The Joe Cirotti Trio, a well-oiled string band from the shadows of Northwest Jersey’s Appalachian ridge, fuses their multi-instrumentalist upbringings with a passion for the roots of American folk, jazz, country, and bluegrass. Their bond is rooted in proximity, strengthened by a blue-collar passion for picking, and buoyed by their shared propensity for roots music and whiskey.  Formed in 2015, the current line-up of Joe Cirotti: guitar, Pete Lister: upright bass, and Timmy Coyle: mandolin and guitar, continues to craft a sound steeped in tradition yet infused with modern twists.

The Folk Project Open Stage, North Jersey’s premier open  stage, is back live on the second  Friday of every month. The  Main Stage features two-song (or  ten  minutes, whichever is shorter) sign-up slots for our audience. To sign up to perform email Chairman Todd at openstage@folkproject.org.

Admission: $7 at the door only (tickets for the live show not available online.)  Children 12 and under free but must be accompanied by parent or guardian.

Cheryl Wheeler is a gifted songwriter with a beautiful voice and she’s a natural story teller with a fantastic sense of humor. Her funny songs are legendary. Her stage presence is all-consuming. Her audiences ride a rollercoaster of sincere emotions, telling insights, and hysterically funny commentary.

Cheryl’s songs have been covered by artists as diverse as Dan Seals, Peter Paul and Mary, Kenny Loggins, Garth Brooks, Suzy Boggus, Melanie, Bette Midler, Maura O’Connell, Sylvia, Kathy Mattea, and Holly Near.

If you know Cheryl, you probably can’t wait to see her again. If you don’t know Cheryl, it’s about time you met her.

Toby Walker is an award winning guitarist and entertainer who tours the US, United Kingdom, and Europe. He was the 1st place recipient of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis and has been inducted into the NY Blues Hall Of Fame.

Walker has taught at Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch, The Swanannoa Gathering, and many other guitar camps. He also has eight instructional DVD’s on Homespun Music Instruction.

Walker traveled to the deep south where he studied with traditional blues and folk musicians such as Eugene Powell, James “Son” Thomas, and Etta Baker

“If he doesn’t get them with his phenomenal guitar playing or catchy songs, he gets them with his wonderful stories. True entertainers have an engaging spirit that puts a smile on your face. Arlo Guthrie has it. David Bromberg has it. And so does Toby. ”
– John Platt – WFUV

Ellis Paul is a songwriter, author, illustrator, and teacher. He has been a constant presence on the American folk circuit for over thirty years. In that time, he has released twenty two albums of original music and performed over 5,000 shows. His songs have made their way into big screen features including blockbuster films such as: Me, Myself & Irene, Shallow Hal and Hall Pass, as well as having been recorded by Grammy award winning country artists.

His work has been described as descriptive narratives of people at a crossroads in their lives. Despite the nature of these stories, the humanity in the writing makes them about all of us.

His stage performance is a combination of humor, improv, and poignant story songs. He has performed on stages at the Newport Folk Festival, Carnegie Hall, clubs and coffeehouses all over the world, and was awarded an Honorary Degree from the University of Maine and inducted into the Maine Music Hall of Fame. He has received numerous award including fifteen Boston Music Awards and the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Award. His album released in 2019, The Storyteller’s Suitcase, was named NERFA album of the year and he was named IAMA International Acoustic Artist of the Year. His most recent album “55”, further deepens his reputation as one of folk music’s finest touring artists.

Gathering Time is an internationally touring folk-rock trio that blends ’60s spirit with modern sensibilities. Known for their stellar harmonies, insightful songwriting, and dynamic musicianship, Stuart Markus, Gerry McKeveny, and Christine Sweeney (since 2022) captivate audiences with a mix of original songs, folk classics, and traditional tunes. Their energetic stage presence and infectious chemistry win over even non-folk fans. WFUV’s John Platt praises them as “among the finest performers in the New York metropolitan area” with harmonies that “can charm the birds out of the trees”, original songs and a savvy repertoire of covers

Tom Chapin, a Hudson Valley troubadour with a career spanning six decades and 27 albums, is a three-time GRAMMY winner. Known for his work as a folk artist and children’s music pioneer, Chapin has also excelled as a performer, storyteller, and activist. He began in the 1960s with The Chapin Brothers, later hosting the Emmy-winning “Make A Wish” and appearing in films like Blue Water, White Death. A Broadway star and satirical songwriter, Chapin‘s advocacy covers environmental causes, issues of hunger and social justice, and a supporter of music and arts in public schools. Through it all, Tom never stopped writing smart, thoughtful, funny and beautiful songs for the folk audience

Garnet Rogers has established himself as ‘One of the major talents of our time”. Hailed by the Boston Globe as a “charismatic performer and singer”, Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence – close to six and a half feet tall – with a voice to match. With his “smooth, dark baritone” (Washington Post) his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere. His music, like the man himself, is literate, passionate, highly sensitive, and deeply purposeful. Cinematic in detail, his songs “give expression to the unspoken vocabulary of the heart” (Kitchener Waterloo Record). An optimist at heart, Garnet sings extraordinary songs about people who are not obvious heroes and of the small victories of the everyday. As memorable as his songs, his over-the-top humor and lightning-quick wit moves his audience from tears to laughter and back again.