr . and Matt Turk , who individually have been engaging audiences in the Hudson Valley's fertile singer-songwriter scene for a number of years. Now they have teamed up, matched forces, and are twisting their talents into something new and exciting. Augmented by drummer Andy LaDue and multi-instrumentalist Steve Kirkman from Hope Machine, the Woody Guthrie tribute band, Gillen & Turk present both their acoustic and electric repertoire in a fashion that bends toward the recognizable folk-rock genre without losing any respective idiosyncrasies. Harmonies abound, along with singing that's tough, sincere, full of heart and soul. Guitars are front and center. There is also some spirited playing of the washboard and mandolin. Never a dull moment when these performers are on stage, they keep the music moving and their audiences captivated.
Little Toby Walker	Toby Walker is an accomplished fingerstyle guitarist, who is also adept at ragtime and bottleneck. His mastery of the art was recognized in Memphis in 2002, when he won the International Blues Challenge Award. He is a skilled singer and songwriter, drawing inspiration from traditional and contemporary blues, folk, ragtime, and country. His passion for the music drove him to leave an apartment crammed full of recordings, books and instruments to wander around the Mississippi Delta, Virginia and the Carolinas tracking down some of the more obscure - but immensely talented - music makers of an earlier era. He spent time and swapped tunes with Eugene Powell, James Son Thomas, Etta Baker, and R.L Burnside. He draws on these travels to tell the humorous and heartwarming tales of learning the blues at the feet of these old time musicians. You can catch some of the flavor of these stories on his website in the Visit the South section. His fifth CD, Plays Well with Others, came out in 2006. Toby has been eagerly received in concert halls, festivals, coffeehouses throughout the U.S., England and France. Having educated himself in the genre, he loves sharing his knowledge with others and performs extensively in libraries and schools. He teaches at Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch in Ohio. In 2006, Carnegie Hall has hired him to augment and teach in their "American Roots" program aimed at honor level middle school students. This one-of-a-kind series demonstrates the history of blues music and how it tells the story of African Americans as they migrated from the south into the north. "Now you play them blues real good. I want you to carry them on for me." ~ Eugene Powell, Mississippi blues musician
Joe Crookston	Joe Crookston is a songwriter supreme, weaving his music and stories into songs that tell of the grand celebration of life, death, ancestry, and the interconnectedness of us all. His keen musicianship as guitarist, clawhammer banjo player, fiddler, singer and songwriter, blends contemporary and traditional elements. His songs have been featured on National Public Radio and MPR, and he has shared concert stages with the likes of Livingston Taylor, John McCutcheon, Arlo Guthrie, and Tim Reynolds, Claudia Schmidt and many others. A charismatic, soulful, and entertaining performer who thrilled our Golden Apple audience last year. See: www.joecrookston.com
The Sleepy Hollow String Band	If you love great bluegrass, don't miss this band! The Sleepy Hollow String Band is an acoustic bluegrass band - get ready for a high energy performance. Covering a wide range of American traditional "roots" music. Their influences range from Flatt and Scruggs and Ricky Skaggs to Johnny Cash, George Jones, Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie. Connie McCardle, the lead singer and guitarist is brings an honest and authentic southern vibe to the blues-inflected tunes that she sings. Cousin Bob Bernstein's mandolin chop is always where it needs to be, at the edge of the beat and driving the band. Ben Freed on banjo is the band's unofficial but never reluctant leader -- you may have heard his banjo playing on the soundtrack of The Simpsons TV show or the film "Raising Arizona". Rick Brodsky contributes the band's rhythmic foundation on upright bass with his rock-solid sense of timing. See: www.banjoben.com/sleepy_hollow_string_band.htm
	Montgomery Delaney A big man, who is larger than life, singing songs that are bigger than him. A truly delightful performer, whose presence reaches beyond his audience, Montgomery is one of the most all-around entertaining performers the coffeehouse has seen. Having been a U.S. Marine, a New York City police officer, and now a practicing attorney, Montgomery's critically-acclaimed songs evoke his many experiences of life in songs of unusual power, compassion, and humor.
	Lisa Jane Lipkin is a sheer joy on stage. Her sophisticated style and accomplished, spirited performing have landed her opening spots for Dar Williams, Shemekia Copeland, Garnet Rogers, Brad Delp/Beatlejuice, and others. She has been a featured performer at Mamapalooz, The Towne Crier, The Bitter End, The Stockbridge Theatre, not to mention knocking a few socks off with her powerful Motown tunes she and her back-up singers did at the Coffeehouse’s 60’s/70’s fundraiser last June. See www.lisajanelipkin.com/privacy.html
	Todd Giudice is one of the finest songwriters to come out of the Hudson Valley. One often gets the feeling that they are listening to future classics. Frank Matheis, music writer & host of "Bon Ton Roulet" on WVKR 91.3 FM sums it up nicely: Todd Giudice has a fire and determination in his songs that compel attention. I think his fame time is coming soon, when the world will all catch on to the great stuff he is doing. When it comes to sheer talent and song power, he is definitely there with the "A" league. You can put his songs next to anyone and know he belongs right there with the big names. He was a big hit on my show. See www.toddgiudice.com