We are thrilled to have our wonderful friend, incredible musician and SJARMS founding member Mike Kaufman perform for our June, 2015 SJARMS meeting on Monday, June 8, 2015 at the Medford Arts Center, 18 N. Main Street, Medford, NJ. Doors open at 7:00pm.
We are sad to say farewell to him as he leaves our South Jersey area in a couple weeks. We heartily invite you to come to hear him perform- it will be his last NJ gig for the near future. He will have copies of his new CD “Carolina Life” available.
As usual there will be an acoustic jam after the performance. The performance is free for SJARMS members (www.sjarms.com for info on becoming a member) and $10 for visitors.

Here we have included some of our favorite photos of Mike and some samples of his fine music. Enjoy!

SJARMS is very pleased to announce that the band Wood Sounds will be performing for the May, 2015 SJARMS meeting on Monday, May 11, 2015 at the Medford Arts Center, 18 N. Main Street, Medford NJ. Doors open at 7:00pm. The performance is free for current SJARMS members and $10 for visitors and guests. More info on SJARMS membership can be found at the membership tab above. As always, there will be an acoustic (all levels) jam after the performance.

About the band:
Wood Sounds features four established New Jersey artists drawing from varied musical backgrounds, blended into an acoustic music styling in the bluegrass format. Wood Sounds draws its cover tunes from traditional bluegrass, new grass, folk, rock, and country as well as playing original compositions.

The band members are Ed Fortuna on guitar, Bill Sullivan on banjo, Jeff Tryon on mandolin, and Owen O’Malley on bass.

Ed Fortuna:
Through his father’s influence Ed became a fan of traditional country and bluegrass music. In his teen years, upon hearing Clarence White and Doc Watson he was hooked and wanted learn to play guitar just like them. South Philly, where Ed grew up was not exactly a hotbed of bluegrass or flatpick guitar. So, it wasn’t until many years later, upon meeting and taking lessons from well-respected guitarist, Mark Cosgrove, did he make any progress in learning to pick. He has been influenced by many styles and artists, including Tony Rice, David Grier, Bryan Sutton and Norman Blake. Ed considers himself a fan of any good music. A founding member of Sully’s Fortune and Wood Sounds, he provides solid guitar and soulful vocals.

Bill Sullivan:
Bill is no stranger to the bluegrass and country music scenes. Since the 70’s he has been lending his unique playing style to a variety of bands. His band credits include Charlie Morris bands, Catfish, High Noon, Double Shot, Murphys Law, Cedar Crik, Tabernacle Turnpike, Whiskey Chicken and Sully’s Fortune.

Jeff Tryon:
“Spike” has been playing and appreciating bluegrass since he bought his first guitar and banjo in the late 70’s. He plays a variety of musical styles from folk to rock and is a founding member of the jam band Only Footprints, which he has played in for the last 25+ years. Jeff picked up the mandolin while playing with the Bubbleheads at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. In addition to Only Footprints, Jeff was a long time member of Sully’s Fortune.

Owen O’Malley:

Growing up, Owen was the youngest of five children (and still is). He was into the folk scene, and the Beatles drove him to playing music. He listened to a lot of Weather Report, Return to Forever, and Yes. Owen became very interested in Jaco Pastorius and what he could do with a bass. Eventually, Owen was introduced to The David Grisman Quintet album. He became a huge fan of Tony Rice and his style of guitar playing. He listened to a lot of Sting, and really liked his work with The Police. His CD collection goes from Andreas Vollenweider to Bill Monroe and everything in between. Owen has been a member of Jersey Grass, Walls of Bluegrass, Mark Cosgrove & Good Medicine, Keep The Change, and Blue Roots.

Steve Kaufman, the three time winner of the prestigious National Flatpicking Championships, will offer a Mandolin and a 2-Day, Hands-On, All-Level Flatpicking Guitar Workshop.
Workshops to be held at Open Door Alliance Church
904 Cooper Rd., Voorhees, NJ
April 16: Beginner/Intermediate Mandolin Workshop
April 17-18: Flatpicking Guitar Workshop
April 18: Steve will be in concert with Mike Kaufman Show starts at 8pm
Concert to be held at Medford Friends Meetinghouse, 14 Union St., Medford NJ
Enrollment for the workshops is limited. This year’s slots are going fast, so make your reservations now.
April 16: Mandolin Workshop will be 2 1/2 hours. Steve will go over Back-up skills, new tunes and songs, better understanding of chords and much more. 7-9:30 PM
April 17-18: The two day workshop will last approximately 8 hours. At the two hour session Friday night, 7:00pm-9:00pm, Steve will get to know each student. He will answer questions, give pointers and evaluate each student’s strengths and weaknesses. From Friday’s observations and questionnaire, he will tailor the next day’s session for the group. The 9:30am-3:30pm Saturday session will cover core picking skills and techniques, repertoire and building blocks for growth. Small groups and some individual attention make this workshop valuable for flatpicking guitarists at all levels of experience.
Bluegrass Unlimited has said, “As a professional guitar teacher, Kaufman has perfected his teaching skills as much as his picking technique.”
The fee for the Mandolin Workshop is $50 per person
The fee for the Flatpicking workshop is $100 per person.
Tickets for the concert are $15.
Enrollment is limited so make your reservations now!
No Video Recording of the workshop allowed.
For more information: Andrew at 609-217-1388
To purchase tickets/Register for the Workshops and Concert online please click on the “Purchase Tickets” Tab above and use PayPal for payment.
Kaufman’s music covers a broad range of styles, including bluegrass, swing, Irish and Appalachian fiddle tunes and folk and country classics. He has been captivating audiences from California to Austria since 1976 and is a feature
performer at many major bluegrass festivals.
In addition to his performing and teaching schedule, Kaufman is the author of more than 100 instructional materials and has released 19 recordings to date.
A Teacher’s Teacher
Steve Kaufman was born into a musical family in 1957. His father was a jazz piano player and his mother was a classically trained pianist. Music was always around. At four Steve start-ed plinking at the piano and did so for several years. He then moved on to the electric guitar at 10 for a few years and put it away. Next came the cello in 5th grade for a few years. After this Steve picked up the acoustic guitar again and blazed right through a “Folk Guitar” method book. When finished he thought if this is as hard as it gets it’s not for him. Then his younger brother, Will, started playing the banjo and his instructor told him he needed a rhythm guitar player to help with his timing. So Steve then picked up his guitar again and got into the bluegrass rhythm. One day Will brought home a Flatt and Scruggs LP, which featured Doc Watson on guitar, and Steve was hooked on flatpicking.
Steve practiced hard with his newfound love of music, sometimes up to 8 hours a day. At age 18 he entered the National Flatpicking Championships in Winfield, KS and made the top 10. The following year was a wash. In 1977, Steve took 2nd place to Mark O’Conner and in 1978, at 21 years old, he returned to win the championship. Then after being barred for 5 years he returned on the 6th year to win the 1984 championships again. Winfield bars the winner for 5 years and they can come back on the 6th year but in 1986 they decided to open up the contest to everyone and not bar the past years champs. Steve returned to win his goal. He became the winner and the first and, at this writing, the only Three Time Winner of the
National Flatpicking Championships.
Steve continues to work hard in the world of music. He began producing books and videos in 1989 after teaching private lessons for close to 20 years. His catalog of instructional materials is now over 85 items. His listening CDs and Videos number over 17. Steve began touring the world conducting seminars, workshops, clinics and concerts in 1990 and after 5 years he and his wife, Donna, began “Steve Kaufman’s Flatpicking Camp”. Every other year they have added more camps into their agenda and now under the title “Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Kamps” they host a Fingerpicking Kamp, Old Time Banjo, Bluegrass Banjo and Mandolin Kamp as well. They have grown into the largest Kamps of their kind in the world with students traveling from around the world to Maryville, Tennessee. Since 2002, Steve Kaufman received the Gold Award from a reader’s poll in Acoustic Guitar Magazine for running the “Best Workshops, Seminars and Camps”.
Steve stays busy being a husband and father, running his Kamps, tour schedule, writing books and recording videos and CDs.
To see Steve’s complete
touring schedule and
instructional and listening
products, go to
www.flatpik.com or write steve@flatpik.com for an
Always Current Catalog mailed to your door.
Download Free Tab and Music Paper for the Workshop at
www.flatpik.com and follow the Downloads link

South Jersey Acoustic Roots Music Society (SJARMS) welcomes minstrel, humorist and storyteller, Mike Agranoff to our March, 2015 meeting on Monday, March 9, 2015 at the Medford Arts Center, 18 N. Main St., Medford.

Doors open at 7:00pm. The performance is free for SJARMS members and $10 for guests and non-members. As always, there will be an acoustic jam (all levels) following the performance.

Mike is one of those folk performers that steadfastly defies categorization, and yet amasses stalwart fans from folk aficionados of all categories. He draws his material from sources as diverse as traditional ballads and fiddle tunes, Scott Joplin rags, Tin Pan Alley, contemporaries in the Folk World, and his own witty pen. He delivers it with a skilled hand on guitar, piano, and concertina, an almost telepathic transmittal of the essence of the song, and occasionally sly twinkle in the eye in anticipation of some of the most horrible parodies ever perpetrated on an unsuspecting audience. Signature features of Mike’s performances are his inclusion of some heart-stopping spoken word pieces that rivet the listener to unforgettable stories.

Concert appearances include Godfrey Daniels, Bethlehem, Pa, Club Passim, Cambridge, MA and the Philadelphia Folk Festival.

Click on the membership tab above to get more information on SJARMS membership.
Email us at southjerseyarms@gmail.com with any questions.

We are thrilled to have David Kelly perform for our January, 2015 SJARMS meeting on Monday, January 12, 2015 at the Medford Arts Center, 18 N. Main St., Medford, NJ. Doors open at 7:00pm. Cost is $10 for visitors but free to current SJARMS members.  Click on the membership tab above to get more information on SJARMS membership.

As always, there will be an acoustic jam (all levels) following the performance.
Email us at southjerseyarms@gmail.com with any questions.
David is a guitar, mandolin, lap steel player and singer/songwriter originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He moved to South Jersey 12 years ago and established himself as an acoustic musician in a diversity of musical settings. David earned a degree in Music Education from the University of Tulsa. He was a member of The Tulsa Sinfonia where he played guitar for artists such as Clark Terry, Diane Schuur, Phylicia Rashad, Roger Williams, Nestor Torres, The Diamonds, and Diana Krall. He played lead guitar for Americana recording artist Brandon Jenkins where he had the opportunity to open for Willie Nelson, David Allen Coe, The Mavericks, Stephen Stills, and Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen. In other projects he opened for Leon Russell, Bernie Worrell, and played with Ringling Brothers Circus on several occasions. Since moving to New Jersey he plays solo at several area fine dining restaurants, bars, and weddings. He also performs in a duo with Fran Smith, Jr. from the Hooters.

Christopher Davis-Shannon  will be performing at the SJARMS September meeting at the Medford Arts Center, 18  N. Main St., Medford, NJ on Monday, September 8, 2014.  Doors open at 7:00 pm.  After his performance we will have light refreshments and an informal jam. The performance is free to SJARMS members and $10 for visitors. More concert info can be obtained at 609-217-1388.

Christopher Davis-Shannon’s music cdavisshannon.com is the essence of honest simplicity.  Steeped strongly in the Piedmont and Delta finger-style blues traditions,  his performances bring you back to a time of juke joints and smoky blues clubs of the early 20th century South.  A modern vagabond, he has toured the country for the past 3 years, performing from Las Vegas to New Orleans and throughout the South.

Davis-Shannon performs a mix of blues and jazz standards, traditional spirituals and his own originals which are steeped in the age old styles he holds close to his heart. His intricate guitar work and plaintive vocals are infused with soulfulness which cannot be faked, and a respect for his predecessors which is rarely equaled.

The Woodshop Band will be the featured performers for the SJARMS July, 2014 meeting on Monday, July 14, 2014 at the Medford Arts Center, 18 N Main St, Medford, NJ. Doors open at 7pm. Cost is $10 for the general public but free to current SJARMS members. For more info: 609-217-1388.  For more information on SJARMS membership please click on the Membership tab above.
As usual, there will be light refreshments and a jam after their performance.
The Woodshop Band is Steve Makuka on guitar, Marybeth Johns on guitar and mandolin, and George Cann on mandolin and upright bass. They have been together for over five years and play an eclectic blend of blues, bluegrass, folk songs, classic rock, country, swing, and old standards. Their name is entirely accurate- all of their practices take place inside Steve’s wood shop!

Steve Kaufman, the only three time winner of the prestigious National Flatpicking Championships, will offer a Beginner/ Intermediate Mandolin Workshop and a
Two Day, Hands On, All-Level Flatpicking Guitar Workshop and Concert to be held at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church 61 Rte 70, Marlton, NJ 08053 

May 15: Beginner/Intermediate Mandolin Workshop
May 16-17: Flatpicking workshop.
May 17: Steve in Concert with special guest Mike Kaufman

Enrollment for workshops are limited. This year’s slots are going fast, so make your reservations now.

The Beginner/Intermediate Mandolin workshop on May 15th will be 2 1/2 hours. Steve will go over Right and Left Hand technique, Back-up skills, new songs, chords and
more.

The May 16-17 Flatpicking workshop will last 8 hours and is for all level players. At the two hour session Friday night, Steve will get to know each student. He will answer questions, give pointers and evaluate each student’s strengths and weaknesses. From Friday’s observations and questionnaire, he will tailor the next day’s session for the group. The 5-6 hour Saturday session will cover core picking skills and techniques, repertoire and building blocks for growth.

Bluegrass Unlimited has said, “As a professional guitar teacher, Kaufman
has perfected his teaching skills as much as his picking technique.”

The fee for the Mandolin workshop is $50 per person.

The fee for the Guitar workshop is $100 per person.

Concert tickets are $15.

Enrollment is limited so make your reservations now!

No Video Recording of the workshop allowed.

Kaufman’s music covers a broad range of styles, including bluegrass, swing, Irish and Appalachian fiddle tunes and folk and country classics. He has been captivating audiences from California to Austria since 1976 and is a feature performer at many major bluegrass festivals. In addition to his performing and teaching schedule, Kaufman is the author of more than 100 instructional materials and has released 18 recordings to date.

For more information or to register for the workshop contact Andrew Podolski at southjerseyarms@gmail.com or call 609-217-1388   OR:
To purchase tickets/Register for the Workshops and Concert online please click on the “Purchase Tickets” Tab above and use PayPal for payment.
Download Free Tab and Music Paper for the Workshop at
www.flatpik.com and follow the Downloads link

We are thrilled to announced that the phenominal Orrin Star will be performing a special concert for the SJARMS community on Saturday evening, March 29th, at the Medford Arts Center.

Orrin is an award-winning guitarist and mandolin player who combines hot picking, cool singing and good humor. Once described as ‘Arlo Guthrie-meets-Doc Watson’, he was the 1976 National Flatpicking Champion, has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, and boasts a repertoire ranging from bluegrass standards to little-known folk gems, Celtic fiddle tunes to fingerstyle blues.

In addition to his Saturday concert Orrin will be also be offering his Bluegrass Rhythm Guitar Workshop at 11:00am on Sunday (also at the Arts Center). Orrin is a talented guitar instructor, and is a regular columnist to the Flatpicking Guitar Magazine instructional series

Here is a short preview of the incredible singing and playing you’ll hear at the concert:
http://orrinstar.com/mp3s/ALBERTAexc.mp3

The cost for the concert is as follows: $15 for current SJARMS members in advance of concert; $16 for everyone else in advance; $20 at the door. Advance ticket sales end Wednesday, March 26th. The cost for the workshop, which runs 2 hours and 15 minutes, is $50. Workshop space is limited to 10, so it’s first come, first served and tuition must be paid for in advance. If you have any questions, please email us at southjerseyarms@gmail.com.

Jane Rothfield is an internationally known fiddler, clawhammer banjo player, tune composer, dance musician and band leader who has been playing music since “forever.” She began playing professionally over 30 years ago, and has made eight recordings featuring her lively, spirited and soulful playing. Whether it be traditional Old Time Stringband and fiddle music, or traditional Scottish songs and tunes, music for Contra Dances or tight harmony singing, Jane plays from her her heart and musical soul with great technique and expression!
Jane’s music has been played on numerous radio stations around the world and featured on NPR’s A Thistle and Shamrock, Mountain Stage and Folk Stage! She has performed at festivals, concerts, workshops and music camps including Old Songs Festival, Falcon Ridge Festival, Edinburgh Folk Festival, Pontardawe Festival (Wales), New Bedford Summer Fest, Dance Flurry Festival, Golden LInk Folk Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Common Ground on the Hill, Clifftop Appalachian Stringband Festival, Banjo Camp North, Chesapeake Dance Weekend, The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes and many more!
Jane is in great demand these days playing in numerous musical entities: CORACREE ( Hot Contra Dance and Concert Band with Allan Carr, Sarah Gowan and Bill Quern) , GREAT BIG TATERS (Contra Dance band with Hilarie Burhans and Bernie Nau) , JANE ROTHFIELD AND ALLAN CARR (With Scottish singer and husband and Allan Carr), PANACHE QUARTET (New All Women Fiddling Super Group with Andrea Beaton, Donna Hebert and Veronique Plasse) and SUGAR PIE (All Women Old Time Stringband with Hilarie Burhans, Sabra Guzman and Kellie Allen.)

Jane will perform on Monday, March 10, 2014 at the Medford Arts Center, 18 N Main St, Medford, NJ. Doors open at 7:00pm.

Cost is $10 for the general public and free to current SJARMS members.