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Cosponsored with Fiddling Cricket Concerts & Snazzy Productions

Carolyn Sills Combo
Saturday, April 1st, 7:30 General Admission $25, Gold Circle $32
Tickets $4 more on day-of-show (Gold Circle Seating is the first 3 rows center section; plus 2 aisle seats on each side)

AT THE KUUMBWA

Kuumbwa Jazz Center 320-2 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, call 831 479-9421 or buy tickets here

A roots music group with a vintage sound older than its years, The Carolyn Sills Combo is breathing fresh life and heartfelt twang into the timeless sounds of post-war American music. Nominated for a 2016 Ameripolitan Award for Western Swing group and a 2016 Academy of Western Artist Award for western swing group, female, album and song (Even Villains Once Were Babies), fans of classic country and western swing are falling in love with the band’s original songs, written and produced by Sills and her longtime guitarist and husband, Gerard Egan. The cowboy loving duo attracted top Monterey Bay area players for their combo, featuring Charlie Joe Wallace on steel guitar, Jim Norris on drums and Sunshine Jackson on harmony vocals and percussion. Sills and Egan are heavily influenced by spaghetti western films as well as their vinyl record collection, citing a wide range of influences from Bob Wills, Patsy Cline and Merle Travis and Les Paul & Mary Ford. Word of their authentic live show is spreading quickly throughout California, chock full of three part vocal harmonies, dueling guitar and steel instrumentals and tight arrangements of their own distinct brand of Americana.

This is real, swinging, juke box music,” says Sills. “We’re tipping our hats to the music that made us want to play, and hoping our original takes on these classic styles will keep the genres moving forward."




Fiddling Cricket & Canyon Acoustic Society Concert Series 2017

Nina Gerber and Chris Webster
Superb Guitar; Wonderful Voice
Thursday, April 6th, 7:30pm (doors open at 7.00pm) Tickets $18adv / $20 door donation
Presented by Fiddling Cricket Concerts & Canyon Acoustic Society
AT THE UGLY MUG CAFE

4640 Soquel Dr, Soquel, CA 95073
Contact Fiddling Cricket at 408 499 9441 or
crbrundle@gmail.com for reservations or more information.

After originally coming to prominence as accompanist and close musical companion to Kate Wolf, Nina Gerber spent more than two decades as "guitarist of choice" for recordings and performances with a huge number of folk performers, as well becoming a respected producer and arranger. During this time she earned a devoted following. After appearing on, or producing, over 60 albums, she has in recent years released her own solo CDs, both live performance and studio. Nina always emphasizes taste over technical skill (which she has in abundance), providing a soulful enhancement to whichever vocalist she is accompanying; Karla Bonhoff, Peter Rowan, Eliza Gilkyson, Greg Brown, Laurie Lewis, and here Chris Webster http://www.ninagerber.com

"One of the best acoustic and electric guitarists in the folk genre." - Frets Magazine







Chris Webster's voice has those ineffable qualities of vocal grain, emotional nuance, phrasing, and warmth which characterize truly great and moving singers in any style. She covers a wide range of material, including her own as a songwriter, accompanied by the fabulous guitar work of Nina Gerber. She also still fronts the ever popular Sacramento party band, Mumbo Gumbo (for over 20 years!), and occasionally teams up with her classical soprano sister, Cassie, as The Webster Sisters, performing traditional folk. Chris also can, and will, play a variety of instruments. http://www.chriswebstermusic.com

"…each note she sings conveys a probing, acute, sensitivity to the little complications in life and love, with a sexy edge to boot" - No Depression Magazine






Fiddling Cricket & Canyon Acoustic Society Concert Series 2017

Michael G Ronstadt and Serenity Fisher

Cello, Keyboards, Vocals
Friday, April 7th, 7:30pm (doors open at 7.00pm) Tickets $15adv / $15 door donation
Presented by Fiddling Cricket Concerts & Canyon Acoustic Society
AT THE UGLY MUG CAFE

4640 Soquel Dr, Soquel, CA 95073
Contact Fiddling Cricket at 408 499 9441 or
crbrundle@gmail.com for reservations or more information.

For two decades, Michael G. Ronstadt, known to the Fiddling Cricket and Ugly Mug audience as a member of The Ronstadt Generations, has entertained audiences throughout North America on cello, guitar and voice. As a musician-composer conversant with a wide range of styles, he participates regularly in duo and trio situations with a diverse camp of young, innovative musician-songwriters. He is a much sought-after studio musician who has appeared on more than 150 albums in the last 15 years. He holds both a Master and Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance. His versatile talents have been tapped for concert and studio work by such artists as David Bromberg, Linda Ronstadt, Muriel Anderson and Craig Bickhardt. http://www.michaelronstadt.com

"An exceptional musician-composer, Ronstadt creates a masterful canvas with genre-blending explorations on cello and guitar in complement to thought-provoking lyrics" - Stephanie P. Ledgin, Author, Discovering Folk Music 2011

Serenity Fisher, of Serenity Fisher and the Cardboard Hearts, blends playful pop-rock with a Tim Burton-esque quirkiness. A wordsmith, Serenity entices stories into becoming songs with highly-visual lyrics, and dreamy melodies. As a vocalist she ranges from bluesy belt to sultry whisper. Her piano style is theatrical and passionate. Her music has been compared to Tori Amos. www.serenityfisher.com



Front Country plus Flypaper Blues
Rafter shaking vocals & dynamic instrumental textures take flight with grace & gravitas—Americana, Newgrass, Bluegrass
Saturday, April 8th, 8.00pm $10/$12
21+ Only
FC Cosponsored Show
AT DON QUIXOTES MUSIC HALL
6275 Highway 9 in Downtown Felton, Reservations online or call 831-603-2294

Front Country: What started as a group of friends playing bluegrass in San Francisco's Mission District has morphed into a touring powerhouse of song and sound, transcending their humble string band roots. Front Country's dynamic instrumental textures take flight with grace and gravitas while rooted in the relentlessly soulful vocals of lead singer-songwriter Melody Walker. Along with mandolinist Adam Roszkiewicz, guitarist Jacob Groopman, violinist Leif Karlstrom and bassist Jeremy Darrow, this quintet has been called "passionately intoxicating" and "orchestral" and Melody's bluesy vocals have been described as "rafter-shaking". Seldom traditional, always original, Front Country's new album Sake of the Sound and covers EP "Mixtape" are both out now! http://www.frontcountryband.com

Flypaper Blues: Out of the Bluetail Flies comes Flypaper Blues, an Americana band featuring two part female harmonies, driving upright bass rhythms, flanked by a smokin' fiddle, mandolin and acoustic guitars. This 100% homegrown, local band brings influences from traditional bluegrass, singer songwriter, to alt-county genres. Songwriting is personal, comedic, and inspired by the existential need to transcend the hazards and pitfalls of modern life with soul nourishing music. http://www.facebook.com/Flypaper-Blues-203648733343499/




Fiddling Cricket & Canyon Acoustic Society Concert Series 2017

Four Shillings Short

Celtic, World Folk
Wednesday, April 19th, 7:30pm (doors open at 7.00pm) Tickets $15adv / $18 door donation
Presented by Fiddling Cricket Concerts & Canyon Acoustic Society
AT THE UGLY MUG CAFE

4640 Soquel Dr, Soquel, CA 95073
Contact Fiddling Cricket at 408 499 9441 or
crbrundle@gmail.com for reservations or more information.

The Celtic/Folk/World music husband and wife duo, Four Shillings Short, create a surprising collection of songs and sounds, while stretching the limits of Celtic and Folk music by stirring in generous amounts of Indian Ragas and Medieval flavorings. They bring musical diversity, captivating storytelling, and humorous side notes, while performing Traditional and Original music from the Celtic lands, Medieval & Renaissance Europe, India and the Americas, on an array of over 30 instruments. They have released 12 recordings, and live as full time Troubadours traveling from town to town and performing at music festivals, theatres & performing arts centers, folk societies, libraries, house concerts and schools in the US and Ireland.

Aodh Og O'Tuama received his degree in Music from University College Cork, Ireland and received a Fellowship from Stanford University in California in Medieval and Renaissance performance. He plays Tin whistles, Medieval & Renaissance woodwinds, Recorders, Doumbek (from Morocco), bowed Psaltery, Spoons and sings in English, Gaelic & French.

From the age of 15, Christy Martin studied North Indian Sitar for 10 years, 5 of them with Ravi Shankar. She began playing the Hammered Dulcimer in her 20's and also plays Mandolin, Mandola, Bouzouki, Banjo, Guitar, Bodhran, Charango, bowed Psaltery and sings in English, Irish, Spanish and Sanskrit. www.4shillingsshort.com

"They are not the Clancy Brothers or Jean Richie or Ravi Shankar, but a combination of all three, laced with Irish humor. " - San Gregorio General Store, CA 2005



T Sisters plus The Naked Bootleggers
Sassy sister folk, traditional, pop & indie Americana with fresh Bootegger approach to Old Time Mountain Music - CD Release for new New T Sisters Self-Titled Album
Saturday, April 22nd, 8.30pm $12/$15
21+ Only
FC Cosponsored Show Presented with A Grapevyne Music Rendezvous
AT DON QUIXOTES MUSIC HALL
6275 Highway 9 in Downtown Felton, Reservations online or call 831-603-2294

T Sisters , born and raised in California and now based in the creative hub of Oakland, embody harmony. It's in their blood, bones, and history. Erika, Rachel and Chloe have been singing and writing music together since childhood, and the lifetime of practice shows. The three sisters' inventive songwriting is supported by their own acoustic instrumentation as well as upright bass (Steve Height), mandolin/guitar (Andrew Allen Fahlander), and drums (Marlon Aldana). Their sound represents a continuum of music, from traditional to pop influences, moments of breathtaking a cappella to swells of energetic indie Americana. In the last two years, they've been honored to support such acts as Amos Lee, The Wood Brothers, Todd Rundgren, The Waybacks, Laurie Lewis, ALO, Elephant Revival, The California Honeydrops, and more. Notable performances include Merlefest, Kate Wolf Music Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (support role), Sisters Folk Festival, Strawberry Music Festival, Americana Music Association Festival, Music City Roots, and Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion. http://tsisters.com

The Naked Bootleggers: Local favorites from the Santa Cruz Mountains bring a fresh approach to Old Time Mountain Music. Reviving the standards of yesterday while writing standards for tomorrow, local musicians Don Mackessy (banjo), Ona Stewart (guitar), S.T. Young (guitar, washboard, harmonica), James Mackessy (bass), Jeremy Lampel (mandolin) are bridging the gap between old time and contemporary music with captivating vocal harmonies, lyrical creativity and that high lonesome sound of old. http://www.facebook.com/The-Naked-Bootleggers-343579009074534/



The Quitters - (Glenn Houston & Stevie Coyle)
Out of the Waybacks and Houston-Jones come a great new Americana guitar duo featuring Glenn Houston & Stevie Coyle
Sunday, April 23rd, 7.00pm $10/$12
Over 21 Only
FC Cosponsored Show
AT DON QUIXOTES MUSIC HALL
6275 Highway 9 in Downtown Felton, Reservations online or call 831-603-2294

The Quitters are a guitar duo, consisting of a right-side up finger picker and an upside down flat picker. More importantly they were two of the three founding members of the virtuoso string band, The Waybacks, and one was the long-time lead guitarist and co-founder of the Americana powerhouse, Houston Jones. Now they play together, on their own, hence the name, "The Quitters". They deliver a mostly acoustic celebration of flatpick and fingerstyle mastery, plus vocals, spiced with humor and serendipity. Artist sites and sounds: www.facebook.com/thequittersduo/




Cosponsored with Fiddling Cricket Concerts & Snazzy Productions

The Bills
Saturday, April 29th, 7:30 General Admission $25, Gold Circle $35
Tickets $4 more on day-of-show (Gold Circle Seating is the first 3 rows center section; plus 2 aisle seats on each side)

AT THE KUUMBWA

Kuumbwa Jazz Center 320-2 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, call 831 479-9421 or buy tickets here

With two previous JUNO nominations and multiple Western Canadian Music Awards under their belts, expect the musical magic you’ve come to love from this extraordinary quintet. The Bills are renowned for their instrumental virtuosity, lush vocal arrangements, evocative songwriting, and a refreshing sound that transcends musical boundaries and defies simple categorization. Strings, bellows, keys, voices, skin and bows – these are the vehicles for The Bills’ unique sonic approach. With individual band members sporting world-class credentials in folk/roots, jazz, classical and world music, The Bills truly are a Canadian acoustic music super-group, and their combined creative studio talent and explosive live shows have made them legendary folk/roots entertainers. Whether spinning on your recorded playlist, entertaining an intimate theatre audience or rocking a festival crowd of 10,000, these five gifted multi-instrumentalists are masters at somehow leaving listeners breathless and revitalized all at once.



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Last Updated: 03/28/17