Sixth Songwriter Night
March 15, 2008 (7:00 pm)

Ellen Olhsson



http://www.myspace.com/tuffditties

     Ellen Olhsson (Ellen Goldstein, Fiddlin' Ellen, Ellen Murphy, or Ellen Chait) grew up right outside NYC in New Jersey, spending much of that time in The Village and the Theater District, lived in Philly for 6 years, in the San Francisco Bay area from '67 to '01 (Berkeley, Forestville, the Chicken Coop, Wheeler's Ranch, Star Mountain, Point Reyes, San Anselmo, San Raphael, Novato, etc. etc. etc.), and now in Nashville.
     She started using the name Tuff Ditties around 1980, when she was doing acoustic punk and performance art. She has been making up songs since she was in the crib.

     She started studying violin at 8 years old, even had the privilege of being one of the last students of Maestro Sinigalliano, former concertmaster of LaScala. She started playing guitar when she was 12, and started performing with her cousin Jan Lewis on the boardwalks of Asbury Park and Atlantic City in the early '60's – her cousin has gone on to become a great honky-tonk piano player. You can check her out on uTube!. Ellen played anytime anywhere she could until her neck and shoulder were killed by the deforming positions demanded by the violin. For 14 years, she called herself a Recovering Musician, but started writing, singing and playing guitar again in the late '90's, thinking she was writing only for other people to perform, until her love of performing convinced her to get out there herself again. She has only submitted songs to a few contests, but 'Middle Aged Boy Crazy' won Best Rock Song at the Mountain Valley Arts Festival (and came in a close runner-up for Best of Show) and 'Tara Sleeps' made Finalist in this year's Unisong Contest. So she thinks she’s on the right track.
     She plays acoustic folkjazzbluescountryrock -- they tell her that she’s not quite like anybody else, and she never knows what's going to come out next. She just hopes you enjoy it as much as she does. She loves to entertain and hopes she can make you think.

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Annie Mosher



http://www.myspace.com/anniemoshermusic
anniemosher.com

     Kerrville New Folk winner Annie Mosher has been praised by Americana greats like Mary Gauthier, Kathy Mattea, and Mindy Smith. She has charmed the nation with her waving red pigtails and infectious smile, and music that haunts, captivates, and delights her crowds wherever she goes. If you haven't seen her live show, you need to. She's a fireball, and loves her audience wildly.     
     Annie has won numerous awards for her writing and performance, including the Riverbluff Music Festival's Songwriter's Award and an Honorable Mention from the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. She tours nationally and has a devoted fan base in and around the south where she lives in Nashville, TN. Annie has two albums independently released and a third on the way. Watch for "Grain Of Sand" with a 2008 street release.

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Kathy Hussey

http://www.myspace.com/kathyhussey
kathyhussey.com

     Kathy's song, "The Same Mary" won the Grand Prize in the 8th Annual Great American Song Contest.

     “Folk Medicine” –  maybe that’s the best way to describe Kathy Hussey’s music. Let’s just say there’s no better elixir to counteract the occasional ills of the songwriting scene -- the preoccupied navel-gazing, the world-saving, and the love-lost-lamenting -- than a healthy dose of Kathy’s insightful and inspiring songs.
 

     Where some cling to tired clichés, she invigorates the listener, spinning stories that are fresh and involving, and delivering them onstage with charm and abundant personality. Her songs channel others, giving voice to the abandoned dog, the child within a 90-year-old woman, the French ice cream vendor, the earth itself. She knows the important light isn’t the spotlight on the singer, but the one shed on the truth.
     Kathy comes from everywhere, tapping into her four-corners-of-the-country upbringing and her self-described “wonder-lust” to turn out a wide range of compelling characters. And why not? Her own story is compelling. One of identical twins, adopted at birth. A hopscotch childhood, always the “new kid.” The high school for rodeo hopefuls. The college commune. The bartending. Every stop full of new things and people to try to figure out.
     Kathy’s songs come to life, because she's immersed in it. She’s a trail guide, a horsewoman, a tie-dye teacher and a leader of songwriting workshops for kids. She connects with the things that connect us all, and the proof is in the accolades. Critical raves for her three self-released albums. Festival performance honors at Kerrville, Telluride and Suwannee. Songwriting awards from Mountain Stage Newsongs, American Songwriter Magazine, Just Plain Folks, and the Grand Prize from the 2006 Great American Song Contest for “The Same Mary.”
     “Folk medicine.” Hmm, could be. Consider the evidence. Endorsed by the wisdom of the elders. Natural, with a finger on the human pulse. Stimulates the brain and examines the heart. Dispensed with care and humor, often enough on a house (concert) call.
     Sure looks like the prescription from here. Whatever you want to call it, the doctor says that Kathy Hussey’s music is mighty good for what ails you.