As much as we focus on bringing you the best in live music from around the US, indeed, from around the world, sometimes we need look no further than our own back yard. Such is the case with Paul Thiessen. Paul came to our attention at our Open Mikes (sound familiar?) this past summer … right on top of his band’s EP release, Start. Hear. Originally from Philadelphia, young indie / folk rocker Paul had been writing songs and playing music for over ten years when he found his muse hidden in a band under his own moniker. With young band mates John Morgan Kimock on drums, Peter Fritz on bass, and sister Joy on keyboards and vocals, Paul shuffles and wails through timeless jams, reminiscent of veteran artists. Recently home from a short tour of California, we present the Paul Theissen Band in their debut Godfrey Daniels CD release concert.

www.myspace.com/paulthiessen

Ted Ramírez, Michael Ronstadt, and Gilbert Brown are a unique trio from Tucson, Arizona – the band performs in English, Spanish and American Indian languages. They present a beautiful, intriguing, and powerful musical program filled with history and the mystical lore of the Great American Southwest. Their music is authentic and original in every way as it is rooted in the traditional music styles of the United States and Mexico. They create a uniquely beautiful sound with outstanding vocal harmonies and powerful acoustic instrumental sounds. Their music captivates and elevates the consciousness of every audience. If you missed the Santa Cruz River Band at Musikfest this past August, now is your chance to catch them here in our intimate listening space.

www.SantaCruzRiverBand.com/

Long an active fixture on the Lehigh Valley music scene, Roland Kushner returns to our stage in a special appearance to open the evening.

www.RolandKushnermusic.com

Jud Caswell comes from that place where the two Maines meet: where ex-hippies play cribbage with fishermen and a kind of rural poetry is infused with no-nonsense Yankee pragmatism. Raised on a little farm in Morrill, Maine, picking carrots and milking goats; Jud grew up listening to records by Cat Stevens and The Beatles and readings from Kahlil Gibran. With songs praised as "emotionally resonant, deeply affecting and superbly crafted," Jud has been recognized by Sing Out! magazine as "one of the leading singer-songwriters on the current scene."
Pat Wictor’s snaky, sizzling slide guitar work, his clear, steady voice with a riveting falsetto and his unique, articulate songwriting have earned him a following at Godfrey’s and anywhere else there are hip and young-thinking folks.

www.JudCaswell.com/

www.PatWictor.com/

The spawning ground for new artists! Open Mike features a grab bag of regional talent. During each 3-song/15-minute set, you may hear anything from guitar pickers and budding singer-songwriters to pianists, fiddlers, comedians, poets, and storytellers. Many a notable act started here. Watch history in the making! Sign-up is just before 7:00 p.m.

Old-Time music is the real thing: music the way it is supposed to be, played for the sheer joy of swapping songs and having a good time. Come to our own back porch session and bring your guitar or banjo, fiddle or mando, bones, what have you. Just for the fun of it!

Questions, questions, questions. They disturb. They provoke. They exhilarate. They intimidate. Welcome to Socrates’ Café. Join us for a philosophical dialog in the tradition of Socrates. This is philosophy for everyone; just bring the courage of your convictions and the courage to have your convictions challenged! November’s topic: How close are we (as a country, as a world) to the collapse? Many modern thinkers are comparing our stage in history to be reminiscent of Rome before the collapse.

www.philosopher.org/

It's time to take a trip to the heartland of Mississippi, the home of the blues, and the Eurobluesman himself, Hans Theessink (pronounced Tay-sink) is our guide. A Godfrey's favorite, back after a long absence, Hans plays with authority and power that is second to none on the acoustic blues scene. A deep, rich baritone, emotive bottleneck, strong interpretations of great songs, and wonderful originals in the tradition are hallmarks of Hans’ solo performance. His new CD, Slow Train, is a gentle, acoustic wonder, from the heart; other albums are rockers of the finest kind. Doing 200 concerts internationally a year, Hans proves beyond a doubt that you don't have to be American to play the blues. Bo Diddley, himself, remarked, "One helluva guitar player!"

www.Theessink.com/

With a whirlwind of instrumental styles fusing classical, rock, blues, jazz, world music, progressive, as well as the quintessential California musical genre surf music, the California Guitar Trio's stunning virtuosity and sly sense of humor have earned them a rabid following and wide notoriety, with significant crossover in the progressive, acoustic and classical music scenes.
Alumni of Robert Fripp’s League of Crafty Guitarists, Bert, Paul, and Hideyo have honed their frankly astounding 18-string sound into a show-stopping array of technique, composition, and global grasp of music. Besides, it’s fun to listen to; a superb evening of great music!

www.CGTrio.com/

www.davidjacobs-strain.com

Ellis Paul was a chief architect of what has become known as the Boston school of songwriting, an urbane, literate folk-pop style that helped ignite the folk revival of the 1990s. His charismatic, personally authentic performance style has influenced a generation of folk-popsters away from the posturing artifice of pop, and closer towards the unpretentious realness of folk. Though he remains among the most pop-friendly of today’s singer-songwriters, he has bridged the gulf between the modern folk sound and the populist traditions of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger more successfully than perhaps any of his songwriting peers. His skyrocketing career is still the stuff of legend in Boston folk circles; how quickly he climbed from opening act for the likes of Bill Morrissey, Shawn Colvin, and John Gorka, to national headliner and recording star. Bill Morrissey says, “A lot of young singers I meet are not curious about what went on before; they just say, ‘I want to sing another song about my life.’ Paul has a sense of roots, of connectedness to the whole history of folk music; he sees the thread that runs through all the generations of this music.”

www.EllisPaul.com/

www.flynnmusic.com

Special Children’s Series Appearance
Becoming a father of two girls Ella and Sofi, Ellis was naturally inspired to write music with younger folks as the target audience. With songs titled Dragonfly Races, I Like to Swing, The Million Chameleon March, and 9 Months to Fix the World, it’s easy to see that some great imagination is at work here, in a very special album of songs for children, their parents and grandparents. Join Ellis for his debut family concert hour here – sure to be a grand time for all! And pick up your own copy of his new children’s recording, Dragonfly Races.

www.EllisPaul.com/

Godfrey’s is pleased to present storytelling. Join us and the Lehigh Valley Story Telling Guild for this special night. Bring a story to tell.

www.geocities.com/lvstorytellers

Robert Hazard has long been held in high regard for his craftsmanship as a singer-songwriter and his ability to deliver his songs. Enraptured with the punk movement in the ‘70s, Robert and his band toured with both Dylan and U2, and penned Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Want to Have Fun. Many veteran music fans remember his biggest hit, escalator of life. His 21st century acoustic version is worth the price of admission alone. Never one to stand still, Robert has just released a new CD, Troubador. This native Philadelphian returns to his acoustic roots with "a powerful new voice." (Sing Out! Magazine).
Opening for Robert is the Valley’s own musical ambassador, Steve Brosky. This should be a perfect match, and who knows if Steve will be joining Robert on stage?

www.RobertHazard.com/

Phil Ochs song nights commemorate his life and music while also highlighting new talents making music in the spirit that Phil made his music. Phil’s sister Sonny Ochs started the song nights over 20 years ago in Greenwich Village, the philosophy being to keep his music alive, while supporting folk music organizations and showcasing folk artists. Tonight we present, in the round, John Flynn, Greg Greenway, Pat Wictor, Magpie along with Kim and Reggie Harris – none are strangers to Godfrey’s stage, nor delivering Phil’s songs with a certain passion, straight from the heart.

The spawning ground for new artists! Open Mike features a grab bag of regional talent. During each 3-song/15-minute set, you may hear anything from guitar pickers and budding singer-songwriters to pianists, fiddlers, comedians, poets, and storytellers. Many a notable act started here. Watch history in the making! Sign-up is just before 7:00 p.m.

Swing is back - big! This is the night: Western swing, big band Dixieland, and more. Bring sheet music. All instruments welcome.

Mary McCaslin represents an unbroken link between traditional American folksingers and today's "new folk" singer-songwriters. Known for her songs about the West, its landscape, and its outlaws, Mary toured for many years with the legendary Jim Ringer, with memorable stops here on our stage. Together they helped keep folk music on the map through some very lean years. On the many trips across the country, Mary has often longed for the days of good old Route 66. A pioneer of open tunings, Mary is a flawless guitar fingerpicker. Mary also plays clawhammer banjo, using it for a unique effect on such unlikely songs as Blackbird and Pinball Wizard. These and other personalized arrangements of popular songs have consistently added to her appeal. Join us for Mary’s long overdue return to Godfrey’s stage this holiday weekend.

www.MaryMcCaslin.com/

Roy Book Binder is a blues-singing, guitar-picking, song-writing raconteur, and a regularly welcomed visitor here at Godfrey’s! The funky hillbilly blues man spins out classic acoustic rags and blues, and the stories are as good as the songs. With his laid-back vocals and fine finger-pickin’, Roy took his experiences with blues masters Rev. Gary Davis and Pink Anderson, honed his skills with decades on the road, and has become a seasoned, mature blues man with a sound of his own. “He is a genuine example of the traveling blues man tradition that began in the '20s, was revived in the '60s and continues today.” Living Blues Magazine.

www.RoyBookBinder.com/

We welcome the return of Dry Branch Fire Squad! With powerful solos, duets, penetrating quartets, and carefully crafted instrumentation, not to mention silly and insightful commentaries on life, liberty, and inbreeding from leader, singer-arranger, and madman mando player Ron Thomason, Dry Branch gets right to the heart and soul! Ron remains one of the most delightful homespun humorists to ever appear here on our stage, and the band shares the rich tradition of American Appalachian music, playing everything from hot instrumentals to a cappella gospel numbers. Not incidentally, as their Live! album attests, they are at their best up close and in person. Dry Branch always sells out, so make your plans now.

www.DryBranchFireSquad.com/

Join a friendly group of Songwriters in the Round, be inspired and turn your works in progress into polished gems. If you're an experienced writer or have just always wanted to write a song, come share the craft of songwriting. Hosted by Steve Walker.

A low-volume get-together for swapping songs and riffs with other blues players. Hosted by Tavern Tan featuring Doug Ashby, Tom Axcel, Andrew Brubaker, and Dave Joachim.

SATORI is starting a second decade of classical and contemporary chamber music performances in the Lehigh Valley! Celebrate with an evening of Claude Bolling's music -- is it classical, or is it jazz? Join us for an evening of music that crosses barriers. Hear selections from Bolling's Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio, the popular Picnic Suite, and his Suite for Jazz Violin.
Performers include John Arnold, guitar; Rebecca Brown, violin; George Hrab, percussion; Barbara Liebhaber, piano; Paul Rostock; bass, and Nora Suggs, flute.

www.Satori-Chambermusic.org/