Folk Next Door

The Folk Next Door was the name of a concert series and CD releases produced on by WWUH, the University of Hartford radio station in West Hartford, CT, USA. There were nine concerts and CDs in all, one each year starting in 1991. Featured artists included Sloan Wainright, Dar Williams, Hugh Blumenfeld, The Nields, Please and Thank You Band, Lui Collins, Dewey Burns, Bruce Pratt, Kate McDonald, The Hartford Gospel All Stars and Catie Curtis to name a few.

History

Over 9,000 copies of the compilation CDs were distributed worldwide. For more information, see [http://wwuh.org wwuh.org] .

A Short History of the Folk Next DoorIn 1992, WWUH Folk Music Director Ed McKeon and folksinger and promoter Bruce Pratt approached the WWUH executive committee with a scheme that would recognize unrecognized "folk"musicians while raising money for a volunteer-staffed, community supported radio station, WWUH.

The idea was to hold a concert, invite 15 musical acts who would donate their time and the use of their music, record the concert, use the gate money to pay for a pressing of a CD and cassette release, and release a recording called The Folk Next Door. The WWUH Executive Committee enthusiasticly approved the idea.

The first concert, held in the Wilde Auditorium on the University of Hartford (CT) campus was a huge success. The concert sold out. The acts were astonishingly good and both the musicians and the audience seemed to love the experience. The cassettes and CDs flew out the door, prompting a re-pressing (the one and only -a printers error will tell you if you have a first edition. On the original, Hugh Blumenfeld, Last Fair Deal and Amy Davis and Danny Gardella appeared on the last page of the CD booklet. On the corrected edition, Folk Next Door printed backwards appears on the last page of the CD booklet.) And the music was played on stations throughout the country. Highlights included the "surprise" visit by Richard Shindell, John Whelan's wandering squeezebox, the debut of Donna Martin, Don Sineti’s chorus and shanty men and women. The second year the concert was called "Honey Hide the Banjo, It’s The Folk Next Door again" which made for a great T-shirt, but was way too long for most DJs to wrap their lips around. The 1993 concert was to be an all-day affair, starting outside with a free concert, with an evening paid event. Rain forced the event inside after the third act and threw off the schedule till the concert ended around 2 a.m. The music was splendid, although the audience was not entirely awake by the end of the affair, and on the way we lost a Chinese brother. The CD was heard, eventually, on airwaves as far away as New Zealand. The video version of the concert is still being played on local cable access stations. Highlights included the unofficial hoot hosted by Hugh Blumenfeld, The Nields, and Bruce Pratt as the event was moved from the outdoor to the inside stage, Dar Williams opening the evening show, Kate McDonnell soloing, everyone asking "who is that guy" after J.P. Jones played, the Gospel Stars of Hartford tearing the house down, our visit from folk great Eric von Schmidt. In 1994, the reins were pulled in and the concert was called "Hoot." Featuring fifteen acts again, the evening regained a sense of sanity, and the Folk Next Door machine was gassed and humming. Everyone seemed to know what to do, where to do it, and the innovative red light let the acts know when they were out of time. Highlights included Madwoman in the Attic dropping a verse without anyone noticing, Pete Lehndorff knocking them dead and Jeter Le Pont getting the audience involved. In 1995 we received the most audition tapes ever for the sixteen open slots, and some came from as far away as California. Our musical guest who traveled the longest distance to appear was Andrew Calhoun, the exceptional singer-songwriter and proprietor of Waterbug Music. Highlights included Andrew Calhoun as standup comedian, Gred Greenway employing the rhythm and voices of the audience, and Traver Hollow killing them in the wee hours.

[Note: There were many more highlights in the next four years, but unfortunately the last Folk Next Door Concert was held in 2000. Due to the time consuming job it had become, and many other variables related to such a massive undertaking, the FND series had come to a close by that year. You can still enjoy the shows which are still available on Tape & CD and recall those great evenings of entertainment.]

Discography:

Track/Artist/Title

Folk Next Door 1

# Lui Collins Friendship Waltz
# The Patons Come Love Come
# Dewey Burns Just How Long
# Please and Thank You Band Pittsburgh Medley
# McDonnell/Tane Ordinary Man
# Heartwood I Give You Light
# Donna Martin The Shirt Off My Back
# Last Fair Deal Out of My Mind
# Amy Davis & Dan Gardella Take Me to the Zydeco Dance
# Hugh Blumerfeld Waiting for the Good Humor Man
# Steve Nystrup Canary Island
# Dave Drouillard Oh, Sweet Mary
# Richard Shindell Home Team
# John Whelan Gan Aimn
# Bruce Pratt Drivin' Through the Delta
# Don Sineti The Dreadnought
# Stan Sullivan The Passing Lane
# Delta Boogie May We All Shout Together
# Zydeco Zombies Ossan Two-Step
# The Nields Anchorman

Folk Next Door 2

"Honey Hide The Banjo Its The Folk Next Door Again!"
# Dar Williams The Babysitter's Here
# Kate McDonnel Seeking Passage
# Catie Curtis Slave to My Belly
# Robin Lawlor Francesca
# Ellen Cross The Letters
# Grassroots Bill Cheatham
# J.P. Jones Bold Troubador
# Hugh Blumenfeld & Ed Smith Friends of a Traveler
# Donna Martin Coming Home
# Lui Collins Step Into the Water
# Hartford Gospel Stars 99 1/2 Won't Do
# Barbara Kessler Happy With You
# Peter Lehndorff East Longmeadow
# Eric Von Schmidt Champagne Don't Hurt Me Baby
# Please and Thank You Band Katy Hill
# Bruce Pratt The Unknown
# The Nields (Just Like Christopher Columbus)

Folk Next Door III

"Hoot"
# Chanting House Salome
# Madwoman In the Attic Oconee
# Peter Lehndorff Marriage
# J.P. Jones Moving Train
# Jeter La Ponte L2 Jeune Marie'e
# Lucy Kaplansky You Just Need a Home
# Steve Nystrup Weasel
# Kim Trusty Keep On Moving
# Peg Loughran The Traveler
# Patrick McGinley St. Patrick's Isle
# Gypsy Reel White Face Waltz
# Ed Smith I Got a Tune
# Madwoman In the Attic Nothing Like Food
# Amy Gallatin Forever Ride
# Tim Cote Television
# Gospel Stars He Will Understand
# Dar Williams February

Folk Next Door IV

"Local Color"
# Greg Greenway Ghost Dance
# Erica Wheeler Arrow Heads
# Michael Jerling Starting Tomorrow
# New Middle Class I'll Rock Your Candle
# Jim Henry Baby's Coming Home
# Kate McDonnell Drink the Rain
# Dave Drouillard American Flyer
# Trevor Hollow Parallax
# Sally Rogers Hard Work
# Andrew Calhoun Tunnelvision
# Madwoman In the Attic These Eyes
# Hugh Blumenfeld Mozart's Money
# Les Sampou Holyland
# Cyd Slotteroff At Last
# Bobbi Carmitchell Life on the Greener Side
# Susanne McDermott Farther Still
# Greg Greenway Crack in the Wall
# Trevor Hollow You Don't Call Me Darling Anymore

Folk Next Door V"Cicada"
# Sloan Wainwright Band Hey Girl
# Cordelia's Dad Katy Cruel
# Ratsy Bell Bottomed Lunch Box
# Gabriel Dorman I Am God Just a little Bit
# Chilo Simple
# Salamander Crossing Trip Me Up
# Dana Pomfret Tricks on You
# Bayou Brethem Port Arthur Blues
# Nancy Tucker Everything Reminds Me of My Therapist
# Morrigu Jane's Reel/ A Punch In the Dark
# Stan Sullivan Dark Belgian Chocolate
# St. Patrick's Pipe Band Gardens of Skye/ Over the Sea to Skye/ Within A Mile of Edinburgh Town/ The Waters of Kylesku/ Molly Darling
# Cordelia's Dad A Sailor's Life
# Chilo That Hair

Folk Next Door VI

"The Emperor of Ice Cream"
# Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman You Just Don't Get It
# Jeremy Wallace Johnny
# Lisa McCormick Right Now
# Don Sineti and Chris Morgan John Kanaka
# Jano Cowboy King
# The Mollys Pride Over Dollars
# The Muster Bunch Tatter Jack/ Drums and Guns
# Dana Robinson Wishing Tree
# Scott McAllistar, Meredith Cooper, Jeff Mucciolo Seaside Jig
# Ratsy Leaver Her Behind
# Washboard Slim and the Blue Lights Firehouse Blues
# Ilene Weiss Answer to Come
# Sloan Wainwright Band For My Pride
# Sloan Wainwright Band No One's Makin' Me Do It
# Ratsy Don't Judge the Herd
# Ilene Weiss Woman of a Calm Heart

Folk Next Door VII

"May Day"
# Beth Amsel Saint Mark
# Tom Prasado-Rao Walk A Million Miles
# Peter Lehndorff Peugot
# Chris and Meredith Thompson House Divided
# Mark Mulcahy Tempted
# Justina and Joyce Sip of Water
# Gideon Freudmann Adobe Dog House
# Hugh Blumenfeld Bill's Dick
# Darryl Purpose Child of Hearts
# Erin McKeown Fast as I Can
# Jeremy Wallace Missing you this Morning
# Louise Taylor Deep, Dark River
# Erica Wheeler Nowhere to Go
# Stephen Nystrup Come on the Road
# Lost Wages Tarpology

Folk Next Door VIII

"Ate"
# River City Slim and the Zydeco Hogs La Valse de Kaplan
# Margo Hennebach and Mark Saunders On Preacher Hill
# Michael Hsu Your Boyfriend, Your Dad
# Lucy Chapin Barefeet
# Joe Flood Big Daddy Blues
# Sonya Hunter Nonesuch
# Einstein's Little Homunculus Celibacy
# Freddie White When Jesus Gets to Town
# Maggie Carchrie Peurt A Beuill
# Mark Erelli Midnight
# Cheryl Hoenemeyer Angela
# Michael Veitch American Song
# Amy Gallatin and Stillwaters California Blues
# Joe Flood Always Will Always Mean You
# Sonya Hunter Prohibition
# Mark Erelli The River Road
# Cheryl Hoenemeyer 2%
# Amy Gallatin and Stillwaters

Folk Next Door IX

"Nein"
# Alastair Moock Lonely Heart
# Rebekah Hayes One Candle Burns
# Robin Greenstein Sacred Song
# Eric Garrison Breathing
# Adrienee Jones and Rani Arbo Uninvited Ghost
# Lisa Moscatiello Second Avenue
# Cece Borjeson (and Ruth George) A 'Soalin' (Trad.)
# Groovelily Sitting on the Fence
# Meg Hutchinson When It Rains
# Meg Hutchinson Ockham's Razor
# Gene and Mim Lose My Mind
# Andrew McKnight Western Skies
# Bernice Lewis Mercy
# Eric Burkhart and Humpty Daddy No One Lives Here
# Kevin Briody Walnuts and Rice
# The Roadbirds West Texas Wind
# Eric Burkhart and Humpty Daddy

AT HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS WITH THE FOLK NEXT DOOR

# Dar Williams The Christians and the Pagans
# Hugh and the New Coventry Carolers Kosher for Christmas
# Madwoman in the Attic The Cherry Tree Carol
# Ilene Weiss His Initials
# The Nields Merry Christmas Mr. Jones
# Mark Saunders Joy to the World
# Margo Hennebach Winter Snows
# Donna Martin Merry Christmas Baby
# Ratsy If You're Not Dead
# The New Coventry Carolers The New Coventry Carol
# Patrick McGinley/ Mark Saunders Lefty Gets a Gift
# Susan McKeown/ Lindsay Horner Through the Bitter Frost and Snow
# Steven Nystrup Amazing Grace/ Christmas Morning
# Hugh Blumenfeld This Mountain
# Steven Nystrup Greensleeves
# Peter Lehndorff Santa's Back
# Amy Gallatin and Stillwaters

ee also

WWUH

External links

* [http://www.wwuh.org/records/history.htm History]
* [http://www.wwuh.org/records/albums/fnd1.htm Album Folk Next Door]
* [http://www.xenarts.com/music/nystrup/snybio.html Snybio]