Ray Bonneville – Saturday August 19, 2017 at 8:00pm

Ray Bonneville is a poet of the demimonde who didn’t write his first song until his early 40s, some 20 years after he started performing. But with a style that sometimes draws comparisons to JJ Cale and Daniel Lanois, this blues-influenced, New Orleans-inspired “song and groove man,” as he’s been so aptly described, luckily found his rightful calling.  Born in Quebec, his family moved to Boston when he was 12. He served a year in Vietnam as a Marine, struggled and overcame drug addiction, earned a pilot’s license in Colorado, then moved to Alaska, then Seattle, and Paris and New Orleans. But it took a close call while piloting a seaplane across the Canadian wilderness to make him decide it was time to get busy writing songs – gritty narratives inspired by a lifetime of hard-won knowledge set against his gritty, soulful guitar and harmonica playing.

He’s since earned many accolades, including a Juno Award for his 1999 album, Gust of Wind. His post-Katrina ode, “I Am the Big Easy,” earned the International Folk Alliance’s 2009 Song of the Year Award, and in 2012, Bonneville won the solo/duet category in the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge. He has guested on albums by Mary Gauthier, Gurf Morlix, Eliza Gilkyson, Ray Wylie Hubbard and other prominent artists, and shared songwriting credits with Tim O’Brien, Phil Roy and Morlix, among others. Slaid Cleaves placed Bonneville’s “Run Jolee Run” on his lauded 2009 album, Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away.

Easy Gone, Ray’s fourth album for Red House Records,  takes listeners to some of the dark spaces and exotic places Bonneville has gone on his own travels. An Austin resident since 2006, Bonneville still puts the rhythms and soul of New Orleans into much of his music. His songs carry a groove and momentum that’s uniquely his — and will always be a part of him, no matter where he roams.

“Like gunpowder and opium.” – RAY WYLIE HUBBARD

“an absolute master…one of the most skilled songwriters of that dark slow smoldering yet fiery blues/roots music” – FAME

www.RayBonneville.com
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Piedmont Melody Makers – Saturday June 24, 2017 at 8:00pm

The Piedmont Melody Makers play old-time, country and bluegrass music and make no apologies for it. They take their name from the Piedmont region of eastern North Carolina, where three-quarters of the band now reside. One-quarter of the band is a known vagabond.

Cliff Hale is from West Virginia and that says something right there. He likes beer and ramps and collects all sorts of wild mushrooms. He’s fit and lean, keeps his hair pretty short and sings all them other singers into the next county. He puts fear into a man’s heart and lust into a woman’s when he sings, because that’s what happens when you are a profound blend of Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell and Carter Stanley all in one voice.

Chris Brashear comes from the state that begat Mark Twain and John Hartford, but he isn’t nearly as funny as the first and he never learned to fiddle and dance at the same time (like the second). He does, however, play the fiddle pretty passably, as well as the guitar and mandolin, and sings a pure, clear tenor that would make Alfalfa weep. He’ll also pen a good song or two for every Melody Maker’s set, with no apparent navel-gazing anywhere to be found. There are no signs of therapy in his future — or his past, for that matter.

Alice Gerrard a 2015 Grammy nominee for her album, Follow the Music – is the agile force, the gravitas, that keeps the Piedmont Melody Makers from being just good hitting baseball with the occasional base stealing. She’s the grand-slam, thank you Ma’am. Alice is a kind of bluegrass and old-time music royalty, establishing herself in the music world by her famous duet with Hazel Dickens. She writes songs and she sings ‘em with all the swoops and bluesy twirls – that is all soul and no flash. She knows what she is doing and she taught you too, even if you don’t know it. Pay attention.

Jim Watson sings and plays mandolin, bass and guitar. This irrepressible reprobate is still out there playing music after catapulting into international stardom with the original Red Clay Ramblers and then orbiting planet Earth with Robin and Linda Williams. He is the heir-apparent to Charlie Poole as THE exponent of North Carolina hillbilly music, and Charlie could not have chosen a more worthy successor. He is the senior male member of this great conflagration, but don’t be fooled: he can put both of them other boys under the table in the weight room. So there.

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David Jacobs-Strain & Bob Beach – Saturday June 3, 2017 at 8:00pm

David Jacobs-Strain is a fierce slide guitar player, and a song poet from Oregon. He’s known for both his virtuosity and spirit of emotional abandon; his live show moves from humorous, subversive blues, to delicate balladry, and then swings back to swampy rock and roll. It’s a range that ties Jacobs-Strain to his own generation and to guitar-slinger troubadours like Robert Johnson and Jackson Browne. “I try to make art that you can dance to, but I love that darker place, where in my mind, Skip James, Nick Drake, and maybe Elliot Smith blur together.” His new album, “Geneseo,” speaks of open roads, longing hearts and flashbacks of Oregon– a record of emotions big and small, and lyrics that turn quickly from literal to figurative. “I’m fascinated by the way that rural blues inscribes movement and transience. The music that frees a singer keeps them on the run; there’s a crossroads where a thing can be enchanting but dangerous; damaging but beautiful.”

Jacobs-Strain began playing on street corners and at farmers markets as a teenager, and bought his first steel guitar with the quarters he saved up. Before he dropped out of Stanford to play full time, he had already appeared at festivals across the country, often billed as a blues prodigy, but he had to fight to avoid being a novelty act: “I wanted to tell new stories, it just wasn’t enough to relive the feelings in other people’s music.”

David Jacobs-Strain has appeared at festivals from British Columbia to Australia, including Merlefest, Telluride Blues Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Hardly Strictly, Bumbershoot, and Blues to Bop in Switzerland. He’s taught at Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch, and at fifteen years old was on the faculty at Centrum’s Blues and Heritage workshop. On the road, he’s shared the stage with Lucinda Williams, Boz Scaggs (more than 60 shows), Etta James, The Doobie Brothers, George Thorogood, Robert Earle Keen, Todd Snider, Taj Mahal, Janis Ian, Tommy Emmanuel, Bob Weir, T-Bone Burnett, and Del McCoury.

“His albums are slow burning wonders…” – POPMATTERS

“This kid’s gonna be a superstar and I want a cut on hisnext album” – TODD SNIDER

Bob Beach has been a working professional musician for more than 40 years, adding harmonica, flute and vocals to a broad scope of genres. A native Philadelphian, Bob relocated to Western PA after high school. From 1976 to 1997 Bob worked in bands and other musical projects based in the city of Pittsburgh. Since returning to Philadelphia in 1997 Bob has been a vital part of the local music scene. A volunteer at the Philadelphia Folk Fest since 1998 Bob has also has also performed at the fest many times since 2002. David and Bob recently released “Live From the Left Coast” recorded in Eugene, Oregon. Bob also is a sound engineer at The World Café Live music venue and books artists for the Lansdowne Folk Club, Concerts at the Beach House and other events and venues in the Philadelphia area.

www.DavidJacobs-Strain.com
David Jacobs-Strain Videos
David Jacobs-Strain and Bob Beach Video

MBRASCATU – Saturday April 8, 2017 at 8:00pm

A musical product of the creative melting pot of Portland, Mbrascatu is an indie rock band that draws from diverse European and American roots to create a unique signature sound.

Blending together dynamics ranging from delicate to explosive; expressive Italian lyrics; hook-laden melodies; inventive arrangements; and energetic rhythms to dance to; the band has performed extensively throughout the Pacific Northwest, delighting audiences at the hottest music venues, outdoor festivals, bars, clubs and local radio stations.

Andrea Algieri: Guitar, Vocals, Songwriting. Dylan Dean: Violin, Viola. John Sabestinas: Electric Guitar, Banjo, Ukulele, Lap Steel. Tim Anderson: Bass. Mark Powers: Drums.

“Great news, Oregon: we can visit Italy without ever leaving the Pacific Northwest. Local Portland band, Mbrascatu, lives right here and we can take a trip to the other side of the world simply by listening to their newest savory album, Tempo. Bandleader, Andrea Algieri puts his heart and passion into every song he writes and sings on this album. The other band members- Johnny Sabestinas, Dylan Dean, Dan Sullivan and Lalo Esparza- lend their individual musical energies that also take the music to a new level of appreciation. Sabestinas plays an impressive array of different instruments ranging from ukulele to mandolin to electric guitar. Dean plays his fiddle in a way where you can feel the warmth of his ever-present smile in each song. This is the band’s second offering and although it doesn’t include as many ballads as their self-titled album, you will enjoy the rocking goodness found in almost every track. The tittle track will have you dancing and singing along after just one listen. So, go ahead. Pour yourself a little limoncello, eat a few olives and figs, hit ‘play’ and you are all set. Ciao!” – DENNISE KOALCZYK Oregon Music News Magazine. December 2014

www.mbrascatu.com
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Stumptown Swing – Saturday March 11, 2017 at 8:00pm

Portland’s #1 Swing Dance Party Band!
Stumptown Swing takes audiences back to 1920’s Paris, when gypsies with guitars, violins and upright basses made the leap from French musette to American “hot jazz” and kept Parisians dancing to this evocative new sound.

Tim Connell (mandolin and voice) and Mike Burdette (guitar) of Rio Con Brio formed Stumptown Swing after nearly a decade of playing pick-up gigs with Portland’s best acoustic string musicians. They snapped up the hottest upright bass player in town, Keith Brush (Stolen Sweets, Pete Krebs Trio, Blue Cranes) and are proud to feature their long-time friend and collaborator, the absolutely pyrotechnic violinist, Ben Blechman.

Named after their hometown, Portland “Stumptown” Oregon, the quartet is closely associated with the network of Lindy Hop, Balboa and Swing Dance clubs that have made Portland a major center of the Swing Dance revival. They are in demand as a live band for the almost nightly swing dance events throughout Portland. In addition to Stumptown’s thumping dance-oriented set, the group frequently performs a concert set featuring a wider variety of tempos and styles, appearing at both jazz and world music festivals.

Stumptown Swing released its debut album in 2014 and has been performing on concert stages and dancehalls throughout the Pacific Northwest. They are available for both private events and concert series – please sign the mailing list to hear about future shows, or contact us to book your own Stumptown Swing event.

“A joyous, vibrant and emotive collection of fine and heartfelt performances. Stumptown Swing qualifies as one of the year’s best jazz recordings.

With this recording, Tim Connell has announced his arrival as a world-class mandolinist. His technique on the mandolin has never been better and he coaxes tone by the buckets out of his instrument.

Ben Blechman’s solos swing and soar through the tunes that alternate between sweetness and melancholy and are always perfectly rendered.” – Mandolin Magazine, April 2014

“…a great collection of continental swing, samba and standards…rich chord progressions, nice melodies and comfy grooves.  Mike and Tim are the right cats for the job!!” – Don Stiernberg, Chicago, IL

www.StumptownSwing.com
Videos

Rita Hosking – Saturday February 18, 2017 at 8:00pm

Rita’s style of country-folk has been lauded for story and sense of place, and her performances praised for capturing the audience. Honors include winner of the 2008 Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Contest at the Sisters Folk Festival, finalist in the 2009 Telluride Music Festival Troubadour Contest, and honors in the International Songwriting Contest and West Coast Songwriters Association.  “This California girl comes by her mountain-music sensibility with true authenticity, with original songs deeply rooted in her family’s frontier experience,” (Dan Ruby, FestivalPreview.com) and Rita’s fans call her “the real deal”.  A descendant of Cornish miners who sang in the mines, Rita grew up with deep regard for folk music and the power of the voice.

In this live performance, Rita will appear as a duo with Sean Feder on Dobro and banjo.

Rita Hosking is also participating in the South Coast Writers’ Conference and will teach two song writing workshops earlier in the day on Saturday.  She will do a brief presentation, along with all the other authors, on Friday night at Authors’ Night in the Fairgrounds Showcase Building which is free and open to the public.

“In scorching form” (UK Telegraph), Northern California’s own Rita Hosking sings of forest fires, culture clash, demolition derbies, the working class and hope.  From NPR’s Weekend Edition to Bob Harris’s BBC show, Rita is moving audiences around the globe with her stories in song and doubly sweet and sinewy voice, “a captivating performer” – R2 Magazine

www.RitaHosking.com
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Dirty Cello – Saturday January 14, 2017 at 8:00pm

From China to Italy, and all over the U.S., Dirty Cello brings the world a high energy and unique spin on blues and bluegrass. Led by vivacious cross-over cellist, Rebecca Roudman, Dirty Cello is cello like you’ve never heard before. From down home blues with a wailing cello to virtuosic stompin’ bluegrass, Dirty Cello is a band that gets your heart thumping and your toes tapping!

“Dirty Cello’s music is all over the map: funky, carnival, romantic, sexy, tangled, electric, fiercely rhythmic, and textured, and only occasionally classical.” – Lou Fancher, Oakland Magazine

“The band plays every style imaginable, and does some fantastic covers. (Their rendition of “Purple Haze” is incredible.) But what is most spectacular about them is hearing the depth of soul in Roudman’s playing—it goes beyond what most people would expect from the instrument. She plays it with so much heart, you’ll wonder why more bands don’t have a cellist.” – Good Times Santa Cruz

www.DirtyCello.com
Videos

Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer – Saturday November 5, 2016 at 8:00pm

Internationally-acclaimed songwriters Dave McGraw and Mandy Fer’s latest album,Maritime, captures a moment in time and place from their seaside home.

McGraw and Fer met in Flagstaff, Arizona in 2010 before relocating to the Pacific Northwest in 2012. McGraw spent a decade as a wildlife biologist, studying endangered birds in remote locales from the deserts of Mexico and the Grand Canyon to the mountainous rain forests of Washington state – penciling lyrics on data sheets with binoculars in hand. Fer’s musical pulse led her to Spain, where she studied music, language and local culture. After years of playing electric lead guitar with bands stateside, she suddenly found herself exploring the streets of Sevilla writing songs on a nylon guitar.

Together, their exceptional vocal harmonies coupled with Fer’s pioneering electric guitar work have become a vehicle to carry them around the world. The pair has honed their skills touring extensively throughout the US and Europe, sharing stages with fellow troubadours including Iron & Wine, Glen Hansard, Gregory Alan Isakov, Kelly Joe Phelps, Birds of Chicago and many others. Winning over audiences anywhere from Alaska to Amsterdam, McGraw and Fer are on the crest of a building wave with the US release of their new album,Maritime, on March 3rd, 2015.

Maritime is unique in its authenticity, navigating the waters of folk, indie-rock, and rootsy Americana. The album is emotive, raw, and honest. Compelling vocal harmonies grace every track, along with electric guitar, warm cello, driving rhythms and rich, wooded instruments. It is far more than just a romantic snapshot of rural, pastoral living, but rather a window into the complicated realities of broad human existence in both a troubled and beautiful world. Maritime is both the asking of questions, and the subtle answers that an island reveals.

“…soulful songs, intuitive musicianship, and fine singing.” – The Telegraph
(who charted Maritime at #1 on the Euro Americana Chart for two consecutive months and ranked among the Best Albums of 2014)

www.DaveAndMandyMusic.com
Videos

Beth Wood – Saturday October 8, 2016 at 8:00pm

Beth Wood is a modern-day troubadour and believer in the power of song. Her exceptional musicianship, crafty songwriting, and commanding stage presence have been winning over American audiences for eighteen years. Beth’s music is soulful, organic, intelligent, barefoot, high-energy communication of joy.

Picture a home-body with an ever-present wanderlust, an introvert with a passion for performing, a creative free-spirit with enough discipline to rework her dream year after year, calloused little hands and a big pile of curly hair…and you’ve got Beth Wood.

Beth Wood began her musical journey in Lubbock, a high plains Texas town with a uniquely rich musical heritage that includes Buddy Holly, Natalie and Lloyd Maines, Mac Davis, and Joe Ely to name a few. When she wasn’t dodging tornadoes and dust storms, Beth was studying classical piano, violin, harp, and voice and contemplating the greatness of her Dad’s record collection. With big dreams of becoming a musician, Beth left west Texas to study voice and piano at Brevard College in North Carolina. A detour from her classical studies led her to Austin, where she picked up a degree in literature and a guitar. Beth began writing her own songs and quickly discovered a feeling of musical freedom that she has been hooked on ever since. Eighteen years, thousands of shows, nine albums, three cars, and numerous awards later, Beth has never looked back.

Beth has been featured on OPB’s  “Artbeat” and on “Troubadour, TX”, a nationally syndicated documentary-style singer-songwriter reality television series airing in almost 40 million households and 140 U.S. markets.  Beth has also been a three-time featured artist on Cayamo: A Journey Through Song, a week-long Caribbean songwriters’ cruise.

“Beth Wood is a musical triple-threat — a thoughtful songwriter and talented multi-instrumentalist with a supple, soulful voice.” – Washington Post

“Wood is about as good as it gets if you appreciate the singer/songwriter genre.” – Charlotte Creative Loafing

“…when you come across a recording like Beth Wood’s “The Weather Inside” you take note and recognize that this is the work of a genuine artist with a remarkable voice determined to make meaningful and lasting art.”
– Lone Star Music Magazine

“Lord have mercy…Wood is a down-home, old-fashioned girl with a wicked streak” – Indi-music.com

www.BethWoodMusic.com
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Videos

Tony Furtado – Saturday September 17, 2016 at 8:00pm

Very few musicians of any stripe so personify a musical genre as completely as Tony Furtado embodies Americana roots music. Tony is an evocative and soulful singer, a wide-ranging songwriter and a virtuoso multi-instrumentalist adept on banjo, cello-banjo, slide guitar and baritone ukulele who mixes and matches sounds and styles with the flair of a master chef (he’s also an accomplished sculptor, but that’s another story). All of the music of America is in Tony’s music. Relix hit the nail on the head when writing of Tony: “True talent doesn’t need categories.”

Tony has performed throughout the world at top venues and appeared at such prestigious music festivals as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, Jazz Aspen, Kerrville Folk Festival, Strawberry Music Festival, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Sisters Folk Festival, San Jose Jazz Festival and countless others. “I love playing live,” he says. “All my energy is focused on the love of playing music and rolling with the moment. It’s a give and take from the audience to the stage, and back. And the music that is created is something that otherwise might not occur without that flow.”

“Tony Furtado is a major musical force without a doubt. He has his black-belt in voice and bottleneck guitar and his banjo playing scares the crap out of me.” – David Lindley, musical adventurer

www.TonyFurtado.com
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