Brittany Haas & Lauren Rioux
Tickets: $14 advance, $18 at the door.
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Two fiddlers from widely respected bands (Brittany Haas of Crooked Still, and Lauren Rioux from Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings) are joining forces. As a duo, the women bring their extensive knowledge of Appalachian music and experience of being at the forefront of the contemporary string band scene, as well as the strength and depth of seasoned performers. Their music is steeped in groove, emotion-filled and harmonically progressive. The joy they share on stage as they weave and dance through duets on their instruments and vocals is palpable among audience.
“Enchanting, thoughtful and musically satiating”
-Portland Herald
Brittany Haas is a 5 string fiddle player from Northern California, currently residing in Nashville. A Princeton graduate, she is a member of the Boston-based alternative bluegrass band, Crooked Still. She has spent the past 11 years touring the world with various musicians and groups such as Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings, Yonder Mountain String Band, Tony Trischka, Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas, and The Waybacks.
She played fiddle on Steve Martin‘s Grammy Award-winning CD, The Crow, and performed in his band on “The David Letterman Show” and “Saturday Night Live”. Herdebut self-titled solo album was released in 2004, produced by Darol Anger and featuring Bruce Molsky, Mike Marshall, Alison Brown and others. She recently recorded a soon-to-be-released project with hardanger fiddler and composer Dan Trueman featuring their own original music. She also plays in an all-girl indie old-time band called The Fundies and an exciting new duo with fiddler Lauren Rioux.
Lauren Rioux fiddles from the heart with soul and joy. This, in combination with her warm tone, elegantly expressive phrasing and playful style, leads her to create music that artfully explores themes of both heartache and hope. With her debut album, All the Brighter, Lauren presents a beautiful collection of melodies that embrace and celebrate the richness of life. Rooted in the old-time tradition, and drawing inspiration from a wide swath of musicians, from Sam Cooke to Hillary Hahn, her music is at once timeless and fresh.
Lauren performs regularly with Darol Anger, Scott Law, and Mike Block in the band Republic of Strings, and Scott Nygaard and Joe Walsh in Crow Molly. She also tours with fellow fiddler and All the Brighter producer Brittany Haas of Crooked Still. She has shared the stage with Bruce Molsky, Tim O’Brien, Mike Marshall, Vasen, Laurie Lewis, Natalie Haas and others at such festivals as Wintergrass, Delfest,Rockygrass, and Celtic Connections.
Double Duos: Michael Connolly & Miller McNay w/ Prairie Wolfe
The Next Gen Folk Series is jointly presented by Hearth Music, Victory Music and Empty Sea Studios.
Sorry, this show is completely sold out! No tickets will be released at the door.
Please join us as double mandolin meets double fiddle in this special evening of instrumental music!
Mandolin duo Michael Connolly & Miller McNay will present music from their breakthrough mandolin duo album The Mandolin Casefiles.
To kick off the evening, fiery Celtic fiddler Prairie Wolfe will be joined by Michael Connolly on fiddle, chromatic button accordion and guitar for an opening set of Irish and French Canadian tunes.
With tunes spanning the blues, old-time, bluegrass, Irish and French Canadian genres, this is a Next Gen Folk show you won’t want to miss!
Michael Connolly & Miller McNay: The Northwest’s premier mandolin duo
Playing their mandolins together for more than five years, Michael Connolly and Miller McNay have traveled along and across genre boundaries, from bluegrass to old-time to swing. In their inaugural album celebrating the unusual pairing of two mandolins, Connolly and McNay share the sound they’ve developed as a duo: transparent and open, but warm, varied, and eminently listenable.
In The Mandolin Casefiles: It Takes Two To Mando, Connolly and McNay offer up a mix of traditionaltunes, covers, and originals like McNay’s “The Grapes of Rag,” which introduces the disc, and Connolly’s “Mr. Pick’s Blues,” a chromatic, colorful adventure in 12/8. A vintage Gibson mandola makes an appearance on “Over The Waterfall” and on the duo’s cover of Lennon and McCartney’s “In My Life.” Exhibiting an unparalleled responsiveness to each others’ playing, the musicians slip effortlessly between lead, accompaniment, and even percussive roles.
Recorded live in the studio with no overdubs, The Mandolin Casefiles captures the palpable energy and moment-by-moment musical dialogue between two longstanding collaborators at play.
Michael Connolly’s love affair with the mandolin began at age six. During his musically charged upbringing in Memphis, Tennessee, he delved deeply into bluegrass, old-time, Irish traditional, blues, and swing music. The result is a unique “hornlike” approach to the instrument. His deft ear and sensitive accompaniment have won him appearances touring with and performing alongside Michelle Shocked, Coyote Grace, and The Indigo Girls.
An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Connolly performs regularly on fiddle, piano, and accordion as well as maintaining a busy teaching schedule. He has recorded widely, appearing on nineteen albums. The Mandolin Casefiles is the twelfth to feature his mandolin playing.
Miller McNay’s mandolin story began in his native Charlotte, North Carolina. Winner of the Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival’s mandolin contest, he has played with Free Roaming Buffalo Herd,and Barnyard Stompand as a founding member of Captain Gravel.
McNay’s impeccable tone and rhythmic drive have led to his sharing the stage with Joe Craven, G-Love & Special Sauce, and Ben Winship as well as opening for Tim O’ Brien, Danny Barnes, and The Wilders.
Prairie Wolfe
Seattle-based Celtic fiddler Prairie Wolfe never intended to play the fiddle at all. “I wanted to play the celtic harp as a kid,” she reports. It was French-Canadian/Metis fiddler Anne Lederman who influenced her to try her hand at the fiddle. “I’ve definitely always been attracted to the raw, unrefined sound of the fiddle.” It is this raw energy and the old-world accents that stand Prairie apart from other fiddlers and distinguishes her dynamic, rhythmic playing.
In 2005, Prairie’s talents whisked her from her westcoast home to Europe on a tour with Irish trio Damanta. The band played Ireland, Holland, Germany and Austria, bringing to audiences what Prairie describes as their unique “Christina Ricci meets Ashley MacIsaac” sound. Following the tour, she landed in Boston and decided to stay a while. During her stay, Prairie was quickly initiated into the New England contradance scene, playing dances at the Guiding Star Grange in Greenfield, MA and getting involved with teaching, busking, and frequenting the odd session or two at the Burren.
The Burren is a long way from the church basement meetings of the Vancouver Scottish Fiddle Club, where Prairie got her start and where she met her initial mentor and teacher, Juno-Award winning fiddler Shona Le Mottee, of “Paperboys” and “Lord of the Dance” fame. Before long, she was performing in Vancouver’s CelticFest, doing demonstrations at schools, and hosting “Fiddlers For Funds: Tsunami Relief Benefit Concert.” “I have been amazingly lucky to play with all of Vancouver’s very best fiddlers and musicians, and to know them personally too. It’s been a charmed life.”
Matthew Hartz Trio
Tickets: $12 advance, $16 at the door.
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Matthew Hartz holds a unique position in roots and americana music. From an early age, his ear was bent toward old time fiddle masters including Benny Thomasson, Texas Shorty and Terry Morris.
Attending local, regional and national level fiddle contests enabled Matthew to hone his skills and learn directly from these legends. One of Matthew’s greatest fiddle heros was a full blooded Native American from Oklahoma. In 1985, Matthew got his chance to meet Orville Burns. In 1989, Texas Style Old Time Fiddling with Matthew Hartz and Orville Burns was first released. This is the only recording project Orville participated in.
That same year, Matthew won “The Big Three”. “The Big Three” being the Grand National Fiddle Championships held each year in Weiser, Idaho, the Grand Master Fiddle Championships held in Nashville, Tennessee and the World Championships of Fiddling held in Crockett, Texas. Being crowned champion at any one of these prestigious contests holds high regard in the world of old time fiddling. Matthew would go on to win the Grand Master Fiddle Championships twice more (1993, 1995) and the Grand National Fiddle Championships again in 1992.
Naturally, Matthew has made his mark in the old time fiddle world, however, his music spans more than just the four strings found on a fiddle. The Beach Boys, the Ramones, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones and Johnny Cash, among others, have all influenced Matthew’s music. Performing original music in both acoustic and electric settings has fine tuned his skills as a complete musician. Listen carefully and let his songwriting skills take you on an emotional journey.
“If you ever have the pleasure of hearing him play fiddle, guitar and sing you too will be humbled. While some musicians dazzle with technical ability,Matt can do that but also give you the whole experience of entertainment. Hewill make you understand the blues, make you laugh and want to sing along.Every lick and note he plays comes right from the heart. This pun is intended.” -Steve Eaton, Gold and Platinum Award winning songwriter
“His compositions spring from his heart and speak of his ability to express through music what most of us can only feel.” -Jim, Texas Shorty, Chancellor 7-time World Fiddle Champion
Jefferson Hamer & Tashina Clarridge
Tickets: $12 advance, $16 at the door.
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When two of the best young artists from the east coast new acoustic music scene come together to play as a duo, the audience knows it’s in for a treat! Jefferson Hamer, multi-instrumentalist and clear-voiced folk singer, mixes his repertoire of new and old songs with the fiddling of one of America’s greatest young players, Tashina Clarridge, a fiddler since age two and winner of the National Old Time Fiddlers’ Contest in Weiser, Idaho. What results is a sparkling musical collaboration that pulls the audience into a world of astonish
ingly relevant original and traditional folk songs, performed with excitement, creativity, and tremendous all-around musicianship.
Jefferson Hamer started singing and playing stringed instruments around Colorado in the late 90′s, making a mark with his acoustic trio Single Malt Band and the country-rock outfit Great American Taxi. After a decade spent in the West, he took his talents to New York City. Because of his ability to cross genres and musical styles, and his versatility both as a soloist and as an accompanist, Jefferson has become a master of collaboration, cultivating partnerships with Anais Mitchell, Laura Cortese, Kristin Andreassen, Session Americana, and Irish music quartet Murphy Beds. Jefferson’s original songs reflect a wide breadth of influences and echo the distilled melodies and lyricism of British, Irish, and American traditional music. His 2004 release “Left Wing Sweetheart” earned a 4-star review from Marquee Music Magazine, who said it “sounds like a forgotten Gram Parsons release suddenly discovered.”
Tashina Clarridge was raised in the mountains of northern California. She is one of the youngest fiddlers to become Grand National Fiddle Champion, and in addition she is a 6-time
Grand National finalist, 6-time California State Fiddle Champion, and 2-time Western Open grand Champion. Though her contest record speaks to her clear abilities in Texas style contest fiddling, it is her enthusiasm for many diverse styles that brings a higher level of creativity to her playing. Tashina has performed at Carnegie Hall as part of Grammy winning bassist Edger Meyer’s Young Artist Concert. She is a member of the influential new music string band, The Bee Eaters, which performs accross the United States. Tashina lends her fiddling to projects by other prominent musicians including famed banjo player Tony Trischka, and Grammy Winners Laurie Lewis and Mark O’Connor. O’Connor has said of Tashina, “…she will make a lasting impact on the people she touches with her talent in the future. She is in music for the right reasons and we as listeners will benefit from it”.
Molly’s Revenge
Tickets: $12 advance, $16 at the door.
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Molly’s Revenge is a dynamic, acoustic Celtic band known for its unique and infectious on-stage enthusiasm. The classic combination of bagpipes, whistle, fiddle, and song — set against a backdrop of guitar, bouzouki, and mandola accompaniment — guarantees an enjoyable experience for all fans of Scottish and Irish music. Their arrangements of traditional jigs and reels bring these dance tunes up to date with a driving, hard-edged accent that always leaves audiences shouting for more.
From epic sets on highland pipes and fiddle, to angelic folk songs over bouzouki and mandola, to ripping sets of Irish jigs and reels, the lads of Molly’s Revenge have expanded their range on their seventh release, “The Western Shore.” The new record was produced by John Doyle, a founding member of Irish supergroup Solas. Guest performers include percussionist Fraser Stone (Old Blind Dogs), John Doyle, and vocalist Moira Smiley (VOCO).
David Brewer has been playing whistle and four types of bagpipes for about 15 years. He studied in Scotland at the Ceolas Music School in South Uist under the tutelage of some of the best pipers in the world. His authentic and unique style of playing has earned him the reputation of being one of the most accomplished pipers on the West Coast. David has composed close to 200 traditional style tunes, many of which have appeared on recordings, independent films, and television.
John Weed is a classically-trained violinist who switched to playing Irish fiddle about 10 years ago. John lived in Ireland in 2000 and taught fiddle workshops at the Flowing Tide International Music School in Doonbeg, County Clare. He hones his skills annually by attending the Frankie Kennedy Winter School in Dunlewey, County Donegal where he has studied with Ciaran O’Maonaigh and Dermot Mcloughlin.
Pete Haworth grew up in the Blackburn area of Lancashire County, England, where he collected and sang the local folk songs. He brings an authentic vocal style, a very big bouzouki, and an unflagging sense of humour to the band. He and his family moved to California in 1982.
Stuart Mason has been collecting and performing traditional music for over 30 years. He has appeared on stage from Ireland to China performing Celtic, old time bluegrass, and his original compositions, which have won awards from the West Coast Songwriters Association. He leads workshops and classes in traditional music techniques at music festivals and camps.
Ryan McKasson, Ashley Broder & Dave Bartley
Tickets: $13 advance, $15 at the door.
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Ryan McKasson, Ashley Broder & Dave Bartley are all quite well-known in their respective fields, but never before performed as an ensemble. This unprecedented collaboration on the Empty Sea stage will provide a night of music-making never before heard!
Ryan McKasson started his classical violin studies at the age of four and began his viola studies when he was fourteen. At the same time, he switched from classical violin to begin his traditional fiddle journey with the renowned fiddler and teacher, Carol Ann Wheeler. Under her instruction he explored a wide range of American and Celtic styles, but found a new passion in the music of his heritage, Scotland. In 1993 Ryan attended the Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School for the first time. There he heard the fiddling of Alasdair Fraser and Buddy MacMaster, who have since been his greatest influences. In 1995, Ryan was winner of the National Junior Championship, and went on a year later to be the youngest winner of the National Scottish Fiddle Open Championship in Loon Mountain, New Hampshire. As a fiddler, Ryan has performed with artist Bobby McFerrin. He has also shared the stage with pop artists Elvis Costello, Beck, Bjork, Galvin Friday and composer Phillip Glass. In 2001 Ryan collaborated with fiddler Richard Greene and the Greene String Quartet in Los Angeles for the Harry Smith Project.
An accomplished classical musician, Ryan attended the University of Southern California in Viola Performance as a student of Donald McInnes. He has been awarded fellowships to many prestigious music festivals, including the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara and the Bowdoin Music Festival in Maine.
Ashley Broder began her classical violin studies at the age of eight in Ventura County, California. Her violin teacher, Charl Ann Gastineau, also encouraged her to simultaneously learn mandolin where she became familiar with fiddle styles associated to the instrument. Ashley traveled the west coast competing in fiddle contests, winning several. In 2005, after studying classical violin and cello in college, she met fiddler Jamie Laval and the duo set off on a four year musical touring adventure that took them across the U.S. numerous times and to the U.K. Ashley has worked with renowned mandolinist Mike Marshall at the Mandolin Symposium in Santa Cruz, CA as well as helped organize his series The Mandolin Method Books. Now pursuing another passion, composition, Ashley is currently working on arranging singer-songwriter, Billy Jonas’, songs for orchestra.
Dave Bartley plays mandolin, guitar, cittern, and numerous other plucked string instruments in numerous bands. He has also written over 250 tunes, some of which are working their way into repertoires around the country. He can provide a quiet foundation, inject a fiery driving rhythm, or pull wicked licks out of thin air. His odyssey from flashy rock guitarist to classical musician to eclectic sideman to tunesmith filters through his fingers.
Dave has played mandolin onstage in the Seattle Opera in the 1999 and 2007 stagings of Don Giovanni and played steel-string acoustic guitar with the Seattle Symphony in 2004 for performances of Naive and Sentimental Music by composer John Adams, as well as mandolin for Mahler’s 7th and 8th symphonys with the same orchestra.
Viper Central w/ Squirrel Butter
Tickets: $13 advance, $15 at the door.
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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.
Pearl Django
Tickets: $13 advance, $15 at the door.
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Entering their fifteenth year of performing, Pearl Django continues to be one of America’s most respected and busiest Hot Club style groups. Though still strongly influenced by the music of Django Reinhardt, Pearl Django’s repertoire now includes many original compositions. Their music reaches out across the divides of taste to a wide variety of audiences. The band’s fervent followers include Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli fans, guitar enthusiasts (and guitarists!), lovers of string music, including bluegrass devotees, who relish nimble, clean, intricate picking, “world music” fans drawn to French and Gypsy accents, plus jazz buffs and aficionados of the new swing music. Transcending simple categorization, Pearl Django packs in enthusiastic audiences at dancehalls and nightclubs, at folk music festivals and jazz festivals alike.
Voted favorite area jazz band 2003,
by Seattle Weekly readers!
“Pearl Django play(s) gypsy jazz…and they do it with such verve, skill and pleasure that
they’re pretty much irresistible to jazz and non-jazz listeners alike.”
—Seattle Weekly
“Pearl Django: The gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt done to perfection!”
—Paul de Barros, The Seattle Times (2002)
Broken Blossoms
Tickets: $13 advance, $15 at the door.
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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.”
Folklife Masters: Kevin Burke & Mark Graham
Tickets: $35 advance / door
Note: The first concert in the Folklife Masters series sold out very quickly. Don’t lose your chance to claim a seat at this one-of-a-kind venue!
Click here to purchase advance tickets.
Northwest Folklife and Empty Sea Studios are proud to present the second concert in the 2009 Folklife Masters concert series.
Folklife Masters presents one-of-a-kind concerts which bring master musicians from different traditions together to collaborate and inspire on stage. In our intimate 45-seat listening room, every nuance of these masters’ performances can be savored.
A portion of the proceeds go directly to support Northwest Folklife.
Kevin Burke & Mark Graham
Master Irish fiddler Kevin Burke joins old-time harmonica wizard Mark Graham for an evening of kindred acoustic music. Kevin Burke and Mark Graham founded the popular group Open House in the 1990s, along with percussive dance master Sandy Silva and mandolinist Paul Kotapish. The group was an instant hit, signed to Green Linnet records, and toured extensively. Their blend of old-world and new-world melodies with Mark’s tongue-in-cheek songs, all anchored by Kevin’s dazzling fiddling, was a wonderful mélange and Open House became a seminal group in the traditional music scene. Following the band’s breakup in 1999, Kevin Burke went on to become a National Heritage Fellow (our nation’s highest honor for traditional artists) and to tour with Celtic Fiddle
Kevin Burke
Festival and various guitar masters. Mark founded the Kings of Mongrel Folk with Orville Johnson and released a definitive album of Southern old-time music on harmonica.
Kevin Burke’s partnership with Mark Graham enabled both artists to explore their diverse influences and their love of the West Coast’s musical melting pot. Kevin has made his home in Portland, Oregon for more than 25 years, and Mark was born and raised in Seattle and Renton. Both artists draw from Celtic and Americana sources, as well as Eastern European and South American traditions. Playing together, the fiddle and harmonica blend effortlessly and these masters convey both a deep respect and a great irreverence for their traditions.
Kevin Burke: Master Irish Fiddler
Considered by many to be the greatest living Irish fiddler, we have been uncommonly fortunate to have Kevin Burke as a Northwest resident for the past 30 years. His smooth bowing, virtuosic ornaments, and masterful interpretations of Irish tunes have made him an inspiration to three generations of Irish traditional musicians. He has collaborated with artists as diverse as Christy Moore, Kate Bush and Arlo Guthrie. In 2002, he was granted a National Heritage award; this award is the highest honor our nation bestows on traditional artists. He is now in the company of luminaries like Earl Scruggs, Clifton Chenier, Doc Watson and B.B. King.
Born in London, Burke’s family came from County Sligo in Ireland and his playing retains the dazzling ornaments and smooth bowing of this Irish county. Kevin Burke has been a member of the seminal Bothy Band, as well as Patrick Street, Open House, and Celtic Fiddle Festival, and he has recorded landmark albums with Irish artists like Jackie Daly and Michael O Domhnaill. It is his solo fiddling, however, that holds such a draw for traditional music aficionados. Burke is able to touch the inner depths of Irish music, drawing unheard of subtleties from traditional tunes. His sensitivity to the music is best explored in an intimate, house concert setting, and we are very proud to be able to offer just that.
Mark Graham: Southern Old-Time Harmonica & Topical Songs
Mark Graham (by Mimi Torchia Boothby)
One of the few harmonica players schooled in the melodic and rhythmic intricacies of Southern string band music, Mark Graham plays in a powerful but lyrical, blues tinged style that recalls the feel of the finest banjo and fiddle playing. With over 35 years of harmonicizing, Graham has gained an encyclopedic knowledge of American country and blues styles. As a member of the Hurricane Ridge Runners in the 1970s and Boston’s Chicken Chokers in the 1980s, Graham helped set the standard for hell-raising Southern old-time string band music. As a member of the acclaimed world music ensemble, Kevin Burke’s Open House, he brought new respect to the harmonica in Celtic and world music. Graham is equally as well known for his songwriting as for his harmonica. His songs speak of a singular universe of surreal mountain hilarity and lonesome terror that covers the big subjects. Graham is the author of dozens of comic gems such as “I Can See Your Aura and It’s Ugly”, “Zen Gospel Singing”, and “Life is Hard When You’re Dumb.” His songs have been covered by artists such as Danny Barnes, The Austin Lounge Lizards, Brian Bowers, and The Limelighters.
