Studio News: Mare and Kenn have just completed their first Christmas EP, Guardian! Mare is known to be a big fan of Christmas, and especially Christmas music, so this has been a long-awaited venture. This seven-song EP includes the first original composition by Mare released on Spiritone, "Holy One of Israel," as well as the title instrumental track by Kenn and your traditional favorites like "Silent Night" and "The First Noel." Guardian will be available for purchase on this site soon, just in time for your holiday shopping at just $10 each.

Music and Fun Saturday Night at Tribeca! Please don't miss this rare opportunity to hear Kenn perform his instrumental work live, together with several of the artists who appeared on the new release (Worlds Collide). We are also very happy to announce that a most prestigious guest, Ilga Reke Andersons, will be attending and signing CDs. Ilga is a world-renowned visual artist, and her images grace the covers of Worlds Collide and Kenn's previous CD Road to Tivoli.

Studio News: Kenn's latest album, Worlds Collide is here, and it's fabulous.
The CD Release Concert is scheduled for Saturday, August 15th, 7:00 p.m, at the newly relocated Tribeca Gallery Cafe, 401 E. Main St, Watertown, directly across the street from our own Paramount Guitars. We're excited about our new neighbors, who've hosted a number of our gigs at their former location. It's already become one of our favorite hang-outs downtown. The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, with fine books and art, a mezzanine kid's area, and of course, coffee drinks, classy snacks, beer and wine, Please mark your calendars! Dave Finley will be joining Kenn on fretless bass, for a night of celebration and great instrumental music.

Other studio news - We are now putting together a new CD, Mare's Blues, for wider release. Very exciting--stay tuned...

Gig News: Please join us Friday at the Sharon Lynn Wilson Center, Brookfield, for our biggest and best band gig yet!

New Review: Kenn received an excellent review in Acoustic Magazine UK, May '09 issue, for his recent release, Sacred Wood. His next solo album, Worlds Collide, is in manufacturing and will be released July 1st. His cover art once again incorporates the beautiful work of his art school mentor, Ilga Reke Andersons, and Kenn's new compositions take his music to the next level of soul-searching.

We'll look forward to seeing you Saturday at one of Wisconsin's best kept secrets, the nationally-renowned Cafe Carpe in Fort Atkinson, for a night of down-home historic blues, great food and sweets, and, of course, your favorite beverages.

P.S. Don't forget to save July 17 for the Mare Edstrom Blues Band gig at The Sharon Lynne Wilson Center, Brookfield! This is part of the Wilson Center's Starry Starry Nights, a free outdoor concert series on the lawn of this lovely, modern fine arts center. The tented setting is relaxed and surrounded by nature, just the right place for an evening with friends. Good food, beer, wine, and specialty coffee drinks will be available for purchase.

Time will tell...It's been five years now that Kenn and I have been performing together. Hard to believe... Hundreds of gigs shape a person and a relationship, and define the friends/family who'll stick around and see you through it...I appreciate all who've done that. Can't turn back now...Time will tell what will become of us and "this thing we do."

Studio News: Andrew's album, This or Any Other Solar System, is released and selling steadily. Check it out--you won't be disappointed! (www.andrewedstrom.com). Kenn is wrapping up mixing on his latest solo project, Worlds Collide, while simultaneously starting to record his next one. My gospel project is on hold, as we've decided first to do another blues roots album, solely of tunes recorded at Paramount Records in Grafton, Wisconsin, throughout the 1920s and early 1930s.

Hope to see you Saturday at Lyons! We'll be welcoming some special guests from our teaching studios.Also, please mark your calendars for July 17, for the free Mare Edstrom Blues Band gig at The Sharon Lynne Wilson Center, Brookfield. Starry, starry nights...

Studio News: Andrew's album is back from mastering at Airshow in Colorado, and David Glasser did a phenomenal job as usual. We will be wrapping up the liner notes and artwork in the next day or two, then it's off to manufacturing. Can't wait...

Gig News: Thanks to the Albrechts for a fantastic first house concert! We had an excellent crowd and a great time tracing the history of the blues once again. Please join us at the world-class Roots venue, the Cafe Carpe in Fort Atkinson, this Friday for another exciting all-blues special. Our favorite Tim Angsten and guests will open the night with his first-rate original material. Then we're back Saturday at to our Watertown hometown hot-spot, Lyons Irish Pub, for a relaxing and fun combo blues/singer-songwriter show.

Studio News: Andrew's album tracking is complete! You won't believe your ears...

Gig News: How about taking a drive Saturday to lovely Hubertus near Holy Hill, where our friends, the Albrechts, are hosting our first house concert in some time? We are looking forward to presenting the blues once again in a more intimate-than-normal setting.

Studio News: Kenn continues writing and tracking his next project at Axis Recording Studios with our friend, Vinny Millevolte. He and Andrew (Edstrom) will be in the studio next week finishing up tracking for Andrew's upcoming CD, now titled This or Any Other Solar System. Kenn is also currently producing the much anticipated first release by Roots/Americana duo West of East.

Gig News: Ah...it will be so nice to return to Lyons Irish Pub in Watertown this Saturday. Please relax with us, have a drink and some great food, and enjoy the warm, home-like surroundings.

Studio News: One more day in the studio for Andrew...Stay tuned! He gets about four years better every time I hear him. We will be starting on his album artwork this week.

Song Set News: The latest development in the world of Kenn, Mare, and Spiritone Records, is their brand new "Saturday Night Song Set" series at Tribeca in Watertown, featuring the best of Kenn's and Mare's students and alumni from the Waukesha County Conservatory of Music. Some of these growing artists have already gone on to establish their own careers around our state. We are looking forward to the inaugural gig tomorrow! Please join us and support the progress of world-class performing and recording artists in your own backyard.

Studio News: Andrew Edstrom has completed the rhythm tracks at Randy's Recording, Madison, for his debut instrumental, electric guitar album. The album features "Kill" McCormick on drums and Dave Finley on fretted and fretless bass, and it rocks! He will be recording leads at Axis Recording, located in the Exchange Studios in Milwaukee, on October 11th. (Proud mom and stepdad are probably the most excited... :)

Gig News: Please join us Saturday at the Marti Music Festival in the Barn! There will be family events from noon until 6 p.m. and "rockin'" events from 6:15 to midnight. We'll shake things up from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. One highlight of the family spot will be Kenn's amazingly talented student, Kyle Fritz, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. We're looking forward to our first appearance at the festival, which, this year, will donate it's proceeds to the Oconomowoc Community Playground.

CD Sales: Sacred Wood has been quite a success so far! We continue to receive orders from all over the world, for this and Kenn's other CDs, through this web site and through CD Baby, as well as frequent orders for all five of Mare's albums. Just call us "The Little Record Company that Could...." (I think I can, I think I can, Yes We Can!)

Studio News: My son Andrew's recording project is underway! Kenn's long-time drummer "Kill" and he laid down 7 demo tracks of Andrew's original compositions in the studio last Friday. Today they will complete the basic demo tracks and Andrew will start recording leads over them. Stay tuned and be prepared to be AWE-struck (Andrew William Edstrom). (I suppose I'm biased--but I'm not that easily impressed anymore!)

Hope to see you at Lyons Saturday. You will love the place if you haven't seen it already. Be good to yourself, unwind, learn and be entertained as Kenn and I lead you down an historic road from the beginning of the blues through its modern day influences. Cheers!

Kenn's new CD Sacred Wood has been released! You will be inspired by this dynamic but soothing collection of Kenn's latest solo guitar compositions. Please check out the Spiritone store to view more details.

We are very excited about the next recording project underway, my 14 year old son Andrew Edstrom's first solo album. This project evolved out of a need to provide Andrew the opportunity to play with professional musicians, as his skills have been developing by leaps and bounds. We all have been amazed by his guitar chops, musical sensitivity, and writing ability, and we're anxious to help him share that with a larger audience.

I continue to plan and research my gospel album, and I have also started production on a demo for one of my vocal students from the Waukesha County Conservatory of Music, where I teach piano, voice, and guitar four days a week. I'm enjoying being on the producer side of the sound board for a change!

'Hope to see you at Wells Street Thursday night! Get an early start on your weekend and enjoy our cross section of blues and singer-songwriter material. We will be featuring several of Kenn's students this week including the singer-songwriter prodigy Kyle Fritz. You won't want to miss it!

Please join us Saturday at our Third New Venue in Watertown, the lovely Lyons Irish Pub. This warm, spacious room is beautifully decorated with a variety of comfortable booths and lounge areas, along with a "Cheers" like bar serving all of your favorite liquid treats. Not to mention that Carol grills up some of the best Reuben sandwiches I've ever tasted. We had the pleasure of being the first band ever at Lyons on St. Paddy's Day and have thoroughly our enjoyed our gigs there this spring. I know you will, too, so bring the family and relax with us as we journey into the Blues and the music it influenced throughout the 20th century and today.

Studio News: The studio work on Sacred Wood, Kenn's 8th Spiritone recording, is now complete, and we're greatly anticipating the final product, which will include tablature transcriptions for the first time ever of Kenn's phenomenal compositions. Always the source of endless creativity, Kenn is already booking studio time to start tracking his next solo project, even as he wraps up the artwork and mastering on this one.

Studio News: Kenn's eighth solo guitar recording for Spiritone Records is underway! He and Vinny (www.axisrecording.com) put down the first 10 tracks in one day last week. (I was along for moral support and to provide lunch from Thai Lotus--Curried Duck for Kenn and Sesame Chicken for Vinny. These guys have good taste). It's an extraordinary thing to watch Kenn knock out song after new song singlehandedly. This will be his first completely solo album, inspired by and played on a number of the superb guitars he carries through Paramount Guitars (you can hear his mini-composition soundbytes that led to this project at www.paramountguitars.net). Of course, we invite you to hear Kenn's masterful playing live on some of his favorite guitars at Wells St. Tavern this Friday night! Come on down...

Another New Venue! Please join us Friday evening for an exciting evening of Country Blues entertainment and dining at the popular Berres Brothers' beautiful new cafe in Watertown. The folks at BB are offering a special Blues Plate just to accompany our show, featuring BBQ Ribs, Chicken Wings, Coleslaw, Cornbread, and your first drink, all for $12. Don't miss it! Bring your friends and family for an early night of food and fun.

Best of 2007: Mare's latest recording, Sugar Sweet, and Kenn's latest, Road to Tivoli, were named among the best albums of 2007 on the annual listing by B-Side Records, State Street, Madison.

New Venue! We're looking forward to our Watertown debut at Tribeca this Saturday. Please join us for a laid back evening of fun, food, friends, great drinks, and of course, our own unique blend of acoustic blues and rock, at this exciting local hot spot.

Review News: Finally! Many thanks to the kind soul from the Language Department of the University of Wisconsin in Madison who has come forward with a wonderful translation of my Italian review of Shake 'em on Down from Italian II Blues Magazine, November 2006. Here's a snippet: "...a voice overlaid with the dynamics and tonality of a university cabaret and a certain oblique Bohemian charm....her studied, severe cry adds unexpected elements to the unusual "Trouble Blues" of Scrapper Blackwell, to "You Don’t Know My Mind" by Barbecue Bob and even to the Beatles' "Oh Darlin'..." Please check out the complete list of my reviews so far at www.spiritonerecords.com/mare_review.htm. I also have recently found a Dutch-speaking friend who has offered to help with the two Rootstime reviews that have been patiently waiting for translation, so stay tuned and soon we'll all learn what those have to say!

Radio News: Mare's blues albums, including her latest release, Sugar Sweet, continue to receive airplay around the world. Please check out the latest spins on the Radio page.

Studio News: Kenn is working on his next solo guitar project, along with continuing preparation for Mare's gospel album. We are also in and out of the studio working on mixing projects related to a new Mare Edstrom/Kenn Fox Live album. Please take a moment to view our entire catalog of Spiritone releases. Also, please consider supporting the scholarship program of the Lake Country Music Club by purchasing the Scholarship CD 2, which features tracks by Kenn and Mare and is now available at Hartland Music Center, 1125 James Drive, Hartland, WI.

Deb Martell: The benefit Concert for Deb on Dec. 2nd was well attended and a great success, with nearly $30,000 raised for Deb's treatment. Deb did fly that very day to begin preparations for the transplant, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor who put up the entire sum needed for hospital admission; and she began treatment a couple of weeks later. As far as we know all is going well. Thanks to everyone who attended and supported Deb's cause in so many ways.

Radio News: "Breakfast in Bed" from my latest Blues CD, Sugar Sweet, was played by request on XM Satellite Radio, Channel 74 ("Bluesville"), on Dec. 14th. This opens up a new market for my music, and we're excited about that! We've also been receiving more local airplay with this release, which is very encouraging. By the way, thanks to all who made the CD Release concert at the Cafe Carpe last month a wonderful night of great folks and great music! There wasn't a seat to spare, and the crowd's and band's energy nearly blew the roof off. Thanks to Bill Camplin and Kitty for their continued support of our work. Be sure to check out the many events going on weekly at their terrific venue: http://www.cafecarpe.com

Studio News: Preparations for my next project, a true blue Gospel album, are underway! We are listening, gathering, and writing material at this point. Kenn is also planning to record a live solo acoustic guitar album immediately in the New Year. In addition, the Lake Country Music Club, which is affiliated with the Waukesha County Conservatory of Music in Hartland, Wisconsin, just released Scholarship CD 2, which features tracks from both Keys to the Castle and Road to Tivoli. Kenn and I both teach at the Conservatory, and I am a member of the Lake Country Music Club, which, among other things, provides support for my piano students who participate in the National Federation of Music Clubs solo & ensemble events each February (see www.nfmc-music.org).

Please join us Sunday at the Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha to help raise funds for Deb Martell. She has been interviewed recently on TV 4 news, and we have heard that Channel 6 may be there on Sunday. This is a critical health situation, as you can read below, so if you can make it, please do come. You will be entertained by some of the best artists in our region, and you'll be glad you did your part to help.
(For more about Deb also see www.trailstobridges.com)

Airplay throughout Europe! Please check out the radio stations that have playing Sugar Sweet in France and other countries: www.spiritonerecords.com/mare_radio.htm

Sugar Sweet CD Release Concert this Saturday! Please come and join us for this special CD release show at one of our favorite venues (Cafe Carpe, Fort Atkinson, WI). The food is outstanding, and we will be performing in a quiet theater-like setting. This will be one of just a few performances with the band, featuring Jeff Moylan, drums, Dave Finley, fretless bass, and special guest vocalists Tim Angsten and Melissa Carter. There will be a couple of other surprise guests as well. We will be digging deep into our repertoire of blues, gospel, and rockabilly, and even offering up a few songs that we have not previously performed. To top it off, acoustic singer-songwriter duo, West of East, will open the show. We think this will be a monumental night of music and fun. We recommend that you call ahead for advance reservations.

Festival News: Kenn, Andrew and I had a fantastic day at the 2nd Annual Paramount Blues Festival in Grafton, WI. The weather was perfect, and we splurged for seats under the tent this year after watching from a distance under umbrellas in the rain last year (it was still awesome to be at the inaugural festival in this historic Wisconsin early blues recording community!). Current highlights were seeing the performance by one of the original 92 year-old bluesman David Honeyboy Edwards, meeting Rory Block, seeing our good friend and harpist Steve Cohen's band, and attending some very informative workshops on Paramount Records and blues history by the great historian Gayle Dean Wardlow and Hawkeye Herman. We also enjoyed the 1st Waukesha Blues Festival earlier this summer, where we had the honor of seeing the great lady of gospel, Mavis Staples, put on an extremely inspiring show, along with Shemekia Copeland and the gospel band Ollabelle.

Sugar Sweet is starting to make waves in Europe. We received our first review already, from the Belgian magazine Rootstime, in Dutch, and have been busily shipping CDs overseas by request from customers, Blues radio DJs, and more magazine reviewers. Thanks to all of you across the ocean for your wonderful support! We are seeing signs of more interest on this continent as well, with early requests from Pennsylvania and South Dakota. Of course much praise is due to Blues Revue Magazine in West Virginia for helping make this happen for us, through their fine past reviews and CD samplers featuring songs from both Inside the Blues and Shake 'em on Down.

CD Release Concert: We will be presenting a very special CD release show at the Cafe Carpe in Fort Atkinson on Saturday, Nov. 17th. This will be a Blues spectacular, with performances by Mare and Kenn as a duo and the Mare Edstrom Blues Band, as well as special guests. We will be celebrating our repertoire of obscure blues gems from the '20s through the '50s and performing many selections from the new Mare Edstrom CD, Sugar Sweet. A special opening act will be announced. It is recommended that you call ahead for reservations at 920-563-9391, as we expect a full house.

Sugar Sweet is here, and it rocks! Purchase your copy today, at http://www.spiritonerecords..com/CDs/cdinfo.php?name=2007_sugarsweet

Go Irish this weekend at our two venues 'o the green, The Pub in downtown Oconomowoc and Wells Street Tavern in Delafield. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Finishing touches on the cover art are underway for Sugar Sweet, and we've received our first order already, from Austria! Our old friend Todd Westover (Learning How to Believe, Inside the Blues) has picked up the artists' palette, with exciting results as you can see, so thanks to both Tom W. (photographer) and Todd for helping make this a truly special CD cover. The album should be ready August 1st....you can already listen to soundbytes by clicking on the album cover at right. Look for Sugar Sweet and Inside the Blues on iTunes in the near future, as well as an appearance for the third year in a row for Mare on the upcoming Dec/Jan Blues Revue Magazine CD sampler.

Mare's new blues album, Sugar Sweet, is almost done! We are wrapping up mixing this week, then it will be off to Airshow Mastering in Boulder, CO, in the skilled hands of Grammy Award winner David Glasser. Our new artist/photographer Tom Wilcox is putting together a beautiful cover, which we're excited about. Tom recently did the cover for another CD, Mary Youngblood's Dance With the Wind, which won the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Native American Album of the Year. Check out Tom's breathtaking digital art at http://tomwilcox.deviantart.com/. It's cool to have such great people to work with.

Radio News: Inside the Blues is back on French blues radio, Cross Blues Station with Michel Faton. "Stop Breakin' Down" appeared on the June 23rd Playlist, making it almost two years now that Mare's first blues recording has received international airplay.

It's so nice to return once again to our friends at The Pub this Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. Please consider joining the faithful group of "regulars" who attend nearly every one of our performances there in downtown Oconomowoc. Fun, food, soul-stirring music, friends, Irish beer--what more could anyone want? (By the way, this is how music careers are really made--forget "American Idol!") As always, we truly appreciate your support.

Studio News: Kenn's eighth solo instrumental guitar album, Road to Tivoli, has been released and is available NOW for purchase from Spiritone Records. I love the way this "Soundtrack for the Movie in Your Mind" reaches in and brings me in harmony with the deeper side of life, feelings, spirituality--all the real stuff, just as it's predecessors, Epiphany and Spirits in the House did for me when I first met Kenn. Real is good (though it ain't always easy!). But listening is easy in this case.

My third blues album, currently titled Sugar Sweet, has the basics already fully tracked. Kenn and I recorded the first three acoustic cuts live in one session and the remaining ten songs in the next, with the full band tracking together in one room, rather unusual in these days of overdubs and multitracking. We will be adding finishing touches over the next few weeks. It's exciting to see the project unfold so well, so quickly (relatively speaking). This album brings Kenn and I slightly further forward in our historical exploration of the blues, as we have included a number of songs in the Jump Blues and R&B styles; but we still pay homage to the earlier blues masters, with nods to Ma Rainey, Tommy Johnson, Robert Johnson (no relation), and Memphis Blues great, Furry Lewis. Our returning guests Jon Peik (Banjo-Nob Hill Boys), Steve Cohen (Milwaukee Harmonica legend), and newest talent, David Erato (Sax), join our incredible band, Jeff Moylan (drums--Jeff, you rock!), Dave Finley (Fretless bass--Simmons twin), and Tim Angsten (background vocals and College man-about-town).

TV News: View the rock-solid Mare Edstrom band this weekend on John Urban's excellent late night music talk show, Urban Theater. Mare and the band will be performing cuts from Mare's upcoming 3rd blues album, Sugar Sweet. The show will be aired on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights: Friday at 11 PM (My Madison TV - Charter Cable 14), Saturday at midnight (WISC-TV3), and Sunday at 9 PM (My Madison TV - Charter Cable 14).

Gig News: If you've never experienced it before, you're missing out on the region's greatest Irish Restaurant, nestled comfortably in the heart of downtown Oconomowoc! Proprietor Aelred Gannon has created a heart-warming atmosphere you won't forget, and we trust you will return again and again. We do, and that's not just to perform! Enjoy authentic Irish stew and soda bread in one of several quaint cubbies, or hang out at the bar as you are carried away by Kenn's amazing guitar work and Mare's soulful vocals this Saturday.

Studio News: Airshow Mastering in Boulder, Colorado, is putting the final final finishing touches on Road To Tivoli. This is a very special album, so we're taking our time with it. Kenn's fans won't be disappointed!

TV News: Don't forget to mark your calendars for the first weekend in June, when the Mare Edstrom Band will be featured for the second time on Madison's Urban Theater (My Madison TV-14) with host John Urban.

MAMA Awards: Mare's album Shake 'Em on Down is a finalist for BEST BLUES ALBUM in the Madison Area Music Awards! Voting in the next round opens April 1.

Gig News: We love the Wells Street Tavern! Please come and join us Friday in this sprawling, family friendly, beautiful venue. The food is first class, too. On Saturday, we will be back at our favorite "whistle stop" for national and international performers, the recently remodeled Cafe Carpe in Ft. Atkinson. We are priviledged to be invited to perform there once again, so please consider spending your Saturday evening with us in this charming and historic place. The very talented Tim Angsten (backup singer extraordinaire on Mare's latest two albums, plus singer-songwriter, producer, and versatile instrumentalist) will be opening the show.

Studio News: Kenn's latest solo album, now named Road to Tivoli, is mastered and awaiting completion of the final artwork. The cover art features the work of Kenn's art school mentor, Ilga Reke Andersons, and we are very proud to honor her in this way. Did you know that Kenn's undergrad degree was in Art Education?

Kenn and Mare are actively gathering material for Mare's next blues project, once again a tribute to the great early blues men and women, plus a couple of originals. We are excited about beginning rehearsals for recording the full band live, in the authentic "old days" style.

TV News: The Mare Edstrom band will be appearing on Madison's Urban Theater (My Madison TV 14) once again this year. We are booked to air the first weekend in June. Please check out the clip from last year's show, which was recently posted on You Tube, along with "Stop Breaking Down" from our first appearance on State Street in 2004.

MAMA Awards: There is still time to vote for us, those of you who are involved with nominations for the Madison Area Music Awards. Mare has entered Shake 'em on Down in the Blues category and Keys to the Castle in the Folk/Americana Category.

Downtown Train: Come on board Friday and Saturday! We'll be celebrating our first gig at the Wells Street Tavern, downtown Delafield, on Friday from 8 to 11 p.m; and on Saturday at 8:30 pm., we'll be back at our "home base," The Pub in downtown Oconomowoc. We'll have some great new Memphis blues material, as well as revamped material from our early days of performing together, along with your usual favorites.

New Reviews: Please read our latest & greatest print review in Maverick Magazine from Great Britain!

"Best of 2006" Honor: B-Side Records on State Street in Madison honored us by including Mare's latest album, Keys to the Castle, in their Best of 2006 annual listing! Please stop by this phenomenal little store sometime and check out their complete selection of Spiritone CDs, as well as one of the finest collections of other great music this side of the Capitol.

Album News: Kenn's sixth solo Spiritone release, Gravity, is nearly done and ready for manufacturing! The album is loaded with Kenn's inspired compositions and richly textured guitar work, along with excellent performances by star Wisconsin musicians including Jon Peik (banjo), Susan Nicholson (fiddle), Dave Finley (fretless bass), Tracy Jane Comer (acoustic guitar), and Jeff Moylan (drums). And where's that pennywhistle coming from? I'll never tell.

New Radio playlists:
1/21/07, Radio Kaleidoscope (Grenoble, France), "Shake 'em on Down" from Shake 'em on Down
12/17/06, Simply Folk (Wisconsin Public Radio), "You Don't Know My Mind" from Shake 'em on Down

One More Gig This Year! Looking for a way to relax and take your mind off long shopping lines, end of the year deadlines, and seemingly endless Christmas festivities and preparations? Stop in at The Pub on Saturday for a night of food, fun and music. Kick back with your favorite import and let us do the entertaining this time!

Radio News: Mare has recently received some airplay on Cross Blues Station in the Alps...with "Walkin' Blues" from Shake em on Down on December 2nd and "That's Alright" from Inside the Blues on December 16th. Not bad for two albums that are now nearly a year old and over two years old, respectively. She's also received a new review from Italy (see review here). And this week, music from Mare's and Kenn's other albums made it onto two BZT Weekly Radio shows (click here) right here in the USA: Shows #168 and #12. The buzz goes on...

Spiritone Records: Kenn has been at Randy's Recording finishing up his next solo album. We consider this the third of the Epiphany/Spirit's in the House trilogy, a haunting exploration of Kenn's darker Celtic side. Like the other two, this album will feature primarily fingerstyle guitar, but stellar guest artists (Jon Pike, Dave Finley, Tracy Jane Comer, Mare, and Susan Nicholson) add their own flavors throughout.

WE'RE BACK and ready to rock and roll at The Pub Saturday night! Join us for an evening of historic blues and original/current singer-songwriter material, in Oconomowoc's coziest Hot Spot! Enjoy a pizza or Irish cheese platter with friends, or go all out for one of the Pub's delicious authentic Irish entrees. Don't forget to finish with Bernie's famous cheesecake! See you there...and we'll have both of our new CD releases, Keys to the Castle and Pullin' Strings, available for purchase, along with many other Spiritone selections. Spiritone Records is now 19 titles strong! Come celebrate with us.

What a great time we had presenting a history of the blues at the Wisconsin Historical Museum Staff Appreciation Dinner this week on Wednesday! Thanks to the folks there for being a wonderful and receptive audience. Several claimed to have realized for the first time how much they enjoyed the blues, and the group readily participated in our discussion as we interwove a detailed explanation of the songs and artists between song performances. We'll be looking for more opportunities to present similar shows as we move into the Fall season. We also want to encourage everyone to attend the 1st annual Paramount Blues Festival in Grafton WI next Saturday, Sept. 23rd, honoring Paramount Studios, where the likes of Blind Blake, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Willie Brown, and the great Son House recorded in the '20s and '30s (see www.graftonblues.org/id4.html). Tickets are limited--but still available TODAY ONLY, so don't delay! Kenn and I will be enjoying the show from the audience side of the stage this year, so come and hang with us!

New CD, Keys to the Castle, has arrived! We'll have copies available for sale at the Cafe Carpe this Saturday for the first time--another great reason to come on down!

A Long Overdue Break - Kenn and I will be taking the month of October off to regroup and catch a few breaths after a crazy summer and year in general, both of us with full playing and teaching schedules, the opening of our new guitar store, Paramount Guitars in Watertown this May, a couple of major family weddings, the release of Mare's two latest CD's, radio and TV appearances, Kenn's solo and student album projects, as well as major remodeling work on our store and home.

Radio appearance from last week: It was a privilege to be part of the final Vilas Hall studio performance of Higher Ground with Jonathan Overby last Saturday. The show went well for us, and you can access the audio from the show at our web site on this page: http://www.spiritonerecords.com/links.htm

Keys to the Castle artwork is done -- Way cool! Kudos to Dominik for another beautiful CD cover!

Tune in on Tuesday, August 22nd, 9-ish a.m., Wort 89.9 FM. Our friend John Fabke will feature Mare in a live interview on his "Pastures of Plenty" folk/blues radio show.

Exciting news in Madison: We are glad to be getting a bit of a foothold on the Madison music scene, thanks especially this month to Rick Tvedt of the fine publication Rick's Cafe, who gave Mare a very positive and thoughtful CD review in the article "Women are Doing it Right" (click here to read). Mare was also featured in The Isthmus' "Critic's Choice" page (with a great color photo) in May. We appreciate the good folks at B-Side Records for their exclusive sales and support of Shake 'em on Down and Mare's other albums. Mare's and Kenn's upcoming and past performances on WPR's Higher Ground with Jonathan Overby as well as their recent TV performance on Urban Theater all contribute to Mare's growing Madison buzz. Finally, we are looking forward to our September appearance at a private party at the Wisconsin Historical Museum to help educate the staff about the blues, which may be the start of a whole new direction for our duo as we move at the same time toward more full band performances.

Recording Studio News: Mare's fourth album, Keys to the Castle, is due back today from mastering at Airshow in Boulder, Colorado. As soon as we get the artwork finalized with our German graphic artist, Dominik Jacky, it will be off to Texas for manufacturing. Kenn is now actively composing his next fingerstyle guitar solo album, as well as wrapping up mixing his student sampler album Pulling Strings. Cover art is already completed for the latter, and Dominik did another great job on that, as he did on Shake 'em on Down.

New Radio Playlists:
7/24/06: Radio Maxwell St. (France), "Walkin' Blues" from Shake 'em on Down
8/1/06: Rock 'n' Blues Today (Italy), "Rocks in my Bed" from Shake 'em on Down

Just released...Mare's track "Trouble Blues" from Shake 'em on Down just came out on the CD sampler in the August/September issue of Blues Revue magazine. This publication is received by 18,000 subscribers around the world. This month also marks the anniversary of Mare's appearance on the Blues Revue sampler last year, with her track "That's Alright" from Inside the Blues, which was Mare's gateway into European blues radio. Copies of Blues Revue are readily available on finer newstands without the CD, but you can still check out the blurb about Mare on page 85.

Also...Mare and Kenn will be in the studio this week to complete Mare's next singer-songwriter album, Keys to the Castle, to be released this fall.

This Saturday: We're glad to be back at one of our favorite venues, the Pub in downtown Oconomowoc, for an evening of FREE entertainment in this lovely, all-ages, authentic Irish restaurant. Grab a Guinness and relax with us as we stroll through historic blues, modern singer songwriter material, and an occasional Celtic tune.

Thought for the week: "Don't think or feel. Just be." - m.e.

Spiritone Recording Projects Underway: We're happy to report that Kenn and Mare have been continuing to work on recording projects behind the scenes. In July, they will be at Randy's Recording in Madison wrapping up Mare's 4th album, another singer songwriter exploration featuring crowd pleasing new songs by Kenn Fox, as well as favorite selections by artists like Tom Waits, Kevin Welch, Toni Price, and Jesse Colin Young. Kenn is also nearly done with his next Wisconsin artists sampler, Pulling Strings, featuring original songs by his top students from Hartland Music (Waukesha County Conservatory of Music) and his stepson, Andrew Edstrom. This album is being engineered and co-produced by another soon-to-be-famous Hartland grad, Tim Angsten, who's growing solo career was first launched by the bands Green Flash Society, American Pie, and Hello Hello. Other Spiritone projects currently on the drawing table include Kenn's next solo guitar album, Mare's next blues album, and a Townes Van Zandt tribute album by Mare.

Radio Playlist Updates: We'd like to welcome Baker Street Multimedia to the list of stations playing Mare's music! Mare appeared on the May 2006 Juke Box lineup, and also as on the June 11 Baker Street show. Other recent playlist appearances include the June 2nd 10,000 Blues list (Quebec), the June 6th Rock 'n' Blues Today list (Italy), June 9th 10,000 Blues list (Quebec), and June 12th Radio Maxwell Street list (France). Thanks C.R.B. (Collectif des Radio Blues)! (Click here for more radio playlist info)

Thought for the Week: "Nothing will ever be good enough until I decide that 'Good Enough' is good enough."
- m.e.

New Radio Station Playlists: Please note that we just received word that we've been played on the 10,000 Blues Quebec radio station CKIA-FM 88.3 (Canada) since September, 2005! If anyone knows of any other stations out there playing Mare's music besides those on our list, please let us know and we'll add them in! Here is when we've been played on 10,000 Blues:

• 3/3/06: "The Thrill is Gone," from Inside the Blues
• 2/24/06: "Treat Me So Low Down," from Inside the Blues
• 9/16/05: "I Feel the Same," from Inside the Blues
• 9/9/05: "Treat Me So Low Down," from Inside the Blues

Quote of the Week: "Envision not being scared stupid." - m.e.

Kenn & Mare's new guitar showroom, Paramount Guitars, is now open! Visit the web site at www.paramountguitars.net to see photos of the store and of all the fine instruments and other items now in stock.

The new review of Shake 'em on Down in Blues Revue Magazine's 100th Celebration Issue is out, and it's great! Now available at fine newstands such as Barnes & Noble. Check it out, page 121. Here's a clip from the review:
"...this is an excellent album, and a solid wedding of traditional blues and modern sensibility. Edstrom's smooth execution should appeal to listeners who might find more traditional renditions inaccessible, but that isn't to say there isn't depth and gut-level emotion here. There is, and it makes Shake 'em On Down stand out." --Genevieve Williams

Mare's Easter weekend TV performance on Urban Theater, Madison, was a great success! Keep watching our website for video clips from the show, coming soon...

Here are the latest appearances of Mare's music on European radio station playlists:
5/9/06 - Rock 'n' Blues Today (RCC) (Italy), "Piccolo Rag" from Shake 'em on Down
5/9/06 - Le Blues Vous Va Si Bien and B.L.U.E.S News, aired on KAOLIN FM 88.4 and BEAUB FM 89 radio (France), "When the Levee Breaks" from Shake 'em on Down
5/2/06 - "Pulsions 70", Radio Aria (France), "Broke Down Engine" from Shake 'em on Down

Shake 'em on Down was selected as "WORLD ALBUM OF THE WEEK" on BEAUB (89 FM) and KAOLIN (88.4 FM) in France! See the RADIO page for playlist details. Songs from the album were also featured again on Cross Blues Station in the Alps.

Kenn & Mare's guitar store, Paramount Guitars, will open its new showroom on May 1st at 402 E Main Street in Watertwown, Wisconsin. There will be a grand opening celebration soon. Watch the Paramount web site for details!

Check out this week's new European radio station playlists featuring Mare's songs from Shake 'em on Down!
(See the RADIO page for more)

• 4/7/06 - Radio Canal Blue 94.3 (France), "Shake 'em on Down", "Sittin' on Top of the World", and "When the Levee Breaks"
• 4/15/06 - BOOM BOOM radio (Belgium), "Broke Down Engine"
• 4/6/06 - Radio-Ung (Norway), "When the Levee Breaks" and "Oh Darlin'"
• 4/4/06 - Cross Blues Station in the Alps, "Sittin' on Top of the World" and "Walkin' Blues"
• 4/4/06 - Rock 'n' Blues Today (RCC) (Italy), "Sugar"

This just in--Mare's new album, Shake 'em on Down, has been out for three weeks and is already getting airplay in Europe! It appeared in France this week on Couleurs 97.1 FM, and "Walkin' Blues" aired on "Crossroads" R.G.O. 88.2 FM; the opener song "Broke Down Engine" was aired on the March 21st Rock 'n' Blues Today playlist in Italy." Click here for more airplay info. Look for a review of "Shake 'em on Down" in the upcoming 100th Celebration issue of Blues Revue magazine, available on fine news stands everywhere!

Did you know? Mare's album Inside the Blues has continued to be aired on nearly 10 different European blues radio station playlists since October 2005. As recently as February 21st she has still appeared on the playlists in Italy, Belgium, and much of France. She also has continued to receive rave reviews, including one in the French magazine "Crossroads" last November. Look for a review of her newest CD, "Shake 'em on Down," in the upcoming issue of Blues Revue magazine, available on fine news stands everywhere!

Mare's New Blues Album "Shake 'em on Down" is now available! You can purchase it at the following locations: - The Exclusive Company, Brookfield; B Side, Madison; Fox Music, Watertown; Online at CDBaby.com (coming soon); and online here on the Spiritone website. The CD Release Party will be held April 8 at The Exclusive Company...see the GIGS page for details!

Check out Kenn's and Mare's new website, www.ParamountGuitars.net, our on-line handmade guitar shop featuring the work of some of the world's best new luthiers, including David Webber from Vancouver, British Columbia, whose guitars are played by both Kenn and Mare live.

New Photo Display on Mare's Website, featuring the work of Milwaukee-based model photographer Diane Yokes of Yokes Photography. Please see the PHOTOS page.

Mare to be on TV! Urban Theater, Madison, UPN14 (WISC-TV3), April 2006...more details to come!