Folk-Legacy

04/20/2026

Laura Ciporen talks with Lindsey Smith, Lafayette Matthews, and Jules Peiperl ahead of their Dec. 19 event at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. A Sheffield Solstice also features Joy Bennett, Chris Koldewey, A.J. Wright, and David Jones. Visit folkmusicny.org for more info.The Ranzo Boys dis...

04/20/2026

In this post we look at the life and legacy of Joe Hickerson, longtime employee and head of the Archive of Folk Culture, who passed away on August 17, 2025. Joe was well known as a folklorist, archivist, ethnomusicologist, and folksinger. He was an important public face for folklore and folk music,....

04/20/2026

One hundred years ago today, April 17, 1926, Henry Wylie sang the spiritual "Kumbaya" or "Come by Here" for the collector Robert Winslow Gordon and his cylinder recorder. Two years later, Gordon was hired as head of the Library of Congress's Archive of American Folk Song, and he brought the cylinder with him. It's now the earliest evidence of the song we can date with certainty, and the earliest known recording of the song. At the first link, find a podcast giving a history of the song, with interview segments with Pete Seeger, Joe Hickerson, and several AFC staff members, and clips of performances by Bessie Jones, Ethel Best, Joe Hickerson and the Folksmiths, the McIntosh County Shouters, and Grammy-winners Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer.

https://www.loc.gov/podcasts/folklife-today/episode4.html?loclr=fbafc

If you prefer to read rather than listen, find a written history of the song with audio examples at the second link:

https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2018/02/kumbaya-history-of-an-old-song/?loclr=fbafc

For the New York Times's coverage of the song, including AFC's research, visit the last link:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/09/us/kumbaya-gullah-geechee.html

The photo shows Freddie Palmer of the McIntosh County Shouters

04/19/2026

NEXT SATURDAY! Join us Saturday, April 25 @ 7:30 – 9:30pm for A Legacy of Song - Colleen Cleveland in Concert at Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 269 4th Avenue Brooklyn, NY. Colleen Cleveland’s clear, compelling voice echoes across generations as she sings songs from her family repertoire of Adirondack folk music. Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-legacy-of-song-colleen-cleveland-in-concert-tickets-1980827933672

Colleen Cleveland, fifth-generation ballad singer from NY’s Adirondack mountains, inherited a rich voice along with her family repertoire of more than 600 songs. Folklorists in the 60’s took notice of her grandmother, Smithsonian source singer Sara Cleveland, and her father continued the family tradition, receiving the Traditional Arts of Upstate New York (TAUNY) Heritage Award in 1995. From local Adirondack tunes to Irish murder ballads, you’ll be captivated by Colleen’s distinct voice!

This event forms part of 's United in Sound: America at 250 festival. Learn more about the festival and FMSNY’s Series within it on our United in Sound events page: https://folkmusicny.org/carnegie-halls-united-in-sound-america-at-250-fmsny-events/

Admission
$35 General public.
$30 Members – FMSNY, BKCM, LITMA, CDNY, BK Contra.
$25 Under 17 or people with disabilities.
Series Pass holders FREE.
Advance tickets on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-legacy-of-song-colleen-cleveland-in-concert-tickets-1980827933672
Note Eventbrite includes a service fee.

More information
Call FMSNY at: 347-467-6720.

04/12/2026

04/12/2026

TODAY! (Sun. April 12) Singers, instrumentalists, and history buffs, rejoice! Archived recordings of source singers are yours to mine for their hidden gems. Our panel of leading archivists, researchers, and performers will provide tools, techniques, and inspiration for exploring these fascinating collections.

Scattered across the United States at colleges, libraries, and cultural institutions are musical treasure troves of songs and tunes collected from farmers, sailors, lumberjacks, railroad workers, prisoners, miners, cowboys, and more. These recordings give voice to the cultures, communities, and influences that shaped modern American music.

Featured Speakers include:

- Anna Lomax Wood, The Association for Cultural Equity at Hunter College
- Heather Sloan, DMA, MLS, Public Services and Outreach Archivist, Archives of Traditional Music at Indiana University Bloomington
- Stephen Winick, Folklorist and Author, American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress

This event forms part of 's United in Sound: America at 250 festival. Learn more about the festival and FMSNY’s Series within it on our United in Sound events page: https://folkmusicny.org/carnegie-halls-united-in-sound-america-at-250-fmsny-events/

Sunday, April 12 @ 4 – 6pm.

LIVESTREAM (link provided upon purchasing a ticket).

Admission -
Series Pass holders: FREE
General public: $15
Advance tickets on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/songs-from-the-archives-uncovering-americas-unique-voices-tickets-1985410866347
Note Eventbrite includes a service fee.

More information
Call FMSNY at: 347-467-6720.

01/08/2026

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 ᴀʟʟ 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻… 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓾𝓹𝓹𝓸𝓻𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓶𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓬!!!

𝑨 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝑩𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓, 𝗪𝗘𝗦𝗨, 𝟴𝟴.𝟭 𝗙𝗠, 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻.

𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒕 𝓽𝓸 𝓐𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓬 𝓑𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓦𝓔𝓢𝓤 𝒊𝒇 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴/𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴/𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕. Aɴᴅ ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ WESU ʙʏ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴡᴡ.ᴡᴇsᴜғᴍ.ᴏʀɢ/ᴘʟᴇᴅɢᴇ

FRI 1-9 Frank Critelli & the Anne Marie Menta Trio The Olde Church Acoustic Series @ the 1876 First Church of Meriden, 62 Colony St. 7pm
1-9 Geoff Kaufman Friday Night Folk at All Souls @ All Souls UU, 19 Jay Street, New London
SAT 1-10 Goodnight Moonshine @ Space Ballroom, 295 Treadwell St, Hamden
SAT 1-10 A Festival Of Song! A Mini Festival to Celebrate and honor Folk Radio’s long-time folk DJ Susan Forbes Hansen, featuring: Rani Arbo, Hugh Blumenfeld, Amy Gallatin + Roger Williams, Priscilla Herdman + Max Cohen, Cindy Kallet and Grey Larsen, Kallet rhymes with "pallet", Epstein [Ep stine] & Cicone [Sih Cone EE], Kerri Powers, Bruce Pratt, Sally Rogers & Howie Bursen and Nancy Tucker. The Sounding Board Coffeehouse, Universalist church, 433 Fern St., West Hartford.
1-10 Alison Brown Kate
1-10 Rachael Sage, Megan Carey , 1660 Whitney Ave, Hamden
1-10 Hitch & The Giddyup, Charlotte Roth & The Big Drama, Erin Harpe Country Blues Duo Arts Center, Milford 2pm
1-10 John John Brown Park, 145 Lang Rd., Windsor
1-10 Ken Morr UU meeting house UU Church Meriden, 328 Paddock Av., Meriden
SUN 1-11 Livingston Taylor Parlor Room
1-11 On A Winter’s Night, Iconic Singer-Songwriter Collective with Patty Larkin, John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky & Cliff Eberhardt The Kate - Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center
1-11 “An experience with Jon Pousette-Dart” at New Britain Museum of American Art
TUES Every Tuesday: A weekly gathering of acoustic loving musicians and listeners that like to share what they know and learn what they don't ’s Acoustic Café, 68 Lyme St., Old Lyme 6-8pm. Going on right now…
WED 1-14 Albert Lee Parlor Room, Northampton
Thurs NEXT 1-15 Albert Lee Kate
FRI NEXT 1-16 Tracy Grammer & Jim Henry live at USH House Presents Society of Hartford, 50 Bloomfield Ave. Hartford.
1-17 Caroline Owens & New Company. 7:00 pm. House Concert, 166 Mather Street, Hamden, CT. Tickets at guitartownct.com.
1-17 Steve Forbert, Aztec Two Step 2.0 Town Hall,
1-23 Ellis Paul Kate
1-23 Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards and Steve Dedman of Plywood Cowboy Trinity Stage, Church of the Holy Trinity, Main Street, Middletown.
1-24 Josh Ritter Norfolk
1.24.26 Simon Brogie & XLTs Grange Dayville
1.24.26 Nick Anderson and Shady Creek-- Grange Dayville
1-24 Howie Bursen & Sally Rogers - Annual Food Bank Benefit Concert @ the Vanilla Bean, Pomfret
1-24 Audrey Mae [bluegrass] Park, 145 Lang Rd., Windsor
1-24 bluegrass guitarist/singer Eddy in concert. Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 7:00 pm. It's a house concert, 166 Mather Street, Hamden. Tickets at guitartownct.com.
1-25 The Meadows Bros., Belle of the Fall Kate
1-26 Songs and Stories with Patti Smith - Bread of Angels (her new book – RJ Julia sponsored) Lyman Center at SCSU | New Haven
1-31 Mike Dawes (English fingerstyle acoustic guitar virtuoso ) Garde, New London
1-31 Steve Harz: Nashville Influenced Singer/ Songwriter Tree

2-4 Gadan - Irish Traditional Music and Celtgrass Kate
2-4 Crys Matthews Parlor Room
2-6 The Laurel Canyon Band Kate
2-6 A Bigger Beast collaboration - Shelter from the Storm, 2nd annual concert for neighborhood Promise – Songwriters sing the songs of Bob Dylan, including Kate Callahan, Shawn Taylor, Erik Rabasca and more – 15 artists Olde Church Acoustic Series @ First Church of Meriden, 62 Colony St. 6pm
2-8 Crys Matthews Theater, Willimantic. All proceeds benefit the Covenant Soup Kitchen and Emergency Food Pantry
2-10, 2-11 Josh Ritter Iron Horse
2-13 Glenn Roth @ Best Video
2-13 Pete Seeger benefit with Geoff Kaufman, Sally Rogers & more Night Folk @ All Souls UU, 19 Jay Street, New London
2-14 Roomful of Blues Kate
2-19 Thursday: Frank Turner Oakdale, Wallingford.
2-20 Guy Davis @ the Parlor Room, Northampton
2-20 Lunasa Kate
2-20 Seat of Our Pants Meeting House Presents Society of Hartford, 50 Bloomfield Ave. Hartford,
2-22 American Elm (Electric) & The Bargain Kate
2-22 Simon Brogies & the XLTs Theater, Willimantic. All proceeds benefit the Covenant Soup Kitchen and Emergency Food Pantry

09/15/2024

Hello Good People! Here is the link for today’s “Virtual Belated Pre-Morial” singing and sharing session in celebration of Heather Wood. While many of us were able to gather in person a few weeks ago in New York City, many more were unable to make the trip. So, while Heather is busy elsewhere celebrating at the Big Party Everyone Goes To, some more folks are gathering virtually today, Sunday, September 15, at 3:00 pm ET/12:00 pm PT/8:00 pm BT on Zoom to continue celebrating Heather (“currently dead”).

Feel free to join when you can and bring to your Zoom frame a song or recitation or any kind of Heatherian object or memory to share.

The organizers will prioritize hearing from Heather’s friends in the UK earlier in the celebration, but will stay singing and sharing as long as folks are able: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89738511723?pwd=TtZuHXxhunj91iREFYW2PzbGxK45XD.1

Hope to see you there!

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07/18/2024