We are delighted to open our winter season with The Angel Band and Marblehead’s own Hayley Reardon. Angel Band founder, Nancy Josephson, who shares stunning harmonies with Aly Paige and Kathleen Weber, has sung backup for Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, and Phoebe Snow; toured with Peter Rowan, Arlo Guthrie, and David Bromberg; and been in an all-women gospel choir and one of the first all-girl bluegrass bands. She is also a successful “outsider” artist, best known for her extravagantly embellished prize-winning art cars. Her work is in the collections of museums worldwide, including the Smithsonian. Hayley Reardon, a 14 year old Marbleheader, “has already made her mark as an artist against bullying and has written some wonderful, wonderfully important songs.” (Betsy Siggins, Executive Director New England Folk Music Archives )

When the city of Wilmington, Delaware beckoned David Bromberg and Nancy Josephson to become artists in residence, Nancy initially refrained from joining the bluegrass sessions David organized there, working on her visual arts, until Bromberg started raving about a mother and sister vocal duo that might accommodate a third voice. “Mainly to get David off [her] back,” Nancy attended the next jam and was hooked by the resultant three-part harmonies. Thus began Angel Band approximately seven years ago. After the other two-thirds of the trio moved to Texas a few years later, Nancy pressed David (guitar) and Bob Taylor (bass) into back-up duties and started recruiting her own co-vocalists. After various shifts in personnel over their first two CDs (including 2008’s With Roots & Wings), the vocal frontline on Bless My Sole consists of Nancy, Kathleen Weber, a four-year veteran of the band “whose deep, bluesy voice seems almost out of place in her small frame,” says Nancy, and newest member Aly Paige, whose opera training has been subverted by “her improvisational abilities, which makes every night an unexpected joy ride vocally.” The Angel Band recently headlined at the Boston Folk Festival and wowed the crowd.

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When Hayley Reardon first picked up a guitar in July 2008, this young songstress uncovered both a deep passion and an obvious natural talent, unleashing a flood of beautifully constructed, delicately phrased songs. Boston’s WUMB was first to publicly recognize the 12-year-old’s emerging talent as the people’s choice winner at the 2009 Boston Folk festival Songwriting Contest. In the ensuing year Hayley achieved additional recognition in numerous competitions including the YouTube/What’s Your Issue 2010 Music Video Competition, The North Atlantic Arts Alliance 7th Annual Songwriting Contest, and the 2010 Indiegrrl International Songwriting Competition. She has released two EPs to date, her debut Beautiful Simplicity in late 2009, and her latest, Hope You’re Smiling, released in October 2010.

Photo of Hayley Reardon by Lila Weinstein

• A staggering array of American roots music performed joyfully and soulfully. With distinct voices, gorgeous harmonies and extraordinary players, Angel Band rises above the rest. Jim Hynes, Elmore