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Featured Artist - Magpie
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Magpie Returns to the Stained Glass Coffeehouse, May 17
An encore performance of Magpie at the Stained Glass Coffeehouse will be presented on May 17. The twosome of Terry Leonino and Greg Artzner opened our premier season in September of 2006 to rave reviews. Be sure to come early. Doors open at 6:00 pm; refreshments will be available. The concert starts at 7:00 pm.
“Terry's voice is a truly impressive instrument, not only because of its natural power, but also because of her versatility… Greg is an outstanding guitarist whose finger style approach owes a lot to his heroes, guitar legends such as Reverend Gary Davis, Big Bill Broonzy, Nick Lucas, Phil Ochs, and Rolly Brown... From the beginning Terry and Greg's interests in various musical styles have led them to be eclectic in their repertoire. Rather than confine themselves to a single style, Magpie has always embraced a musical rainbow, and with impressive proficiency in each different genre.”
"...simply, absolutely, unequivocally wonderful...they'll thrill you to boots, melt your heart...The controlled beauty of Terry's singing is what hits you first, but she also plays a mean harp and Greg's relaxed accompaniment compliments her perfectly. And when they yodel in harmony... well, you can wave ta-ta to your heart.” - Colin Irwin, Melody Maker (London, England)
"Magpie performs songs of and for the Earth. The absolute perfection and clarity of their arrangements and harmonies is masterful and stunningly emotional. They are among the finest songwriters and performers of our era." - Baltimore Folk Music Society
Don’t miss this incredible couple! http://www.magpiemusic.com
Past Performers at the Stained Glass Coffeehouse:
John William Davis
April 19
Here are a few words about this amazing performer:
John on John: “I am the disreputable offspring of Baptists and bootleggers who infest South Georgia. In between jobs that ranged from being a dockworker in a paper mill to being a craps and 21 dealer in Reno to being a university professor of language and literature, I found time to learn guitar.
“I learned guitar at around age 12 from one of God’s best experiments in improving the species, Enman Cobb, a South Georgia bluesman. The three most important lessons Enman taught me were my first chord (E9), that there isn’t a right or wrong way to play the instrument, and this bit of advice: "Careful, Johnny, you white folks has a tenacee to work the guitar. But you spose to play the guitar. Don’t you be working it." I owe him much. I use many E9 chords, I now have some probably "wrong" ways of doing things that I happen to like, and, pardon the contradiction, I work hard to keep a goodly dose of playfulness in my music.”
Others on John: "One-of-a-kind homey tales that fall somewhere between dreamscape episodes and a soundtrack of southern lore. . . The stunning solos and erudite lines are seemingly infinite. " Dan Willging, Dirty Linen Magazine "In the tradition of the best southern literature, his melodies are as rich and instantly familiar as those of southern songwriters like Stephen Foster or Randy Newman. And all this is to say nothing of his lush, eclectic arrangements... a musical tour de force which heralds the arrival of a major new voice in the world of music..." Willis Alan Ramsey "To my mind this is not a Stained Glass Coffeehouse moment to miss… You will leave the concert on April 19 amazed at what you have just heard and experienced. We have not had much opportunity to hear John William Davis in the Midwest and I say, it’s high time! You will love every minute of the show and want to hear more." Blair Hull, SGCH
For more information about John, see http://www.losttribedreams.com
McNamara and Neeley
March 15, 2008
"An evening spent in the presence of Chris McNamara and Rick Neeley, absorbing their musical gifts, gives one enough positive energy to last the month and then some! A truly inspiring folk music experience for those who have the privilege to see them."
…Sharon Brunot, Someplace Else Folk Music Series
To find out more about this dynamic duo, visit http://www.chrismcnamara.org
Diana Jones
February 16, 2008
"It goes without saying, Diana Jones is a consummate singer and writer, who totally charms audiences. What sets her apart - and this is the highest praise in a crowded music profession - is her originality. Her music doesn't sound like anyone else's." -- Richard Thompson
Find out more about Diana at http://www.dianajonesmusic.com
To read her recent Pioneer Press interview, see:
www.pioneerlocal.com/evanston/entertainment/789404,dn-dianajones-021408-sl.article
Andrew Calhoun
January 19, 2008
“Andrew Calhoun's vivid and inspired music is a companion for anyone who has ventured off the well-paved road to forge their own path in this world. Now living in Chicago, he recently released his tenth album, Staring at the Sun (Songs 1973-1981). From The Daily Iowan: ‘A wonderful songwriter and funny, warm performer.’” For more information visit http://www.andrewcalhoun.com
Past Performers, 2007
Garnet Rogers
November 17, 2007
“Barely out of high school, Garnet Rogers was on the road as a full- time working musician with his older brother Stan. Together they formed what has come to be accepted as one of the most influential acts in North American folk music.
“Since then, Garnet Rogers has established himself as 'One of the major talents of our time". Hailed by the Boston Globe as a "charismatic performer and singer", Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence - close to six and a half feet tall - with a voice to match. With his "smooth, dark baritone" (Washington Post) his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere. His music, like the man himself, is literate, passionate, highly sensitive, and deeply purposeful. Cinematic in detail, his songs "give expression to the unspoken vocabulary of the heart" (Kitchener Waterloo Record). An optimist at heart, Garnet sings extraordinary songs about people who are not obvious heroes and of the small victories of the everyday. As memorable as his songs, his over-the-top humor and lightning-quick wit moves his audience from tears to laughter and back again.
"Garnet Rogers is capable of awe-inspiring and unpredictable stuff - and that includes more than just music."
Anais Mitchell
October 20, 2007
“ ’And the big horns blowed and the pianos played/And the music rose to the old man’s ears/I guess those were the olden days/I guess those were the golden years.’
“Listening to this 25-year-old singer/songwriter perform her meticulously written songs, fervently singing them in a distinctive, almost childlike voice, you’d think it was her life mission to rouse the hearts and minds of her listeners with an acoustic guitar. But Mitchell wasn’t always committed to the idea. ‘I used to tell people I wanted to be a journalist. There is a lonely egotism and self-composure to journalists… worshipping the truth and trying to render it legible.’
“Despite her journalistic leanings, Mitchell started writing songs at age of seventeen and eventually started performing them… In a short period of time, Anaïs made several trips to the Middle East, and also spent time in Europe and Latin America, studying languages and world politics. This stunning, troubadour-like experience seeped into her music, and she became adept at fusing her passion for literature and journalism in her lyrics.
“With a clutch of quiet, ambitious songs in her arsenal, Mitchell recorded her now out-of-print debut, The Song They Sang When Rome Fell (2002)…” After that came Hymns For The Exiled (2004), and The Brightness (2007). “And by no means is Anaïs Mitchell sitting on her laurels. She’s staging a folk-opera based on the myth of Hades and Eurydice, and will be embarking on a winter tour to do what she does best: pluck chords and tell stories.”
Anais Mitchell performed at The Stained Glass Coffeehouse Saturday, October 20 in the sanctuary of the Congregational Church in Deerfield. Illinois fans who traveled to see her included her grandparents and young listeners from as far away as Decatur.
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Blair's Letter
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For those of you familiar with the coffeehouse experience of a few decades back, no explanation is necessary. But did you know that coffeehouses are still thriving and there is a renewed interest in the quality musical experience a coffeehouse concert provides. And you can have a first-hand view at The Stained Glass Coffeehouse, at 225 Wilmot Rd. in Deerfield, Illinois.
In the 1970’s I traveled as a musician and was privileged to be represented on the National Coffeehouse Circuit. After my daughters birth, I quit playing music for a living and eventually went on to seminary. While visiting Ireland in 2006 I went to hear an Irish band perform in a church no bigger than ours, and immediately I thought, “We could do this!”
Many thanks to: Dave Humphreys, “Two Way Street Coffeehouse”; Rich Warren, WFMT “Midnight Special”; Michael Jerling, and Andrew Calhoun, amazing songwriters; my longtime friend and coffeehouse founder Donna Dorl-Adams, and her husband Tom; photographer Karen Rodgers and Walgreens Corporation all of whom have been instrumental in getting this project off the ground.
For updated information please check our website regularly, at www.stainedglasscoffeehouse.com. We look forward to seeing you at one or more of the performances, and I guarantee you’ll be glad you did!
The purpose of The Stained Glass Coffeehouse is to provide extraordinary entertainment as well as to raise money for Heifer International-Ecuador, a non-profit organization whose goal is to help end world hunger and poverty through sharing, self-reliance and sustainability.
We offer a listening venue, in an informal environment. We serve specialty coffee drinks prepared by trained baristas, as well as teas, hot chocolate and snacks. No alcohol or meals are served, and we are a non-smoking facility.
All ages are welcome. There is a requested donation of $15.00 for those over 16--under 16 are free.
The Stained Glass Coffeehouse is a community project of the Congregational Church in Deerfield, non-profit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Rev. Blair Ann Hull
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