Sunday Supper: Now and Then

In a monthly column, former "Sunday Supper" host John Platt writes about a new folk release he likes — and reflects on a past "Sunday Supper" session.

July promises some fine performances (and plenty of festivals) for music lovers and the chance to catch Alice Howe & Freebo — plus I'm celebrating the special birthday of an American legend, Linda Ronstadt.

Later this month, the 67th Newport Folk Festival has a lineup that includes Brandi Carlile, Cat Power, Kathleen Edwards, The Lumineers, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, and a whole lot more. As you might imagine, it's very sold out.

However, there's a more local option that same weekend in Goshen, Connecticut. The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival is showcasing its 38th annual lineup, including Susan Werner, Vance Gilbert, the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, The Nields, and Alice Howe & Freebo.

Alice Howe has been a notable favorite of mine over her decade-long career. She's played Falcon Ridge five times, including this year, and I've had her as a guest three times with Freebo on "Sunday Supper" at WFUV. Howe's strong contralto range elevates not only her own tunes, but her cover song choices.

Alice Howe & Freebo Live, their 2025 release, has two covers that I especially like, John Prine's  "Angel from Montgomery" and Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You." 

And I'll be celebrating on July 15 when one of America's most beloved singers, Linda Ronstadt, turns 80. 

Ronstadt's impact over her long career over a myriad of genres — country, rock, traditional Mexican songs, the American popular songbook, and opera — is formidable. She's written a memoir, won 11 Grammys, an Emmy and a Tony, and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And while her fans might be sad that she's been forced to retire from singing following a serious diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy, which she discussed with CNN's Anderson Cooper in 2020, her impact on contemporary music hasn't diminished in the least, with artists like Sheryl Crow and Emmylou Harris citing her influence.

Although Ronstadt had to set aside her performance and touring schedule, she did continue a dialogue with her fans via onstage interviews. 

One of those conversations was in November 2016 at C.W. Post campus at Old Brookville, New York, which I was invited to moderate. WFUV recorded the interview and, with Ronstadt's management's approval, we were able to broadcast it on "Sunday Supper." 

It was a great honor to share her humanity and sense of humor back then — and happy to do so again on her 80th birthday. Listen in the player above.