I know this topic overlaps a coupla others, but I'm gonna do it anyway, before I'm too tires to remember.

I did go hear Musicman's band Small Potatoes, and they're most definitely worth a listen -- the Northwest Stage where they were is dedicated to English and Celtic stuff. they have a strong Celtic Flavor, surprise, surprise ("Praties they grow small...")

Musicman has quite a stage presence, being large, but I confess I'm always fascinated by good female bodhran players, which they have. Great voice and what a sense of rhythm. I notice in my newsletter I still get from Chicago that they will be playing around the Midwest all summer.

I made it to Mudjack's set, which he turned into a mostly singalong session, which is fine with me because I love them. He got an encore, which he deserved. Thie year's theme was Caribbean, and a featured steel drum band was busking on the quadrangle very, very close. Jack's sound guys had him cranked up to the max, so if you sat close it was fine -- ie, you couldn't hear the steel drums. Jack, I used to do that Kate Wolf song; I'll try and dust it off for the next song circle, OK?

Artie Traum did 2 guitar workshops, to which very few brought guitars (to his surprise) so I was in good company. the finger-picking one was a good review for me; it was pitched a lot to beginners. The blues one, I was scribbling notes madly and grabbed my guitar to try stuff out. He also obliquely answered a question I have had for a long time: ie, is he related to Happy Traum? All y'all probably knew they were brothers. I popped for his new CD with lots of guests, even tho' jazzy blues isn't my usual bent. He is really big into DADGAD so once he got onto that it was less useful for me, tho' he did recommend Skip James. I hit Music Millenium in Portland before heading home (long story) and got a tape of James and am glad I did. All y'all probably already knew he was great, right?

I could only be there for Saturday and Sunday, but it was worth it; it always is.

This was my 10th Folklife! Maybe I'm finally a real Northwesterner!