The Old Grey Goose performs the old-time country dance music and songs from Maine and New England, singing and playing fiddles, accordions, piano, guitar, banjos, mandolin, harmonica, fiddlesticks, and bones. The group also teaches the country dances of New England: quadrilles, contras, circles, polkas, waltzes, two-steps and schottisches. The dances can be taught at all levels, in workshops, schools and at community dances for all occasions. In concert, the group presents stories, songs and music, some humorous and educational, depicting life in old New England.

The Old Grey Goose has been performing concerts and dances for community groups, festivals, schools, and weddings for over twenty-five years. In Maine, from from Kittery to Fort Kent, and in the United States, from Portland east to Portland west, the group has brought their lively brand of music to audiences of all types. In addition to performing, the Old Grey Goose has actively been collecting traditional music and folklore throughout the Northeast. By visiting and documenting the work of traditional musicians, singers, storytellers and dancers, the group has expanded its repertoire to include downeast fiddle tunes from New Brunswick,  French dance music of Quebec and Acadia, songs from Martha’s Vineyard, and waltzes, polkas and schottisches from Maine’s Swedish and Finnish communities.

The Old Grey Goose has three recordings available, “Maine Country Dance Music  Song,” available from Smithsonian-Folkways, a self-produced cassette entitled, “Old-Time Country Song &Dance Band,” and a compact disc  entitled, “Opera House Medley.” The recordings feature traditional music collected from throughout the Northeast as well as original compositions.

“Since its inception in 1977, the Old Grey Goose has been a prominent force in the preservation and advancement of the musical heritage of New England. They have collected a vast repertoire of songs, tunes, dance calls and stories from elder tradition-bearers and are tireless in their efforts to pass along this legacy. In doing so, they have themselves become an important link in our region’s cultural chain, reinvigorating and recycling traditions for use by coming generations. In the face of ever-encroaching media grey-out, this role could not be more timely or refreshingly contemporary. Every town needs its own Old Grey Goose to keep its cultural compass pointing in the right direction, we’re lucky to have ours here in Maine."
-James Bau Graves, Center for Cultural Exchange, Portland Maine

SAMUEL JAMES LIVES!!!!! Delta Blues legends Tommy Johnson, Robert Johnson, and Petey Wheatstraw were all said to have sold their souls to the devil in exchange for their exceptional musical abilities. Now, we're not saying that Samuel James sold his soul to the Devil... but we're not NOT saying that either.

Chuck Muldoon has been playing the guitar for 22 years, thanks to being initially inspired by the rootsy picking of John Fogerty. Prior to that, an ear had always been tuned to Beatles, Broadway tunes, film scores, classical and jazz. For the past 15 years, Chuck has focused on the "American Primitive," fingerstyle traditions, performing mainly original compositions. Influences are John Fahey, Leo Kottke, Merle Travis, Chet Atkins, Roy Book Binder, Steve James, Paul Geremia, Dave Van Ronk and John Jackson, amongst others.

Okbari performs multi-instrumental original music inspired by the Middle Eastern, Turkish, and Indian traditions. They also present traditional and classical pieces from these traditions, as well as new interpretations of percussive pieces from Eastern Europe and South India. Okbari’s music is largely inspired by the poetic traditions of Turkey and Persia, and is lyrically based on works from these areas. Okbari is Amos Libby and Eric LaPerna. Amos is a disciple of Vidwan Vasudev Rao of Bangalore, India, and a student of oud virtuoso Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian of Bath, Maine. Eric is a student of renowned Lebanese percussionist Michel Merhej Baqlouq. Okbari performs on the oud, bouzouki, doumbek, riqq, tabla, ney, mridangam, and several other instruments from around the world.

Daniel Jacobs was weaned on the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Motown, the Grateful Dead etc. Two and a half years of Jazz guitar lessons at NYU and two and a half years in the classical guitar program at the Mannes Conservatory of Music grounded him in western music. He has lived with families of musical masters in Brazil, where he studied classical guitar and Bossa Nova, and India where he studied sitar and tabla. During a college term abroad in Ecuador and Peru, studying sociology, Daniel became acquainted with the techniques and sonorities of Andean folk music. Gamelon lessons in Bali taught him principles of Indonesian music. Two years of African dance and music classes in Oregon and California acquainted him with Ghanaian rhythms and melodies: however, it is his constant touring as a singer/songwriter/soloist, and his exposure to tremendous musicians immersed in American folk traditions that define Daniel as a performer. Daniel has produced benefit concerts for Shelters Angels, Earth Day, and The Boston Food Pantry. Daniel has studied poetry and written original songs for 24 years. In New York City, he taught English as a second language at an international school for six years.

Meantone is Original Graveyard Blues. A duo comprised of Meantone, fretless, slide guitar and throat and Young Bret, drums and percussion. Meantone’s songs are heavy guitar with ripping slide and grooving drums. Meantone's unique tuning that covers the bass and guitar registers along with Young Bret’s maximal playing of his minimalist drum kit, make you think there’s at least three to four people in the band. Another unique aspect of Meantone's fretless guitar and songs is that they are in a tuning that was popular in Europe from the 15th to 18th centuries called quarter comma meantone. You see, he's not mean at all, just his sound. Meantone chooses to use 31 notes to the octave from this tuning as opposed to 12 notes on normal guitars. All of this puts a twist on the Blues and makes Meantone unique and fresh.