President’s Letter
Folknotes 1/24/26
Hello Everyone,
The weather forecast remains the same: frigid temperatures, and 8 to 12" of snow/sleet starting this afternoon and continuing all day tomorrow. As I expected they would, Norwood has asked residents to "...stay off the roads unless travel is absolutely necessary” during this weather event. Cincinnati and Hamilton County will probably issue a similar order soon.
So, I'm cancelling tomorrow's Leo Coffeehouse.
I hope to see you Sunday, February 1, 2026, at the next Leo Coffeehouse.
Cancelled: Leo Coffeehouse, Sunday, January 25, 2026
Looking Ahead: Leo Coffeehouse, 5:00-9:00 PM, Sunday, February, 2026
Reference Information/QCB Membership (Below my sign off)
Cancelled: Leo Coffeehouse
Sunday, January 25, 2026
Zion Food Pantry
From Janice Alvarado: The food pantry at Zion United Church of Christ can use our support. If you are able, please bring in a non-perishable food item to help those in need. Clients especially like proteins like canned chicken or tuna, beans, or Chef Boyardee, Amy's Kitchen, etc "meals in a can". You can place them in the yellow bin near the welcome table as you enter. Thank you for your generosity.
Country Dance & Song Society:
Rise Up Singing Event
Also from Janice:
If you can’t make it to Leo Sunday, you might be interested in checking out this online event.
From the Country Dance and Song Society:
CDSS is delighted to be the new publishing home of seminal community songbook Rise Up Singing!
In celebration, join us for rousing community singing led by the creators of Rise Up Singing, Annie Patterson and Peter Blood, and a screening of We Began to Sing, a documentary about Peter and Annie and Pete Seeger by Polly Wells and Candy Paltiel, followed by a Q&A with Annie, Peter, Polly, and Candy.
All are welcome to attend and encouraged to sing along! If you have a question for Annie, Peter, Polly, or Candy, please submit it with your registration form. We hope to see you there!
The singalong and Q&A portions of this program will be recorded and available to view after the event.
Sunday, January 25
4:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. PT)
Leo Coffeehouse 5:00-9:00 PM
Sunday, January 25, 2026
5:00 PM: Song Circle/Jam-Downstairs
Anyone can bring songs to lead while others provide backup and harmony.
5:00 PM: Patriots & Protesters Song Circle/Jam
Led by John Fonner, featuring patriotic and protest songs.
5:00 PM: Americana & Roots Song Circle/Jam
Led by Dennis Allen, featuring songs written before the folk revival.
Performances 6:40 - 9:00 PM:
1st Set: Kaitlin Morrison
A former regular at the Leo around 2015-2018, Kaitlin then became a mom, and has been back in the last couple of years, where she enjoys the Guitar Roundtable.
2nd Set: Anna And The Deeper Well
A Leo favorite! They started as the father-daughter-duo Anna and Milovan. The group has been playing for over twenty years in the Greater Cincinnati area. In 2012 they added Anna's husband, Luke Moderwell. Their music contains an eclectic mix of blues, jazz, folk, originals, and pop.
3rd Set: Liz Bowater
After a hiatus from public performing, singer/songwriter Liz Bowater returns to the Leo. A Chicago native, Bowater moved to Cinci 20 years ago and spent her first few years here playing as part of the collaborative Blue Jordan Records. Once dubbed “brave new folk,” her songs are earnest, self-reflective, centering on love, loss, faith, and hope.
Looking Ahead:
Leo Coffeehouse 5:00-9:00 PM
Sunday, February 1, 2026
3:00 PM 1st Sunday Rise Up Singing
Tell all your friends and bring the kids! Everyone picks songs from Rise Up Singing and Rise Again song books which are available to purchase or to use in the circle. The incredible Al Wauligman will lead us on the piano.
4:15 PM Back to Basics workshop
Not just for beginners, this is a song circle on training wheels. Learn how to lead a song and play breaks. Basic information is centered on beginner friendly chord shapes and learning how to “read hands”. Newcomers, or anyone who wants to refine technique (and maybe give advice) are welcome by Alana Johnson, Bob Schrock, and Isaiah Tam.
5:00 PM: Song Circle/Jam-Downstairs
Anyone can bring songs to lead while others provide backup and harmony.
Performances 6:40 - 9:00 PM:
1st Set: Cigar Box Scott
Cigar Box Scott's unique take on roots music fuses traditional folk music with rock and blues inspired rhythms. He creates original interpretations of old songs, performing new arrangements on cigar box guitar and his homemade stompbox. From Troy, OH, he plays throughout Ohio, Indiana and beyond.
2nd Set: Dave Gilligan
Dave Gilligan was once described by a colleague as, "The guy my mother warned me about.” Why? Perhaps his annual solo set will provide an answer; perhaps not.
3rd Set: Laurelview Ramblers
Quartet of old-time musicians including Jeff Gushin, fiddle, mandolin, and vocals, Mike Boerschig, guitar and vocals, Jeff Custis, banjo, fiddle and vocals, and Rob Kranz on bass. They perform an assortment of traditional American music from the Civil War era up through the “golden” string band era of the 1920s. Throw in some contemporary folk, ragtime and jug band music and you have the Laurelview Ramblers.
QCB/Leo Coffeehouse Membership
It’s that time of year again. The start of a new Leo season. Annual QCB membership dues continue to be $20.00 for a family, or for a single person plus a guest. Membership gets you into every Leo Coffeehouse performance for a year. Where else can you get that kind of musical entertainment and camaraderie for that amount of money?
It really helps us out if you pay through the QCB website.
The easiest way to pay your dues for the 2025/26 season is via PayPal right here.
If you prefer to pay by check, click on the link above and print the membership form. Then mail the form and your check to Treasurer: John Mann, 6514 Meis Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45224.
To donate more than the $20.00 standard dues, you can do so by check, or here on our website. When you get to the page with the box to relay instructions, just note that you are paying a larger amount for your dues.
For visitors who prefer not to become a member, a donation of $5.00 (cash) per person helps us pay the rent for our non-profit organization. Donations can be slipped in the box at the welcome table outside our performance room, Founders Hall. If you can’t afford that, pay what you can afford or nothing at all. We will welcome you to join us either way.
That’s all for this Folknotes, I hope to see you soon.
Neil Harrell
President, Queen City Balladeers/Leo Coffeehouse
~
Reference Information/Links
Facebook:
QCB/Leo Coffeehouse Membership
We are keeping our standard annual QCB membership dues at $20.00 for a family, or for a single person plus a guest. Last year, knowing that the pandemic cut into our contingency funds, as we continued to pay overhead expenses with no income, some members donated larger amounts to QCB. We very much appreciate the support of all QCB members at all levels.
We are exploring setting up our website to allow the payment of different levels of dues support. For now, if you’d like to pay the standard dues, you can pay them online here or by a check at Leo. (We’ve discontinued our P.O. Box, I will have a mailing address in the next newsletter for those who wish to mail their membership dues.)
If you would like to donate more than the $20.00 standard dues, you can do so by check, or through our website. When you get to the page with the box to relay instructions, just note that you are paying a larger amount for your dues.
For visitors who prefer not to become a member, a donation of $5.00 (cash) per person helps us pay the rent for our non-profit organization. Donations can be slipped in the box at the welcome table outside our performance room, Founders Hall. If you can’t afford that, pay what you can afford or nothing at all. We will welcome you to join us either way.