country blues – AcousticMusicScene.com

Roy Book Binder, American Bluesman, 1943-2026

Michael Kornfeld — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 22:29:20 +0000

Roy Book Binder, a noted American country blues and ragtime guitarist, singer-songwriter and raconteur, died on March 3, 2026. He was 82.

Born Roy Alan Bookbinder in Queens, New York on October 5, 1943, he took up the guitar following a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy, after acquiring his first instrument in Italy and returning to New York. A student and friend of the Reverend Gary Davis, whom he met in 1966 and with whom he also toured during the late 1960s, Book Binder launched his career during the folk and blues revival in New York’s Greenwich Village, where he was a frequent participant in open mics hosted by Dave Van Ronk, The Mayor of MacDougal Street, In the early 1970s,Book Binder recorded Travelin’ Man, his first solo acoustic album on Adelphi Records, left his abode in the Village, and began rambling around the world. A real road warrior and contemporary itinerant bluesman, he traveled extensively across the U.S. in a motor home, while also playing festivals and other gigs around Canada, Europe and Australia. The Travelin’ Man and The Book, as he was alternately known, also joined Bonnie Raitt on an east coast tour and toured with Jorma Kaukonen (who recorded two of Book Binder’s songs – “The Preacher Picked the Guitar” and “Another Man Done A Full Go Round,” and invited him to teach guitar at his Fur Peace Ranch — which he did for some 20 years). During the late 1980s, Book Binder made nearly 30 appearances on Nashville Now with Ralph Emory on cable TV’s The Nashville Network (TNN).

A resident of St. Petersburg, Florida, Book Binder was a consummate entertainer known for his distinctive fingerpicking style and slide arrangements, along with his captivating storytelling. His engaging concert and festival performances were punctuated with humorous anecdotes and personal stories.

“I don’t play gigs in places where I wouldn’t go socially,” Book Binder once told thecountryblues.com. “I don’t play the bar blues scene. It’s not my thing. I am just a folk player. Until I started my own label, I didn’t know you could make money from selling records. I had recorded plenty of times, but I never got paid by the labels. So I started my own.”

Although Book Binder helped to keep old-time folk songs and the Piedmont blues tradition alive through the decades and had a vast repertoire, he also wrote and recorded his own songs. Beginning in the late 1990s, he released albums on his own independent label (Peg Leg Records) after having previously recorded for Adelphi, Blue Goose, Flying Fish, Kicking Mule, and Rounder Records.

Book Binder — who died just days after one of his acoustic blues and roots music contemporaries, John Hammond — leaves behind his second wife, Nancy, whom he married in 1999, his brothers Michael and Paul, and a vast repertoire of music and memories.

Top Albums and Songs of February 2015 (FOLKDJ-L)

Michael Kornfeld — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 14:25:39 +0000

“Sliding Delta,” a collection of 1920s-1930s rural blues that inspired roots artist Michael Jerome Browne, was the most-played album on folk radio during February 2015, while its title track was the most-played song, according to charts compiled by Richard Gillmann from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio.

Browne, a two-time Canadian Folk Music Awards Solo Artist of the Year and three-time Juno Awards nominee, features his personal interpretations of songs by Mississippi John Hurt, Fred McDowell, Skip James, Charley Patton and Blind Willie McTell, among others, on his new Borealis Records album. Closely following Browne’s release in terms of airplay were new albums by Neptune’s Car and Jorma Kaukonen.

The February 2015 FOLKDJ-L charts are based on 12,468 airplays from 134 different DJs. The number of reported spins (airplays) is shown in parentheses, while label and release dates appear in brackets. They are posted with permission on AcousticMusicScene.com.

Top Albums of February 2015

1: “Sliding Delta”, Michael Jerome Browne [Borealis, 1/15] (63)
2: The 45th Parallel, Neptune’s Car [neptunescar.com, 1/15] (62)
3: Ain’t In No Hurry, Jorma Kaukonen [Red House, 2/15] (61)
4: Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions, Robert Earl Keen [Dualtone,
2/15] (56)
5: Dreaming As I Do, Caroline Cotter [Bella Blue, new] (54)
6: Brotherhood, The Gibson Brothers [Rounder, 2/15] (51)
6: Looking Back: Our American Irish Souls, The Burns Sisters [Sisters,
new] (51)
6: Tillamook Burn, Lauren Sheehan And Zoe Carpenter [
laurensheehanmusic.com, 11/14] (51)
9: Pandemonium, Moors And McCumber [moorsandmccumber.com, 12/14] (49)
9: Trust,”The Levins [thelevinsmusic.com, 1/15] (49)
11: Chasing The Sun, The Sweet Lowdown [thesweetlowdown.ca, 11/14] (42)
12: A Bird In This World, Joel Mabus [Fossil, new] (41)
13: The Widening Gyre, Altan [Compass, 1/15] (40)
14: Lomax Project, Jayme Stone [Borealis, new] (36)
14: Straight Lines, Mike Agranoff [mikeagranoff.com, 11/14] (36)
16: Best Medicine, The Stray Birds [Yep Roc, 10/14] (35)
17: Shadows In The Night, Bob Dylan [Columbia, 1/15] (34)
18: Ionia, Lindsay Lou And The Flatbellys [lindsayloumusic.com, new] (32)
18: Tomorrow Is My Turn, Rhiannon Giddens [Nonesuch, new] (32)
20: Sit Down! Get Up! Get Out!, Barnstar! [Signature, 2/15] (30)
21: Kelly Bosworth, Kelly Bosworth [kellybosworth.com, 11/14] (29)
21: Redemption Road, Tom Paxton [Pax, new] (29)
21: Wage Love, Fred Gillen Jr [Dys, new] (29)
24: The Ballad Beyond, Jez Lowe [Tantobie, 11/14] (28)
24: The Nocturne Diaries, Eliza Gilkyson [Red House, 3/14] (28)
26: The Phosphorescent Blues, Punch Brothers [Nonesuch, 1/15] (27)
27: Dragonflies, Scott And Michelle Dalziel [Gatorbone, new] (26)
27: XVII, The Nields [Self, new] (26)
29: Blue Roses, Rachael Sage [MPress, 10/14] (25)
30: All Over The Map, The Better Halves [Self, 7/14] (23)
30: Boomtown, Tom Pacheco [Frogs Claw, 10/14] (23)
30: Wood, Wire & Words, Norman Blake [Plectraphone, 1/15] (23)
33: The Lazy Farmer, Flynn Cohen [Wepecket Island, 2013] (22)
34: Songs Around The Kitchen Table, David Llewellyn And Ida Kristin
[Norna, new] (21)
34: Terraplane, Steve Earle & The Dukes [New West, new] (21)
36: Lost On The River, The New Basement Tapes [Harvest, 11/14] (20)
36: Sterling Road, Cassie And Maggie [cassieandmaggie.com, 5/14] (20)
36: Wake, Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line [Blue Pig, new] (20)
39: Lay It Down, Louise Mosrie [Zoe Cat, 10/14] (19)
39: Portraits, George Mann [Running Scared, 1/15] (19)
39: Reckless Skyline, Caitlin Canty [caitlincanty.com, 1/15] (19)
39: Swim, Alice Di Micele [Alice Otter, new] (19)
43: Black Beauty, Elana James [Snarf, new] (18)
43: Chasing Beauty, Ellis Paul [Black Wolf, 7/14] (18)
43: A History Of Ghosts, Bobtown [bobtownmusic.com, 11/14] (18)
46: Acoustic Rainbow 44, Various Artists [Poetman, new] (17)
46: Medicine, Drew Holcomb And The Neighbors [Magnolia, new] (17)
46: That Kind Of Girl, Amy Speace [Windbone, new] (17)
49: Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn
[Rounder, 10/14] (16)
49: Ceilings, Floors And Open Doors, Gwyneth Moreland [Self, 2014] (16)
49: Discovered: Live In Concert, Peter, Paul And Mary [Rhino, 11/14] (16)
49: Fee Fie Foh Fum, Flagship Romance [Gatorbone, new] (16)
49: A Reasonable Amount Of Trouble, Jesse Winchester [Appleseed, 9/14]
(16)
49: Tell ’em I’m Gone, Yusuf (Cat Stevens) [Legacy, 10/14] (16)
55: Blackbirds, Gretchen Peters [Scarlet Letter, 2/15] (15)
55: Bright Side Of Down, John Gorka [Red House, 3/14] (15)
55: Decade, Yellow Room Gang [Yellow Room, new] (15)
55: Inside Llewyn Davis, Various Artists [Nonesuch, 2013] (15)
55: A Time Long Gone, Charlie Mosbrook [Self, new] (15)
60: Georgia I’m Here, Joe Crookston [Milagrito, 4/14] (14)
60: Sweet Memories. . . Never Leave, Erynn Marshall And Carl Jones
[Dittyville, new] (14)
60: Waterproof, Robyn Landis [Brave Hearts, 10/14] (14)
60: You’re Home Now, Richard Berman [Self, 11/14] (14)
64: Two, Three, Four?, John And Sheila Ludgate [Self, 2014] (13)
64: Empty Pockets And A Troubled Mind, Rodney Rice [Moody Spring, 10/14] (13)
64: The Fretless, The Fretless [Self, 2/14] (13)
64: The Longing Road, Johnsmith [johnsmithmusic.com, 7/14] (13)
64: Mono, The Mavericks [Valory, new] (13)
64: Next Year People, Colin Hay [Compass, new] (13)
64: Thompson Family, Thompson Family [Concord, 11/14] (13)

Top Songs of February 2015

1. “Sliding Delta” (17)
by Michael Jerome Browne
from “Sliding Delta”
2. “Bella Blue” (15)
by Caroline Cotter
from “Dreaming As I Do”
2. “Clare To Here” (15)
by The Burns Sisters
from “Looking Back: Our American Irish Souls”
2. “Honey Baby Blues” (15)
by Lauren Sheehan And Zoe Carpenter
from “Tillamook Burn”
5. “The 45th Parallel” (12)
by Neptune’s Car
from “The 45th Parallel”
5. “Blue Sky Turned To Rust” (12)
by Neptune’s Car
from “The 45th Parallel”
7. “Corrina” (11)
by Lauren Sheehan And Zoe Carpenter
from “Tillamook Burn”
7. “Footprints In The Snow” (11)
by Robert Earl Keen
from “Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions”
7. “In The Wee Midnight Hours” (11)
by Lauren Sheehan And Zoe Carpenter
from “Tillamook Burn”
7. “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out” (11)
by Jorma Kaukonen
from “Ain’t In No Hurry”
7. “Trust” (11)
by The Levins
from “Trust”
7. “Waters” (11)
by Kelly Bosworth
from “Kelly Bosworth”
13. “Other Side Of The Mountain” (10)
by Jorma Kaukonen
from “Ain’t In No Hurry”
13. “Helpless” (10)
by Rachael Sage
from “Blue Roses”
15. “Best Medicine” (9)
by The Stray Birds
from “Best Medicine”
15. “Crack A Smile” (9)
by Moors And McCumber
from “Pandemonium”
15. “Ghost Of Joe Hill” (9)
by Fred Gillen Jr
from “Wage Love”
15. “Hot Corn, Cold Corn” (9)
by Robert Earl Keen
from “Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions”
15. “Love Song” (9)
by The Levins
from “Trust”
15. “Welcome Back To The Blues” (9)
by Joel Mabus
from “A Bird In This World”
21. “Ain’t In No Hurry” (8)
by Jorma Kaukonen
from “Ain’t In No Hurry”
21. “Road Song” (8)
by The Sweet Lowdown
from “Chasing The Sun”
21. “Birds And The Bees” (8)
by The Sweet Lowdown
from “Chasing The Sun”
21. “Brother Can You Spare A Dime” (8)
by Jorma Kaukonen
from “Ain’t In No Hurry”
21. “Dreaming As I Do” (8)
by Caroline Cotter
from “Dreaming As I Do”
21. “Emily Dickinson” (8)
by Neptune’s Car
from “The 45th Parallel”
21. “Get Up” (8)
by Caitlin Canty
from “Reckless Skyline”
21. “Hot Hands” (8)
by Lindsay Lou And The Flatbellys
from “Ionia”
21. “I Am Grateful For What I Have” (8)
by Sarah McQuaid
from “The Silver Lining”
21. “Laugh With Me” (8)
by The Levins
from “Trust”
21. “Lazy John” (8)
by Jayme Stone
from “Lomax Project”
21. “Mayor Of MacDougal Street” (8)
by Tom Paxton
from “Redemption Road”
21. “Shake Sugaree” (8)
by Rhiannon Giddens
from “Tomorrow Is My Turn”
21. “You Take Me Somewhere” (8)
by Moors And McCumber
from “Pandemonium”

Long Island AcoustiCalendar for March-Early April 2009

Michael Kornfeld — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 21:32:52 +0000

Compiled by Michael Kornfeld

Detailed listings for more than 150 concerts, open mics and jam sessions slated for March through early April 2009 in Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties appear in this installment of AcousticMusicScene.com’s Long Island AcoustiCalendar.

Sunday, 3/1

Open Mic, Bar Matchless, 557 Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn. 718-383-5333.

Ponkiesburg Pickin’ Party, weekly traditional acoustic music jam features dashes of country, old-time, bluegrass, blues and folk at Kili, 81 Hoyt Street (between State & Atlantic), Brooklyn. 4:30-7:30 p.m.

Stephane Wrembel presents The Django Experiment, French virtuoso guitarist plays in Reinhardt’s style, Barbes, 376 9th Street (corner of 6th Avenue), Park Slope, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. $10 suggested donation.

Monday, 3/2

Country Blues Jam at Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. No cover.

Tuesday, 3/3

Stuart Markus, LI-based singer-songwriter and member of the folk-harmony trio Gathering Time, plays solo acoustic at Rachel’s Waterside Grill, 281 Woodcleft Avenue (on the Nautical Mile) in Freeport. 6-9:30 p.m. 516-546-0050.

Open Mic, Cool Beanz, 556 North Country Road (Route 25A), St. James. 8 p.m. Sign-up with Andy Bilello between 7:30 and 8 p.m. $1 cover.

Open Mic, Napper Tandy’s Irish Pub, 275 Route 25A, Miller Place. 8 p.m. to midnight.

Wednesday, 3/4

Acoustic Long Island features performances by Stephanie Nilles and Amy Crawford and The Electrics, Deepwells Mansion, Route 25A (just west of Moriches Road intersection), St. James. 8-10 p.m. (www.acousticlongisland.com). Free.

Folk Open Sing, sponsored by the Good Coffeehouse and the Pinewoods –Folk Music Society of New York, Ethical Cultural Society building (basement), 53 Prospect Park West (near 2nd Street), Brooklyn. For information, call Alison Kelley, 718-636-6341.

Stuart Markus, LI-based singer-songwriter and member of the folk-harmony trio Gathering Time, plays solo acoustic at Fiore, 142 Tulip Avenue, Floral Park. 7-10:30 p.m. 516-775-8226.

Buddy Merriam & Back Roads, LI bluegrass stalwarts, Checkmate Inn, North Country Road, Setauket. 9:30 p.m.

Open Mic, Cool Beanz, 556 North Country Road (Route 25A), St. James. 8-11 p.m.

Open Mic, Life Café, 983 Flushing Avenue, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. – Midnight.

Open Mic, Spike Hill, 186 Bedford Avenue (corner of 7th Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 7 p.m.

Roots n’ Ruckus, a night of folk, old-time and blues music, at Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. 9:30 p.m.

“WoodSongs at the Movies” features a 45-minute live performance by a LI-based singer-songwriter David Bailey, followed by an hour-long screening of Michael Johnathon’s “WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour featuring Richie Havens. Clearview’s Babylon Cinemas, 34 Main Street (west of Deer Park Avenue), Babylon. 7:30 p.m. $12. Free tickets are available for Optimum Rewards and Folk Music Society of Huntington members who show their member cards. (www.fmshny.org).

Thursday, 3/5

Acoustic Open Mic, hosted by Joe Vicino, Toomey’s Tavern, 251 South Ketcham Avenue, Amityville. 8 p.m. 631-264-0564.

Hooklyn Holler, monthly singer-songwriter series features Matt Jones at 9 p.m., Alana Amram (David’s daughter) at 10 p.m., and Dana Athens at 11 p.m. Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 718-375-3214. $5 cover per set.

Old Time Jam with Zot’s Dream (jug music featuring banjos, washboard, washtub bass, tin-can drums, etc), Freddy’s Back Room, 485 Dean Street at Sixth Avenue, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. to midnight.

Open Mic Night, E.B. Elliot’s, 2 Woodcleft Avenue (on the Nautical Mile), Freeport. Call John to reserve a spot, 516-524-9270.

Strings n’ Things Open Mic Night, presented by the Smithtown Township Arts Council, at the, Mills Pond House, 660 Route 25A, Smithtown. (www.stacarts.org). 631-862-6575. 8-9:30 p.m. Sign-up begins at 7:15 p.m. Free.

Traditional Irish Session, Maguire’s Public House, 54-20 Roosevelt Avenue, Woodside, Queens. 9:30 p.m. 718-429-9426.

Friday 3/6

Bill Carney’s Jug Addicts perform a lively, raucous blend of jug band, old-time, Tin Pan Alley, early jazz and blues music at Barbes, 376 9th Street (corner of 6th Avenue), Park Slope, Brooklyn. 10 p.m. $10 suggested donation.

Free Grass Union, LI-based bluegrass-roots jam band, plays the Grey Horse Tavern, 291 Bayport Avenue, Bayport. 9:30 p.m. 631-422-1868.

Gathering Time, a folk harmony trio (featuring Glen Roethel, Stuart Markus and Hillary Foxsong) that has been capturing attention and fans with its spirited blend of folk and acoustic originals, stylistic interpretations of choice covers, and wonderful three-part vocal harmonies, performs at The Garden Stage, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Central Nassau, 223 Stewart Avenue (corner of Nassau Boulevard), Garden City. 8 p.m. $15 in advance; $17 at the door. For advance tickets and information, contact calendar@uuccn.org.

Island Songwriters Showcase (ISS) Open Mic at Border’s Café, Jericho Turnpike (Route 25), Syosset. 8 p.m. Those wishing to perform must sign-up with Vinny Crici at 7:30 p.m. (www.islandsongwriters.org).

Open Mic Night, hosted by singer-songwriter Liza Coppola, at the Custer Institute, 1115 Main Bayview Road, Southold. (www.custerobservatory.org). 631-765-2626. 7-10 p.m.

PeaceSmiths Topical, A-Typical, Folk Music, Poetry and Whatever Coffeehouse, features Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Rorie Kelly plus an open mic, First United Methodist Church, 25 Broadway/Route 110 (southernmost end near Merrick Road/Montauk Highway), Amityville. 8 p.m. (www.peacesmiths.org). 631-798-0778. $7 suggested donation.

Rhythm Kings Acoustic Duo (Philip Gardner on bass and vocals, Douglas Baldwin on guitar and vocals), Popei’s, 451 Middle Country Road, Coram. 9 p.m.

Saturday, 3/7

Druid featuring The Irish Tenors at the YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts, 37 West Main Street, Bay Shore. 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. (www.boultoncenter.org). 631-969-1101. $47.50; $42.50 for members.

The Folk Brothers (David Massengill and Jack Hardy), veterans of the New York folk scene, perform for the Folk Music Society of Huntington at the Congregational Church of Huntington, 30 Washington Drive (just off Route 25A) in Centerport. The 8:30 p.m. concert is preceded by an hour-long open mic at 7:30 p.m. (www.fmshny.org). 631-425-2925. $20 in advance; $22 at the door; $15 for FMSH members. Tickets available in advance via Brown Paper Tickets.

Fourteen Feet, New York-based roots rock band, plays acoustic at RS Jones, 153 Merrick Avenue, Merrick. 7:30 p.m.

Grand Folk Railroad, acoustic folk-rock duo featuring Susan Cohen and Mike Christian, In A Little Cafe, 529 Lake Avenue, St. James. 7:30-10 p.m.

Lara Herscovitch, a talented contemporary singer-songwriter and recently named Connecticut State Troubadour whose music features a nice blend of folk, pop and world styles, performs as part of the Real Musik: Song House Concert Series in Setauket. 7:30 p.m. For reservations, call 631-374-6740 or send an email to tinkercreek@optonline.net. $15 suggested donation for the artist. An article entitled “Lara Herscovitch Named Connecticut State Troubadour” appears in the News – Northeast U.S. section of AcousticMusicScene.com.

Leo Kottke, acclaimed guitarist, plays the Inter-Media Art Center (IMAC), 370 New York Avenue, Huntington. 8 p.m. (www.imactheater.org). 631-549-9666. $45; $34 for members.

Holly Near and Emma’s Revolution perform their socially conscious music as part of the First Acoustics concert series at the First Unitarian Congregational Society of Brooklyn, 50 Monroe Place, Brooklyn Heights. 8 p.m. (www.acoustics.org). 718-288-5994. $25.

Rhythm Kings Acoustic Duo (Philip Gardner on bass and vocals, Douglas Baldwin on guitar and vocals), The Bench, 1095 Route 25A, Stony Brook. 8 p.m.

Saturday Night Jam, Sunny’s, 253 Conover Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 8 p.m.

An Evening with Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul & Mary fame) at The Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main Street, Port Washington. 8 p.m. (www.landmarkonmainstreet.org). 516-767-6444. $35-$45.

Sunday, 3/8

Folk Jam & Sing-Along sponsored by the Folk Music Society of Huntington, a monthly gathering for mostly amateur musicians and those who love to sing, during which everyone joins in on songs primarily from the book “Rise Up Singing,” Huntington Public Library, 338 Main Street, Huntington. 1-4:30 p.m. Free.

Open Mic, Bar Matchless, 557 Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn. 718-383-5333.

The Refugees (Cindy Bullens, Deborah Holland and Wendy Waldman) perform as part of the Sunday Street Acoustic Series at the University Café, Stony Brook Union building, Stony Brook University. 2 p.m. (www.universitycafe.org). 631-632-1093. Tickets are $20 in advance; $25 at the door.

Stephane Wrembel presents The Django Experiment, French virtuoso guitarists plays in Reinhardt’s style, Barbes, 376 9th Street (corner of 6th Avenue), Park Slope, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. $10 suggested donation.

Monday, 3/9

Country Blues Jam at Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. No cover.

Tuesday, 3/10

Robbie Fulks, alt. country artist, Barbes, 376 9th Street (corner of 6th Avenue), Park Slope, Brooklyn. 7 p.m. $10 suggested donation.

Open Mic, Cool Beanz, 556 North Country Road (Route 25A), St. James. 8 p.m. Sign-up with Andy Bilello between 7:30 and 8 p.m. $1 cover.

Open Mic, Napper Tandy’s Irish Pub, 275 Route 25A, Miller Place. 8 p.m. to midnight.

Wednesday, 3/11

Open Mic, Cool Beanz, 556 North Country Road (Route 25A), St. James. 8-11 p.m.

Open Mic, Life Café, 983 Flushing Avenue, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. – Midnight.

Open Mic, Spike Hill, 186 Bedford Avenue (corner of 7th Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 7 p.m.

Roots n’ Ruckus, a night of folk, old-time and blues music, at Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, 3/12

Acoustic Open Mic, hosted by Joe Vicino, Toomey’s Tavern, 251 South Ketcham Avenue, Amityville. 8 p.m. 631-264-0564.

Canvas Open Mic Night, an evening of music and poetry hosted by talented singer-songwriter and percussive fingerstyle guitarist Joe Iadanza, with performance by Phil Minissale, the finger-pickin’ good Piedmont-style LI blues guitarist and singer-songwriter, Canvas/Footprints Gallery, 51 Gibson Avenue, Huntington. 7-9:30 p.m.; performer sign-up at 7 p.m. $5 admission includes healthy snacks.

Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, husband and wife duo (Sarah Lee is Arlo’s daughter
and Woody’s granddaughter) with nice harmonies and an American roots sound, Jalopy,
315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. 718-375-3214. $10 cover

Serena Jost, singer-songwriter and cellist, Barbes, 376 9th Street (corner of 6th Avenue), Park Slope, Brooklyn. 8 p.m. $10 suggested donation.

Open Mic Night, E.B. Elliot’s, 2 Woodcleft Avenue (on the Nautical Mile), Freeport. Call John to reserve a spot, 516-524-9270.

Traditional Irish Session, Maguire’s Public House, 54-20 Roosevelt Avenue, Woodside, Queens. 9:30 p.m. 718-429-9426.

Friday, 3/13

Howard Fishman, a talented and eclectic musician and composer, plays Barbes, 376 9th Street (corner of 6th Avenue), Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Lucky 13 (a talented trio featuring Marci Geller, Cathy Kreger and Susan DeVita) plays the Grounds and Sounds Café at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stony Brook, 380 Nichols Road, Setauket. 8:45 p.m. concert, preceded by an open mic at 8 p.m. (www.groundsandsounds.uufsb.org). $15.

Natalie MacMaster, Cape Breton fiddler extraordinaire, Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, 720 Northern Boulevard (Route 25A), Brookville. 8 p.m. 516-299-3100.

Singer-songwriters Bruce Markow, Spook Handy, Emily Pickrell and Glen Roethel strut their stuff at The Good Coffeehouse Music Parlor at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 53 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn. 8 p.m. (www.gchmusic.org). 718-768-2972. $10; $6 for children.

Saturday, 3/14

Johnny Cuomo (LI-based, folk-flavored roots artist) and Julia Joseph (NY-based singer-songwriter, whom some may know from her work with Milton) share a bill at The Eclectic Café, Unitarian Universalist Society of South Suffolk, 28 Brentwood Road, Bay Shore. (www.eclecticcafe.org). 631-661-1278. 8:30 p.m., preceded by an open mic at 7:30 p.m. $10; $8 for members.

Celeste Ray Trio performs traditional Celtic songs at the North Shore Public Library, 250 Route 25A, Shoreham. 2 p.m. 631-929-4488.

Saturday Night Jam, Sunny’s, 253 Conover Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 8 p.m.

Dar Williams, one of the most gifted singer-songwriters on the contemporary folk scene, performs at the YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts, 37 West Main Street, Bay Shore. 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.(www.boultoncenter.org). 631-969-1101. $45; $40 for members.

Sunday, 3/15

Matt and Shannon Heaton perform Irish traditional music and original songs at Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. 9:30 p.m. 718-375-3214. $10 cover.

Cindy Kallet and Gray Larsen perform as part of the Sunday Street Acoustic Series at the University Café, Stony Brook Union building, Stony Brook University. 2 p.m. (www.universitycafe.org). 631-632-1093. Tickets are $20 in advance; $25 at the door.

Open Mic, Bar Matchless, 557 Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn. 718-383-5333.

Brooklyn Songwriters Exchange features Rebecca Pronsky, Ethan Lipton and Jen Clapp at Union Hall, 702 Union Street at 5th Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn. Free.

Country Blues Jam at Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. No cover.

Buddy Merriam & Back Roads present an afternoon of bluegrass music at the Longwood Public Library, 800 Middle Country Road, Middle Island. 2 p.m. 631-924-6400. Free.

Tuesday, 3/17

Robbie Fulks, alt. country artist, Barbes, 376 9th Street (corner of 6th Avenue), Park Slope, Brooklyn. 7 p.m. $10 suggested donation.

Stuart Markus, LI- based singer-songwriter and member of the folk-harmony trio Gathering Time, plays Irish tunes at Union Station, 155 West Main Street, Smithtown. 7-11 p.m. 631-765-3700.

Open Mic, Cool Beanz, 556 North Country Road (Route 25A), St. James. 8 p.m. Sign-up with Andy Bilello between 7:30 and 8 p.m. $1 cover.

Open Mic, Napper Tandy’s Irish Pub, 275 Route 25A, Miller Place. 8 p.m. to midnight.

Wednesday, 3/18

Open Mic, Cool Beanz, 556 North Country Road (Route 25A), St. James. 8-11 p.m.

Open Mic, Life Café, 983 Flushing Avenue, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. – Midnight.

Open Mic, Spike Hill, 186 Bedford Avenue (corner of 7th Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 7 p.m.

Roots n’ Ruckus, a night of folk, old-time and blues music, at Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, 3/19

Acoustic Open Mic, hosted by Joe Vicino, Toomey’s Tavern, 251 South Ketcham Avenue, Amityville. 8 p.m. 631-264-0564.

Open Mic Night, E.B. Elliot’s, 2 Woodcleft Avenue (on the Nautical Mile), Freeport. Call John to reserve a spot, 516-524-9270.

Original Voices at the Vail, a songwriters showcase with featured performers and an open mic, at the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall, 18 Peconic Avenue, Riverhead. 7:30-10:30 p.m.; sign-up, 7-7:30 p.m. (www.vail-leavitt.org). 631-727-5782. $5 donation.

Traditional Irish Session, Maguire’s Public House, 54-20 Roosevelt Avenue, Woodside, Queens. 9:30 p.m. 718-429-9426.

Friday, 3/20

Two Celtic Women: Celeste Ray and accompanist Kathryn Bucknell present an evening of jigs, reels and songs at the Port Washington Public Library, 1 Library Drive, Port Washington. 7:30 p.m. (www.pwpl.org). 516-883-4400. Free.

Randall Williams, a well-traveled, conservatory-trained singer-songwriter, poignant storyteller and captivating guitarist who is partial to the use of partial capos in alternate and standards, last performed on LI last year as part of the Falcon Ridge Preview Tour. He returns to perform solo for the Our Times Coffeehouse at the Ethical Humanist Society building, 38 Old Country Road, Garden City. (www.ourtimescoffeehouse.org). 8 p.m. $15.

Saturday, 3/21

Folk Music Society of Huntington’s Hard Luck Café series presents its second annual Island Songwriters Showcase (ISS) concert featuring local artists Frank Gambino, Jim Baron, Vincent Crici, Tim Dillon, David Bailey and Lois Morton, at the Congregational Church of Huntington, 30 Washington Drive (just off Route 25A) in Centerport. 7:30 p.m. (www.fmshny.org). 631-425-2925. $10; $7 for members.

Grand Folk Railroad, acoustic folk-rock duo featuring Susan Cohen and Mike Christian, Perk Place Cafe, 2945 Hempstead Turnpike, Levittown. 8 p.m.

David Munnelly Band, a lively traditional Celtic music ensemble fronted by a talented Irish button accordionist who has toured and recorded with The Chieftains and DeDanann, performs at Kingsborough Community College, 2001 Oriental Boulevard, Brooklyn.

Rhythm Kings Acoustic Duo (Philip Gardner on bass and vocals, Douglas Baldwin on guitar and vocals), Grey Horse Tavern, 291 Bayport Avenue, Bayport. 9 p.m.

Saturday Night Jam, Sunny’s, 253 Conover Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 8 p.m.

Sunday, 3/22

Bellport Songwriter Series features local performers, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bellport, 51 Browns Road, Bellport. 7:30 p.m. $5.

Chester River Runoff, old timey and bluegrass sounds, at Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. 718-375-3214. $10 cover.

Joe Crookston, a gifted Ithaca, NY-based singer-songwriter and guitarist, whose latest CD – filled with lyrically compelling, narrative-style songs – was the #1 most aired recording by folk/acoustic radio DJs across North America in 2008, an energetic and engaging live performer. You can catch him in an intimate setting when he brings his “Ides of March” tour to Court House Concerts in a private home in Merrick. His 3 p.m. performance is preceded by a pre-concert gathering at 2 p.m. Reservations required. (www.courthouseconcerts.com) email: courthouseconcerts@yahoo.com. $15 suggested donation. A Feb. 27 article entitled Joe Crookston Earns Album of the Year Award appears elsewhere on AcousticMusicScene.com.

The Donny Golden School of Dance presents a lively program of Irish step dancing, along with traditional Irish music, at the Huntington Public Library, 338 Main Street, Huntington. 3 p.m. 631-421-5053. Free.

The Ebony Hillbillies perform at Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. 718-375-3214. $10 cover.

Homegrown String Band (Inspired by the rural string bands of the early 20th century, Long Island’s Jackofsky family has been performing traditional and neo-traditional acoustic American roots music and lively originals together for more than a decade), performs at the Bayport-Blue Point Public Library, 203 Blue Point Avenue, Blue Point. 2 p.m. 631-363-6133.

Open Mic, Bar Matchless, 557 Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn. 718-383-5333.

Greg Ryan: Songs & Music of Ireland, Brentwood Public Library, 34 Second Avenue, Brentwood. 2 p.m. (www.brentwoodnylibrary.org). 631-273-7883. Free.

Monday, 3/23

Country Blues Jam at Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. No cover.

Tuesday, 3/24

Robbie Fulks, alt. country artist, Barbes, 376 9th Street (corner of 6th Avenue), Park Slope, Brooklyn. 7 p.m. $10 suggested donation.

Open Mic, Napper Tandy’s Irish Pub, 275 Route 25A, Miller Place. 8 p.m. to midnight.

Wednesday, 3/25

Phil Minissale, the finger-pickin’ good Piedmont-style LI blues guitarist and singer-songwriter, plays Bobbique, 70 West Main Street, Patchogue. No cover.

Open Mic, Cool Beanz, 556 North Country Road (Route 25A), St. James. 8-11 p.m.

Open Mic, Life Café, 983 Flushing Avenue, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. – Midnight.

Open Mic, Spike Hill, 186 Bedford Avenue (corner of 7th Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 7 p.m.

Roots n’ Ruckus, a night of folk, old-time and blues music, at Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, 3/26

Acoustic Open Mic, hosted by Joe Vicino, Toomey’s Tavern, 251 South Ketcham Avenue, Amityville. 8 p.m. 631-264-0564.

Open Mic Night, E.B. Elliot’s, 2 Woodcleft Avenue (on the Nautical Mile), Freeport. Call John to reserve a spot, 516-524-9270.

Traditional Irish Session, Maguire’s Public House, 54-20 Roosevelt Avenue, Woodside, Queens. 9:30 p.m. 718-429-9426.

Friday, 3/27

American String Conspiracy performs at Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. 9 p.m.
718-375-3214. $10 cover.

Blue Harvest explores the rich heritage of traditional American music at The Good Coffeehouse Music Parlor at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 53 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn. 8 p.m. (www.gchmusic.org). 718-768-2972. $10; $6 for children. A Meet the Musicians session precedes the concert at 7 p.m.

The Five Deadly Venoms, New York-based bluegrass instrumentalists, Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. 10:30 p.m. 718-375-3214. $10 cover.

Homegrown String Band (Inspired by the rural string bands of the early 20th century, Long Island’s Jackofsky family has been performing traditional and neo-traditional acoustic American roots music and lively originals together for more than a decade), plays The Grey Horse Tavern, 291 Bayport Avenue, Bayport. 631-477-1868.

Stuart Markus, LI-based singer-songwriter and member of the folk-harmony trio Gathering Time, plays solo acoustic at The Clubhouse, 320 West Jericho Turnpike, Huntington. 7 p.m.-midnight. 631-423-1155. No cover.

Jay Scott, raspy-voiced local singer-songwriter, plays Brickhouse Brewery, 67 West Main Street, Patchogue 9:30 p.m. $5 cover.

Saturday, 3/28

Caroline Doctorow CD release party at the Stephen Talkhouse, 161 Main Street, Amagansett. 8 p.m. 631-267-3117. $10.

Gathering Time, a folk harmony trio featuring Glen Roethel, Stuart Markus and Hillary Foxsong, pays tribute to the acoustic soft rock of the 1970s with stylistic interpretations of choice songs by The Eagles, CSNY, America, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Harry Chapin and more, at the Dix Hills Center for the Performing Arts at Five Towns College, 305 North Service Road, Dix Hills. 7:30 p.m. (www.dhpac.org). 631-656-2148. $20.

Priscilla Herdman performs as part of the First Acoustics concert series at the First Unitarian Congregational Society of Brooklyn, 50 Monroe Place, Brooklyn Heights. 8 p.m. (www.acoustics.org). 718-288-5994. $25.

Cathy Kreger, LI-based singer-songwriter and part of Lucky 13, performs solo at Elijah Churchill’s, 1031 Route 25A, Fort Salonga. 7-10 p.m. 631-261-9675.

Christine Lavin, a very witty New York City-based singer-songwriter who also has helped boost the careers of other artists, performs for the Last Licks Café at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington Browns Road, Huntington. (www.lastlickscafe.org). 8:30 p.m. concert is preceded by an open mic at 7:30 p.m. $25. Advance tickets available at brownpapertickets.com.

Saturday Night Jam, Sunny’s, 253 Conover Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 8 p.m.

Smokey’s Roundup presents an evening of western swing at Barbes, 376 9th Street (corner of 6th Avenue), Park Slope, Brooklyn. 10 p.m.

Amy Speace, Anthony da Costa and Milton share an emerging artists bill for what promises to be a musical treat. Blessed with an amazing voice and a gift for songwriting, Amy Speace is one of the best new contemporary singer-songwriters on the scene today. Anthony da Costa is a prolific and very talented 18-year old singer-songwriter from Pleasantville, NY, who was a winner in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Competition in 2007and also was the emerging artist voted “Most Wanted to Return” during that year’s Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. Expect him to join Amy for a few songs, just as he does on her forthcoming album. NYC singer-songwriter Milton rounds out the evening. Jeanne Rimsky Theater at the Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main Street, Port Washington. 8 p.m. (www.landmarkonmainstreet.org). 516-767-6444.

Sunday, 3/29

Brooks Williams (a gifted guitarist whose music defies easy categorization) and Beaucoup Blue (a talented, Philadelphia-based father and son acoustic blues and roots duo) perform as part of the Sunday Street Acoustic Series at the University Café, Stony Brook Union building, Stony Brook University. 2 p.m. (www.universitycafe.org). 631-632-1093. Tickets are $20 in advance; $25 at the door.

Open Mic, Bar Matchless, 557 Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn. 718-383-5333.

The Second Fiddles, NYC-based roots trio, plays Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street,
Brooklyn. 8 p.m. 718-375-3214. $15 cover.

Eric and Suzy Thompson, southern-style roots musicians, at Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street,
Brooklyn. 9 p.m. 718-375-3214. $15 cover.

Open Mic, Napper Tandy’s Irish Pub, 275 Route 25A, Miller Place. 8 p.m. to midnight.

Wednesday, 4/1

Acoustic Long Island features performances by two or three select artists at the Deepwells Mansion, Route 25A (just west of the Moriches Road intersection), St. James. 8-10 p.m. (www.acousticlongisland.com). Free.

Buddy Merriam & Back Roads, LI bluegrass stalwarts, Checkmate Inn, North Country Road, Setauket. 9:30 p.m.

Open Mic, Life Café, 983 Flushing Avenue, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. – Midnight.

Open Mic, Spike Hill, 186 Bedford Avenue (corner of 7th Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 7 p.m.

Roots n’ Ruckus, a night of folk, old-time and blues music, at Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. 9:30 p.m.

“WoodSongs at the Movies” features a 45-minute live performance by a local artist tba, followed by an hour-long screening of Michael Johnathon’s “WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour featuring Chuck Leavell and Tori Sparks. Clearview’s Babylon Cinemas, 34 Main Street (west of Deer Park Avenue), Babylon. 7:30 p.m. $12. Free tickets are available for Optimum Rewards and Folk Music Society of Huntington members who show their member cards. (www.fmshny.org).

Thursday, 4/2

Acoustic Open Mic, hosted by Joe Vicino, Toomey’s Tavern, 251 South Ketcham Avenue, Amityville. 8 p.m. 631-264-0564.

Lara Ewen, NYC-based indie/folk-rock singer-songwriter, Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. 10 p.m. $5 cover.

Hooklyn Holler, monthly singer-songwriter series, Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 718-375-3214. $5 cover per set.

Joe Iadanza, a LI-based singer-songwriter and guitarist, whose deeply personal and original music explores themes of love, stepping out into the world, and learning to enjoy the ride, performs with his Beautiful Band (Carolin Pook on violin, Craig Aikin on double bass and Joe Hertenstein on drums and percussion). Iadanza’s music spans the genres of folk, rock, roots and Americana, at times harkening back to a bygone era with its European jazz feel. Matchless, 557 Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn. 8 p.m. 718-385-5333.

Cathy Kreger, LI-based singer-songwriter and part of Lucky 13, performs solo at Hudson’s Mill Restaurant, 5599 Merrick Road, Massapequa. 7:30-10:30 p.m.

Old Time Jam with Zot’s Dream (jug music featuring banjos, washboard, washtub bass, tin-can drums, etc), Freddy’s Back Room, 485 Dean Street at Sixth Avenue, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. to midnight.

Open Mic Night, E.B. Elliot’s, 2 Woodcleft Avenue (on the Nautical Mile), Freeport. Call John to reserve a spot, 516-524-9270.

Traditional Irish Session, Maguire’s Public House, 54-20 Roosevelt Avenue, Woodside, Queens. 9:30 p.m. 718-429-9426.

Friday, 4/3

Jesse Cook, world music guitarist, plays the Inter-Media Art Center (IMAC), 370 New York Avenue, Huntington. 8 p.m. (www.imactheater.org). 631-549-9666.

Raul Malo performs at The Jeanne Rimsky Theater at the Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main Street, Port Washington. 8 p.m. (www.landmarkonmainstreet.org). 516-767-6444.

Open Mic Nightsted by singer-songwriter Liza Coppola, at the Custer Institute, 1115 Main Bayview Road, Southold. (www.custerobservatory.org). 631-765-2626. 7-10 p.m.

PeaceSmiths Topical, A-Typical, Folk Music, Poetry and Whatever Coffeehouse features Phil Minissale, the finger-pickin’ good, young Piedmont-style blues guitarist and singer-songwriter,, First United Methodist Church, 25 Broadway/Route 110 (southernmost end near Merrick Road/Montauk Highway), Amityville. 8 p.m. (www.peacesmiths.org). 631-798-0778. $7 suggested donation.

Rhythm Kings Acoustic Duo (Philip Gardner on bass and vocals, Douglas Baldwin on guitar and vocals), Popei’s, 451 Middle Country Road, Coram. 9 p.m.

Saints & Sinners Show: Blues at the Crossroads featuring Toby Walker and Pat Wictor at The Garden Stage, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Central Nassau, 223 Stewart Avenue (corner of Nassau Boulevard), Garden City. 8 p.m. For advance tickets and information, contact calendar@uuccn.org.

Traveling Troubadour Series features Seattle fingerstyle blues guitarist Del Ray and clarinetist Craig Flory, The Good Coffeehouse Music Parlor at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 53 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn. 8 p.m. (www.gchmusic.org). 718-768-2972. $15; $6 for children. A Meet the Musicians session precedes the concert at 7 p.m.

Saturday, 4/4

Grand Folk Railroad, acoustic folk-rock duo featuring Susan Cohen and Mike Christian, The Cup Cafe, 3268 Railroad Avenue, Wantagh. 9 p.m. $1 cover.

Lucy Kaplansky, one of today’s top contemporary singer-songwriters, returns to help the Folk Music Society of Huntington mark its 40th anniversary, at the Congregational Church of Huntington, 30 Washington Drive (just off Route 25A) in Centerport. The 8:30 p.m. concert is preceded by an hour-long open mic at 7:30 p.m. (www.fmshny.org). 631-425-2925. $23 in advance; $25 at the door; $18 for FMSH members. Tickets available in advance via Brown Paper Tickets.

Rhythm Kings Acoustic Duo (Philip Gardner on bass and vocals, Douglas Baldwin on guitar and vocals), The Bench, 1095 Route 25A, Stony Brook. 8 p.m.

Saturday Night Jam, Sunny’s, 253 Conover Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 8 p.m.

Sunday, 4/5

Ian Tamblyn, Canadian singer-songwriter and adventurer, returns to the University Café to perform as part of the Sunday Street Acoustic Series in the Stony Brook Union building at Stony Brook University. 2 p.m. (www.universitycafe.org). 631-632-1093. $20 in advance; $25 at the door.