NATALIE’S UPCOMING SHOWS
Agenda
Posterboard 
Month 
Week 
Day May – October 2013
Vocalist Dwight Lenox’s rich tenor voice and dynamic presence has captivated audiences around the country for more than 20 years. Growing up in New York, Dwight honed his talent in the church choir. He went on to study musical styles as diverse as country and rock ‘n’ roll, but his gospel roots, combined with such childhood influences as Nancy Wilson, Nat King Cole and Sarah Vaughn, made jazz a natural showcase for his talent.
From blues to ballads and jazz to swing, Dwight shines. His impeccable instincts and mellow sound have garnered the attention of some of the finest musicians in the industry. He’s performed with Sammy Tucker and renowned organist Hank Marr. He’s been showcased alongside the likes of Freddie Hubbard, Bobbie Humphrys, Ramsey Lewis and Herbie Mann. As featured vocalist with the 17-piece Columbus Jazz Orchestra, he’s shared the stage with Harold Jones and Carmen Bradford. He is one of only two singers to perform with the Ohio State Marching Band, and his rendition of “Georgia On My Mind” is on the bands new compact disc.
Dwight’s fluid style lends itself to a vast repertoire and his raw abilities are uniquely evidenced in his performance of original music. For more information, visit his website at www.dwightlenox.com.
Jesse Henry is a prolific songwriter and musician versatile enough to excel in multiple genres. A soulful singer, he writes songs with spirit, humor, and storytelling elements, often with a down-and-dirty blues feel. For the past decade, he’s played countless concerts with the Spikedrivers, who merge country, blues and rock; Royal Tycoons, a jazz and soul band; and The Field Dogs, an acoustic Americana group. Also an accomplished solo act, he is working on three recording projects.
Jesse earned a B.A. in jazz saxophone performance, writes instructional guitar books, and teaches guitar, piano, songwriting, and music theory. He is also the Dean of the Rafiki Music School in Nairobi, Kenya. jessehenry.com
Joey Hebdo’s style, “Adventure-Folk,” is unspoiled and unforgettable. A Columbus native, Joey and his music were shaped through the merging of Lebanese culture with suburban America and Appalachian paradise. His diversity was inevitable, as he drew his influences from Robert Plant, Andrew Bird, The Temptations, the Beatles, and, of course, his grandfather.
His first self-release, “unEP” (2008), was well received, launching him on a nine-month coast-to-coast tour, which featured extensive dates in San Francisco, Portland and Los Angeles. Upon returning home, he recorded, “Prosciutto,” followed by a live album at Rumba Café, and a collaborative CD with fellow songwriters in a Hocking Hills cabin. joeyhebdo.com
Stephanie Jeffreys is a singer-songwriter from Central Illinois, now based in Columbus. It wasn’t until her late 20s that she picked up a guitar left behind by an ex-boyfriend. Teaching herself John Prine and Gillian Welch tunes, she soon took a stab at writing her own songs – and found success, joining forces with singer-songwriter James Edwards, with whom she formed The Midnighters. In honor of the title of her very first song, “Troubled Soul” became the title of their first record, released in 2006.
Stephanie cites her musical influences as Emmylou Harris, Patsy Cline, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, Lucinda Williams, Patti Griffin, and Neko Case. Her latest band, The Kits, is a six-piece string group. reverbnation.com/stephaniejeffreys
Host Eric Gnezda tours nationally as a singer-songwriter and keynote speaker. He is a regular Writers Night performer at Nashville’s Bluebird Café, and a recipient of the Ohioana Citation for Music Composition. His media credits include NPR, ESPN and “Entertainment Tonight.” His most recent CD is Songs of Hope in a Changing World. www.gnezda.com
Songwriters: If you’re interested in being considered for Songwriters Showcase, please visit the “About” link on our Facebook Page for more information.
Teeny Tucker is one of the brightest stars in the blues genre, and has been gaining an international reputation as a dynamic performer on stage as well as a recording artist with three highly acclaimed CDs to date. Her career received a major boost with her appearance on the PBS national television music series “Sun Studio Sessions” that aired in 2011.
Teeny Tucker is the daughter of the renowned blues-singer-pianist-composer Tommy Tucker, who wrote and first recorded “High Heel Sneakers,” a pop-classic that’s been performed by Elvis, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. Her musical journey has seen Teeny perform at many of the major Blues Festivals in the US, Sweden, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, and Italy. She has been invited to appear on the same bill with great blues artists such as BB King, KoKo Taylor, Etta James, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Keb Mo, and many others.
Teeny was the winner of the 2010 Monterey Bay Blues Artist of the Year, and has been nominated for many prestigious awards in the past ten year. She has released three highly acclaimed CDs, and her most recent one, “Voodoo To Do You” has been receiving much critical acclaim and has climbed high on the blues charts. One of the original songs from that release, “Love Spell”, is now in the finals in the International Songwriting Competition. For more information, visit her website at www.teenytucker.com.
The Kells play traditional Irish music with a genuine passion and a sincere sense of purpose. They pour their hearts into playing lively jigs, spirited reels and haunting airs with songs that reach deep into the moral and emotional part of man’s nature. Instruments such as the Irish uilleann, pipes, tin, whistle and flute provide the brilliant melodies, while the guitar and traditional Irish bodhran provide intricate layering, heart-beat and drive.
Members of this outstanding band include Brian McCoy (flutes, whistles, pipes), Doug Rudy (mandolin, banjo, fiddle, vocals), and Kim Rattan (vocals, guitar, mandolin).
Slate Ridge Bluegrass Band, whose focus is on traditional style Bluegrass, plays tunes mostly from Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, and The Stanley Brothers, and throws in a few originals as well.
John Alge (guitar) plays with great enthusiasm and soloing skills and has written several songs for the band. Jim Thomas (banjo) plays in the Scruggs style. Rich Baker (mandolin) is the longtime host of the Bluegrass Ramble on WOSU radio, and veteran of many local bluegrass bands. John Oboro (fiddle) has played with numerous bands, including Summit Station, and Kentucky String Quintet. Linda Young (bass) has played for countless bands in Central Ohio for 30 or more years.
Slate Ridge prides themselves on tight harmonies and clean pickin’
Grassahol is a high-energy, five-piece bluegrass band consisting of Carl Yaffey on banjo, Chas Williams, fiddle; Heidi White, bass; Buren Carter, guitar; and Scott Brooks, on mandolin. Their music is a mix of the old, the new, the occasionally obscure, and a full quiver of original songs that keep folks entertained and tapping their toes. Their songs range from the bluegrass standards to the less traditional newgrass sounds of more recent days, drawing on musical influences in bluegrass, blues, minstrel, folk, and Americana.
The high-energy strains of their bluegrass music and their tight vocal harmonies make Grassahol fun to listen to, even for audiences unfamiliar with bluegrass. Wherever they play, audiences appreciate the emotions in their music and the new way they deliver the sounds of traditional bluegrass.
Grassahol band members are professionals who have been around music for many years and have a real love of bluegrass as well as a love of sharing it with an audience.
Jazz fusion group FLIPPO, joined by vocalist Kay Harris, brings the music of Joni Mitchell and others to Natalie’s. Kay and FLIPPO’s love and appreciation of her music come out in their dynamic and inspired versions of Joni’s songs.
Kay Harris has been an integral part of the Central Ohio music scene for a number of years. As a vocalist and songwriter for most of her life, she has been involved with numerous albums and also has provided lead and backup vocals for over seventy local and national jingles. Having performed throughout the U.S., she is one of the region’s most powerful, enduring vocalists and songwriters
FLIPPO, one of Columbus’ newest “super groups,” displaying instrumental virtuosity and creative energy in the spirit of sonic colors and innovation born of the “funk” and “jazz/rock fusion” movements of the 1970’s and beyond, features Michael Cox on Sax, Paul Brown on guitar, Erik Augis on Keys, Andy Woodson on bass and Louis Tsamous on Drums.
The Bumper Jacksons are a big, fat party. Hot and sweet, their trad jazz and pre-war country repertoire paint’s America’s story from New Orleans’ brothels to Appalachian hollers. Unafraid to scrap together new sounds from forgotten 78′s, the Bumper Jacksons boldly and elegantly balance paying homage to the traditions while fashioning their own unique, DIY style.
A native Floridian, Jess Eliot (clarinet, washboard, vocals, ukulele, kazoo) grew up singing in church and swinging from banyan trees. After performing in hip hop and funk bands in college and DC, she moved to New Orleans and became mesmerized by the sounds of the street bands and second lines. She dusted off her lonely old clarinet, built herself the iconic frog washboard, and hopped on the wagon. She now performs along the Atlantic coast, from the Kennedy Center in DC to busking in your city’s streets. She is forever grateful to the New Orleans Jazz Vipers, who let her sit in every week at the Spotted Cat and taught her to love the big, uproarious glory of the old, old sounds.
Chris Ousley (guitar, banjo, ukulele, vocals, mouth horn), a Maryland boy, was allergic to the state’s famous shellfish, so he tramped off to the hills of western Pennsylvania to study the 3 B’s: books, beer and banjos. There he woodshedded with old hill cats in barns outside of abandoned steel and coal towns playing any instrument he could take a turn on. Hitting mountain trails, biking over rough terrain, rafting down rivers, all with a bottle of whiskey and a banjo on his back. Chris’s deep jazz pocket and graceful Kentucky-style banjo is only outmatched by the snarlyness of his beard.
Together, Chris and Jess Eliot are the Bumper Jacksons. Their initial meeting fueled a riotous impromptu jam on the lawn of a radical bike house in Washington, DC.… The music never quit since. A duo born from two very different parts of the American South, the musical synergy created is undeniable. They perform the old traditional sounds of America, heart-wrenching and youthful, and always in the spirit of raw adventure.
Colin Gawel is co-founder, lead singer and guitarist of the Columbus based and nationally known American rock band Watershed. He also has a solo career both with and without his backing band – Colin Gawel and the Lonely Bones.
Born in Worthington, Ohio, Colin wrote his first song on the back of a paper route collection book in 6th grade. The next morning on the school playground, he convinced his pal Joe Oestreich that they should start a cool band like Cheap Trick or the Kinks. Watershed was born at that moment under the monkey bars and went on to make quite a name for themselves. In fact, you can read all about it in the best selling memoir “Hitless Wonder- A Life in Minor League Rock n Roll” which was released in 2012 and National Public Radio called it one of the two best books of the summer. It rose to #1 on the Amazon music book charts!
When not working on music, Colin owns a small coffee shop with the rather clever name of “Colin’s Coffee” in Upper Arlington. He is married and has a young son (Owen) who also likes to rock (along with dinosaurs, baseball and super-heroes).
In 2012, Watershed released their 6th full length record, “Brick and Mortar” to rave reviews and did a 16 city promotional tour for both the new record and book.
In between Watershed activity, Colin has released three solo ep’s in the past three years with the songs “Superior” and “Still Love Christmas” garnering regional airplay. He also runs a website, pencilstorm.com, featuring his writings and a number of other prominent blogger types.
Peter Case is a three time Grammy nominee for his work as a singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer (his 2007 solo album, Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John, was among those named in the Best Contemporary Folk category). He has recorded more than a dozen solo records and is the author of several books as well as a sought-after record producer. His songs have been featured in movies and TV shows including True Blood, Friday Night Lights, and Parenthood, and has been covered by artists as diverse as Dave Alvin, Chris Smither, Alejandro Escovedo, Marshall Crenshaw, the Goo Goo Dolls, the Go-Go’s, and many others. Passionate about writing songs and connecting to audiences, Case tours throughout the year in the US, Canada, and Europe, while his hardcore fans bring to the shows their deep connection to the songs and to the artist.
Riding the rails from Buffalo to California while still a teenager, Case performed as a street musician in San Francisco before joining Jack Lee and Paul Collins to form The Nerves. The groups single, “Hanging on the Telephone,” would later become a Top 10 hit for Blondie. Case then moved to LA and formed The Plimsouls. The group landed a deal with Geffen on the strength of the hit song, “A Million Miles Away,” which they performed in the movie Valley Girl.
Case has been a solo performer since the late ’80s. His albums include his T-Bone Burnett-produced Grammy-nominated solo debut; the widely acclaimed The Man With the Blue Post Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar, (featuring the signature songs “Entella Hotel,” “Two Angels,” and “Put Down The Gun”); the self-released acoustic blues album Peter Case Sings Like Hell; the Grammy-nominated Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John and last-year’s collection of unreleased and alternate tracks, The Case Files. Last year also saw the release of Beach Town Confidential, a previously unreleased live recording of a 1983 Plimsouls show in front of a rowdy, appreciative crowd at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, CA.
Case is the central figure in the feature-length documentary TROUBADOUR BLUES by Pennsylvania filmmaker Tom Weber, released in 2011. The film also featuring Dave Alvin, Mary Gauthier and many other fine singer-songwriters, is an honest and intimate look at the lives of modern-day wandering minstrels.
Much like the characters that inhabit his songs, Kenny Roby’s life as an artist has been an intellectual and spiritual quest. Over the course of a 20-year career, he has explored the history of music with a musicologist’s zeal, absorbing its various forms and sounds into his work. Simultaneously, he has taken a long hard look in the mirror through the writing process, discovering and reflecting back a piece of himself through his songs. Charting the continuum of that journey leads to Memories & Birds, (Roby’s 4th solo album) an ambitious vision of a Southern past littered with provocative characters and the dark, foreboding places they inhabit.
The eight-song effort is the first new album in over six years and fourth solo album overall from the founding member of the acclaimed ’90s alt-country/indie rock band, 6 String Drag. Filled with surprising twists and turns, shadowy corners and broken dreams, the narrative thread running throughout this complex eight-song cycle evokes the stark imagery and themes of William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, Walker Percy and Comac McCarthy, while emerging from the musical lineage of Leonard Cohen, Townes Van Zandt, Randy Newman, Tom Waits and the like. These are song-stories of loss, isolation, desire, rejection, resignation, despair, aging and anxiety.
“He’s phenomenal.” - Ryan Adams
“… an album that rivals the stark narrative of Springsteen’s Nebraska while the instruments, rich production and Roby’s voice recall and rival the best work of Randy Newman, Leonard Cohen and Elvis Costello.”
NO DEPRESSION
Benjamin Meinhold, Bass player and Contributing Songwriter for Columbus’ own The Floorwalkers is striking out on his own. Playing original songs and covers harking back to Graham Parsons, Roger Miller and Jesse Fuller, he is propelled by American songwriting history. His songs have a drive to explain the real, the very real and the surreal.
Barry Chern has been one of Central Ohio’s premiere proponents of Roots Music since before any one else was calling it that. His first public shows at the age of 15 already featured a unique mix of early folk, blues and originals. He has ever since been absorbing and transmuting the diverse streams of American Song, with a deepening focus on early blues and string-band music. His performances feature heartfelt vocals with bare-finger guitar picking, mandolin and harmonica, and sometimes piano, clarinet, autoharp and other items from his arsenal. Chern has represented Columbus at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis,
and in 2012 was the “Honored Artist” at Columbus’ Comfest, making his 40th appearance at the Fest’s 40th anniversary. He is also an award-winning fine artist.
Cliff Starbuck is known to many as the long-time bass player for popular regional jam band Ekoostik Hookah. Barry and Cliff began their collaboration nearly a decade ago, in part brought together by their mutual love of the music of Michael Hurley. They found they have a great mutual love of the Old-Time
music and early blues, as well as rock ‘n’ roll, early pop and everything good. Together they do sets of diverse songs such as one can find nowhere else.
Jimmy Castoe is a legendary drummer, known for his drive, knowledge and technical prowess. He has played with just about everybody in Columbus, rock and jazz alike, and is a fine singer in his own right. He has been joining Chern and Starbuck in various size ensembles for many years now.
The Dan White Sextet is a band that formed in 2010 at the Ohio State University, and is known for its original music. The sextet strives to push the boundaries of composition and improvisation. Featuring a front line of multi-instrumentalists, the group has an array of sounds to bring to the table. Each member uses his unique instrumental voice to contribute collectively. The combination of these voices leads to a unique sound that escapes the specific boundary of the jazz genre.
Upon winning the Rochester Jazz Star Competition, White recorded and produced his debut album “Between The Lines”, featuring current sextet member Chris Ott. Jon Lampley was soon added to the ensemble, completing the dynamic front line.
Each band member has enjoyed individual success aside from the sextet. Lampley spends his summers and select dates throughout the year touring with the platinum selling band O.A.R. Ott and White spent a summer performing with the Disneyland All American College Band. Additionally, White has received honors from Downbeat Magazine and the Jazz Education Network for his composing and saxophone abilities.
Well known saxophonist, Randy Mather has been a fixture in the jazz scene for many years. He has toured throughout Europe and The United States, and his range and versatility have enabled him to perform with a diverse group of musicians and entertainers, including Woody Herman, Aretha Franklin, David Sanborn, Phil Woods and many others.
Natalie Adams has performed with several area symphonies, and has been a featured vocalist performing with Vaughn Wiester’s Famous Jazz Orchestra. Natalie holds a degree in Horn Performance from Capital University, and has played with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, The Licking County Orchestra, and the Newark Granville Symphony.
Roger Hines (bass) has toured and recorded with Diane Schuur and Ray Charles. In addition to performing Roger also taught bass at The Ohio State University School of Music, and has been on the music faculty of Capital University since 2006.
Aaron Scott (percussion) has been teaching percussion for over 30 years. He can currently be heard with his jazz group TRio featuring Dave DeWitt and Derek DiCenzo, the popular R&B band Phil Clark & THE SOUL, as well as The Caribbean Jazz Quartet.
Dan Rowan (keyboards) is a pianist of great style, taste and sophistication. After being the house pianist at the Hyatt on Capitol Square for over fifteen years, he now freelances in and around the Columbus area.
Vernon Hairston has a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Composition from the Ohio State University where he studied with the late great world renowned Hank Marr. He also has a Bachelor of Music Education in Vocal Pedagogy from Ohio State University.
Vernon has produced recording projects and has recorded and toured with artists such as Grammy nominated The New King James Version, Keith Dobbins and Resurrection, Chris Byrd, Keith Harrison of The Time, and Cynthia Turner & Heartspeak. Vernon Hairston heads his own jazz band, The Vernon Hairston Trio and has worked with many Columbus area artists and musicians. For more information, check out his website at www.vernonhairston.com
Tia Harris Roseboro, better known as “Just Tia”, was raised in Columbus, and in her early twenties, she began singing professionally as the vocalist with an R&B group called Dark Star. Inspired to change her focus to jazz, Tia began receiving vocal coaching with Columbus Jazz legend, Michele Horsefield.
Tia has toured, recorded and appeared with many local groups and artists as an independent singer for over 25 years. She has sung on numerous occasions with The Stan Smith Band, The Jazz Professors, The Columbus Jazz Orchestra, and Steve Newby and Conversation Pieces from Indiana.
Her biggest accomplishment was performing internationally with The Columbus Jazz Orchestra in Spain and Denmark as their featured vocalist to the delight of audiences at every stop.
Visit Tia Roseboro on the Web at www.thrjazz.com
The Drowsy Lads exploded onto the Irish music scene in Ohio in 2006 and have become favorites at pubs, clubs, and festivals. Their intricate, yet molten-lava approach to Traditional Irish music has won over many fans.
Brothers Daniel McKewen (Uilleann pipes, guitar, bodhran) and John McKewen (bouzouki, tenor banjo, vocals) started the band with high school friend Bryan Brookes (flute, whistle, concertina). They added Josh Franck (button accordion, vocals, bodhran). Later, Josh’s dad Phil Franck (fiddle, bouzouki, 5-string banjo) joined the band.
The Drowsy Lads were featured artists at Lakeside Ohio’s Chautauqua two years in a row. They’ve played a number of Irish festivals, but their yearly favorite remains playing The Dublin Irish Festival. They’ve performed on stage with the likes of Dervish, SLIDE, John Whelan, and lead dancer of Riverdance Joe Moriarity.
The Strung Up bluegrass band is made up of six men that bring individual talents and musical perspectives to the stage. Together their sound is unique, traditional, energetic and soothing. Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs tunes are in their repertoire, but their arrangements are new and fresh. You might call some of their music “Blues-grass” after you give them a listen.
The band is led by Marty Leedy, a native of southwestern Virginia who brings a soulful and powerful vocal to the band. Marty travelled briefly with the Idletymes, and delivers emotional renditions of your favorite bluegrass and traditional country tunes.
Billy Ray Caines (banjo) is a multi-instrumentalist and has been playing music his whole life. He has toured with country legends Mel McDaniel and Waylon Jennings and his larger than life stage presence cannot go unnoticed.
John K. Victor (harmonica) is known around the region for his tasteful yet energy filled playing. John plays with several groups around central Ohio and his contribution to the sound of this band are great.
The youngest men in the band, brothers Kale Richardson (mandolin) and Bo Richardson (lead guitar) are individually, highly talented multi-instrumentalists and their tight sibling harmonies and strong lead singing rings clear.
Holding it all together is Daryn Steed (bass). His driving bass lines punctuate the delivery of the band’s many songs.
Kieran Kane is perhaps best known as one half of the acclaimed new traditionalist country duo the O’Kanes. In the late ’70s, he moved to Nashville, where he landed a writing contract, notching a pair of Top Ten country singles — “You’re the Best” and “It’s Who You Love”.
Teaming with writer Jamie O’Hara, he formed the O’Kanes in 1985, issuing three hit albums and scoring a half-dozen Top Ten singles before disbanding four years later. Kane resurfaced with a more austere, folk-influenced sound in 1993 with the solo effort Find My Way Home. Soon after, he formed the Nashville-based indie label Dead Reckoning with fellow singer/songwriters Kevin Welch, Tammy Rogers, and Harry Stinson. In 2002, Kane released the primarily acoustic Shadows on the Ground, a pared-down collection of plaintive, powerful, and heartbreaking songs dedicated to his son Lucas, who had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease. You Can’t Save Everybody (2004), Lost John Dean (2006), and Kane Welch Kaplin (2007) found Kane collaborating with Nashville crooner Kevin Welch and multi-instrumentalist Fats Kaplin on a series of spare, moody originals and covers, while 2009′s Somewhere Beyond the Roses was backed by a bass-less quartet held down by Lambchop’s Deanna Varagona.
In 2013 Kieran released a new CD with David Francey and Lucas Kane under the band name Go Jane Go. It was recorded live off the floor in the living room of a farm house outside of Melbourne, Australia. This record represents in many ways Kieran’s quest to present music in its simplest and most direct form
Kieran’s songs have been recorded by a number of major artists over the last 30 years, including John Prine, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Emmylou Harris, Alan Jackson, Tom Jones, Don Williams, and The Trio (Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris).
Jonathan “Juanito” Pascual is acclaimed as one of the top young flamenco guitarists on the international music scene. Born in Minneapolis, Juanito has won praise around the globe as a respected new voice in this most Spanish of musical genres. He is recognized in Spain as a unique and creative voice with mesmerizing virtuosity, warm and evocative playing, and original compositional style. He has been a featured artist in some of the best-known fine arts centers, clubs, and festivals in the United States, including the renowned Tanglewood Jazz Festival, New York’s 92nd St. Y, Blue Note Jazz Club, Boston’s Jordan Hall and Regattabar, and countless colleges and performing arts centers. He has also been featured on National Public Radio’s “The World” program, as well as countless television and radio programs.
Energized by a driving passion to share the beauty, and soul-stirring power of this ancient yet most vibrant and evolving musical style, Juanito brings the energy of hope and joy through his performances, recordings, and teaching. In 2003, Juanito completed his first album of all original flamenco compositions, Cosas en Común, to critical acclaim and frequent radio play in the U.S. and abroad. In the same year, Juanito collaborated on the Grammy-winning chamber opera Ainadamar by Osvoldo Golijov.
Since 2005, Juanito has been the director of the annual summer Flamenco Institute at the prestigious New England Conservatory in Boston. He made his on-screen debut with an appearance alongside Steve Martin and Andy Garcia in the 2009 Pink Panther 2 film. His latest album release, Language of the Heart, is the next step in his driving passion to share the beauty and soul-stirring power of this ancient yet most vibrant musical style.
The area’s premier professional songwriter showcase…in the city’s best listening room!… Hosted by award-winning songwriter, Eric Gnezda… Every 2nd and 4th Thursday.
Jasey Schnaars penned a top-ten country hit for the late Eddie Rabbitt, which went on to receive an ASCAP award for one of that year’s most-played songs. His songs have also been recorded by Lane Brody, the Washington Squares, and others. He played a series of performances in Australia last year. A Philadelphia native, Jasey’s been playing professionally since age 12, when the legendary Jim Croce once opened for him! www.facebook.com/jaseysmusic
Jared Mahone has been described as “a groove-driven, blue-eyed soul machine with gospel/folk/blues/rock undertones, all in the service of solid songwriting. From the soil of stale Midwestern city life grew a talent rich with soul. The rhythmic chemistry and intensely focused performance style …results in a spiritual, soulful, thoughtful, and danceable presentation.” (Brian Baker of citybeat.com) A witness to how honest music changes people’s lives, Jared believes that there is always value in the journey—and that truth is the one thing that’s worth finding. www.jaredmahone.com
Joey Hendrickson, making his first appearance at our showcase, is founder of Columbus Songwriters Association. A prolific songwriter, he has performed more than 500 shows in his young 23 years. He began his passion for music at age 8 by singing in the Columbus Children’s Choir, and learned guitar at 15. Joey self-produced an “organic” album called GROW in 2011. This 5 song EP features live renditions of original songs in the Chicago subways, but most of the tracks were recorded through an iPhone. GROW received thousands of downloads, with proceeds raising significant support for homeless youth in Columbus. joeyhendrickson.com
Host Eric Gnezda tours nationally as a singer-songwriter and keynote speaker. He is a regular Writers Night performer at Nashville’s Bluebird Café, and a recipient of the Ohioana Citation for Music Composition. His media credits include NPR, ESPN and “Entertainment Tonight.” His most recent CD is Songs of Hope in a Changing World. www.gnezda.com
Songwriters: If you’re interested in being considered for Songwriters Showcase, please visit the “About” link on our Facebook Page for more information.
Rooted in the traditions of early country music, bluegrass and honky-tonk, ShoeFly fills the stage with duets, trios and quartets accompanied on banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar & bass.
Rick Good was a founding member of the Hotmud Family, a twenty-four year veteran of Rhythm in Shoes and a 2010 Ohio Heritage Fellow recipient. He is recognized and respected for his driving banjo, heartfelt singing and crafty songwriting. Sharon Leahy toured with the Green Grass Cloggers, worked as a dancer in New York City and directed Rhythm in Shoes for twenty-four years. An award-winning choreographer, her love and understanding of old time dance and music is clearly seen and heard through her high energy dancing and compelling vocal style. Paul Kovac is well known in the bluegrass and old time music scene for his expert guitar, banjo and mandolin playing, as well as his strong, soulful singing. A member of several bands over the last thirty years, Paul has played with Clear Fork, Hillbilly IDOL, and the Critton Hollow String Band. Ben Cooper toured with Rhythm in Shoes from 1997 to 2010. Adept on guitar and fiddle, as well as bass, Ben also plays with his old time bands, the Ohio Corndaddys, the Buvas and Sawgrass.
David Grier is regarded as one of the premier acoustic guitarists in the world, along with his early influences, Doc Watson, Tony Rice, and family friend Clarence White.
Recognized by Acoustic Guitar Magazine in 2000 as one of the Artists of the Decade, and named Guitar Player of the Year three times by the International Bluegrass Music Association, Grier has played on four Grammy Award-winning albums (True Life Blues: A Tribute to Bill Monroe; The Great Dobro Sessions; Alison Brown’s Fairweather; and Amazing Grace 2: A Country Salute to Gospel).
Having released four albums on Rounder, beginning in 1988 with Freewheeling, Grier launched his own label, Dreadnought Recordings, with the 1998 debut release, Hootenanny, with Dirk Powell and Tim O’Brien (“endlessly inventive and tasteful” – All Music Guide). His most recent release, Evocative (Dreadnought 2009), featuring 10 original tunes and a rich complement of collaborators (Victor Wooten, Paul Franklin, Stuart Duncan and more), has been hailed for its “deep musical introspection” as well as its “unmatchable mastery of the guitar” (Martin Mull).
Adam Schlenker is a flat pick guitarist from southern West Virginia who is currently based in Columbus Ohio. In addition to teaching full time, he works as a guitar and mandolin player for regional touring acts as well as doing session work. He has been featured in Flatpicking Guitar Magazine and is working with an ever expanding number of flat pick students around the world.
In late 2012, Adam released the acclaimed album Family Tree, a collection of his arrangements as well as a handful of original songs.
Acclaimed multi-instrumentalists John Sherman and Randy Clepper are highly regarded performers of Irish traditional music on guitar, bouzouki, and tenor banjo.
John Sherman has been a performer of traditional and Celtic music for the last two decades. While he has played a variety of instruments, he is first and foremost a guitarist, and has arranged over a hundred Irish and Scottish melodies for the instrument. His two solo recordings, “Farewell to the Creeks” and “So Inclined” have received critical acclaim in musical magazines Sing Out!, Dirty Linen and Acoustic Guitar, and have garnered airplay across the U.S. and Canada, and Ireland. As an accompanist and opening act, John has performed with the Tannahill Weavers, Phil Cunningham and John Renbourn, with uilleann piper Todd Denman, and as a regular accompanying guitarist for folk singer/songwriter Tom Paxton.
Multi-instrumentalist Randy Clepper is an accomplished player of Irish and other traditional music on Irish bouzouki, fingerstyle acoustic guitar, tenor banjo and hammer dulcimer. Equally adept at all of these, his playing has been described as “magnificent”, “strong and confident” (Dulcimer Player’s News) – “a Celtic guru” (Wood ‘N Strings). Randy has released an acclaimed solo instrumental album of traditional Irish music, “Within a Mile”, a CD “Hammer On!” with the band of the same name, and has appeared as a guest performer on Dan Landrum’s “Winter Mix” CD.
Singer and fiddle player (and Randy’s daughter) Gina Clepper joins the ensemble, and has performed with them at the Dublin Irish Festival and other events in the Central Ohio area.
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Nova Madrugada is a five-piece ensemble which marries Brazilian music with bop, post-bop and jazz-fusion, and uses original compositions and a common language developed over many years as a freshly-prepared canvas. Given the drop-dead gorgeous melodies of Brazilian composers such as Antonio Carlos Jobim and Moacir Santos, it should come as no surprise that the Portuguese language spoken in Brazil is itself poetic. Both the language and melodies of Brazil are inspiration for the quintet Nova Madrugada. The group’s name, pronounced “Mah-dru-GAH-da “is a Portuguese word that expresses the lyrical transformation of darkness into dawn – a state of change like the one the band imposes on its approach to live performance.
A couple of the tunes on their recently released debut CD (available at the show for $10) were developed by bassist Roger Hines and guitarist Stan Smith over their 20 year musical history, yet the majority were recently composed with Madrugada, giving a unique approach to each selection. On a deeper level, according to Smith, “madrugada” describes the whole process starting with the sky changing colors, birds chirping, followed by citysounds. It’s the same each day, yet it’s different each new day.
Anne E. DeChant first caught the attention of music fans as the charismatic front woman of Odd Girl Out, showcasing her astute, socially aware songs. Following the band’s breakup, she went on to a busy solo career, producing six CDs, including her rock-oriented debut, “Effort of the Spin”, the introspective “Something of the Soul”, intimate storytellers CD, “Live, An Evening with Anne E. DeChant” the sparkling, tuneful “Pop the Star”, produced by Don Dixon (R.E.M., Hootie and the Blowfish, The Counting Crows, Marshall Crenshaw, Mary Chapin Carpenter). Her 5th recording, “Girls and Airplanes” was released in 2007 and her latest, “Swing”, came out in November 2011.
Anne is a 5-time winner of Cleveland’s Best Singer Songwriter award (Cleveland’s Scene Magazine), and 2007 inductee into The Cleveland Free Times Magazine’s All Star Musician Category.
She has performed at Lilith Fair, The White House, The Bluebird Cafe, opened for Nora Jones, Stevie Nicks, Joan Jett, Train, Vonda Shepard, 10,000 Maniacs, and Guster, to name a few. She’s done countless radio and television performances, and logged hundreds of club dates.
DeChant is a standout delivering brilliant performances from her long list of poignant, melodic songs. Anne’s format stretches from solo/acoustic, acoustic duo and trio to full band performances. Each one is a unique experience offering her audience and venues a performance tailor made. She is a storyteller, creating characters as diverse as the landscapes in which she paints them. Anne currently is based out of Nashville.
Share a mad evening at Natalie’s while helping to support the Rafiki School, an Aids Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya, where Jesse Henry has helped to develop a music program.
Before the music begins, celebrate a “World Gone Mad” with a sampling of New Holland beers. Every June, New Holland Brewing Company puts out special anniversary beers, and this is a chance to celebrate with them while also supporting the Rafiki School of Music.
The first 70 tickets will include a sampling and “guided tour” of four different New Holland Beers starting at 9 PM by a representative from New Holland Brewing Company, plus a special concert with Jesse and Friends starting at 10 PM. 100% of the ticket proceeds will go to the Rafiki School. BUT, THERE IS ONE CATCH. Everybody is expected to wear a hat..any hat..the best hat..because New Holland Brewing is bringing swag for the maddest hat!
Choose from 6 different IPA hybrid forms:
- Mad Hatter IPA, New Holland’s classic flagship brew
- White Hatter, New Holland’s NEW spring/summer seasonal a Belgian-white style pale ale
- Oak-Aged Hatter, an IPA aged in bourbon barrels!)
- Black Hatter, Black IPA
- Farmhouse Hatter, an IPA with a farmhouse yeast that is maddeningly delicious
- Rye Hatter, a twist on the Mad Hatter that uses rye malts to convey a delicious spicy malt character while still enjoying a distinct hoppy finish.
Jesse Henry is a prolific songwriter and musician versatile enough to excel in multiple genres. A soulful singer, he writes songs with spirit, humor, and storytelling elements, often with a down-and-dirty blues feel. For the past decade, he’s played countless concerts with the Spikedrivers, who merge country, blues and rock; Royal Tycoons, a jazz and soul band; and The Field Dogs, an acoustic Americana group. Also an accomplished solo act, he is working on three recording projects. He brings his electrifying stage presence and musicianship wherever he roams.
This year, he will be returning to the Rafiki School to bring instruments and share his gift of music. ” I am imagining just what they will create from learning music, what songs will they play, what will they write, how much will their community benefit from their involvement with this art form?” – Jesse Henry
Mo’ Mojo is a hard driving, high energy, Zydeco-based “Pardi-Gras” Band. They take Zydeco and Cajun music and infuse it with Americana, reggae, rock & roll, funk, R&B, and African and Latin rhythms. The female fronted group features three-part harmonies, accordion, fiddle, guitar, rubboard, sax, trumpet, harp, bass, percussion, and drums. Songs are sung in English and French.
The band has played at a wide variety of Festivals, dances, and venues over the past few years, including the W.C. Handy Blues Fest, The Akron Civic Theater, The Kent State Folk Festival, the Put-In-Bay Concert Series, and many others.
Mo’ Mojo has 7 members, many of whom are multi-instrumentalists. They are Jen Maurer (vocals, diatonic accordion, guitar), Davidione Pearl (vocals, percussion, sax, rubboard), Leigh Ann Wise (vocals, rubboard, trumpet, percussion), Anthony Papaleo (fiddle, guitar), Joe Golden (guitar, talk box), Darren Thompson (bass), and Rod Lubline (drums). Also traveling with the band is manager/roadie/driver/ Sam Rettman (harmonica, sax).
Mo’ Mojo’s new album, Together in Love We Drown, was released in August, 2012, and the songs showcase the versatility of instrumentation and style and draw from Zydeco, blues, Cajun, and rock. Their debut album, “Finally!” stays true to their live sound, and the songs are mostly Zydeco, but also include Cajun, Americana; rock & roll, alt-country, and funk elements that are indicative of its jam style.
Since 1995, New Basics has serving up their own brand of sousaphone-powered party music at clubs, festivals and private events. Their latest studio recording is a crowd-funded CD focusing on their youngest fans- kids. The result is a fun, funky collection of old and new favorites called, Ditties For Kiddies. NBBB and Natalie’s Coal Fired Pizza team up to celebrate the release of the project with a special kid-friendly matinee program of material from Ditties For Kiddies. Reserve your tickets now for either of two back-to-back shows at 11 am and 1:00 pm.
Doors: 10:30 AM / Show: 11:00 AM
(Kids 2 and under are free)
Since 1995, New Basics has serving up their own brand of sousaphone-powered party music at clubs, festivals and private events. Their latest studio recording is a crowd-funded CD focusing on their youngest fans- kids. The result is a fun, funky collection of old and new favorites called, Ditties For Kiddies. NBBB and Natalie’s Coal Fired Pizza team up to celebrate the release of the project with a special kid-friendly matinee program of material from Ditties For Kiddies. Reserve your tickets now for either of two back-to-back shows at 11 am and 1:00 pm.
Doors: 12:30 PM / Show: 1:00 PM
(Kids 2 and under are free)
Picture a traditional bluegrass ensemble pickin’ away in the moonlight. Instead of boys from the mountains of Virginia, picture a band of gypsies from all walks of musical life. Fox N Hounds keeps the laments and ballads of Bluegrass music, but also brings a lively addition. It’s Bluegrass music of the now. Songs from the hills and from the city– full of excitement and adventure, love and despair, and even unhealthy appetites. The fall of 2009 marked the release of their self-titled EP, and they look forward to the release of their first full length studio album. Fox N Hounds has spread its sound across the states to the ears of listeners eager for a new twist to bluegrass music.
The Fox N Hounds are:
STEVEN FOX lead vocals, upright bass
Known for his prowess on the upright bass, this classically trained musician sets the bass on fire with his acrobatic bow work. His powerful bass thumping pushes the ensemble into progressive sonic boundaries. Fox also showcases his sideburn-curling singing and songwriting skills.
ADAM SCHLENKER lead acoustic guitar
Once a staple of the blues scene spanning the country, Schlenker found his way home to the music he grew up with. To watch Schlenker’s fingers while he plays his lightning-fast licks is like watching a river flow over fallen trees.
AARON SNYDER rhythm guitar, vocals
Aaron’s sweet crooning and rhythm guitar playing provide the sonic foundation of the FNH.
Caleb Powers banjo, mandolin, vocals
A mulit-instrumetalist who has been playing old-time music since he was a pup, Caleb’s clawhammer banjo and mandolin styling add authentic twang to FNH.
Noah Shull and Steve Frye are the early Americana, Country Blues duo Front Porch Revival. Steve has seen and done just about everything a man can see and do in one lifetime, and he’s boiled all that experience down to an incredibly insightful and rhythmic blend of New Orleans/Mississippi Delta soul and funky washboard rhythm. Noah has been playing Blues music professionally for 20 years, and has been blessed enough to have studied personally with some of Americana Music’s finest musicians, including Jorma Kaukonen, G.E. Smith, Jimi Vincent, and Chuck Day. Teamed together, Noah and Steve bring a unique blend of incredibly moving and beautiful blues music, and a wealth of knowledge of the American blues music catalog.
As an acoustic blues duo, Shari Kane and Dave Steele throw a four handed guitar party of original and time-honored blues, gospel, swing and ragtime. Steeped in Dave’s smoky vocals, percussive rhythm and innovative lead lines, Shari’s crisp picking style, rootsy leads, and stinging slidework, their music has been described as “street swing and stomp blues,” – like a testament to sounds once heard on the streets of Harlem, the juke joints of Mississippi, or from the jug bands of Memphis.
The Adrienne Hindmarsh quartet is an amazing amalgamation of musicians from around the world, performing a selection of music from blues to swinging bebop. The quartet is a unique instrumentation of vocals/Hammond B3, guitar, saxophone and drums, you can expect a night of soulful energetic music that will uplift and inspire.
A native of New Zealand, Adrienne moved to Columbus Ohio in late 2008 to study with some of the great organists that reside in Ohio. After spending a year in Ohio and performing at jazz clubs and festivals around the Midwest, she relocated to New York, where she currently performs extensively around the city, including hosting a weekly jam session in Harlem.
Adrienne is teamed up with her husband Josh, a premier guitarist who brings a style of playing that is both rootsy and invigorating. One of the finest guitarists New Zealand has produced, Josh has performed with many jazz greats, including Joe Beck, Bruce Forman, Joey DeFrancesco, Mike Nock and Ronnie Cuber.
Adrienne and Josh will be supported by outstanding area musicians Jim Rupp (Drums) and Pete Mills (Saxophone). Don’t miss a rare opportunity to hear this great band.
The songwriting engines of The Floorwalkers!… Solo, but together…
Benjamin Meinhold started playing piano at seven. Six years later, he took up the bass guitar and guitar. He met Kerry through their mutually shared guitar instructor. They soon enlisted Jonathan Elliott to be the voice of the group that would become The Floorwalkers.
Kerry Henderson. Like Ben and Jon, Kerry grew up in Chardon. He took up guitar at the age of 12. Kerry started attending OSU in 2004. Ben and Jon followed him to Columbus. Moving into a house together, they started making waves in the Columbus music scene and beyond.
Jonathan Elliott is the son of a voice teacher and grew up performing. He starred in plays, show choirs and the hottest young local band in Chardon. At 15, he joined Ben and Kerry, putting on shows all around the Cleveland area for three years. In addition to The Floorwalkers, Jon croons with The Columbus Jazz Orchestra.
Host Eric Gnezda tours nationally as a singer-songwriter and keynote speaker. He is a regular Writers Night performer at Nashville’s Bluebird Café, and a recipient of the Ohioana Citation for Music Composition. His media credits include NPR, ESPN and “Entertainment Tonight.” His most recent CD is Songs of Hope in a Changing World. www.gnezda.com
Songwriters: If you’re interested in being considered for Songwriters Showcase, please visit the “About” link on our Facebook Page for more information.
Canta BRASIL is a 7-piece ensemble with a very unique group of talented musicians and singers that all have a passion for the Brazilian jazz fusion sounds. This group performs popular tunes by famous Brazilian composers such as Djavan, Chico Pinheiro, Ivan Lins, Egberto Gismonte and also performs American style compositions such as George Duke, Brazilian Love Affair and Chick Corea 500 Miles High. Danny Aguiar, native Brazilian drummer and founder of Canta BRASIL, moved to Columbus in 2004 and quickly started to perform with some of the best musicians in town. He started working on his own CD entitled “Fim Do Ciclo”, meaning “End of Cycle” which was released spring of 2012. Canta BRASIL is made up of Danny Aguiar, Erik Augis, Stan Smith, Brett Allen, Jeff Bass, Kris Keith, and Tia Harris-Roseboro.
The Kells play traditional Irish music with a genuine passion and a sincere sense of purpose. They pour their hearts into playing lively jigs, spirited reels and haunting airs with songs that reach deep into the moral and emotional part of man’s nature. Instruments such as the Irish uilleann, pipes, tin, whistle and flute provide the brilliant melodies, while the guitar and traditional Irish bodhran provide intricate layering, heart-beat and drive.
Members of this outstanding band include Brian McCoy (flutes, whistles, pipes), Doug Rudy (mandolin, banjo, fiddle, vocals), and Kim Rattan (vocals, guitar, mandolin).
Experience a rich variety of musical styles in the songs of R.U. Bound, a local trio known for both its original compositions and commitment to traditional American roots music. From Bluegrass to Blues, Old-Time to Swing, this trio creates a sound that is old and new, traditional and innovative.
Gary Puckett’s melodic banjo style and Travis-like guitar compositions are the heart of this trio’s repertoire. Gary’s visually-inspiring music sparks creative contributions from his fellow band mates.
At the bottom of the instrumental sound is Jim Saltz on bass. Jim, a vocalist in the group, brings fresh interpretations to bluegrass standards, swing numbers and tunes from earlier eras.
Rounding out the trio is guitarist Adam Schlenker. Adam has been featured in Flat Picking Guitar Magazine and is one of the most exciting and distinctive, up-and-coming flat-picking guitarists in the acoustic music world. He is the creator of 5th Fret Productions, an online instructional resource used by flat pickers around the globe.
This local trio combines an array of sounds, images and stories into a unique listening experience.
Sirens is formed around the duo of Kay Harris and Molly Pauken, two of Ohio’s most sought after studio and live-performance musicians. Sirens music is all about the unique melody, the expression through lyric & voice and the texture of acoustic guitar & bass coming together to create unique but timeless pop songs. Their original compositions range stylistically from pop to acoustic rock to blues to funk to folk to create Sirens’ own unique sound.
Joining Kay and Molly are Pete Cary on guitar, bass and vocals, and multi-instrumentalist Craig Markley (sitting in for drummer Jeff Peters) on accordion, tin whistle, and keyboards.
Kay Harris has been an integral part of the Central Ohio music scene for a number of years. As a vocalist and songwriter for most of her life, she has been involved with numerous albums and also has provided lead and backup vocals for over seventy local and national jingles. Having performed throughout the U.S., she is one of the region’s most powerful, enduring vocalists and songwriters
Multi-instrumentalist Molly Pauken has played bass, guitar, drums and mandolin in a number of Columbus-based bands, covering a wide range of musical styles. On tour with Rodney Crowell, Molly returns home to Columbus as often as possible to perform with the area’s elite. As a top-demand session musician, Molly can be heard on hundreds of CD and demo projects.
Eric Taylor is a sage musician, a lyrical genius and a master of the guitar. If you’re familiar with the intricate Texas singer/ songwriter jigsaw puzzle, you’ve heard his songs performed by people such as Nanci Griffith and Lyle Lovett. He has created a multitude of fans and devotees that are legends themselves in the singer/songwriter realm, artists who have long considered Taylor to be a teacher and a lantern bearer whose time is long overdue.
Taylor learned intricate blues guitar stylings from music legends Lightnin’ Hopkins, Mance Lipscomb and Mississippi Fred McDowell, and developed his own unique guitar picking style that would be imitated by many of his contemporaries from the early Houston days, such as Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Robert Earl Keen, Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, and Nanci Griffith.
Taylor has headlined the prestigious Newport Folk Festival, played National Public Radio’s “Mountain Stage” and has appeared on “David Letterman” with Nanci Griffith, and “Austin City Limits” with Lyle Lovett, Guy Clark, and Robert Earl Keen.
“To say that Eric Taylor is one of the finest writers of our time, would be an understatement,” Nanci Griffith says. “If you miss an opportunity to hear Eric Taylor, you have missed a chance to hear a voice I consider the William Faulkner of songwriting in our current time.”
After a busy few years that found her nabbing a Peabody Award (for her narration of the documentary “Whole Lotta Shakin”) and a multimedia Janis Martin Tribute that she created and performed at the Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame, Rosie Flores is half way into a brand spanking new CD, Working Girls Guitar.
Flores took flight in Southern California, and has been a major figure in the Los Angeles, Austin and Nashville music scenes – as well as in Europe and Japan. She has received critical raves from prestigious publications such as the Los Angeles Times and Guitar Player magazine, received an LA Weekly Music Award for Best Rockabilly Swing Artist, and was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 2007.
Signing with Warner’s Reprise subsidiary in 1987 as a solo artist was her first major break. Her first album yielded three singles, and “Crying Over You,” earned Flores her first Billboard chart appearance. She was also the first female Latina country artist to ever enter the Billboard country charts.
Yet it was 1995′s Rockabilly Filly that received the most attention, because it reintroduced rockabilly pioneers Wanda Jackson and Janis Martin to audiences worldwide through their duets with Rosie and a successful 1995 tour with Jackson. Moreover, Flores’s self-penned “You Tear Me Up” is arguably the best performance by a contemporary female rockabilly artist.
Rosie’s solo recordings have found homes on both the Billboard and Gavin charts and are featured in seven motion pictures. Her revved-up performances from California to New York have won legions of fans and earned appearances on such nationally broadcast television programs as “Austin City Limits” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” She is currently appearing in the documentaries Every Night is Saturday Night: The Story of Wanda Jackson and Sweet Lady with the Nasty Voice.
With a new tour, new CD under way and trails of shiny accolades around her, Rosie Flores is taking on the future one swell wave at a time.
Samantha Crain’s songwriting has almost certainly been influenced by the great story-songwriters of Texas and farther west, like Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and even Woody Guthrie. Borne of the newly, interestingly vibrant Oklahoma music scene, Crain’s fans may be interested in some of her peers from around that state’s capital – the Flaming Lips, JD McPherson, John Fullbright, John Calvin, and Parker Millsap spring to mind. Though she still lives in Oklahoma, there’s a certain gritty quality to Crain’s music which could fit well in the music of scenes like Seattle and Brooklyn. Fans of the Head and the Heart, the Cave Singers, and Brooklyn’s Sweetback Sisters would appreciate Crain’s take on modern folk and Americana music.
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Greg Trooper is a singer/songwriter who has released 11 albums since 1986. Raised in the shore town of Little Silver, NJ he became enthralled by the greater New York area’s rich music scene. He discovered a sort of holy musical trinity in the work of Otis Redding, Bob Dylan, and Hank Williams, with their guiding lights of passion, literary dexterity and plainspoken honesty. It’s one reason Trooper’s music feels equally informed by Memphis soul, Greenwich Village folk and Nashville twang.
Trooper has made an impact on the music scenes in all the places he’s lived since leaving home after high school: Austin, Texas, Lawrence, Kansas, Nashville and New York. Music critics praise his poetic feel, infectious melodies and insightful lyrics. Americana star Buddy Miller produced 1998’s ‘Popular Demons’ album, while soul legend Dan Penn steered 2005’s extraordinary ‘Make It Through This World’.
His songs have been recorded by numerous artists including: Vince Gill, Steve Earle, Billy Bragg, Robert Earl Keen, Maura O’Connell, Lucy Kaplansky and Tom Russell.
Jeannie Burns and Andrew Hardin combined their amazing skills to create a duo simply known as “Hardin Burns”. They worked hard to bring bluesy folk-rock vocals, and fierce country blues guitar to their new CD that features 9 new songs, written and produced by Jeannie and Andrew, and 1 great cover of George Harrison’s “ Beware of Darkness”.
One of the most anticipated aspects of the new duo was hearing a whole new side from both of them! Jeannie, with her beautiful bluesy voice, and at the same time showcasing her great guitar skills. Andrew has that rockin’ country bluesy guitar we know and love, and also shows us his vocal skills on back-up, as well as some lead vocals.
Jeannie Burns (1/3 of the Ithaca, NY – based trio “The Burns Sisters”) has been
traveling all over the country playing music with her sisters. She sang back-up vocals on two Arlo Guthrie tours, and played at many folk festivals such as “The Woody Guthrie Festival”, “The Philly Folk Festival” and “The Winnipeg Folk Festival” just to name a few.
Andrew Hardin had been Tom Russell’s right hand man for over twenty years. He toured, recorded and co-produced many of Tom’s CD’s. Hardin has also performed over the years with artists such as Dave Alvin, Ian Tyson, Katy Moffatt, Nanci Griffith, Eliza Gilkyson, and Ray Wylie Hubbard. He released his own album in 2005 titled “Blue Acoustic”, which is a fantastic collection of instrumental acoustic guitar titles. Andrew’s guitar has dazzled audiences for many years.
Americana singer/songwriter Kevin Welch left his Oklahoma home at age 17 to pursue a life in music, settling in Nashville in 1978 after years of traveling. He soon signed on as a staff writer at Sony/Tree, over the decade to follow authoring songs for artists including Waylon Jennings, Roger Miller, Trisha Yearwood, Ricky Skaggs, and the Highwaymen;
Welch’s self-titled solo debut appeared on Warner/Reprise in 1990, followed two years later by the acclaimed Western Beat. In 1995, he teamed with fellow Nashville renegades Kieran Kane, Tammy Rogers, and Harry Stinson to form his own independent label, Dead Reckoning. Welch’s first album for the label, Life Down Here on Earth, followed soon after, and in 1999 he returned with Beneath My Wheels. You Can’t Save Everybody (2004), Lost John Dean (2006), and Kane Welch Kaplin (2007) found Welch collaborating with Kieran Kane and multi-instrumentalist Fats Kaplin on a series of spare, moody originals and covers,
Kevin now resides in a log cabin in some woods outside of Austin, Texas, and is getting ready to hit the road behind a brand new record called “A Patch Of Blue Sky”.
