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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Wyden's support is vital ... Guest Opinion: City of Ashland space needs ... Haines & Friends Fund grants help local artists ... Wyden's support is vital ... Guest Opinion: City of Ashland space needs ... Haines & Friends Fund grants help local artists ... MUSIC Celebrating 20th year of bringing Eclectic Music and More to Ashland Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Aug. 23, 2015 at 1:37 PM Updated Aug 23, 2015 at 1:38 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Aug. 23, 2015 at 1:37 PM Updated Aug 23, 2015 at 1:38 PM » Social News The often invisible presence behind Ashland’s rich and constant presentation of folk music concerts is Ariella St. Clair, who opens her 20th season in September. The upcoming Eclectic Music and More Series includes 13 concerts, including such performers as Cheryl Wheeler, Cris Williamson, Chris Smither and, for Yule, Patrick Ball and the Celtic harp. It’s a lot of work but, aside from thriving under stress, St. Clair does it because, “I love folk music and love the connect between fabulous musicians and audiences, some of whom have heard but not seen them live and some who’ve not heard of them but now have a new band to love.” It’s always a bit edgey, putting a concert together and not knowing if folk music lovers will buy enough tickets, she says, “and sometimes they put on a fabulous show and less than 100 will show up, but others less known will draw over 300.” A Talent resident and lover of goats and horses, native New Yorker St. Clair cut her teeth on the folk music scene while in high school, popping into the rich, exploding folk scene of 1960s Greenwich Village. After college in Kentucky (equestrian studies) and marriage, St. Clair worked the folk music scene and operated a coffee house in Lawrence, Kan., as a member of a collective called Foolkill. She got her public relations degree from San Jose State University and arrived here in 1995 — jumping right into nonprofit concert production. Her acts are a stellar cross-section of the folk singer-songwriter genre, pulling in many greats from the old days and catering often to an older crowd that loved them in younger years. However, it goes beyond that demographic to traditional, ethnic, world, one-person theater pieces and comedians, thus the name “St. Clair Productions, Eclectic Music and More.” Despite the plethora of new music styles, “People still care about folk music, especially when we put on the legendary masters. We still get younger people to come to folk music. A lot of younger people love bluegrass and old Americana and the younger singer-songwriters.” How does she choose her acts? “By what I love,” she says, plus scanning what’s being played on Jefferson Public Radio and sold at Music Coop in Ashland, a main ticket outlet. Social media have made promotion a lot easier. St. Clair has mounted an Indiegogo campaign, seeking $5,000 to support this season. It’s almost halfway there and closes Wednesday. In her pitch, she notes the series was down last year and she had to dip into reserves for $3,000, a practice that can’t continue. Her grants include $5,000 from the city of Ashland.  Details of expenses and income are on Indiegogo. The drive is at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/20th-annual-eclectic-music-and-more-concert-series#/story. Donor perks include tickets to concerts, listing in the program, signed posters of musicians and, at the top level, dinner out with the musician of your choice. More information is at www.Stclairevents.com . Here’s the lineup for the coming year: Sept. 20 , Cheryl Wheeler with special guest Peter Mulvey at Grizzly Peak Winery, 1600 E Nevada, Ashland, 5 p.m.: Wheeler’s concerts are more like what you would find at a comedy club than expect to find at a folk music concert. She will tell a story that has you rolling in the aisles, and then sing a song that leaves you wiping tears from your eyes.   Oct. 3, Cris Williamson celebrating 40 Years of “The Changer and the Changed”: "A great deal has changed on the entertainment landscape since a passionate alliance of young radical lesbians from Los Angeles-based Olivia Records released feminist singer-songwriter Cris Williamson's album 'The Changer and the Changed' 40 years ago. One thing hasn't: Williamson's ability to captivate an audience with her soul-stirring vocals and heartrending lyrics." (Greg Archer, San Francisco Examiner.) Nov. 6, Tish Hinojosa with Ballet Folklórico Ritmo Alegre opening: Hinojosa's releases explore a wide variety of styles, ranging from the perfect balance of country, folk, and Latino elements on the award-winning Culture Swing and the collection of Mexican love ballads and border songs on the all Spanish Frontejas, to the delicate mysticism of Dreaming From the Labyrinth and the joyful optimism on her bilingual children's record Cada Niño/Every Child. Nov. 14, Rabbi Andrew Hahn (aka the Kirtan Rabbi), at Havurah Shir Hadash, 185 N. Mountain, Ashland: Known as the “Kirtan Rabbi,” Andrew Hahn brings together two ancient traditions to form a new, spiritual voice through music. Blending sacred Indian chants with Hebrew texts, he creates a unique, mystical experience touching religious seekers everywhere. Nov. 21, Chris Smither: A profound songwriter, Chris Smither draws deeply from the blues, American folk music, modern poets, and philosophers. Reviewers continue to praise his dazzling guitar work, gravelly voice and songwriting. Bonnie Raitt recorded his songs, "Love You Like A Man" and "I Feel the Same.” Dec.12, Patrick Ball, Lisa Lynne, and Aryeh Frankfurter in “A Winter’s Gift”: In "A Winters Gift", Ball, Lynne and Frankfurter step into a magical world of Irish and English literature, Celtic legend and traditional folk beliefs. They draw out tales such as "A Child's Christmas in Wales," a chapter from "The Wind in the Willows," and passages from Shakespeare, William Butler Yeats, and Thomas Hardy, and mingle them with beloved and original pieces of seasonal music performed on Celtic harp. Jan. 23, Keith Greeninger: As a singer-songwriter, Keith Greeninger paints intricate portraits of the human condition with powerful melodic images, deep engaging guitar rhythms and husky, heart-wrenching vocals. Feb. 20, Eliza Gilkyson: Eliza Gilkyson's music has always offered a vivid reflection of the times we live in, full of joys and sorrows, each song a window into a life of struggle and triumph in a world she feels is “poised on the edge of moral, economic and environmental bankruptcy.” On stage, she presents a vibrant mix of laugh-til-you-cry storytelling, political diatribe, love songs ranging from the global to the most intimate, and some of the best support musicians in the world. March 4, Pir Shabda Kahn, an Evening of Indian Ragas, at Ashland Community Center, 59 Winburn Way: In 1972, Kahn was initiated by Pandit Pran Nath, the Master North Indian Classical Vocalist and began the daily practice of Raga singing in the Kirana style. Pandit Pran Nath, a Sufi mystic, requested that Kahn carry on the 800-year-old oral transmission under the name the Chisti Sabri School of Music, now an umbrella for teaching vocal music and performing Raga. March 12, Mean Mary James: “The voice of a ragged Angel combined with the banjo playing of the Devil” (No Depression Magazine). Mean Mary, international singer/writer and master of 11 instruments, is not really so mean, but she is infamous for her alluring story songs, incredible instrumental speed.  March 19, Comic Swami Beyondananda: Swami Beyondananda is a writer, humorist, performer and cosmic comic. Some of his popular comedy topics include: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sects; Teach Your Dog to Heal; Tantrum Yoga; and Be There Now.  April 7, Sam Baker: “Sam Baker might be the most captivating songwriter in America. You’ll probably never catch yourself singing one of his songs in the shower, because his melodies generally tend to be as bare-bones servicable as the raspy scratch of his singing; but by God, you listen to what he has to say, hanging on for every line like a baby bird at feeding time.” (Richard Skanse in Lone Star Music.) April 30, Liquid Gold (William Coulter and Edwin Huizinga), “Fire & Grace: Virtuoso Violin Meets Celtic Guitar”: William Coulter and Edwin Huizinga offer an eclectic exploration into the fire and grace that connects the elements of classical, folk and contemporary musical traditions from around the world. John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Aug. 23, 2015 at 1:37 PM Updated Aug 23, 2015 at 1:38 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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