Paula Poundstone - Star of NPR's "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me" and HBO comedy specials. See why everyone is saying she is the funniest standup comic working today! "At the top of her game" raved the Boston Globe about Paula Poundstone in performance. Little wonder – Poundstone can regale an audience for several hours with her distinctive brand of wry, intelligent and witty comedy. "I woke up laughing the next morning" is a comment frequently heard the day after a show. Armed with nothing but a stool, a microphone and a can of Diet Pepsi, Poundstone draws on her own complex life: three kids, 13 cats, motherhood, a demanding job and crazy travel schedule, her frustration at getting older, and a bag of neuroses, including her famous inability to ever shut up. In other words: she's just like many of us. Just like many of us except for a lightning-fast wit and amazing improvisational capabilities. Part of the fun is watching her engage various audience members in a humorous dialogue. She manages to gently make fun of people and some of the nutty things we do without demeaning anyone. Ditto making gentle fun of the community where they live. She even manages to handle politics without provoking the pall of disapproval less artful comics have received. She has a rare talent. Meanwhile, she skewers things that demand skewering, including: CNN, the public school system, the state of California, the airlines, the "healing arts," childrearing experts, Barbara Walters, Nancy Grace, and the health care bill. After the show, she'll meet with anyone who wants to meet with her. She happily signs autographs and poses for pictures. A refreshing anti-celebrity: warm, gracious, genuine. If you like intelligent, philosophical comedy you'll love Paula Poundstone. It's an inexpensive night out that will deliver priceless laughs and memories. Credits: Poundstone is a regular panelist on NPR's hit weekly news quiz show, "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" (winner of a Peabody Award for Broadcasting excellence). She was the first woman to win the cable ACE for best standup comedy special, and the first woman to be invited to entertain at the prestigious White House Correspondents dinner. Also an author, she is hard at work on her second book for Random House and has a comedy CD in current release.

Fall Like Rain, Martin Sexton’s brand-new EP, finds this artist again asking relevant questions and challenging the status quo. Entertaining us all the while, he continues to call for unity in “One Voice Together” and adds: “In a world of warfare, peace is bad for business . . .” A timely cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” reminds us it’s time to “stop, hey, what’s that sound, everybody look what’s going down.” On this record, the artist subtly and seamlessly blends infectious tunes with a powerful message. His “soul-marinated voice” (Rolling Stone) shimmers on the soaring falsetto on the title track: “I wanna feel, I wanna fall like rain, without the shelter, so I can see which way the wind is blowin’ today.” A native of Syracuse, New York, and the tenth of twelve children, Martin Sexton grew up in the 80's, uninterested in the music of the day, he fueled his dreams with the timeless sounds of classic rock and roll. As he discovered the dusty old vinyl in the basement left by one his big brothers, his musical fire was lit. Sexton eventually migrated to Boston, where he began to build his following singing on the streets of Harvard Square, gradually working his way through the scene. His 1992 collection of self-produced demo recordings, In The Journey, was recorded on an old 8-track in a friend's attic. He managed to sell 20,000 copies out of his guitar case.

Paula Poundstone - Star of NPR's "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me" and HBO comedy specials. See why everyone is saying she is the funniest standup comic working today! "At the top of her game" raved the Boston Globe about Paula Poundstone in performance. Little wonder – Poundstone can regale an audience for several hours with her distinctive brand of wry, intelligent and witty comedy. "I woke up laughing the next morning" is a comment frequently heard the day after a show. Armed with nothing but a stool, a microphone and a can of Diet Pepsi, Poundstone draws on her own complex life: three kids, 13 cats, motherhood, a demanding job and crazy travel schedule, her frustration at getting older, and a bag of neuroses, including her famous inability to ever shut up. In other words: she's just like many of us. Just like many of us except for a lightning-fast wit and amazing improvisational capabilities. Part of the fun is watching her engage various audience members in a humorous dialogue. She manages to gently make fun of people and some of the nutty things we do without demeaning anyone. Ditto making gentle fun of the community where they live. She even manages to handle politics without provoking the pall of disapproval less artful comics have received. She has a rare talent. Meanwhile, she skewers things that demand skewering, including: CNN, the public school system, the state of California, the airlines, the "healing arts," childrearing experts, Barbara Walters, Nancy Grace, and the health care bill. After the show, she'll meet with anyone who wants to meet with her. She happily signs autographs and poses for pictures. A refreshing anti-celebrity: warm, gracious, genuine. If you like intelligent, philosophical comedy you'll love Paula Poundstone. It's an inexpensive night out that will deliver priceless laughs and memories. Credits: Poundstone is a regular panelist on NPR's hit weekly news quiz show, "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" (winner of a Peabody Award for Broadcasting excellence). She was the first woman to win the cable ACE for best standup comedy special, and the first woman to be invited to entertain at the prestigious White House Correspondents dinner. Also an author, she is hard at work on her second book for Random House and has a comedy CD in current release.

Ruthie Foster: Those who have followed Ruthie Foster’s eclectic musical history know that she can burn down any stage with her combustible blend of soul, blues, rock, folk and gospel. And when Grammy Award-winning producer John Chelew suggested she record an album in New Orleans — with support handpicked from the Crescent City’s overflowing pool of talent — it was an opportunity for Ruthie to infuse fresh spices into her already rich sonic gumbo. The result is Let It Burn, a recording that smolders, sizzles and ignites with an intensity born from her vibrant voice and indelible presence. Paul Thorn: Among those who value originality, inspiration, eccentricity, and character - as well as talent that hovers somewhere on the outskirts of genius, the story of Paul Thorn is already familiar. Now, Thorn reveals another layer of his fascinating history on the album Pimps & Preachers, addressing that subject on the title cut and in the intriguing "family portrait" he painted for the cover, which highlights his daddy the preacher and his uncle the pimp.

Two brothers decide to form a band, adapting the blues, folk and other roots-music sounds they loved as kids into their own evocative sound and twining their voices in the sort of high-lonesome harmony blend for which sibling singers are often renowned. While that’s not a terribly unusual story, the Wood Brothers took a twisty path to their ultimate collaboration. Indeed, they pursued separate projects for some 15 years before joining forces. You wouldn’t necessarily gather this fact from listening to Smoke Ring Halo (Southern Ground), the duo’s third full-length album – their musical chemistry has never felt more profound. Oliver Wood (guitar, vocals) and Chris Wood (bass, vocals, harmonica) refine their rich, spacious sound on songs like the rousing opener “Mary Anna,” the back-porch-funky “Shoofly Pie,” the waltz-time plaint “Pay Attention,” the elegiac title track, the gospel-inflected “Made It Up the Mountain” and more. With supple assistance from drummer Tyler Greenwell and a fleet of gifted guest players – not to mention Grammy-nominated producer-engineer-mixer Jim Scott (Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Lucinda Williams) – the brothers simmer, swing and soar, shifting moods and time signatures with aplomb. As ever, Oliver’s lived-in, expressive voice and urgent fretwork bounce off Chris’ propulsive stand-up bass lines, in-the-pocket harmonies and ghostly harmonica phrases. But this time Chris contributed some lead vocals, displaying a startlingly pure tone on the dreamy “The Shore” and the slide-spiced “Rainbow.”

 Winterfolk 24: a celebration of music and community. For 24 years, Winterfolk has benefited Sisters Of The Road, a vital Portland organization working to end homelessness. Nationally-acclaimed folk star Tracy Grammer will headline again this year. Headliner Tracy Grammer is a Winterfolk favorie and will be celebrating the release of a new CD of previously unheard Dave Carter/Tracy Grammer recordings that date back more than 10 years. A stunning Woodland Pro Folk Sunburst guitar (value $1,000) will be up for grabs in the guitar raffle. This guitar is a visual standout: mahogany back and sides, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, vintage style slotted headstock and butter-bean knobs, and a sunburst finish (generously donated by Artichoke Music). The raffle also includes one day (10 hours) of recording time at Billy Oskay’s Big Red Studio (value $750). Pick up your raffle tickets beginning next week at Artichoke Music (3130 SE Hawthorne), Portland Fret Works (3027 NE Alberta) or Sisters’ office. The winner will be chosen at Winterfolk. You need not be present to win, but it’s so much more fun if you are! Joining Tracy this year are: Kate Power and Steve Einhorn, a legendary duo that sings heartfelt harmonies; Donna Lynn and Terry Davis, bringing music that makes a difference from a soulful Portland duo; Youthful guitar phenomenon, Brooks Robertson ; The wonderful Tom May Trio; Lauren Sheehan with traditional American roots music; and Peter Yeates, Mike Beglen and Bob Soper, sharing their Irish traditional music

Discussing the latest release of Giving Up the Ghost, his fifth album and first on 429 Records, Jackie Greene – singer and songwriter, guitarist and keyboard player, acoustic solo artist and electrifying band leader – hesitates to spell things out too much. "Could we leave some questions unanswered?" he asks. "So people can make up their own minds about things?" Many people have already made up their minds about Jackie Greene, the Americana phenom from Sacramento who made his first album only six years ago and has steadily built up a passionate following among both rank-and-file fans and some of the biggest names in music.

“A Change Is Coming” represents a major leap for singer/songwriter LeRoy Bell. Not only has he grown as a touring artist, but also the experience has given his music an edge that places him into league of performers creating a sound that crosses many demographics. Taking a cue from his roots, the soul and R&B styles incorporated into “Change” plays out on the contemporary musical field. The reception to LeRoy's music has been spectacular. He has performed with Van Morrison, Sheryl Crow, B.B. King, Etta James, Joe Cocker, Al Green, Paolo Nutini, India.Arie, Erykah Badu, LeAnne Rimes, Joan Osborne, Michael McDonald, Suzanne Vega, Idina Menzel, Colin Hay, Mavis Staples, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Keb Mo, Taj Mahal, Leon Russell, Sonny Landreth, Charlie Musselwhite, & Los Lobos.

Mat Kearney didn't set out to write just another collection of songs for Young Love, his third full-length album and first for Universal Republic Records. Instead, he penned a pastiche of honest, heartfelt, and hypnotic stories that'll make you move your feet and put a smile on your face. Kearney gives a piece of himself on every tune, while building timeless tales for listeners to follow as they dance and sing along. The Oregon-born and Nashville-based artist made a conscious decision to approach songwriting differently this time around. Each phase of his career has been marked by genuine evolution. In 2004, the world was introduced to his unmistakable croon and vibrant writing style on the independently released Bullet. Signing with Columbia, he dropped his first formal full-length, Nothing Left to Lose in 2006 garnering critical acclaim and widespread recognition, moving over 450,000 units to date. Embracing a full band-fueled style, 2009's City of Black & White saw him debut at #13 on the Billboard Top 200. He continued winning over crowds on tours with everyone from John Mayer and Sheryl Crow to Keane and The Fray. All the while, Kearney's music became appropriated by 30 Rock, Grey's Anatomy, The Hills, Friday Night Lights, Scrubs, NCIS, and numerous other television shows and films like Soul Surfer and Catch and Release. Over the course of these records, Kearney had 4 Top 20 hits on the Adult Top 40 chart. After all of this success, Kearney wanted to try something new for Young Love.

Andy McKee – an instrumentalist with dazzling technique on the acoustic guitar is an artist on a meteoric rise in the live event performance marketplace. Though Andy is one of the most seen and heard musicians on the web with tens and tens (and tens and tens) of millions of gross impressions on Youtube and Myspace in the past sixteen months alone; it is Andy’s engaging live performances and rock solid touring calendar that has seen him grow a global audience by playing upwards of two hundred dates a year. Since his music has continued to explode virally across the web proliferating on numerous global web sites and is consistently logging 50,000 plus impressions on Youtube and Myspace every day he is poised to make a major commercial break through. Indeed, if it was just a single video that became a viral success on the web this could be dismissed as a blip as his 15 minutes of glory. True, Drifting, is in the top eight of all music videos ever presented on the web and gaining towards number one; yet, Andy has had similar widespread exposure with multiple other tracks: Rylynn, and his inspirational cover of Toto’s Africa easily in excess of 5 million views each and he has other tracks not far behind in viewed counts. Plus, when you are hailed by your peers as a true virtuoso of the instrument and an all around great person, it is easy to see why the music community and fans of popular music alike so abuzz with anticipation of his career trajectory. Of course, it might be that audiences are starting to discover that he was also a stand-out musical voice on Josh Groban’s most recent multi-platinum Christmas record Noel.