We are looking forward to a new visitor to Longstaff House.
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Lauren Sheehan brings her down-home music uptown, mixing old blues, early jazz and roots of country for a bluesbilly-good-time sound. Dubbed “Portland String Queen” by The Oregonian for her multi-instrumental prowess, Lauren is also known for her unforgettable voice and sings like “an angel with horns”, (Charlie Rowley, fan). She tours, teaches at Pacific University, and has recorded 5 CDs played on radio world-wide, including BBC, NPR, and BBKing’s Bluesville. Her music has been catalogued in the Library of Congress, and was recently included on “Sweet Bitter Blues” a compilation CD celebrating living Piedmont blues musicians, produced by Phil Wiggins and Frank Matheis. |
If you are wondering about this show, go have a listen:
https://stephanieannejohnsonmusic.com/videos
Join the Alex Nauman Trio featuring Matt Smiley & Dru Heller (Denver, CO) for an intimate evening of retro-tinged surf jazz and help celebrate the release of their new album “Meadowlark.”
Meadowlark is a heartfelt collection of Alex’s favorite original compositions, written over the past eight years. This special performance celebrates the album’s release in one of Missoulas’ most beloved and intimate listening rooms. Expect dynamic compositions, dreamy textures, and adventurous improvisation inspired by the styles of Julian Lage and Bill Frisell. Vinyl & CD copies will be available for the first time at the show!
For more info visit www.alexnaumanmusic.com
Please come and see Old Man Ben (who doesn’t look so old to me) for songs, stories, and almost-cowboy-poetry on October 17th.
Ben Larson is a working musician, poet, historian and carpenter from Philipsburg, Montana. He developed his storyteller ways over years of hitchhiking and wandering with his guitar and tape measure from Australia to Newfoundland and a thousand places in between. He lives in a handbuilt homestead with his public school teacher wife and two cowdogs, where he alternates his days between carpentry and weaving his observations into gruff newspaper columns and eclectic, yet deeply poetic songs.
Ben is a student of Montana history. His performances are filled with tales of real life in rural Montana, ghosts of the past and wry words of wisdom compiled over years of living outside and working with his hands. From renovating an old saloon in the ghost town of Hasmark to revitalizing old Mining Songs with the Clark Chateau non-profit in Butte, to seeking out the lost homesteads of his wife’s pioneer parents on the east side of the state, Ben’s storytelling mediums span all geographic areas and aspects of Montana living. Out of those experiences, Ben crafted a ninety minute compilation of original songs and poems, historic anecdotes and stories.
From Hobson to Scobey, Wibaux to Darby, Ben has performed in over 100 Montana towns and cities. Several albums of his music can be found on all streaming services, including his most recent release “New Tales From Old Montana.” In support of his Montana Living History show, Ben’s on a musical mission to bring his stories to all 56 counties of Montana; 41 down, 15 to go!
Short Bio for Jacob Jolli
Jacob Jolliff is one of the world’s premier contemporary mandolinists. In 2011
he graduated from Berklee College of Music, having studied there on a full
scholarship. The following year, in 2012, he won the USA’s National Mandolin
Championship in Winfield, KS. A fixture of the bluegrass scene, he
performed and collaborated with Béla Fleck, Tony Trischka, Michael Daves,
Grant Gordy, Wes Corbett, and Alex Hargreaves, to name a few. Additionally,
throughout his 20s, he toured as a member of the groups Joy Kills Sorrow and
Yonder Mountain String Band. Currently, his focus is on his own ensemble, The
Jacob Jolliff Band—one of the most cutting-edge progressive bluegrass group
on the scene today. They’ve released three albums, the most recent of which,
“Instrumentals, Vol. 2: Mandolin Mysteries,” dropped in May 2024. The band
plays a combination of complex original instrumental music and vocal repertoire
that spans from trad bluegrass to unlikely pop covers. Improvisation and the
ensemble interplay are at the forefront
SHOWMAN AND COOLE
SUPER-DELUXE FIDDLE, BANJO, AND SONG
Through twenty years and a couple of thousand shows together in bands such as The Foggy Hogtown Boys and The Lonesome Ace Stringband, John Showman and Chris Coole have developed a deep and instinctual musical bond. Their music lurks in a truly unique space that is somewhere on the outskirts of old-time, bluegrass, and folk. The songs of John Hartford, Hank Williams, Dock Boggs, and The Band share space with the fiddle tunes of Eck Robertson and Ed Haley. The duo’s original songs and tunes take in all these vistas and paint something both personal and timely.
They have performed across North America and Europe at festivals such as Merlefest, Rockygrass, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Mariposa, Wintergrass, Gooikroots, and The John Hartford Memorial Festival. In 2022, the duo released two albums; “ Afield” a collection of old-time fiddle tunes, and “Much Further Out than Inevitable – A Tribute to Some Music of John Hartford.”
“John Showman has made his mark as “one of the very best and most influential fiddle players in Canada” (Steve Pritchard, CIUT 89.5 FM).
“Renowned for his clawhammer banjo picking, Coole now establishes himself as a gripping songwriter.”
(Roddy Campbell, Penguin Eggs Magazine)
Yahoo, they are back again. In case you didn’t know, read this;
Dust off your boots and gather around for some true and original modern honky tonk music. An all-star cast of master musicians backs these two soul singers of country music, Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms. These two are known to roots music fans across the globe for their soulful harmonies, driving dance tunes, classic original songs, and commitment to the raw truth of rural American music. They live in the San Juan Islands of Washington, though until recently, home was Portland, OR. They are foundational to the exceptional old-time and country music scene in the Pacific NW with the Caleb Klauder Reeb Willms Country Band and their membership in the Foghorn Stringband, of which Caleb was a founding member. Charismatic performers, they bring their unique set of talents to the stage with an eye towards good times and an ear towards the deepest songs and tunes.
Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms both originally hail from Washington State: Caleb from the coastal islands, and Reeb from the high desert plateau. The two have come together in music and are hailed as some of the most compelling musicians making country roots music in America today. When these two sing together, their honest incantations leave us spell-bound and smiling.
Their repertoire is made up of original songs and tunes as well as gems from American roots repertoires, and the music they make is Americana in the truest sense of the word. Music is clearly in their blood. Caleb and Reeb’s originals and interpretations of songs have been covered and recorded by many performers and their musical presence reaches into a diverse and loyal fanbase, giving credence to the impact that this duo has on their listeners. Pillars of the Northwest music scene, they carry the torch of their music around the world, and can be found touring as a duo, as well as with the Foghorn Stringband, and the Caleb Klauder Country Band. Their fans exude admiration for the timeless sound that these two produce, capturing the essence of American roots music.
Sometimes we get so unnecessarily swept up in who’s rising and falling in music these days that the sheer joy of music is overlooked. One of the great things about Caleb and Reeb is that they are a world apart from all of that nonsense and let you immerse yourself in the melody and story of classic sounding country music until all other cares of life fade away. Country music is the music of working people who use it to pass the time and forget about the ever-present hardships in their lives. After years of touring together, Reeb and Caleb work intuitively.
Caleb’s study and understanding of roots music is so dedicated and rich, that he can hauntingly immerse himself in the same perspective of those old primitive country composers and write as if he was right beside them. Their album Innocent Road includes a clutch of lovingly arranged Klauder originals, along with well-placed and rare covers. The pair bring the spirit of legendary country duos into their contemporary takes on country music. Trading vocals back and forth, they complement each other strikingly well in an attractive meld of honky-tonk that brushes shoulders with trad bluegrass. Caleb has penned over 50 songs many of which are standards across America in honky tonk and bluegrass jams and festivals, both on and off stage. There is a long list of bands and singers who have recorded Caleb’s songs over the years.
The blend of true harmonies, the sharply-written country songs, and the un-showy authenticity strike a rich vein that makes them seem like they are born and raised in Music City. They quietly pursue a musical vision without much of a care for what’s expected or in vogue at the time. There’s a lot to admire in this singular perseverance and honesty.
VIDEOS:
https://www.calebklauder.com/home
https://www.facebook.com/calebklauderband
https://www.instagram.com/calebklauder
Fresh off a first place win at the 2025 Telluride Bluegrass Festival band competition, Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light have been captivating audiences throughout the northeast. With songs as sweet and biting as the nectar and venom in her voice, Sumner’s lyric-forward writing and penchant for snaking chord progressions demand something far beyond folk conventions, highlighting the acrobatic range of her brilliant bandmates Kat Wallace (fiddle) and Mike Siegel (upright bass).
Sumner is no stranger to the stage. She spent her early career on the bluegrass circuit, singing and writing with the genre-bending roots group Twisted Pine. Since setting out on her own, Sumner’s songs have been critically acclaimed: winning the 2021 John Lennon Award in the folk category for her song “Radium Girls (Curie Eleison);” earning a spot in the Kerrville New Folk Competition; and being chosen four consecutive years as one of the top Massachusetts entries in NPR’s Tiny Desk Competition. Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light released their debut LP in the summer of 2022 to critical acclaim.