Turning Tides Music: House Concerts
Niki Leeman, March 28, 2026
Niki Leeman, longtime favorite at Texas’ annual Kerrville Folk Festival, recently moved to Eugene, OR. With a reputation for thought-provoking lyrical poetry, Niki’s songs capture the heart and soul, and remain long after a first listen. His friends on his recordings include Keith Greeninger, Ellis Paul, Caroline Aiken, Louise Taylor and Gina Forsyth. See Niki’s live videos on his YouTube channel.
You can also find his music at https://nikileeman.bandcamp.com/
Midnight Jasmine, March 29, 2026
Midnight Jasmine is Damian Lester, Ellen Curry, and Tim Chinnock. Sprouted in the sands of Joshua Tree, California, the trio brings their no-frills authenticity to tunes that embody complexity within simplicity. Their sound is something like a cross-pollination of early Gregory Alan Isakov and an acoustic version of Low. With spacious rhythms that carry an effortless groove, and three voices that seem to come from one, their songs reflect the trio’s connection with nature, exploring themes of awakening to love and the inner human experience.
Before coalescing as Midnight Jasmine (first album forthcoming in 2026) the three have left tracks on the high desert music scene for several decades. Damian has gigged as a bassist in a wide range of genres since 1998, playing with Eric Burdon, Victoria Williams, Tim Easton, Wally Ingram, Myshkin Warbler, and Jeremie Levi Samson, among others. He toured Europe with Cock Robin and was a regular on stage at Pappy and Harriet’s for 13 consecutive years, playing the dinner set every Saturday with the Shadow Mountain Band, subbing on occasion for the Thrift Store All-Stars, and as the full-time bass player for the original Sunday Band for its first three years. Tim and Ellen co-founded and toured with their award-winning band, The Adobe Collective, who USA Today listed next to Gram Parsons, Donovan, Johnette Napolitano, and Victoria Williams as one of 20 artists who define the “high desert sound”.
Midnight Jasmine emerged out of deep friendship, shared values, and resonant artistic vision. The three spend their time together practicing permaculture as well as writing and performing their songs.
Ken Waldman: The Alaskan Fiddle Poet, April 28, 2026
Ken Waldman has drawn on his 30 years in Alaska to produce poems, stories, and fiddle tunes that combine into a performance uniquely his.
A former college professor, Waldman has had published six full-length poetry collections, a memoir, a children’s book, and has released nine CDs that mix old-time Appalachian-style string-band music with original poetry. Since 1995 he’s toured full-time, performing at some of the nation’s leading universities, festivals, arts centers, and clubs.
His most recent books are the memoir, Are You Famous? which chronicles Waldman’s adventures on tour throughout the United States, and D is for Dog Team (Nomadic Press, 2009), a sequence of Alaska-set acrostic poems for young readers. Nashville Scene has called the memoir, “a travel guide for aspiring free spirits.” The University of Alaska Press, which distributes the children’s book, says D is for Dog Team is destined to “be a fireside treasure for the whole family.”
Playdate Trio, June 4, 2026
The Playdate Trio: Marla Fibish, Rebecca Richman, and Lewis Santer
The Playdate Trio weaves together mandolin, fiddle, and bouzouki into something greater than the sum of its parts—locked-in, interwoven, and full of joyful mischief. Marla’s mandolin and mandola, Rebecca’s fiddle and concertina, and Lewis’s artful bouzouki and guitar, create a sound built on deep listening and shared musical intuition. Rooted in Irish traditional music, they also bring life to original tunes from Marla and their tunesmith friends, along with threads from other traditional styles.
All three are accomplished musicians in their own right. Marla has cultivated a thriving community of mandolin students. Rebecca draws on her music studies at Mills College and years of teaching experience. Lewis is a master luthier who has been building and repairing acoustic instruments since 1986, and has played in traditional Irish bands for decades.
The trio grew out of Marla and Rebecca’s 2025 duo album, Playdate, which featured Lewis’s bouzouki. What began as a guest appearance revealed a musical chemistry too good to leave in the studio—and the Playdate Trio was born.
“…absorbing and rewarding…played with a lightness of touch and a togetherness which is a joy to hear.” — Alex Monaghan, Irish Music Magazine