John Flynn stops by The High Note to talk about his long history with the Philadelphia Folk Festival, his meaningful work with incarcerated individuals through New Beginnings - Next Step, and his new album "Kindred Spirits," which is out now. We also get into his friendship with the legendary Kris Kristofferson.

You can catch John live this fall and winter. On November 23rd, he'll be in Devon, PA for a benefit concert supporting disaster relief for victims of this past summer's devastating floods in Kerrville, Texas. On Thursday, December 4th, he's playing the storied Lansdowne Folk Club in his native Delco—get details at folkclub.org/concert-schedule. And finally, on December 18th, John continues his annual tradition (30 years now!) with a fundraiser for Camp Dreamcatcher, a therapeutic summer camp for kids dealing with AIDS/HIV, at The Kennett Flash - https://kennettflash.org/events.

Our apologies for some minor sound issues in this episode. Mother Nature had other plans—it was a stormy day on the East Coast.

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Paul "Dawg" Dixon wrote, composed and recorded the intro and outro music. The voices you hear at the end are Graeme Armstrong, Steve Poltz and Keller Williams.

Grammy-winning baritone and New Jersey native John Brancy joins The High Note ahead of his show John Brancy and Peter Dugan Live at the 609 Club this Saturday, Aug. 23, at the Celebrity Theatre inside The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City. We talk about his South Jersey roots, his career on the world's greatest stages and the cabaret-style performance he and pianist Peter Dugan are bringing home as part of the North to Shore Festival.

Listen to "Journey Home: Live from the Kennedy Center"

Get tickets to John Brancy and Peter Dugan Live at the 609 Club benefiting the Atlantic City Arts Foundation.

Subscribe to The High Note podcast anywhere you subscribe to podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Stitcher and TuneIn.

Follow @HighNoteBlog anywhere you go on social media including TikTok, X, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Subscribe to The High Note E-Zine.

Paul "Dawg" Dixon wrote, composed and recorded the intro and outro music. The voices you hear at the end are Graeme Armstrong, Steve Poltz and Keller Williams.

On this episode of The High Note podcast I'm joined by Jayne Toohey — photographer, author and the press contact for the Philadelphia Folk Festival. Jayne is the creative force behind "Smiling Banjo: A Half Century of Love & Music at the Philadelphia Folk" Festival, a beautiful collection of images and stories that capture the heart of the event.

The 62nd annual Philadelphia Folk Festival kicks off Thursday, Aug. 14 through Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, at the Old Pool Farm in Upper Salford Township, Pennsylvania. It's the longest-running continuously held outdoor music festival in North America, celebrating a mix of folk traditions, contemporary artists and community spirit.

In our conversation, Jayne shares insights about the history of the festival, her journey photographing its people and performances, and what makes this year's lineup special.

Buy the book: "Smiling Banjo: A Half Century of Love & Music at the Philadelphia Folk Festival"

Philadelphia Folk Festival Aug. 14-17, 2025: folkfest.org

Subscribe to The High Note podcast anywhere you subscribe to podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Stitcher and TuneIn.

Follow @HighNoteBlog anywhere you go on social media including TikTok, X, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Subscribe to The High Note E-Zine.

Paul "Dawg" Dixon wrote, composed and recorded the intro and outro music. The voices you hear at the end are Graeme Armstrong, Steve Poltz and Keller Williams.