Festival Schedule
Durham County Poets
The Durham County Poets trace their roots to a humble café in Ormstown Quebec. Led by singer/songwriter Kevin Harvey, this Juno Award nominated ensemble covers a variety of musical genres including Blues, Soul, Folk, R&B, and Gospel with a distinctly Canadian Flair. The current lineup includes Kevin Harvey vocals, Carl Ruff on bass, Rob Couture on drums, Rob Macdonald guitar, Mark LeClaire and Kavan Jalbert on saxophones.
“There is a lot of good music coming out of Canada at the moment, and Durham County Poets are riding that wave.” - Bluesblues.co.uk
Caitlan Canty
Raised in small-town Vermont, the daughter of a school teacher and a house painter, Caitlin Canty graduated with a degree in biology and started a career as an Environmental Sustainability Consultant in New York City. In the evenings she would play music at the Lower East Side music halls and bars. In 2009, she left her day job to become a performer full time. Since then she has toured extensively in the US and Europe opening for Mary Chapin Carpenter, the Milk Carton Kids, Josh Ritter and many others. In 2015, she packed up her 1939 Recording King guitar and moved to Nashville. She has now returned to her home state of Vermont with her husband and sons.
"The Vermont native with a casually devastating voice and unshakable poise is bound to be the next great Americana star... Canty is ready to be discovered.” — SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Ray Vega Afro-Caribbean Jazz Ensemble
We are so glad to have Ray Vega return to our Festival stage. Ray has played in many renowned bands including those of Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, and Johnny Pacheco as well as his own renowned Latin Jazz Sextet. He has also recorded with Pancho Sanchez, Lionel Hampton, Paul Simon and Sheila E. among others. When Ray is not on the road performing, he serves as the host of Friday Night Jazz on Vermont Public and is a Music Department Faculty at the University of Vermont. His latest offering is the Ray Vega Afro-Caribbean Jazz Ensemble, a Vermont based Salsa Band that focuses on Afro-Caribbean Dance Music. Prepare for a night of dancing!
“....Ray Vega could easily end up being one of the best in the Latin-Jazz playground” Jazzusa.com
Ordinary Elephant
Winners of the 2017 International Folk Music Awards Artist of the Year, Crystal and Pete Danmore have since gained national recognition and appeared on many festival stages. In 2019 the Associated Press hailed Ordinary Elephant’s new release as the Best Americana album of the year. Now residing in Opelousas, Louisiana, their songs focus on character driven storytelling and their music is intertwined with banjo, guitar and octave mandolin parts wrapping around the duo’s captivating vocals.
“... the writing and harmonies are rather stunning." — Saving Country Music
“… beautiful, soulful, exquisitely simple, and totally essential.” — Ben Salmon, Bandcamp Daily
Honey & Soul
Honey & Soul is an Indie Band offering ballads with rich harmonies as well as boisterous rock and roll for your dancing pleasure. Starting off in 2017 as a trio, the band focused on supporting the compositions of singer / songwriter Hannah Hausman. Now a quintet, their material has evolved as they have added new members, instruments and a percussive back line. The band consists of Hannah Hausman (vocals/guitar), Cleo Flemming (vocals/cello), Lexi Ugilow (vocals/keyboard), Logan Beck (bass) and Zack Santarsiero (drums.)
No Strings Marionette Company
Puppeteers Dan Baginski and Barbara Paulson's traveling stage transforms any space into an intimate theater, where the seamless blend of movement, music, and masterful manipulation captivates young and old alike. These Vermont artisans lovingly hand craft the marionettes, props, and scenery, whether for an original tale or an adaptation of a classic. Shows begin with an interactive song featuring audience members, and finish with demonstrations sparked by the audiences' curious questions. Once the mind believes there are no strings...this realm becomes real...and the adventure begins!
Ali McGuirk
A Boston musician, Ali McGuirk performs across many musical genres ranging from folk, R&B and soul with twists and turns into rock & roll. Ali has recorded with veteran session musicians including Fred Tackett (Little Feet), Larry Golding (James Taylor; Norah Jones) and Valerie Pinkston (Ray Charles) Inspired by classic Jazz vocalists such as Dinah Washington and Etta James, Ali’s songwriting addresses contemporary themes with a nod to tradition. As she states “The idea that you can be a strong, independent feminist and still suffer from the leftover feelings of a culture steeped in these historically unequal, gendered power dynamics is something that writing these songs has helped me process.” She’ll be playing on our stage with a full backup band. The Boston Globe proclaimed her “an artist to hear.” We think you’ll agree.
Magician Tom Verner
Magician Tom Verner is the Founder of Magicians Without Borders. He has toured the world entertaining children wherever a little magic and laughter is desperately needed including multiple trips recently to Ukraine. Since 2002, Magicians Without Borders has traveled to over 40 countries using magic to entertain, educate, and empower. They have entertained over one million of the most forgotten people in the world.
Mathis Andersen Trio
Mathis Andersen is the latest musical alter ego of Paris-based singer-songwriter, playwright and actor Mathieu Gerhardt. Having grown up between France and Germany, he began his musical journey with Bam! Carousel (a Franco-Irish-Burkinabé pop-rock band) and later joined the pop trio Cassiopée A. He also collaborated with Moussa Koita (African pop) and Pierre-Michel Sivadier (jazz chanson). Since 2014, he’s co-led the theater company Regarde il neige, blending music and performance. From his travels to South America he learned to play the Charango, an ideal instrument for catchy melodies and colorful harmonies. When he plays his electric guitar you can definitely hear the influence of 70’s classic rock along with some West African inflections. He loves to interweave French, German, English and Spanish songs, making the audience feel comfortable hearing songs in a language they do not know. His debut EP as Mathis Andersen, Monde Monde, was released in May 2024.
The trio includes Mathis Andersen (vocals, guitar, charango), Gaëlle Hispard (piano, vocals, accordion, theremini) and Glenn Goodwin (bass).
Dobet Gnahoré
GRAMMY-winner Dobet Gnahoré is a virtuosic singer, dancer, percussionist, songwriter and one of Africa's most amazing talents. Besides her powerful voice, this Combancha recording artist graces the stage with music, dance and theatre. Gnahoré has taken the modern Afropop sounds of her country in exciting new directions, showcasing her incredible range as an artist with soul stirring energy and mission driven lyrics. Through a combination of traditional and contemporary influences, she crafts a unique sound that is both distinct and accessible to audiences worldwide.
Juggler Extraordinaire Jason Tardy
Jason Tardy is a multifaceted performer who uses his strength (he juggles three 10 pound bowling balls!), endurance (two-time 100 mile ultramarathon finisher) and skill (he has no social life so he practices a lot) to create a crazy high-energy, comedy and juggling show like you’ve never seen before. His hilarious show includes innovative choreographed juggling, fitting his body through a tennis racket, balancing a ladder on his face, standing on a yoga ball and fire eating and fire breathing. Nuff said!
“Jason Tardy’s show is SPECTACULAR …with his witty banter and amazing, one-of-a-kind stunts. Not only does he put on a world-class show but he is flexible, super easy to work with, and is always professional on and off the stage. We can’t recommend him enough!”
Buffalo Rose
Buffalo Rose hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This 6 person ensemble uses powerful vocal harmonies with strong instrumental backup that provides a dynamic live show. They collaborate to move acoustic music to a new contemporary place without losing sight of their roots. The current lineup includes Lucy Clabby (vocals), Margot Jezerc (vocals), Bryce Rabideau (mandolin), Malcolm Inglis (dobro), Jason Rafalak (upright bass), and Shane McLaughlin (guitar, vocals)
“The balancing act that the six musicians of Buffalo Rose achieve is something to be celebrated. The group match each other's energy both in instances of quiet tenderness and rich swells... that vocal blend not only sets the mood for the folk tunes but also makes those dynamic changes seem so fluid.” — NPR Music
“How can a band be loose and tight at the same time? Listen to Buffalo Rose for the answer. I flat love them.” Tom Paxton, folk music legend and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient
Madaila
After a few years of performing, Mandaila’s founding member (and Middlebury resident) Mark Daly disbanded the group in order to spend more time with his young family. Going solo for a spell, he grew tired of “doing it himself” and reformed the band last year with a different lineup. The new band made their debut at last year’s Foodaroo Festival. Says Daly about this new incarnation of Mandaila “It’s probably my best, most effective attempt at this point in marrying acoustic instruments with electronic and digital drum machines and synths… There's a lot of dynamics and drastic shifts within these songs as things dance between organic beauty and more bombastic digital elements."
Madaila is Mark Daly (guitar & vocals), Jer Coons (guitar), Josh Weinstein (bass), Steve Hadeka (drums), Zane Gundersen (keyboards), Tony Naples (pedal steel guitar)
Vermont Jazz Ensemble Street Dance
Since 1984, the Festival's capstone event has been the Street Dance, featuring big-band selections by the Vermont Jazz Ensemble. With musicians hailing from all comers of the Green Mountain State, Vermont Jazz Ensemble is a 17-member instrumental group that performs selections in the jazz and Big Band styles, and also plays a repertoire of rock, fusion, Latin, and popular styles. Its extensive library includes standards by Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and others. This is a wonderful event for the whole family. With permission, we shut down Main Street for you to boogie and jive on the state's most unique dance floor! Christine Stone will join us to teach some basic dance steps.