Dateline WFUV: Once again I’m writing from the WFUV Member drive, in the basement of Keating Hall on the campus of Fordham University. I have to start with a Mea Culpa. I did not see the Anna/Kate band last night. I feel terrible because it was their last show. They are one of my top discoveries of 2018 and wonderful people. I hated missing the music and talking to them. AT least for now they are taking a hiatus from their musical career. This makes me very sad. I just discovered them and now they are gone. This is a message to Anna and Kate. You two are magic. Start playing again and I’ll be there. Good luck in whatever you choose to go from here. Keep in touch.
That should be a perfect introduction to what i promised to write about, my greatest music discoveries of the year. I’m going to write it but I’m working without a net., Someplace at home I have a spreadsheet where i kept track of my discoveries. I thought i saved it on the cloud but I can’t find it now. I will have to depend on my memory, building on a shakey foundation.
I know that my first discovery was Moira Smiley. I saw her back in January at the Jenkins Family House Concerts. I had never even heard of her but it had been too long since i went to their house and i trust Sandy’s taste. I was wise too. Moira blew me away. Here is what i wrote about her that day; The World Needs Moira Great Music. That’s back on the old diaryland website. I have not seen Moira since. That must be corrected
I think the next to come up was the Anna/Kate band. I discovered them at the June edition of John Platt’s On Your Radar. John and I fish in the same waters and it’s rare he finds someone that i love but never even heard of. Anna/Kate band was a revelation. Here’s what i wrote On Your Corporal O’Reilly.
My most out of the blue discovery was Emerald Rae. The first i heard of her was when she asked to play the Budgiedome. I always have so many people that want to play that i rarely book an unsolicited request. We have some friends in common including Amy Beshara, a fiddler i love. I gave her music a casual listen and was immediately impressed/ That’s not enough to book someone. i wanted to see her live and did at the New Bedford Folk Festival. She was even better live. I wrote about it here, Music Discovery Starts Here.
I discovered Sunny War at the Hudson West Folk Festival. She is a young woman that was living on the streets of Venice California, busking. She’s a brilliant, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Remember that name. You’ll be hearing about Sunny, she’s a dynamo. Here’s my blog about the festival, Go Hudson West Young Man
I have one more discovery that i remember. I’m going full circle, i discovered Hanneke Cassel at the Jenkins Family House Concerts. Hanneke is a Scottish Fiddler. I called her a revelation, that means she belongs here. Read what i said here, Hanneke? It isn’t even Halloween!.
There’s a bit of a gender bias this year, every discovery was a woman. More accurately, every discovery that i can remember at the moment is a woman. Next year i keep a better list. so i don’t have to depend on memory
Now I’m off to therapy then to Jersey City to see Abbie Gardner and Craig Akin at Spiral Sounds. It’s going to be a very long day.
Wise Madness 