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.
Over 9,000 copies of the compilation CDs were distributed worldwide. For more information, see wwuh.org.
A Short History of the Folk Next Door
In 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 that could always use a little more cash. And have a little musical fun in the process.
The idea was this: 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. As you have guessed, the WWUH Executive Committee said yes.
The first concert, held in the Wilde Auditorium 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: 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 next year we named the concert "Honey Hide the Banjo, It’s The Folk Next Door again". It made 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 us inside after the third act and threw off the schedule till the concert ended around 2 a.m. Once again, the music was splendid, although the audience was not entirely happy, or 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 playing on local cable access stations. Highlights: the unofficial hoot hosted by Hugh Blumenfeld, The Nields, and Bruce Pratt as we changed stages, 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, we pulled in the reins and had a "Hoot." With 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 our innovative red light let the acts know when they were out of time. Highlights: Madwoman in the Attic dropping a verse without anyone noticing, Pete Lehndorff knocking them dead, Jeter Le Pont getting the audience involved.
In 1995 we received the most audition tapes ever for our 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: 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 has come to a close. Hopefully you will 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 1) Lui Collins Friendship Waltz 2) The Patons Come Love Come 3) Dewey Burns Just How Long 4) Please and Thank You Band Pittsburgh Medley 5) McDonnell/Tane Ordinary Man 6) Heartwood I Give You Light 7) Donna Martin The Shirt Off My Back 8) Last Fair Deal Out of My Mind 9) Amy Davis & Dan Gardella Take Me to the Zydeco Dance 10) Hugh Blumerfeld Waiting for the Good Humor Man 11) Steve Nystrup Canary Island 12) Dave Drouillard Oh, Sweet Mary 13) Richard Shindell Home Team 14) John Whelan Gan Aimn 15) Bruce Pratt Drivin' Through the Delta 16) Don Sineti The Dreadnought 17) Stan Sullivan The Passing Lane 18) Delta Boogie May We All Shout Together 19) Zydeco Zombies Ossan Two-Step 20) The Nields Anchorman
Folk Next Door 2 "Honey Hide The Banjo Its The Folk Next Door Again!" 1) Dar Williams The Babysitter's Here 2) Kate McDonnel Seeking Passage 3) Catie Curtis Slave to My Belly 4) Robin Lawlor Francesca 5) Ellen Cross The Letters 6) Grassroots Bill Cheatham 7) J.P. Jones Bold Troubador 8) Hugh Blumenfeld & Ed Smith Friends of a Traveler 9) Donna Martin Coming Home 10) Lui Collins Step Into the Water 11) Hartford Gospel Stars 99 1/2 Won't Do 12) Barbara Kessler Happy With You 13) Peter Lehndorff East Longmeadow 14) Eric Von Schmidt Champagne Don't Hurt Me Baby 15) Please and Thank You Band Katy Hill 16) Bruce Pratt The Unknown 17) The Nields (Just Like Christopher Columbus)
Folk Next Door III "Hoot" 1) Chanting House Salome 2) Madwoman In the Attic Oconee 3) Peter Lehndorff Marriage 4) J.P. Jones Moving Train 5) Jeter La Ponte L2 Jeune Marie'e 6) Lucy Kaplansky You Just Need a Home 7) Steve Nystrup Weasel 8) Kim Trusty Keep On Moving 9) Peg Loughran The Traveler 10) Patrick McGinley St. Patrick's Isle 11) Gypsy Reel White Face Waltz 12) Ed Smith I Got a Tune 13) Madwoman In the Attic Nothing Like Food 14) Amy Gallatin Forever Ride 15) Tim Cote Television 16) Gospel Stars He Will Understand 17) Dar Williams February
Folk Next Door IV "Local Color" 1) Greg Greenway Ghost Dance 2) Erica Wheeler Arrow Heads 3) Michael Jerling Starting Tomorrow 4) New Middle Class I'll Rock Your Candle 5) Jim Henry Baby's Coming Home 6) Kate McDonnell Drink the Rain 7) Dave Drouillard American Flyer 8) Trevor Hollow Parallax 9) Sally Rogers Hard Work 10) Andrew Calhoun Tunnelvision 11) Madwoman In the Attic These Eyes 12) Hugh Blumenfeld Mozart's Money 13) Les Sampou Holyland 14) Cyd Slotteroff At Last 15) Bobbi Carmitchell Life on the Greener Side 16) Susanne McDermott Farther Still 17) Greg Greenway Crack in the Wall 18) Trevor Hollow You Don't Call Me Darling Anymore
Folk Next Door V "Cicada" 1) Sloan Wainwright Band Hey Girl 2) Cordelia's Dad Katy Cruel 3) Ratsy Bell Bottomed Lunch Box 4) Gabriel Dorman I Am God Just a little Bit 5) Chilo Simple 6) Salamander Crossing Trip Me Up 7) Dana Pomfret Tricks on You 8) Bayou Brethem Port Arthur Blues 9) Nancy Tucker Everything Reminds Me of My Therapist 10) Morrigu Jane's Reel/ A Punch In the Dark 11) Stan Sullivan Dark Belgian Chocolate 12) 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 13) Cordelia's Dad A Sailor's Life 14) Chilo That Hair
Folk Next Door VI "The Emperor of Ice Cream" 1) Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman You Just Don't Get It 2) Jeremy Wallace Johnny 3) Lisa McCormick Right Now 4) Don Sineti and Chris Morgan John Kanaka 5) Jano Cowboy King 6) The Mollys Pride Over Dollars 7) The Muster Bunch Tatter Jack/ Drums and Guns 8) Dana Robinson Wishing Tree 9) Scott McAllistar, Meredith Cooper, Jeff Mucciolo Seaside Jig 10) Ratsy Leaver Her Behind 11) Washboard Slim and the Blue Lights Firehouse Blues 12) Ilene Weiss Answer to Come 13) Sloan Wainwright Band For My Pride 14) Sloan Wainwright Band No One's Makin' Me Do It 15) Ratsy Don't Judge the Herd 16) Ilene Weiss Woman of a Calm Heart
Folk Next Door VII "May Day" 1) Beth Amsel Saint Mark 2) Tom Prasado-Rao Walk A Million Miles 3) Peter Lehndorff Peugot 4) Chris and Meredith Thompson House Divided 5) Mark Mulcahy Tempted 6) Justina and Joyce Sip of Water 7) Gideon Freudmann Adobe Dog House 8) Hugh Blumenfeld Bill's Dick 9) Darryl Purpose Child of Hearts 10) Erin McKeown Fast as I Can 11) Jeremy Wallace Missing you this Morning 12) Louise Taylor Deep, Dark River 13) Erica Wheeler Nowhere to Go 14) Stephen Nystrup Come on the Road 15) Lost Wages Tarpology
Folk Next Door VIII "Ate" 1) River City Slim and the Zydeco Hogs La Valse de Kaplan 2) Margo Hennebach and Mark Saunders On Preacher Hill 3) Michael Hsu Your Boyfriend, Your Dad 4) Lucy Chapin Barefeet 5) Joe Flood Big Daddy Blues 6) Sonya Hunter Nonesuch 7) Einstein's Little Homunculus Celibacy 8) Freddie White When Jesus Gets to Town 9) Maggie Carchrie Peurt A Beuill 10) Mark Erelli Midnight 11) Cheryl Hoenemeyer Angela 12) Michael Veitch American Song 13) Amy Gallatin and Stillwaters California Blues 14) Joe Flood Always Will Always Mean You 15) Sonya Hunter Prohibition 16) Mark Erelli The River Road 17) Cheryl Hoenemeyer 2% 18) Amy Gallatin and Stillwaters
Folk Next Door IX "Nein" 1) Alastair Moock Lonely Heart 2) Rebekah Hayes One Candle Burns 3) Robin Greenstein Sacred Song 4) Eric Garrison Breathing 5) Adrienee Jones and Rani arbo Uninvited Ghost 6) Lisa Moscatiello Second Avenue 7) Cece Borjeson (and Ruth George) A 'Soalin' (Trad.) 8) Groovelily Sitting on the Fence 9) Meg Hutchinson When It Rains 10) Meg Hutchinson Ockham's Razor 11) Gene and Mim Lose My Mind 12) Andrew McKnight Western Skies 13) Bernice Lewis Mercy 14) Eric Burkhart and Humpty Daddy No One Lives Here 15) Kevin Briody Walnuts and Rice 16) The Roadbirds West Texas Wind 17) Eric Burkhart and Humpty Daddy
AT HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS WITH THE FOLK NEXT DOOR 1) Dar Williams The Christians and the Pagans 2) Hugh and the New Coventry Carolers Kosher for Christmas 3) Madwoman in the Attic The Cherry Tree Carol 4) Ilene Weiss His Initials 5) The Nields Merry Christmas Mr. Jones 6) Mark Saunders Joy to the World 7) Margo Hennebach Winter Snows 8) Donna Martin Merry Chrismas Baby 9) Ratsy If You're Not Dead 10) The New Coventry Carolers The New Coventry Carol 11) Patrick McGinley/ Mark Saunders Lefty Gets a Gift 12) Susan McKeown/ Lindsay Horner Through the Bitter Frost and Snow 13) Steven Nystrup Amazing Grace/ Christmas Morning 14) Hugh Blumenfeld This Mountain 15) Steven Nystrup Greensleeves 16) Peter Lehndorff Santa's Back 17) Amy Gallatin and Stillwaters