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!

Here is an evening of storytelling not to be forgotten. With emcee John Callahan, the evening will range from the very traditional storytelling of Ireland’s Richard Marsh at 7:00 to the theatrical treatment that story is given at 8:00 by the multi-talented Odds Bodkin. In either case you will be carried away by story. Both men know the art of letting the audience “see” the story, to the point where the story takes over and the teller disappears. Does that sound somewhat magical? It is. Come listen!

www.geocities.com/lvstorytellers

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Story??? Fringe??? To many people, these words don’t seem to go together. But they can! Wonderfully! Story Fringe is based on the Fringe festival concept in which artists present performances with no restriction on style or content, giving artists the freedom to create and audiences the freedom to experience adventurous works.

www.geocities.com/lvstorytellers

A few short years ago, David Jacobs-Strain emerged from the rain-soaked mountains of Western Oregon storming the festival circuit as a dynamic blues prodigy. Like a diesel powerhouse of raw energy, David speeds across the landscape of the Country Blues to the earthbound grooves of the Mississippi Delta, with his driving slide guitar and fervent vocals. His passion stretches the limits of the blues with blazing guitar breakdowns that verge on psychedelia and highlight his intimate knowledge of the fret board. At the young age of 23, David has toured more rooms than many artists twice his age! Catch him on the rise here on our stage, touring now to promote his latest recording Liar's Day.

www.DavidJacobs-Strain.com/  -  Listen to sound clips

Here’s one you have to see to believe, folks. 17-year-old Anthony da Costa is a prolific songwriter and self-taught multi-instrumentalist. Heavily influenced by many of our favorite artists, Anthony is a strict adherent to Zimmerman’s Theory of the Never-Ending Tour, playing perpetually at festivals, theaters, clubs, and coffee houses throughout the Northeast and beyond. (uh-huh, and just when does this young man do his schoolwork?) Already in 2008, Anthony has released his sixth record, “Typical American Tragedy”; opened for Livingston Taylor and Susan Werner; and was nominated as Folk Alliance’s “Emerging Artist of the Year”. “Anthony da Costa is the future of folk music.” Pat Wictor.

Sunday morning Sacred Stories is a tradition at storytelling festivals. Ours is an open mike. We encourage our festival goers to come and listen and to tell. We define Sacred Stories very broadly. Even humor is not excluded. It need only touch the heart in some way.

www.geocities.com/lvstorytellers

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.

Lucky are we to add Bluegrass music to our monthly community jams! Join Fred Gilmartin and friends for a fine music circle in the tradition - bring your instruments and voice, or come just to listen and tap your feet.

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

In continuation of our Jazz and More series, we bring you this exciting quintet. Alan was guest trumpeter with the Dave Roth Trio last October. We enjoyed his playing so much that we asked him back. As the band name suggests, they are all exceptionally talented jazz musicians that have mutual respect for one another. In addition to Alan, the band consists of Nelson Hill on sax and flute, Craig Kastelnik on Hammond B3, Tom Kozic on guitar and Gary Rissmiller on drums. They have played together for many years, Alan and Craig since the late ’50s. Although each musician is involved with various projects, they have a signature sound as CO-OP BOP with a large library of standards and original compositions to draw from. These jazz shows have developed quite a festive atmosphere. Come join the party…and bring a friend.

www.Co-OpBop.net  -  Listen to sound clips

Celebrating over 30 years of great blues, rock and roll, soul, and rockabilly, wrapped up in an unpretentious good-time vibe, the Nighthawks continue to wear the crown of “The World’s Best Club Band”. Powered by the blistering blues harp and 200-proof vocals of the founding member Mark Wenner, the band churns through American roots music, shakin’, rattlin, and rolllin’ the audience like no other. No wonder they are one of Godfrey’s favorites. Paul Bell on guitar, Johnny Castle on bass, and Pete Ragusa on drums, plus Mark on harp, make up the hardest working blues band on tour today.

www.TheNighthawks.com/  -  Listen to sound clips

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

Chanteuse Susan Werner could well be considered a Pearl in our long necklace. With six albums under her belt, an active touring career throughout the U.S., and a string of accolades from the likes of The Washington Post, The Village Voice and The New Yorker, Susan has become one of the defining artists of the folk music genre. Her songs effortlessly slide from folk to jazz to pop, and are delivered with a sassy wit and classic Midwestern charm. "This woman is great. Period." -Music Row (Nashville). Worth coming out for on a school night, folks!

www.SusanWerner.com/ -  Listen to sound clips

Opening for Susan will be Red House Records artist Meg Hutchinson.

www.MegHutchinson.com/ -  Listen to sound clips

Les Sampou has easy command of a full-range of American music styles and it's easy to see why. Her influences range from old-timey music by such artists as Elizabeth Cotton and Jimmie Rodgers, to sixties folk music from Joan Baez and Pete Seeger; R&B and Motown tunes by the likes of Percy Sledge, Sam Cooke and Wilson Pickett, and a wide variety of country blues covers by musicians including Memphis Minnie, Robert Johnson, Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson and many more. Some of Sampou's more modern influences include Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, and Lowell George of Little Feat. She keeps coming back to Godfrey’s, each time to more new fans. Maybe this time it could be you.

www.LesSampou.com/  -  Listen to sound clips - then click on Recordings

Scotland-born and now Canada-based, this legendary interpreter and songsmith's love of traditional music was first inspired by his family. After graduating from the Glasgow School of Art, Enoch formed the traditional Scottish group, The Reivers. Scottish television quickly signed the band to perform Scottish folks songs weekly. The band's live shows and steadfast interest in promoting traditional music formed the foundation of the Scottish folk music revival that took place in the 1950s and 1960s. Enoch's own songwriting craft was further developed through The Singers Club (aka "The Critics Group") which he co-founded with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. After a 36-year recording hiatus, Enoch returned to the studio and released four outstanding CDs. Enoch's natural storytelling style is complemented by a ferocious wit and kitchen-range warmth. Enoch was recently nominated for the Canadian Folk Music Awards category of Best Singer-Traditional.

www.EnochKent.ca/  -  Listen to sound clips

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.

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.

The talent, passion, and soul of a Toby Walker performance reflects his travels, where he learned at the feet of Eugene Powell, James "Son" Thomas, Etta Baker and RL Burnside among others. Whether it is telling the humorous and heartwarming tales of other masters, or astounding you with his own guitar mastery, his performances are a feast for the senses. The audience is moved in ways that delight them long after the encores. Make no mistake about it - Toby is to be experienced live. Those fortunate enough to attend one of his shows will vouch for that.

www.LittleTobyWalker.com  -  Listen to sound clips - Click on the music link.

In a remarkably short period of time, Pat Wictor has become the name that is being chatted about on the acoustic, blues, folk, and Americana circuits. Steeped in American "roots" music, Pat is a contemporary songwriter and interpreter drawing on the rural country, gospel, and blues traditions of our nation. His performances - part fireside chat, part meditation on matters earthly and transcendent - feature his originals. With flowing red hair and Zen-like calm, Pat embraces his audience with the sincerity of his music and the clarity of his voice, inviting them in. Pat views his life and his music as a journey, populated with an ever-shifting landscape of people, places and emotions. It is a journey he is eager to share with others, knowing that it is the experiences along the way, not the arrival, that initiate the most profound changes. Join Pat and Toby in a comfortable and astounding evening of fresh acoustic music.

www.PatWictor.com  -  Listen to sound clips

One of the South’s musical masters, Jack Williams is one of the finest singer songwriters ever to grace our stage, and truly one of the most engaging and entertaining performers you will ever enjoy. His voice is a rich and expressive baritone, his songs are pure poetry storytelling, and his guitar picking is awesome. Rich Warren, host of WFMT’s Midnight Special folk show said “Jack is nothing short of amazing. Dazzling picking, expressive voice, unique and interesting songs. He is a showman in the best sense of the word and just wowed our audience. I think they would have followed him anywhere."

www.JackWilliamsMusic.com/  -  Listen to sound clips

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.