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Devon Leger

Joan Shelley's "Over and Even"

Joan Shelley's "Over and Even"

It was a cold November afternoon when I called Kentucky songwriter Joan Shelley, and she was out walking her dog. I could practically hear the crisp winter air around her, and she was slightly breathless from the cold. I was tasked with telling “her story,” but in the first few

The Lovely Songcraft of Annalisa Tornfelt

The Lovely Songcraft of Annalisa Tornfelt

I'd probably embarass myself if I put down here how many times I've listened to the new solo album, The Number 8, from Portland roots songwriter Annalisa Tornfelt. It's become my go-to album for times of stress at work. I flip it on and

Looking Back at the First All-Female Bluegrass Band

Looking Back at the First All-Female Bluegrass Band

I’ll admit that I bought this record for the cover. It was spendy at the record store ($9.95 at House of Records in Eugene, Oregon), but that cover just popped -- bright yellow, with great, cartoon-y art. I did a quick Google search on my phone and found

Rare Vinyl Finds from Québec

Rare Vinyl Finds from Québec

Each year for the past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to be invited out to Montréal for the festival La Grande Rencontre. When I was a kid, I visited Montréal a few times to visit my grandmother Colombe Leblanc, and those are some of my best memories. A

My First Vinyl: Seattle Old-Time String Band The Hurricane Ridgerunners

My First Vinyl: Seattle Old-Time String Band The Hurricane Ridgerunners

The first vinyl I bought for myself was at the wonderful, tiny record store House of Records in Eugene, Oregon. I bought it because I saw my friend Jerry Gallaher on the cover. I’d been playing music at French-Canadian jam sessions in Seattle with Jerry and loved his banjo

The Unsettling World of Dillard Chandler

The Unsettling World of Dillard Chandler

"Stark" doesn’t even begin to describe the singing of Appalachian balladeer Dillard Chandler. "Otherworldly" might be a better descriptor. His singing sounds outside of our modern reality, so deeply rooted in the past that it’s almost exotic. Folk revival icon John Cohen certainly felt

The Old-Time Camaraderie of Sandy’s Fancy

The Old-Time Camaraderie of Sandy’s Fancy

I’ve been hearing about Sandy Bradley since I first moved to Seattle about 13 years ago. She’s considered one of the prime architects of Seattle’s folk scene, a legendary dance caller, a beloved radio host (of Sandy Bradley’s Potluck on Seattle’s KUOW for 13 years)