Podcast
Acoustic Northeast
Hosted by George Mallas and Dave Goldenberg · EN
Discover the musicians, music and venues behind America's vibrant Northeast singer-songwriter scene. Interviews and live performances every episode!
13episodes
Episodes
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Episode 13 – Cliff Eberhardt
2w ago00:38:45Tap to summarizeOver 10 albums and a career spanning nearly 5 decades, Cliff Eberhardt has established himself as one of acoustic music's best-known voices. Growing up in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, he and his brothers sang together and their parents played instruments. Cliff and his brother Geoff toured as an acoustic duo for a few years, until Cliff turned twenty-one and moved to Carbondale, Illinois. There he found space to develop his own voice within a vibrant and supportive music scene that included Shawn Colvin. In 1978, Cliff moved to New York City. Because the clubs were great (the Bitter End, the Speakeasy, Kenny's Castaway, Folk City) and the company amazing (John Gorka, Suzanne Vega, Lucy Kaplansky, Julie Gold, Steve Forbert, Christine Lavin, and Shawn Colvin), New York was an ideal musician's boot camp.Cliff worked steadily on his music throughout the 80's, doing solo gigs and studio work, and playing guitar on the road with Richie Havens, Melanie and others. Singing advertising jingles for products like Coke, Miller Beer and Chevrolet ("The Heartbeat of America" campaign) allowed him to devote more time to his songwriting.In 1990, Windham Hill released Cliff's first album, The Long Road (1990), featuring a duet with Richie Havens, to great critical acclaim. After two more records on Windham Hill, he released 12 Songs of Good and Evil (1997) on Red House Records, which stemmed from a chance meeting with Red House founder Bob Feldman at John Gorka's wedding. Cliff recorded two more albums before his critically acclaimed The High Above and the Down Below. He continued to record, releasing 500 Miles: The Blue Rock Sessions (2009), Shrew Songs (2012) and The Heal (2019)Long one of the most respected songwriters on the club scene, his peers often mine his catalog for themselves. Cliff's song "Memphis" was included on Cry Cry Cry, an album of collaborative covers by the "folk supergroup" of the same name (comprised of Dar Williams, Lucy Kaplansky and Richard Shindell). Other performers who have recorded his songs include Richie Havens, Shawn Colvin, Russ Taff, David Broza/Maura O'Connell and Buffy Sainte Marie. A collection of his songs has been published in The Cliff Eberhardt Songbook (Cherry Lane Publishing).Cliff is well-known as a songwriting teacher, both at songwriting camps and in private lessons. He also produces, arranges and advises on other artist's recordings. He tours constantly, and we were fortunate enough to snag him en route for an Acoustic Northeast sit-down.
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Episode 12 – Maria DiFabbio
4w ago00:32:47Tap to summarizeMaria DiFabbio is a musical theater writer and singer/songwriter. She has developed work at the Weston Playhouse Artists Retreat, Legacy Theater, Redhouse Arts Center New Works Festival, NYMF, SheNYC Theater Festival, The Brick, Coho Theatre (Portland, OR), the Guilford Performing Arts Festival (Drama Award commission with Emily Breeze), the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, the Springworks Festival in Stratford, ON, etc. She produces a seasonal musical theater salon at Threes Brewing in Brooklyn, where musical writers share work with friends and community. She sings with the band Bears of Alaska, and is a member of the BMI Advanced Musical Theatre Writing Workshop, and BMI Bookwriting Workshop.
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Episode 11 – Glenn Roth
May 2000:35:02Tap to summarizeToday we talk to, and hear from live in studio, fingerstyle maestro Glenn Roth. With his thumb riding the bassline and the melody driving all, his performances suggest multiple guitars, but it’s really just one guy, ten flying fingers, one instrument. All instrumental, Glenn’s songs suggest moods and narratives that compel the listener to fill in the details. Glenn has released six CDs to date. He has shared bills with Stephen Bennett, Monty Montgomery, Tuck & Patti, Bucky Pizzarelli, Carl Verheyen, Don Ross, Antoine Dufour, and Vicky Genfan, among others.Glenn plays regularly throughout the Northeast and tours nationally and internationally to bring his music to new fans and locales.
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Episode 10 – Paul Jensen
May 600:37:34Tap to summarizePaul Jensen's long and winding songwriting road has taken him from California to Cuba, where he and NYC avant-garde dance troupe Ballet D'Angelo performed his compositions at the International Ballet Festival in Havana. Today, Paul is known for his energetic, engaging live shows, and is the founder and host of the Sound Shore Songwriter Showcase in Rye, NY, a new performance series featuring talented, local singer/songwriters.Paul has headlined at such storied NYC venues as CityWineryNYC, the Cutting Room, The Bitter End and Arlene’s Grocery. You can catch him performing solo acoustic or with his band in and around the greater NYC area.
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Episode 9 – New Middle Class
Apr 2200:34:07Tap to summarizeNew Middle Class is Barbara Borok (vocal) and Mike Borok (guitar/vocal). Their award-winning original songs walk a thin line between the funny and the serious, with distinctive vocals, harmonies and delightfully unexpected lyrical twists and turns. The songs span an eclectic range of styles, often speaking with the voices of different characters.They live in Westchester County, NY, where they have two cars and a one-car garage.
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Episode 8 – Mitch Katz
Apr 1500:37:16Tap to summarizeMitch Katz is a singer-songwriter from Connecticut whose mix of crafty lyrics and compelling melodies bring sensitivity and humor to a mix of ballads and blues, with some political observation thrown in for good measure.
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Ep.7 – Doug Mahard
Apr 900:33:20Tap to summarizeDoug Mahard is a singer-songwriter from Bantam, CT. Delivered with a voice that will remind you of Neil Young, his songs blend whimsy and thoughtfulness in a way that keeps you listening. He has released two albums, the latest of which is Fidel Castro's Favorite Band.
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Episode 6 – Erik Rabasca
Mar 2601:03:54Tap to summarizeRecording artist Erik Rabasca is a smooth-as-silk singer-songwriter from Connecticut who has honed his craft over many years as a touring performer. His songs fuse a range of styles, from folk, indie and jazz to reggae, soul and country. So it's no surprise his Band, Light Warriors, was invited to open for Jon Batiste. Erik is a familiar voice at venues and festivals across the Northeast.
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Episode 5 – Frank Viele
Mar 1100:36:18Tap to summarizeWhat's New England blues-rocker Frank Viele doing on ACOUSTIC Northeast? Give a listen and you'll see he transcends genre.Frank's New England Music Awards include Album of the Year, Male Performer of the Year, Songwriter of the Year (twice) and Live Act of the Year.Fondly listening to his grandmother play piano as a child and later reinvigorated as a teenager inspired by his older brother’s taste in music and an acoustic guitar he left behind when he moved to the West Coast, Viele developed a deep appreciation for a wide range of genres including rock, blues, folk, and country.He began writing his own music as a teenager and quickly developed a knack for crafting deeply personal and emotive songs that spoke to the human experience.After honing his craft fronting New York City based Jam/Funk/Rock Outfit “Frank Viele & The Manhattan Project,” Frank released his debut solo album “Fall Your Way” in 2015, which was met with critical acclaim.He has released four solo albums since, including the recent "The Trouble With Desire," and a 2026 EP, "The Silo."
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Episode 3 – George Potts
Feb 1100:30:39Tap to summarizeSinger-songwriter George Potts, a two-time winner at the New England Songwriting Competition, has been entertaining audiences since the early '70s in Chicago, as a founding member of the folk/jazz ensemble Redwood Landing. For the past two decades he's been part of the northwestern Connecticut acoustic quartet The Joint Chiefs. His instrumental skills are equaled by his songwriting savvy, which will take you from laughter to tears and back. His 20220 album "Ends & Odds" fracked into the top 20 on the FAI folk charts. His latest single, "Red Shoes," was released in early 2026.
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