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WFMA News
On Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 7:00 pm, WFMA and Focus Music will present Patrick O’Flaherty at St. Aidan's Episcopal Church in Alexandria, VA. The concert will also be streamed live on YouTube! Patrick O’Flaherty was raised from the age of two in Galway, Ireland. Playing the harmonica as a young boy in Connemara started him on a path to a professional music career that has now spanned nearly four decades. Patrick performs as a singer and songwriter and a highly respected player of the harmonica, bouzouki, mandolin, button accordion, banjo, and mandola. Patrick is a native Gaelic speaker, and his performances include original and traditional songs in Gaelic. During his career, he has performed with two excellent bands, The Celtic Folk and The Poor Clares, whose second album, Change of Habit, reached the national charts. His many honors and distinctions include the D.C. Irish Radio Show’s Musician of the Year Award (6 times) and the keys to the city of Alexandria, VA. He also helped create the Americans for Irish Awareness in D.C. and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Alexandria, VA. More information about the concert can be found here.

On Sunday, May 4, 2025 at 7:30 pm, WFMA and Focus Music, will present Anne Hills, at The Arts Barn in Gaithersburg, MD. The concert will also be streamed live on YouTube! Anne Hills is one of the most beloved voices of the contemporary folk music scene, receiving awards and recognition for her live performances, her unique solo and collaborative recording projects, and her overall artistry and benefit work. Tom Paxton says, “Anne Hills is such an exquisite singer that it’s understandable that people might be swept up in the pure beauty of her voice and thereby overlook her writing. That would be a mistake. For me, Anne’s writing, in songs like ‘Follow That Road’ and many others, is as direct, melodic and deep as any work being done today. She is quite simply one of my absolute favorite songwriters.” Anne has been a frequent performer at WFMA events and we are delighted to bring her back for this show at the Arts Barn. Opening the show will be Eryn Michel, the Grand Prize winner of Strathmore Music Center's 2024 Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Competition. This will be Eryn' 3rd appearance at a WFMA event, having opened for David Buskin in 2018 and shared the stage with Gathering Time at a showcase in 2019. More information about the concert can be found here.

On Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 7:00 pm, WFMA and Focus Music, will present Tal Naccarato at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Alexandria, VA. The concert will also be streamed live on YouTube! Tal Naccarato, the composer, songwriter, teaching artist and instrumentalist (guitar, banjo, keyboards, harmonica) was born in the medieval mountain village of Fiumefreddo Bruzio in Calabria, Italy and raised in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. His stylized original work, highlighting a deep appreciation for traditional Folk and Americana Roots music, is steeped heavily in Rock and Blues and includes his original classical guitar inspired compositions, performed with a ‘bluesy swing’. Tal most recently won the Long Island Blues Society’s 2022 Solo/Duo Competition to compete in The Blues Foundation International Worldwide Blues Challenge on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Tal was also recently featured as a solo acoustic performer at the famed MerleFest Festival in North Carolina, and has taken his place amongst the very best players worldwide. Tal’s solid songwriting skills and fresh and authentic approach to the genre has cemented his slot in the folk, americana, rock and blues world as a highly stylized original traditional player and composer. More information about the concert can be found here.

On Saturday, September 13, 2025 at 7:00 pm, WFMA and Focus Music will present Charlie Zahm at St. Aidan's Episcopal Church in Alexandria, VA. The concert will also be streamed live on YouTube!Charlie is one of the most popular soloists at Celtic music festivals, Maritime, and American Traditional music events anywhere east of the Mississippi. With a baritone voice some have described as “coming along once in a generation,” Charlie has become one of the most successful performers on the Celtic festival circuit, weaving magical moments of Scottish and Irish history for the listener and viewer, with passion for the performance and a chosen repertoire pleasing to all members of the family. A master of the guitar as well, Charlie brings an authentic love and respect for the music he sings-and with dashes of humor and a light in his eyes, he will draw you into the stories of his songs! More information about the concert can be found here.

On Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 7:30pm, WFMA and FocusMusic will present singer-songwriter James Keelaghan at The Arts Barn in Gaithersburg, MD. The concert will also be streamed live on YouTube!Contemporary folk songs, at their very best, offer an insight into the hardships, attitudes, and resolve of characters and events that shape our day-to-day lives. You can dress these songs up in inspired arrangements and intricate instrumentation but, at their very essence, the archetypal folk song is all about stories. Stories and people. Something such compelling songwriters as Eric Bogle, Si Kahn, Ewan MacColl, and Stan Rogers … all understood and mined so effectively. James Keelaghan, too, burrows into that same rich seam with equal ability and comparable conviction. To quote Eric Bibb, the award-winning American acoustic bluesman, after listening to Keelaghan perform: “[You’re] a joy to hear, just beautiful. Reminded me of the best of the best of another time – Liam Clancy, Tom Paxton etcetera.” Less colourful but more succinct, Dave Marsh, the eminent Rolling Stone critic, simply described Keelaghan as “Canada’s finest songwriter.” You can find all the concert details here. Don't miss this rare opportunity to see James Keelaghan in concert!
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At their Reunion Concert on May 15th, 2022,
Side by Side
(Doris Justis & Sean McGhee) released a new double CD, Coming Home.
Those attending the concert in person or online had the first opportunity to purchase this compilation of 24
Side by Side
songs, some never before available on CDs.
Now, this two volume set is available at the WFMA Online Store,
along with the entire remaining inventory of
Side by Side
CDs.
You can find the track list for this new double CD (and all of their other CDs) on the Music page on Doris's website.
If you want to complete your collection of
Side by Side
CDs, now is the time to do it.
Several of these CDs are in short supply!
On Sunday, March 16, 2025, WFMA and the Potomac River Jazz Club presented the multi-genre Heather Pierson Duo at the Rosensteel Hall in Silver Spring, MD. Heather Pierson is a singer/songwriter and performer with a passion for cultivating joy, both onstage and off. Her uplifting live performances with her bassist/partner Shawn Nadeau delve into New Orleans jazz, blues, and folk. Her sixteenth studio album, Back To The Light, pulsates throughout with the grooves of New Orleans, the beauty of Appalachia, and Sunday-go-to-meeting celebration. Best known for her ease at the piano and her bell-tone voice that American Highways says “sounds like timeless wind moving slowly through the trees,” Heather’s music take listeners’ ears and hearts on an uplifting journey with their conversational style of musicianship, speaking the language of music with ease and wit. Among her many accolades, Heather was recently selected as an Official Showcase Artist at the 2025 Folk Alliance International Conference.  You can find all the concert details here.
On Sunday, February 16, 2025 at 7:00 pm, WFMA and Focus Music, presented Gathering Time: Great Love Songs of the ’60s (&’70s) at The Arts Barn in Gaithersburg, MD. As the Valentine’s Day weekend came to a close, Gathering Time showcased some of the great love songs of the ’60s (& ’70s) from the folk-rock pantheon of Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot and Crosby, Stills & Nash, to be sure, but adding great memorable music by Freddie & the Dreamers, the Left Banke, the Beatles, the Monkees and many others! Gathering Time is an internationally touring folk-rock harmony Americana trio in the spirit of the ’60s and beyond, playing original, classic 20th-century, and trad tunes. Like a co-ed Crosby, Stills & Nash, GT is known for astute songwriting, spirited and accomplished musicianship -- and a stellar vocal blend. Stuart Markus, Christine Sweeney and Gerry McKeveny evince deep roots in ’60s folk-rock, with a healthy dash of traditional folk in the mix. Their stage chemistry makes clear that they take the music (if not themselves) very seriously, yet their infectious energy wins over even fans who never considered themselves folkies.  More information about the concert can be found here.
On Saturday, November 23, 2024, WFMA and FocusMusic presented The Good Folk at St. Aidan's Episcopal Church in Alexandria, VA. The concert was also streamed live on YouTube! The Good Folk, Meghan Mette, Eileen Estes, Joanna Clare, Brendan Hearn, Agi Kovacs and Patrick Winch, deliver powerful instrumentals, haunting vocals and three styles of percussive dance. Rooted in the beloved traditional music of Ireland and America, these artists explore familiar tunes and ballads as well as original compositions with respect, intentionality, and innovative interpretation. Offering thoughtful phrasing, delightful ornamentation, and emotive accompaniment, The Good Folk is one of the East Coast’s most exciting collaborations bringing audiences a unique and delightful sound with each performance. You can find all the concert details here. 
On Saturday, October 26, 2024, WFMA and FocusMusic presented singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer, with pianist Gary Walters, at St. Aidan's Episcopal Church in Alexandria, VA. Carrie Newcomer is a songwriter, recording artist, performer, educator and activist. She has been described as a “prairie mystic” by the Boston Globe and one who “asks all the right questions” by Rolling Stone magazine. Carrie has 20 nationally released albums including A Great Wild Mercy, Until Now, The Point of Arrival and The Beautiful Not Yet. Her song “I Should’ve Known Better” appeared on Nickel Creek’s Grammy-winning gold album This Side, and she earned an Emmy for her PBS special An Evening with Carrie Newcomer. Carrie is known for her low and resonant voice as “rich as Godiva Chocolate” according to The Austin American-Statesman, for her musical depth and the progressive spiritual content of her songs, poetry and workshops, and for her continued work in justice, spiritual and interfaith communities, and health and hunger organizations. In a time of deep divisions, Carrie has become a national voice for finding how we still connect at the heart of the human story. You can find all the concert details here.
On Sunday, September 22, 2024, WFMA presented singer-songwriter Lara Herscovitch at The Arts Barn in Gaithersburg, MD. The concert was also streamed live on YouTube! Lara Herscovitch is singer-songwriter-poet-performer gem. As described in The Boston Globe, she brings “a luminous voice and a buoyant stage presence… big-hearted lyrics embrace the sum of life… Herscovitch’s music blows on the embers of a lagging spirit or a dormant creative life.” Lara leads with authenticity, integrity, humor and heart. Sound Waves Magazine described her music as “expertly written prose… songwriting at its best… good for your ears AND your soul.” Acoustic Live in New York City added, “She possesses not only a huge reservoir of musical talent and a voice with a bell-like clarity, but a keen sense of global concern and a fierce intellect… It might seem too good to be true, but true it is.” Opening the show was our own Sean McGhee, who has performed with Doris Justis as Side by Side for over 31 years. Sean is an outstanding tenor vocalist and a master of the 12-string guitar, with a quick wit and irreverent sense of humor. In 2000, he joined Mack Bailey (Hard Travelers & Limeliters) and Rick Dougherty (Limeliters, Kingston Trio & The Folk Legacy Trio) to perform as the "Three Folk Tenors" at the Birchmere Music Hall.
You can find all the concert details here.
On Sunday, September 15, 2024, WFMA and the Folklore Society of Greater Washington celebrated the career of Mary Cliff at Irelands's Four Provinces in Falls Church, VA. As a voice on radio, as a promoter of traditional music, as a long-time President of the Folklore Society of Greater Washington, and as a founding member of the international Folk Alliance, Mary Cliff has been an unmatched leader of the folk community, not only in the Washington D.C. area, but nationally. In short, no one has contributed more to promoting folk music in the DMV than Mary Cliff. You can find all the event details here.
On Saturday, June 29, 2024, WFMA and FocusMusic presented singer-songwriter Dave Rowe at St. Aidan's Episcopal Church in Alexandria, VA. The concert was also streamed live on YouTube! Dave Rowe personifies the independent, enterprising, adventurous spirit that he effortlessly conveys through his lifestyle and music. A natural entertainer and storyteller, Dave comes to it by birthright. Both grandfathers were professional jazz musicians, his mother a professional singer, and his father, Tom, was a much revered and talented linchpin of the popular folk trio, Schooner Fare. They all made sure Dave was classically trained, gifting this renaissance man the musical foundation to bloom and carry on the family musical tradition. You can find all the concert details here.
- On Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 7:00 pm, WFMA and Focus Music, presented Kate Campbell, at St. Aidan's Episcopal Church in Alexandria, VA (and streamed live on YouTube).

Kate Campbell is a southern singer-songwriter who writes and sings memorable folk songs infused with undercurrents of delta blues, folk, pop, and country that originate from a musical landscape spanning the less-traveled back roads from Nashville to Muscle Shoals to Memphis. Over the course of 20+ years since her acclaimed debut album Songs from the Levee, she has resisted the temptation to follow musical trends but instead chooses to set the pace for her unique musical journey. Kate’s endearing, clear-water vocal delivery and her eloquent gift for storytelling have drawn repeated comparisons to such bastions of the Southern literary tradition as Flannery O’Connor, Eudora Welty, and William Faulkner. Her easy command of a full range of American musical styles has earned Campbell recognition as a formidable talent by critics. Time Out London proclaimed her a “ major talent” while Chicago Daily Herald described her as a “ world-class singer-songwriter.” More information about the concert can be found here.
On Sunday, April 21, 2024, WFMA and FocusMusic presented Shenandoah Run at The Arts Barn in Gaithersburg, MD. The concert was also streamed live on YouTube! Shenandoah Run is a nine-member folk ensemble from the Washington, DC area. Formed in 2011, the band performs traditional and contemporary folk music in a manner that delights a diverse mix of music lovers of all ages and showcases the spirited sounds of Americana, delivering a rousing mix of music and styles. The members’ vocal and instrumental savvy, coupled with a strong desire to keep folk music alive and fresh, are key to the group’s success. You can find all the concert details here.
- On Saturday, November 4, 2023 at 7:00 pm, WFMA and Focus Music, presented David Buskin, with Heather Aubrey Lloyd, opening, at St. Aidan's Episcopal Church in Alexandria, VA (and streamed live on YouTube).

David Buskin has been writing, recording and performing his music professionally since 1970. He’s made about fifteen albums, most as half of the duo Buskin & Batteau or in his notorious “geezer band” Modern Man. His songs and jingles have been recorded by many great artists; a sample: Judy Collins, Peter, Paul & Mary, Johnny Mathis, Astrud Gilberto, Tom Rush, Dixie Carter, Roberta Flack, Mel Tormé, Take 6, Phoebe Snow, Richie Havens and Arlo Guthrie. He is a New York Nightlife Award, Bistro Award and Clio Award winner. He was also a recipient of the ASCAP Jamie deRoy Award for excellence in songwriting. “David Buskin delighted a packed house with his irresistible amalgam of melodic, sensual pop, folkie grit and killer wit.” -- The Washington Post 
Heather Aubrey Lloyd has co-fronted Baltimore’s ilyAIMY for two decades. Traveling the country playing Lloyd’s collection of stories turned lyrics became her first solo studio effort, A Message in the Mess. Each narrative is offered up in her passionate, “sing-me-the-phone-book” alto. Her finger-picked guitar says folk. Her lyrics show the influence of Baltimore’s slam poetry scene. Her hand percussion says world music. She is a Grand Prize winner of the prestigious Bernard Ebb Songwriting Award (2019). Lloyd has been a Lilith Fair Talent Search Finalist. “Janis Joplin … and Joni Mitchell blended together” -- The Montgomery Caller More information about the concert can be found here.
On Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 7:00 pm, WFMA and Focus Music, presented Lynn Hollyfield, with Steve Wolf & Jimmy Brink at St. Aidan's Episcopal Church in Alexandria, VA. The concert was streamed live on YouTube. Lynn Hollyfield, an award-winning singer-songwriter, is known as a heartfelt observer of the world and a powerful singer and guitarist. Hollyfield began writing songs in her teens and draws from influences that include jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald to more contemporary artists of John Hiatt, Shawn Colvin and CSNY. Hollyfield’s voice, described as “rich, warm, inviting,” is supported by her crisp, acoustic guitar style. “Your songs, voice and guitar arrangements, fit together as a beautiful whole.” (Bob Gramann, Fredericksburg Songwriter’s Showcase). Hollyfield has received multiple awards for her songwriting from the Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest, The Indie International Songwriting Contest and most recently as a semi-finalist in the Bernard Ebb Songwriting Competition. For performance and her recordings, she has received multiple WAMMIE Nominations from the Washington Area Music Association. For this concert, Lynn was accompanied by bassist, Steve Wolf and percussionist, Jimmy Brink. More information about the concert can be found here.
On Sunday, October 1, 2023 at 7:30 pm, WFMA and Focus Music, presented Anne Hills, at The Arts Barn in Gaithersburg, MD. Anne Hills is one of the most beloved voices of the contemporary folk music scene, receiving awards and recognition for her live performances, her unique solo and collaborative recording projects, and her overall artistry and benefit work. Tom Paxton says, “Anne Hills is such an exquisite singer that it’s understandable that people might be swept up in the pure beauty of her voice and thereby overlook her writing. That would be a mistake. For me, Anne’s writing, in songs like ‘Follow That Road’ and many others, is as direct, melodic and deep as any work being done today. She is quite simply one of my absolute favorite songwriters.” Anne has been a frequent performer at WFMA events and we are delighted to have been able to bring her back for this show at the Arts Barn. More information about the concert can be found here.
On Sunday, September 17, 2023, WFMA and the Potomac River Jazz Club presented the multi-genre Heather Pierson Duo at the Rosensteel Hall in Silver Spring, MD. Heather Pierson is a pianist, singer/songwriter, songleader, and performer whose inspiring live performances, both solo and with her bassist/partner Shawn Nadeau, delve into Americana, blues, New Orleans jazz, vocal chants, instrumental piano, and folk. Best known for her ease at the piano and her bell-tone vocals, her songs and musicianship embody joy, honesty, playfulness, and a desire to share from the heart. Defying genre and classification and yet fully embracing all musical styles, Heather is an artist who speaks the language of music in as many dialects as her abilities will allow. Her life’s work, she says, is to share her love of music and her gratitude for life with others – one song, one heart, and one mind at a time. You can find all the concert details here.
- On Sunday, September 10, 2023, WFMA, FocusMusic & the Folklore Society of Greater Washington (FSGW) presented an evening with two outstanding international acts, Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gira and Claude Bourbon at The Lyceum in Old Town Alexandria, VA. The concert was also streamed live on YouTube!
 
From Canada and the USA, Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gira are a dynamic fiddle & cello duo. Fusing traditional and contemporary music styles, they create a powerfully uplifting and soulful performance, weaving a rhythmically driving and textured sound. Complemented by lively stepdancing, they bring life and fire into original tunes, songs, and high-energy repertoire from Scotland, Ireland, North America, and Scandinavia. Each an accomplished musician in their own right, with extensive performance history and accolades, Jocelyn & Ellen first joined forces in Glasgow in 2018. Since then, the duo has been gracing stages and captivating audiences in both North America and the UK. They have been featured in live broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, and performed at festivals including Celtic Connections (UK), Harrison Festival of the Arts (CAN), Sutton Traditional Fiddle Festival (CAN), New World Festival (USA), and Northwest Folklife (USA). This will certainly be an evening of high-energy tunes and soulful songs, with nuanced fiddle-cello interplay, vocal harmonies, lively stepdancing, and French Canadian foot percussion. “A dazzling duo.” - FolkWorld Magazine Joining Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gira for this concert was the dynamic Baltimore based guitarist, Richard Osban. 
Claude Bourbon is known throughout Europe and America for amazing guitar performances that take blues, Spanish, and Middle Eastern stylings into uncharted territories. Claude’s inimitable style incorporates all five digits on each hand dancing independently but in unison, plucking, picking and strumming at such speed and precision that his fingers often seem to melt into a blur. Thousands of people in the UK, Europe and the USA have enjoyed listening to this virtuoso and for the majority of his audience it is an experience that compels them to return again and again to hear and watch him play, as his fingers lightly dance over the strings of his guitar and create a unique sound that is ‘Claude’. Claude has played countless venues, including Glastonbury Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, Colne Great British & Blues Festival, Rock O’Z Arene, Avenches, Switzerland, among others. “Claude Bourbon weaved his songs through the audience as if on a journey through life taking in different flavours of Europe and beyond... from classical openings, across a whole continent of cultural roots, holding audience attention under a musical spell, his music would not have been out of place in the courts of Emperors and Kings.” (G. Munn) You can find all the concert details here.
On Saturday, June 10, 2023, WFMA and Focus Music presented an evening with Irish traditional music duo Lilt at St Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Mount Vernon, VA. The concert was also streamed live on YouTube! Lilt is the Irish traditional music duo of Tina Eck on flute and tin whistle and Keith Carr on bouzouki, tenor banjo, and mandolin. They play the traditional dance music of Ireland - jigs, reels, hornpipes, the occasional slow air or vocal number. Their performances capture the essentials of Irish traditional music: boundless energy, wildness and melancholy. Lilt has appeared in concert throughout the eastern U.S., with performances at such notable local venues as The Embassy of Ireland, The Kennedy Center, The Birchmere, as well as numerous music festivals. Joining Lilt for this concert were dancer Kate Bole and percussionist Jim Stickley. “A sound that is often moody, sometimes delicate, and – perhaps when you least expect it – will seize you by the shoulders with a quiet yet prodigious intensity” (Boston Irish Reporter) You can find all the concert details here.
On Saturday, April 29, 2023, WFMA and Focus Music presented America's pan-Celtic Band IONA at St Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Mount Vernon, VA. The concert was also streamed live on YouTube! IONA treats its audience to high energy entertainment featuring multiple fiddling styles, dynamic dancing, driving percussion, and strong vocals from all the Celtic nations, including America. Presenting the music and dance of all the Celtic countries--Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, Brittany, Asturies and Galicia-- IONA emphasizes that America is not only the repository of all these cultural influences, but also the progenitor of many of its own. Audiences are encouraged to clog along, or dance Breton line dances, and join in singing. Conceived in 1986, IONA has evolved into one of the top rated pan-Celtic groups in the world. Co-founders Barbara Tresidder Ryan (lead vocals, Celtic bouzouki, guitar and bodhrán) and Bernard Argent (wooden flute, whistles, doumbek, back-up vocals) are joined by Air Force Band veteran Jim Queen on fiddle, banjo and vocals, and Leigh Oben on guitar, bass guitar and double bass. And Marsha Searle will be dancing with the group for this show. You can find all the concert details here.
On Sunday, March 12, 2023, WFMA and Focus Music presented singer-songwriter James Keelaghan and David Woodhead at Tikvat Israel Congregation in Rockville, MD. The concert was also streamed live on YouTube!Contemporary folk songs, at their very best, offer an insight into the hardships, attitudes, and resolve of characters and events that shape our day-to-day lives. You can dress these songs up in inspired arrangements and intricate instrumentation but, at their very essence, the archetypal folk song is all about stories. Stories and people. Something such compelling songwriters as Eric Bogle, Si Kahn, Ewan MacColl, and Stan Rogers … all understood and mined so effectively. James Keelaghan, too, burrows into that same rich seam with equal ability and comparable conviction. To quote Eric Bibb, the award-winning American acoustic bluesman, after listening to Keelaghan perform: “[You’re] a joy to hear, just beautiful. Reminded me of the best of the best of another time – Liam Clancy, Tom Paxton etcetera.” Less colourful but more succinct, Dave Marsh, the eminent Rolling Stone critic, simply described Keelaghan as “Canada’s finest songwriter.” You can find all the concert details here.
On Saturday, November 5, 2022, WFMA and Focus Music presented singer-songwriter Andrew McKnight at St Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Mount Vernon, VA. The concert was also streamed live on YouTube!Award-winning folk/Americana artist Andrew McKnight’s musical journey has traced nearly a million miles of blue highways, and earned him a wealth of critical acclaim and enthusiastic fans for his captivating performances and ten recordings. Andrew’s solo performances are powerful and entertaining one-man theatre, delivered with warmth and down-home comfort.He weaves his finely-crafted songs and nimble flatpicking together with humorous stories and poetic drama, while the musical soundscape traverses influences from Appalachia, spooky slide and jazzy blues, feisty anthems, and rustic folk. Andrew has performed at many prestigious venues like the Kennedy Center, the International Storytelling Center and the Atlanta Olympics, has been part of the Rocky Mountain, South Florida, Boston and Delmarva Folk Festival lineups, and a guest on NPR’s Art of the Song and River City Folk shows. You can find all the concert details here.
On Sunday, October 9, 2022, WFMA and the Potomac River Jazz Club presented the multi-genre Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio at the Rosensteel Hall in Silver Spring, MD. Heather Pierson is a pianist, singer/songwriter, songleader, and performer whose inspiring live performances, both solo and with her acoustic trio (Davy Sturtevant on strings/cornet and Shawn Nadeau on bass), delve into Americana, blues, New Orleans jazz, vocal chants, instrumental piano, and folk. Best known for her ease at the piano and her bell-tone vocals, her songs and musicianship embody joy, honesty, playfulness, and a desire to share from the heart. Defying genre and classification and yet fully embracing all musical styles, Heather is an artist who speaks the language of music in as many dialects as her abilities will allow. Her life’s work, she says, is to share her love of music and her gratitude for life with others – one song, one heart, and one mind at a time. You can find all the concert details here.
- On Sunday, May 15, 2022, WFMA and Focus Music presented a very special reunion concert by Side by Side at the Tikvat Israel Congregation in Rockville, MD.
 Brought together by radio host Dick Cerri and the music of John Denver, Doris Justis and Sean McGhee have performed together as Side by Side for over 38 years. During that time they have performed with a “who’s who” of folk music artists, including Tom Paxton, The Chad Mitchell Trio, The Brothers Four and many others. Singing and playing guitars, they are celebrated for their close harmonies and fun stage presence. They were the houseband for Dick Cerri’s Music Americana/WFMA Showcases from 1984 until Doris followed her lifelong dream and moved to Hawaii in 2016. Doris (now in Honolulu) and Sean (still in Baltimore, MD) retired in 2015 with their Aloha Concert. That concert was supposed to be their last and yet, they reunited in Honolulu in 2019 and were together again on May 15, 2022! They were joined by the bass player from the Chad Mitchell Trio, Ron Greenstein for this concert! This concert was streamed live on YouTube. More information about the concert and the live stream video can be found here.
On Sunday, April 3, 2022, WFMA and Focus Music presented the legendary singer-songwriter, David Mallett at the Arts Barn in Gaithersburg, MD.David is one of America’s true original troubadours. In a career spanning four decades, he has recorded 17 albums, had several hundred covers of his songs, including the American folk classic "Garden Song" [Inch by Inch, Row by Row] and performed in clubs, concert halls and festivals across the US, Canada and Europe. He has appeared on numerous broadcasts, including National Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion. Known for his carefully written, poetic offerings, his body of work has provided material for an eclectic list of artists that includes Alison Krauss, Pete Seeger, Hal Ketchum, Emmylou Harris, John Denver and the Muppets. You can find all the concert details here.
On Saturday, March 26, 2022, WFMA and Focus Music, presented Anne Hills, with Jillian Matundan opening, at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Mt. Vernon, VA. Anne Hills is one of the most beloved voices of the contemporary folk music scene, receiving awards and recognition for her live performances, her unique solo and collaborative recording projects, and her overall artistry and benefit work. Tom Paxton says, “Anne Hills is such an exquisite singer that it’s understandable that people might be swept up in the pure beauty of her voice and thereby overlook her writing. That would be a mistake. For me, Anne’s writing, in songs like ‘Follow That Road’ and many others, is as direct, melodic and deep as any work being done today. She is quite simply one of my absolute favorite songwriters.” Anne has been a frequent performer at WFMA events and we grateful for the opportunity to have co-sponsored this concert with Focus Music. More information about the concert can be found here.
- On Sunday, March 20, 2022, we presented Ronny Cox and Jack Williams together in concert at The Arts Barn in Gaithersburg, MD. Jack and Ronny have known each other for almost 30 years and have always enjoyed the rare opportunities to play together when their paths cross. The Reba Heyman Tribute Concert on March 19, has provided one of those opportunities. Ronny and Jack agreed to stay over one more night so we could present a full evening of just their music. Each is an outstanding singer, songwriter and story teller in his own right, but having the two of them on stage together was a truly magical evening.
Ronny Cox captivated the capacity crowds at his two previous WFMA concerts and we are looking forward to having him back for this very special concert with Jack. Ronny began his acting career by playing Drew, the guitar player in the “Dueling Banjos” scene in Deliverance and went on to appear in many movies and television shows. But his first love has always been making music, and we are delighted to be able to bring him back for another intimate evening of stories and songs.
Jack Williams has consistently amazed WFMA audiences with his brilliant guitar playing, outstanding songs and moving stories. Jack’s music, rooted in his native South Carolina, is shaped by a 61-year career of playing folk, rock, jazz, R&B, classical and the popular music of the 30s, 40s and 50s. He continues to tour the U.S. constantly out of the sheer love of music and performing. A featured performer on the Philadelphia and Kerrville main stages, Jack has also appeared on the Newport, (New Bedford) Summerfest and Boston Folk Festival stages.
You can find all the concert details and watch the live stream here.

On Saturday, March 19, 2022, Focus Music, Uptown Concerts, SAW and WFMA presented a concert in tribute to Reba Heyman. Reba and her husband Vic were more than “ultimate folk music fans.” For decades, they attended concerts and festivals across the nation, supporting artists with their energy as well as financially, earning them the affectionate title of “folk angels.” Fourteen acts were there to celebrate Reba: Stephanie Corby, Ronny Cox, Terry Gonda and Kirsti Reeve, Lara Herscovitch, The Kennedys, Kate McDonnell, Dan Navarro, Tom Prasada-Rao,Jenny Reynolds, SONiA disappear fear, LisaBeth Weber, Annie Wenz and Jack Williams. The Reba Heyman Tribute Concert was held at the Olney Theatre Center in Olney, Maryland. You can find all the concert details here. 
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Described by many as a "magical evening," Remembering Oscar Brand was a night to remember. On Sunday, October 29, Oscar's family, friends & fans gathered at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre in Rockville, MD to celebrate his life and amazingly creative career. Oscar had a tremendous impact on folk music as a performer, writer and as the host of his radio show, Folksong Festival in NYC (for over 70 years!). Oscar was also a good friend of the World Folk Music Association, appearing frequently at our annual benefit concerts, as well as several solo concerts. Joining in the celebration were Tom Rush, David Buskin, The Limeliters, Carolyn Hester, Josh White, Jr., Sean McGhee, Dave Rowe, Roy Zimmerman, Oscar's accompanists, John Foley & Jon Pickow, Oscar's wife Karen and all four of his children: Jeannie Brand, Eric Brand, Jordan Brand and James Brandon. A concert review and photos will be posted here when they become available.
We are excited to be able to offer three more items by
The Chad Mitchell Trio
in our online store.
In addition to the 2-CD set and the 2-DVD set recordings of the Chad Mitchell Trio's Farewell Concert, we now have available the outstanding, The Chad Mitchell Trio: Then and Now 3 DVD Set, which contains footage from several of the
Trio's early 60s TV appearances, as well as the 1987 Reunion Concert with John Denver, and more recent concerts in Spokane, WA and Bayfield, WI.
Also available are the The Chad Mitchell Trio: Then and Now Scrapbook and a CD single, "The George Bush Society."
Visit the online WFMA Store to order this and other WFMA products using our secure web server. You can also order by calling 866-412-5943. Please note: All transactions processed through the WFMA online store will show up on your charge card statement as: Magee Net.
An Evening with the Chad Mitchell Trio and Friends: The Farewell Concert

On Saturday, November 15, 2014 we presented
the last U.S. performance by The Chad Mitchell Trio.
Aside from a cruise in March of 2015, this was the very last opportunity to enjoy a full concert by
this trio that has delighted audiences for over 50 years.
This final concert was held at the beautiful Betheda Blues and Jazz Supper Club in downtown Bethesda, MD.
There were some special surprises and of course, time to remember and celebrate the life of Father Joe Frazier.
While no one could take Joe's place, Ron Greenstein, who has played bass for the trio since 2009 and has been filling in for Joe
on vocals since 2011, joined Chad and Mike for the concert.
Also sharing in this celebration were
Tom Paxton, Side by Side
and the Gaslight Singers.
Both a two volume CD set and a two volume DVD set of this concert are available.
Visit the online WFMA Store to order these and other WFMA products using our secure web server. You can also order by calling 866-412-5943. Please note: All transactions processed through the WFMA online store will show up on your charge card statement as: Magee Net.
This site was last modified: April 2, 2025 by Chuck Morse
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