For those of you in the NYC/norther NJ area, on Saturday February 7th at 8:00pm, the Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club Concert Series (www.hurdygurdyfolk.org) at the Fair Lawn Community Center will present a special "co-bill" concert featuring singer-songwriters Antje Duvekot and Ellis (No, not Ellis Paul - read on...).

As President of the Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club I am thrilled that our club is able bring both of these outstanding artists to Bergen County and provide our audience with an affordable opportunity to discover new and exciting acoustic music.  The Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club produces Bergen County's longest running acoustic music concert series, which began in Fair Lawn in 1981.

Antje's appearance at the Hurdy Gurdy will coincide with the release of a new CD - 'The Near Demise of the Highwire Dancer". 

Sharing the stage with Antje Duvekot will be Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter Ellis, a rapidly rising star on the folk music circuit.  Ellis created a "buzz" after being voted "Most Wanted to Return" at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and was invited to perform on the 2008 pre-festival preview tour of emerging artists.  Since the tour the talented singer, songwriter and guitarist has been invited back to several of the nations top listening rooms including Club Passim, Cafe Lena, and P.A.C.E. as well as a formal showcase at the 2008 Folk Alliance Conference. She has also been asked to open for several established artists such as Patty Larkin, Richard Shindell, Cheryl Wheeler, and Todd Snider.

Ellis started performing the women's festival circuit in 2000, with regular performances at the Michigan Women's Music Festival and headlined the National Women's Music Festival in 2006. She has since made her debut at several folk festivals including the Loyalist City Folk Festival (Canada), the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival.

Although she tours nationally more than 130 dates each year, she continues to retain a devoted following in Minneapolis where she was voted Best Musician for five consecutive years and named 2007 Best Musical Artist by readers of the Minnesota Women's Press. She is also a favorite on college campuses, and students nominated her as 2006 Best Female Performer in Campus Activities Magazine.