Troubadours Concert By Past & Present Title-Holders

RIDGEFIELD — A special concert of past and present Connecticut State Troubadours will be held at Ridgefield Playhouse at 8 pm on Friday, May 18.

The evening will be filled with folk music, contemporary and original ballads and songs performed by the highly acclaimed and talented singers, songwriters and recording artists who have been appointed state troubadours by the Connecticut Commission on the Arts. Tickets for the concert are $10 for adults, $5 for children, and $20 for families (up to three children).

Connecticut’s newest state troubadour, serving through 2002, is Kevin Briody of Ridgefield, who is known across the country as a true craftsman of songwriting. His debut CD, When No One’s Watching, received critical praise for its solid storytelling, accessible lyrics and pleasing melodies. It was also selected as Music Row magazine’s DISCovery Award winner.

Hugh Blumenfield of Coventry, who served as state troubadour for 1999-2000, has four albums to his credit, the latest of which, Rocket Science, was hailed as “a powerful, brilliant incarnation of one of acoustic music’s sharpest minds and most passionate, poetic hearts.”

Tom Callinan of Clinton was designated Connecticut’s first official state troubadour in 1991 and also served in 1992. He draws on his extensive repertoire of folk songs, sea chanteys, popular songs and original compositions for his performances, and plays a range of instruments including the tin whistle, spoons, bones, ocarina, limberjack, banjar, and the bodhran, a Celtic drum.

1996 State Troubadour, Mike Kachuba of Stratford, has performed traditional and contemporary music of America and British Isles for the past 15 years, both as a soloist and with the Connecticut-based Ash Creek String Band. A proficient vocalist, Mr Kachuba is also respected for his instrumental skills on the guitar, hammered dulcimer, concertina and harmonica.

Jeff McQuillan and Synia Carroll of New Haven, the 1998 state troubadours, have delighted audiences for years with their enchanting renditions of traditional and original compositions. Their musical style encompasses folk, gospel, and rhythm and blues, as well as songs derived from the diverse cultures of Africa, the Caribbean and South America.

The 1993 troubadours, Sandy and Caroline Paton of Sharon, have traveled through the US, Canada and British Isles in search of folk songs and Old World ballads. The Patons accompany themselves on guitar, Appalachian dulcimer and autoharp.

Bill Pere of Mystic, the 1995 State Troubadour, is known in New York, Nashville and Los Angeles music circles as a consummate crafter of fine lyrics and as a gifted educator. Twice voted Songwriter of the Year by the CT Songwriters Association, Mr Pere composes in a variety of styles, but may be best known for his engaging ballads recalling southeast Connecticut’s 19th Century maritime heritage.

The voice of 1997 troubadour Sally Rogers of Pomfret has been described as “captivating, beautiful and pure” while her work on guitar, banjo and dulcimer have been described as “sterling. Of her songwriting, folk legend Pete Seeger said, “Sally … has written many extraordinary good songs that … reach out and touch people.”

Phil Rosenthal of Guilford, the 1994 State Troubadour, is a nationally renowned folk/bluegrass singer, songwriter ad record producer and an accomplished guitar, banjo and mandolin player. His original compositions have been recorded by many leading bluegrass and country music stars, including Johnny Cash and Bill Monroe.

To purchase or reserve tickets, call Ridgefield Playhouse at 203-438-5795 or send email to info@ridgefieldplayhouse.org.  The Playhouse is at 80 East Ridge Road, between Prospect and Governor Streets in Ridgefield.