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2010 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. 2010 Pagosa Folk ‘N Bluegrass Media Kit Click on this year's Folk 'N Bluegrass performers below for bio, publicity links and high resolution photos.
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.
Bearfoot Although Bearfoot has nine years, major festivals, and three albums under their belt, Doors and Windows contains many firsts. This is the first Bearfoot CD to feature guest musicians, in this case Andrea Zonn of James Taylor And Band (fiddle), Andy Hall of The Infamous Stringdusters (dobro), Alison Brown (banjo) and Larry Atamanuik, whose drums also represent another Bearfoot first. The band, all of whom sing, have also elected to rely more on a lead singer approach, with newest member Odessa Jorgensen taking charge of the vocals. California-born fiddle player and vocalist Jorgensen, formerly a member of The Biscuit Burners, joined Bearfoot in September 2008. Produced by Compass Records' Garry West, Doors and Windows is made up of eleven gorgeous songs steeped in the bluegrass music tradition but unafraid to befriend other genres. The opening song, "Oh My Love" has a gentle, rolling melody that speaks to the freedom of loving without fear and is the perfect lead-up and juxtaposition to the toe-tapping traditional, "Single Girl". Bearfoot proves less-is-more on the old-timey inspired "Caroline" (written by former member Annalisa Tornfelt) and their show-stopping a cappella original "Good in The Kitchen". The title track, penned by Jorgensen and featuring hypnotic guitar and fiddle underpinnings, is darkly evocative musical poetry. Bearfoot tackles their first pop cover with a laidback version of The Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down". "Overall, I think this album is more collaborative," says Hamre. "In the past it's always been 'we have to have a fiddle break, and a mandolin break, and another fiddle break', but this time it's more about the sound as a band than it is about individual solos. "I think that what's really cool about this album is that it captures our energy and when you listen to it, you want to move," muses Norris. "I don't know if I can say that about what we've done previously; every song is like that. It's physically lifting." Collaborative, uplifting, energetic, haunting, beautiful, inspired: all words that anyone should feel comfortable with while describing the sound of Bearfoot. With the release of Doors and Windows on April 21, Bearfoot will again find themselves atop a cultural mountain where they overlook the past, present, and future of bluegrass music.
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.
Born in the rumbling cab of a stone truck and aged in the oak of Tennessee’s smoky night haunts, The Black Lillies have come to the forefront of the Americana scene in little more than a year. Founded by multi instrumentalist and vocalist Cruz Contreras, co-founder of Robinella and the CCstringband, The Black Lillies have created their own unique brand of country, roots, rock and blues via Appalachia. The group, formed in 2008, also includes bassist Taylor Coker, electric guitar and pedal steel whiz Tom Pryor (the everybodyfields), and drummer Jamie Cook (the everybodyfields). In April, The Black Lillies released Whiskey Angel, their debut recording. The album was recorded live in Cruz’s living room by Sparklehorse drummer Scott Minor, and features Billy Contreras on fiddle. The band has toured regularly throughout 2009, with highlights including two performances at the Bonnaroo Music + Arts Festival, two performances at Bristol's Rhythm & Roots Reunion, and appearances on the Music City Roots and Tennessee Shines live radio shows. The host of Tennessee Shines, legendary songwriter and musician Jim Lauderdale, called The Black Lillies “a true Americana supergroup.” The band kicked off their first national tour in November in front of a packed house at the storied Ryman Auditorium, the "Mother Church of Country Music." The Black Lillies have developed their own style of Americana music in true East Tennessee fashion. They may not fit any industry norm, but where they’re from, that’s a good thing.
Darol Anger & the Republic of Strings Somewhere beyond or behind all musical borders lies a creative terrain where bluegrass, jazz, classical, pop, and various world musics mingle, played by musicians who care more for inspiration than they do for genre. If that place has a name, it's surely the Republic of Strings, for no one knows its contours better than veteran fiddler Darol Anger, guitarist Scott Law, cellist Mike Block and five-string violinist Lauren Rioux. They have created the visionary musical landscape of the Republic, exemplified by their two recordings, Republic Of Strings and Generation Nation, for Compass Records. Drawing from an array of sources that includes bluegrass, Celtic and Appalachian musics, Ornette Coleman, Scandinavian string bands, Aretha Franklin and the quartet's own members, Generation Nation documents a unique intergenerational exchange. Compelling musical textures, elegant solos and vocals all emanate from a startlingly diverse group of guests. "There's a lot of respect and love going on among the players," says Anger, "and I think it comes out in the music". One listen proves that he's exactly right. The Republic Of Strings has appeared at major music festivals all over the US including Rockygrass, Grey Fox, and Wintergrass. They have toured extensively in all parts of the country and have developed a deep empathy that has developed among its members over nearly eight years of concert appearances, teaching residencies and informal exchanges. Veteran legendary fiddler Darol Anger has poured everything he learned over 30 years about music into the Republic Of Strings. Violinist, fiddler, composer, producer and educator, Anger is at home in a number of musical genres, some of which he helped to invent. He developed his signature sound through working closely with many of the world’s great improvising string musicians, among them Stephane Grappelli, Edgar Meyer, Mark O’Connor, Bela Fleck, Tony Rice, David Grisman and Vassar Clements. Anger has produced dozens of critically lauded recordings since 1977 which have featured his compositions and performances. His current group, The Republic of Strings, breaks new territory for bowed string instruments and presents young talent. With the jazz-oriented Turtle Island String Quartet, Anger developed and popularized new techniques for playing contemporary music on string instruments. His groups The Republic of Strings, The Fiddlers 4, Psychograss, and the Anger-Marshall Duo feature his compositions and arrangements. His group Montreux was the original musical model for the New Adult Contemporary radio format. The David Grisman Quintet forged a new genre of acoustic string band music with Darol’s “fertile inventiveness, surprising touches and technical mastery” often in the forefront. Darol is an Associate Professor at the prestigious Berkleee School of music and is a McDowell and UCross Fellow. Mike Block, cello, plays in many genres and groups, including his own band for which he sings and writes. Mike is the cellist in Mark O'Connor's Appalachian Waltz Trio, and frequently performs with Yo-Yo Ma in The Silk Road Ensemble. Mike is a member of the Absolute Ensemble, the Sirius String Quartet, the Hanneke Cassel Band, The Knights, and Bassam Saba's New York Arabic Orchestra. He has performed with Edgar Meyer, Mike Marshall, Christian Howes, Marcel Khaliffe, Goran Bregovic, and Kayhan Kalhor. Mike performs frequently in Germany, where he recorded the World Premiere of Gregor Hubner's Cello Concerto No. 1, showcasing Mike's non-traditional pizzicato and improvisation skill. As a composer, Mike has had his works performed by the Silk Road Ensemble, Sirius String Quartet, the Absolute Ensemble, and many others. A graduate of the Juilliard School and the Cleveland Institute of Music, Mike's former cello teachers include Richard Aaron, Joel Krosnick, Darrett Adkins, and Carter Enyeart. Mike also trained two years with Pamela Devenport to become a Suzuki teacher. In the summers, Mike teaches improvisation and non-classical styles at Mark O'Connor's string camps, the Kansas City Cello Clinic, and the Swannanoa Gathering in North Carolina. Beginning as a brilliant and versatile electric guitarist, Scott Law has perfected an acoustic style which bears his unique stamp yet freely ranges over the entire history of rock, jazz, and bluegrass guitar. His early years as a drummer inform his style with a rare rhythmic concision. He is also a prolific songwriter with a strong tenor voice. Scott Law embodies the ideal of the American Guitar Master. He has connected onstage with many contemporary masters of Americana music, among them Phil Lesh and friends, Melvin Seals, String Cheese Incident, David Carradine, Leftover Salmon, David Grisman, Darol Anger, Steve Kimock, The Motet, Peter Rowan, Yonder Mountain, and more. Trained early as a drummer, Scott took on the guitar at the age of 15 and in a few years was averaging 100 dates a year all over the U.S. He was a member of the Melvin Seals Band from 2000 to 2002. His popular acoustic world-rhythm group Hanuman released three recordings between 1998 and 2003. In 2005 he released his first solo project, Deliver, and toured nationally with his Scott Law Band. Living in Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle along the way has earned him a wealth of musical and professional connections and knowledge which he can draw on from his current home base of Portland, Oregon. Scott has scored and performed music for film and television, including an original song for the CBS primetime feature "Viva Laughlin" in 2007, and recent scores for two full-length documentaries by The Columbia Land Trust and Tom's Of Maine. He is a dedicated music educator, and has taught privately and at the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop since 1984. A rising star in the national fiddle scene, Lauren Rioux performs with Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings, Scott Nygaard and Crow Molly, and the StringNation Orkestra. A classically trained violinist and violist, Lauren discovered traditional fiddle music in 2001 at the first National American String Teachers' Association Convention. She is an excellent role model and source of useful information for classical players wishing to "cross over' into vernacular styles. Her powerful sound, vibrant rhythmic sense, fluency in old-time, Celtic and Scandinavian fiddle styles, and her tremendous personal charm add depth and interest to any ensemble. Lauren plays an active role in her native state of Maine’s music education network and served two terms as the state president for Maine ASTA. She is a highly sought-after teacher and workshop clinician, leading classes at Mark O'Connor's Fiddle Camps as well as National and State Conferences held by the American String Teacher's Association. Lauren lives in Maine and maintains a very active private studio of rowdy violinists, violists, and fiddlers ranging in ages from five to sixty-five years old.
Darrell Scott Born on a tobacco farm in London, Ky., in 1959, and raised in E. Gary, Indiana, Darrell was part of a musical family. His father Wayne, a steelworker by trade but a songwriter in his heart, moved his clan to Southern California when Darrell was 11. Soon Darrell and brothers Denny, Dale, Don, and David were part of their dad’s band, getting on-the-job training in country music as they played its hits on the stages of roadhouses and taverns as far north as Alaska. Darrell eventually left the band and California, paying some more musical dues in Toronto and in Boston and earning a degree in poetry from nearby Tufts University, where he also studied literature. With his lyric skills sharpened and his abilities on guitars, banjo and other instruments already road-tested, Darrell followed his muse to country music’s Ground Zero, Nashville. His key to entering Music Row’s inner circles was, at first, his string-slinging skills – starting in 1992, he appeared on albums by alt.country mavericks Guy Clark (for whom he later produced two CDs) and Steve Earle, Randy Travis, Patty Loveless, and dozens more. As his "day job" as a picker flourished, Darrell channeled his other creative energies into his own songwriting and recordings. By the time he had released his debut CD, Aloha from Nashville (1997), its follow-up Family Tree (1999), and Real Time (2000), a duo album with “newgrass” trailblazer Tim O’Brien, Darrell’s original songs were much in demand by singers looking for more than "big hat" bragging or slick country-pop. Suzy Bogguss was the first of many to record a Scott song, taking his "No Way Out" into the country singles charts in 1996. Darrell’s compositions became highlights of albums by Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Kathy Mattea, Maura O’Connell and even his mentor, Guy Clark. The Dixie Chicks’ recording of “Long Time Gone” from Real Time was not only a hit for the Chicks but garnered a 2003 Grammy nomination for "Best Country Song"; "The Second Mouse," a Scott/O’Brien tune from Real Time, was a Grammy finalist as “Best Country Instrumental Performance” in 2001. That same year, Darrell was named Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association International, an honor repeated by ASCAP in 2002. Darrell’s solo CDs, session work, touring gigs with Steve Earle’s Bluegrass Dukes (of which he remains a member), Guy Clark, and Newgrass Revival founder Sam Bush, and his own live shows have steadily drawn reviews even payola can’t buy. USA Today praised his “brilliantly clever songs”; Entertainment Tonight raved about his “powerful songwriting, passionate vocals and masterful picking”; Rolling Stone listed his 2003 CD, Theatre of the Unheard, in their list of Critics’ Top Albums and compared him to Clark and Springsteen “at their best.” Performing Songwriter went all the way, dubbing him “the best of the best.” Somehow, Darrell has continually found the time and energy to expand his musical activities ever further. In 2003, he launched his own label, Full Light Records, and his first move as owner was to produce a traditional, mountain country album for his father, This Weary Way, that finally showcased Wayne’s original songs. For the past two years, Darrell has been the “artist in residence” with Orchestra Nashville (members appear on Modern Hymn’s “Joan of Arc”), creating what he calls “diverse musical happenings – the odder the better,” mixing the string section with such guests as Sam Bush, jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, and other musicians from many genres. Darrell has also been stockpiling songs and ideas for his next few CDs, including orchestral recordings, a “stone country” album, a duets project, and a band record of roots, Americana and folk-rock songs. He plays more than 50 shows a year, including prestigious US and UK festivals, and conducts songwriting workshops around the country. He recently had to turn down an invitation to lead a road band for Joan Baez due to logistics. We should all have such problems; we should all have such skills. But Darrell does, and that’s what makes him such a distinctive and creative force in contemporary music.
Halden Wofford & the Hi-Beams Those unfamiliar with Halden Wofford and the Hi-Beams are often as shocked by the band’s rootsy, honky tonk music as listeners once were by the Beatles’ shaggy hairdos or Johnny Rotten’s snarling lyrics. But just as old-time beers like Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller High Life are again topping the drink charts, classic honky tonk is back in style with a force. The echoey twang of the steel guitar, snap of the snare drum, thump of the stand-up bass and rippin’ electric guitar solos mix with Wofford’s distinctive vocals to create a solid sound that is familiar yet purely original. Not unlike hard-core bluegrass, The Hi-Beams’ style of honky tonk has a language and culture all to itself, but only takes one quick lesson to learn how to love for a lifetime. Wofford’s growly, wavering tenor rings out across dive bars, theaters, municipal concerts and festivals all along the Front Range of Colorado and beyond, conjuring up images of Hank Williams Sr., Buddy Holly and Bob Wills. But while Wofford and his creative powerhouse of talented musicians are committed to playing real country music, they don’t stick just to the old, time-tested favorites. The band’s long collection of original tunes accompanies a handful of familiar crowd-pleasers to create a bulging repertoire of good music. Halden Wofford and the Hi-Beams’ first CD was released in 2003 to critical acclaim, topping the Freeform American Roots (FAR) Chart for two consecutive months. On the heels of a successful appearance on A Prairie Home Companion, the band’s second CD, Midnight Rodeo, was released in June 2006. A third, as now untitled CD, will be released in 2009.
Additional Publicity Honey Don’t is the musical union of Bill Powers and Shelley Gray, perhaps better known as one-half of the Paonia, Colorado based old-time bluegrass band, Sweet Sunny South. Their music is acoustic and based in the folk tradition. They draw from their bluegrass and old-time background while injecting country, blues and a little swing. The songs are catchy and engaging, funny, sad, lonesome and uplifting. Most of the songs are original, but select covers and traditional tunes are part of their repertoire as well. Bill describes himself as a writer first and foremost and all the while that he has been writing songs for SSS and otherwise, Shelley has been right there working out arrangements and adding her bass and voice to the mix. Honey Don’t is the harmonious result of their long-time partnership as musicians, parents and friends. Bill and Shelley’s comfort on stage and with one another creates a laid-back and endearing vibe that shines through the music. The quality of their songs range from sweet and dreamy to downright rockin’ resulting in an eclectic sound enjoyed by any audience and can be booked as a duo, trio or quartet. In 2009, Honey Don’t welcomes Ryan Drickey on fiddle and Greg Schochet on mandolin and guitar. Greg and Ryan are two of the best acoustic musicians Colorado has to offer. This combination of talent and collective experience are destined to leave a lasting mark on the acoustic music scene throughout the western region of the US. Between the four they have played nearly every major regional festival and stage you can name including The Durango Meltdown, Four Corners Folk Festival, High Mountain Hayfever, A Prairie Home Companion, The Rialto, Boulder and Fox Theaters, Moab Folk Festival, Rockygrass, Silverton Jubilee, Flagstaff’s Pickin’ in the Pines, Wintergrass in Tacoma, WA and many, many more. Although the group is new on the scene, these seasoned performers are sure to entertain.
Kenny & Amanda Smith Band Winners of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s prestigious Emerging Artist of the Year award in 2003, the Kenny and Amanda Smith Band combines gutsy, heartfelt vocals, brilliant instrumental talents and a powerful, contemporary sense of song choice and arrangement into one of the most compelling new sounds in bluegrass today. Born of the intensely personal musical and romantic connection between Kenny and Amanda Smith, the band shares an all-too rare sense of intimacy and cohesion where each musician feels an almost telepathic connection. Musicians call it being in the groove, where the group collectively accents each beat in precisely the same way. Whatever it’s called, this band has it in spades. Originally from Nine Mile, IN, Kenny Smith is widely considered one of the most important and influential flatpicking-style guitarists of his generation. A two-time IBMA Guitarist of the Year award winner, his professional credits include 6 years with the popular Lonesome River Band and an exceptional solo CD, Studebaker, released on Sugar Hill Records in 1997. Kenny’s in great demand at guitar workshops and master classes, teaching at the renowned Roanoke Bluegrass Weekend series and at guitar workshops at major events such as IBMA. He has just released a two-DVD instruction set on AcuTab Publications. Born in the small town of Davisville, WV, Amanda Smith grew up singing in church choirs and participating in talent contests at local fairs. “I always sang, my mom and dad said, even before I can remember,” she says today. She started playing guitar in high school to accompany herself, and soon discovered bluegrass music through female artists such as Claire Lynch, Rhonda Vincent and Alison Krauss. She met her future husband at a Lonesome River Band concert, and the couple began dating and playing music together almost immediately. “I wouldn’t say it was love at first sight, but there was definitely something there,” she explains. Their shared Christian faith, love for bluegrass and desire to perform together led them to record a debut CD, Slowly But Surely in 2001. Recruiting several of their favorite players for the session, the album surged up the bluegrass charts on the strength of their hit song, Amy Brown. Winning IBMA’s Emerging Artist Award came as an unexpected thrill for the Kenny and Amanda Smith Band. “We were blown away just to be nominated; we didn’t know whether anyone was even paying attention to what we were doing” says Kenny. “So to hear our names called and to go up on that stage was just amazing.” The band’s second release, House Down The Block on Rebel Records, further solidified its position as one of the best new bands in bluegrass. The third album, a 2005 release is titled, Always Never Enough. Earlier this year, the band's first-ever all-gospel project was released on Rebel Records. Tell Someone is available from all major music outlets and from the band directly. About the Band Aaron Williams is a fifteen-year old mandolin player from Blacksburg, Virginia. Since attending his first bluegrass concerts as a toddler, he’s been captivated by music. He began to play around on various instruments that lay around the house, until about age nine when he settled on the mandolin and pursued it seriously. Learning the basics from his father, and nurtured by some extremely talented musicians in his area of southwest Virginia, he has become a very accomplished player. He has placed and won at many competitions around Virginia and North Carolina including the Merlefest mandolin contest and the Galax Fiddler’s Convention, where in 2005 he had the opportunity to meet and jam with Kenny and Amanda Smith. That meeting has grown into a friendship and musical relationship that has helped Aaron grow exponentially as a musician, and has led him to record his first solo record with Kenny and Amanda as co-producers. Aaron is now very excited to be playing mandolin as the newest member of the K&A Smith Band. Born and raised in Benson, NC Zachary McLamb began playing bass at the age of seven. Zak first fell in love with the bass that his dad had bought with the intention of Zak’s mom learning to play. At age fifteen he joined the Raleigh, NC based group New Vintage. Since then he has performed with such groups as The Grass Cats, Carolina Road Band, Donna Hughes, Chrystal Sawyer, The Gena Britt Band & co-founded the group Constant Change. In September of 2005 Zak started playing with the Kenny & Amanda Smith Band. Zak is featured on the 2007 Rebel Records release “Tell Someone”.
Matt Flinner Trio Multi-instrumentalist Matt Flinner has made a career out of playing acoustic music in new ways. Starting out as a banjo prodigy who was playing bluegrass festivals before he entered his teens, Flinner later took up the mandolin, won the banjo contest at Winfield Kansas in 1990, and took the mandolin award there the following year. Flinner’s decision to focus on eight-stringed instruments, especially the mandolin, was primarily a function of opportunity. He explains, "I was getting more work on the mandolin." Sugarbeat, an eclectic quartet that also featured banjoist Tony Furtado, lead vocalist and guitarist Ben Demerath and bassist Sally Truitt allowed him the opportunity to master the mandolin in a contemporary folk and bluegrass context.
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper Award-winning fiddler Michael Cleveland brings dynamic traditional bluegrass to the stage with his band, Flamekeeper, in a show that will leave the audience talking. A seven-time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association's Fiddle Performer of the Year award, Mike and his talented band present a program of tight vocal trios and duos, blistering instrumentals, and fiddle-and-banjo duets that echo the first-generation stars of bluegrass. The show is rounded out with Mike's dry wit and the band's sense of fun. Considered one of the premier bluegrass fiddlers of his generation, Mike picked up a fiddle at age four, and his talent was recognized early. In 1993 he was chosen to be part of the Bluegrass Youth All Stars at the IBMA’s award show. Later that year Mike made his Grand Ole Opry debut as a guest of Alison Krauss. His list of guest appearances over the years is a who's who of bluegrass legends including Bill Monroe, Jim and Jesse, Ralph Stanley, Mac Wiseman, Doc Watson, Larry Sparks, Doyle Lawson, and J.D. Crowe. After high school Mike briefly toured with then-named Dale Ann Bradley and Coon Creek before joining Rhonda Vincent and The Rage in 2000. At the 2001 IBMA awards, Mike took his first Fiddle Performer of the Year award, and shared the title of Entertainer of the Year with Rhonda Vincent and the Rage. In 2002 Mike rejoined The Dale Ann Bradley Band. That year he won the Fiddle Performer of the Year award and again in 2004. Mike's first project as a Rounder recording artist, “Flame Keeper,” was released in February 2002 and was chosen the IBMA’s Instrumental Album of the Year. In 2004, Mike shared the Instrumental Album of the Year award with Tom Adams for “Tom Adams and Michael Cleveland Live at the Ragged Edge,” an album of fiddle and banjo duets. Since 2006 Mike has swept the Fiddle Performer of the Year award, and now has seven. Today Mike is a sought-after guest and has performed recently with
Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, The Mark Newton Band, J.D. Crowe and the
New South, Melvin Goins and Windy Mountain and The Wildwood
Valley Boys. He is also an active studio musician, and his credits include
Missy Raines & the New Hip
It’s sometimes said that great bass playing vanishes, supporting the music without drawing attention to itself. But history also shows us that when the best bass players step forward as bandleaders, remarkable things can happen and it does in the case of Missy Raines and the New Hip. Missy, a trailblazer in her field for as long as she’s been playing music, formed this dynamic quintet to bridge the musical worlds of newgrass, jazz, singer/songwriter and any others they take a notion to explore. The New Hip’s name is at once a subtle tribute to “Birth Of The Cool,” the heraldic 1950 album by Miles Davis that Raines cherishes, as well as a wry joke about a life-changing surgery that has allowed Raines to play in her famously physical style without pain for the first time in decades. That liberation resembles the musical freedom enjoyed by this young and vibrant band. The New Hip lets Raines compose and exchange ideas with four players ranging in age from 17 to 27 who grew up enthralled by traditional American roots music and its modern offshoots, just like their boss. The project’s first recording project, Inside Out, was released on Compass Records on February 10. Their live show, slated for prestigious stages in 2009 and beyond, is a balanced diet of the arranged and the improvised, the sung and the picked. Raines is the most decorated bass player in the history of the International Bluegrass Music Association and a popular figure in the bluegrass community for her warmth and her passion for the music and its practitioners. She spent years as a valued member of the Claire Lynch Band and half of a remarkable duo with guitarist Jim Hurst. Assembling the new band took years of diligent recruiting and rehearsing, and the journey led her to the bluegrass world’s growing cadre of amazing and eclectic young players. “We’ve only begun creating new sounds,” Missy says. “Everybody in the band writes, and I sought them out for that reason, because I wanted a band sound. I’ve always imagined it having the input of everybody and featuring everyone’s talents.” The New Hip puts Raines on a path trod by bass player/band leader/composers like Ray Brown, Charles Mingus and Edgar Meyer. If her past is any indication, she’ll be one more shining example of why it’s not wise to underestimate the musician – male or female – back there in the band with the big, low instrument.
The Quebe Sisters Band When Grace, Sophia and Hulda Quebe (pronounced kway-bee) take to a stage to play and sing their vintage-style three-part harmony, audiences are mesmerized. Add the swinging rhythm guitar of World Champion fiddler Joey McKenzie and the upright bass of Drew Phelps, and the Quebe Sisters Band becomes a force of nature. Reaction is the same wherever the Fort Worth-based group goes, and it's been around! Highlights include the Grand Ole Opry, the Kennedy Center, NYC's Lincoln Center as well as major festivals, concert halls and corporate events across North America and Canada. Performing a refreshing blend of their favorite styles of music - whether it's a western swing classic a la Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, a hot jazz or swing standard (Benny Goodman), vintage country shuffle or western anthem that would do the Sons of the Pioneers proud, the QSB is phenomenal. The house comes down, too, when they launch into bluegrass or a traditional, Texas style fiddle tune. Recently named Group of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists and recipient of the Crescendo Award by the Western Music Association, as well as nominations for Country group of the year by both the Dallas Observer and Ft. Worth Weekly, the QSB is performing coast to coast in support of their latest CD, Timeless. Timeless, the band's debut album on FiddleTone Records, features the Sons' "So Long to the Red River Valley" along with Duke Ellington's "Take the 'A' Train," Spade Cooley's "Shame on You" and Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell's "Georgia on My Mind" — a collection of band members' favorite tunes by their favorite artists, given the QSB-style golden touch. Since their musical journey began in 1998, Grace, Sophia & Hulda Quebe have been covering a lot of ground. In the beginning, the Q's started taking fiddle lessons from Sherry McKenzie (Joey's wife) and later from Joey, learning traditional Texas-style fiddling. From the start, all three sisters demonstrated astonishing talent and determination and a real love of music. Shortly thereafter, the girls began entering fiddle contests and had success early on; winning several State, regional and National fiddle championships. The Quebes' musical repertoire has since grown to include a wide variety of traditional styles, especially western swing, hot jazz and swing standards, western and cowboy songs, vintage country and bluegrass. In addition to their fiddling, the girls enjoy the challenge of singing vintage style 3-part harmony. A partial list of their favorite bands includes Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, the Sons of the Pioneers, Billy Jack Wills, Spade Cooley, Andy Parker and the Plainsmen, the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, Benny Goodman's various groups, Ray Price and the Cherokee Cowboys, the Mills Brothers, the Boswell Sisters, the Andrews Sisters, the Beatles and Hot Rize. As for musicians, a partial (very partial!) list includes Ella Fitzgerald, Django Reinhardt, Marty Robbins, Tommy Duncan, Patsy Cline, Faron Young, Merle Haggard, Joaquin Murphy, Alex Brashear, Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant, Jethro Burns and Charlie Christian. As for fiddlers, a very partial list includes Benny Thomasson, Major Franklin, Orville Burns, Terry Morris, Norman and Vernon Solomon, Jim "Texas Shorty" Chancellor, Eck Robertson, Jimmie Don Bates, Kenny Baker, Svend Asmussen, Stephane Grappelli, Joe Venuti, Tommy Jackson, Louis Tierney, Johnny Gimble, Paul Anastasio, Buddy Spicher and Joey & Sherry McKenzie. When the girls aren't playing music, some of their other interests include reading, eating, playing with their dog "Dixie", cooking, talking and eating. Joey McKenzie's first musical experience began at the age of 11, tuning the instruments his father had around their house - a guitar, a mandolin, a tenor guitar, and a tenor banjo. Around the age of 12, Joey started learning a few chords and licks on each of the instruments and has been playing them ever since. When Joey was 17, he became interested in playing the fiddle after becoming friends with Texas fiddle legend Benny Thomasson. "I went to fiddle contests just playing rhythm guitar, but I wasn't really inspired to play the fiddle. When I got the opportunity to back Benny up in a few contests and hear the way he played, all I could think about was trying to learn to play the fiddle!" It wasn't long before Joey began competing himself and has since won well over 100 fiddle contests and several awards on other stringed instruments. Some of his awards include 3-time World Champion Fiddler, World Series of Fiddling Champion and 5-time Texas State Guitar Champion. Joey is enjoying his role as guitarist with the Quebe Sisters Band. He has always been fascinated with the great "behind the scenes" rhythm guitar work by players such as Eldon Shamblin, Homer Haynes, Eddie Lang, Karl Farr, Freddie Green and Oscar Moore. Besides playing guitar with the group, Joey also creates the bands musical arrangements and is the Quebe's fiddle and vocal instructor. Joey and his wife Sherry own and operate McKenzies' Music and Instructional Studio in Mansfield, Texas, where they teach traditional music on a variety of stringed instruments, but specialize in fiddle instruction. He also enjoys restoring and collecting vintage stringed instruments, and says he is still trying to get them in tune. A native Texan, Drew Phelps was initiated into the world of music at an early age when his father brought home instruments for him and his twin brother. "I got a bass guitar and David got a guitar" he recalls (brother David is currently a successful jazz guitarist in NYC). In junior high, Drew played tuba with the school band then in high school he discovered rock & roll and blues music which pretty much put an abrupt end to his tuba playing days. After graduating from high school, Drew enrolled in the nationally recognized music program at North Texas State University where he became enamored with the string bass. In addition to earning a Bachelor of Music degree from North Texas State University, he received a full scholarship to attend the School of Fine Arts at the Banff Centre in Canada, as well as a National Endowment for the Arts jazz fellowship to study privately with legendary string bassist Dave Holland. Drew is known as a versatile musician who is at home whether he is playing jazz and swing standards, western swing, country or old-time music. Drew has performed and recorded with an impressive list of musicians that include the Duke Ellington Orchestra, the Dixie Chicks, Mary Wilson, Sarah Hickman, Bernadette Peters, Jack Ingram, James Clay and Bob Hope (yes, Bob Hope!). In addition to performing and recording, Drew is in demand as a music instructor, teaching upright bass and music theory. In his spare time, Drew enjoys spending time with his wife Esther and their two boys, who are also accomplished musicians. Drew is a welcome addition to the QSB and his tasty bass playing helps shape the sound of the group and keep things swinging! Click here to watch the "Welcome to the band, Drew" video. |
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