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I am really looking forward to this show.  We are stretching a bit this season.

John and Joanne are back at Longstaff House this summer.  John recently won Songwriter of the year and Album of the year at the International Western Music Association and the Montana Governor’s Award.

Brilliant guitarist, Richard Smith, returns to Longstaff House in June.  Besides being a world-class picker, he is a fabulous entertainer.  Hey, he played with Chet Atkins in London at 11 years old.  If you missed hom last time, here is your chance.

Smith was born in Beckenham, England. He picked up the guitar when he was five years old after watching his father playing an Atkins and Travis version of “Down South Blues”. He begged his father, a longtime Atkins admirer, to introduce him to the fingerpicking style. Smith soon became a child prodigy on the guitar. As a kid he could play the entire discographies of Django Reinhardt and Chet Atkins. At the age of 11 he shared the stage with his idol when Atkins invited Smith to play with him at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London.^[1][2] He was also influenced by guitarist Big Jim Sullivan and briefly studied jazz guitar with Shane Hill at Warlingham School, Surrey.^{[citation needed]}

He formed the Richard Smith Guitar Trio with his brothers Rob and Sam before marrying American cellist Julie Adams and moving to Nashville, Tennessee in 1999.^[3] He founded the Hot Club of Nashville, a jam band with a varying lineup that included John Jorgenson, Pat Bergeson, Bryan Sutton, and Stuart Duncan, combining gypsy jazz and western swing. Smith performs as a solo act and a duo with his wife. His repertoire includes country, bluegrass, blues, ragtime, folk, jazz, pop, and classical music.^[4]

Matt Heckler is comin back.  Last year’s show was amazing, a good example of what happens if you take a chance on the unknown.  Come again or for the first time!

MATT HECKLER is a solo multi-instrumentalist that barely fits into any ordinary musical category. He tends to keep to the darker side of Appalachian mountain music and early bluegrass but listen long enough and you’ll soon be transported to the mountains of Eastern Europe or a dimly lit bar in Ireland where they honor those who have passed with a gently swaying a cappella ballad.

After touring almost nonstop for years in support of bands like Devil Makes Three, Lost Dog Street Band, Flogging Molly, and others, HECKLER, like the rest of us, got sidelined by the ongoing global pandemic. With the newfound time off, he set to pushing creative boundaries in his home recording studio as far as his mind would allow. Each fiddle, banjo, and guitar track carefully put in place all the while retaining the grit and energy reflected in his live shows. Paired perfectly as the sequel to After The Flood, the Blood, Water, Coal album is a defining release in his career.

Blood, Water, Coal was performed and recorded by MATT HECKLER with upright bass and backing vocals provided by Jeff Loops (Lost Dog Street Band). While recording Blood, Water, Coal, MATT HECKLER released The Magnolia Sessions outdoor live set – the maiden release for the now popular series – which made it to #9 on the Bluegrass Billboard Charts. The Magnolia Sessions was still charting upon the release of Blood, Water, Coal, which debuted at #3, leaving HECKLER with two albums running on the Billboard Charts simultaneously.

With the release of his last album, “This Town Is Killin Me”, HECKLER signed off on his fourth album with a national tour. Fans filled the venues for a rowdy solo act, and he held true to the grit of his live shows reputation.

Moving forward, HECKLER has a new album in the works, which he says is his best yet. Keep your ears peeled for future recordings, videos and performances near you.

Alasdair and Natalie will be presenting a workshop on the 15th of April before the 2 shows.  (Yes, it is possible to spend 3 days with them!)  The workshop will start at 7:00 pm just like the shows.  Here is the description they provided.

Based on the fiddle music of Scotland and beyond, the workshop is focused on players of violin, viola, cello and string bass, but other instruments are welcome. The level will be for intermediate players and above. The goal is to explore playing traditional music in a group with emphasis on arrangement ideas and the techniques that give traditional music its particular flavour. Using elements of language and dance, fiddle tunes and arrangement ideas work together to form a larger medley. All music will be taught by ear but music will be provided to take away.

You can register with me at the phone or email (preferred) above or with Alasdair at his website.  We will try to accommodate everyone that wishes to attend.

World-renowned Scottish musicians Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas are back for TWO shows – on Weds 4/16 and Thurs 4/17.  (Last year we were packed to the gills and some folks were turned away so we are planning 2 shows!)

World-renowned Scottish musicians Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas are back for TWO shows – on Weds 4/16 and Thurs 4/17.  (Last year we were packed to the gills and some folks were turned away so we are planning 2 shows!)

BOB SUMNER
Website: bobsumnermusic.com
Socials: Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | Tik Tok
Videos: “Motel Room” // “Didn’t We Dream” // “Bridges” // "Is It Really Any Wonder"
BOB SUMNER
Singer-songwriter Bob Sumner cites the musically progressive sensibilities of his heroes when
talking about the spirit of his new album, Some Place to Rest Easy, out now via Fluff & Gravy
(worldwide) and North Country Collective (Canada). “They were always creating something
new, something different,” he says of idols like George Jones, Willie Nelson, and Waylon
Jennings. With that ideology in mind, Sumner set about creating an album that takes as much
inspiration from the audio production of Randy Travis as it does the lyrical soul of Big Thief’s
Adrianne Lenker—a melding of eras, sounds, concepts, and stylings that’s informed by the past,
but never bound by it.
With Some Place to Rest Easy, Sumner picks up the tempo compared to his previous releases,
balancing the stirring lyrical depth fans have come to expect with a more buoyant, lively feel. “It
felt appropriate to give the music itself some joy,” says the man who’s made a career out of
tapping into difficult-to-touch-on, real-life stuff in a relatable, palatable manner. In the end, that’s
what Sumner’s music has always been about—more than a single sound, influence,
instrumental, or clever line. “I always want people to feel something,” Sumner explains. “If I
heard that this album helped somebody that was feeling down, even just by feeling some other
emotion for a little while, that's the number one thing for me.”
Fans can now stream or purchase Some Place to Rest Easy at this link.
PRESS
"A blend of past, present, and future sounds"
American Songwriter
“Genuine and weighty songwriting”
Americana Highways
“High class, country leaning Americana.”
Americana UK
“It takes a deft hand to put out a good, sad record…Bob Sumner nails it on Someplace To Rest
Easy.”
Twangville
“This [Some Place to Rest Easy] is a preacher’s yarn, after that preacher done thrown it all away
but the love, and is free to share the wisdom.”
Saddle Mountain Post

MATT AXTON

Some say rock is dead, but fans of Matt Axton know that Mountain Soul – Rock & Roll is alive and kicking. With The Axton Musical Legacy as his guide, this West Coast-based singer/songwriter and band leader’s music is a powerful mix of classic singer/songwriter storytelling and guitar-driven roots-rock resulting in a unique, modern Americana sound.  

Matt Axton’s distinct baritone voice, unique finger-picker guitar style and wealth of legacy stories lands perfectly in an intimate listening room or a late-night honky-tonk. Whether it’s getting crowds to kick up some dancing dust at large festivals opening for acts like Midland, Paul Cauthen or Leftover Salmon, getting funky entertaining packed rooms at Los Angeles’ premier Americana showcases or bringing together local and touring bands with his Americana Joy Music Series and AmericanaLand video series, the end result is always the same: good music with good people having a great time.  

Grown in the mountains of California, Axton’s eclectic style was proudly honed in the heart of the Axton Musical Legacy. Matt honors his family at every show with his own versions of their #1 hits “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Joy to the World” and many more. Matt has recorded with music legends Steve Feroni (Tom Petty), Hal Cragin (Iggy Pop), Durga McBroom (Pink Floyd) and collaborated on projects such as “Abbey Road Reimaged – A Tribute to the Beatles.” Aaron Badgley of Spill Magazine said Matt’s version of “Octopus’s Garden,” “is pure genius and the best cover here. It is just a joy to listen to and really does stand out as an example of keeping the beauty of the song and artists putting their own spin on things.” 

Boasting over 300 original songs and some of Los Angeles’ best players behind him, Matt Axton and his band Badmoon will hit the road running in 2024 with multiple West Coast and national tours including the recent “Badmoon Tour” in April 2024. Catch the new single  “Badmoon”on all streaming platforms and additional new releases and song collaborations in the coming months. Axton continues to carve his path in the independent Americana scene and proudly celebrates the family tradition of bringing just a little more “Joy to The World!”

Duende Libre is an award-winning jazz trio whose original music combines jazz virtuosity with roots rhythms from Cuba, Brazil, and West Africa into a “strikingly authentic blend.” Each having apprenticed with direct descendants and master musicians of these traditions, they consider themselves disciples of their teachers. The result: A euphoric new jazz that honors its historical roots, pushing open the boundaries of genre to invoke a powerful sonic freedom.

Comprising core members Alex Chadsey (bandleader and keys), Jeff Busch (percussion), and Farko Dosumov (bass), Duende Libre is collectively influenced by the trio’s direct connections with master musicians including Clinton Fearon, Dudley Nesbitt, Dave Hassel, Jesse Bannister, Chucho Valdés, Carlos Santana, Martha Gonzalez, Quetzal Flores, and Joe Santiago

“Each member’s experiences are vital as they filter West African traditional rhythms through their own hands, voices, minds, bodies, each song as much choreography as a composition,” PopMatters wrote. “Hopeful in sound as well as in ideological foundation, [the band creates music] full of heart and historical multitudes.”

Pop Matters calls it “globally-inspired jazz with dimension.” You will encounter sizzling rhythms and grooving basslines, experimental meters and irresistible melodic hooks, all aglow with the technical virtuosity earned by decades of devotion to their craft.

The trio is occasioned by guest performances from award-winning chanteuse Chava Mirel (who, alongside Chadsey, joined Clinton Fearon’s band in 2013) and inimitable tenor Frank Anderson. Formed by deep connections to Jewish and West African styles, the singers’ ebullient and masterful vocal techniques enrich Duende Libre’s live performance with even greater vibrancy. “To see the band live is to get a sense of the deep respect they have for each other, and the joy they take in connecting with each other and the audience” one critic wrote for Earshot.

The band effectively—and uniquely—calls attention to the space between contemporary jazz traditions and broader musical influences from around the globe. Informed by a cumulative century of devoted study, they answer to this with emphatic (and euphoric) sonic interpretations that effectively enrich the collective language of jazz itself.