In the Round: Tret Fure, Kate McDonnell, Sean McGhee

Tret Fure began her career at the age of 16, singing in coffeehouses and campuses in the Midwest. At 19, she moved to LA in hopes of obtaining a record deal. Within a year she was performing as guitarist and vocalist for Spencer Davis, touring with him and penning the single for his album “Mousetrap”. She went on to record her own album “Tret Fure” in 1973, on MCA/UNI Records, with the late Lowell George of Little Feat as her producer. With the success of that release, she opened for such bands as Yes, Poco, and the J Geils Band.

A prolific artist in the contemporary singer-songwriter arena, Tret Fure has released 17 albums and CDs over the course of her 51 year career. In addition to being a gifted songwriter, Fure has engineered and produced countless recordings by a variety of artists, including her own work.

In the early 80s, Tret moved to the independent side of the industry discovering the blossoming genre known as Women’s Music. She recorded with and produced some of the best of women’s music including mixing the legendary “Meg & Cris at Carnegie Hall” (1983). She worked as a duo with Cris Williamson throughout the 90s, producing, engineering and releasing 3 CDs together. Now after 9 acoustic releases on her own label, “Tomboy girl Records”, she has re-established herself in the folk world.

Armed with her unusual guitar style and crystalline soprano voice, Kate McDonnell teamed with her twin sister to perform around their Baltimore hometown during their high school and college years. After a four-year sabbatical from performance in the mid-80s, Kate returned to music by partnering with guitarist Freddie Tane, at one time a member of Bill Haley’s Comets. In 1989, Kate started writing her own songs and began racking up serious critical recognition in the early 90s, she was named a New Folk Finalist at the Kerrville Folk Festival and a finalist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Showcase in New York State. In 1992, she released her self-produced debut album, “Broken Bones.” The CD was praised in prestigious folk periodicals. Sing Out! called her a “strong vocalist and guitarist [with an] outstanding ability to write excellent first-person songs,” and Dirty Linen described “Broken Bones” as “a striking showcase for her skills as a songwriter and performer”and called Kate’s voice “flexible, adventurous and moving” Kate has appeared on the internationally syndicated “World Café” radio show and performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C She hit the studio in the summer of 2020 to record her 5th album “Ballad of a Bad Girl.”

Sean McGhee is an outstanding tenor vocalist & a master of the 12-string guitar, with a quick wit & irreverent sense of humor. In 2000, Sean joined Mack Bailey (Hard Travelers & Limeliters) & Rick Dougherty (Limeliters, Kingston Trio & The Folk Legacy Trio) to perform as the “Three Folk Tenors” at the Birchmere. He’s appeared solo at the Oscar Brand WFMA Tribute, shared the stage with Kipyn Martin twice & opened for the Joan & Joanie show. Sean is mostly know for his half of the former duo Side by Side with Doris Justis. Sean with Doris performed with John Denver’s band in two tribute concerts in Aspen, CO and were featured on the CD from that event.

Doors open at 7:00 pm

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Masks optional.