Songwriter Showcase presented by Jud Caswell

Mark Stepakoff: Boston area singer-songwriter Mark Stepakoff is widely admired on the local folk and roots music scene for his trademark mix of wry humorous material and poignant ballads, in the vein of songwriters such as Loudon Wainwright III and John Prine. He has won numerous songwriting awards and his songs have reached as high as Number 3 on the national folk radio airplay chart.

Tom Smith: Tom Smith grew up in rural Pennsylvania and earned his old-school folk music chops in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Frequently described as a cross between Pete Seeger and David Mallett, his songs are in turns humorous, touching, thought provoking and inspiring. Now a folk veteran of over four decades, Tom performs his engaging programs at festivals, coffeehouses, schools, and concerts throughout Northeastern United States to audiences large and small, young and old. In the words of WUMB Boston Folk Radio host Dave Palmater, “Tom Smith writes songs that seem like they have always been there – a true folksinger.”

Chris LaVancher: Chris’s performance evokes a mini-movie festival in your head, complete with a full soundtrack. He writes cinematic, character-driven songs. His song Nostalgia from his second album, Big Fat Love, received an honorable mention in the 2018 Woody Guthrie Folk Festival Songwriting Contest. In 2023 and 2014 Chris was selected as a Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist. In 2024 he was a finalist in the Rose Garden songwriting contest. Chris released his third full-length album in November 2021 – “After The Flood” a collection of songs full of heart from a seasoned and skilled craftsman mining life’s subject matter – family, work, love and love lost, childhood memories, and finding one's place in the universe.

Jud Caswell: Jud Caswell is an award-winning songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has been performing in his native state of Maine and beyond for more than 25 years. In 2006 he made a splash on the national scene, winning the legendary Kerrville New Folk competition. He’s had his songs taught at Berklee, recorded by Judy Collins, and named “#4 Song of the Decade” by New York’s WFUV. His record “Live at the Seagull Shop” was the number 1 album on the Folk Alliance International radio charts in March of 2020. Jud is currently releasing a series of albums of music that he recorded during the early months of the pandemic.

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