Back Porch Mary
Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 7:30 PM – $8 adv./$10 door
Not just a blue-collar Rock ‘n’ Roll Band, as Back Porch Mary often calls itself. This band doesn’t try to fit into any pre-defined category. They will, however, acknowledge a love for Honky Tonk, Rock, Rock-a-Billy, Punk, Country, Bluegrass, and just about every other type of American Music, which is part what makes them so great to see and hear live. Back Porch Mary is a people’s band in the tradition of Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, Social Distortion, and Steve Earle and the Dukes. If gallivanting around the Country, playing over 500 shows in twenty states, making new friends and influencing people from every walk of life is not enough, the band has also taken care of a few odds and ends in the rare moments they aren’t traveling. They started their own record label, Dry Gulch Records, and recorded their self-titled debut album, “Back Porch Mary”. They contributed four songs to the soundtrack of major motion picture and appeared in several scenes as well. They built their own state of the art recording studio and recorded their all-acoustic CD entitled “Honest Hands,” which went to #6 on x-country.xm satellite radio. In June of 2005 the band released a live CD entitled “The Last Rock Show”. Back Porch Mary has recently played over 250 shows in 18 months. They have 4 songs and are featured in an indie film that just got picked up nationally titled, “screen door jesus” www.screendoorjesusthemovie.com – www.backporchmary.com
The Wilders
Thursday, February 9, 2006 at 7:30 PM – $8 adv./$10 door
“They just have so much energy!” – This often-heard quote accurately follows a performance by Kansas City’s unique hillbilly stringband, The Wilders. This talented group, formed in 1996, is regularly regarded as “the band to see” wherever they go. Led by singer, guitarist and country wisecracker, Ike Sheldon, the band grounds itself firmly in the early formative years of recorded country music. Featured in each performance are the hard driving old time fiddle tunes presided over by multi-award-winning fiddler, Betse Ellis. Her infectious fiddling is often the cause of spontaneous dancing by both the audience and the band!
The Wilders’ playlist is peppered with original country, bluegrass, hillbilly songs, and fiddle tunes, and also includes many of the classic country favorites heard in the early days of the Grand Ol’ Opry radio show. Songs by Hall of Famers Jimmie Rogers, Roy Acuff and the Carter Family are presented in a faithful yet original light. Anchored by the insurgent walking bass lines of Nate Gawron, the band resurrects 1940’s and 50’s honky-tonk heroes like Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell, providing each tune with all the swinging electricity found in the originals without plugging in a single instrument. The finishing touch for the band’s sound is produced by the slippery dobro, chugging clawhammer banjo and plunky mandolin of jack-of-all-trades, Phil Wade. While Sheldon and Ellis handle the bulk of the vocal chores, the whole group can sometimes be heard harmonizing on a beautiful old gospel tune. Witnessing a performance by The Wilders is an exciting experience not soon forgotten. http://www.billions.com/artists/wilders/
PLUS
Old School Freight Train
Thursday, February 9, 2006
Blending jazz, Latin, Celtic, bluegrass and pop, Old School Freight Train (OSFT) creates electrifying acoustic music. This young Charlottesville, VA based group instantly carved their own unique sound, attracting a diverse audience since their inception in 2000. After gaining a loyal local following, the band gained national recognition touring the country and winning awards at the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass and Rockygrass Bluegrass contests. Old School Freight Train’s sound is synergistic and ultimately compelling. Banjoist Ben Krakauer, originally from Williamsburg, VA met mandolinist Pete Frostic who was at the time in college in Williamsburg. The two instantly had a musical connection, pushing the envelope of bluegrass. Lead vocalist and guitarist Jesse Harper soon joined the band and recruited bassist Darrell Muller from North Carolina. The band relocated to the Charlottesville area and began to further develop their sound with the addition of fiddler Nate Leath. A North Carolina native who is currently finishing up his degree at the Berklee School of Music, Nate’s poetic fiddling adds just the sound the band needed to round out their style. Mandolin master David Grisman heard their music in the fall of 2004 and viewed the band as “an emerging force to reckon with in today’s world of acoustic music.” They are the new band to watch. http://www.osft.net/bio.asp#bandBio
Preston Reed
Friday, February 10, 2006 at 7:30pm – $18 adv./$20 door
Preston Reed has virtually reinvented how the acoustic guitar is played. Reed practices a flamboyant “self-invented” style, characterized by percussive techniques and simultaneous rhythm and melody lines that dance and ricochet around each other, giving his music a level of excitement that is unparalleled among today’s guitarists. Playing an array of guitars from acoustic to electric to classical Reeds vast range of explosively original music will forever change your expectation of a guitarist. At age 17 Reed played his first live gig, supporting beat poet Allen Ginsberg at the Smithsonian Institute and since then he has appeared alongside Bonnie Raitt and Linda Ronstadt among others. Reed’s compositional talents extend to film soundtracks and prestigious commissions for the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet. Since 1979, he has recorded thirteen albums and three videos and charmed audiences on three continents. He continues to tour with the same hunger and relish that informs his guitar playing. The secret, he says, is to relax and let the guitar patterns run by themselves. Which explains how, at full tilt, he may sound like a full-on heavy metal band but he still won’t have broken sweat. http://www.prestonreed.com/index.html
Tempest
Saturday, February 11, 2006 at 9:30pm – $13 adv./$15 door
Northern California based Celtic-rock band, Tempest, is recognized as a driving force in the modern folk-rock movement. Fusing traditional material with high-energy rock intensity, the band is renowned for its dynamic and electrifying concerts. Tempest’s members hail from five countries across three continents: lead vocalist, electric mandolinist and founder Lief Sorbye from Oslo, Norway; drummer Adolfo Lazo from Havana, Cuba; guitarist Ronan Carroll from Dublin, Ireland; bassist Ariane Cap from Innsbruck, Austria; and fiddler Michael Mullen from Fresno, California. Signed to WEA-distributed Magna Carta Records, Tempest’s releases are acclaimed worldwide. The group’s recent studio CD Shapeshifter showcases diverse traditional material from across England, Scotland, Ireland, America and Norway, in addition to inventive, original material. Tempest is regularly featured at prestigious festivals including The Philadelphia Folk Festival, Denmark’s Skagen Festival, Britain’s Cropredy Festival and The Winnipeg Folk Festival. The band is also a mainstay at countless American Celtic festivals. The Philadelphia Inquirer says, “At the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Tempest brought down the house with its mad, high-energy mix of Scottish, Irish and Scandinavian traditions filtered through driving rock and roll.”
http://www.tempestmusic.com/
Darden Smith
Sunday, February 12, 2006 at 7:30 PM – $10 adv./$12 door
For years Smith’s smooth baritone and solidly structured songs were a staple on the Austin club circuit, and he maintains an appearance schedule that includes many venues in Austin. Early in his recording career he appeared on Austin City Limits, where he was described thus, “Critically acclaimed for his intelligent lyrics and guitar-based rock, Darden Smith blends western swing, rock, pop and folk with ease to create his original music.” http://www.dardensmith.com/
~ Valentine’s Day Concert ~
Jenna Mammina
Tuesday, February 14, 2005 at 8 PM – $13 adv./$15 door
As you listen to Jenna Mammina’s story, you come to feel that she was destined for a life in music. “When I was a baby,” she says, “my mother would sing Nat King Cole songs. Those were my lullabies. And I would wake up almost every night at midnight and coo…my first vocal performances!” Years, thousands of miles, and many vocal performances later, that musically inclined baby has grown into a vocalist of great power, imagination, and artistry. Jenna’s performance features an array of songs from Duke Ellington and Fats Waller to Steely Dan and U2, as well as originals. Choosing material with daring, Jenna makes a convincing case for herself as an artist whose music transcends category. http://www.jennamammina.com/
Huun-Huur-Tu
Wednesday, February 15, 2006 at 7:30Ppm – $18 adv./$20 door
World Renowned Tuvan Throat Singing Ensemble
World Renowned Tuvan Throat Singing Ensemble. Huun Huur Tu literally means “sun propeller.” The vertical separation of light rays that often occurs just after sunrise or just before sunset. For the members of Huun Huur Tu, the refraction of light that produces these rays seems analogous to the “refraction” of sound that produces articulated harmonics in Tuvan throat-singing. Amazing vocals and exotic instruments. www.huunhuurtu.com
Banshee In The Kitchen
Saturday, February 18, 2006 at 7:30pm – $10 adv./$12 door
In three action-packed years, acoustic trio Banshee in the Kitchen has delighted diverse audiences in festivals, theaters, living rooms, airplane hangars, church basements, and street corners from New York City to Los Angeles and across the West; and released not one, but two CDs. They play traditional Celtic music, spiced with a strong dash of jazz and rock, creating an eclectic, energetic sound all their own. The group takes traditional Celtic tunes, finds the sweet spot between the old and the new, then stirs it all up with playfulness and an exquisite sense of musicality they term “banshee-fying”. Critics praise their instrumental precision and flair for arrangement, while audiences applaud the fun and oh-so-musical experience of being with Banshee in the Kitchen. On stage, melodists Brenda Hunter (fiddle, hammered dulcimer) and Jill Egland (flute, accordion, whistle) trade off inspired flights of lead and countermelody over the dynamic rhythms of Mary Tulin (six- and twelve-string guitar, bouzouki). They sing with passion-blended sets of tunes and songs. Banshee in the Kitchen lives to play lively, beautiful, edgy Celtic music for appreciative audiences. See you at the show! http://bansheeinthekitchen.com/Pages/Welcome.html
Tuesday, February 21, 2006 at 7:30 PM – $8 adv./$10 door
Dave’s True Story
Dave’s True Story is a jazzy pop combo featuring Dave Cantor’s intelligent, sometimes quirky lyrics, Kelly Flint’s smooth-as-silk vocals and Jeff Eyrich’s acoustic upright bass laying a solid rhythm track beneath it all. They have built an impressive body of accomplishments since their formation in 1994. Winners of the 1995 Kerrville New Music Award as well as numerous and various other surprising accomplishments, they have performed nationally and internationally to wide critical and commercial acclaim. Dave’s True Story’s smart, sexy sound blows a cool breeze through the world in which we live with its fourth release, NATURE.
Like all great art, Dave’s True Story stands outside of its era, with a sensibility that encompasses the past, lives in the present, and hints at the future. The New York City group utilizes a stylish, elegant jazz/pop sound that contrasts the thorny thickets of songwriter/guitarist Dave Cantor’s deliciously devilish lyrics. DTS’s resident siren, Kelly Flint, coos former playwright Cantor’s crafty, acerbic missives as if they were tender messages of love, but songs about psychic readings, beatnik posers, and prescription medication are seldom the stuff of late-night saloon songs.
http://www.davestruestory.com/
Salsa Night with Monterey Salsa
Friday, February 24, 2006 – 9:30 PM – $10
Lessons followed by ALL Salsa ALL Night
www.montereysalsa.com
Adrian Legg
Sunday, February 26, 2006 at 7:30 PM – $12 adv./$15 door
Richard Chapman from Guitar magazine says of Adrian Legg, “Impossible to categorize as a player, Adrian Legg incorporates virtually every genre on his guitar in a virtuosic instrumental style with effects. He brought electric approaches to acoustic playing, creating a modern cross-over amalgamation in the tradition of eclectic folk playing that goes back to the 1960s.” Since the 1990 release of his first U.S. recording Guitars and Other Cathedrals, Adrian Legg has more than lived up to the expectations stirred by an ongoing avalanche of praise from critics, fans, top guitar mags and peers alike. Joe Satriani once said, “He’s simply the best acoustic guitar player I’ve ever heard…he plays like he has hammers for fingers.” The genius that the Boston Globe has called “technical brilliance paired with a troubadour’s tale-weaving skill” led him from 1993-96 to be voted Best Fingerstyle Guitarist four years straight by the readers of Guitar Player magazine. On Inheritance, his second release for Favored Nations and ninth overall, Legg blends his extraordinary virtuosity on the acoustic with a lush sonic arena that harkens back to the musical textures of his childhood life before the guitar. As popular as his catalog of recordings is, Legg’s true home is onstage. “Playing live is the whole point,” he says. “Everyone makes a journey, an effort; we all come together – me, the audience, the people who run the venue – to share this wonderful, universal, human emotional interaction. This is where music lives.” http://www.adrianlegg.com/index.html
Marley’s Ghost
Thursday, March 2, 2006 at 7:30 PM – $12 adv./$14 door
Known for its irrepressible humor and lively stage presence, MARLEY’S GHOST is one of the most popular and well-loved folk roots band on the club, festival and community concert scene. Renowned for inspired 4-part harmonies, the group is as much English folk roots (Jacob) as Jamaican reggae (Bob), plus Gospel, Country, R&B, Cajun and even Scottish bagpipe tunes. The group features former John Denver band member and Tony nominated Broadway star Danny Wheetman on guitar, fiddle, bass, banjo, and blues harp; Folk Legacy, Sierra/Briar and Sage Arts recording artist Jon Wilcox on mandolin, guitar and bouzouki; Ed Littlefield, Jr., formerly of the legendary Northwest swing band Lance Romance, on guitars, dobro, pedal steel guitar and Highland bagpipes; and honey voiced Michael Phelan on guitars, dobro and fiddle. http://www.marleysghost.com/
Gary Clark, Jr.
Saturday, March 4, 2006 at 7:30pm – NO COVER
Gary Clark, Jr. asked for a guitar for Christmas in 1996. His parents were reluctant because he did not play any other instruments and he had not previously shown an interest in the guitar. They debated but eventually decided to get the guitar. Using a library book as his guide, Gary taught himself guitar and within two years he was making a name for himself on the infamous 6th Street in Austin, Texas. On stage, Gary combines his self-taught guitar skills with a soulful voice. The result is a heartfelt sound, which impresses many and is enjoyed by all who have been fortunate enough to hear him. Recently Gary has expanded his performance style. On ongoing gig at the Continental Club in his hometown of Austin, Texas finds him playing solo, acoustic guitar. With a tack on the bottom of his shoe and tapping the beat on a wooden block, Gary’s raw talent is truly evident. His show has received rave reviews and Gary often plays to a packed house. He also performs a duet with Jason (Jay) Moeller on drums. Jason brings a lot of experience and energy to the stage. He has been called “gifted” and is one of the most sought after drummers on the Austin music scene. Most often, though, bass player, James Bullard, also a native Texan, joins these two gentlemen. James is currently working on a CD to be released before the end of the year and is also pursuing an acting career. These three musicians have a soulful, funky sound, which is appealing to young and old. Their camaraderie is evident to the audience and when you see how much fun they are having, well, you can’t help but have a good time, too! http://www.garyclarkjr.com/
Briefcase Full Of Blues
Saturday, March 4, 2006 at 9:30pm – $10 adv./$10 door
Briefcase Full Of Blues is the most realistic reproduction of the legendary comedians turned blues-men, Joliet Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd): The Blues Brothers. BFOB possess phenomenal musical craftsmanship, artistic talents and dedication for reproducing of all your favorite Blues Brothers songs and antics. The Band features a rock solid rhythm section that is “the backbone and nerve center of one of the hottest rhythm and blues bands around.” The BFOB band features experienced veteran musicians who have toured professionally throughout the world. The six piece rockin’ band delivers a dynamic sound that enhances the smooth vocal renditions and theatric presentations of Jake and Elwood. The show has “grooved” audiences with a heart-pounding excitement and flair of fun that has crowds singing, dancing and laughing. It is “simply the best” Blues Brothers rendition on the market.
New Monsoon
Thursday, March 9, 2006 at 7:30pm – $TBA
San Francisco rockers New Monsoon have been storming across the nation, transforming audiences into dedicated fans with their exhilarating marriage of world rhythms and rock bravado. New Monsoon’s vibrant percussion and acoustic and electric instruments come together in an irresistible blend of sophisticated songcraft, inventive musical exploration and down home rock-n-roll. New Monsoon was conceived when Penn State friends Bo Carper and Jeff Miller reconnected in California. With Carper’s rootsy acoustic finger style as a foil for Miller’s inspired melodies, the pair sowed the seeds of the New Monsoon sound. With the addition of the tour de force percussion section of drummer Marty Ylitalo, tabla virtuoso Rajiv Parikh, and conguero Brian Carey, the New Monsoon vision started to unfold. During the recording of the band’s first album Hydrophonic in early 2001, the band tapped long-time friend Phil “The Pianimal” Ferlino for keyboard tracks and 2004 delivered bass monster Ben Bernstein, who has helped propel the band to new musical heights. Latin, Brazilian and Indian percussion, drum set, didgeridoo, electric and acoustic guitars, banjo, mandolin, bass and keyboards, unify the musical styles of New Monsoon’s influences, which are as diverse as rock gods Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and Santana, bluesman Mississippi John Hurt and world music pioneers Tito Puente, Shakti and Peter Gabriel. New Monsoon’s original compositions are an experience of musical textures, rhythms, ideas and moods. At any given performance, the audience enjoys a synthesis of genres, everything from bluegrass to reggae, to funk and rock ‘n’ roll. http://www.newmonsoon.com/
Dayan Kai
Friday, March 10, 2006 at 9:30pm – $12 adv./$14 door
Multi-Instrumentalist, Dayan Kai performs a diversity of styles from Jazz and Folk to Americana and Country & Blues. His prolific songwriting enhanced by his powerful vocals and extraordinary musical ability creates a unique sound and style all his own.
The Devil Makes Three
Saturday & Sunday, March 11 & 12, 2006 at 7:30 PM – $14 adv./$17 door
Mixing styles from the ragtime and country music of the twenties and thirties to the rock and roll and punk music of their adolescence, The Devil Makes Three pushes the boundaries of acoustic music. Citing influences as varied as Steve Earle, the Reverend Gary Davis, Memphis Jug Band, and Django Reinhardt, the band combines tight vocal harmonies with idiot-savant finger style guitar to create an exciting and original sound. http://www.thedevilmakesthree.com/
The Black Brothers
Monday, March 13, 2006 at 7:30 PM – $12 adv./$14 door
Shay, Michael and Martin have been performers all their lives. Both parents were singers, with dad Kevin being an accomplished piper, fiddler and mandolin player. None of them had any formal music training but they inherited a love of music and song from their family. As they got older, Shay played the piano and guitar, Michael became proficient on banjo, guitar and mandolin, and Martin on fiddle, but also plays guitar and mandolin. They have recorded their own album as well as being joined by their sisters on three Black Family albums. The Black Brothers continue to tour regularly, mainly in the United States. Their current repertoire is very broad. It includes old Dublin street songs, music hall songs, historical ballads, songs from the Irish, English and Scottish traditions, along with songs by contemporary writers. They have a special fondness for songs that will involve an audience in a chorus, and many of the songs are narratives with stories. They intersperse their performance with stories and humourous anecdotes from their childhood with the occasional joke thrown in for good measure. They play dance tunes and are often accompanied on tour by Irish dancers, which give an added excitement to their performance. http://www.black-brothers.com/
Paul Thorn
Tuesday & Wednesday, March 21 & 22, 2006 at 7:30 PM – $TBA
Inveterate storyteller Paul Thorn credits his gift of gab to being the son of a Pentecostal preacher.
Thorn started down his music path at an early age. “As a child, I sang in churches. My first paying gig was at a revival with my father when everybody came around and put money in my tambourine.” An inauspicious beginning for Thorn, who would go on to tour with such heavy-hitters including Sting, Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck, John Hiatt, Richard Thompson, Robert Cray, Marianne Faithfull, and John Prine. Everywhere he performs, he draws an immediate, enthusiastic response and a lineup of fans a mile long. Thorn writes and performs songs taken from life – good times, bad times, and everything in between. His songs are often constructed on the universal themes of love, loss, and yearning. But far from ever sounding commonplace, Thorn is able to weave in a slightly loopy Southern sense of the unexpected that draws you in and never lets go. On his latest recording, ARE YOU WITH ME?, Thorn’s gift for narrative is stronger than ever. Musically, Thorn takes his rootsy style of gospel infused rock to a more refined place, with a slicked-back, R&B flavor that’s topped with the sweet, sweet sound of chicks and horns. Sure, you’ll hear his signature witty lyrics and brilliant irony, but Thorn can – and does – tug at your heartstrings every now and again. http://www.paulthorn.com/
Mimi Fox
Saturday, April 1, 2006 at 7:30 PM – $12 adv./$15 door
“She plays with tremendous fire. She can do pretty much anything she wants on the guitar.” – Joe Pass
Born in New York City, Fox started playing drums at nine, and then guitar when she was ten. When she was fourteen, she bought her first jazz album. The one she chose had no guitarist, but she was “blown away” by it. John Coltrane’s classic, “Giant Steps,” changed the course of her musical life. She began touring right out of high school and eventually moved to San Francisco, where she became a sought-after musician. A seasoned player, Fox has performed with fellow guitarists Charlie Byrd, Charlie Hunter and Kenny Burrell, as well as with Grammy award winners saxophonist David Sanchez and Manhattan Transfer’s Janis Siegel as well as saxophonist Don Lanphere. Fox has shared the bill with a wide array of musicians including Diana Krall, Stevie Wonder and John Sebastian. She has performed her original scores as guest soloist with several orchestras and has composed music for theater, film and dance, and has appeared on numerous television shows such as BET on Jazz. Fox maintains a whirlwind touring schedule, playing major jazz clubs and festivals from New York to Tokyo. Phil Elwood, dean of the San Francisco music critics, singled her out, “Outstanding performer. From the galaxy of stars at the JazzFest, guitarist Mimi Fox came across as the brightest.” Meanwhile, Mimi asserts her place among the jazz elite with the release of Perpetually Hip, her most daring and fully realized project to date.
http://www.mimifoxjazzguitar.com/
Garnet Rogers
Tuesday, April 4, 2006 at 7:30 PM – $10 adv./$12 door
At a young age Garnet Rogers was playing the definitive 8-year-old’s version of “Desolation Row” on his ukulele but he soon abandoned that instrument to teach himself the flute, violin and guitar. Within ten years, and barely out of high school, Garnet Rogers was on the road as a full- time working musician with his older brother Stan. Together they formed what has come to be accepted as one of the most influential acts in North American folk music. Since then, Garnet Rogers has established himself as ‘One of the major talents of our time”. Hailed by the Boston Globe as a “charismatic performer and singer”, Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence and a voice to match. With his “smooth, dark baritone” (Washington Post) his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere. His music is literate, passionate, highly sensitive, and deeply purposeful. Cinematic in detail, his songs “give expression to the unspoken vocabulary of the heart” (Kitchener Waterloo Record). As memorable as his songs, his over-the-top humor and lightning-quick wit moves his audience from tears to laughter and back again. http://www.garnetrogers.com/
Del Rey plus Steve James
Wednesday, April 5, 2006 at 7:30 PM – $10 adv./$12 door
Steve James, songsmith and bottleneck guitarist from Austin TX, is “a true Americana hero…his intensity and focus always reminds me of James Coburn’s character in the Magnificent Seven” -Third Coast Magazine
Del Rey, from Seattle WA, is a complex, pianistic guitarist, described as “a combination of Bo Carter and the Andrews Sisters” – Observant Fan
These two powerful exponents of American vernacular guitar-playing, have joined forces to make music testament to the hillbilly/smarty-pants/country blues aesthetic. Sharing a sense of humor and a similar manic intensity, their duets are smart, funny and full of instrumental virtuosity. Del Rey doubles on resonator ukulele and Steve James is known for his “noble savage” mandolin style. Audiences and critics have responded so favorably that they’ve been spending the majority of their time on the road playing as a duet. “Their inventive chops are jaw-dropping and amazing, and they both pay healthy respects to the masters of old without losing their collective musical identities, which embrace a host of old-time genres” (Bruce Willey, Santa Cruz Good Times) http://delreystevejames.com/
Claudia Schmidt
Monday, April 10, 2006 at 7:30pm – $12 adv./$14 door
Michigan native Claudia Schmidt has covered a lot of musical ground. Twenty-six years as a touring professional have found her traversing North America as well as Europe in venues ranging from intimate clubs to 4,000 seat theatres, and festival stages in front of 25,000 rapt listeners. She is familiar with the mediums of radio and TV, including regular stints on Public Radio International’s “A Prairie Home Companion” in its early incarnation, and starring in an hour-long documentary called “I Sing Because I Can’t Fly,” produced by KTCA TV in St. Paul. She participated in the delightful Les Blank movie “Gap-Toothed Women,” contributing a song as well as an interview. She wrote an award-winning score and performed in the Goodman Theatre’s Chicago production of Brecht’s “Good Person of Szechuan.” She has recorded eleven albums of mostly original songs, exploring folk, blues, and jazz idioms featuring her acclaimed 12 string guitar, mountain dulcimer, and incredible vocals. Her fans have learned to expect anything at a Schmidt concert, hymn, poem, bawdy verse, torch song, satire, and the gamut of emotions. Her live performances are not to be missed. Her musicality is astonishing. Her joy and love of performing are contagious. www.claudiaschmidt.com
Kurt Elling
Thursday, April 20, 2006 at 7:00 & 9:00 PM – $25
The Monterey Jazz Festival is proud to present Internationally renowned jazz vocalist Kurt Elling for an intimate performance at Monterey Live. Critically acclaimed worldwide, six-time Grammy Award nominee Kurt Elling combines vocalese with the spoken word, improvised scatting, and an appreciation of the classic Jazz songbook to re-energize the art of Jazz singing for new generation. He has released six albums of self-produced music for the famous Blue Note label. In the category of “Best Male Singer,” Mr. Elling has won the DownBeat and the JazzTimes critics’ polls three years running, the most recent Down Beat readers’ poll, two Jazz Journalists Awards and the Prix Billie Holiday from the Academie du Jazz in Paris. With his own quartet, Elling has performed on the road for the last ten years. He has also had occasion to perform with diverse musicians like Jon Hendricks, Billy Corgan, David Amram, Buddy Guy, Charlie Hunter and Oscar Brown, Jr. A macher in many realms, Kurt Elling has been commissioned to write, direct and star in more broadly based, multi-discipline creations for the City of Chicago and the Steppenwolf Theater. He is also actively working on stage and screenplay ideas. Mr. Elling is Vice Chair of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the 17,000-member service organization that produces the annual Grammy Awards. http://www.montereyjazzfestival.org/MJFpresents/kurtelling.htm
Ronnie Cox plus Annie Gallup
Tuesday, April 25, 2006 at 7:30 PM – $TBA
Ronnie Cox is best known for his work as an actor whose big break came with the, now classic, film “Deliverance,” which was not only his first film but was his first time in front of a camera! Needless to say, it opened doors for him that he didn’t even knew existed. Ronnie has been extremely lucky with a remarkable run in a wonderful variety of films. In addition to Deliverance, there have been the critically acclaimed productions of “Bound for Glory”, “The Onion Field” and “Taps” and The Peabody Award winning production of Thornton Wilder’s, “Our Town.” He has also been in his share of “blockbuster” commercial successes such as “Beverly Hills Cop”, “RoboCop” and “Total Recall” as well as countless TV movies, Mini-series and TV series including a year on the critically acclaimed series “St. Elsewhere” and the sci-fi classics, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Stargate SG1.” On his latest album “Ronny Cox Live”, as well as his previous recordings, “Cowboy Savant” and “Acoustic Eclectricity”, Ronny Cox showcases a wonderful acoustic mix of folk, western, jazzy-bluesy and just plain cornball stuff. His music is eclectic… funny…touching and always compelling. His songs showcase an original, sophisticted lyric-driven folky sound… and the stories that accompany the music are something else entirely.
http://www.ronnycox.com/index.html
Beat Poet Songwriter and “spoke folk” artist Annie Gallup’s writing is unabashedly imaginative and richly sensual. She is a teller of short, elaborate tales, song-length works of fiction that sparkle with the complexity and polish of poetry. Tightly packed lyrical strands that crackle with intelligence and spry word play and pulse with insistent rhythm. Hold Annie’s work up to that of many contemporary literary lions: she’s the real thing. http://www.anniegallup.com/
The Greencards
Sunday, June 11, 2006 at 7:30 PM – $TBA
The Greencards are determined to make history, not just repeat it.
They’re off to a good start. Though they’re steeped in the tradition of bluegrass, The Greencards weave influences as disparate as Bob Dylan, Ricky Skaggs and The Beatles into a compelling new brand of acoustic music. They honor the past, but refuse to live in it. That’s why they continue to push at the boundaries of bluegrass and Americana music.
Their willingness to experiment and follow the music into unfamiliar territory has earned the band accolades from critics and fans alike. In their short existence, they formed at the beginning of 2003, The Greencards have hauled in a Best New Band award at the 2004 Austin Music Awards and been nominated for Best New Emerging Talent at the 2004 Americana Music Awards. The Houston Chronicle praised their performance as one of The Top 5 Houston concerts of 2004, ranking them with luminaries such as George Jones, David Bowie and Simon & Garfunkel. Texas music legend Robert Earl Keen says of their music, “It’s the best bluegrass I’ve heard in 20 years.” http://www.thegreencards.com/
Robin Spielberg
Sunday, December 10, 2006 at 7:30 PM – $TBA
Mesmerizing audiences with inspired tales, extraordinary piano technique and heartfelt performances; Ms. Spielberg is in the top echelon of contemporary composer/pianists. Her natural talent for making audiences immediately comfortable transforms what could easily be an ordinary evening at the concert hall into a very special concert Event. Ms. Spielberg has released thirteen recordings include four albums of original piano solos. She began touring the US in 1996. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in a sold-out performance at the Weill Recital Hall in 1997 and has performed there twice since. Other memorable performances include a guest spot on the PBS television special, The Soul of Christmas: A Celtic Music Celebration with Thomas Moore; live performances on CBS Saturday Morning, Good Morning Arizona, Life Time Live, and CBS New Orleans. Robin made her Asia concert debut in Korea in August 2004 at the renowned Seoul Arts Center. Ms. Spielberg’s music has ranked in the top ten in its category on iTunes. “Robin has such a personal and expressive way of playing, and her story-telling about the origins of the music makes the pieces come alive…the evening was both touching and mesmerizing” writes Wind & Wire Magazine of Robin’s San Francisco area concert.
http://www.robinspielberg.com/
Note : An additional $2 club charge will be added to all ticket prices.