Lake Winona, Winona Ryder, Winona, Minnesota, to name a few of the multiplicity of Winonas that abound and abide in these United States. Route 66, the sine qua non of highway songs, was immortalized by Nat King Cole and the Manhattan Transfer, to name a few. As a former resident of Winona, Minnesota, I can unequivocally state that Winona is a happening name. It gives me great pleasure, then, to invite listeners into a Lake Winona Civic Association CD from The Artists from Our Freshman Year. So here we are: a local group in Lake Winona, New Jersey, has produced a CD that honors some fine local musicians, and the music is wonderful. There are 20 artists featured on this CD, which was compiled through volunteer efforts and was made to commemorate the concerts performed during the first year of Winona Folk. Within the liner notes are the artists' names and songs, as well as an address for both snail and e-mail. The musical genres are as varied as the artists themselves. Dan Pelletier sounds amazingly reggae-like, a la Ziggy Marley, on "Big Red Apple." Another artist, Elaine Silver, sings a rich, Celtic-themed song in "Spirit Within Me." The Chenille Sisters would be proud to sing along with Kathy Moser in her "Shopping Mall Redemption," which could be a call-to-arms for those that shop, and like it. The Artists from Our Freshman Year features 20 songs, with music quality that is pure, well-produced and worth a listen while you find your own Lake Winona or its variation. Enjoy. by Ann Flynt Rambles.NET 27 January 2007

I've listened to this CD several times and the one thing I remember is John Sheehan's song "Last Night In A Dream." Its haunting groove slides through me like so much mist, late in day in October about dusk where the mist is almost illuminated and bleeding into the sunset. There are other tunes that, while listening to the CD are as compelling, but after time away from the CD it's Sheehan's that cuts through to me. You get a lot of music on this CD; 20 tracks clocking in at 77 minutes. There's a nice musical intro on Dan Hazlett's "Stay At Home Daddy." Nice rhythm guitar work on Dan Pelletier's "Big Red Apple." I like it that several different 'folk' styles are included here. Dave Kleiner & Liz Pagan present the humorous "Salesman." There are many musicians that are way too serious. It's nice to see Kleiner and Pagan grab the wheel, give it a spin, and drive over the edge, laughing all the way. There's more driving electric guitar on this then some might care for, but then this is collection of tunes from various artists. Hurray for not trying to sound like homogenized milk. There are other humorous songs here as well, both Kathy Moser and Scott Sheldon (though Sheldon includes a touch of syrup to his humor) provide a smile and a chuckle. The tracks that I especially like are: Track 1. John Sheehan: "Last Night In a Dream," Track 2. GrooveLily: "Cup Overflowing," and Track 10. Too Human: "What I Meant To Say." I'm sure this says more about my taste than the quality of this project. But you can decide what you like for yourself by going to their CDBaby website (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/winonafolk), where you can hear samples of each of the songs. You can also go to the Winona website (www.winonafolk.org) and checkout what they're about. There's even a radio interview with its director John Nyman. - Ed Englerth

11-25-2004 Happy Thanksgiving all! Here's a hot tip for you. The Winona Folk Compilation is AWESOME! I listened to it twice while cooking my Thanksgiving feast. Usually there is a breaking in period for me with any new CD, especially with artists I’m not familiar with—but not with this CD. I liked each song as much as the last and with Cup Overflowing the second song on the CD, you know that’s saying a lot. The Quality Music Revolution indeed! Hey John, can I save on shipping if I buy multiple copies? I can think of several people this would make an excellent gift for.