Mike Agranoff

Mike Agranoff is a one-of-a-kind entertainer.  He plays a superb fingerstyle guitar in idioms ranging from ancient harp tunes to obscure Tin-Pan-Alley numbers from the ‘20’s, to exquisitely tasteful accompaniment of contempory songs. He also employs the unusual English Concertina for anything from a haunting song accompaniment to fiddle tunes to a Bach sonata.  A Joplin piano rag may pop out unexpectedly.  He is a storyteller and storywriter in league with the best 

Mike's choice of music is almost as widely varied as the many different musics that fall under that amorphous polyglot definition called "Folk".  Not a prolific songwriter, he is more a “singer-songfinder”, an astute and discriminating gleaner of hidden gems from today's crop of acoustic songwriters.  He is equally at home with a traditional ballad or contemporary song, or some of the most horrible parodies ever perpetrated on an unsuspecting audience.  And the few songs he has written are gems.  Ever the word-smith and raconteur, he weaves fascinating stories and monologues which introduce and connect musical numbers.  He is also a keen observer on the "folk scene" itself; often his material offers shrewd commentary on ourselves and our contemporaries in this quirky field of endeavor.  Mike has a unique ability to convey the point of the song to the listener directly.  He incorporates elements of the musical arrangement, theater, vocal and facial expression, and an almost telepathic ability to put across a message or mood.  Listeners find themselves singing choruses to songs they've never heard, or finding new understanding of songs they've heard a million times.

Mike's original exposure to music was the bumpy mix of classical piano lessons and the  progressive FM stations in the '60's.  This came to a logical, but mercifully brief nexus with a short stint playing keyboard in a high school rock & roll band.  But the purchase of a Martin guitar inexorably shaped the course of the rest of his musical life.  After the expected Crosby, Stills, Mitchell & Garfunkle phase, he discovered the more esoteric world of traditional and traditionesque folk.  While honing his instrumental and vocal skills, he also became deeply involved in the whole folk milieu, serving on the Board of Directors of the Folk Project, and managing that organization's Minstrel Coffeehouse  since 1977. 

But Mike's first and last love is still making music, whether on stage, in the living room with friends, or at some festival campfire with strangers.  That love shows, and is contagious.  The most reticent of listeners is drawn into the spirit, and those accustomed to singing find lots to sing with.  He has pursued that love over the past 30 years to festivals, concert series, and coffeehouses throughout the United States and the United Kingdom.  (see over for past appearances) much to the delight of those who have seen him and shared in his music.