Suzy Bogguss had a revelation on stage with Garrison Keillor in 2008. Everyone loves to sing along on “Red River Valley” – except the children who somehow don't know the song. Folk songs are the scrapbook of the American experience, but as music education fades from our public schools, she worried; these beautiful melodies are in danger of being overlooked. She resolved to record these timeless songs in an updated but reverent way – so that everyone can sing along on “Red River Valley.”

And who better than the golden throated Suzy? The platinum selling songstress already has a full bookshelf of Grammy and CMA awards and now with the release of American Folk Songbook she can put her own book up there too. After an initial release with Cracker Barrel, The CD and companion Songbook are available everywhere today.

As Suzy writes in the introduction to the book: “Music has always been my purest joy even as a child. One of my favorite memories is my grade-school music teacher pounding on the piano and leading the class in rousing renditions of folk songs from all around the world. In the summer of 2008 I toured with the brilliant and engaging Garrison Keillor. The energy that passed between the audience and Garrison was overwhelming at times. Several thousand people standing and singing together—old songs, hymns, the Beatles and the Everly Brothers. People of all ages, sharing music. Ahhh, pure joy."

But Bogguss was not content to present the songs as dusty museum pieces, instead she chose to breath new life into them with contemporary arrangements and a crack squad of Nashville's acoustic A-Listers. Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Pat Bergeson, Charlie Chadwick and Jeff Taylor all join the band for Suzy's self-produced project. Ultimately though it's the voice that lovingly weaves through the guitars and mandolins to find the new in these old songs. As John Lomax III writes in the forward to the book, 'Prepare yourself for enchantment! ...This work is, in a word, delightful!"

Suzy says she modeled the songbook after her "good old 5th grade songbook." The hardcover, 96-page book is filled with illustrations, fascinating historical stories about the songs, easy to read sheet music arrangements for piano, voice and guitar as well as personal insights and anecdotes from Bogguss. Her intent from the beginning was to make the book attractive to music lovers and musicians at every level. Again from her introduction: "that way, younger generations could share these slowly fading gems with their families and tell their stories of how they learned a few chords on the guitar or a couple of favorites to play at family gatherings.”

Cracker Barrel, with its devotion to families and appreciation for authentic Americana was the obvious choice for the initial release.

American Folk Songbook is the natural progression of an artist who has demonstrated skill and passion for all types of music in her career. Songs like “Aces,” “Drive South,” “Someday Soon,” “Outbound Plane” and "Letting Go" took her to the top of the country music charts. Along the way she won raves from critics and peers including winning a GRAMMY in 2005 for Traditional Folk Album, the Country Music Association’s Horizon Award in 1992 and album of the Year Award in 1994.

2007’s Billboard Jazz Chart topping Sweet Danger, the universally praised album, Swing recorded in 2003 with Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel and Simpatico, her beloved collaboration with Chet Atkins showed the world Bogguss was willing to both embrace tradition while continuing to grow and challenge herself as an artist. However, it is an appreciation for tradition that really shines through on American Folk Songbook.  The album is filled with songs that are the very fabric of American musical history and Bogguss reclaims this history and revives it with a fresh and beautiful take on classics like “Shenandoah,” “Wayfaring Stranger,” “Ol’ Dan Tucker,”  “Beautiful Dreamer” and of course, "Red River Valley." Everybody sing along!

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Tour Dates

08/13/2011 - Logan, UT - Cache County Fair

08/20/2011 - Dubois, WY - Dubois High Country Cowboy Gathering

08/25/2011 - Kent, OH - The Kent Stage

08/26/2011 - Ann Arbor, MI - The Ark

09/02/2011 - Highlands, NC - Highlands Performing Arts Center

09/03/2011 - Clinton, AR - World Champion Chuck Wagon Races

09/22/2011 - New Hope, PA - New Hope Winery

09/23/2011 - Annapolis, MD - Ram's Head Tavern

09/24/2011 - Staunton, VA - Fortune Williams Festival

Four years and five national tours since the release of their last album, The Grownup Noise’s latest record, This Time With Feeling, has definitely proven itself to be worth the wait. Carefully blending elements of pop, folk and rock, the band bridges the gap between indie and Americana. The record was mixed in North Carolina by studio master Scott Solter (Spoon, Okkervil River). Fusing tranquil lyrics and harmonies with an assortment of orchestrated flourishes including cellos, pianos and accordions, all five members of The Grownup Noise are multi-instrumentalists.

The album opens with “Strawmen,” a lush arrangement that evokes feelings of peace and clarity. The playful “Six Foot Solemn Oath” immediately launches into a duet lead by intertwining piano and strings. “Carnival” lifts the tempo with a powerful folk-rock hook and lyrics that tell the tale of a magical love. Sorrowful lead single “The Artist Type” boasts an irresistible melody, expertly uniting gentle string arrangements and booming piano.

Check out “The Artist Type” MP3 HERE.

The Grownup Noise will kick off a national summer tour in support of This Time With Feeling. Described by the Portland Press Herald as combining “smart lyrics with keen vocals” and adding that “its songs are doses of melodic sunshine,” the Boston-based quintet offer a kinetic, emotional warmth. Catch them live in your city!

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The Grownup Noise Tour Dates

8/3: Philadelphia, PA @ Danger Danger Gallery
8/4: Washington, DC @ Velvet Lounge
8/5: Columbus, OH @ Kafe Kerouac
8/6: Louisville, KY @ Uncle Slayton's
8/7: Dayton, OH @ South Park Tavern
8/8: Chicago, IL @ Schubas
8/9: Nashville, TN @ Five Spot
8/11: Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
8/16: Santa Cruz, CA - Daytime show
8/18: San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern
8/19: Sacramento, CA @ Distillery
8/23: Portland, OR @ Solar Panel Company - Daytime show
8/23: Portland, OR @ Knife Shop
8/24: Seattle, WA @ Hi-Dive

This Friday, May 27th, New York's acclaimed Triad Theatre on the upper west side presents a special jazz concert, featuring a solo performance by pianist Steve Kuhn and a performance by Saxophonist Daniel Bennett and his band.  Steve Kuhn will perform selections from his critically acclaimed album, "Mostly Coltrane" on the ECM label.  The Daniel Bennett Group will perform selections from their newest album, "Peace and Stability Among Bears."  Advance discounted tickets are available for purchase at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/171424.  Tickets are available at the door for $25.  The concert starts at 9:30pm and is an all-ages event. The Triad is located on the upper west side, at 158 West 72nd Street.

Legendary pianist Steve Kuhn has established himself as one of the preeminent voices in the jazz world. Kuhn began his illustrious career performing as a sideman with the likes of Stan Getz, John Coltrane, and Art Farmer.  At the end of the 1960's he spent four years living in Europe. Upon returning to the United States, Kuhn began his long-term affiliation with the revolutionary record label ECM.  This resulted in a string of important albums including Trance, Ecstasy, Non-Fiction,and important collaborations with Sheila Jordan.  In the mid-80's, Kuhn co-founded the popular 'All Star Trio', with bassist Ron Carter and drummer Al Foster. Kuhn also launched a revolving edition of his trio with bassist David Finck and various drummers, like Joey Baron, Lewis Nash, Billy Drummond, Kenny Washington and Bill Stewart. Steve Kuhn has released over 20 critically acclaimed albums on the Blue Note, Concord, and ECM labels. Kuhn continues to tour extensively throughout the world, with a strong following in the United States, Europe and Japan.

Critically acclaimed New York saxophonist Daniel Bennett has recently shared concert stages with artists like Bill Frisell, Charlie Hunter, James Carter, Billy Martin (Medeski, Martin & Wood), Jerry Bergonzi, and David Fiuczynski.  The Boston Herald described Daniel Bennett’s music as, “exploratory folk-jazz.” Bennett’s musical journey began as a graduate student at the prestigious New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts.  During this time, Bennett began to compose songs that featured folk melodies played on the saxophone in a jazz quartet format.  Bennett's chord progressions also maintained a unique minimalist quality, influenced by composers like Steve Reich and Philip Glass. The Boston Phoenix described Bennett's style as, "an unusual folk-minimalist approach."  The music was innovative, yet remarkably accessible to a broad spectrum of listeners. The Boston Globe described Bennett’s music as “a mix of jazz, folk, and trance.”  The Daniel Bennett Group has released four albums on the Bennett Alliance label, A Nation of Bears, The Legend of Bear Thompson, Live at the Theatre, and Peace and Stability Among Bears.  Daniel Bennett’s "Folk Jazz" music has found a broad fan base that is unusual for a modern jazz outfit. Insite Magazine called Daniel Bennett’s music, “refreshingly capricious and trippy."

The world-renowned Triad Theatre has hosted performances by entertainers like Slash, Joan Osborne, Lisa Loeb, Paula Cole, Susan Lucci, Buddy Miles, Ravi Coltrane, Debbie Gibson, David Crosby, George Benson, Max Weinberg, John Entwistle, Tracey Morgan, Kathie Lee Gifford, Matthew Broderick, Rachel Dratch, and Steve Gutenberg. The Triad was the original home for Off-Broadway hits like "Forever Plaid," "Forbidden Broadway," and "Secrets Every Smart Traveler Should Know."

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Friday, May 27th

Triad Theatre

158 West 72nd St, New York, NY

Purchase Tickets HERE!

The Felice Brothers' fourth album Celebration, Florida arrived in stores yesterday via Fat Possum. The inventive and imaginative album expands upon the dark, woozy undercurrents and surreal storytelling of their previous albums, and has been catching the attention of the press. In addition to the A.V. Club, which recently declared "...The Felice Brothers have captured the decay and corruption of contemporary America in dazzling, sickening fashion", Celebration, Florida has also been covered by Billboard, Cowbell, Metromix, SPIN, Time Out New York ("arresting"), and The Wall Street Journal ("...very fine new Tom Waits-meets-the-Band album..."), among others.

Today, The Felice Brothers' new video for first single "Ponzi" premiered on the A.V. Club and the striking Ian Cinco-directed clip can now be seen here. A song stream on "Ponzi" debuted on SPIN.com in late March; code for an embeddable stream is below. A full album stream is also available via the band's website and AOL Music's Spinner.

The Felice Brothers have been on tour in support of Celebration, Florida since mid-March and play The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, MI, tonight. The band recently added a handful of new shows to their US itinerary, including June 15^th at the Ottobar in Baltimore, MD; June 16^th at the Maymount (Groovin In The Garden concert series) in Richmond, VA; June 17^th at the Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe, PA; and September 10^th at the Daleville Town Center in Daleville, VA.

The Felice Brothers made their debut performance at Coachella last month and their Saturday evening set drew great live reviews from SPIN.com (Best & Worst Moments of Coachella Day 2 - 'Worst Band To Pigeonhole': "...let's just call them great") and The Orange County Register ("...something very raw and beautiful"), among others. The band will also perform at a number of other festivals this summer, including The Clearwater Festival, The Calgary Folk Festival, and the Newport Folk Festival.

The Felice Brothers will head to Europe in late November; fall touring plans for the US will be announced soon.

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The Felice Brothers tour dates:

MAY 11 ANN ARBOR, MI THE BLIND PIG*

MAY 12 TORONTO, ONT LEE'S PALACE*

MAY 13 ROCHESTER, NY WATER STREET MUSIC HALL*

MAY 14 LANCASTER, PA CHAMELEON CLUB*

MAY 18 BROOKLYN, NY THE BELL HOUSE%

MAY 19 BROOKLYN, NY THE BELL HOUSE**

MAY 26 NEWMARKET, NH THE STONE CHURCH#

MAY 27 BOSTON, MA BRIGHTON MUSIC HALL#

MAY 28 HARTFORD, CT BOMB FESTIVAL (Comcast Theatre)

JUNE 15 BALTIMORE, MD OTTOBAR

JUNE 16 RICHMOND, VA GROOVIN IN THE GARDEN (Maymount)^

JUNE 17 JIM THORPE, PA MAUCH CHUNK OPERA HOUSE

JUNE 18 CROTON-ON-HUDSON, NY CLEARWATER FESTIVAL

JULY 21-23 CALGARY, ALB CALGARY FOLK FESTIVAL

JULY 30 NEWPORT, RI NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL

SEPT. 10 DALEVILLE, VA DALEVILLE TOWN CENTER

NOV. 29 MUNICH, DE FREIHEIZ

NOV. 30 FRANKFURT, DE BATSCHKAPP

DEC. 1 KOLN, DE GLORIA

DEC. 2 HAMBURG, DE UBEL & GEFAHRLICH

DEC. 3 BERLIN, DE POSTBAHNHOF

DEC. 6 LONDON, UK KOKO

DEC. 7 MANCHESTER, UK MANCHESTER ACADEMY 2

DEC. 9 GLASGOW, UK ABC

DEC. 10 BELFAST, UK SPRING & AIRBRAKE

DEC. 11 DUBLIN, IR ACADEMY

DEC. 12 BIRMINGHAM, UK INSTITUTE

DEC. 14 BRUSSELS, BE AB BOX

DEC. 15 UTRECHT, NL TIVOLI

DEC. 16 GRONIGEN, NL OOSTERPOORT

DEC. 18 NIJMEGEN, NL DOORNROOSJE

* Shovels And Rope supporting

% Shovels And Rope, Rig 1 supporting

** Tom Brosseau supporting

# Willy Mason supporting

^ co-headline with North Mississippi Allstars