hey all - this is the update from Barbara...I'm psyched to be able to hear
some of the shows on the net :) yay! and now I have to go look at the new
site... please go see BK live and tell me about it so I can live
vicariously...


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Hi all,
I am teary, and joyful at once - listening to Jennifer Kimball's "Veering
From The Wave," a marvelous album, and preparing to play and sing with her
tonight at the Kendall Cafe, 9pm, the second show of my month-long
residency
there. That's right, I'm songwriter-in-residence there every Monday in
May,
and in New York City every Wednesday at The Living Room. (7pm)

For those of you outside Boston, feel free to check out the show,
streaming
live (huh?) unfathomably (to me) from www.radioboston.com. Really!

The *Flash* website is finally done, and I've been getting great feedback
from folks, but still need to spread the word.
http://www.barbarakessler.com/flash/ Make sure your volume is turned up!
As
of now, that is the only place to get the new record, although it will be
in
Newbury Comics by the end of this week, for you New Englanders, and will
be
distributed soon (our scheduled "official release date" is September 5).

There will be a feature on me in this week's Boston Globe (I think this
Friday...) and it's just in time to help me spread the word about this
wonderful concert and benefit, CD. The concert is this Sunday, May 14th
7pm -
Mother's Day at the Somerville Theater and features me plus these other
mom
songwriters: Mary Lou Lord, Jan Luby, Lori McKenna, and Ramona Silver. It
is
the official release show for the CD I produced called Hope: Mothers
Helping
Mothers. I'm psyched to play a show with these incredible women, and to
share
a backstage area with some other little kids! The CD will also be
available
at www.barbarakessler.com and at Newbury Comics. Here is the track
listing:

HOPE Mothers Helping Mothers
Diane Zeigler - I Know My Baby's Cry
Sara Hickman - It's Alright
Laurie McClain - Only Four
Ramona Silver - Honeydew
Lori McKenna - Hardly Speaking a Word
Suzzy Roche - Breathing
Ashley Cleveland - There Goes My Baby
Barbara Kessler - Persephone
Eliza Gilkyson - Lantern
Karen Taylor-Good - Heart of My Heart (Where Did You Go)
Rachel Bissex - Dancing With My Mother
Jan Luby - Ordinary
Tish Hinojosa - Baby Believe

The organization it benefits is called Project Hope and they state:
Project Hope shelters mothers and children, operates programs that move
families to economic stability, and works with them to advocate for
systemic
change to support families and end family homelessness. Project Hope
believes there is an inherent potential in every human being and is
working
with families to bring forth that potential.

It has been a pleasure listening to songs by other mothers and both
reliving
and anticipating the certain joys, triumphs, and trials of mothering.
There
were many more submissions than I could ultimately use, and contact has
been
positive with even more "famous" songwriting moms, so there could very
definitely be a volume 2.

Thanks so much for your support and enthusiasm, and I look forward to
hopefully get out to the other parts of the country (and beyond!) not
listed
here. There are some other shows I'd like to tell you about:

5/13 The Reedy River Folk Festival
Brashier Campus of Greenville Technical College
Simpsonville, SC http://reedyriverfolkfestival.web.com
tickets at Horizon records: 864-235-7922, TNT Music 864-962-0775
with one of my all-time idols! Karla Bonoff! Cliff Eberhardt (who sang on
my
first record, Stranger to this Land) Dogwood Moon, Jack Williams, and
others...
5/14 Somerville Theater (see above)
5/20 Acoustic Cafe, 2926 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport, CT 203-335-3655 with
band!
6/20 Lizard Lounge, 1667 Mass Ave. Cambridge 617-547-0759 with band and
Todd
Thibaud!

Tours are being planned for the West coast, and the Midwest. Please feel
free
to suggest any venues you know about, including house concerts. Thanks. I
hope you're enjoying spring. It is going to be around 90 f degrees again
here
today.

"Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel
and kiss the ground." RUMI

Be well,
Barbara