The High Note

Atlantic City's own Tina Notaro joins The High Note Podcast to talk about her remarkable journey as an event creator, community builder, and the beating heart of Atlantic City's arts and nightlife scene. We dig into her work with Noetrope — the movement she built around creating noetic experiences — the legendary Beach Rave at Crystals beach, the New Moon Night Market at Anchor Rock Club, and her...

In this episode of The High Note podcast, I sit down with New Jersey alternative rock artist Just Wiln to discuss his debut full-length album "Primer," released Dec. 12, 2025. We dig into the creative process behind compiling updated mixes of previously released singles alongside brand new material, and explore what makes this his most personal and raw record yet. About Just Wiln Justyn Wielenta,...

John Flynn stops by The High Note to talk about his long history with the Philadelphia Folk Festival, his meaningful work with incarcerated individuals through New Beginnings - Next Step , and his new album " Kindred Spirits ," which is out now. We also get into his friendship with the legendary Kris Kristofferson. You can catch John live this fall and winter. On November 23rd, he'll be in Devon,...

Grammy-winning baritone and New Jersey native John Brancy joins The High Note ahead of his show John Brancy and Peter Dugan Live at the 609 Club this Saturday, Aug. 23, at the Celebrity Theatre inside The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City. We talk about his South Jersey roots, his career on the world's greatest stages and the cabaret-style performance he and pianist Peter Dugan are bringing home as...

On this episode of The High Note podcast I'm joined by Jayne Toohey — photographer, author and the press contact for the Philadelphia Folk Festival . Jayne is the creative force behind "Smiling Banjo: A Half Century of Love & Music at the Philadelphia Folk" Festival, a beautiful collection of images and stories that capture the heart of the event. The 62nd annual Philadelphia Folk Festival kicks o...

In the latest episode of The High Note, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Atlantic City-based DJ and producer Captain Cork. My good friend Cory Kaisand and I talk about his creative process, the art of crafting engaging DJ sets, and his experiences performing across the country. For fans eager to catch Captain Cork live, he has several performances scheduled in Atlantic City, including Dec....

Dave Gunning returns to The High Note Podcast to discuss his musical journey since we last spoke in 2019, including his success in environmental activism, new community initiatives, and his partnership with JP Cormier. You can listen to our first conversation from 2019 here. Time Stamps [00:00:00] Introduction [00:02:00] Dave's return to Philadelphia Folk Festival [00:02:45] Navigating the pandemi...

In this episode of The High Note podcast, I sit down with Brian Walker of  A Day Without Love at the 61st annual Philadelphia Folk Festival. We discuss his songwriting process, the significance of playing at the folk festival and in Philadelphia, his experiences moving from Philly to Boston, and his latest album. Brian shares insights on overcoming challenges, the role of music in healing, and his...

In this episode of The High Note, I sit down with Shanna in a Dress , a delightful singer-songwriter whose humor and heartwarming stories captivated audiences at the 61st annual Philadelphia Folk Festival. We dive into her creative process, stories behind her songs, and the inspiration she draws from her cross-country bike tour that shaped her music career. Shanna shares her thoughts on what it's...

I sit down with the incredibly talented Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter and ukulele player, Sug Daniels . Originally from Smyrna, Delaware, Sug has carved out a unique space in the music world with her soulful blend of folk, rock, and alternative influences. We delve into her journey from growing up in a rural town, finding her identity as a queer artist, and making the move to Philadelphia,...

In this episode of The High Note podcast, I chat with banjo legend  Tony Trischka about his latest project, "Earl Jam," which he will be performing at the 61st Philadelphia Folk Festival. Tony discusses his tribute to banjo pioneer Earl Scruggs which led to him collaborating with musicians Billy Strings and Del McCoury and many more for his most recent album, "Earl Jam." He also shares insights in...

Join me on this week's podcast as I interview Philadelphia Folk Festival Artistic and Marketing Director Kimberly Sinclair. We explore the exciting plans for the 61st annual Philadelphia Folk Festival, which will take place from August 16-18, 2024 at the historic Old Pool Farm in Upper Salford Township, Pennsylvania.  Kimberly shares insights into what attendees can expect, the festival's rich his...

Mike Savino, the brainchild and founder of Tall Tall Trees , is my guest on The High Note to chat about his most recent album " Stick To The Mystical, I " which was released Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 via  Joyful Noise Recordings . We talk about his journey in music from being a metalhead to a deadhead to being classically trained in acoustic bass to creating his own instrument, the Banjotron 5000. In...

Singing songs, surfing and sailing the seas of Web 3; is there anything Emily Faye can't do? I met the multi-talented British-based singer-songwriter at VeeCon 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she captivated a packed crowd with her song " Playstation " at Lucas Oil Stadium with Gala Music. During our conversation, we dive into her journey in web3, her inspiration, how her fiance Jay inspired "...

Valerie Ann is a Utah-based songwriter with a magical touch for creating children's music that appeals not only to the young ones but also to the adults who care for them and those in between. I met Valerie Ann at VeeCon this past year in Indianapolis, Indiana and thankfully, we re-connected just this past month. She's a talented songwriter and pioneer in the children's music industry, taking stri...

Keller Williams and Steve Poltz are both accomplished singer-songwriters individually who together have performed a "Shut the Folk Up and Listen" series across America. They join me for a conversation about their careers, folk music and their run of shows.  You can see them Friday, March 3 at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, Saturday, March 4 at City Winery Philadelphia and Sunday, March 5 a...

Crys Matthews stopped me in my tracks the first time I saw her perform. Join me in a conversation with one of my favorite singer-songwriters about her songwriting process, her journey in music and how growing up as the daughter of a preacher influences her on stage. She is based in Washington D.C. and is currently on tour including stops Thursday, Feb. 9 at The Linda WAMC's Performing Arts Studio...

Mohsen Amini is probably the best concertina player you have ever heard. I met him as co-founder of the multi-award-winning Celtic trio Talisk, based out of his hometown of Glasgow, Scotland. Amini talks about his adventures since we last spoke last at the 60th annual Philadelphia Folk Festival including his tour with Talisk and Ímar, jamming with his friends, getting ready for the band's performa...

Perry Thompson is the president of the Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society based in Atlantic City, New Jersey whose mission is to preserve and promote Black music culture through education and experiences. He has held lectures in person at Stockton University featuring Reggie Reg from Cash Crew and singer and pianist Nina Simone as well as online seminars covering the legacies of Prince, Jimi He...

BRAN NU is a rapper and artist based in South Jersey. He has been rhyming since he was in high school and is currently touring throughout the east coast.   During a brief break in his touring schedule, we chat about his influences, his music career, his most recent tour and the projects he is currently most excited about.   You can see him on the Full Blast Fall Tour featuring CL Smooth beginning...

Mike McKenna Jr. is a helluva singer-songwriter from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. He carries on the Canadiana folk music tradition in his songs his homespun lyrics with historical references and a warm voice. We talked Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022 at the 60th annual Philadelphia Folk Festival where he was a performer throughout the weekend. His latest album is " At The Edge of the World ." He...

South Korean shamanic folk-pop band ADG7 quickly became one of my favorite acts of the 60th annual Philadelphia Folk Festival - so much so that I, along with many, many others, saw the nine-piece band Saturday night and again Sunday morning. See all the show notes, links and photos here . Follow @HighNoteBlog anywhere you go on social media including  Twitter ,  Instagram ,  Pinterest  and  Facebo...

My old friends from Talisk , concertina player Mohsen Amini and guitarist Graeme Armstrong return to The High Note podcast and bring along their new fiddle player Benedict Morris to chat about performing at the Philadelphia Folk Festival for the fourth year in a row, and the recording process for the latest Talisk album due out in February 2023. Get tickets to see Talisk Sunday, Feb. 19, 2022 at t...

It's been a while, friends! I dust off the microphone as I prepare for the 60th annual Philadelphia Folk Festival this weekend - Aug. 18-21, 2022 at the Old Pool Farm in Upper Salford Township, Pennsylvania.  I run through the list of my can't miss performers including Emily Drinker, Talisk, American Acoustic: Punch Brothers, Watchhouse and Sarah Jarosz, Crys Matthews, Christine Lavin, Michael Fra...

Steve Dawson is one of my favorite singer-songwriters. I first discovered him through the album "Funeral Bonsai Wedding" and I fell in love with the song " Ezra Pound and the Deep Wood River ." He currently teaches songwriting at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago . His latest solo album " At The Bottom Of A Canyon In The Branches Of A Tree " was released July 17 on Pravda Records. We di...