This is a recording I did last night of the Elizabeth Cotton song Shake Sugaree. Other recordings that I love include one of her granddaughter singing the song. There is also a great video of Rhiannon Giddens performing it. When I share that with young students they are always mesmerized. The song is said to be the inspiration for the Grateful…

https://madewellmusic.com/songs-from-the-heartland https://madewellmusic.com/files/1381106/mosbrook-what-r-we-waiting-for.pdf What Are We Waiting For? It’s Time Album Review by Steve Madewell Charlie Mosbrook is a Cleveland-area songwriter who performs his original material on a handful of instruments. What Are We Waiting For? It’s Time, is a lovely addition to Charlie’s catalog of recordings, offering insightful lyrics, subtle yet catchy melodies, and engaging arrangements. I met Charlie shortly after…

Troubled in Mind is an old traditional blues song. It was written by Richard M Jones, first recorded in 1924. It is a song of deep sadness, but followed with hope in the line "I Won't Be Blue Always".

This is a song written by Steve Van Zandt of the E Street Band and Sopranos fame. What caught my attention first about him was his passion for human rights. I first heard I am a Patriot on one of his records, but I learned it from the band that followed The Great Peace March, a coast to coast march for…

This song was written in 2025 as students went to Tallahassee to demand safety following the shootings at their high school Parkland Douglas. Some of the students still remain vocal and in visible pursuit of justice. Some never made it past the day of the shootings. This song was awarded 2nd Place in the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in 2018, earning…

This is a new take on an older song. This one has become a favorite for me to play at gigs. I think a big part of it is that the song allows me to open up a little instrumentally. The original recording featured banjo, bass, guitar, additional vocals cello..... This is just me and my guitar. backed by a bass…

Blame is a sweet and beautiful song about our impulse to blame everyone else for our problems. The recording was part of the Something to Believe CD from 2014. I was recordedin my old Coventry apartment above Passport to Peru. Joining me on vocals is Abbey Blake. We did the track with a single microphone capturing the two voices and rhythm…

It was just announced that I am one of two recipients of this years FARM (Folk Alliance Region Midwest) Lantern bearer award. To put it mildly, I am crazy honored. this is a Lifetime Achievement award for work in Folk Music throughout the Midwest. The other recipient is Lilli Kuzma of WDCB in Decalb Il. I am still digesting the news.…