The Blackberry Bushes: Concert and Live Webcast
Tickets: $9 advance, $12 at the door.
Click here to purchase advance tickets.
The Blackberry Bushes are a Sister Sirens Alt-Folk Stringband from the rain-drenched forests of Olympia, Washington. They take a bluegrass instrumentation, draw from the deep roots of American folk music and add influences from Bluegrass, Appalachian old-time, Indie Rock, jazz, and pop. Virtuosic musicianship, compelling arrangements, quick wit, flying tempos, and heavy heel boot dancing are all elements of a live show that is joyous and vibrant with an intention to move the audience in their hearts and out of their seats. The poetic delivery of hypnotizing vocal harmonies and fresh songwriting sets The Blackberry Bushes Stringband apart. Acoustic Americana lovers are continually surprised and delighted by this new bouquet of players on the festival stage.
“Their blend of traditional Bluegrass and Folk elements with more contemporary sounds has an appeal not seen since Nickel Creek or The Be Good Tanyas.” (Joseph Kyle The Big Takeover)
The Bushes’ debut studio album, “Little Bit of Grace” released in 2010, spent more than 6 weeks on the Roots Radio Report International Bluegrass Chart for Independent Radio, topping out at #19, and was one of the only self released albums to appear on that chart during that time. KVMR Nevada City DJ Che Greenwood had this to say about it: “I’m enchanted! Harmony as sweet as Uncle Earl, and destined for my top 5 albums of the year”.
Jes Raymond first started singing in a church children’s choir in her hometown of White River Junction, Vermont. She played the trumpet in her high school marching band, and yes, she went to band camp. Her parents were avid bluegrass fans, but it was in North Carolina where she was a music major at UNC that she found her own love for the “mountain sound”. She picked up a used guitar, and has followed it wherever it has led. She is the recipient of the Jackstraw Productions Recording Award and the Seattle City Artist Award.
Kendl Winter comes from Central Arkansas. Both of her parents are professional musicians; her mother plays the cello; her father plays the trombone. Her own musical passion arose with the underground punk scene in Arkansas, and she followed that connection to Olympia, WA, which has long been a center for punk and alternative music. She is a recording artist on Olympia’s Indie label: K Records. Kendl began playing the banjo almost the same week that she met Jes. The Blackberry Bushes was born and became a canvas for their experimentations and learning.
Jakob Breitbach first learned to play the fiddle when he was 3 years old with a paperback copy of “The Hobbit” and a wooden spoon. When he was eight years old he was called on stage to play with the grandfather of bluegrass, Bill Monroe. He earned his degree in Jazz Violin from Cornish College of the Arts and continues to study with his mentor Paul Anastasio. He has toured with The Asylum Street Spankers out of Austin, TX, and in an orchestra with Yo-Yo Ma.
Bill Evans’ Banjo in America
Tickets: $15 advance, $18 at the door.
Click here to purchase advance tickets.
Bill Evans is an internationally known five-string banjo life force. As a performer, teacher, writer, scholar and composer, he brings a deep knowledge, intense virtuosity and contagious passion to all things banjo, with thousands of music fans and banjo students from all over the world in a career that spans over thirty-five years.
Tracing the banjo from its West African roots to the New World, Evans performs musical examples from the 1700’s to the present day on a variety of vintage instruments, ranging from an African ekonting to a mid-19th century minstrel banjo, a modern bluegrass banjo and even an electric banjo. From an 18th century African dance tune to the music of the Civil War, and from early 20th century ragtime to folk and bluegrass banjo styles to Bill’s own incredible original music, Bill’s performances illuminate as well as entertain, exposing audiences to over 200 years of American music.
Bill is the author of Banjo For Dummies, the most popular banjo book in the world and has been a Banjo Newsletter columnist for over fifteen years. He has performed with acoustic luminaries David Grisman, Peter Rowan, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Tony Trischka and Maria Muldaur, among many others. His recordings Native and Fine and Bill Evans Plays Banjo highlight innovative compositions which blend jazz, classical, folk and world music influences. His 2012 CD In Good Company features over 26 musicians, including the Infamous Stringdusters, Tim O’Brien, and Joy Kills Sorrow.
Evans has presented The Banjo In America at Kobe Shoin Women’s University, Kobe, Japan; the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH; Carleton College, Northfield, MN; Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA; Clarion Music Center, San Francisco, CA; Border Folk Festival, El Paso, TX; Columbia Gorge Mixed Bag Music Festival, Stevenson, WA; the Maryland Banjo Academy, Buckeystown, MD; South Plains College, Levelland, TX; the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, Gettysburg, PA; the Mid-Winter Bluegrass Festival, Denver, CO and Wintergrass, Tacoma, WA. The Banjo in America was developed with the support of a grant from the Kentucky Humanities Council.
Bill has a Master’s Degree in Music from the University of California, Berkeley with a specialization in American music history and he has been a scholar/artist in residence at many universities across the United States. He has served as a consultant to the National Endowment for the Arts and is the former Associate Director of the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owenboro, Kentucky.
You can learn more about Bill by visiting www.billevansbanjo.com. Watch video performances from The Banjo in America by linking to Bill’s YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/BillEvansBanjo.
Coty Hogue
Tickets: $12 advance, $16 at the door.
Click here to purchase advance tickets.
Coty Hogue‘s got something different in her. Maybe it’s from growing up in a Montana town several orders of magnitude below “small;” maybe it comes from immersing herself in a folk music tradition that extends back for centuries. Whatever it is, you’d be hard-pressed to put your finger on it.
But when Coty picks up her banjo and lets her voice out, there it is. You’d think she’s a pretty young gal, but her voice gives her away when she sings those fine old Appalachian songs. That voice, pitched low and steady, keeps raising chills. Then she’ll apologize for playing too many sad songs in a row and launch into a fast-picking barnburner. Frequently accompanied by Aaron Guest (12-string guitar) and Kat Bula (fiddle), Coty’s song selection runs the gamut of American roots music- a little blues, a pinch of swing, a spoonful of classic Opry.
Coty grew up with horses and big sky in Philipsburg, Montana- population just over 900. She left in the early half of the decade for an education in Bellingham, Washington. That sweet, subdued little city- long known for its thriving roots music community- became home. Over the next few years, Coty played all over town, traded songs with anyone she could find, and learned how to play any stringed instrument she could get her hands on.
In 2009, Coty packed up her bags and headed east to Boone, North Carolina, where she received Masters in Appalachian Studies. Along the way, she recorded an album, Going to the West, with frequent collaborator Aaron Guest; toured the West Coast; performed at the 2010 International Folk Alliance Conference, the Subdued Stringband Jamboree, and Seattle’s historic Folklife Festival; and in 2011, will have her music featured in the independent film, Neon Sky.
If you get the chance to see Coty Hogue, don’t miss it. It’s a rare sort of performer who will keep you transfixed through several full sets of music. She’ll burnish out-of-the-way gems and set them on fire again with her skilled interpretation. She’ll sneak in tunes of her own composing that you’ll swear you’ve heard before.
She’s got the simple elegance and understated mastery of her craft that distinguishes much more established players, and it is this- a young voice flavored with the tannins of an old soul- that quietly sets her apart.
Paul Silveria (Professor Banjo)
Tickets: $10 advance, $12 at the door.
Click here to purchase advance tickets.
Join Paul Silveria, also known as Professor Banjo, for this special family-friendly event! Paul Silveria is familiar to the Seattle old-time and bluegrass crowd, as a square dance caller often featured at the Tractor Tavern with Seattle favorites, the Tallboys. But many also know him as Professor Banjo – a banjo-slinging, old-time singing performer whose sing-a-longs, dancing games, and stories, get the kids involved and who’s skillful banjo playing and wry sense of humor entertain the parents as well.
On March 13th Paul will capture one of his unique live shows at the Empty Sea Studios. Parents can expect to see their kids jump up and down, shout out suggestions, act like animals, sing along, and dance around with fake beards on – yup, fake beards. Professor Banjo’s shows are always a great time, and this show is a special opportunity to be part of the fun!
Evie Ladin w/ Squirrel Butter
Tickets: $13 advance, $15 door
Click here to purchase tickets.
Evie Ladin is a banjo player, step-dancer, singer, songwriter and square-dance caller with a lifetime of experience in traditional American cultural arts. She grew up in a trad folk scene up and down the Eastern Seaboard of the US, travels the world, and calls the rich arts scene in Oakland, California home. The new project, the Evie Ladin Band, debuts her original songs in an expansive stringband led by gutsy clawhammer banjo and rich vocals. A natural performer, Evie loves rolling the music, dance and stories up in one dynamic package, with one foot rooted in traditional forms, and one foot striding on ahead. With Dina Maccabee – violin (Real Vocal String Quartet, Japonize Elephants) Erik Pearson - guitar, Dobro (Crooked Jades, Mushroom), and Keith Terry – bass & percussion (Slammin, Crosspulse).
With The Stairwell Sisters, all-gal old-time teardown, Evie performs traditional and original material on clawhammer banjo, vocals, clogging and hambone. With Keith Terry & Crosspulse, she performs rhythm-based multi-cultural music & dance works, bringing her Appalachian skills to collaborations with a variety of other cultural arts, including other styles with roots in the African Diaspora. Evie calls rowdy community square dances, performs for extremely diverse populations of school-kids, tears it up at clubs and festivals, and slogs away in the office, keeping all the plates spinning.
Very excited to see Float Downstream break free, Evie is writing songs for the next record, choreographing rhythm dance, working on a book for banjo called “Making the Leap” and playing swing chords on the guitar. She teaches banjo, singing and dance at home in Oakland when you can find her there, or on Skype!
Appearing with Evie Ladin is Squirrel Butter, the duo of Charlie Beck and Charmaine Li-Lei Slaven. Charlie and Charmaine began performing together in 2005 after meeting at the Portland Old Time Gathering and discovering that they lived merely blocks away from each other in Seattle. The pair began busking, and soon realized that their individual styles, sense of rhythm, and tendency towards the quirky and obscure blended well together. It wasn’t long before they began performing at venues off the street.
Charlie Beck, hailing from Indianapolis, Indiana, is a highly accomplished musician. His mastery of guitar and banjo come from years of consistent study. He is well versed in jazz and swing, is an avid enthusiast of old American blues and string band music. His repertoire includes a bushel of traditional folk tunes along with many jazz numbers. A talented songwriter, Charlie’s original compositions combine modern approaches with traditional styles, giving his songs a unique sound. Charlie is an outstanding vocalist, and also plays brilliantly on fiddle.
Charmaine “Lady Li-Lei” Slaven, from Stevensville, Montana, is a gifted dancer, and her skill at traditional percussive buckdancing is phenomenal. She is also an adept rhythm guitarist, ukulele player, and vocalist. Her clear, strong singing style is reminiscent of the Carter family. She brings a fine repertoire of traditional ballads to the duet, along with several of her original works.
Viper Central w/ Squirrel Butter
Tickets: $13 advance, $15 at the door.
Click here to purchase advance tickets.
Based out of Vancouver, BC, Viper Central is a six-piece acoustic string-band that takes that “high lonesome sound” to new places. All six band members contribute original songs, but won’t hesitate to deliver up their take on an ages-old mournful waltz or bring the house down with a barn-burning bluegrass standard. The band first came together through a love for the old timey sounds of such artists as Ralph Stanley, Bill Monroe, Hazel Dickens, and the New Lost City Ramblers along with the more contemporary styles of acoustic innovators David Grisman, Béla Fleck, and David Lindley. Everyone brings a colourful resume and a unique sense of creativity to this collaboration. While the members of the band play significant roles in many other roots music projects (The Mountain Bluebirds, The Fugitives, The Blue Island Trio, Whiskey Jar, Headwater, Redgrass, Badgentina), the chemistry of the six members gives Viper Central a one-of-a-kind sound that will stick with you long after the show is over.
In the summer of 2008, Viper Central released their debut album, The Devil Sure is Hard to Please. Blending instrumental prowess with innovative arrangements and creative vocal harmonies, the album showcases the diverse songwriting talents of every member in the band and is quickly earning them a place among the bands to watch for in Canada’s thriving roots music scene. The band was also featured on the Whiskey Hollow Bound compilation album, which showcases six Vancouver bluegrass and old time bands and has been receiving rave reviews across the country since its release in 2007.
Appearing with Viper Central is Squirrel Butter, the duo of Charlie Beck and Charmaine Li-Lei Slaven. Charlie and Charmaine began performing together in 2005 after meeting at the Portland Old Time Gathering and discovering that they lived merely blocks away from each other in Seattle. The pair began busking, and soon realized that their individual styles, sense of rhythm, and tendency towards the quirky and obscure blended well together. It wasn’t long before they began performing at venues off the street.
Charlie Beck, hailing from Indianapolis, Indiana, is a highly accomplished musician. His mastery of guitar and banjo come from years of consistent study. He is well versed in jazz and swing, is an avid enthusiast of old American blues and string band music. His repertoire includes a bushel of traditional folk tunes along with many jazz numbers. A talented songwriter, Charlie’s original compositions combine modern approaches with traditional styles, giving his songs a unique sound. Charlie is an outstanding vocalist, and also plays brilliantly on fiddle.
Charmaine “Lady Li-Lei” Slaven, from Stevensville, Montana, is a gifted dancer, and her skill at traditional percussive buckdancing is phenomenal. She is also an adept rhythm guitarist, ukulele player, and vocalist. Her clear, strong singing style is reminiscent of the Carter family. She brings a fine repertoire of traditional ballads to the duet, along with several of her original works.
Cahalen Morrison & Zoe Muth
Tickets: $8 advance, $10 at the door.
Click here to purchase advance tickets.
Amongst red rocks, dry soil, and clear sky, Cahalen Morrison was reared on Hot Rize, Doc Watson, Norman Blake and Rory Block while running around in a diaper, trying (at times unsuccessfully) not to fall into patches of prickly pear. Now, he’s got the ears for roots music. Hopping effortlessly from fingerpicking to mandolin, clawhammer banjo to lap slide guitar, Cahalen’s writing encompasses everything from punchy political commentaries, to soul warming serenades, branching out into instrumental rags and fiddle tunes, yet still retaining his subtle musical signature.
Though only 24, he is quite well traveled, having toured nonstop for 2 years. In June of 2008, Cahalen debuted his first full length record. Subcontinent has been applauded by his peers, and by spun regularly by DJs and fans across the country. After its release, Cahalen hit the road hard, not spending more than two weeks anywhere for a solid 13 months before taking a break. From Santa Fe to Seattle, New Orleans to Minneapolis, Nashville to Boston, he has played most every nook and cranny of this fine country.
In November of 2009, Cahalen released his second record, a live album entitled Old-Timey & New-Fangled featuring his father Dave Morrison on guitar and fiddle, Santa Fe fiddler Andy Cameron, and Jenny Fisher on harmony vocals. OT&NF was recorded live on August 14th, at the historic Western Jubilee Warehouse Theater in downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado by Butch Hause (engineer for Norman Blake, Don Edwards, and Waddie Mitchell.)
Joining Cahalen will be Eli West, former singer and guitarist of the bluegrass band Loose Digits, playing musical chairs on clawhammer banjo, flatpicking guitar, and octave mandolin.
Sharing the bill with Cahalen is Seattle’s own Zoe Muth.
Broken Blossoms
Tickets: $13 advance, $15 at the door.
Click here to buy advance tickets.
The beauty of Broken Blossoms is that they are both new and familiar, rooted in tradition, yet rejuvenated by unique arrangements—a happy convergence of traditional bluegrass, gospel, country blues, and folk-pop.
Broken Blossoms is the unification of a group of highly recognizable performers in Boston’s celebrated folk-music circuit—its members gathered by gifted songwriter and guitarist, Andy Cambria, in support of some the city’s most prominent singer-songwriters.
Cambria, mandolin player, David Goldenberg, bassist/hammered dulcimer wizard, Simon Chrisman and banjo player, Charles Rose, performed regularly throughout 2008. The group recruited friend and 2009 National Old-Time Fiddle Champion, Kimber Ludiker, just before the year drew to a close and recorded a four-song EP in early 2009.
Although the members of the band have impressive personal resumes, with performances on such legendary stages as Grey Fox, Wintergrass, The Birchmere, The Grand Master Fiddle Championship, Falcon Ridge and Club Passim to their credit, it is their strength and style as a unit that’s made an instant impact on Boston’s roots-music scene. Talent buyer, Geoff Bartley, operator of Boston’s bluegrass Mecca, The Cantab Lounge, describes them thusly: “Every time I hear this band, they’re tighter, deeper and more poised. The sultry vocals and refined songwriting, steeped in traditional roots and bluegrass, vault the group into another category. Look out—these folks could become well-known very fast.”
