President’s Letter
Folknotes 04/24/25
Hello Everyone,
Well, it is going to be a jam packed Leo Coffeehouse this Sunday. It includes a pre show workshop led by a couple of musicians, who both have quite a history in Americana music, who are passing through on their way to performing at WoodSongs in Lexington Monday evening.
Then come our musical acts. The first two acts feature musicians chosen by Jake Speed: Matthew Check, and Dan Phillips—aka Zapruder Point. Our final act is the one and only, Cincinnati favorite, Jake Speed & The Freddies. Read all about it below.
Leo Coffeehouse, Sunday, Sunday, April 27, 2025
Looking Ahead: Leo Coffeehouse, Sunday, May 4, 2025
SongFarmers Gathering, May 8-10, 2025
Reference Information For New Subscribers (Below my sign off)
Leo Coffeehouse, Sunday
April 27, 2025
5:15 PM: Workshop led by Professor Louie and Miss Marie of The Crowmatixs: Styles of American Roots Music—gospel, soul, folk, blues, Americana, rock, etc.
Features styles of piano, singing, accordion and writing techniques. Play along to The Band classics like The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, I Shall Be Released, The Shape I’m In, The Weight, and others Louie helped create. Professor Louie, five time Grammy Nominee, keyboardist, accordionist and vocalist, began playing with the Mighty Gospel Giants of Brooklyn, and with Rick Danko. Miss Marie, composer, vocalist, keyboardist and percussionist, has appeared with The Band, Mercury Rev, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko, Sly and The Family Stone, and Guy Davis.The Crowmatix have toured for the past twenty-five years performing songs from their 18 CD’s. More info here.
5:15 PM: Open Jam
Anyone can bring songs to lead in the circle while others provide backup and harmony.
Performances: 6:40 - 9:00 PM
1st Set: Matthew Check
Matthew Check is a nationally recognized American roots singer, pianist, banjo player, guitarist, and half of the duo Matt & Joanie Leads who won the 2021 Grammy for best children's album. Matt's music has been featured in such outlets as Billboard, PopMatters, Wide Open Country and more. His career encompasses everything from Emmy-nominated bluegrass bands to critically-acclaimed solo albums. Visit his website.
2nd Set: Zapruder Point
At the turn of the millennium, Dan Phillips created Zapruder Point, writing and recording for over 15 years in Chicago. After relocating to Cincinnati, Dan now self-releases music and plays out as a solo. He's been compared to The Decemberists, Elliott Smith, and Waxahatchee. Zapruder Point's latest album, Backyard Birds, is a meditation on memories made, lost, and regained; a document of the daily struggle between weariness and mindfulness. Dan lives in the Northside with his partner Amy, their son Archer, and their hound Grady.
3rd Set: Jake Speed & The Freddies
They play a mix of traditional & original folk, country blues, and ragtime tunes that muse on Cincinnati’s unique past & present. Known as the Woody Guthrie of Cincinnati, Jake Speed is joined by Kentucky Graham, Chris Gibson, Justin Todhunter and Chris Werner. CityBeat Magazine voted them best local musicians. Visit their website for more.
Looking Ahead: Leo Coffeehouse
Sunday, May 4, 2025
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
For anyone who wants to refine their technique, and share their experience with others. Newcomers are encouraged to come. Easy chords and transitions…. plus easy tempo and strumming are the focus of this group.
5:15 PM: Patriots and Protesters led by Charlie Mosbrook
Let’s unite and heal our communities through song! Protest songs point to injustice and challenge us to make things better. Patriotic songs celebrate the best in our communities and draw us together. Like Woody Guthrie, Charlie uses his music to make a better world through programs that advocate for human rights and environmental action.
5:15 PM: Open Jam
Anyone can bring songs to lead in the circle while others provide backup and harmony.
Performances: 6:40 - 9:00 PM
1st Set: Mike Boerschig
Mike has roamed to festivals and pubs to find songs and stories to lift people up. He performs them in his own unique style. The rhymes and the rhythms will make you smile.
2nd Set: Charlie Mosbrook
Few people have been as central to Cleveland’s music. His turf is acoustic singer/songwriter/folk music. He has performed for 30 years, releasing albums, collaborating with and encouraging other artists, and hosting open mic nights. He’s an artist teacher with Roots of American Music and president of FARM and Folknet. Through countless charities and events that advocate for human rights and environmental action, Charlie uses his music as a vehicle for a better world. Visit Charlie’s website.
3rd Set: Butch Ross
Chattanooga multi-instrumentalist and mountain dulcimer maestro Butch Ross has tackled everything from Radiohead to Bach and come away with a renewed appreciation for what the humble dulcimer is capable of. No genre is off-limits, nor is there a limit to what Ross has envisioned for this specific instrument. It is his groundbreaking and iconoclastic approach that caused ukulele-virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro to comment, "Now I know what a dulcimer is supposed to sound like."
SongFarmers Gathering, May 8-10, 2025
2025 SongFarmers Gathering: song circles, workshops, town hall, shape note singing, and a lot more. May 8–10 in Lexington, KY. Current members only get 2 free tickets to all days. We're building a universal front porch. Learn more at at the SongFarmers website.
That’s all for this Folknotes, I hope to see you soon.
Neil Harrell
President, Queen City Balladeers/Leo Coffeehouse
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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.