JANIVA MAGNESS returns to WoodSongs on the heels of FOUR major Blues Awards for 2011 including: BB King Entertainer Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year, and Contemporary Blue Album Of The Year. Although Magness is now a bona fide blues star, her rise to the top was far from easy. She has been performing for almost three decades, logging thousands of miles on the road and appearing 150 nights a year at clubs, theaters and festivals all over the world. Janiva and her full band will be supporting her latest CD on Alligator Records called "The Devil Is An Angel Too." In addition to her musical accomplishments, Magness is reaching out to help others. She is a National Spokesperson for Casey Family Programs (her fourth consecutive year), promoting National Foster Care Month.

THE HONEY DEWDROPS make their home in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Charlottesville, Virginia. Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish have been playing music in some capacity for over 15 years, but honed in on their natural duet abilities 7 years ago when they met for the first time in college. It was their love of folk music that brought them together and has since taken them out on the road to tour fulltime as the award-winning duet they are today. After their appearance and first place win on a 2008 talent show broadcast of NPR's "A Prairie Home Companion", the Dewdrops began their careers as songwriters and have since released two critically acclaimed albums.

ACOUSTIC EIDOLON is Joe Scott on double neck guitjo and Hannah Alkire on cello. They are from Colorado and have graced stages throughout the US, Europe, Australia, Canada, and are a WoodSongs fan favorite. With nine CDs and a DVD to their credit, these masterful artists continue to captivate audiences throughout the world with their signature �new acoustic� sound and boundless possibilities in blending Celtic, Folk, World & Latin music influences, something that Dirty Linen Magazine praises as �a sumptuous musical feast.� Their new CD is �Friends Across The Ocean.�

HYMN FOR HER is Lucy Tight & Wayne Waxing, a band that hails from anywhere they can park their trailer ...t hey live, tour and record in their 16 foot, 1961 Bambi Airstream (comes with dog and baby). Their new release, �Lucy & Wayne and THE AMERICAN STREAM� was entirely recorded in their classic trailer on a coast to coast U.S tour. They stopped at various campgrounds and friends driveways between shows, set up their gear in their Bambi/home recording studio, rolled tape and rocked out. Armed with 2 bullet mics, a three-stringed broom handle/cigar box, banjo, dobro, bass drum, hi-hat, and harp, this �lil duo causes massive earthquakes wherever they play.

HOLLY GOLIGHTLY started her musical career in the United Kingdom as a co-founding member of all girl garage band Thee Headcoatees. Holly made her first solo album, The Good Things, in 1995. After playing with The White Stripes in the USA, and supporting them at a few London shows, Holly and her long-time US band mate Lawyer Dave, have a new side project under the guise of Holly Golightly and The Brokeoffs. The two will be performing material from their new CD called "Medicine County" which is chock-full of ghostly blues, gut-bucket slide guitar, with a smattering of ol' time country.

LIPBONE REDDING is an inventive singer/songwriter and former subway musician who creates original songs that effervesce with New Orleans swing, Memphis grooves and New York City style. Known for his ability to use his vocals to sound exactly like a trombone, it's hard to tell the difference -- unless you witness the phenomenon live. Lipbone and his two-man orchestra (the Lipbone Orchestra) make for a show greased with uncanny riffs of vocal trumpeting, booming mouth percussion, hilarious side moments and esoteric lyrics.

AMANDA SHIRES is a singing fiddle-playing Texan who just released her second solo CD called "Carrying Lightning." She deftly employs her fiddle/violin, ukulele and even whistling ... the resulting sound is a beautiful but woozily surrealistic swoon. Amanda was also recently seen in the recent Hollywood movie Country Strong where she played the fiddle player in the band backing Gwyneth Paltrow's fictional country superstar. WoodSongs alum Rod Picott will join Amanda on acoustic guitar.

BEN HALL is a 22-year old multi talented National Thumbpicking Champion from Okolona, Mississippi. Ben has also been recognized nationally as a singer/songwriter who prefers traditional styles of music. While attending Belmont University, Hall has managed to perform at some of Nashville's most famous venues including the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Although he makes frequent appearances as a soloist, Hall has worked the stage as a sideman for legends such as Jeannie Seely, Jan Howard and Charlie Louvin. Ben has recorded with Louvin, Kurt Wagner & Cortney Tidwell, and Candi Staton. In 2011 Tompkins Square will release a new Ben Hall album full of guitar tunes heavily influenced by his heroes Merle Travis and Chet Atkins.

SIERRA HULL first performed on WoodSongs when she only 10 years old and played with her idol Sam Bush. A lot has changed for Sierra since and she has become an artist in her own right. At 15, she recorded her debut album for Rounder Records called Secrets. Three years and a move from her family�s home in tiny Byrdstown, Ten. to Boston�s Berklee College of Music later, she�s followed her debut with one of the most surefooted transitions into early adulthood put to record on her new CD called Daybreak. Sierra will be performing on WoodSongs with her band Highway 111.

POKEY LAFARGE AND THE SOUTH CITY THREE are a ragtime blues band and originators of the Riverboat Soul sound. This St. Louis musician and singer creative mix of early jazz, string ragtime, country blues and western swing rings true and fine, making him one of the most innovative of all the purists performing American roots music today. It�s wonderfully infectious, and all laid down in front of a big, big swingin� beat. Pokey will have a new vinyl 73 single on Jack White�s Third Man Records as well as a new full album out later this year.

SUZY BOGGUSS is a brilliant songwriter with a suitcase full of country music hits. Some of her accomplishments include ten albums for Capitol Records, one of which has been certified platinum and three others, gold. Eight of her singles have cracked country music's top 5. Suzy is the recipient of a Grammy award as well as several awards from the Academy of Country Music, The Country Music association, CMT, and ASCAP. Her latest release is "Sweet Danger" and she hits a new milestone with this collection.

TED YODER is the 2010 National Hammer Dulcimer Champion � only the third performer to be crowned Champion on his first appearance at the Walnut Valley Festival. Life-long Indiana native Ted grew up in a musically inclined family, like a lot of musicians. His whole life has been filled with writing, performing, recording, experimenting with new instruments... But it wasn't until Ted received his first hammered dulcimer as a wedding gift that Ted knew he'd found his niche. Capturing the Championship title, Ted decided it was time to go professional. Since then, he has released two CD's.

BEARFOOT is abluegrass quintet that originally formed in Alaska. The band has already made a mark with four strong releases, including their 2009 Compass Records debut, �Doors And Windows� which instantly hit the top of Billboard's Bluegrass Album chart. A mere two years after their initial meeting teaching at their namesake's bluegrass camp for kids, Bearfoot earned one of roots music's most prestigious awards �Telluride Bluegrass Band Champions� an honor they share with artists Dixie Chicks and Nickel Creek. Now based in Nashville, the band has welcomed singer/songwriter Nora Jane Struthers as their newest addition.

THE REVEREND PEYTON�S BIG DAMN BAND is comprised of fingerstyle guitarist Reverend Peyton, his wife and and distant cousin Aaron �Cuz� Persinger on drums and bucket. They have only been around for a few years, in that time period these country-blues aficionados from rural Indiana have played more than 250 shows annually and logged more miles on their van than most acts who have been around for a decade. Their latest CD is �Wages� on SideOneDummy Records.

GREAT AMERICAN TAXI has become one of the best-known headliners on the jam band circuit. The band was born when singer, guitarist, and mandolin player Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon joined keyboard player and singer Chad Staehly for a superstar jam to benefit the Rainforest Action Group in Boulder, in March of 2005. They�ve made their reputation as an exciting live band and has been equated with roots rockers like the New Riders of the Purple Sage, Grateful Dead, Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, The Byrds, and Little Feat. Their latest album �Reckless Habits� was considered one of the best Americana release of 2010.

MICHAEL HEARNE moved to Northern New Mexico 25 years ago from Austin, Texas, and immediately joined forces with numerous other musical luminaries including Michael Martin Murphey and Tish Hinojosa, becoming an integral part of Murphey's band. Called the �Acoustic Southwestern Americana Musical Guitar Genius,� this native Texan continues to leave an indelible mark on his audiences not only with his signature �Michael Hearne� guitar sound, but also with songs and stories that are rich in lyrical prose, imagery and humor. His newest CD, The High Road to Taos, has received critical acclaim, with some discriminating reviewers declaring it to be his finest work to date.

GARY MORRIS is most noted for the smash hit 'Wind Beneath My Wings.� Gary has traveled a colorful path from Fort Worth, TX to the White House, Nashville to Opera Houses and beyond. Morris has long been regarded as one of the greatest tenors of our time, having performed for every President since Jimmy Carter, and also the Queen of England. His Country career produced an astounding twenty-five charted singles on the Billboard country charts, with five consecutive No. 1 hits. One of his first big roles was in the Broadway production of Les Miserables, as Jean Valjean. The full symphonic recording of Les Miserables is a Platinum selling, Grammy Award winning album and features Gary's timeless version of 'Bring Him Home.' He also appeared in Puccini's opera 'La Boheme' with fellow musician Linda Ronstadt. “Hymns� is his latest record.

THE ROYS are a brother/sister duo who hail from Fitchburg, MA, and their music is a surprisingly fresh, Bluegrass sound that includes hints of Roots and traditional Country, and its uniquely identifiable tone has brought them honors � and fans � from around the globe. The two-time Inspirational Country Music Duo of the Year (2010, 2009) made their national television debut on the most-recent Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon in Las Vegas, and they�ve enjoyed heavy media exposure with multiple People and Country Weekly magazine features to their credit. THE ROYS have performed before President George W. Bush at Andrews Air Force Base; traveled to Bogota, Columbia on an outreach mission for Compassion International, and entertained fans for years at clubs, fairs and festivals. Their latest CD is Lonesome Whistle on Rural Rhythm Records.

OVER THE RHINE return to WoodSongs to mark their 20 year recording history with a brand new CD called "The Long Surrender." The southern Ohio-based husband-and-wife team of multi-instrumentalist Linford Detweiler and vocalist Karin Bergquist new CD is a fan-funded record on OtR's own Great Speckled Dog label (named for the couple's Great Dane, Elroy). It was produced by two time Grammy winner Joe Henry whose songs they've long admired and has a guest appearance from Lucinda Williams. The songs seamlessly interweave the disparate strains that form the many-colored crazy quilt of American music.

DAVID WAX MUSEUM was voted "one of Boston's hottest new bands" by The Boston Globe and awarded as the Americana Artist of the Year. They have performed at the Newport Folk Festival (and were featured on NPR's All Songs Considered as one of Newport's highlights), toured with The Avett Brothers, shared bills with Carolina Chocolate Drops and constantly tour around the country. The band's new CD is "Everything Is Saved."