Voted best band runner-up (and top folk band) in the 2011 Long Island Press readers’ poll, Gathering Time is like a high-energy Peter, Paul & Mary or a co-ed Crosby, Stills & Nash, with various parts of The Byrds, Joni Mitchell, the Eagles and America; a head-turning folk-rock harmony trio described recently as “getting a whole beehive-full of buzz” on the northeast regional folk scene.
Founded in 2006, Gathering Time quickly became a fan favorite. Members Stuart Markus, Hillary Foxsong, and Gerry McKeveny have strong roots in traditional folk as well as ’60s and ’70s folk-rock, and they’ve been known to interpret some of those classics alongside their original songs at their shows.
Bob McKillop of MaineFolkMusic.com writes, “Gathering Time … has perfected two separate but related art forms: three part harmony and having a ball on stage! When they harmonize, some sort of fundamental, cosmic concordance occurs that makes you very happy that you have ears.”
No less an authority than WFUV’s John Platt has written that they are “among the finest performers in the New York metropolitan area, whatever the size of the venue, from a house concert to an outdoor festival,” with “harmonies that can charm the birds out of the trees, strong original songs, and a savvy repertoire of cover songs, ranging from traditional folk to classic rock. They appeal to audiences of all ages.”
In addition to concerts of original music, Gathering Time performs specialty tribute shows such as the “Great Folk-Rock Festival,” featuring the acoustic classics of the ’60s & ’70s, “Jews Who Rock,” showcasing the work of famous Jewish songwriters and musicians, and “Songs of Conscience,” focused on songs of social justice.
Gathering Time’s 2007 remake of Peter Yarrow’s “Light One Candle” has been spun on stations ranging from NYC’s top-rated WCBS-FM to Israel’s Galilee plains; their 2008 CD “Songs of Hope and Freedom” won wide acceptance on folk stations nationwide. In 2012 the trio’s second CD Red Apples and Gold rose to #5 on the Folk DJ charts in September and to #12 on the national Roots Music Report radio charts in October, charting at #76 in the year-end Top 100 Albums. Their third CD When One Door Closes… reached #3 on the Folk DJ charts in January 2014.
Gathering Time’s most recent release, Keepsake, swept the Folk DJ charts in March 2016, debuting at #1 with ‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes’ the #1 song, five more songs in the Top 25, and Gathering Time the #1 artist for the month.