Folkus Fridays / first and third Friday of the month / May Memorial UU Society 3800 East Genesee St., Syracuse; (315) 446-8920 / website / how to get there Reserve Tickets: Call 440-7444 or e-mail tickets@folkus.org.

"Second Saturdays" / second Saturday of the month / Westcott Community Center Corner of Euclid Ave. and Westcott St., a half-mile east of SU; (315) 478-8634 / website / how to get there Reserve Tickets: Call 478-8634.

"Words and Music" Songwriter Showcase / schedule varies Jazz Central, 441 E. Washington St., Syracuse; (315) 479-5299 / website / how to get there Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee St., Auburn, New York 13021 / website / how to get there Reserve Tickets: e-mail showcase@ wordsandmusic.info.

Next Meeting: January 6, 2009
A meeting of and for local songwriters . . . play something new and get the reactions and advice of other songwriters . . . then return the favor. For more info

Colleen Kattau and Some Guys
w/
with Jeff Connor, Dana "Short Order" Cooke, and series host Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers

Jazz Central
441 E. Washington Street, Syracuse
(315) 479-5299

Thursday, January 8
7:30 p.m. (doors open at 7) / $10
For reservations, email showcase@wordsandmusic.info.

In 2008 the Words and Music Songwriter Showcase featured 39 stellar songwriters from Central New York and beyond in intimate acoustic performances. The series begins its second year January 8 with the progressive folk of Colleen Kattau and Some Guys.

The show's opening set features Jeff Connor and Dana "Short Order" Cooke performing in the round with host Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers, a grand prize winner in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. More details on all the artists are below.

The Words and Music Songwriter Showcase is sponsored by the Folkus Project and WAER, and supported by a DeFrancisco Arts and Cultural grant through the Cultural Resources Council. The series continues through 2009 with monthly shows at Syracuse's Jazz Central and at the Auburn Public Theater.

Joe Hill would be proud. Great singer and organizer at the same time," says Pete Seeger about Colleen Kattau. She is a bilingual singer-songwriter and dynamic performer whose voice is both powerful and warm. Her music has been featured on Amy Goodman's Democracy Now and at the SOA Watch vigils. Her band Colleen Kattau and Some Guys (with bassist Mike Brandt, sax player Jamie Yaman on sax, and drummer Dave Pandori) plays progressive folk colored with south-of-the border beats. www.colleenkattau.com

Jeff Connor is an up-and-coming musician from Central New York whose songs are rooted in folk and rock. The January showcase at Jazz Central is an encore performance by the young artist, who wowed the standing-room-only crowd at September's Words and Music show in Auburn.

Dana "Short Order" Cooke has performed in Central New York for well over a decade, carving out a reputation with songs that are quirky, one-of-a-kind, ironic, and yet also often touching. In reviewing Cooke's CD Snowball's Chance, Syracuse Post-Standard music journalist Mark Bialczak put it this way: "Dana 'Short Order' Cooke writes songs that make you think. Then they make you chuckle. Finally, they make you want to invite him over to swap tales and share beverages." www.danacooke.com

Host Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers is a grand prize winner in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. In addition to performing his own music, he is a contributor to NPR's All Things Considered, author of Rock Troubadours and The Complete Singer-Songwriter, and founding editor of Acoustic Guitar magazine.. www.jeffreypepperrodgers.com

The Words and Music Songwriter Showcase is a celebration of original music from Central New York and beyond, featuring established and emerging artists of all genres in an up-close-and-personal acoustic setting. Since its debut in January 2008, the series has featured such top talent as Lisa Gentile, John Cadley (The Lost Boys), Colin Aberdeen (Los Blancos), Ashley Cox, and Gary Frenay and Arty Lenin.

For artist links and song samples, updates, and more details, see: www.myspace.com/wordsandmusicshowcase. (To join the Words and Music e-mail list, click here.)

The Words and Music Songwriter Showcase is a program of the CNY Jazz Arts Foundation, and is made possible with funds from the DeFrancisco Arts and Cultural and Heritage Grants of the Cultural Resources Council.

A Folkus Project / Westcott Community Center “Second Saturday” concert

Loren Barrigar
Exciting fingerstyle playing from Central New York guitar wizard

artist's myspace

Westcott Community Center
826 Euclid Avenue, Syracuse, N.Y.
East of SU at the intersection of Euclid Ave and Westcott Street

Saturday, January 10, 2009
8 p.m. / $10 ($8 for WCC members)
For reservations call the Westcott Community Center at (315) 478-8634.

Loren Barrigar is considered be many to be the premier fingerstyle guitarist in Central New York. His exceptionally clean technique, reminiscent of the late Chet Atkins, is complemented by sensitive timing and fluid phrasing. On stage, he has a relaxed but energetic presence while moving easily among rock songs, old-time standards and original tunes.

"Barrigar belongs on that short list of the very best local performers who can hold their own on any stage." -- Larry Hoyt, WAER

One could almost say that Barrigar was born with a guitar in his hands. At just four years old he stunned his parents by picking up his father’s guitar and announcing he wanted to play “In the Mood” with his dad. They humored him until he explained that his dad could take either the rhythm part or the lead, whichever he preferred. Guitar lessons were quickly arranged and two short years later Barrigar played the Chet Atkins hit, "Yakety Axe" in front of thousands of country fans at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, the youngest guitarist to appear on that famous stage. During his childhood in Nashville, he studied with Jimmy Atkins (Chet's brother), a long-time member of the Les Paul Trio. A touring career with his brother and his father followed, playing clubs and showrooms from Nashville to Las Vegas, and traveling with George Morgan and other established country stars. Since settling in Central New York, Barrigar has been in constant demand as a studio musician and has continuously gigged with bands across the region. He is also a founding member of the Guitar League.

"Loren is one of the most accomplished finger-style guitarists in the Northeast." -- Art Wenzel, Auburn Citizen

His finely-honed songwriting skills have landed his original melodies on the TV series "ER" and on a Christmas compilation CD with B.B. King and Patti LaBelle. He recently performed with the Australian guitar sensation, Tommy Emmanuel, in two sold-out shows in upstate New York. In 2006 Barrigar teamed with fellow guitarist Dusty Pas'cal for a CD called "Home: The Loren Barrigar Sessions." Syracuse Post-Standard music critic Mark Bialczak called it the recording the best local CD of 2006.

"It seems like Barrigar keeps getting better every time." -- Mark Bialczak, Syracuse Post-Standard

The Second Saturday Concert Series at the Westcott Community Center is made possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

Guy Davis and Kim & Reggie Harris
Singers, songwriters, storytellers, and cultural advocates for African-American heritage and country blues
artist's website / artists' website

May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society
3800 East Genesee St, Syracuse, N.Y.
(just inside the Syracuse city limits from Dewitt)

Friday, January 16, 2009
8 p.m. / $18
For reservations, email tickets@folkus.org or call (315) 440-7444.

As singers, songwriters, and storytellers, Guy Davis and Kim & Reggie Harris distinguish themselves as artists of integrity whose fervent idealism and historical connections underscore music’s role in our country’s past, present, and future. These talented and engaging musicians have captivating stage presence has inspired audiences for decades. This concert will showcase a unique collaboration of three performers who are committed to the folk tradition of preserving important songs from the past while incorporating meaningful new ones.

Guy Davis is a musician, composer, actor, director, and writer. But most importantly, he is a bluesman. Throughout his career, Davis has dedicated himself to reviving the traditions of acoustic blues through the material of the great blues masters, African American stories, and his own original songs, stories and performance pieces. Davis' music explodes with passion and displays his breadth as a composer and powerhouse performer. His electrifying album, "Call Down the Thunder," solidified his position as one of the most important blues artists of our time. It was named a top ten album of 1996 in the Boston Globe and Acoustic Guitar magazine called it one of the “thirty essential CDs from a new generation of performers.” His "You Don't Know My Mind" was chosen as ‘Blues Album of the Year’ by the Association For Independent Music. “Legacy” was picked as one of the Best CDs of the Year by National Public Radio and “Skunkmello” received a 5-star review in Downbeat magazine.

“Davis never loses sight of the blues as good time music, the original forum for dancing on top of one's sorrows." -- Rolling Stone

Kim and Reggie Harris are two vibrant performers whose historically oriented songs have been exploring societal ills and offering positive social messages for over 30 years. Through classic spirituals, gospel and American folk songs, the Harrises pay homage to those who came before them with respect and reverence. As educators, historical interpreters and cultural advocates, they have used their remarkable voices and their unique talents to bring new insights to the entertainment and educational spectrum. With their strong material, stunning voices, and complex harmonies, they deliver exuberant and totally committed performances. They have proven themselves to be exceptional performers who can entertain audiences of all ages and backgrounds. They have been featured in performance at the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Institute, the International Children's Festival in Canada, the Wang Center, the Pike's Peak Center, various festivals in the U.S, Canada and Italy and a host of universities, schools, churches and performing venues.

"A continuing message of hope and belief in the power of freedom, a message for any time and generation." -- FolkWax