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The Team
Bob is a retired railroad engineer, union member and supporter of workers and their rights.
Mark was Treasurer for the Missouri Valley Folklife Society, and is the Registered Agent for Crosscurrents Culture. He is a folk programmer with Valerie Andruss on the KKFI 90.1 FM "Foolkiller Folk" radio show on Sunday morning, and is Co-host of the Classical Challenge on Wednesday night.
I discovered folk music in High School when my mother dragged me to a Joan Baez concert and I was hooked. A haunter of coffeehouses during my college years, after moving to KC I found both The Foolkiller and the Missouri Valley Folklife Society, produced concerts with them, and gradually worked my way into KKFI where I now help Bob, Diana, Kathy & Mark bring you Foolkiller Folk.
But wait - there's more! Also a big fan of live theater (which I studied in college) I became a supporter of Kansas City Actors Theater (I've seen every production they've ever done) and have been lucky enough to be able to combine theater and radio as KKFI's producer for KCART.
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Bob and Diana Suckiel on the “Foolkiller Folk” radio show:
We have been longtime supporters of folk music and we are performing musicians as well so the name of our program is Foolkiller Folk!
We are members of the old Foolkiller now known as CrossCurrents and we are involved in theater and local political activism.
We want to share the music we love with the rest of the community and share historical aspects of the music also. We want to help broaden our listeners’ knowledge of all kinds of folk music from all over the country, from the pre-war era to now.
What is CrossCurrents, formerly, Foolkillers? CrossCurrents is Kansas City’s Folk Arts Alliance. It is a nonprofit corporation in Kansas City which is dedicated to people creating their own culture. They produce concerts, plays, and community events, such as barn dances. This alliance encourages all interested people to get involved, no matter what level of talent they think they have. If you are looking for locally produced Folk music, Contra-dance, original acoustic music, women’s music, theatre or banjo-playing, join CrossCurrents.
By the way, if you wondered about “ Foolkillers” …
“We prefer crude vigor over polished banality. Remember, as one becomes enlightened, one KILLS the FOOL within.” — Jack Conroy.
Recent Episodes
September 18, 2022 Folk, Music
Folk Music from France and the Canadian Diaspora
Today Mark and Val bring you some of our favorite French folk groups with music from Brittany, Normandy, and the Massif in France, as well as the music that crossed the Atlantic and ended up in Quebec in Canada (we’ll bring you Louisiana Cajun country music another time). Today you’ll be hearing from, Malicorne, Jean Blanchard & Eric Montbel, Pierre Bensusan, Tri Yann, Alan Stivell, Le Vent du Nord, Emmanuelle Parrenin, Ad Vielle Que Pourra, Yann Tiersen (one featuring Dominique A), Veronique Chalot, and the Clemencic Consort and Rene Clemencic (well, OK – Rene Clemencic is from Vienna, but the song is by Bernard de Ventadorn)
Read MoreSeptember 4, 2022 Folk, Music
Klezmer!
Mark and I figure that anyone who wants to hear Irish music now is at the Irish Fest. So today for your listening pleasure, we bring you klezmer!
And if you should be asking ‘What is klezmer?’, klezmer is a style of folk music that draws upon the traditions of Ashkenazi Jews (diaspora Jews who established communities along the Rhine in western Germany and northern France during the Middle Ages after facing persecution in the Roman Empire) and Eastern European folk traditions. The term “klezmer” combines the Hebrew words for a vessel (“kley”) and melody (“zemer”).
Read MoreAugust 21, 2022 Folk, Music
English Folk & Celtic Mailbag with Mark & Val
Greetings! Today we bring you a program of English Folk & Celtic that's recently arrived at the house, mostly released in 2022 but also including releases back as far as 2003. You'll hear from Andy Martyn; Paul Downes featuring Mick Ryan; Seamus Tansey; Jack the Lad; Hedgehog Pie; Bella Hardy; Goitse; The English Country Blues Band featuring Danny Stradling, Dave Peabody, John Kirkpatrick, and Nick Jones (the 2003 release); Sandra Kerr; The Unthanks; Heidi Talbot; Anna Smyrk; and The SiFiddlers. Tune in or catch us for two weeks in the Archives.
As usual, the show will be added to Spinatron later today and you can call in to 816.931.KKFI and talk to us while the music is playing
Read MoreJuly 31, 2022 Folk, Music
Celtic & English Folk Mailbag
Mark & Val start the show off with some reels from Dan Possumato, Bill Verdier, Gerry Whelan, & Frances Cunningham from an IMM Promo CD2021/22 Disc 3, follow that with a Robert Burns song from Laverock and we're off! You'll be hearing Katie Grennan, Rachel Newton, Tim Van Eyken, 3'oh, We Banjo 3 (who are playing at the Irish Fest this year), Roy Bailey, Caroline Keane and Tom Delaney, Eddi Reader. Padraic Keane, RUNA (also at the Irish Fest), Tiernan Courell, Danny Schmidt, Roy Bailey, Jez Lowe, and The Hush and Bob Fox.
Read MoreJuly 3, 2022 Folk, Music
Irish & English Folk
Mark & Val bring you Irish and English folk today - some old; some new; some we picked up on our trip to Ireland. As usual, we have more music than time to play it, but here's who we're going to be trying to stuff into our show: Cherish the Ladies w/Nanci Griffith, Aiofe Scott, John Carlos, Peter Bellamy, Jez Lowe and Jake Wilson, Teada, Bob Fox, Dreams of Freedom, Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies, Shane McGowan & David Munnelly, Tim Van Eyken, Mick Ryan and Paul Downes, Roy Bailey, Pete Morton, Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, Nic Jones, Luka Bloom, The Watersons, and Roy Bailey. Tune in!
Read MoreJune 12, 2022 Folk, Music
Mark & Val Celebrate the Idiosyncrasy of KKFI
With no Program Director or Executive Director to determine our content, KKFI is a truly community-driven project. Where else can you find a station where the DJs are free to present a musical travelogue of their summer vacation? Which is exactly what we're doing to celebrate the idiosyncrasy of KKFI on this last day of the pledge drive. Listen in and call 888.931.0901 to support KKFI or donate online at kkfi.org. You can become a sustainer today!
Read MoreMay 22, 2022 Folk, Music
Celtic & English Mailbag
Mark & Val have been rooting through their mailbag again and are delighted to bring you a collection of new to us mostly newly released Celtic and English music (yes - you get to hear them butcher Gaelic once again!). You'll be hearing from Max Allard, The ALT, Tom Delaney, The Unthanks, Rakish, Fourth Moon, Tri Yann, Sam Lee, Jim Mageen, Billy Treacy & The Scope, Aisling Lyons, The Haar, John Weber, Fir Arda, Heal & Harrow, Bird in the Belly, 3 on the Bund, Eamonn Flynn, Granny's Attic, Swan Arcade, Brian Hughes & Dave Sheridan, and the SiFiddlers
Read MoreMay 15, 2022 Folk, Music
Will You Miss Me When I’m gone? (Volume III)
Every year, Mark & Val put together a show honoring members of the folk community who have passed away the year before. Sadly, so many members of the folk community passed away in 2021 that it's taking three full shows to honor them all. This Sunday's show is Volume III, honoring those who passed away during the last quarter of the year.
Today we'll be bringing you Tony Macmahon, Paddy Moloney, Sonny Osborne, Sean Tyrrell, Barry Coope, Belinda Sykes, Joanne Shenandoah, Vincente Fernandez, Stonewall Jackson, Bill Staines, and JD Crowe.
Read MoreMay 1, 2022 Folk, Music
International Worker’s Day
Mark & Val celebrate International Worker's Day, honoring the Second International and the establishment of May Day with themes of the policy statements: the 8-hour day, general causes of the proletariat, and universal peace.
Read MoreApril 17, 2022 Folk, Music
Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone? (Volume II)
Every year, Mark & Val put together a show honoring members of the folk community who have passed away the year before. Sadly, so many members of the folk community passed away in 2021 that it's taking three full shows to honor them all. This Sunday's show is Volume II, honoring those who passed away from July through October.
You'll be hearing music and songs from Bryon Berline, Nancy Griffith, Tom T Hall, William Hundley Emerson of The Country Gentlemen, Don Everly of the Everly Brothers, Sir Victor UWaifo, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Nobesuthy Mbadu, Don Maddox, and Robin Morton, founder of Boys of the Lough.
Read More