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Media Kit If you are interested in obtaining a press pass to COVER the Pagosa Folk ‘N Bluegrass Festival, please call Crista Munro at (970) 731-5582 or email us with the name of the publication you write for, plus a story proposal. 2008 Pagosa Folk ‘N Bluegrass Performing Artists
The Badly Bent The Badly Bent has been entrenched in the bluegrass music scene since 1997. Based in Durango, Colorado, The Badly Bent has proven its musicianship through the winning of prestigious music competitions and receiving accolades from many of its peers in the bluegrass industry. These boys are not newcomers to either the bluegrass scene or performing in front of large audiences. Although their musical prowess allows them to explore the edges of traditional music, the listener will find that the music never strays far from the roots established by the fathers of the genre. Their love for the genuine bluegrass sound is evident every time they take the stage. The Badly Bent started in Durango with a group of well-known musicians gathering to become the top of the bluegrass scene. Sharing lead vocals are Pat Dressen (guitar) and Mark Epstein (banjo). Harmony vocals by Robb Brophy (mandolin) and Jimmy Largent (bass), combined with the sought-after sound of Bill Adams (dobro), rounds out the ensemble of The Badly Bent. Since releasing their first CD in February of 2005, The Badly Bent has gone on to achieve a variety of accomplishments. In March, 2005, the band’s CD was recognized on the FAR Chart. In June 2005, The Badly Bent took first place in the coveted Telluride Bluegrass Festival’s band competition. In November 2005, the band was featured on the popular http://www.bluegrassradio.org internet channel as the Band of the Month. In October of 2006, the band’s CD was nominated for three awards by the Just Plain Folks music society. The band relies on its driving instrumentation and accurate vocals to produce the unique Badly Bent sound. Their self-titled CD reflects how the band has congealed into a tight, driving sound. Their first CD was produced by Grammy award winner Sally Van Meter, mixed by Jim Tuttle, and mastered by Grammy award winner Dave Glasser at Airshow Mastering. The Badly Bent released its second CD, Olive or Twist, in April of 2007. In that same month, Olive or Twist made the FAR Chart once again.
Belleville Outfit Based out of Louisiana’s finest music and arts city, but with hometowns littered across the United States, the Belleville Outfit serves up a truly unique mix of gypsy swing, big band jazz, and roots Americana/Bluegrass. Both innovative in their combining of genres, and true to their musical roots, the Belleville Outfit, though young, has already solidified itself as a tour-de-force in the world of acoustic music.
Biscuit Burners The importance of an artist’s work can be measured by the response from their peers, the media, and their audience. That being said, the world has taken notice of The Biscuit Burners, and has welcomed their Fiery Mountain Music with open arms. Whether it’s national praise from Aerosmith's Joe Perry or Billy Cardine's performance with the three-time Grammy Winning Edgar Meyer at Carnegie Hall, the musical community respects The Biscuit Burners. Their resume includes appearances on BBC World TV's "Destination Music", National Public Radio's "Mountain Stage", and XM's Bluegrass Junction, along with coverage in magazines such as Singer & Musician, Bluegrass Unlimited, Dirty Linen and American Songwriter. With a fresh approach to acoustic music whose roots that date as far back as mountain music can reach, The Biscuit Burners offer their Fiery Mountain Music with innovative instrumentation, resplendent harmonies, and captivating original material. Their unique, yet familiar, material pulls strong from their respect of traditional mountain music, their love of bluegrass and classic country, and their appreciation of music from the far corners of the world. In 2004, The Biscuit Burners quickly established themselves and their Fiery Mountain Music as a complete package for acoustic entertainment. Along with a showcase performance at the International Bluegrass Music Association Conference and appearing at the Historic Ryman Auditorium with Vassar Clements and Rhonda Vincent, they had their debut album chosen in the Top 10 Bluegrass Albums of 2004 by the Chicago Tribune. Their song, “Come On Darlin”, was named the IPOD Hotpick Bluegrass Song of 2004. In September of 2005, the band released their second album, A Mountain Apart. With this release, The Biscuit Burners presented an album full of energy, passion, and originality. A Mountain Apart is a testament to the band's devotion and dedication to their fiery mountain sound and was in the Top 20 of the Roots Music Report National Bluegrass Airplay chart for the first 5 months of its release. Not only do The Biscuit Burners take their Fiery Mountain Music to America's finest venues, but they also take their knowledge and passion for music to schools across America as a part of their Appalachian Culture Music Program. Their presentations range from history lessons to instructional lessons and are customized from students in kindergarten to high school. From Oregon to Virginia, The Biscuit Burners have introduced and inspired America's youth in hopes to preserve this music to which they have dedicated their lives. The Biscuit Burners are Billy Cardine (resophonic guitar), Dan BIetz (guitar), Mary Lucey (bass), Odessa Jorgensen (fiddle), and Wes Corbett (banjo). A Mountain Apart winner of Award for Best Roots CD of 2005 Appeared on internationally broadcast television series "Destination Music" Appeared on "Mountain Stage" with Rhonda Vincent and Shawn Camp "They have a captivatingly unique sound that's all their own, yet rich with heritage and culture. Their music is a breath of fresh air in this stale period of lifeless pop music culture."- Singer & Musician Magazine, Feb 2006 "The last (band) I heard that blew me away was The Biscuit Burners." "The result is a brand of bluegrass as clean and smooth as a mountain stream." "Honest music, deliberately crafted, stunningly presented... As the gentlemen churn the musical waters with speedy sixteenth-note runs, the ladies smooth the surface with vocals that are sometimes lifting, sometimes haunting, and always distinct." Picked in the Top Ten Bluegrass Albums of 2004: Picked "Come On Darlin" as the IPOD Hot Pick Playlist Bluegrass Song of 2004 "The band has managed, to my ears anyway, to come up with their own arrestingly captivating sound-a sound that includes the old-time feel of the mountains, but incorporates many of the elements of hard-driving bluegrass as well. Their powerful and heartfelt vocals, beautiful harmonies and blistering picking make for the perfect backdrop to some killer originals." "Fiery Mountain Music is a delightful musical offering guaranteed to further promote the talents of The Biscuit Burners." "The music flows like water throughout western North Carolina, and those mountain streams have spawned a joyful tidal a joyful tidal wave in the form of The Biscuit Burners... Deuces are wild, as Fiery Mountain Music features a pair of award winning pickers and a pair of golden voices."
Boulder Acoustic Society Each member of Boulder Acoustic Society comes from a different musical world, and the resulting mix is what makes their music so special. Shredding guitar licks, soaring gypsy violin, a little ukulele and the thump of an old time bass bounce around with a jazz accordion and creative percussion to create a new sound. It is American Roots music with the edge of punk rock and the grace of chamber music. This joyful chaos has defined BAS for the last four years of relentless touring, recording and rehearsing. They have crisscrossed the country countless times building a following the old fashioned way: by making connections with fans one at a time. >From festivals to rock clubs, dive bars to house concerts, BAS has spread the word. And who is listening? Hipsters and hippies, punks and grandmas, kids and pickers, folkies and yuppies all "get it" where it matters: deep down in that place that defies description. Bryan Sutton & Russ Barenberg Additional Publicity – Bryan Sutton In a world filled with guitarists renowned for technique, Russ Barenberg has always stood out for his intensely melodic approach to playing and writing, and his new album, When At Last, shows that the years since he, resonator guitarist Jerry Douglas and string bass maestro Edgar Meyer made the widely acclaimed, supremely influential Skip, Hop & Wobble have only deepened his musicality. For while Barenberg decided in the late 80s to forego a full-time musical career—or, more accurately, to defer one—he hardly stopped making music, and Skip, Hop & Wobble was only the most visible manifestation of that determination. Indeed, despite the restraints on his time, Barenberg has still been wrapped up in music, not only with the trio but with a variety of other projects, most notably the Transatlantic Sessions—a set of filmed-for-TV performances featuring musicians from the British Isles, Canada and the United States in a stunning, evocative cross-cultural exchange. Despite the satisfactions of projects like the Transatlantic Session, the Barenberg-Douglas-Meyer trio and a miscellany of appearances with friends like fellow guitarist Bryan Sutton, fiddler Aubrey Haynie and singer Tim O’Brien, Barenberg looked forward to the resumption of a career fully devoted to music. “What you miss when you’re working during the day is having the time to really practice and write as much as you would like,” he notes. “One of the most satisfying things for me is writing tunes, and even more, to actually record them and put them together and play them with other people. So I’m very happy to be back in that situation again.” Few guitarists so perfectly blend a mastery of roots music traditions with melodic originality, or so finely balance muscularity with delicacy. Barenberg’s newfound energy and re-dedication to making music central to his life has resulted in his teaming up with Bryan Sutton for some festival appearances this summer. “I’m at a point in my life now where I really appreciate what a gift it is to be a musician,” Russ Barenberg says with a smile, “and I’m ready to embrace whatever’s involved in doing it for a living. It’s just a great time for me.” Bryan Sutton is one of the most high-profile acoustic guitarists in bluegrass and country music these days, a first-call Nashville session player whose jaw-dropping technique, deep background in tradition, and fluency in multiple styles have landed him important gigs with Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Douglas, Earl Scruggs, the Dixie Chicks, Béla Fleck, and others. But with his third solo recording, Not too Far from the Tree, he opted for a more low-key approach. Though it features some of the greatest, iconic bluegrass guitarists in history (Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, David Grier, among others), Sutton’s new CD is a tribute to the kind of personal, spontaneous music making that often happens when guitarists get together to jam informally, as is the case when he and Russ Barenberg take the stage together. Sutton says, "I really like the musical conversation that goes on in a duet. In a duo, you have the freedom to go as far as each person is willing to go. You have this great possibility to get one sound, one voice. The guitar has such a wide tonal range that in a good duet situation you don’t miss anything, you don’t want for bass or the mandolin chop or anything. You’ve got plenty of sustain and rhythm, all that stuff. With a duet you can constantly change dynamics and it’s completely free." Top of Page
Sun. June 8 – 2:00 PM & 4:30 PM The Cadillac Sky sound is the fruition of bandleader Bryan Simpson’s groundbreaking vision to create a bluegrass band built for the 21st Century. The band first came together in 2002 in Texas when Simpson (mandolin, vocals) teamed up with young banjo whiz Matt Menefee. They soon added a veteran influence in Mike Jump, who had found success playing with regional favorites Southern Union and the Andy Owens Project. And shortly after, added the virtuoisic Ross Holmes (fiddle, vocals), and more recently, the talents of Houston native, Andy “Panda” Moritz (bass, vocals). When the band began rehearsing, they quickly realized the diverse, but complimentary, musical backgrounds from which they could pull. Their propulsive brand of bluegrass is the perfect marriage of tradition and innovation. Cadillac Sky’s original approach comes from a deep-seated respect for tradition wrapped around an unbridled musical curiosity. There’s no dichotomy in the band’s sound, just a synthesis of the band’s eclectic influences, from Bill Monroe to the Beatles.
Expedition Quartet While rooted in the string band tradition, The Expedition Quartet explores a wide array of styles and musical sensibilities. Since their premier at the Durango Meltdown Festival, the roots music combo has focused on engaging original instrumental and vocal compositions, unique renditions of swing and traditional standards, and creatively arranged world music. The recent release Ten Thousand Leaves features the Quartet and was produced by Matt Flinner. The Expedition Quartet is a partner band of The Steampowered Preservation Society. Ryan Drickey is armed with a Masters in Violin Performance and holds the 2007 RockyGrass Fiddle Championship. His indomitable abilities and experience stretch from American and Scandinavian fiddle tunes, to jazz, tango, and classical music. Eric Thorin makes every musician sound better. A bassist with an indefatigable groove and monster chops, he is in demand and tours and records with Brother Mule, Matt Flinner, Drew Emmitt, Tony Furtado, K.C. Groves, and Art Lande. Eric teaches bass at the Yellowstone Jazz Festival. In 2004, Eric produced a collection of songs for Japanese elementary school children learning English. Greg Schochet is an integral part of Colorado's music community, in demand as a performer, producer, and educator. Equally adept on guitar and mandolin, Greg is fluent in bluegrass, swing, country, folk, and blues. Greg was a founding member of Runaway Truck Ramp and currently performs with Halden Wofford and the Hi-Beams, Colorado’s acclaimed honky-tonk and western swing band. Greg produced and performed on Jake’s CD Expedition.
Jayme Stone Jayme Stone is a rarity. He composes music and plays the banjo with an earthy and vibrant touch that’ll leave you thinking, “That’s a banjo?” Steeped in the repertoire, technique and lore of old-time and bluegrass music, his playing draws on a much wider palette of sound, emotion and influence. He has studied with banjo elders Béla Fleck, Tony Trischka and Bill Evans as well as such luminaries as Bill Frisell and Dave Douglas. Best known for his roots/jazz band Tricycle, Jayme is ceaselessly collaborating with projects ranging from The Unsung (alt-country) to YALA (African music). He has performed and recorded with the likes of Matt Flinner, Darol Anger, Andrew Downing, Tim Posgate, Oliver Schroer, Justin Rutledge and Mansa Sissoko. His music has received much critical acclaim in print, on the radio and in both bluegrass and jazz circles. “Bridging jazz, bluegrass and everything in between with smart compositions, playful jams, and a great sense of purpose. It's music that's difficult to describe, but easy to love.” “Jayme offers the listener not just a revolutionary banjoistic outing, but a voyage into the environs of cutting edge experimental instrumental music.” "Successfully incorporating old-time, bluegrass and folk music into a free-jazz construct that works wonders,” Jayme has “jam band fans doing cartwheels in the street and hardcore jazz fans re-examining their priorities." “Imagine a more chilled out Béla Fleck and the Americana side of Bill Frisell and you’re on track.” “Jazz with the verve of a happy pop tune.”
Martha Scanlan The haunting quality of Martha Scanlan's voice, unique perspective and poetic imagery of her songs helped to gain national acclaim for the innovative old-time string band, Reeltime Travelers. In their six years of touring they played some of America's most prestigious venues and festivals -- from the Grand Old Opry to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. After catching the attention of Grammy-winning producers T-Bone Burnett and Bob Neuwirth, the group recorded a cut for the soundtrack to Cold Mountain and was featured on the Great High Mountain Tour along with Alison Krauss, Ralph Stanley, and other artists from the Oh Brother Where Art Thou and Cold Mountain soundtracks. Martha's songwriting first gained national attention in 2003 at the prestigious Merlefest Chris Austin Songwriting Contest where a panel of judges, including Gillian Welch and Jim Lauderdale, awarded her first and second place in the bluegrass and country music categories for "Little Bird of Heaven" and "Hallelujah." The immersion into traditional American music and its expression in an ever-changing cultural landscape seems to be reflected in the songs she writes and the music she plays. Martha's first solo project is produced by and features Dirk Powell along with Levon Helm, Amy Helm and Glenn Patscha from the band Ollabelle. When not on the road she divides her time between the mountains of East Tennessee and those of Western Montana. Pete Kartsounes Band Pete Kartsounes began his musical journey singing in a traveling boys choir at the age of seven. Having to sneak around in those early years to play his older brothers' guitars, Pete also learned to play piano and would attempt to make music from anything else he could find. At age 16, Pete got his first guitar and has been writing music ever since. At age 20, inspired by the state's eclectic lifestyle and grassroots music, he moved west to Colorado. He performed with the Colorado new-grass group, Possum Logic (formerly Acoustic Semi) from 2001-2004 and with the jazz/funk quartet Willis, thereafter. He currently adds his soulful sound to the genre-bending band, the Wayword Sons. Even with so many different musical influences, Pete has kept his own writing very original. He has a unique musical expression and performs anything from blues to bluegrass and from folk to funk. Pete has recently finished his third album with collaboration of many renowned musicians, such as Jeff Austin, Jake Schepps & Drew Emmit. Having been quoted as "a must see and hear" by music critics, Pete has a great ear for the language of music and is self taught on many instruments, including guitar, piano, mandolin, banjo, and the harmonica.
Red Stick Ramblers The music of Louisiana has a lot in common with the cuisine. An initial blast of heat usually commands attention right off the bat, but then -- slowly, but surely -- all sorts of subtler notes start to creep in, making for an irresistibly captivating experience. That’s the vibe that emanates from The Red Stick Ramblers, an appropriately-named aggregation that builds stylistic bridges spanning the decades -- not to mention connecting styles as diverse as traditional Cajun, western swing, blues and old-school jazz. “From day one, we were just interested in all sorts of music, from Django Reinhardt to Duke Ellington to the Cajun stuff that a few of the guys in the band grew up around,” says Mississippi-bred guitarist Chas Justus. “We never put any limits on what we listened to or what we played. At first, we didn’t think that hundreds of college kids would come out to hear that kind of music, but when we added a little extra drive to it with a drum kit and all, it was really a revelation to see how contagious it could be." On their latest release, Made In The Shade, the Baton Rouge-based quintet’s fourth album -- and first for Sugar Hill -- the Ramblers romp and stomp through a crazy-quilt of originals and classic covers with the high-octane energy that could only come from a band accustomed to keeping dance-floors jumping for hours at a time. From the kick-up-your-heels raucousness of “Laissez Les Cajuns Danser” (which positively bursts with both local pride and universal merriment) to the smooth, slinky swing of Count Basie and Jimmy Rushing’s “Evenin’,” the band conjures up a mood that’s both heady and heartfelt. “The common thread is that it’s all dance music,” fiddle player Linzay Young says of the genre-jumping nature of the Ramblers’ repertoire. “Three hour dances are not uncommon where we come from, and we’re there to please the dancers, so it’s less like a performance and more like a party and you’re the entertainment. We could probably pull out a hundred or so songs on a given night if we had to.” The Red Stick Ramblers first scooted out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana -- where Young, Justus and drummer Glenn Fields were studying at Louisiana State University -- about eight years ago, suits crisply pressed and bows rosined-up and ready to rollick. They quickly developed a following around the Gulf Coast region, thanks to their unflaggingly energetic live shows, and spread the message even more widely with the 2002 release of their self-titled debut album -- a disc that brought them the tag “the great Cajun hope.” The Ramblers certainly demonstrated the musical firepower to don that mantle, but deftly sidestepped the pigeonhole it threatened to place them into on their sophomore outing, Bring It on Down. That disc, which nodded to forebears like Bob Wills and Johnny Cash, prompted the New Orleans Times-Picayune to tout them for proffering “a potent brew that swings so hard that it’s almost sick, and rocks like crazy.” After a few lineup changes -- notably the amicable departure of co-founder Joel Savoy, the progeny of one of the first families of Louisiana music -- the group solidified into its current five-piece form. The revamped Ramblers, buoyed by fiddler Kevin Wimmer -- a longtime member of Cajun mainstay Balfa Toujours -- and Eric Frey, an Alabama native who was schooled in bluegrass by his bassist dad, then in jazz by one-time Basie sideman Cleveland Eaton, made their entrée into the recording realm in 2004 with Right Key, Wrong Keyhole. “That was the album where we really established a style that was really ours,” says drummer Glenn Fields. “We have some really great writers in the band and they started to show that on Right Key, just like they do on Made InThe Shade. It’s not focusing on a nostalgic sound, but we’re not trying to drag modern elements into the traditional songs just for the sake of it.” “Traditional music has a lot of social and cultural implications that pop music doesn’t, in terms of getting people together.” says Justus. “It’s not as much about performance or virtuoso musicianship as it is about community and I think people are attracted by the approachability. That’s a rebellious thing in a way, the desire to be real and not be co-opted or homogenized, and that’s what we’d like to be seen as representing.” Rock and Rye Rock & Rye is a Durango, CO bluegrass band that focuses mainly on traditional bluegrass music. The band formed in 2005 for David Smith’s 30th birthday party to play at a bar that has since burnt down. Now entering 2008 the band is a "stable" 5-piece with Bruce Allsopp on banjo, Steve Williams on bass, David Smith on guitar and two incredible Durango musicians joining in: Robin Davis on guitar and Jeff Hibshman on mandolin. Look for this lineup of Rock and Rye playing well into the summer of 2008. The band is looking forward to continuing in the ways of bringing good times to audiences.
Shannon Whitworth A former member of The Biscuit Burners, Shannon Whitworth is on the bill with her new ensemble. With songs steeped in southern elegance, Shannon Whitworth’s impact in the world of Americana music over the past several years has created lofty expectations from fans nationwide. Her debut solo release, No Expectations, is pure, strong and heartfelt, catching the ears and touching the hearts of even the most unsuspecting bystander. Shannon’s musical background began in picking circles in the back of a vacuum repair shop in Boone, NC, where she played with men twice her age. Whitworth made her mark with her captivating voice and definitive songs as a founding member of The Biscuit Burners. On her former band’s 2004 release, Shannon’s ballad, “Come On Darlin’” was chosen as the iPod Hotpick Bluegrass Song of the Year. Shannon Whitworth currently lives in the mountains of western North Carolina, where she has spent the last ten years focusing on mountain, bluegrass and country music. Her talent as a singer and songwriter enabled her to spend four years touring the United States with a band she co-founded, The Biscuit Burners. On clawhammer banjo and guitar, Shannon’s compositions contributed depth to the band’s material and have helped her gain respect as a truly talented singer and songwriter. No Expectations features ten of Shannon's most recent compositions accompanied by an all-star cast of musicians, and is one of the finest and freshest Americana/country roots records you will hear today. Great singing, great writing, and great picking makes Shannon Whitworth's first solo project unforgettable.
The Waybacks Possessed of dazzling instrumental chops and an absolute mastery of acoustic musical styles, The Waybacks have taken North America by storm. Whether they’re mesmerizing audiences at intimate venues, or creating a sensation at major festivals, the band has brought its onstage alchemy to enthusiastic fans far and wide. Eclectic in both their influences and approach, The Waybacks embrace multiple genres and put their unique stamp on the lot, rendering them all with characteristic charm, wit and virtuosity. In so doing, they transcend genre altogether, conjuring up musical landscapes that defy boundaries but always find their center at the crossroads of fun and fascination. From newgrass and western swing to jug band and jazz, from folk and fiddle music to improvisational excursions that defy categorization, Waybacks music is wild, energetic and unpredictable. Their stellar musicianship and innate sense of adventure puts them in good company with the few bands at the forefront of today’s New American acoustic music. The success of the group's approach is evident in its broad appeal to audiences of all ages, shapes and tastes, whether they sit enraptured, stand drop-jawed at breathtaking flights of fancy or just plain get up and dance. This is a populist band in the best sense of the term, one whose ardent fan base spreads the word like wildfire. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, The Waybacks are James Nash, Chuck Hamilton, Joe Kyle Jr. and Warren Hood. Nearly a century of musical experience steps onstage with them at every gig, including professional associations with a host of musical luminaries ranging from Ramblin' Jack Elliot to Lawrence Welk. Go figure. Fleet-fingered and muddy-booted, they can play like nobody's business. Their first two albums - Devolver (2000) and Burger After Church (2002) - have received airplay on 100-odd radio stations worldwide and widespread critical acclaim in the press. Their much-anticipated live CD, Way Live (2003) captures the band in their element, performing with trademark fervor. Those recordings and the band's reputation as performers have preceded them, garnering invitations to play mainstage sets at such premiere venues as The Fillmore, The Birchmere, The Old Town School of Music, The Great American Music Hall, The Freight and Salvage, The Station Inn and The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, among others, as well as at such festivals as Merlefest, Grand Targhee, Four Corners Folk Festival, Grey Fox, Kerrville, Strawberry, Winterhawk, Folks Festival, Wintergrass, Old Settlers, Walnut Valley and many more. All told, The Waybacks is a band far greater than the sum of its parts - four intrepid travelers following their muse, looking to chart new territory and bringing everyone along for the ride. It's a trip well worth taking. Don't miss it! |
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