Sally Barker

Sally Barker has been around for decades but her voice just gets better with age. Whether she is singing to seven million on the final of TV's 'The Voice' or to 7 people in a local folk club Sally is the consummate professional. She has the ability to lift the words off the page as if you were hearing them for the first time.

Sally has been professionally involved with the acoustic music and traditional folk scene of the British Isles for the majority of her adult life (over 45 years) and been a part of over two dozen professional recordings, both her own solo albums, as part of various groups and as a guest on many others.  A selection of CD titles include: 'This Rhythm is Mine', 'Favorite Dish', 'Maid In England' and 'Ghost Girl' by Sally Barker, ‘Into The Well' by The Poozies and 'What We Did On Our Saturday' by Fairport Convention.

Sally is a composer of songs such as 'The Ballad of Mary Rose' (about the sinking of the flagship of Henry VIII of England in 1545) and 'Haul Away' (about the deportation of criminals from British jails to Australia between 1788 and 1868) that dig deep into the historical experience of Britain.   And, of course, her catalogue includes a wealth of songs about love and life.

Sally has also been deeply involved in performing re-interpretations of the folk music of Britain mainly through her work with 'The Poozies' but also with The Sandy Denny Project, and as a guest member of Fairport Convention. Check out ‘Chuirinn’ (The Poozies), ‘The Ballad of Matty Groves’ (The Sandy Denny Project), ‘Rising for the Moon’ at Cropredy (Fairport Convention).

Sally began writing songs and performing at the age of 10, influenced by the likes of John Martyn, Janis Ian, Martin Carthy, June Tabor, Steeleye Span, Bonnie Raitt and Pentangle.  By her late teens Sally was performing folk and blues in pubs and folk clubs in the Midlands with bass player Chris Watson. Later the duo went on to support Steeleye Span, Gordon Giltrap and Roy Harper.

Chris moved to London and Sally entered and won the 1986 Kendal Songsearch Competition with 'Hunting the Buffalo'. Newly solo, Sally got to be the support to acts such as Richard Thompson, Taj Mahal, Richard Digance and Fairport Convention.

Learn more at https://sallybarker.co.uk

Vicki Genfan

Winning the esteemed Guitar Player Magazine’s ‘Guitar Superstar’ award in 2008, Vicki plays her own percussive technique of 'slap-tap' acoustic guitar, and has been showcased as one of the world’s top guitarists at festivals such as The International Montreal Jazz Festival, Germany’s Open Strings Guitar Festival, Italy’s Soave Guitar Festival and hundreds of venues and

Performing Arts Centers across the US and abroad.

In addition to being a dazzling instrumentalist, Vicki is an award-winning singer/songwriter with a high-energy stage presence. Drawing from folk, jazz, pop, soul and world music, whether covering the tunes of others or presenting her own compositions, Vicki’s distinctive style pushes the boundaries of the singer/songwriter genre into new territories.

While hopping between continents for performances, master classes andclinics, Vicki loves teaching and has 10 Instructional DVDs to her credit andis in high demand at clinics and music camps all over the world. She has two CDs released on Germanys ‘Acoustic Music Records’ and three Self-released CDs. She is currently collaborating with long time touring and writing partner, Sally Barker from the UK and up-and-coming guitarist, Ali Tod from Scotland on a new musical project.

“If I could play like Vicki, I’d stay home and entertain myself.” - Steve Vai

Learn more at http://www.vickigenfan.com

Bil Lepp

Bil Lepp is an award-winning storyteller, author, and recording artist. He’s also the host of the History Channel’s Man Vs History series, and a contributing columnist to the West Virginia Gazette-Mail. Growing up in a family where the truth was fluid, Bil Lepp became adept at spinning tales and exaggerating circumstances at an early age. A nationally renowned storyteller and five time champion of the West Virginia Liars’ Contest, Bil’s outrageous, humorous tall-tales and witty stories have earned the appreciation of listeners of all ages and from all walks of life. Though a champion liar, his stories often contain morsels of truth which shed light on universal themes. Be it a hunting trip, a funeral, or a visit to the dentist, Bil can find the humor in any situation. Lepp explains that while his stories may not be completely true, they are always honest.“

…Lepp, a cross between Dr. Seuss and…film noir....” -Charleston Gazette

Bil is the author of seven books and twenty-one audio collections. His first children’s book, The King ofLittle Things, won the PEN Steven Kroll Award for Picture Book Writing, received a Kirkus Starred review, and favorable reviews from The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, The School Library Journal and other publications. It also won the Zena Sutherland Award, the Parent’s Choice Gold Award, was a finalist for the Irma Black Award, and was chosen to be West Virginia's book at the National BookFestival.

Bil lives in South Charleston, WV with his wife and two children.

Learn more at https://www.leppstorytelling.com