Mark Erelli is a touring singer-songwriter. His craft is finely tuned, he has a substantial following and a network of reliable venues. He’s also going blind. After a devastating diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare inherited ocular condition which begins as loss of peripheral vision and progresses to legal blindness, Mark decided to simplify his creative process by recording at home. He reached out to his KickStarter community and was astounded at the positive response. This enabled Erelli to record his most recent album, “Lay Your Darkness Down”. Mark Erelli will be appearing at Northampton’s Parlor Room on March 25.

Our conversation covered more than Mark’s RP diagnosis. We talked about the songs he had already written and how they may have changed in light of changes in his life. We chatted about Tom Petty and Neil Young as well as Justin Townes Earle as influences. Mark talked about how relationship songs have changed as he and his wife celebrate decades together. The impact of Western Massachusetts is also explored. Throughout our conversation, we hear songs form Mark’s catalog including “By Degrees”, “Is It Enough”, “Call You Home”, “Lay Your Darkness Down” and “Love Wins in the Long Run”.

The conversation was lively and fun, despite Mark’s setbacks, he’s remarkably resilient and upbeat. I’m honored to have such honesty, courage, and insight in one interview. I hope you give it a listen (and buy his album) and go to the Parlor Room in March.

Sandy Bailey and bandmate Ryan Hommel performed in-studio in advance of their upcoming appearance at this year’s Back Porch Festival held March 3-5th. They performed four songs from Sandy’s not yet released album, “Daughters of Abraham”. They open the segment with “Already Down” followed by the title cut. Our chat covers some of Sandy’s musical journey and her multi-racial background. We also talk about Ms Bailey’s songwriting workshops with Mary Gauthier and Gretchen Peters; both acclaimed songwriters from Nashville. We talk about the influence of John Prine’s songwriting which resulted in Sandy Bailey’s song, “Dear John”. The last cut we hear is the song Sandy submitted to NPR’s Tiny Desk contest called “Get The Message Through”. This song was part of Mary Gauthier’s mentorship and we hear the updated version today on NineVoltHeart. It is an amazing performance of original music. I really enjoyed the conversation and the music. I know you will too. Check out her website, SandyBaileyMusic.com.

Suzanne Vega brings her New York Songs and Stories to Northampton’s Academy of Music on 12/17 along with local faves Cloudbelly .The concert is a benefit for One Roof Concerts for the Homeless. I had a chance to chat with Suzanne recently to discuss her musical journey. Give the interview( along with music) a listen.

Old time fiddler Bruce Molsky will join bluegrass singer and guitarist Michael Daves for an evening of acoustic music at Northampton’s Parlor Room, December 1st. Their shared musical history is vast with both musicians adept at many genres. Expect some old time, some country and some bluegrass when the two play together. My interview with Micharl Daves toches on his upbringing in Atlanta and his latest project highlighting that town’s musical legacy; often overlooked in acoustic music. We touch on Michael Daves education nearby at Hampshire College where he studied jazz and experimental music. He was mentored by the legendary Jusef LaTeef! We discuss the fabled NYC bluegrass and old time scene; much of it nurtured in Brooklyn with Michael Daves’ weekly residency which is celebrating it’s 16th year! Michael met Chris Thile in NYC and ended up collaborating with him on “Sleep With One Eye Open” which garnered much acclaim and Grammy nominations. More recently, Daves released “Orchids and Violence” a double album of tunes done in two distinct styles; one bluegrass and one electric experimental.

This collaboration is intuitive and combustible. Expect instrumental fireworks and passionate vocalizing. Highly recommended show.

Eric Phelps joined me in a morning in-studio session to help promote his brand new CD release “Let It Rain” along with the Release Party scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 3PM at Greenfield’s Hawks and Reed. This Valley resident has written hundreds of songs over the last fifteen years and has compiled them into this 14 track album. Our segment begins with the song that kicks off the disc called “Good Directions”. During the visit we hear five of his originals from “Let it Rain”; our recorded tracks we played all feature Valley artists collaborating with Eric Phelps. “This River” features vocal help for Rani Arbo, a longtime Signature Sounds artist.. “Got your Message” features Teresa Lorenco; whom area listeners may know from her band, Big Yellow Taxi, which channels the music of Joni Mitchell. The final recorded track we played is “Fare Thee Well” features Rani Arbo and Seth Glier, the talented local keyboardist and singer.

Eric Phelps sang two more songs from the release live in-studio; “All That I Need”, an emotional song written from his young son’s perspective entering his parent’s divorce. Eric finishes with a live take on the homesick song “Blue Moon”.

Eric has recruited a stellar cast of local and regional players on this disc; all of which will be performing with Eric on Sunday 11/13 at Hawks and Reed in Greenfield. Some of those players include Devin Griffiths on electric guitar, Paul Kochanski on bass, Joe Fitzpatrick on drums. Additionally Tommy Mac and Brian Bender will perform their contributions on guitar, keys and horns.

A great batch of talented players and singers contribute to this set of original songs by Eric Phelps on his long awaited disc, “Let It Rain”. Give the songs and our chat a listen and I’m sure you’ll agree that Eric writes mature insightful tunes in a wide variety of styles; all immensely listenable and relatable. Make sure to catch what is likely to be the only opportunity to see these songs played live with the entire crew. Hawks and Reed in Greenfield in a rare treat; a 3PM concert.

It was a difficult segment for me to produce in light of her tragic early passing but listening to her laugh and her voice was proof that it captured her “sparkly” essence. I’ll always remember her last month when we saw each other at a music event. She was radiant at the outdoor show chasing after her three year old Pearl; both of them squealing with joy!! That’s how I’ll remember this jewel of a woman. I won’t be alone!

Caitlin Canty joined Nine Volt Heart to chat about her musical journey from Proctor Vermont to Nashville Tennessee. Along the way, she chronicles time at Williams College and New York City. Of course, we talk song writing and her album releases including a pending one with a stellar cast of Nashville A-Listers. The purpose of our chat is to preview her show scheduled for Saturday 8/20 as part of the Green Mountain Bluegrass and Roots Festival in Manchester Vermont. All of the Nashville “neighbors” that make up the core band will also be at Green Mountain including Brittany Haas (fiddler for Hawktail) Sarah Jarosz on mandolin, Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse), Noam Pikelny (banjo) and Chris Eldridge (guitar and producer) from Punch Brothers along with Paul Kowert (bass for Hawktail and Punch Brothers). I’m really looking forward to some of these special guests collaborating on Caitlin’s set!

We include songs from Caitlin’s career like “Get Up”, “Take Me For a Ride”, “Enough About Hard Times”, “Scattershot” and “Where Is the Heart of My Country”. Our chat covers lots of topics along the way including her collaborations with Darlingside, her work on the TV show “Live at the Lion’s Den” and the bands that populate her latest albums. Of course, we preview her upcoming set at Manchester Vermont’s Green Mountain Bluegrass and Roots Festival, August 19-21. Check out the entire schedule at greenmountainbluegrass.com

Dan Tyminski is a fourteen time Grammy winner, four time IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year, and despite all that; a humble and genuine guy. Starting with the Lonesome River Band, he was recruited by Alison Krauss to join Union Station in the early 90’s. Strings of hits and sold out venues followed as one of the most successful acts in all music regardless of genre. He’s been busy hitting the bluegrass festival circuit with a new album under the Dan Tyminski Band. He just released a tribute to Tony Rice called “One More Time Before You Go”.

We begin our discussion with some of his memories of his involvement in the Coen Brother’s film, “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” Dan is the dubbed voice of actor George Clooney in this award-winning film and soundtrack. Our topics include his recently finished Dan Tyminski Band album, his time with Union Station, his “festival kid” beginnings and more.

Along the way we hear “Church Street Blues” with Molly Tuttle, Dan’s classic take on “Man of Constant Sorrow” from the film, Alison Krauss and Union Station’s “Choctaw Hayride”, Dan’s version of “Ten Degrees and Getting Colder” with Dailey and Vincent. We finish the segment with Union Station’s take on Peter Rowan’s “Dust Bowl Children” and his just released title cut from “One More Time Before You Go”.

It was a real pleasure talking with an artist who acknowledges his success while staying “real” and approachable. Give the audio a listen. It’s a nice glimpse into Dan’s approach to music and life.

It was an honor to chat with Graham Nash this week on NineVoltHeart. He has a number of New England dates coming up including Hartford’s Infinity on 7/14, Great Barrington’s Mahaiwe Theater on 7/23 , Lowell’s Boarding House series on 8/4 in addition to sold out shows in Old Saybrook, Nantucket, and the Treehouse Brewery in South Deerfield. He’ll be doing a career retrospective from the Hollies catalog to songs written yesterday! Our conversation covers his upcoming tour, new album plans, his band for these shows and much more. We talk about his songwriting process, political and social commentary as fodder for songs, and his love of harmony singing. We also discuss his life-long love for photography culminating in “Life In Focus; the Photography of Graham Nash”.

Throughout we hear Graham’s amazing songs including “Simple Man”,”Fieldworker”,”Cathedral”,”Prison Song”,”Myself At Last”, “Military Madness”, “Find The Cost of Freedom” and more.

Willi Carlisle’s “Peculiar, Missouri” will be fully released in mid-July but we heard two of the three singles released on today’s show. We also talked about a myriad of things from punk to poetry, gay cowboy icons to masks and puppet theater. Along the way, we touched on pivotal events in Willi’s life including heading to the Ozarks to teach poetry, his discovery of square dancing, an intentional community called Meadowcreek, and we talked songwriting of course. Willi’s songs have stuck with me since I first heard him at 2021 Freshgrass Festival. His latest release confirms Willi’s claim that “folk music allows him to be as weird as wants to be” but listeners will hear the insanely clever turn of the phrase and imagery that remains long after the last note. We hear “Tulsa’s Last Magician” to open the segment and Willi dedicates the song to the many folks whose jobs and vocations are being phased out and replaced. “What the Rocks Don’t Know” from “To Tell You the Truth” is a spoken blues about many topics including Walmart, Conoco stations and “finding Jesus in a barbeque line”. The Ozarks that Willi has called home gets a reference in “Folk Art Masterpiece” and we finish with a dramatic personal song called “Life on the Fence”; a song about the difficulties of being a male bisexual in our culture. Willi Carlisle’s songs are personal yet universal; he just wants to love everybody. He’s a literate redneck with a heart. He always speaks his truth to anyone ready to listen. One of the most riveting and unique performers I’ve seen in many a year. Peculiar? Perhaps. But never Misery.