Blending classic soul power with a folk songwriter lyricism, New England’s Ali McGuirk has the rare ability to silence a room with just a few words of a song. With a voice that is raw and sultry, and a style rooted in improvisation, her sets are a hypnotic and intimate journey.

On her Signature Sounds Recordings debut ’Til It’s Gone, McGuirk delivers her trademark soul sound with rootsy turns and raw rock ‘n’ roll detours. The album landed on the Boston Globe’s Top 50 Albums list for 2022. Consequence of Sound raved, “‘All Back’ feels like it could exist somewhere outside of space and time– it could be on a record in the background of a party in a 1970s bungalow, or it could be on your Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify. Either way, it’s a great listen.” 

McGuirk co-produced ‘Til It’s Gone with Jonah Tolchin (a star singer-songwriter in his own right) and a set of session legends: Little Feat guitarist/mandolinist Fred Tackett, organist Larry Goldings (James Taylor, Norah Jones), singer Valerie Pinkston (Ray Charles, Luther Vandross), percussionist Lenny Castro (Stevie Nicks, Stevie Wonder). They provided the astounding chops, but the true magic of the album comes from McGuirk’s singular voice as both singer and songwriter.

McGuirk currently divides her time between touring North America and Europe and crafting new compositions in her lakeside Vermont cottage. She has performed spellbinding sets at Boston Calling, Merlefest, Americanafest, and NPR’s Mountain Stage. 

Jason Baker

Jason Baker is a singer-songwriter and folksinger from Vermont. He plays a range of instruments including guitar, banjo, ukulele, and harmonica, performing topical and original folk-roots songs that mix traditional folk music with a contemporary lyrical viewpoint. 

2024 City Hall Park programming is underwritten by the Pomerleau Family Foundation and the WaterWheel Foundation. Media sponsor, Seven Days. Twilight Series is presented by VSECU.