ROCKY MOUNTAIN FOLK CLUB
2007-08 CONCERT SCHEDULE
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We are pleased to present the Rocky Mountain Folk Club's 33rd season. Each night begins with a set by our house band Ceard with Dick Howe on guitar, vocals and bodhran, John Campbell on vocals and guitar, Jim Atkinson on bass, guitar and vocals and Hal Curties on vocals, guitar and emceeing duties. Ceard plays predominently traditional songs but they throw in a few contemporary tunes and bad jokes occasionally. During the rest of the evening we normally present two sets featuring various combinations of touring performers and some of the great local talent available in Calgary. If we have time, we end with the world famous Rocky Mountain Folk Club Choir where audience participation is mandatory! We hope you will enjoy the performers we have selected. | |
| Doors open at 7:30 p.m., concert starts at 8:00 p.m. |
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Friday September 21 *$15 this club. Keri Lynn Zwicker(harpist with Cowboy Celtic among many other accomplishments) with the Harp Rouge Trio (Edmonton) and Nathan McCavana. A couple of quotes follow. "Rich & Rare (Keri's recent CD) is more than just a harp album. Keri Lynn sings with that tangy traditional edge - there's no "Celtic mists" here. Although her harp playing is front and centre, it's supported by lots of fine musicians, some of them fellow Cowboy Celtic members, to produce a flavorful whole"...... John Leeder. (Several of those fine musicians will join Keri at the Rocky). "Virtuoso harpist and Celtic singer, Keri's energetic performance breathes life into lively tunes and haunting ballads. Her artistic ability and technical prowess are clearly evident as she moves easily through an eclectic variety of genres. Back by her talented trio, Keri's dynamic personality and quick wit radiate warmth to her audience." KERI LYNN ZWICKER (Harp and Vocals) TAMI COOPER (Flute and Vocals) JEFF FARAGHER (Cello) NATHAN McCAVANA (Bodhran) House band CEARD opens the evening followed by two sets from Keri and friends. Friday October 19 The Tragically Hick plus Erin Ross. This time, probably only a little Celtic style music (from house band CEARD), lots of bluegrass and swing from The Tragically Hick, and some country style blues plus some originals from Erin Ross and Charlie Hase. The Calgary based The Tragically Hick have entertained audiences throughout Alberta from the Blueberry Festival in Stony Plain to the Lethbridge Folk Club with lots of stops in between, including Calgary's Ship and Anchor and Jackdaws. This is their first visit to the Rocky, though dobro player Jack Loree played the Rocky recently as part of Ruth Henderson's band. Their repertoire includes bluegrass, swing and country arrangements based on tight vocal harmonies and tasty instrumentals. Band members are Gord Armstrong on guitar, Jack Loree on dobro, Bill Figeczki on bass, and Lorne Foster on mandolin, with all band members contributing vocals. Erin Ross has played numerous venues around southern Alberta, previously with the band Dynarouge, and for the last few years as a solo performer specializing in fingerstyle guitar. A typical performance would include both traditional country style blues and original instrumentals and songs. Erin makes a very welcome return to the Rocky, and this time is bringing along noted dobro player Charlie Hase (Charlie has performed with numerous West Coast musicians such as The Paperboys, and more recently with Albertans such as Dave McCann and Tim Hus). Friday November 16 Ben Sures (Edmonton) plus Blaine Hrabi and John Reid (Calgary). I first saw Ben Sures at the 2004 Calgary Folk Festival and really enjoyed his mix of fun and serious songs plus his excellent guitar playing. Since then he has been the winner in the folk category of the 2005 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, second place winner in the AAA category of the International Songwriting Contest, and he continues to tour and record both as a soloist and with several other performers. See www.bensures.com for more information. Blaine Hrabi has played a very short set at the Rocky before, and this time is back for a longer set with John Reid. Blaine and John presented a very enjoyable set at this year's Water Valley Festival, again a bit like Ben Sures a great mix of songs on all kinds of subjects. Not to be missed! By Denis McMaster. Friday November 30 Tim Rogers and Barry Luft plus Michael Concannon and John Leeder. Tim Rogers and Barry Luft will be singing mostly songs from their recording "SONGS OF THE IRON TRAIL" which has recently been re-released on CD. Michael Concannon is a very fine traditional style singer, and will be backed up by John Leeder, his former band-mate in the group Claddagh's Answer. Michael doesn't perform much in public these days, but this appearance follows a very enjoyable set which he presented with John at this year's Water Valley Festival. The opening set as usual features house band Ceard. Friday January 18 Robbie Burns Night. The Jig's Up, Plaidie, and more This is the night for our very popular Burns celebration. We have haggis, great scotch, and bagpipes . Who could want more? Friday February 15 Sid Marty (Alberta), accompanied on mandolin by David Wilkie, plus Simon Fox (Australia/Vancouver). Sid Marty is probably best known for his best selling books such as "Men for the Mountains" and "Switchbacks" based on his experiences as a warden in Banff National Park. He is also a prolific songwriter, has been a professional musician for over three decades, has published several books of poetry, again frequently though not exclusively dealing with themes of mountain and rural life, and he continues to write on conservation and related topics from his home in southern Alberta. His many activities have prevented him from performing publicly as a singer very much of late, but now that a new grizzly bear book is finally completed, he has found time to make a very welcome return appearance at the Rocky, accompanied on mandolin by David Wilkie of Cowboy Celtic fame. Australian guitarist Simon Fox (currently based in Vancouver) appeared at the Rocky about five years ago and wowed people with his dazzling fingerstyle technique in mostly original Celtic-flavoured melodies. He returns with a new CD recently completed, and with a bit more bluegrass influence added to his compositions. House band Ceard opens the evening with a set of fine music and perhaps not so excellent jokes! Friday March 7 The Wild Colonials plus Heather Blush. Although it's quite a bit before the official St Patrick's day, the March 7 Rocky will have a definite St Paddy flavour. House band Ceard are planning on dying their hair green and having lots of Irish songs (and jokes??) in their set, and The Wild Colonials will finish off the evening with a set containing lots of Irish / Celtic material. Heather Blush will perform the middle set, pretty much free of the blarney of the other performers I believe, but very entertaining nonetheless. Some of you may remember that two years ago we had a very successful evening with a similar set-up (Aussie Barry Davis sandwiched between two sets of Irish flavoured music). The Wild Colonials line-up will consist of the three surviving original members of the band (recently retired after more than 30 years as house band of the Calgary Folk Club) Man Davies, John Martland and Gordon Black, plus two members of the WCB Revival (their successors as house band) namely Graham Tait on accordion, and fiddler Lynae Dufresne (with Barrage for many years and now also with Pear "the most accomplished band you've never heard of"). Local singer songwriter Heather Blush performed a very short set at the Rocky more than three years ago and makes a welcome return. Heather works as a music therapist as her day job, and maintains a busy performance schedule the rest of the time with past appearances at the Nickelodeon and Cochrane Folk Clubs, the South Country Fair, The Alberta Sessions and The Live from the Rock Festival among numerous other venues. Friday March 28 *$15 this club. Bob Evans (North American fingerstyle guitar award winner)(Saskatchewan). Some of us remember Bob Evans from the mid to late 70s when he recorded a couple of outstanding albums containing an eclectic mix of traditional ballads, piano rags arranged for guitar, blues, bluegrass and swing, as well as being a very entertaining live performer. After a break from performing to concentrate on family and work responsibilities, Bob returned to performing in the late 90s, and has since toured through Canada, the United States, Britain and Taiwan, recorded the award winning CD "Caffeinated Coffee" in 1999, and won the U.S. fingerstyle guitar championship in 2003. "Caffeinated Coffee" and the next CD "The Voice in the Grain" contain lots of original compositions for guitar, while the just released "Four on Six" consists of Beatles tunes arranged for solo guitar. While his recent recordings have emphasized instrumental pieces, his live performances continue to encompass a wide range of material, both vocal and instrumental, and he has developed a deserved reputation for well paced shows featuring his rather off-kilter sense of humour. Friday April 11 *$15 this club. Stringed Migration (Portland Oregon), plus Gordon McCulloch (with band). Harpist, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Elizabeth Nicholson has been part of Portland's thriving Celtic music scene for the last ten years, performing and recording both as a soloist and with many of the area's top musicians. She has recently joined forces with some of these equally talented performers to form the group Stringed Migration and to record an outstanding first CD "Fly Not Yet". The group embarking on this first Canadian tour includes Eddie Parente on violin, Rob Barrick on bass, and multi-instrumentalist Bob Soper. Gordon McCulloch will be appearing with his Seanachie bandmates Peter Clark and Robin Tufts, joined on some numbers by members of Stringed Migration, in a selection of mostly new songs from his soon to be released CD. |
