The Sanctuary is proud to welcome Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Rodney Crowell

Hailing from the same roots as Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, and Guy Clark, Rodney first found fame when his song “Leavin’ Louisiana in the Broad Daylight” became a number one hit for the Oak Ridge Boys.  Soon after that came “Till I Gain Control Again” (a number one for Crystal Gayle in 1983), “Shame on the Moon” (a Top Five pop hit for Bob Seger in 1982), “Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper’s Dream)” (a 1984 number one for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), and “Somewhere Tonight” (a number one in 1987 for Highway 101).

In 1988, encouraged by his wife Roseanne Cash, Rodney broke through as a performer with Diamonds & Dirt, which generated an unbroken string of five number one singles with “It’s Such a Small World” (a duet with Cash), “I Couldn’t Leave You If I Tried,” “She’s Crazy for Leavin’” (co-written by Guy Clark), “After All This Time,” and “Above and Beyond.” Since the turn of the millennium, Rodney has been on a roll, releasing personal, ambitious albums, including his most recent, “Sex and Gasoline.”  Sex and Gasoline has just been nominated for a 2008 Best Contemporary Folk Album Grammy award.

Rodney will be touring with ace guitarist Will Kimbrough (Americana Music Association Instrumentalist of the Year and Grammy-nominated producer) and Downbeat Magazine Five-Time Top Ten Violinist Jenny Scheinman.

"L eon Redbone doesn't just dig up the past. He embodies it." - The New York Times

You can't miss him:  The mustachioed sprite shuffling through folk festivals in his rumpled three-piece suits from the 'Twenties, a wide-brim hat, sunglasses, and wry grin.  Neither can you mistake his remarkable music: A living revival of early 20th-Century blues, urban folk, jazz, and ragtime.  His gruff-voiced renditions of classics like "Polly Wolly Doodle" and Fats Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin'" are often imitated, but never matched.

No one knows his true name or origins.  When asked when he was born, he'll say, "Sixteen seventy was the year as I recall. July the tenth."   He'll add that his father was the Italian violinist/composer Paganini (who died in 1840), and his mother was Swedish soprano Jenny Lind (who died in 1887).  But, once he came onto the music scene in the early 1970's everyone knew Leon Redbone:  In 1972, Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, Maria Muldaur, and Bob Dylan all traveled to Canada to hear this remarkable singer and guitarist at a folk festival.  Dylan offered to make Leon the first artist signed to Dylan's new record label.  Instead, spurred by an appearance on the early Saturday Night Live, Leon signed to Warner Brothers and his albums began to go gold. He hasn't slowed down since.

Leon is anything but a novelty act.  He is a true lover of the classic, timeless, romantic music of a bygone era, and that love comes through in every note.  We hope you'll dig out your fedora and join us.

Sunshine go away today, I don't feel much like dancin'.
Some man's gone, he's tried to run my life. Don't know what he's askin'...

Jonathan Edwards is best known for his 1971 song, “Sunshine,” which reached #4 on the Billboard charts. Its rebellious anti-war spirit captured the mood of those times, and is equally relevant today.

Over the intervening 35 years, this "honky-tonk stardust cowboy" has continued to make provocative and passionate music and to tour worldwide. He has produced 13 albums, including an album of children’s music and a Nashville-oriented album featuring guests like Jerry Douglas, Mark O'Connor, and Sam Bush.  Most recently, he narrated and performed in a television series, Cruising America’s Waterways, that is shown regularly on PBS stations.

Jonathan will appear with his trio, featuring Taylor Armerding on mandolin and Stuart Schulman on piano, fiddle, and bass.

Jonathan's special guest is Philadelphian Carsie Blanton.  Of Carsie's bubbly, infectious music, John Oates of Hall & Oates said, "Her sly wit and urbane imagery remind me of a folky, female Cole Porter. I'm really happy to know that classic songwriting is in good hands."
 

"I couldn't let a day go by without writing a note about Carlene's new record. It is astounding." Elvis Costello

"It's great to hear her again." USA Today

"A staggering achievement by one of the great voices and fearless hearts of country rock." Bernie Taupin

Carlene Carter is the heir to country and folk royalty...but she's never been the sort to rest on her throne.  She is the daughter of the legendary and beloved June Carter Cash and Country Music Hall of Famer Carl Smith. Her grandmother, Maybelle Carter, helped to lay the foundation for American country music through pioneering recordings in the late 1920s. She is the stepdaughter of Johnny Cash.

Carlene took the Carter sound and name in a modern direction, mixing the traditional music of her heritage with more modern sounds. She made a series of hit albums for major record labels, including her 1990 release I Fell in Love, which topped the US country albums and singles charts.  That album's return to straight-ahead, retro-sounding country helped launch the 1990s' neotraditionalist movement in country music. 1993's release Little Love Letters featured the hit single "Every Little Thing," made popular by one of the top-rated  music videos of the year (click the "Watch" link, above).

Then, in 1995, Carlene dropped out of sight.  For thirteen years, she rarely toured or recorded.  That hiatus, however, ended earlier this year, when her album "Stronger" was released and she began to perform selected concert dates.  We are honored to welcome Carlene Carter to The Sanctuary for this rare New Jersey appearance.

Special guest Alastair Moock has been compared to John Prine and Woody Guthrie for his songs that feature simple melodies and deep, finely-crafted lyrics.  The Boston Globe called him “one of Boston's best and most adventurous songwriters” and The Washington Post said “every song is a gem.”
 

David Wilcox has been called "the best-known of the brilliant crop of singer-songwriters to emerge in the late '80s" (Acoustic Guitar).  His use of open tunings to create gorgeous, inventive accompaniments has made him a hero to a generation of guitar aficionados;  his profoundly philosophical and deeply soulful songs have filled twelve albums, including on the prestigious A&M and Vanguard labels; and his honeyed tenor voice has often been compared to that of James Taylor.

We expect an evening of heartfelt, incisive lyrics, wry wit and exquisite instrumentals. As the New York Daily News says, David “gives sensitive singer-songwriters back their good name." He is touring in support of his latest album, Airstream, which was recorded in the Airstream trailer in which David and his family toured the country for more than two years.

David's special guest will be Philadelphia's John Flynn, whose socially-conscious songs caused Acoustic Music to call him "a philosopher with a guitar." Says Kris Kristofferson, John's "reaction to the human condition finds kind, humorous expression."

 

 

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