More than a dozen of the finest performers representing the music you hear on WUMB Radio will be at the 14th Annual WUMB Music Fest. Click on the special "music-in-your-ear" icon next to each performer to play a short MP3 sound file. For more information, just click on the performer's name to go to their web site. Perfomers subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control. Additional performers may also be added.

	Amy Black	For Amy Black, it is all about the story. As she puts it "I may not be telling my own stories, but I’m connecting and empathizing with every character and emotion I’m writing about. Life isn’t always what people hope it’s going to be, and that’s everyone’s reality on some level." Amy's own story is an interesting one. Her family is from Alabama, but her father is a preacher and that meant move to Missouri and eventually to Massachusetts. She sang through her teens and fronted bands in college but then stepped away from music for a decade in favor of a career. Her return, an album with her band, was mostly cover songs, but her latest, One Time, reveals her as one of the best storytelling songwriters working today. Amy will be backed by a five-piece band.
	Anthony da Costa	Prolific is the simplest way to describe Anthony. He released no less than six albums while still in his teens, and whenever you meet him it seems he’s recording his next album, has written all the songs for two more and is planning for several more down the road. He is a frequent collaborator with Abbie Gardner from Red Molly and has won awards for his songwriting at festivals from Kerrville to Falcon Ridge. He continues to write, record, plot and tour all while a full-time student at Columbia University.
	Ben Wright	Ben's music contains the echos of everyone from Nick Drake to the Indy Rockers that he shared the stage with in Philadelpha when he started performing professionaly. His guitar chops are good enough that he could work as an instrumentalist but he is also an able songwriter. His songs are emotional and evocative, and some seem to have been written to accompany a scene from a movie that only he has seen. Perhaps it was his affection for film soundtracks that led him to leave his native Pennsylvania to, for a few years, live and perform on the West Coast. Now a resident of Glocester, he was formerly at the Berkley College of Music, but has more recently been persuing an advance degree in physology here at UMass Boston. You can congratulate Ben as he officially graduated on Friday, though his studies here at the University will continue.
	Buskin & Batteau	It might be easier to say what they haven’t done. If they were to do a medley of their “hits” it would have to include jingles for NBC and Chevrolet as well as songs written for ESPN. Of course, that kind of a medley would be longer than most shows. If fact, if they were just to perform the songs that were used on movie and TV soundtracks it would be a very long show. You could fill several CDs just with covers of their songs, recorded by everybody from Richie Havens to Mel Tormé. While they've only recorded a handful of albums as a duo, if you add solo records and recordings with bands they’ve been a part of, like Appaloosa and Pierce Arrow, it is quite the distinguished catalog. Joining David & Robin will be Marshal Rosenberg.
	Chris Pahud	Massachusetts native and Quincy resident Chris Pahud describes himself as a "Rogerian" because of his deep admiration and affection for the late Stan Rogers and his band. This has led to a long standing friendship with Stan's brother Garnet, with whom he often shares the stage. He was the guitarist in The Town Dump, his band during high school and in later years performed extensively with bass player Phil Kissinger. These days, when the situation warrants, he is accompanied by the band he has dubbed The Red Sky Pirates after the title of his most recent album Red Sky in Morning. The band often includes harmonica virtuoso Hatrack Gallagher and guitarist Seth Connolly who produced the album. His repertoire features story songs that fit his rich baritone perfectly. A Pahud performance often features songs by writers from fellow New Englander David Olney to Tom Russell and don't be surprised to hear him reach back further for classics by the late Fred Neil. Chris is not only a UMass Boston graduate but is employed in the Media Services Department here at the University. Look for him later this summer, once again hosting the main stage at New Bedford's Summerfest.
	David Mallett	There aren’t many writers who have had a single song recorded by everyone from Pete Seeger to Kermit the Frog, and had the lyrics turned into a popular children’s book. This is even more amazing when you realize that “The Garden Song” is one of the first that David ever wrote. Over the intervening forty years he has created an equally amazing body of work spread over 14 critically acclaimed recordings, including a spoken-word album based on Thoreau’s last expedition in 1857. He was recently recognized by his home state’s Bangor Daily News as one of the most memorable Mainers of the 20th century. A couple of friends will be joining David on stage.
	Greg Greenway	With his politics and passion he may seem like a throwback to an earlier age of topical songwriters, but his style is most contemporary and his songs are both as fresh as today's newspaper and timeless. With his commitment to social justice, his songs offer not only social commentary but a deep sense of history and an equally deep respect for our shared humanity. That is not to say that some of his songs aren’t personal and evocative, because they are, and some display his scathing wit. In addition to his solo performance he is also a part of the trio Brother Sun, with Pat Wictor and Joe Jenks.
	James Keelaghan	It’s amazing what a degree in history, coupled with an incredible poetic and melodic sense will do for you. Of course it doesn’t hurt that James has powerful baritone voice, driving guitar style and the narrative sense of a novelist. He started performing while still in college and was encouraged to perform his own songs by no less than Garnet Rogers who, along with dozens of others, has recorded Keelaghan compositions over the years. In addition to his solo performance he plays a form of music they have dubbed Celtino with Chilean/Canadian Guitarist Oscar Lopez, and has toured extensively with the California- based singer Kristina Olsen and noted English songwriter Jez Lowe. James will be bringing his band.
	Kate Taylor	Born in New England and raised in North Carolina, Kate's dual musical heritage is one she shares with brothers James, Livingston, Hugh, and her late brother Alex. Kate's roots run deep in the soul, gospel and rockabilly sounds of her southern upbringing and in the literate folk, pop and Appalachian stylings that comprise the balance of her family's musical legacy. Fronting her own band at fifteen, Kate signed her first recording contract with Atlantic/Cotillion records at nineteen under the tutelage of famed producer Peter Asher. She later recorded for Columbia Records, produced by her brother James Taylor and acclaimed Muscle Shoals/Nashville producer Barry Beckett. Kate's 2002 release, Beautiful Road, received 3 stars from Rolling Stone, who dubbed it a "heartfelt folk-rock gem." Her 2009 release, Fair Time! , is her first of all original compositions and debuted to critical acclaim nationwide. Kate plays regularly throughout New England and at Feinstein's in New York City. (Photo: Peter Simon)
	Lennie Gallant	Though he was born and raised in a Francophone community on the north shore of Prince Edward Island, it’s still amazing that he’s won awards for his songwriting in both French and English. Songs from his nine albums have been featured on the soundtracks of TV shows like Dawson's Creek and Joan of Arcadia, as well as feature films, though it was Jimmy Buffett’s version of one of his songs that was used in the movie “Canvas.” He was inducted into the Order of Canada for “his hard-hitting songs chronicling the lives of people dealing with tremendous adversity and serious issues.” His dynamic performances with band or trio led one promoter to dub him the “Bruce Springsteen of Canada.” Lennie will be bringing his band.
	Michael Troy	His songs seem real simply because they are true stories, and the people in them are very real people. Folks he knows from growing up, from working in the mill or from his days as a commercial fisherman. Most of them you can meet in the flesh at one of his concerts. A fellow songwriter described seeing Michael in his home town of Fall River as being “like seeing Dr. John in New Orleans.” You might remember that he was scheduled to perform at last year’s festival, but couldn’t as he was detained in Texas because he won the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival Songwriting Contest.
	Pesky J Nixon	Described by one commentator as “the most fun you can have in a church basement coffeehouse,” this engaging trio seems destined for bigger things. The New England–based band features guitarist Ethan Scott Baird, accordionist Jacob Bush and percussionist Dan Cary, and for the last five years has been treating audiences to their delightful mix of influences. While the name, at first, may seem enigmatic, it all becomes clear when you find out they’re all Red Sox fans. You can either work it out for yourself, or ask them when you see them at this year’s festival.
	Peter Janson	Janson is the perfect combination of instrumentalist and composer, entertainer and educator. His playing is described as American Fingerstyle Guitar but it also includes influences from Celtic music and other places. For example, his latest album, Compass Rose, includes his take on a Led Zeppelin tune. The album includes a composition by fellow New Englander Ken Bonfield with whom he often tours. He is often featured around the country in American Gutar Masters series with Larry Pattis but also frequently shares the stage with songwriters like Sarah Hickman, Greg Greenway and Tim Harrison. In addition, because of the undeniable Celtic flavor of his playing he is often chosen to share the stage with people like Aine Minogue, Aoife Clancy, and Robbie O'Connell. His performances are less frequent than his fans would like because he is a devoted educator and is a long time instructor at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
	Red Horse	Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky! Need we say more? Maybe you should know that when they perform as Red Horse, they don’t sing their own songs, rather, they perform songs written by other members of the trio. That, and the occasional Neil Young song. With 34 albums between them, there is no paucity of material. But for fans of these veteran performers, the joy of a Red Horse show is the spontaneous interplay that takes place on stage. A performance by Red Horse is a rare treat, not to be missed. .
	Squeezebox Stompers	Even in staid New England, every day is Mardi Gras with the Squeezebox Stompers. Wherever they go they bring the party with them with their mix of zydeco, Cajun, blues and good ol’ roadhouse rock and roll. Whether you’re a dancer or just a toe tapper, the Stompers will get your blood boiling and put a smile on your face at the same time. Led by Rockin’ Ralph Tufo, formerly of the award-winning Boogaloo Swamis, the Stompers feature musicians who have, between them, decades of experience playing the roots and branches of American music.
	Susan Werner Band	The versatile Susan Werner is not one to sit still, physically or artistically. Her recordings have ranged from standard singer-songwriter fare to torch songs that, as she describes them, could have been written by George Gershwin’s snippy younger sister. She followed with a set that she says are gospel songs for agnostics with an album of classic pop songs given classical arrangements. Her latest album to date was produced by Rodney Crowell, and she is hard at work on a stage musical. And, we’re pleased to tell you, she’s bringing her band to this year’s festival.
	Vance Gilbert	Quite frankly, Vance is one of the funniest guys we know, with a sense of timing that would have allowed him to pursue a career as a stand-up comic. On the other hand, with a voice like his he might well have had a successful career in soul or jazz. It is both evocative and powerful enough to allow Vance to step to the edge of the stage and fill the hall with his unamplified voice. With all the possibilities, he chose the life of a performing songwriter and while his other gifts often overshadow it, his writing is admired and fans, critics and fellow songwriters alike.