14th Annual Iowa Women's Music Festival Home

Noon	EMILY LOUISE– 12 p.m. University of Iowa student Emily Louise opens the 14th annual Iowa Women’s Music Festival with her uncanny talent, especially for a performer of her young age. An Orange City, Iowa native, Emily developed her love of performance in high school musicals, choral groups, and her school’s award-winning jazz band. Equally accomplished in academics, Emily won the 2006 Matthew Shepard Scholarship, a state-wide merit-based full-tuition award, which she is applying to her undergraduate degree at the UI. Emily is active in the community and has been an activist for equality and safe schools legislation. Visit www.myspace.com/emilyatiowa.
12:35 PM	SHARON BOUSQUET– 12:35 p.m. People always ask where Sharon Bousquet (“Boo-skay”) is from. A Pennsylvania native, Sharon has lived in Delaware, Iowa, Vancouver BC, Santa Cruz, Hawaii, Austin and Wimberley (TX). Now, this award-winning singer-songwriter has made her home in Fairfield and is gracing Iowa with one of the best voices in the state. Her music is described as “a smart, sensual acoustic stew” that ranges in style from jazzy blues, to folk, to acoustic pop. Sharon has 6 independent CD releases to her credit, with her most recent offering in 2007, “Temple,” making big waves in radio and on the road. "Temple," says Jim Musser of the Iowa City Press-Citizen, "displays the quality and variety that have earned her numerous prestigious songwriting and performance awards across Texas in the past six years." He continues, "the well-played, minimalist arrangements not only recall classic early singer/songwriter ventures by the likes of Joni Mitchell, Joan Armatrading and Janis Ian, but Bousquet -- remarkably -- holds her own in that lofty neighborhood....Confident, sensual and in full command, Sharon Bousquet richly deserves all the rewards that dedication, talent and hard work can bring." Two songs from "Temple" will be featured in the upcoming indie film release "Cosmic Radio,” alongside music by Peter Gabriel, Dolly Parton, the Black-eyed Peas and Elton John. For the full scoop on Sharon, visit www.myspace.com/sharonbousquet.
1:15 PM	AWFUL PURDIES– 1:15 p.m. Formed in the summer of 2006, The Awful Purdies are 6-piece all-women band who present a fully costumed, festooned and scripted show of original and borrowed music. All active musicians in other projects in and around Iowa City, The Awful Purdies band was the brain child of Annie Savage, the backup singer, fiddle and harp player for The Mayflies. Gabrielle Kouri is a singer songwriter crooning with her banjo performing under the name Betty Bonebright. Katie Roche is the lead singer for The Broke Out Steppers and jug player for Escape the Floodwater Jug Band. Marcy Rosenbaum is the guitar player for the rare but wonderful Half Fast. Katie Burns is a cello player with Sarah Cram, and she also does session work. Newly returned Iowa City native Adrienne Woodard is a drummer for numerous hip-hop and rock acts about town and the Midwest. Sometimes-member Amy Finders comes from nearly a decade singing with The Mike and Amy Finders Band. The Awful Purdies bring together their diverse backgrounds and strange array of instruments to create a one-of-a-kind sound. Kouri's Lebanese country roots, Savage's time living in Turkey and years of studying concert harp, Roche's background in jazz composition and hip-hop, Finders’ golden country voice, Burnsie's Motown cello, Woodard's driving beat and spoken word, and Rosenbaum's natural tone and steady playing are the tapestry that makes this band’s art so unique. Expect anything: traditional Turkish dervishes, yodeling, twisted bluegrass, story time, gorgeous vocal arrangements, danceable warbles, drinkable fables, and so much more! Go to www.myspace.com/awfulpurdies.
2:10 PM	JANELLE LAUER– 2:10 p.m. An amazing singer and a gem of Iowa music, Janelle Lauer’s vocals are at once controlled and unrestrained, smooth and intense, playful and polished, sultry and tender. With grace and charm, Janelle delivers her contemporary jazz/pop style — a style that highlights her versatility and outstanding talent. Janelle has had a wealth of performing experience, including being born into a musical family, training as an opera singer at the University of Iowa, singing in a Nashville-based folk duo in the early 90’s, and acting in a long list of community theatre productions at Theatre Cedar Rapids. Janelle can now be seen as a regular performer in a popular monthly radio variety show, Liars Holographic Radio Theatre. Thousands of people watch Janelle on a bimonthly basis on Iowa Public Television as a part of LHRT broadcasts. Dennis Green of KCCK radio has said, “Just about anyone can sing a song, but few can live each word like Janelle. She entices, teases and outright drags the listener into the individual universe of every song, where every color is brighter and every emotion more wrenching." Visit www.janellelauer.com.
3:05 PM	WISHING CHAIR– 3:05 p.m. Since 1995, multi-instrumentalist Miriam Davidson and songwriter Kiya Heartwood have made an art of inspiring performances and award winning music. A Wishing Chair concert is a passionate mix of intelligent lyrics, spell-binding storytelling and breath-taking harmony over a full “folk and roll” sound. Heartwood's percussive guitar work and wide open vocals complement Davidson's masterful use of a myriad of instruments: piano, accordion, banjo, hand drums and bouzouki. This gifted duo seduces the listener with soulful confessions, political broadside, and a wicked groove. Their latest CD, Underdog, was awarded Best New Folk CD of 2006, by Just Plain Folks, an Indie organization of over 40,000 music industry professionals. With award-winning songwriting and musicianship, Wishing Chair, “never fails to create that exhilarating sense one gets when great melodies, strong harmonies, and superb execution come together,” says The Performing Songwriter Magazine. Back by popular demand, this South Carolina duo is making their second appearance on the IWMF stage, and we are thrilled to have them back! Check out www.wishingchair.com.
4:00 PM	SUSAN WERNER– 4 p.m. Self-proclaimed “farm girl” Susan Werner was raised in rural Iowa but began her professional music career in Philadelphia, after studying classical voice at Temple University. Inspired by a Nanci Griffith concert, Werner left behind her opera training and began performing as a singer-songwriter at coffeehouses throughout the northeast. Now with 6 fabulous albums under her belt, an active touring career throughout the U.S., and a string of accolades from the likes of The Washington Post, The Village Voice and The New Yorker, Susan Werner has become one of the defining artists of the folk music genre. Her songs effortlessly slide between folk, jazz and pop, and are delivered with a sassy wit, classic Midwestern charm, and a purely delightful stage presence. As Howard Reich, chief critic of the Chicago Tribune, wrote in 2006: "Werner is one of the most innovative songwriters working today," something her hoards of Iowa fans have known for a long time. The IWMF enthusiastically welcomes back one of Iowa’s most beloved performers. Visit www.susanwerner.com.
5:00 PM	RUTHIE FOSTER– 5 p.m. If you haven’t yet been introduced to the music of Ruthie Foster, the prodigiously gifted singer and songwriter from Texas, you’re in for a major epiphany. And if you’ve been following Foster’s career ever since her self-released, 1997 debut, Full Circle, or even since her 2002 breakthrough, Runaway Soul, you’re in for an even bigger surprise, because you really haven’t ever heard Foster until you hear her now. About her fifth and newest album, aptly titled The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster, Foster admits, “Those are some big shoes!” Foster is really one of the most humble and down-to-earth artists you could ever meet, phenomenal or otherwise. As for how her producer came up with the new album title, well … just give it a listen, and you’ll understand. By pretty much anyone’s standards, Foster IS phenomenal. Foster has established herself as one of the acoustic music world’s brightest stars. From the Kerrville Folk Festival to Austin City Limits to stages all across North America and Europe, she has won thousands of new fans each night and has sold a staggering average of 100 CDs per show. At a festival in Canada, she even broke Ani DiFranco’s record by selling 1,000 CDs in a single day. Both live and on disc, Foster mixes contemporary folk with old-school gospel and blues with dazzling efficiency, showcasing a powerhouse voice that draws comparisons to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin. Visit www.ruthiefoster.com.

Noon

University of Iowa student Emily Louise opens the 14th annual Iowa Women’s Music Festival with her uncanny talent, especially for a performer of her young age. An Orange City, Iowa native, Emily developed her love of performance in high school musicals, choral groups, and her school’s award-winning jazz band. Equally accomplished in academics, Emily won the 2006 Matthew Shepard Scholarship, a state-wide merit-based full-tuition award, which she is applying to her undergraduate degree at the UI. Emily is active in the community and has been an activist for equality and safe schools legislation. Visit www.myspace.com/emilyatiowa.

12:35 PM

SHARON BOUSQUET– 12:35 p.m.

People always ask where Sharon Bousquet (“Boo-skay”) is from. A Pennsylvania native, Sharon has lived in Delaware, Iowa, Vancouver BC, Santa Cruz, Hawaii, Austin and Wimberley (TX). Now, this award-winning singer-songwriter has made her home in Fairfield and is gracing Iowa with one of the best voices in the state. Her music is described as “a smart, sensual acoustic stew” that ranges in style from jazzy blues, to folk, to acoustic pop. Sharon has 6 independent CD releases to her credit, with her most recent offering in 2007, “Temple,” making big waves in radio and on the road. "Temple," says Jim Musser of the Iowa City Press-Citizen, "displays the quality and variety that have earned her numerous prestigious songwriting and performance awards across Texas in the past six years." He continues, "the well-played, minimalist arrangements not only recall classic early singer/songwriter ventures by the likes of Joni Mitchell, Joan Armatrading and Janis Ian, but Bousquet -- remarkably -- holds her own in that lofty neighborhood....Confident, sensual and in full command, Sharon Bousquet richly deserves all the rewards that dedication, talent and hard work can bring." Two songs from "Temple" will be featured in the upcoming indie film release "Cosmic Radio,” alongside music by Peter Gabriel, Dolly Parton, the Black-eyed Peas and Elton John. For the full scoop on Sharon, visit www.myspace.com/sharonbousquet.

1:15 PM

AWFUL PURDIES– 1:15 p.m.

Formed in the summer of 2006, The Awful Purdies are 6-piece all-women band who present a fully costumed, festooned and scripted show of original and borrowed music. All active musicians in other projects in and around Iowa City, The Awful Purdies band was the brain child of Annie Savage, the backup singer, fiddle and harp player for The Mayflies. Gabrielle Kouri is a singer songwriter crooning with her banjo performing under the name Betty Bonebright. Katie Roche is the lead singer for The Broke Out Steppers and jug player for Escape the Floodwater Jug Band. Marcy Rosenbaum is the guitar player for the rare but wonderful Half Fast. Katie Burns is a cello player with Sarah Cram, and she also does session work. Newly returned Iowa City native Adrienne Woodard is a drummer for numerous hip-hop and rock acts about town and the Midwest. Sometimes-member Amy Finders comes from nearly a decade singing with The Mike and Amy Finders Band. The Awful Purdies bring together their diverse backgrounds and strange array of instruments to create a one-of-a-kind sound. Kouri's Lebanese country roots, Savage's time living in Turkey and years of studying concert harp, Roche's background in jazz composition and hip-hop, Finders’ golden country voice, Burnsie's Motown cello, Woodard's driving beat and spoken word, and Rosenbaum's natural tone and steady playing are the tapestry that makes this band’s art so unique. Expect anything: traditional Turkish dervishes, yodeling, twisted bluegrass, story time, gorgeous vocal arrangements, danceable warbles, drinkable fables, and so much more! Go to www.myspace.com/awfulpurdies.

2:10 PM

JANELLE LAUER– 2:10 p.m.

An amazing singer and a gem of Iowa music, Janelle Lauer’s vocals are at once controlled and unrestrained, smooth and intense, playful and polished, sultry and tender. With grace and charm, Janelle delivers her contemporary jazz/pop style — a style that highlights her versatility and outstanding talent. Janelle has had a wealth of performing experience, including being born into a musical family, training as an opera singer at the University of Iowa, singing in a Nashville-based folk duo in the early 90’s, and acting in a long list of community theatre productions at Theatre Cedar Rapids. Janelle can now be seen as a regular performer in a popular monthly radio variety show, Liars Holographic Radio Theatre. Thousands of people watch Janelle on a bimonthly basis on Iowa Public Television as a part of LHRT broadcasts. Dennis Green of KCCK radio has said, “Just about anyone can sing a song, but few can live each word like Janelle. She entices, teases and outright drags the listener into the individual universe of every song, where every color is brighter and every emotion more wrenching." Visit www.janellelauer.com.

3:05 PM

WISHING CHAIR– 3:05 p.m.

Since 1995, multi-instrumentalist Miriam Davidson and songwriter Kiya Heartwood have made an art of inspiring performances and award winning music. A Wishing Chair concert is a passionate mix of intelligent lyrics, spell-binding storytelling and breath-taking harmony over a full “folk and roll” sound. Heartwood's percussive guitar work and wide open vocals complement Davidson's masterful use of a myriad of instruments: piano, accordion, banjo, hand drums and bouzouki. This gifted duo seduces the listener with soulful confessions, political broadside, and a wicked groove. Their latest CD, Underdog, was awarded Best New Folk CD of 2006, by Just Plain Folks, an Indie organization of over 40,000 music industry professionals. With award-winning songwriting and musicianship, Wishing Chair, “never fails to create that exhilarating sense one gets when great melodies, strong harmonies, and superb execution come together,” says The Performing Songwriter Magazine. Back by popular demand, this South Carolina duo is making their second appearance on the IWMF stage, and we are thrilled to have them back! Check out www.wishingchair.com.

4:00 PM

SUSAN WERNER– 4 p.m.

Self-proclaimed “farm girl” Susan Werner was raised in rural Iowa but began her professional music career in Philadelphia, after studying classical voice at Temple University. Inspired by a Nanci Griffith concert, Werner left behind her opera training and began performing as a singer-songwriter at coffeehouses throughout the northeast. Now with 6 fabulous albums under her belt, an active touring career throughout the U.S., and a string of accolades from the likes of The Washington Post, The Village Voice and The New Yorker, Susan Werner has become one of the defining artists of the folk music genre. Her songs effortlessly slide between folk, jazz and pop, and are delivered with a sassy wit, classic Midwestern charm, and a purely delightful stage presence. As Howard Reich, chief critic of the Chicago Tribune, wrote in 2006: "Werner is one of the most innovative songwriters working today," something her hoards of Iowa fans have known for a long time. The IWMF enthusiastically welcomes back one of Iowa’s most beloved performers. Visit www.susanwerner.com.

5:00 PM

RUTHIE FOSTER– 5 p.m.

If you haven’t yet been introduced to the music of Ruthie Foster, the prodigiously gifted singer and songwriter from Texas, you’re in for a major epiphany. And if you’ve been following Foster’s career ever since her self-released, 1997 debut, Full Circle, or even since her 2002 breakthrough, Runaway Soul, you’re in for an even bigger surprise, because you really haven’t ever heard Foster until you hear her now. About her fifth and newest album, aptly titled The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster, Foster admits, “Those are some big shoes!” Foster is really one of the most humble and down-to-earth artists you could ever meet, phenomenal or otherwise. As for how her producer came up with the new album title, well … just give it a listen, and you’ll understand. By pretty much anyone’s standards, Foster IS phenomenal. Foster has established herself as one of the acoustic music world’s brightest stars. From the Kerrville Folk Festival to Austin City Limits to stages all across North America and Europe, she has won thousands of new fans each night and has sold a staggering average of 100 CDs per show. At a festival in Canada, she even broke Ani DiFranco’s record by selling 1,000 CDs in a single day. Both live and on disc, Foster mixes contemporary folk with old-school gospel and blues with dazzling efficiency, showcasing a powerhouse voice that draws comparisons to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin. Visit www.ruthiefoster.com.