I generally like to book someone whom I have seen personally at a live show as opposed to just listening to a CD. This way I can gauge how they are going to interact with an audience. If I can not get to hear them live I will rely on the opinion of experts whom I trust such as Ron Olesko or Bill Hahn. I also try to attend other peoples' house concerts that are in reasonable driving distance, where I have discovered a lot of good new talent. Many times there is a huge difference in the way a performer relates to an audience between a large festival setting and a small intimate living room type setting.
If I do my homework correctly my audiences will be pleased.

                                                   SOL