2006 Twilight Concert Series Line-up
July 6
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Michael Franti & Spearhead create an ultra-infectious mix of classic soul, funk and
hip-hop culminating in a unique and powerful blend. Frontman Michael Franti has been
important in the world of music for years, fi rst emerging as a quick-tongued rapper fronting
the groundbreaking hip-hop group the Beatnigs, followed by the highly critically acclaimed
Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. Fusing superb musicality with politically-charged lyrics,
Michael Franti & Spearhead use their music as a vehicle for social conscience, maintaining a
positive attitude while tackling some of today’s most complicated issues. Michael Franti has
shared the stage with some of the biggest names in music including Nirvana and U2. Artist website »
Hot Buttered Rum
In the short time since Hot Buttered Rum debuted its music, dubbed as a “High Altitude Acoustic Experience,” the band has been praised by fans, peers and national media alike, who have recognized their ‘stunning instrumental and vocal virtuosity.’ Hot Buttered Rum is attracting a truly multi-generational audience with its ability to create an undeniably hip and fresh sound that weaves together the grounded traditions of folk and bluegrass with the modern infl uences of rock-n-roll, reggae and acoustic music. With an extensive touring schedule, the band has become established as one of the nation’s hottest young acts. Artist website »
July 13
Martin Sexton
A native of Syracuse, New York, Martin Sexton grew up on the timeless sounds of seventies radio, from Stevie Wonder to Led Zeppelin (who led him toward blues legends like Howlin’ Wolf and Willie Dixon). Sexton migrated to Boston, where he built a loyal following by singing on the streets of Harvard Square and on the club scene. A renowned road warrior, Sexton has traveled the globe with his guitar slung on his back and a heart full of soul. His innovative playing and songwriting have led to an abundance of music awards including the National Academy of Songwriters’ “Artist of the Year.” Artist website »
David Lindley
Multi-instrumentalist David Lindley redefi nes “eclectic.” Lindley, well known for his many years as the featured accompanist with Jackson Browne, and leader of his own band El Rayo-X, has long championed the concept of world music. His electro-acoustic performance effortlessly combines American folk, blues and bluegrass traditions with elements from African, Arabic, Asian, Celtic, Malagasy and Turkish musical sources. Lindley incorporates an incredible array of stringed instruments including but not limited to Kona and Weissenborn Hawaiian lap steel guitar, Turkish saz and chumbus, Middle Eastern oud, and Irish bouzouki. “Mr. Dave”’s uncanny vocal mimicry and demented sense of humor make his onstage banter a highlight of the show. His visits to Salt Lake always include a stop at the local Deseret Industries to add to his distinctive wardrobe. Artist website »
July 20
Meshell Ndegeocello
Mother of neo-soul, Meshell Ndegeocello has garnered nine Grammy nominations. She remains an underground phenomenon, unattached to the lure of commercial success; the artist everyone knows, every musician studies. “I just make beats,” she says. “I play my bass, express myself, search and that’s it. Whatever else does or doesn’t come with that in terms of the way people respond, that’s cool. Bottom line, it’s got to be sincere and it’s got to be funky.” The socially conscious Ndegeocello constantly pushes boundaries with her sophisticated mix of sweet, raucous, and deeply personal rock, jazz, funk and soul. Artist website »
Issa (Formerly Jane Siberry)
From her beginnings in the early 1980s as a guitar and piano based folk artist in the coffee houses and clubs of Toronto, through her many musical incarnations, Jane Siberry has redrawn the boundaries of popular music by consistently and courageously taking risks. Celebrated as much by fellow artists as critics and fans, her involvement has long been sought for fi lms and collaborations: Her now classic ‘Calling All Angels’ duet with k.d. lang appeared in Wim Wenders’ Until The End Of The World, while her hopeful ‘It Can’t Rain All The Time’ was written specifi cally for The Crow. Her input has graced album projects by such esteemed and varied artists as Peter Gabriel, Indigo Girls and Joe Jackson. Artist website »
July 27
the legendary Earl Scruggs An American Icon With Family and Friends
Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs is to the fi ve-string banjo what Paganini was to the violin, pioneering three-fi nger picking and doing things with his banjo that many can only dream of. Well into his eighties, after more than 70 years with a banjo in hand, and Grammy Awards spanning fi ve decades, Scruggs continues wooing audiences with his mastery. Scruggs is still playing music festivals and playing with younger artists, virtually all of whom recognize his unique stature as a musical visionary—a stature so great that when pop/rock singer Melissa Etheridge was asked by a Boston reporter why she participated in the album Earl Scruggs And Friends, she replied simply, “because he’s Earl Scruggs, that’s why.’” Artist website »
Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen
During his three decades as a music maker, Chris Hillman has collaborated with such musical luminaries as Emmylou Harris, Stephen Stills, Vern Gosdin, David Crosby, Gram Parsons, Dan Fogelberg, J.D. Souther, Bob Dylan, Richard Marx and Roger McGuinn. He has been a member of The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Souther Hillman Furay Band and The Desert Rose Band. Chris is a journeyman sideman who wound up singing lead on ten top-10 country smash hits, a bluegrass mandolin picker who detoured to three gold records in rock bands and a folkie who wound up in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. For his performance at the Twilight Concert Series, Chris will be joined by his pals, Herb Pedersen, a longtime member of the Dillards and with whom Chris co-founded the Desert Rose Band, and guitarist Larry Park. Chris Hillman website / Herb Pederson website
August 3
Rodney Crowell
Grammy Award-winning Rodney Crowell always forges ahead into new musical and thematic territory. An alt-country icon, Crowell doesn’t cling to the straight and narrow, deftly balancing caustic wordplay and sly humor. A singer, songwriter, and producer, Rodney Crowell fi rst gained widespread recognition as a leader of the new traditionalist movement of the mid-’80s in Nashville. He wrote for Bob Seger, Crystal Gayle, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Oak Ridge Boys and others, produced for Rosanne Cash (to whom he was married) and played guitar and wrote for Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band before going solo, releasing several albums to critical acclaim and commercial success. Singer/songwriter/Grammy Award-winner/ member of the Nashville Hall of Fame–at this point, it’s pretty simple: Rodney Crowell is a young legend of American music. Artist website »
Robbie Fulks
Forget the labels: “insurgent,” “retro,” alternative”—and focus instead on Robbie Fulks’ music. While some might try to copy old-style country music, Robbie Fulks not only knows the music and loves it, but brings its spirit, humor and otherworldliness to his own work. He’s the man who famously gave Nashville a middle finger salute and proceeded to devote an entire album to rare, obscure country songs that almost no one in Nashville had heard. While most current country recordings seem calculated to serve as inoffensive background music, Fulks writes songs that make you think and feel...and sometimes laugh out loud. After several years out of the spotlight, Fulks is back with a new album of new songs for a new label, Yep Rock Records. Titled, Georgia Hard, the album is aimed at those country fans who wondered where their music went. Artist website »
August 10
Soullive
Soulive is on a mission to bring jazz back to the dance fl oor. They mix it with soul, funk and hip-hop. Formed in Woodstock, New York, in 1999, the soul/jazz/funk troubadors of Soulive have become the Booker T & the MGs of this decade, an organ-led foursome mixing wonderful musicianship with a sense of fun and funk. The result is a memorable, danceable live performance, earning them a devoted legion of fans that few of their musical contemporaries can claim. Artist website »
The Heath Brothers
The Heath Brothers have been contributing mightily to the language of jazz since the 1940s. Jimmy Heath, contemplating the family legacy, remarked that “We’re lucky enough that all of us are still here. Among us, we’ve got more than 150 years of experience and more than 900 recordings. We’ve all played with the jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, J.J. Johnson, Miles and the Modern Jazz Quartet...that seems to make us the elders of the surviving families of jazz.” Which, in typical Heath Brothers fashion, is a cool and modest understatement. These are the elder statesmen of jazz, who are swinging hard and having fun, gleeful in the fact that they can still make music together. Artist website »
August 17
Rebirth Brass Band
Simply put, the ReBirth Brass Band is an institution. Formed in 1983, the band has long since graduated from the streets of New Orleans to theaters and festivals all over the world. ReBirth is committed to upholding the tradition of brass bands while at the same time incorporating modern music into their show. Their signature brand of heavy funk has placed them among the world’s top brass bands and they are the hands-down favorite among the younger generation. In reference to the sometimes stringent competition amongst brass bands, Offbeat magazine remarked, “...it’s clear that ReBirth, w magazine remarked, “...it’s clear that ReBirth, which boasts 10 albums and has traveled the world, is the band to beat (July 2001).” Artist website »
John Hammond
From coffeehouses to concert halls, festivals and beyond, John Hammond has spent forty years entertaining blues, folk and rock audiences around the world. A Grammy Award winner and four-time nominee, Hammond is also a multiple W.C. Handy award winner who has shared the stage and recorded with many of the masters including Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker and Howlin’ Wolf. The passion he brings to the blues is a testament to the dedication and reverence he has for the musicians who fi rst walked the path he has chosen to follow. Tom Waits has said, “John’s sound is so compelling, complete, symmetrical and soulful with just his voice, guitar and harmonica, it is at fi rst impossible to imagine improving it....he’s a great force of nature. John sounds like a big train coming. He chops them all down.” Artist website »
August 24
Camper Van Beethoven
Formed in 1985 in Santa Cruz, Camper Van Beethoven went on to help create the historic, still vibrant scene known as indie-rock along with other luminaries such as Black Flag, Sonic Youth, Husker Du, The Minutemen and The Bad Brains. CVB’s self-described “surrealist absurdist folk” put the “post” into modern with its genre-jumping antics, bringing humor and levity to this heady scene at its nascent stages. From “Take the Skinheads Bowling” to “Joe Stalin’s Cadillac” to inspired instrumentals to covers of songs by Sonic Youth, Status Quo, Pink Floyd and a note-for-note rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s seminal Tusk in its entirety, CVB always thrills their fans with freewheeling iconoclasm. Artist website »
Cracker
Fronted by Camper Van Beethoven’s David Lowery, with guitarist Johnny Hickman, alternative rock band Cracker is noted for being the only band to open for both the Ramones and the Grateful Dead. Cracker comfortably mixes infl uences and sounds ranging from classic country music, psychedelia, punk and folk into their brand of “Americana” style rock. Artist website »