Artists:Christine Lavin

Christine Lavin.

Happydance, n. [hap-ee dahns] “An impulsive, spontaneous jig of joy.”

Xenophobe, n. [zen-uh-fohb, or zee-nuh-fohb] “A person unduly fearful or contemptuous of that which is foreign, exotic, or out of the ordinary.”

On September 18, 2007, Happydance Of The Xenophobe, Christine's new topical, political, 13-song collection, that will thrill the National Weather Service (“Here Comes Hurricane Season”), delight Julia Child devotees (“Whipped Cream”), enrapture caffeine addicts (“Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans”), but also irk Priscilla Presley, the NRA, cigarette smokers, Faux News, and best of all, Dick Cheney, will be released on Yellow Tail Records. Other song titles include: "The Most Polite City In The World," "Happydance," "Tom Cruise Scares Me," "Smokers," "Russian Michael," "As We Stumble Along," "Why?," and "Reminiscing With The Gentle Lonely Elusive Boxer Of Love." The album ends with an unexpected medley of five of my favorite folk tunes from the ‘60s and ‘70s set to a dance beat. Plus there’s a hidden surprise bonus track.

In the fall of 2006 Appleseed Recordings released One Meat Ball, a 19-artist, 96-page CD/cookbooklet produced by Christine Lavin, showcasing music by Dave Van Ronk, Pete Seeger, actor Jeff Daniels, The Accidentals, Grammy-winner Julie Gold, and a dozen other terrific singer/songwriters (and amateur chefs). The reviews has been stellar for both the music and the recipes.

In September 2005 Christine's solo CD, folkZinger, also on Appleseed Records, was released. This now brings her number of solo albums to 17, along with three “Four Bitchin’ Babes” disks, and now seven (counting Meatball) compilations she produced showcasing the works of dozens of contemporary singer/songwriters whose music she loves. She sings on the latest album by Noel "Paul" Stookey (of Peter, Paul & Mary), Virtual Party, the closing track, "Let's Go To The Stars." She has won one NAIRD award, two New York Music Awards, five ASCAP composer awards, the Kate Wolf Memorial Award, and her songs have been performed by such diverse artists as Tony Award-winning actress Sutton Foster (who starred in "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "Little Women," and is currently starring in "The Drowsy Chaperone" on Broadway), the Dartmouth College Decibelles,The Accidentals, and the Washington D.C. Gay Men’s Chorus. In 2001 Backstage Magazine named her "Outstanding New York Singer/Songwriter Of The Year." Christine’s song “Sensitive New Age Guys” is part of Joan Micklin Silver’s Off-Broadway production of “A. . . My Name Will Always Be Alice.” Her song "Good Thing He Can't Read My Mind" is in the touring show "Sex: The Musical."

Her song "Amoeba Hop" has been turned into a children's book (Puddlejumppress.com) with delightful (and scientifically accurate) illustrations by artist Betsy Franco Feeney. The book has received the stamp of approval of The International Society of Protistologists, and won a "Best Book Award" by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

In the fall of 2004 Rounder Records reissued an updated version of the very first compilation Christine produced, On A Winter's Night, a collection that now includes, besides the original 15 songwriters, Judy Collins, Dave Van Ronk, Annie Bauerlein & Chip Mergott, Lynn Miles, Kenny White, and Cliff Eberhardt. Christine’s concert career continues to take her all over the U.S., Canada, and points beyond. She now performs wireless, enabling her, as she says, “to turn any size concert hall into a living room." When not performing or recording, Christine writes freelance (The Washington Post, Delta "SKY" Magazine, The Performing Songwriter Magazine, The St. Petersburgh Times) is the occasional guest host for the popular "Sunday Breakfast" radio program on WFUV, 90.7 FM in New York City, and now also on xm satellite radio (channel 15), "The Village" (go to xmradio.com for program schedules). In between all this, she knits. Christine is currently assembling a compilation album called Crappy Little Christmas, a collection of holiday songs you will never heard in an elevator..