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.

“For more than two decades, the New Bedford Folk Festival has been enjoyed by both locals and visitors who love food, music and artisan markets, so it was very much missed during the pandemic,” said Rosemary Gill, executive director of the Zeiterion PAC, the festival’s presenter since 2016.

The festival schedule includes a plethora of talented artists and acts — many of them performing in song-swap style workshops with folks whom they may have never even met, making for unique musical pairings. It also poses a dilemma of choices that may have some attendees walking briskly from one stage to another nearby to catch certain artists.

There will be continuous music from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on seven sound stages, ranging from the intimate “Meet the Performer” area at the historic Seamen’s Bethel (which figures In Herman Melville’s classic novel, Moby Dick) and the National Park Garden Stage to the majestic 1200-seat Zeiterion Performing Arts Center. Besides nearly 75 musical performances on those stages, there will be non-ticketed areas open to the public – including six blocks of craft vendors, a gourmet food court & beer garden, and a Southcoast Stage featuring local performers.

“We continue to attract high-caliber musicians who are the best in their genre,” maintains Alan Korolenko, who originated the festival as New Bedford Summerfest in 1996 and currently serves as its artistic director, along with his wife Helene. “Our loyal audience look forward to the artists they know, as well as those they haven’t yet experienced, like at the workshops [featuring three of four artists/acts on stage at the same time] that match unlikely musicians,” he said. “These unique performances have helped New Bedford Folk Festival to become the gem it is today.” This summer’s song swap-style workshops include “A Change is Gonna Come: Topical Songs Then and Now,” “The Great American Songbook: What’s In It, What Should Be In It,” and “Now I Long for Yesterday: Songs I Wish I had Written.”

Local artists Back Porch, Butch McCarthy, Chuck Williams, Dori Rubbicco, Eric Kilburn, Fourteen Strings, Gary Fish and Red Fish, Jeff Angeley and the Pebbles of Rain, Joanne Doherty, MaryBeth Soares and Dave Perreira, Mike Laureanno, Molly O’Leary, New Bedford Harbor Sea Chantey Chorus, Putnam Murdock, Sacred Harp with The Beans, The Harper and The Minstrel, and The Jethros will showcase their talents on the Southcoast stage, the only stage open to the public without tickets.

Besides the music, many artisans and crafts makers will set up booths along the cobblestoned streets between the performance tents and venues. Among them will be jewelers, instrument makers, tie dyeers, local honey purveyors, ceramic artists, vendors selling handmade health and beauty products, and more.

Admission to the festival is quite affordable at $50 for the weekend or $40 for one-day. Weekend and single-day passes are available for purchase at Zeiterion.org, by calling 508-994-2900, or in person at the box office at 684 Purchase Street. Children under 12 will be admitted free with an adult.

For more information and to see complete schedules for the weekend, visit newbedfordfolkfestival.com.

As in years past, this year’s schedule includes a wealth of talented performers, many of them performing in song-swap style workshops with folks whom they may have never even met, making for unique musical pairings. It also poses a dilemma of choices that will prompt attendees to consider running from one stage to another nearby one to catch certain artists.

In addition to the music, some 90-artisans and arts and crafts vendors will set up booths along the streets, as well as inside the Whaling Museum.

Admission to the festival is quite affordable at $25 for the weekend or $20 for one-day. Children under 12 will be admitted free with an adult.

While in New Bedford, you also can enjoy fresh seafood and sample tasty cuisine at one of the whaling city’s many Portuguese restaurants. Parking is free at the municipal garage.

For more information, visit www.newbedfordfolkfestival.com.

Your newest recording, Ordinary Cats, features you on electric guitar. When you wrote the songs, did they just scream for a more electric sound?

Originally, when I started the CD, I was thinking of a really stripped down guitar and vocal sound. But these things have a way of developing organically, and one added instrument sound often begets another. When we added the drums to a few of the tunes, it just pushed the music in a direction that I decided to embrace instead of fighting. I’ve always played the electric guitar on the side — more in the last 15 years or so — on other people’s recordings and shows than on my own, so it was pretty easy to add it to this recording. I have a whole set of electric guitar influences that don’t really have to do with my acoustic guitar influences, so I think it works fine to have “two” of me on some of the songs.

Was it your intention from the beginning to make this a more rootsier album than your past recording ventures?

Well, we started working on two projects at the same time — the live album with my group — which became The Kress Sessions [released in 2011] and the beginnings of Ordinary Cats [just released]. I decided to put the more ragtime, swing-influenced songs on the live one and make that one sound different from the studio album. Probably, if anything, it is the lyrics that set the songs apart. They both sound pretty rootsy, in my opinion — I just indulged my classic rock background a bit more on Ordinary Cats. It was a conscious decision not to use the exact same instrumentation on it as in the last few albums. So a different backing vocal sound was key to that. And not using as much dobro and harmonica gave us room to experiment with more keyboards and multiple guitars, and with mandolin tracks.

Tell us about the other players on Ordinary Cats.

FJ Ventre played upright bass and electric bass and co-produced the album with me. He engineered the whole project and did a great job. The main male backing vocalist was Greg Humphreys, a buddy of mine and talented singer-songwriter who has a very cool husky but high vocal style. The female backing vocalist was Lizzy Ross, who is a great young talent also from North Carolina. Pete Connolly, from the alt-folk group Birds and Arrows, played the drums on several tracks; his sound helped define our arrangement decisions going forward from there. Danny Gotham played mandolin and mandola, adding nice textures to the guitar parts. The keyboards were added by Wes Lachot and Lindsay Rosebrock, with Jim Kremidas adding pedal steel to one track also. Our mix engineer was the great Chris Stamey — and he always adds a few little musical doo-dads along the way.

You have cited Neil Young and Stephen Stills as inspirations for the sound on this latest record. What is it about their style that makes its way onto your record?

I have been a big fan of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, CSN (& Y), and Buffalo Springfield since I was a kid. I think it was those fringe suede leather jackets that piqued my interest. I used to always ask my parents to stop at Deerskin Trading Post on Rt. 1 in Danvers, when we were on our way to Boston for things, just so I could look at those coats. I finally did get a used one when I was in my 20s in a shop in Asheville, NC. Now I can’t wear it because you need a certain amount of hair to pull off that look. I’m hoping my daughter will discover that jacket someday and make it her own . . . but I digress. . . . Anyway, Stills and Young both did a lot with Drop D tuning and drone strings, and with certain musical modes. Not to get too music-geeky, but I use the mixolydian and dorian modes a lot in my playing, and I’m sure that’s influenced by those guys. When you cross in the blues- pentatonic style influence, it’s like a weird cross between Celtic folk music and American blues. I am interested in exploring that mesh.

One of your career highlights is that you were an International Blues Challenge finalist. Please tell us more about that competition and what you played when you became a finalist.

The International Blues Challenge thing was fun. FJ Ventre and I decided to enter the local competition here in the Triangle. I never entered it before because I’m not crazy about the idea of music as a competition. But we thought it might be fun to try and see if we could get a free trip to Memphis out of it. We won our local contest and then went to Memphis to compete against the winners of all the regions — people who had won their contests in California, Mississippi, countries in Europe, Australia — you name it. There were 60 acts competing in our division (the solo/duo division) and we were divided into 6 venues of 10 acts each, playing two nights in front of two different sets of judges. We won our venue and then went to the finals on the third night in the Orpheum Theater — the last six acts remaining — quite an honor. We played my original songs — “Ten Days,” “Full Bloom” (an anti-war song), an Elvis song that FJ sang as our tip of the hat to Memphis, and probably something else that I can’t remember right now. We didn’t win. The emcee said to us as we left the stage “You were my personal favorite act.” But we probably didn’t win because we were too “folky.” I think I’m considered a folk musician by the Blues crowd and the Folk Alliance people think I’m the blues player in the room.

You’re so well known for being such a great fingerstyle guitar player. How does it feel to be up on stage and have so many people staring at your hands?

I always thought they were checking out my legs! It’s fun — I like to ask if there are other guitar players in the room — because I use a lot of open tunings and play slide, etc. And being a teacher, I enjoy sharing the information and letting people in on what I’m doing.

I love asking traveling musicians about life on the road. If you had to write one of those Reader’s Digest essays about the most memorable person you met while touring, who would it be about?

I think it would end up being a novel instead of a Reader’s Digest piece… We have met so many memorable people on the road over the years, both onstage and off — people who I love to see every time I visit a town and people I’m hoping never to run into again. Lots of people have been kind to me and my musical compadres — putting us up in their homes, feeding us, and sustaining us. And there have been real evil shits out there, too, though I don’t run into them as much in the folk world as when I was playing rock clubs in my youth. Rather than naming any of the shits, I will tip my hat to some of my favorite people. As far as other musicians I’ve had the pleasure to meet and play with, some folks who have really been gracious and supportive to me have been Roy Book Binder, John Hammond, Jorma Kaukonen, Amy Ray. . . . The list of generous hosts, venue owners, friends, and family is far too enormous to elaborate on, so at the risk of leaving anyone out in print, I’ll suffice it to say that I am in great debt to many!

To learn more about Jon Shain, visit his website.

Celebrating the music of the late instrumental virtuoso Merle Watson and his father Doc Watson, the “traditional-plus” music festival features sounds of the Appalachian region and beyond — ranging from bluegrass and Americana to old-time, country and roots music. It takes place April 29 – May 2 on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

Among the more than 100 acts performing on 15 stages during the festival — in addition to Doc Watson and his son Richard — are The Avett Brothers, Bearfoot, The Belleville Outfit, Diercks Bentley, Roy Book Binder, Brave Combo, Sam Bush Band, Elvis Costello and The Sugarcanes, Dailey and Vincent, Donna The Buffalo, The Duhks, Great Big Sea, The Greencards, John Hammond, David Holt, Jeni and Billy, Si Kahn, The Lovell Sisters, Taj Mahal, Harry Manx, Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers, The Travelin’ McCourys, Nashville Bluegrass Band, Missy Raines and The New Hip, Red Molly, The Tony Rice Unit, Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, The Steeldrivers, Rhonda Vincent and The Rage, and The Waybacks.

Unique musical collaborations and spontaneous jam sessions have been highlights of MerleFest since its inception 23 years ago. The festival also features the finals of the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, instrument contests, a Friday night songwriter showcase coffeehouse and open mic, heritage crafts by regional artisans, children’s activities, and plenty of pickin’ opportunities.

Detailed listings for more than 125 concerts, open mics, jam sessions and workshops slated for May through the second week of June in Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties appear in this installment of AcousticMusicScene.com’s Long Island AcoustiCalendar.

Friday, 5/1

Emerging artists Joe Iadanza and Jenee Halstead share a bill for The Garden Stage. Iadanza is a storyteller and a sophisticated folkie with a strikingly unusual tenor voice, a foot-stomping Euro-jazz schooled band, and a growing repertoire of smart, witty, warm, and stick-in-your-ear hummable songs that span folk, rock, roots and Americana genres. Halstead is a gifted, young singer-songwriter with a beautiful alto voice, angelic yet rootsy (as others also have described it), whose self-released debut album, The River Grace, is simply gorgeous. The Garden Stage concert series takes place at the 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).

Jack’s Waterfall, an eclectic, high-energy, LI-based acoustic ensemble fronted by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jack Licitra, performs at the YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts, 37 West Main Street, Bay Shore. 8 p.m. (www.boultoncenter.org). 631-969-1101. $20; $15 for members.

Nick Katzman, blues and ragtime guitarist, performs as part of the Traveling Troubadour Series 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. $15; $6 for children. Meet the Musician session precedes at 7 p.m.
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, 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, 5/2

Chad and Jeremy. “Yesterday’s Gone,” but Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde are making wonderful music today as an acoustic duo, just as they did when their songs routinely made the top 40 radio charts during the British Invasion of the mid-1960s and the Psychedelic Era. The Jeanne Rimsky Theater at the Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main Street, Port Washington. 8 p.m. (www.landmarkonmainstreet.org). 516-767-6444. $30-$40.

“For Pete’s Sake, Sing!,” a tribute to Pete Seeger on his 90th birthday, featuring Work O’ The Weavers and invited local artists performing songs written or inspired by Pete (in lieu of an open mic) at the Congregational Church of Huntington, 30 Washington Drive (just off Route 25A) in Centerport. Participating local artists include AcousticMusicScene.com’s own Glen Roethel and his folk harmony trio Gathering Time, Claudia Jacobs, Scott MacDonald, Sonny Meadows, James O’Malley, Ira Perlman and Denise Romas (Lonesome Traveler), and Marty Stone.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.

Grand Folk Railroad (acoustic duo of Mike Christian and Susan Cohen) plays In A Little Café, 529 Lake Avenue, St. James. 7:30-10 p.m.

Richie Havens, a unique singer-songwriter, song stylist and amazing guitarist, who burst onto the national scene as he opened Woodstock 40 years ago, plays the Inter Media Arts Center (IMAC). LI-based singer-songwriter Caroline Doctorow opens. 370 New York Avenue (Route 110), Huntington. (www.imactheater.org). 631-549-9666. $45; $34 for IMAC members.

Janis Ian, who had her first hit with “Society’s Child,” as a teenager in the 1960s and released an autobiography of the same name last year, performs at the YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts, 37 West Main Street, Bay Shore. 8 p.m. (www.boultoncenter.org). 631-969-1101. $40; $35 for members.

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

Sunday, 5/3

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.

Janis Ian, famed folksinger and songwriter, will speak about and sign copies of her new autobiography, Society’s Child, at Book Revue, 313 New York Avenue, Huntington. 271-1442. 7 p.m.

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, 5/4

Island Songwriters Showcase monthly workshop at Five Towns College (Room 217), Burr’s Lane, Dix Hills. 8-11 p.m. Sign-up at 7:30 p.m. (www.islandsongwriters.org).

Tuesday, 5/5

Open Mic, Brickhouse Brewery, 67 West Main Street, Patchogue. 9 p.m.

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

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

Wednesday, 5/6

Acoustic Long Island features hour-long sets by singer-songwriters Colin McGrath (a 2009 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Finalist) and Chris Trapper (principal singer for alt-rock trio The Push Stars), Deepwells Mansion, Route 25A (just west of Moriches Road intersection), St. James. 8 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.

Long Island Fingerstyle Guitar Club Open Mic Night, hosted by Danny Doll and Patrick Ruhlman, Westbury Friends Meeting House, 550 Post Avenue, Westbury. 8-10 p.m. (www.lifgc.com). Contact Lisa Doll, 516-361-5122. $10 suggested donation; free for members.

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

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 Theatre, 315 Columbia Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, 5/7

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, Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 718-375-3214. 9 p.m. $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.

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. 8-10:30 p.m. Sign-up begins at 7:30 p.m. Free.

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

Friday, 5/8

Howard Fishman, a genre-bending New York original, whose music draws from folk, jazz and other sources, plays Barbes, 376 9th Street (at 6th Avenue), Park Slope, Brooklyn. 10 p.m.

James Reams & The Barnstormers present an evening ob bluegrass 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.

Smokey Hormel’s Western Roundup, western swing, Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 10:30 p.m. 718-375-3214.

Little Toby Walker presents an evening of finger-pickin’ good blues and roots music to the Grounds and Sounds Café at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stony Brook, 380 Nicolls Road, Setauket. 8:45 p.m. concert is preceded by an open mic at 8 p.m., for which sign-up starts at 7:30 p.m. (www.groundsandsounds.org). $20.

Saturday, 5/9

The Eclectic Café presents Abi Tapia (a gifted Americana-style singer-songwriter with a beautiful voice, who will be showcasing at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival this summer as one of the emerging artists voted “Most Wanted to Return” during the 2008 festival). She shares the bill with the Red River Ramblers, a LI-based foursome — Ken Korb, Tom Linden, Lora Kendall and “Big George” Cassidy – who play old country tunes, along with a few bluegrass fiddle tunes, at the Unitarian Universalist Society of South Suffolk, 28 Brentwood Road, Bay Shore. (www.eclecticcafe.org). 631-661-1278. 8:30 p.m. concert is preceded by an open mic at 7:30 p.m. $10; $8 for members.

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 Cold Spring Harbor Public Library, 95 Harbor Road (Route 25A), Cold Spring Harbor. 2 p.m. 631-692-6820. Free.

Leon Redbone performs for the First Acoustics concert series at the First Unitarian Congregational Society in Brooklyn, 50 Monroe Place at Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn Heights. (www.firstacoustics.org). 8 p.m. $30.

Rhythm Kings Acoustic Duo (Philip Gardner on bass and vocals, Douglas Baldwin on guitar and vocals), play The Harbor Crab Company, 116 Division Street, Patchogue. 8 p.m.

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

Wretched Refuse String Band, Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 718-375-3214. 8 and 10 p.m. sets.

Sunday, 5/10

Jeff Daniels performs at the YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts, 37 West Main Street, Bay Shore. 8 p.m.(www.boultoncenter.org). 631-969-1101. $45; 40 for members.

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.

Tuesday, 5/12

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

Wednesday, 5/13

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

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, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, 5/14

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

Jan Bell and Casey Neil, singer-songwriters, Barbes, 376 9th Street (corner of 6th Avenue), Park Slope, Brooklyn. 8 p.m

Canvas Open Mic Night, an evening of music and poetry hosted by talented singer-songwriter and percussive fingerstyle guitarist Joe Iadanza, features local luthier and musician Scott MacDonald and an open mic, Canvas/Footprints Gallery, 51 Gibson Avenue, Huntington. 7-9:30 p.m.; performer sign-up at 7 p.m. $5 admission includes healthy snacks.

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

Friday, 5/15

Roy Book Binder presents an evening of the blues for the BNL Music Club at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Brookhaven Center, William Floyd Parkway, Upton. 8 p.m. 631-344-3846. $15 in advances; $20 at the door.

Brooklyn Folk Festival features afternoon instrumental workshops evening performances, and an ongoing jam session out back. Artists include new young talent from Brooklyn plus Grammy Award-winner Peter Stampfel of Holy Modal Rounders fame and John Cohen of the New Lost City Ramblers, who were mainstays of the folk music scene in NYC during the 1960s. Jalopy Theatre, 315 Columbia Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. $10/day, $25 for the weekend. The festival runs through Sunday, May 17.

Steve Forbert, singer-songwriter, performs at the YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts, 37 West Main Street, Bay Shore. 8 p.m.(www.boultoncenter.org). 631-969-1101. $30; $25 for members.

Mad Agnes, an entertaining folk-pop trio from Connecticut, performs 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, 5/16

An Evening with the David Bromberg Band (with special guests – Angel Band), Inter-Media Art Center (IMAC), 370 New York Avenue (Route 110), Huntington. (www.imactheater.org). 631-549-ARTS. 8 p.m.

Brooklyn Folk Festival (see 5/15).

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.

Caroline Doctorow, LI-based singer-songwriter, plays Live in the Tap Room at the Southampton Publick House, 40 Bowden Square, Southampton. 10 p.m.

Folk Music Society of Huntington’s Hard Luck Café series presents Bob Westcott’s First Annual Spring Fling. Featured artists are singer-songwriter David Bailey, acoustic quartet Return to the Dream (Tom Griffith, Martha Trachtenberg, Diane Garisto and Andy Huenerberg) and husband-and-wife duo Princess Peapod (Michelle Frimmer and Dave Cook). 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.

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

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

Nancy Sirianni (LI-based singer-songwriter) and Mike Nugent (of Cadillac Moon) play a mix of originals and blues at Peconic Bay Winery, Main Road, Cutchogue. 631-734-7361. 1-5 p.m.

An Evening with Jill Sobule, New York singer-songwriter best known for her hit song “I Kissed A Girl,” performs at the Jeanne Rimsky Theater at the Landmark on Main Street, 232 Main Street, Port Washington. 8 p.m. WFUV’s John Platt hosts. (www.landmarkonmainstreet.org). 516-767-6444. $30-$40.

Sunday, 5/17

Brooklyn Folk Festival (see 5/15).

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.

Hank Stone, a talented LI-based singer-songwriter, performs for the brunch-time crowd at Grey Horse Tavern, 291 Bayport Avenue, Bayport. 631-472-1868. 1-3 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.

Tuesday, 5/19

Brooklyn Songwriters Exchange monthly in-the-round features Emily Zuzik, Twice As Bright and Jessica Pees, at Union Hall, 702 Union Street at Fifth Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn. 8 p.m. 718-638-4400. No cover.

Wednesday, 5/20

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

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, 5/21

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

Original Voices at the Vail features acoustic, swing and Americana duo The Reinhardts, preceded by an open mic (for which sign-up opens at 7 p.m.), Vail-Leavitt Music Hall, 18 Peconic Avenue, Riverhead. (www.vail-leavitt.org). 7:30-10:30 p.m. $5.

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. 8-10:30 p.m. Sign-up begins at 7:30 p.m. Free.

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

Friday, 5/22

Hank Stone, a talented LI-based singer-songwriter, is joined by fellow Long Islander Todd Evans for A Pagan Place House Concert in South Huntington. Contact mserin@optonline.net for more information and reservations.

Saturday, 5/23

Rhythm Kings Acoustic Duo (Philip Gardner on bass and vocals, Douglas Baldwin on guitar and vocals), entertain diners at fatfish, 28 Cottage Avenue, Bay Shore. 7 p.m.

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

Sunday, 5/24

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.

Wednesday, 5/27

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

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.

Serena Ryder, Canadian singer-songwriter and recipient of the 2008 Juno Award for Best New Artist, plays The Stephen Talkhouse, 161 Main Street, Amagansett. 631-267-3117. 8 p.m. $15.

Thursday, 5/28

The Ukuladies, Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 718-375-3214. 9 p.m.

Friday, 5/29

Pat Conte and Joe Bellulevich play the blues, Jalopy Theatre, 315 Columbia Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. 718-375-3214. $15.

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 Grey Horse Tavern, 291 Bayport Avenue, Bayport. 8:30 p.m. 631-472-1868.

Spider John Koerner, renowned talking blues-style singer and guitarist makes a rare NYC appearance at the Jalopy Theatre, 315 Columbia Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 10:30 p.m. 718-375-3214. $15.

Greta Gertler (singer-songwriter) and Professor Louie (bluesy spoken word performance artist and political rapper) share a bill 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.

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

Saturday, 5/30

Andy Friedman and The Other Failures, Brooklyn-based folk-country singer-songwriter and his backing band, play the Last Licks Café at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington, 28 Browns Road, Huntington. Open mic precedes concert at 7:30 p.m. (www.lastlickscafe.org). $15 tickets available via Brown Paper Tickets and at the door.

Grand Folk Railroad (acoustic duo of Mike Christian and Susan Cohen) plays The Spoon on Wellwood Avenue, Lindenhurst. 7:30 p.m. $1 cover.

Session Americana, Boston-based roots band, Barbes, 376 9th Street (corner of 6th Avenue), Park Slope, Brooklyn. 8 p.m. $10 suggested donation.

Sunday, 5/31

Lara Ewen, NYC-based indie/folk-rock singer-songwriter, performs at Spike Hill, 184 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn 10 p.m. No cover.

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.

Rhythm Kings Acoustic Duo (Philip Gardner on bass and vocals, Douglas Baldwin on guitar and vocals), play The Harbor Crab Company, 116 Division Street, Patchogue. 8 p.m.

Nancy Sirianni (LI-based singer-songwriter) and Mike Nugent (of Cadillac Moon) play a mix of originals and blues at Duck Walk Vineyards South, 231 Montauk Highway (Route 27), Water Mill. 631-726-7555, ext. 4. 1:30-5:30 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, 6/1

Island Songwriters Showcase monthly workshop at Five Town College (Room 217), Burr’s Lane, Dix Hills. 8-11 p.m. Sign-up at 7:30 p.m. (www.islandsongwriters.org).

Tuesday, 6/2

Open Mic, Brickhouse Brewery, 67 West Main Street, Patchogue. 9 p.m.

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

Wednesday, 6/3

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

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, 6/4

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, Jalopy Theatre, 315 Columbia Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 718-375-3214. 9 p.m. $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.

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. 8-10:30 p.m. Sign-up begins at 7:30 p.m. Free.

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

Friday, 6/5

American Flyer presents an evening of bluegrass 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.

Red Molly, the rootsy Americana trio, closes out the season for The Garden Stage
concert series at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Central Nassau, 223 Stewart Avenue (corner of Nassau Boulevard), Garden City. 8 p.m. $20 in advance; $22 at the door. For advance tickets and information, contact calendar@uuccn.org.

Saturday, 6/6

John Gorka, one of today’s top contemporary singer-songwriters, returns to close out the 40th anniversary season for the Folk Music Society of Huntington at the Congregational Church of Huntington, 30 Washington Drive (just off Route 25A) in Centerport. 8:30 p.m. concert is preceded by an open mic at 7:30 p.m.; sign-up begins at 7 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

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

Sunday, 6/7

“A Spring Evening with Antje Duvekot” marks the fifth visit to the Sunday Street Acoustic Series by this gifted, up-and-coming singer-songwriter, who is currently touring in support of her new CD, The Near Demise of the High Wire Dancer. Opening for her will be Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Lizanne Knott. University Cafe, Stony Brook Union building, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook. (www.universitycafe.org). 7 p.m. Tickets are $17 if purchased by June 4 and $22 at the door (if available).

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.

Wednesday 6/10

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

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 Theatre, 315 Columbia Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, 6/11

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

LI’s Own Series: Folk Music Society of Huntington Showcase featuring Gathering Time, Joe Iadanza & his Beautiful Band, Phil Minissale and Steve Robinson, at the Inter-Media Art Center (IMAC), 370 New York Avenue (Route 110), Huntington. (www.imactheater.org). 631-549-ARTS. 8 p.m. $30; $22.50 for IMAC and FMSH members. (Postponed to a later date to be determined).

Danny Kalb Trio, fronted by the master guitarist and founder of the Blues Project, plays the Jalopy Theatre, 315 Columbia Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn. 9 p.m. $10 cover.

Friday, 6/12

Arlon Bennett, a talented singer-songwriter who hails from LI and lives in Rockland County, returns here to play the Grounds and Sounds Café at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stony Brook, 380 Nicolls Road, Setauket. 8:45 p.m. concert is preceded by an open mic at 8 p.m., for which sign-up starts at 7:30 p.m. (www.groundsandsounds.org). $10.

Dave Rowe Trio, an engaging group from Maine, whose repertoire of nautical songs and more showcase their solid three-part harmonies and instrumental prowess, closes out the season 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, 6/13

Claudia Jacobs, LI-based singer-songwriter, performs for Real Musik House Concerts in Setauket. 8 p.m.