The Stained Glass Coffeehouse is a series of live performances held at the Congregational Church in Deerfield, United Church of Christ, Deerfield, Illinois (click here for map).  The performances are held from 7:00 to 9:30 on the third Saturday of the month, from September through May. 

A $15.00 donation is suggested.  Proceeds after expenses go to the Heifer Project International - Ecuador.

 

 October 18, 2008

“Mike Quick has always been an adventure waiting to happen…” (Michael Jerling) 

Wisconsin native Michael Quick has been writing and performing music for nearly thirty years in a variety of styles and venues. His performances have taken him throughout the Midwest to San Diego, where he lived for eight years while playing the Southwest and up the West coast. Mike has performed in table-thumping rock and roll bands as well as acoustically. Quick credits his diverse musical content to "his roots"… that is, his parents' superb vinyl record collection including such albums as "Lester Lanin Does The Big Band Polka", "Mitch Miller Performs The Hottest Numbers of 1961", and "The Best of Burl Ives".

As music critic Ann Barsness of the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram put it: "Mike Quick's first solo album, Down Bullfrog Road, is like a patchwork quilt, his gravelly voice the thread that binds together a pleasing array of colorful lyrics and richly textured instrumentation." Whatever blows your hair back, Mike has something to offer for everyone!

 

 

http:// www.mikequick.net

 

 

 

 November 15, 2008                                   

http://www.kateggleston.com

 

December 13, 2008

"When I first heard Johnsmith my attention was captured by his sweet, earthy voice and fine craftsmanship, but what drew me in was his heart. It's clear that he's lived the pain in his songs and that his optimism is hope born of wisdom. That's a rare thing and a gift to all who hear him." (Tom Kimmel) 

John was born into a rural eastern Iowa, large Irish Catholic family of ten kids. Pursuing a life of music has led him far from his small town roots. He has walked down the roads that made him whole, and when he brings that onstage, he connects with folks. He calls himself a blue-collar songwriter, banging out his tunes along the back roads one show at a time.

Someone’s voice is not just an instrument; it’s more like the sound of their soul. It’s a connection thing that moves us. As a solo performer, Johnsmith opens up and bares his genuine self on stage. Night after night, CD after CD, he brings it all on full heart. Fellow songwriter Buddy Mondlock best sums it up: " I feel like every time one of Johnsmith’s songs gets heard a little healing happens to the world."

Whenever you read or hear about the music of Johnsmith, certain watchwords always come up, regardless of the source. Words like uplifting, or integrity, heart, or soul. His songs and voice go straight to the heart, because that’s where they come from.  Come celebrate the season with this soulful performer.

http://www.johnsmithmusic.com/

 

 

January 17, 2009
         

Lee Murdock, folk singer and songwriter, brings to the Stained Glass Coffeehouse the nautical atmosphere of the Great Lakes region. He has researched and collected old shanties, written some of his own and added his own interpretation of the works of Gordon Lightfoot and Warren Nelson…  and you will definitely appreciate the influences of Stan Rogers and Bill Staines on Mr. Murdock's material.

Lee began his performing career in the Chicago area in the mid 1970's, expanding his repertoire of blues and popular music as his interest in folk music and the maritime tradition grew. Interestingly, it was a one-week residency with the Philadelphia Folksong Society, which first linked Lee's musical identity with the Great Lakes. After a week of in-school performances which they sponsored, Lee took their enthusiastic response to heart, and has been taking his Great Lakes music programs to school children and adult and family concerts ever since.

The music is grounded in the work song tradition, from the rugged days of lumberjacks and wooden sailing schooners. Murdock comes alongside with ballads of contemporary commerce and revelry in the grand folk style. Lee's fans have discovered a sweetwater treasure in his songs about the Great Lakes, finding drama and inspiration in the lives of sailors and fishermen, lighthouse keepers, ghosts, shipwrecks, outlaws and everyday heroes. With a deeper understanding of the folk process, Lee's repertoire combines historical research and contemporary insights. Making folk music for the modern era, Lee Murdock's work is a documentary and also an anthem to the people who live, work, learn and play along the shores of the Great Lakes today.

"More than anything else, audiences are drawn to performers with passion. Lee Murdock's passion is the sea, and it's infectious." (Jim Blum, WKSU Radio, Kent, Ohio)  

http://www.leemurdock.com/

 

February 21, 2009

Austin, TX-based singer/songwriter, Danny Schmidt has been building an enthusiastic (nearly cult-like) following while simultaneously inspiring the admiration of his fellow artists and critical acclaim from industry professionals. He is the real deal, an authentic timeless troubadour in the tradition of Townes Van Zandt, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Dave Carter, who delivers his craft with a quiet power, a level of complexity, and an underlying humanity that is truly rare in this age of sound bite marketeering.

It's his songwriting that has won him the prestigious Kerrville New Folk award, but it's his intense live performances that leave listeners with a sense that each of his songs is necessary, plain and simple. His guitar work is effortless and sparkling, his arrangements are fresh and unpredictable, his voice ageless. Stylistically and musically, Danny’s writing spans an impressively diverse reach, from deeply rooted Appalachian mountain gospel to haunted English balladry, from syncopated Piedmont country blues to vagabond 60’s protest folk-stumpery.

He tackles universal themes of love, loss, and longing . . . restless discontent and grateful joy. And he captures both the sorrow and the beauty inherent in our everyday lives with the wisdom of a perceptive, compassionate elder and with the innocent awe and tenderness of a child.

 In the words of Sing Out Magazine: "He is perhaps the best new songwriter we've heard in the last 15 years." And in the words of Texas Monthly: "With seductive simplicity, his music simply demands your attention." This is one show not to be missed!

http://www.dannyschmidt.com/

 

 

March 21, 2009

A kind of twin peaks version of Peter, Paul and Mary; the songs are wacky, original and up-lifting, combining exquisite vocal harmonies which spill and spiral all over the place, glorious melodies, and ...er...unique perspectives.

One of the best concerts of Season II, the Sons of Never Wrong is coming this March to delight the audience again. The Sons is as good as it gets when it comes to a different view of three part harmony on top of original, whimsical songs that spring from a tradition you swear you have heard before but just don’t know where and when.  The Sons is a trio made up of Sue Demel, Deborah Lader and Bruce Roper.  Three somewhat mixed up adults of perfect parents of a bygone era, just crazy enough to think life in the fast lane comes with a banjo.

Bruce brings the subtle, like a hammer honed by a well-seasoned carpenter, to build a song that shelters.  His reputation in the folk industry is that of a crafted, prolific writer.  His songs feel like they were written by a wise old poet, yet sung by a child.  With a gift for painting the melancholy, sometimes with a wink and a nod, he makes things that are hard to say easy to hear.

Whether it’s scatting, chanting, weaving, or arranging, Sue explodes the pre-conceived notions of harmony singing.  Sue is a seasoned back-up vocalist and her body of work as a songwriter achieves a rare peace between the boundaries of love and redemption.

Deborah’s diverse influences converge and are expressed through her unique and multifaceted music.  A nationally recognized visual artist, she is also a skilled multi-instrumentalist (guitar, mandolin, slide banjo) with a special fit for songwriting and a sought-after affinity for vocal harmony.

Come hear "One of folk music's most distinctive trios"... (Grand River Folk Society.)

http://www.sons.com

 

April 18, 2009

Kim and Reggie Harris are two vibrant, superbly talented and engaging performers whose captivating stage presence has inspired audiences around the world for over 25 years. As singers, songwriters, storytellers, educators, historical interpreters and cultural advocates, they have used their remarkable voices and their unique talents to bring new insights to the entertainment and educational spectrum.  They have been featured in performance at the Kennedy Center, The Smithsonian Institute, The International Children's Festival in Canada, and many more…

Born in Philadelphia, PA. , a city rich in musical and cultural heritage, Kim and Reggie were both exposed to a wide range of composers and musical genres. Their training, nurtured in their individual homes and enhanced in their churches and schools, enriched their musical vocabulary. It was the start of what has evolved into the " Bach to Rock" musical approach (with the strongest elements being Folk, Gospel and Jazz) that is so prevalent in their music.  They met, by chance, at a summer camp in 1974. While attending Temple University they honed their performance skills in the clubs and coffeehouses around Philadelphia.

Kim and Reggie perform original contemporary folk music and traditional African-American Spiritual and Freedom Songs.  In concert Kim and Reggie know how to reach out and grab an audience by the heart as they sing of life, love, the quest for freedom and care for the environment, with musical versatility and beautiful vocal harmonies. Whether at a festival, in a coffeehouse, a large concert or even an intimate concert setting, their In Concert performances are a special musical treat.

http://www.kimandreggie.com/

 

 

May 16, 2009

 Among the very best bands in Chicago is Dyed In The Wool, a gathering of grand musical talents and sweet sensibilities that can handle traditional tunes in ways that make them fresh and vibrant and create original tunes that will stay with you forever." (Rick Kogan, WGN Radio, Chicago Tribune)

John Devens, a product of the Chicago folk scene, boasts of guitar styles from the Travis pick to jazz swing.  John’s interpretation of song is as intimate and strong as his baritone voice.  John also adds to the band’s Celtic repertoire with his adept mandolin and bodhran playing. Julia Dusek-Devens has a solid classical background and an excellent command of the flute that are behind her whimsical performance attitude.  Her harmonies and vocal style are as engaging as her playful personality.

If you haven’t heard Jim White play guitar, you’re in for a treat.  Jim come from a strong Rhythm and Blues background and cut his chops playing with some great Chicago bands.  And when Jim plays the Celtic tunes you will be knocked out of your chair. Equally at home in classical, rock, jazz, and pop, Meghan McKown brings her own fresh approach to everything she sings.  Her tone ranges from rich to soulful to clear and pristine.  A versatile vocalist, she possesses outstanding control of her instrument.

"As the regular reader knows, Dyed in the Wool is our favorite Chicago Band. Period. The group has its second album out. Called, Stranded. It’s wonderful, and that has nothing to do with the fact these wonderful musicians are from Chicago… (the band keeps) getting better and better, and why they are not bigger on the national and international scene bewilders us. Great stuff." (Rating: Four Harps) (Bill Margeson, Irish American News)

http://www.dyedinthewool.net/