Author: Tim Piazza

For this show, we’ll be introducing a new performer to our series, though he’s not stranger to the people who’ve played here. Dana Cooper has been traveling the globe and touring as a songwriter since the early 1970’s. His songs have been recorded by Maura O’Connel, Susan Werner, Pierce Pettis, and many others. He’s played the main stage at many of the nation’s major folk music festivals, and even performed on Austin City Limits. I’m really looking foward to this show, and I’m sure that you’ll really enjoy this one!

The last time Al and Emily Cantrell played here at the cabin, they commented that the cabin is by far the smallest venue that they play, but it is also among their favorites. That’s a high compliment from a duo who’ve graced the silver screen, played festivals across the nation and around the world, and taught at workshops and music camps alongside legendary musical artists. Emily has a fantastic voice, and plays a mean swing rhythm guitar that conjurs visions of backing Django Reinhardt. Her voice and guitar are perfectly complimented by Al on some fantastic fiddle playing and very tasteful mandolin. We’re really lucky that they live just a few hours away and are excited to share an evening with us here in Evansville.

They’re wonderful, wild, funny and full of joyful noise. The Troubs (AimMe on guitar and Renee on accordion) are two of a kind, and two in a million. They were hanging out and playing on the streets of New Orleans in years past, but now they call a piece of land on the other side of the Hoosier National Forest their home. You could say that for the Troubadours, music is their mission, and the message is all about finding joy in life. They’ll warm up your winter and make you smile the night away. I catch their show whenever I can, and it’s a real treat to be able to share them with you here at the cabin (for the record, I’ve been made an honorary troub, and I just may sit in on a tune or two.

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of raving about my absolute favorite performers on the national folk music scene. They’ll have you rolling with laughter in one song and trying to hold back tears in the next–okay, maybe they’ll slip a little toe-tapper in-between, but you get the idea. Their songs have humor and heart, irony and compassion, sarcasm, intelligence, wit, and all in the right places. This is their fifth time playing at the cabin, and every show in the past has been sold out, sometimes before I’ve even had a chance to announce it. If you’ve never seen Rich Prezioso and Jacquie Manning perform before, you really won’t want to miss this one!

Buddy has one of those names that has come up so many times in music circles that I feel like I’m supposed to know him. And once I started looking into his bio, I was really surprised! Let me share just one paragraph, and you’ll see what I mean…

When Buddy made his first trip to Texas Guy Clark heard him singing one of his songs under a tree at the Kerrville Folk Festival and liked it. So Guy went back to Nashville, opened the door and said, “listen to this kid, he’s good!” A publishing deal and a U-Haul headed south soon followed. People were starting to pay attention. In 1987 he was a New Folk Award Winner at Kerrville and he released his first album called “On the Line.” David Wilcox recorded “The Kid” on his first record for A&M. Buddy did some writing with this other new kid in town named Garth Brooks (they had the same manager). Janis Ian heard him singing at the Bluebird Cafe and asked him if he’d like to write with her. Their song “Amsterdam” got recorded by Joan Baez. Nanci Griffith asked Buddy to sing on a show she was taping for Irish television. She ended up liking that song so much that she recorded “Comin’ Down In the Rain” on her Grammy Award winning collection “Other Voices, Other Rooms.” Garth became a star and “Every Now and Then” ended up on his album “The Chase.”

With a bio like that, you can imagine my surprise when Buddy’s booking agent contacted me. I thought we’d be too small a venue to even consider, but I guess our reputation as a venue with a great audience is playing in our favor once again. Thanks, everybody!!