DENVER, COLO. (6/25/09) – Since 1979, Swallow Hill Music Association has hosted the best roots, folk and acoustic music performers in the Rocky Mountain Region. Our early autumn concert lineup is shaping up to be filled with many strong legends, from Chris Smither to Karla Bonoff and John McCutcheon, and eclectic fresh talent from Jayme Stone‘s All-Star Tribute to John Hartford’s music to Crooked Still and the Ditty Bops. We’re also very pleased to welcome back rising stars Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, who were enthusiastically received at our Third Annual RootsFest earlier this year.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, July 15 and will be available on line at www.swallowhillmusic.org (now with no processing fees), by phone at (303) 777-1003 x2 or at our box office at 71 E. Yale Ave., Denver, Colo., 80210.

CONCERT HIGHLIGHTS

Russ Barenberg Trio with Sean McGowan
Thursday, September 3 at 8 p.m.
Known as one of the most melodic instrumentalists in contemporary acoustic music, Russ Barenberg got his start in 1970 with the groundbreaking bluegrass band, Country Cooking. He went on to be in a number of influential groups, most notably collaboration from 1989 to 2001 in a trio with dobro master Jerry Douglas and bassist Edgar Meyer. When at Last, his latest release on Compass Records, garnered a 2008 Grammy nomination for Best Country Instrumental Performance for the song, “Little Monk,” as well as a nomination for the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Instrumental Album of the Year. Denver’s own Sean McGowan, whose first recording, River Coffee, won the Best Independent Release of the Year Award from Acoustic Guitar magazine, will open this show.

A Tribute to the Music of John Hartford featuring Jayme Stone & Friends
Saturday, September 12 at 8 p.m.
John Hartford was a songster, a banjoist, a guitar-picker, fiddler, river boat captain, calligrapher, folklorist and old-time music revivalist. Join two-time Juno Award-winning banjoist Jayme Stone and Boulder County’s finest acoustic musicians for an unforgettable celebration of this American original, including Rich Zimmerman (mandolin and vocals), Ryan Drickey (fiddle and vocals), Brad Murphey (guitar) and Ian Hutchison (bass), with special guest vocalist KC Groves.

Crooked Still
Friday, September 18 at 8 p.m.
“No one captures the eerie, gorgeous menace of classic Anglo-American folk ballads like this Boston band,” says USA Today. The five-member group is one of the hottest trailblazing outfits performing one of the most compelling forms of alternative bluegrass and string band music today. Their latest album, Still Crooked, is an ensemble effort of inspired music-making that moves the bands’ impossible to pigeonhole style in new directions while honoring their folk roots.

Southern Journey CD Release: “Live at Swallow Hill”
Saturday, September 19 at 8 p.m.
Inspired by musicologist Alan Lomax’s Southern Journey, a 13-volume series of original field and studio recordings capturing the musical world of the rural South, Southern Journey is a two-hour staged performance that brings the Lomax archives to life through story and song. A cast of 10 diverse musicians and singers revive the spirit of his collection with compelling authenticity, capturing a uniquely American experience as the musicians and singers gather together on the porch. This show celebrates their Live at Swallow Hill recording from a previous performance.

Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams
Friday, September 25 at 8 p.m.
Citing influences as diverse as Hank Williams, Dylan, Bowie, Incredible String Band and early Pink Floyd, front man Joziah Longo describes the band’s music as “punk-classical-hillbilly-Floyd,” a mental rollercoaster of whimsical, thought-provoking songs. The Circus’ live shows are where the real magic comes down, earning them critical acclaim as well as a fiercely loyal following. At our RootsFest this past March, they brought the house to a standing ovation. Their latest CD, The Great Unravel, was hailed by the UK’s Maverick Magazine as “mightily impressive and hugely original… ’tis truly an epic soundtrack.”

Beppe Gambetta with Doug Wood
Saturday, September 26 at 8 p.m.
Internationally acclaimed acoustic guitarist Beppe Gambetta is continually composing his personal mosaic of sounds and flavors. From his unique roots developing as an Italian musician in love with American country and bluegrass as well as the music of his native country, Gambetta has traveled the world and even crossed the “Iron Curtain” to dazzle and charm music enthusiasts everywhere. His latest CD, Rendez-vous, breaks the borders of the flatpicking technique in a creative, experimental way. Opening for Gambetta is Denver’s own Doug Wood, whose Dreamcatcher album was nominated Best Acoustic Album of 2007 by KUNC 91.5 FM.

Chris Smither with Jeffrey Foucault
Friday, October 9 at 8 p.m.
“…one of the absolute best singer-songwriters in the world” (Associated Press), Smither’s latest release, Leave the Light On, stands as the quintessence of his life’s work while throwing in some new wrinkles that reflect where he’s been and what he’s encountered since the last time around. One of the songs on the album, “Origin of the Species,” was named #42 of the 100 Best Songs of the Year 2006 by Rolling Stone. Alt-country songwriter Jeffrey Foucault will open the show. Foucault’s latest album, a tribute to John Prine entitled Shoot the Moon Right Between the Eyes, has been called “one of the best albums of the year” by critics.

Suzy Bogguss
Saturday, October 10 at 8 p.m.
Suzy Bogguss burst on to the music scene, winning the Country Music Association’s Horizon Award in 1992 and album of the Year Award in 1994. From there, she has garnered myriad ASCAP country and pop awards for her songwriting, and in 2005, a Grammy for her contribution to the Best Folk Album, Beautiful Dreamer, the Songs of Stephen Foster. She co-produced her latest album, Sweet Danger, with famed jazz/pop keyboardist and producer Jason Miles, who’s worked with Miles Davis, Luther Vandross and Sting. The two brought together Nashville and New York musicians, culling the best of both worlds to create an instantly engaging, groove-oriented record infused with jazz rhythms and Bogguss’ signature vocals.

Karla Bonoff with Noelie McDonnell
Saturday, October 17 at 8 p.m.
Karla Bonoff’s legacy as a performer and songwriter is unmatched. One of the most successful songwriters of her generation, she has written hits for everyone from Linda Ronstadt to Bonnie Raitt and Wynona Judd. A co-founder of the ahead-of-its-time group, Bryndle, she will be joined at this performance by her another Bryndle member, Kenny Edwards, as well as Nina Gerber. Folk-rock songwriter Noelie McDonnell, “a startling new Irish talent” (New York Post), will open for Bonoff.

Rhythm Angels with Tom Prasado-Rao & Cary Cooper
Friday, October 23 at 8 p.m.
Celeste Krenz and Rebecca Folsom are the Rhythm Angels, a duo that sprang forth from serendipity as much as from destiny, blossoming from a Women-in-the-Round showcase. Their new CD, Girls Like Us (High Horse Records), was released earlier this year. Michael Roberts ofWestword writes: “The new recording by Rhythm Angels…has a Colorado flavor … on the standout track ‘If I Had a Gun,’ homicidal lyrics increase in effectiveness thanks to the chilling calm of their delivery …. they’re consistently lovely and occasionally a bit sly—especially the Willie Dixon cover ’29 Ways.’ These very different Angels bring out the best in each other.” Opening the show are Kerrville winners Tom Prasado-Rao and Cary Cooper.

John McCutcheon
Saturday, October 24 at 8 p.m.
Few people communicate with the versatility, charm, wit or pure talent of John McCutcheon, whose 30 recordings have garnered every imaginable honor, including seven Grammy nominations. One of the most respected and loved folksingers, he is a master of a dozen traditional instruments. Johnny Cash declared him “The most impressive instrumentalist I’ve ever heard,” while the Washington Post described him as folk music’s “Rustic Renaissance Man.” His books and instructional materials have introduced budding players to the joys of their own musicality, and his commitment to grassroots political organizations has put him on the front lines of many of the issues important to communities and workers.

Ditty Bops
Friday, October 30 at 8 p.m.
The Ditty Bops are Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald, well known for elaborate live shows that incorporate theatrical elements complete with props, costumes and skits. Interview magazine says, “these vaudevillian vamps are putting the show back in showmanship.” Their music has been described as genre-defying, bearing influence of Western swing, ragtime, Gypsy jazz, pop and vaudeville-era musical theater. A nostalgic throwback to times when record packaging was as exciting as the music itself, Abby and Amanda designed their album, Summer Rains, with elaborate pop-up art made from recycled materials for which they were nominated a Grammy. This show is a great way to kick off your Halloween celebrations!

DENVER, COLO. (6/23/09) – Swallow Hill is thrilled to welcome Americana legend Dave Alvin with his all-star, all-female band, The Guilty Women, for a special engagement at the L2 Arts and Culture Center on Thursday, August 13 at 8 p.m.

The Guilty Women lineup of Cindy Cashdollar, Nina Gerber, Laurie Lewis, Christy McWilson, Sarah Brown, Amy Farris and Lisa Pankratz debuted at the 2008 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. Alvin knew instantly this was the band he would record with. “It just felt so natural,” says Alvin. “It was like I had been playing with them for a hundred years.”

Their self-titled album on Yep Roc Records was released in May of this year, simultaneously with the Alvin-curated tribute to late friend and band mate Chris Gaffney, Man of Somebody’s Dreams: A Tribute to the Songs of Chris Gaffney. After the death of long-time Guilty Men accordionist and best friend Chris Gaffney, Alvin set out compiling a tribute to the man and his songs, racking up tracks by heavyweights like Calexico, Los Lobos, Alejandro Escovedo, James McMurtry and many others. The album benefits Gaffney’s family and the nonprofit Hungry for Music, who provide musical instruments to underprivileged children.

With the catharsis of the tribute album project in tow, Alvin turned his attention to his next musical move. One thing was clear: he knew he wasn’t yet ready to record with The Guilty Men again. The wound of Gaffney’s death was still too fresh, the space on the stage where he once stood still too empty. Alvin decided now was the time for something new. Knowing the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival was just up the tracks, he called friend and Austin-based guitarist Cindy Cashdollar, who jumped in with both feet, the other ladies following suit.

Having played together in various incarnations with several Guilty Women in the past, Alvin was confident the chemistry would be right. “The reality that we’d never played together as a group and that there was no time to rehearse before our debut performance didn’t bother me at all. I knew that they were all master musicians who could easily handle any sort of song I could throw at them. And that’s exactly what they did and they did it effortlessly and beautifully.”

The Austin, Tex. recording sessions progressed in much the same fashion, with Christy McWilson contributing two songs, Sarah Brown one and an Amy Farris/Dave Alvin co-write. The tunes were built around Alvin’s acoustic guitar work, with the ladies surrounding Alvin with an instrumental blanket that made it clear womanly intuition isn’t just an emotional asset but a musical one as well.

DENVER, COLO. (6/18/09) – Swallow Hill is pleased to present an evening of powerful, sincere songwriting as two diverse talents, Vance Gilbert and Terri Hendrix, share the Daniels Hall stage on Friday, August 7 at 8 p.m.

Vance Gilbert burst onto the singer/songwriter scene in the early 1990s when the buzz started spreading in the folk clubs of Boston about an ex-jazz singer who was knocking ‘em dead at open mikes. The word spread about the Philadelphia native all the way to New York, and soon Shawn Colvin invited Gilbert to be special guest on her Fat City tour. From there, he started taking audiences across the country by storm, with the Boston Globe declaring, “He is that rare performer for whom people lean forward in their seats as eagerly between songs as they do during them.”

His latest album, Unfamiliar Moon, is his most mature and realized recording to date. This is his most anticipated album, as it is jam-packed with songs that fall into “that” category of songwriting—the zenith for any writer—songs that elicit the response, “You wrote that?” “Ten Thousand Skies,” the opening cut, has a Roy Orbison-looking-for-Sam Cooke feel, followed by the gentle heartache in “You Can Go Now,” the hurt and hope of the rocker, “Leaving Avon,” and the soul-wrenching title cut, “Unfamiliar Moon.” The recording is like great performances captured on disc.

For the last decade, Terri Hendrix has toured constantly, packing listening rooms and theaters coast-to-coast and also playing before thousands at premier events such as the Newport Folk Festival, the Philadelphia Folk Festival and, closer to home, the Texas State Fair at the Cotton Bowl, the Austin City Limits Music Festival, and the Kerrville Folk Festival. She’s also appeared on the nationally syndicated World Café and Mountain Stage radio shows, and her songs have been included on numerous compilation CDs by Putumayo World Music and influential radio stations like Philadelphia’s WXPN, Austin’s KGSR and Tucson’s KXCI, among others.

One of the most strikingly original singer/songwriters working today, her eclectic musical breadth has covered every genre from folk to country, from pop to blues, from Celtic to Tex-Mex, from jazz to Western swing. She even scored a satellite radio hit in the punk scream-along, “Nerves,” from the popular kids’ album, and co-wrote a Grammy-winning country instrumental, “Lil’ Jack Slade,” on the Dixie Chicks’ multi-platinum 2003 album, Home. Factor in her charming stage presence, top-notch musicianship (guitar, mandolin and harmonica), lyrics as smart and thought-provoking as they are heartfelt and personal, and a classically trained but twang-kissed voice that’s as potent as an intimate whisper as it is when she pushes it to a full-on scat, and it’s no wonder why Texas Music Magazine writes: “Simply put, Terri Hendrix creates the kind of music that makes you feel good, conceived and delivered with utter sincerity.”

DENVER, COLO. (6/16/09) – Since 1979, Swallow Hill Music Association has hosted the best acoustic, folk and roots music performers in the Rocky Mountain Region. Swallow Hill Music’s calendar for late summer has a few additions of note, with tickets going on sale this Wednesday, June 17. Tickets are available on line at www.swallowhillmusic.org, by phone at (303) 777-1003 x2 or at our box office at 71 E. Yale Ave., Denver, Colo., 80210.

CONCERT ADDITIONS

Tony McManus
Friday, August 14 at 8 p.m.
In a little more than 10 years as a professional musician, McManus is recognized throughout the world as the leading guitarist in Celtic music, with John Renbourn declaring him the best in the world. His 2002 album, Ceol More, was a breakthrough, chosen as the Critic’s Album of the Year by  Acoustic Guitar magazine and named Live Ireland Awards’ Album of the Year. The same year McManus was also nominated as Musician of the Year by both the BBC Folk Awards and The Scottish Traditional Music awards.

Elephant Revival & The Moody Sisters
Friday, August 28 at 8 p.m.
Neo-acoustic transcendental folk meets vintage old-time bluegrass and cowboy swing as Nederland, Colo.-based Elephant Revival share a bill with the Lyons, Colo.-based all-star troupe, The Moody Sisters. In one show, Elephant Revival can be seen delving into Scottish/Celtic fiddle tunes, original folk pieces, traditional ballads, psychedelic country, indie rock, powerful reggae grooves, ’40s & ’50s jazz standards, and an occasional hip-hop beat, amongst other styles, to form what they call “transcendental folk.” The Moody Sisters collaborated for the first time at a benefit at Planet Bluegrass, and are Cheryl Winston on guitar, Sally Truitt on banjo and bass, Erin Humphrey on accordion, KC Groves on mandolin and bass,  and Tierney Kathleen on guitar.

Teresa Storch with Megan Burtt
Saturday, August 29 at 8 p.m.
A nationally touring performer for the past four years, Boston-based singer/songwriter Teresa Storch has performed everywhere from clubs in Cambridge to a subway platform. Her music has been described as a “bounding folk rock sound…mesmerizing vocal riffs” by Boston’sMetronome Magazine and “Vega/Merchant-esque vocals…funky guitar work… fabulously catchy folk-genre’d tunes” by Boston Girl Guide. Her latest album, Stream of Concrete, ranges in flavors from folk-rock to soul-pop. Denver’s Megan Burtt will open the show.

Eddie From Ohio with Jake Armerding
Friday, September 4 at 8 p.m.
Eddie From Ohio is back with their genre-hopping blend that continues to defy all labels. A bedrock foundation of hand-and-stick percussion and a textural flavoring of guitar, bass, and harmonica support the four-part harmonies and lyrically-driven original music. Performing Songwriter writes, “The manic strumminess recalls Ani DiFranco or Dave Matthews, but there’s also a deep undercurrent of high, lonesome mountain harmony that should appeal to fans of Alison Krauss and Union Station.” Singer-violinist Jake Armerding, “the most gifted and promising songwriter to emerge from the Boston folk scene in years,” (Boston Globe) opens.

DENVER, COLO. (6/11/09) – Swallow Hill is pleased to welcome back dynamic “blues powerhouse” (O magazine) Ruthie Foster on Saturday, August 1 at 8 p.m.

Foster just released her latest album earlier this year, The Truth According to Ruthie Foster, the eagerly awaited follow up to her critically hailed 2007 album, The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster. An impressive cast of characters brings Foster’s music to fruition on the new album. With roots music producer Chris Goldsmith (Blind Boys of Alabama, Charlie Musselwhite) overseeing the proceedings, all of the essentials—the hard-edged blues of guitar icon Robben Ford (the Yellowjackets, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, countless others), the Memphis magic conjured by keyboardist Jim Dickinson (Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan) and organist Charles Hodges (Al Green, Ann Peebles), the rock-steady rhythm anchor of bassist Larry Fulcher (Taj Mahal, Los Super Seven), and drummer Rock Deadrick (Tracy Chapman, Ben Harper)—settle into their unique pocket, with trumpeter Wayne Jackson and the legendary Memphis Horns adding a distinctive coup de grace.

This extraordinary songwriter/performer tackles life’s big issues throughout her sizzling new album, repeatedly testifying to her core message: that through all of the ups and downs of living, you must stay true to yourself. The pain as well as the joy of love, the strength it takes to weather life’s challenges, the hope that grows from seeds of faith and wisdom: all of this breathes inspiration and celebration into The Truth According to Ruthie Foster. Foster’s songs are a remarkable hybrid of blues, gospel, roots and folk music, rich with honest spirituality and emotion.

And the music brings it to life. Truth be told, Foster could sing the phone book, jam on a laundry list and send everyone home happy. But the combination on The Truth According to Ruthie Foster of uplifting lyric and electrifying vocals, backed by a band of world-class players bristling with soul, proves impossible to resist. Paste magazine says, “There’s no denying the power of Foster’s monstrous voice…”

Lending support is opener John-Alex Mason, one of Colorado’s most talented bluesmen and International Blues Challenge finalist. His album, Town and Country, debuted at #1 on the Roots Music Report Blues Chart after its January, 2008 release.

DENVER, COLO. (6/10/09) – Swallow Hill is pleased to present Texas troubadour Slaid Cleaves as he shares our Daniels Hall stage with Stockholm, Sweden songstresses Abalone Dots for a special engagement on Saturday, July 25 at 8 p.m.

Entertainment Weekly writes: “Cleaves tells gorgeously compact stories in a voice packed with Texas trail dust.” His latest album, Everything You Love Will be Taken Away, is his debut on Jimmy LaFave’s co-op label, Music Road Records. “I’m in on all the decisions,” says Slaid Cleaves. “It feels good to have so much more control over my fate now. I figured, I cut my own hair, I fix my own car — so why shouldn’t I be the one responsible for getting this work of mine out into the world?”

It’s been five years since Cleaves’ last album of self-penned songs, 2004′s acclaimedWishbones, which fans had anticipated in the afterglow of his 2000 breakthrough, Broke Down. But Cleaves’ slow-and-steady-wins-the-race pace has always yielded albums full of uncommonly fine-tuned songs built to stand the test of time, and Everything You Love Will be Taken Away is par for his course. “Whether it’s your loved ones, your way of life, or even just your sense of innocence and hope, every song in some way is about how it all gets taken away,” says Cleaves.

To put the new record together, Cleaves teamed again with co-writing buddies like Rod Picott and Adam Carroll, as well as famed roots-rock producer, Gurf Morlix. Additional tracks were cut with long-time road-guitarist Charles Arthur in Virginia, and Austin singer/songwriter and producer, Billy Harvey.

Abalone Dots was founded in 2000, led by band member Rebecka Hjukström’s father, Tord Hjukström. The Abalone Dots are all originally from a Swedish town called Västervik. The band members include Elin Mörk (fiddle and vocals), Sophia Hogman (mandolin, cello, key harp and vocals), Rebecka Hjukström (guitar, banjo, dobro and vocals) and Louise Holmer (bass, piano and vocals). They’ve been playing their own unique flavor of bluegrass for about seven years and currently live together in Stockholm.

In summer of 2006, Abalone Dots was signed by Sony BMG in Sweden and released their 2007 album, From a Safe Distance. They’ve played at various international festivals in Sweden, Tanzania, and the U.S., including the recent South by Southwest in Austin Tex., showing they’re well on their way to musically conquering the U.S.

DENVER, COLO. (6/2/09) – Swallow Hill is pleased to present the one of the original San Francisco groups, It’s A Beautiful Day, on Friday, July 17 at 8 p.m.

Famous for their song “White Bird,” the legendary band currently boasts the longest continuous lineup: eight years strong with four of the six members going back 25 – 40 years. Today the band performs the classic music of It’s A Beautiful Day along with newer material, moving effortlessly from an almost folksy sound to ethereal jazz to psychedelic to straight-on rock ‘n’ roll, performing selections from three new CDs and more than seven of their previous albums.

The show is enhanced with David LaFlamme’s delightful reminiscing of the San Francisco Summer of Love Days and 40+ years of performing. A former Utah Symphony violinist, LaFlamme has performed a unique contemporary blend of rock, classical, and bluegrass music with a wide diversity of music’s best, including Billy Joel, Santana, Chuck Berry, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, The Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, and dozens of other international stars.

The current band lineup is David LaFlamme on violin and vocals, Linda LaFlamme on vocals, original drummer Val Fuentes, 28-year veteran Toby Gray on bass, Rob Espinosa on guitar and Gary Thomas on keyboards.