Nightingale was formed in 1993 by Jeremiah McLane (accordion, piano), Keith Murphy (voice, guitar, mandolin, piano, foot percussion), and Becky Tracy (fiddle). The nightingale bird is a poetic figure that appears in traditional songs from many places including parts of Northern Europe, Canada and the United States. So the nightingale was an appropriate emblem for a band commited to drawing inspiration from a wide musical territory that includes Ireland, France, Scandinavia, Newfoundland and Quebec. Join us in welcoming them to their first show here at The Ball and Chain Cafe!

The author of Sisters in War: Love, Survival and Family in the New Iraq bases her new book on the 18 months she lived in and reported from Baghdad, Iraq. The book chronicles the lives of four women who experienced elation, hope and disappointment following the American invasion of Iraq and the fall of Saddam in 2003.  She details the difficult work of establishing women’s centers and of getting women elected to office. Asquith gives her readers a seldom heard female perspective of lives during this chaotic and dangerous time. This is a compiling of personal journeys fusing into a universal message about human dignity. A resident of Burlington, she is senior editor of The Solutions Journal and adjunct professor at the University of Vermont.  In 2007 she was a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.  Join us for the insightful and informative evening and leave with a signed copy of her book.

"Jazz Manouche" - Some call it gypsy jazz, some hot swing, in either case it is acoustic music in the spirit of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. Ex-Pine Island violinist David Gusakov, twins Rob and Jim McCuen on solo guitar and double bass, and rhythm guitarist Jared Volpe make up Vermont's newest acoustic, Hot Club style quartet. This is one of the hippest, happeningest music groups in the state, so don't miss out! For more information about these cool cats visit their website: www.swingnoire.com.

It's winter again, and this wonderfully talented trio usher in the new year with wit, whimsy, and world-class music-making.  Enjoy an evening with musicians Bruce Catlin, Jeff Pratt, and Mitch Barron performing a hot mix of contemporary bluegrass and Celtic music. Don't miss it! For more information about them, visit their website at www.thehibernators.com.

Join the authors of The Unknown Rockwell – the artist you thought you knew, told
by the man who knew him best…for a fascinating evening. Meet the man who inspired Norman Rockwell: Rockwell’s most illustrated Boy Scout, next door neighbor, and dear friend. Hear about stories of Norman Rockwell, the private man, from the one man who knew him in a way no one else could – James P. “Buddy” Edgerton. Authors Buddy Edgerton and Nan O’Brien remind us of the courage that got our country through an incredibly tough time in the past.  The book resonates with the memories of family histories told around the dining room table.  The book is a first person account of two families – the Edgertons, poor dairy farmers/the Rockwells, successful due to Norman’s talents – sharing a love of family, and a consideration of one another that created a closeness of friendship.  The book includes 32 pages of personal photos and photos from Norman’s modeling sessions, accompanied by the resulting illustrations.

The author of Under A Fig Tree … A Family Memoir will discuss her experience in recreating the three-generation story of her family’s assimilation to America. Her research pieces together photographs, letters, documents, recipes, and scraps of cultural lore. It is the story of her grandparents, as well as the Scafidi family, the broader Sicilian community of Rutland and her childhood in that community. It culminates with retracing her grandparents’ journey, first through Ellis Island, and eventually to the vineyards at the foot of Mount Edna and to her grandparents’ villages in Castiglione di Sicilia and Randazzo. She will discuss the challenges of creating a voice, maintaining discipline, and finding the missing pieces in compiling a family memoir. Join us for an evening of family lore and local history and leave with a signed copy of this amazing book.

Don’t think of it as “last minute shopping,” think of it as creative time management. There will always be wonderful books and other gifts for yourself and your loved ones here at the bookstore, and we are happy to help you find that perfect gift. In addition, we'll have some tasty treats at the Ball & Chain for your enjoyment, and we will be open until 9:00 pm.

Based in Addison County, Vermont, Womensing is an a cappella group of 6 voices performing songs from around the world. They draw their repertoire from their personal musical heritages: French Canadian, Chinese, Italian and American, as well from other parts of the world. Their musical arrangements juxtapose solo and ensemble voices, and their harmonies range from simple to layered. Womensing invites audiences of all ages to travel the globe on their vocal journey.

Mike and Tom Boise entertain with a musical sound they call “simply acoustic.”