Concerts are listed with the most recent at the top. Follow the links to
visit the web sites of the performers or the organizations their concerts supported.
Join us for an evening of variety. Our first group performs all
instrumentals, while the second features a capella tunes! White Shoes is Gerry Burns and friends. A delightful blend of
melodies and sounds using guitar, bass, piano, organ, trombone, percussion and
drums. Songs to dream to, songs to drive to, songs that just make you want to
put on your Dancing White Shoes!
It
was just over a year ago when Brenda Freed
(the music therapist), Amy Cartee
(the graphic designer) and Karene’
(the thespian) stood on-stage together as an official act for the first time.
Texas Hot Flash quickly took the Texas Hill Country by storm, becoming a
household name in bigger cities such as Austin and smaller towns such as
Luckenbach, Wimberley, Waco, and Kerrville, home of the world-famous Kerrville
Folk Festival. Describing themselves as "a cappella and then some," the
women use their interchangeable soprano, mezzo-soprano and alto voices to create
imaginative and stirring tone paintings in a variety of musical styles. The
group wows audiences with classics written by legends such as The Beatles, Van
Morrison, Billy Joel, and Rogers and Hart. They also provoke laughter and tears
with moving originals such as Handyman,
Send that Pizza Back,
Patiently, Peace On Earth
and Move On. The act’s shows
include voices alone or voices accompanied by any combination of guitar, piano,
djembe, spoons, and with harmonica played by harmonica aficionado, Michael
D’Eath. No Texas Hot Flash performance is complete without a good
bit of humor, flavorful antics and thought-provoking expressions of politics,
life and spirituality.
Johnsmith is one performer who doesn't wear hype well.
His artistry speaks for itself. In fact, the idea of 'just being real' is a
prominent theme throughout his music. And yet, to simply say that Johnsmith is a
great singer/ songwriter would not be enough. In addition to his incomparable
musical abilities and finely tuned songwriting skills, Johnsmith possesses the
even rarer gift of being able to share his soul. That gift is the foundation on
which everything else about him is built, and it comes shining through in every
song he sings. This is especially true of the selections on his new CD,
Kickin' This Stone.
Kristin de Witt is one of Austin's most popular back-up singers who now has
her very own solo CD to showcase her beautiful voice. She has sung with many of
Austin's most popular artists, including Sara Hickman and Annie Wenz.
Akin to progressive-folk
artists of yore, most notably Fairport Convention, the multi-faceted Mad Agnes
thrives on story-telling and a traditional aesthetic steeped in classical
motifs, intricate harmonies, and complex counterpoint." Minor 7th. From simple a
cappella to breathtaking instrumentation (guitars, bass, mandolin, keyboard),
Mad Agnes delights, incites, and heals. Recognized for their terrific live show,
Mad Agnes was selected to showcase by the New England Folk Alliance in 2003.
They perform nationally at listening rooms and festivals including the Bethlehem
Musikfest and Godfrey Daniels (PA), The Bitter End and the Towne Crier (NY), Old
Settlers Inn (KS), WFMT’s Live Stage (IL), Cedarburg Cultural Center (WI),
Oona’s (VT), University of Hartford (CT), Johnny D’s (MA), and First nights
Morristown and Worcester. No, Mad Agnes isn’t mad at all, says Pete Fornatale of
WFUV in New York, "They know exactly what they’re doing: crafting clever and
beautiful songs and singing them flawlessly."
The Ginn Sisters have
been singing & playing together for over 20 years. They were born into a very
musical family in Schulenburg, TX which laid the foundation for the folk, roots,
country and blues styles they perform today. With only 13 months between them,
they have a rare connection and voices that match like, well...sisters
"At the opposite end of the acoustic music spectrum, but no less
accomplished, is Texas' Two High String Band. A trio recently turned
quartet with the addition of guitarist Geoff Union, the Two High String Band
play country-folk-bluegrass without pretension. Insofarasmuch includes mostly
well-picked originals by mandolinist Billy Bright, but includes covers of songs
by Guy Clark (the sublime "Bunkhouse Blues," Merle Haggard ("Somewhere Between")
and John Hartford's crackly quirky "You Can't Run Away From Your Feet," which
provides a good indication of where this band's heart is located. That, and the
fact that the swing-jazz inflections of Vassar Clements' fiddle and David
Grisman's dawgy mandolin guest on the disc, is all you need to know to pinpoint
the Two High String Band as more than the sum of its influences."--Joshua
Mamis, New Haven Advocate, September 4, 2003
"..[H]onest without sounding too polished, 2HS can't really be called
bluegrass in the strictest sense. What exactly do you call what they're doing?
Hard to say, but they're pretty darn good at it whatever it is.--Jerry Renshaw,
The Austin Chronicle, June 27, 2003
Danny Santos is an Austin singer-songwriter who blends folk, bluegrass
and Tex-Mex music to create a unique and very enjoyable sound. His newest CD,
"Done Gone Got Lucky," showcases his songwriting talents, and also features many
local musicians. Danny tours Europe and many parts of the US yearly, and has a
strong local following, as well.
"In my opinion he is an artist who deserves
being recognized to the standard of the more interesting singer/songwriters from
the Lone Star state" Remo Ricaldone, Planet Country, Italy
August 20
Jon Emery Band (Austin, TX) - opener
Cowboy Johnson (Austin, TX)
Benefiting Recording for the Blind and
Dyslexic
This concert was featured on KUT's music minute on the air and with a nice Web
write-up--thank you, KUT.
Jon Emery's Austin roots
go back to the mid 1970s when his Missouri Valley Boys Band settled here and
became regulars at the Broken Spoke and at other country music clubs of that
era. Since then, in addition to fronting his own bands, he has backed-up a wide
variety of local and national acts. Upon first hearing in 1976, Townsend Miller
wrote, 'In my opinion, Jon Emery is the finest country singer to hit Austin
since Willie Nelson.' Emery's singing and songwriting transcend any easy
classification. His material is drawn as much from rock-a-billy and blues styles
as from country, and he is widely recognized for branching out in different
directions and taking risks. More recently, he has turned his attention to a
unique project for children of all ages. His newest album, A Child's Garden of
Music, creates songs out of the 58 poems that make up Robert Louis Stevenson's
A Child's Garden of Verses. He has performed this work in many schools
and continues to devote himself to entertaining and educating.
Cowboy
Johnson sings songs of pain, loss, regret and redemption. His voice
betrays the truth that he has actually lived these songs. He has danced
with his demons and you can hear them in the soulful honesty of his voice. He
first heard Mickey Newbury's music in 1970 and has been a fan ever since.
Cowboy's voice and Mickey's songs are a musical marriage made in heaven.
After Mickey's death in 2002, Cowboy became determined to carry on his legacy by
recording an entire album of Newbury's songs. His new CD, "Cowboy Johnson - A
Grain of Sand", beautifully showcases Cowboy's voice and Mickey Newbury's
songs. He is receiving much acclaim for this effort, and was invited to
participate in Willie Nelson's 2004 July 4 picnic to share his work with the
world.
