Boston Bluegrass Union Announces Joe Val Showcase Stage Lineup
The 25th Joe Val Bluegrass Festival is just around the corner, February 12 - 14, 2010 at the Sheraton Framingham, in Framingham, MA. The Silver Anniversary edition of the festival presented by the Boston Bluegrass Union is sure to be a wonderful weekend. We're pleased to announce the line up for the Showcase Stage. Patterned after the famed late night "After Hours Showcases" at the IBMA convention, the BBU has put together an afternoon performance series you won't want to miss. A variety of new bands and some established favorites will present their music in the intimate setting of the Carlisle room in the hotel's lower level. Please join us, you are sure to discover some "tasty delights!"
Saturday
11:30 Start your day with a big helping of
Toast and Jam as this Cape Cod trio treat you with delicacies from their
Ten Slices CD. Served up by Julie Wanamaker (guitar), Laird Boles (bass), and sprinkled with mandocello, Dobro and National Steel guitar of Tim Dickey (banjo/mandolin).
www.toastandjammusic.com
12:15
A Bluegrass Invitation Band sizzles with their unique blend of Monroe-style bluegrass and current acoustic music. This Southern NE group is Charlie Santos (bass), Pete Gallant (mandolin/guitar), Frank Bouchard (banjo/guitar) and Joel Greene (fiddle/guitar).
www.bluegrassinvitation.com
1:00
Still River, a northwest-of-Boston band, serves up a mix of traditional and newgrass, featuring their own touch on tunes not often done in bluegrass. Bruce Pacheco (guitar), Joan Eliyesil (banjo), Marion Webster (mandolin) and Allen Pratt (bass) came together for a town fireworks program 4 years ago and created fireworks of their own.
www.jlesites.com/stillriver
1:45
Wide Open Spaces is bluegrass without borders! Central MA and ME members Glenn Nelson (banjo), Matt Carlen (guitar), Chris Dombrowski (bass), Peter Anick (fiddle/mandolin), and Marie 'Mud' Rocheleau-Demers (guitar) have a sound that is sometimes bold and bluesy, other times warm and introspective, and a repertoire that's - "Wide Open."
www.wideospaces.com
2:30
Chasing Blue is a hard-driving bluegrass band of young and talented musicians: Maggie MacKay (banjo), Suzanne Oleson (mandolin), Mike Reese (guitar), Trent Freeman (fiddle) and Chad Gray (bass) who hail from all across North America, but came together at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Original material includes strong instrumentals, sweet trios and memorable songs with honest, lyrical ideas.
www.chasingblueband.com
3:15
Sleepy Hollow String Band out of Westchester county New York, plays blues-inflected bluegrass with a tight, hard-driving groove and instrumental virtuosity; expect strong, spirited musicianship and tightly arranged songs. Featuring the playing of Ben Freed (banjo/dobro), Connie McCardle (guitar), Bob Bernstein (mandolin), and Rick Brodsky (bass), they will have some special guests perform with them this weekend.
www.banjoben.com/sleepy_hollow_string_band.htm
4:00 Long Island based
Blue Detour features John Chainey (mandolin), George Cannova (guitar), Dennis Corbett (banjo), and Julie Cannova (bass) playing traditional and modern up tempo bluegrass with their own local Northeastern flavor.
www.bluedetourmusic.com/
5:00
Crossfire Bluegrass Band delights in performing a mix of traditional and progressive bluegrass, as well as bluegrass renditions of old rock & roll numbers, and a few original songs. Southeastern New Englanders John Almeida (fiddle), Russell Hermansen (bass), Dennis Lewoczko (guitar), Ben Marshall (banjo) and Jeremy Place (mandolin) have been playing together for 4 years.
www.crossfirebluegrassband.com
5:45 The hard driving sound of
Newfound Grass stems from their experience in bluegrass, soul, rock and jazz. Seasoned New Hampshire musicians Steve Abdu (bass), Dan Burke (resophonic guitar), Ellen Carlson (fiddle), Craig Engel (mandolin), Mike Reynolds (banjo) and Scott Vickery (guitar) have combined talents to create an unmistakable sound. With driving instrumentals and tight harmonies, the band offers traditional and progressive bluegrass with a modern twist.
www.NewFoundGrass.com
SUNDAY
11:15
Hot Mustard, a great Sunday morning treat, offers banjo overload (eat your heart out Tony Trishka!) Vermont and New Hampshire residents Bruce Stockwell (banjo), Bill Jubett (banjo/fiddle), April Hobart (guitar), and Kelly Stockwell (bass) bring a zesty mix of bluegrass and old-time music featuring twin banjos and trio harmonies. It is rumored that a special guest could raise the banjo count to three!
www.hotmustardbluegrass.com
12:00
Grass Routes, a five-piece Connecticut bluegrass band, have been delighting audiences since 1980 with a repertoire ranging from traditional bluegrass standards to folk and
contemporary songs all performed in their own unique bluegrass style of skillful instrumental work, strong vocals and tight harmonies. Debuting their latest line-up, the band features five lead vocalists, Marilyn Toback-Reveley (guitar), Bill Reveley (fiddle/mandolin), Dave 'Tex' Orlomoski (guitar), Joe Lemeris (banjo) and Joe Delillo (bass). Expect a delicious blend with each arrangement.
www.grassroutesbluegrass.com
12:45
Lost Acres String Band's eclectic buffet of acoustic string music includes bluegrass, waltzes, Mexican, Celtic, a dash of blues, jazz and rock & roll. The members of this Connecticut trio, Gordon Swift (violin), Jon Swift (bass), and Thom Sayers (guitar) are seasoned musicians and bring together decades of performing experience into an entertainment special for discriminating listeners.
www.gswift.com/LASB.htm.
1:30 After years of great jamming together,
Dave Reiner and
Too Blue, Joan Harrison (banjo), Betsy Rome (guitar), Michael Sassano (mandolin), and Jamie Doris (bass), have decided to join forces on the Joe Val Showcase Stage. Expect anything from bluegrass and swing to Celtic and originals. Beautiful duet vocals and award winning instrumentalists add up to a zesty and entertaining set.
www.toobluemusic.com
2:15
Spring Hill Rounders played at the Littlest Bar in Boston for seven years, and at Redbones in Somerville for 3 years. The band makes its mark for a driving rhythm from David Rizzuti (guitar) and Neil 'Pegleg' Helme (bass) backing Jimmy Ryan's crushing innovative mandolin work. Jiro Kokubu (dobro/banjo/mandolin) and Emma O'Donnell (fiddle) complete the band.
www.myspace.com/springhillrounders
3:00
Red Hot Blacktop certainly live up to their name; this sizzling aggregation features three currrent Berklee College of Music students and three 1st place winners* of the 2009 Lowell Banjo and Fiddle contest. Etienne Cremieux* (fiddle/mandolin), Josh Dayton (bass), Gabe Hirshfeld* (banjo), Sam Stambler (guitar/vocals), and Jen Starsenic* (fiddle) feature instrumental virtuosity, compelling vocals, and youthful energy.
www.redhotblacktop.com
3:45
Bain Ennis & Lonestar Highway stirs in Texas twang with bluegrass in the style of Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, and Seldom Scene. Boston based Bain Ennis (guitar), Richard Morehouse (bass), and Etienne Cremieux (fiddle/mandolin) combine their wide ranging musical influences for a satisfying conclusion to our Showcase Stage smorgasbord.
www.myspace.com/lonestarhighway
