Folkie Fest: Getting to the Roots

American music blends many styles and genres, this gathering of artists represents several styles of music, some contemporary, some more traditional. Regardless, you will find an abundance of talent in this one event. We welcome Pete Mancini and the Mountain Maidens for the first time on our stage while enjoying the return of James O’Malley, Hank Stone and Tom Ghent.

Pete Mancini got his start as the front-man and songwriter of Butchers Blind, a critically acclaimed rock band from NYC. In 2017 he released his debut solo album Foothill Freeway, which explored the Americana influences that were a hallmark of his former band. The album garnered rave reviews from NPR, No Depression and Newsday. He hit the road to support the album and made his network television debut on NBC’s Today in Nashville. His second full length album Flying First Class was released in 2019. The album was met with critical acclaim and made Mancini’s debut appearance on the AMA radio charts. Extensive tours of the East Coast, Midwest and South followed, establishing Mancini as a national artist.

In the Summer of 2020, Mancini flew down to Dial Back Sound in Water Valley MS to begin work on his third album, Killing The Old Ways. The 10 song album, produced by Matt Patton (Drive By Truckers) and Bronson Tew, marks a significant artistic leap forward. The album features contributions from Jay Gonzalez (Drive By Truckers), Jamison Hollister, Schaefer Llana and Horace Willis. Over the years, Mancini has opened for acts such as Jimmy Webb, Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Pure Prairie League, Robbie Fulks, Amy Helm, Larry Campbell & Theresa Williams, Kevin Gordon, and Iain Matthews. Pete is also a member of The Famous Doctor Scanlon Band, which performs the music of Travis McKeveny.

The Mountain Maidens are Marie Mularczyk O’Connell, Candice Baranello and Lorraine Berger. They are three dynamic voices blended in splendid ancient and modern harmonies that will lift your spirit, excite your senses and warm your heart. They sing ballads, folk songs, Medieval, Irish Traditional music, love songs, country and gospel songs including themes of social justice to the accompaniment of guitars, banjo, dulcimer, bouzouki, spoons and castanets.

Tom Ghent sums up his motivation for writing with the words “The only real validity of a writer is to communicate. Otherwise, why write” ?. And communicate he does. Whether in his albums “Tom Ghent” on Tetragrammaton Records, “Yankee’s Rebel Son” on Kapp/MCA Records, “All Strings Attached” on Sutherland Records, or from the stage, Tom Ghent gets his point across, putting you in touch with feelings you may have forgotten you had.

Tom’s songs have been recorded by Kris Kristofferson, Gene Watson, Bobby Bare, Mama Cass, Bobby Goldsboro, Michael Settle, Rita Coolidge, Charlie Louvin, and dozens of others. His classic, “Whiskey Whiskey” is considered a standard, and has been cut by a long list of performers in a variety of styles. He’s played lead guitar for the late great Mickey Newbury, appeared as a background vocalist on Joan Baez’ “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and Steve Goodman’s “City Of New Orleans”, and his expertise in the studio is well known and respected among his industry peers. His performances have taken him from the coffeehouses of the Greenwich Village folk scene, to country honky tonks, The Philadelphia Folk Festival, Big Sur Folk Festival, Monterey Pop Festival, The Willie Nelson Picnic, The Hollywood Bowl, and numerous radio and television appearances. Tom also sang the title song on the soundtrack album for the Mick Jagger movie “Ned Kelly”, a soundtrack which also featured Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, and Jagger himself.

“Tom Ghent is another writer-singer in the Kristofferson-Newbury tradition (what one might call the modern Hank Williams tradition). His album, “Yankee’s Rebel Son” contains the classic, “Whiskey Whiskey”, a song that may well be the best country-based lament since Kristofferson’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down.” It’s a stirring tale of romantic anguish sung with the intensity that will make people understand why Ghent has been compared to Joe Cocker”. – Robert Hilburn, L.A. TIMES

James O’Malley is considered by many to be the consummate songwriter, his songs take the listener on an emotional journey. Family, relationships, human nature or contemplation of life's choices, O'Malley's songs are universal, often written with a subtle humor.

His last CD, #4, was produced by Pete Kennedy and features beautifully crafted song, and a couple of classics. His music and songs have been featured on scores of radio stations nationwide and around the world, including, WFUV, WSHU, WFDU, WNTI, WVIA, WFCR and WUSB, in the east, to KRCL (Salt Lake City, Utah), KZSC (Santa Cruz, Ca.), in the west....as well as, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Germany.

Hank Stone has been writing songs for over forty years, but only started bringing them out to audiences in 2001. He quickly made a name for himself in the Long Island, New York music scene, and has since recorded two CDs of his original tunes, and is now performing often, as a solo act and also with his band. Solo, Hank Stone calls to mind the diverse songwriters of the 1960s and 1970s, from Donovan to Paul Simon, Van Morrison to Jackson Browne. Walt Graham, of Acoustic Connections on WSHU in Fairfield, Connecticut, called Hank "a unique and wonderful songwriter." His 3 albums are available on all digital platforms.

Folkie Fest offers an ongoing concert series with local acoustic artists in the spirit of folk music as envisioned by the late Pete Seeger. We provide a listening space and support live, local, singer/songwriters sharing their original work. A portion of the proceeds are donated to the community center, and a 50/50 raffle is held to benefit Long Island Cares: The Harry Chapin Food Bank.

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Join us at the Moriches Community Center, 313 Frowein Rd, Center Moriches, NY 11934

2 pm to 5 pm