Saturday, December 12, Hillary Reynold’s Band, 8-10 PM

Do you remember how you loved Joni Mitchell, Carol King, or Laura Nyro when you first heard their exquisite voices singing about the things that matter to all of us? Listening to Hillary Reynolds will transport you to the emotional place you were in when these singer songwriters amazed you. Her lyrics touch on subjects that affect us all, sometimes with a twist: a daughter taking care of a parent, a lover’s remorse. She and her band will also treat the Orchard House Cafe audience to songs of India Arie and Tracy Chapman, accentuating the musical beauty those artists created, adding her own style to their pieces. Hillary has created a following in the Boston area, where she has lived and performed for the past three years. She recently compiled a CD of songs – of hers and other artists – to raise money for women with breast cancer. In gratitude for attending, Hillary will email each attendee on December 12 one of her songs. Suggested donation $15 ($10 students and seniors)

Saturday, December 5, Live Celtic Christmas with Sonas, 8-10 PM

Join us for a night of Celtic Winter music to celebrate the season as we welcome back Sonas, Gaelic for happiness. Sonas performs popular Irish songs, traditional instrumental Irish and Scottish music, as well as folk, contemporary and original music adding a touch of Celtic flair. Their tunes are upbeat foot stomping jigs, reels, and up-tempo traditional songs, yet they are mesmerizing and haunting with their gentle airs and slow tunes. Sonas has been featured both on 89.5 FM WSOU’s “Celtic Heritage Hour” and the prestigious WFUV 90.7 FM program ‘Ceol na nGael’ (Gaelic for "music of the Gaels"). Sonas is Margie Waldrum on piano and Erin Flanagan Lind on lead vocals and guitar. For more information please visit www.myspace.com/sonasfiddlers Suggested donation: $10.00

Friday, December 4, Manhattan Valley Ramblers, 8 -10 PM

This band draws on old-time, bluegrass and rural ballad traditions recorded in the first half of the 20th century. Their music combines fiddle/banjo instrumentals with the harmony singing that is a staple of country and bluegrass. John Saroyan, who plays banjo, guitar and mandolin, hails from the West Coast by way of Louisiana. He has performed at the New Orleans JazzFest and North Carolina’s MerleFest, and he played banjo with Crooked Road when they toured the Northeast in September. Bill Christophersen, born in the Bronx, plays fiddle and guitar. He has recorded with the revivalist Fly-By-Night String Band and the Lazy Aces and currently performs with the bluegrass bands Rock-House Gamblers and American Flyer. Suggested donation $15 ($10 seniors and students)

Saturday, November 21, Live Music with Bill and Livia Vanaver, 8 PM

Bill Vanaver & Livia Drapkin Vanaver will share their repertoire of songs, collected from the US, Greece, the Balkans and beyond, for which Bill will bring his assortment of American and world musical instruments. Bill is known for his traditional and innovative banjo styles and was featured on the Banjo Project recordings in the 60’s. Bill & Livia, who are the directors of the internationally renowned Vanaver Caravan Dance & Music Company, are also performers in their own right. Since 1972, they have performed at clubs and festivals in the US, Canada, and in Europe and North Africa for the US State Dept. Come join them, enjoy, laugh, and sing along - in many languages – for a rare NYC coffeehouse appearance. http://www.vanavercaravan.org

Friday, November 20, Traditional Medicine of the Amazon Rainforest: An ancient knowledge and Hope for the Modern World, 8 PM

Eda Zavala, a descendant of the pre-Hispanic Wari People, is a sociologist and anthropologist. She has lived in the Peruvian Amazon, working with its indigenous peoples and their medicine, for over 20 years. Tonight Eda will show a film and give a talk about her work in the Amazon Rainforest. Eda has participated in international conferences for the preservation of traditional knowledge and sacred lands. She has given frequent lectures and workshops on medicinal plants and their healing properties at universities and nonprofit organizations in San Francisco. An interview with her is included in Cosmic Conversations: Dialogues on the Nature of the Universe and the Search for Reality by American astronomer Stephan Martin. She is cofounder of Hampichicuy, a traditional healing center in Tarapoto and is offering healing sessions during her visit to New York. http://www.hampichicuy.com/

Saturday, November 14, Parabola Panel, 7:30-9:30 PM

Friday, November 13, Live Music with the Jazz Duo, 8 PM

Saturday, November 7, Live Music with jk and the b’s, 8 PM

The b’s are a collection of old friends, who get together to play because they just love to play. Each musician has his own solo career as well as being a member of other groups The group consists of studio musicians who are also producers and engineers, with a list of impressive credentials. The love of playing is obvious and the result, enjoyment…so come and enjoy. jk and the b's are Joel Kaminer vocals, harp, Larry Cohen, bass, Rich Mercurio drums, Marcus Wolf, guitar, Marc Ribler, guitar