July 2012

Willie Stratton

The Willie Stratton band is a howling, seething cyclone of god-fearing folk music. Comprised of the band’s founder, chief writer and namesake Willie Stratton, his half-wolf little sister Grace Stratton and super solid bassist Dave Fultz, The Willie Stratton band has been stomping their feet, gnashing their teeth and belting their lungs out since they were formed in the winter of 2011. Lashing together chilling harmonies, thundering war drums, and a whole lot of soul, The Willie Stratton Band is slightly less likely to make you feel OK than they are to kill your boredom absolutely stone cold dead.

For more visit: williestratton.bandcamp.com

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Harvey Marcotte

Harvey Marcotte is a singer/songwriter, from Bear River, Nova Scotia, who has his feet firmly planted in the fertile soil of a family musical tradition. Growing up in a French community on Rhode Island and encouraged by musical parents, Harvey learned to sing and play various instruments. At the age of 15, he was performing in a folk trio with his sister and a friend, playing guitar and singing harmony. He was also a member of the famous Acadian band “Blou,” before going solo.

Over the years, Harvey has honed his songwriting skills, and many of his songs reflect strong family ties and a rich ethnic background. His self-titled CD is a collection of original tunes, underscored by Harvey’s warm voice and strong, fresh-sounding melodies. His instrumental abilities also shine through on this recording. As well as possessing strong guitar skills, Harvey is an accomplished fiddle and mandolin player, with a solid repertoire of traditional fiddle tunes to draw on. As a performer, his cheerful, relaxed delivery and eclectic repertoire ensure Harvey is a hit with audiences.

For more visit: harveymarcotte.com

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Micah O'Connell

Micah O’Connell came to the East Coast from Ontario three years ago to follow his dream of pursuing a music career. And he is doing just that! He’s been honing his skills playing with the Bruce Street Bandits, performing locally and across Canada. He also plays saxophone and bass as a member of a six-piece instrumental group, Northwest Arm, out of Halifax.

His debut album, Big Mouth and The Old Oak, recorded with the Bruce Street Bandits, came into being with some help from Wolfville’s Andy and Ariana. He currently lives in Halifax, and a second album, to be released in the upcoming year, is in the works.

For more visit: www.reverbnation.com/micahoconnell

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Gary Ness and The Mud Creek Boys

The Mud Creek Boys, an acoustic trio based out of Wolfville, Nova Scotia, play an eclectic mix of old-time country, bluegrass, blues and swing. They especially seek out those “old tunes that everyone remembers but no one plays anymore”. J.P. Huang plays guitar and mandolin, Peter Williams plays guitar and bass, and Ian Spooner plays banjo and guitar.

The Mud Creek Boys have performed in many different venues across western Nova Scotia, and been part of a showcase at the Lunenburg Folk Festival. To a great extent, their repertoire draws from traditional sources, such as the Delmore Brothers, the Carter Family, and Woody Guthrie, but numbers by contemporary artists, such as Alison Krauss and Union Station, Peter Rowan, The Beatles and The Dillards, also find their way into the mix.

Special guest Gary Ness, now a retired professor who was with Acadia University for many years, joins the Mud Creek Boys, for the “train show.” Gary is a historical train enthusiast and has written two books on the Dominion Atlantic Railway. As part of the “train show,” he will tell stories about trains and share from the vast collection of train photos he has collected over the years.

For more: visit their website

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Naming The Twins

This engaging acoustic duo, Robbie Smith and Kathleen Glauser, has developed a beautiful balance between singing songs with depth and lyrical imagery, and performing them with a sense of humour and rich harmonies. They are both from the Shelburne, NS, area and have been a musical duo since 2008.

Robbie is an extremely talented songwriter; his inspired lyrics capture the essence of life lived by and on the sea, and, as one audience member noted, “Rob’s superb guitar skills stopped us dead in our tracks.” Kath’s clear engaging voice and vocal harmonies help to breathe life into those lyrics…she’s a natural with a great sense of harmony and timing.

Their repertoire of originals and familiar favorites never fail to please and they don’t just sing, they entertain. They love to interact with their listeners and they’ll sing their hearts out for you.

For more visit: www.namingthetwins.com

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The Modern Grass

The Modern Grass has been creating quite a stir in the Canadian music scene since this group of five musicians came together in 2011.  They’ve already had a successful Canadian tour and their debut album, The Modern Grass Quartet, was nominated for Music Nova Scotia’s Best Country/Bluegrass album of the year in 2011.  They followed that up with a second album, High on the Mountain, earlier this year.  The Modern Grass features Donald Maclennan, Adam Pye, Andrew Sneddon, Dan MacCormack and Tom Terrell.

The Quintet plays tribute to various musical traditions putting an acoustic spin on a mix of jazz, bluegrass, gypsy, blues, classical, and folk music. Seamlessly translating complex arrangements, adding their own innovation and improvisation, and then including Terrell’s down home songs and lyrics result in a distinctive and reassuring contrast. The Modern Grass in a breath of fresh air.

For more visit: themoderngrassquartet.com

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Littlehouse

Charlie Wilson and Jude Pelley are Littlehouse, an acoustic duo focusing on original instrumental compositions with a Celtic twist. Charlie plays Irish flute and whistles and Jude plays guitars, mandolin, and Appalachian dulcimer. Traditional and contemporary influences are combined to create atmospheric music that has depth and complexity. They’ve had an exciting first year together, on the road performing across Canada and working on their first full length CD of original music. Look for its release date coming soon.

Charlie originally hails from the northwest of England, and when adventure called her to travel, she took her childhood passion for the flute with her, and over the years amassed quite a collection of her own compositions. Jude started life in Carbonear, Nfld. His life long interest in music could in part be attributed to his father’s involvement in the seminal Canadian folk rock group, Figgy Duff. Charlie and Jude now call southwestern Nova Scotia home.

For more visit: www.littlehousemusic.ca

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Angie Oriana Jenkins - Belly Dancer

Angie Oriana Jenkins began her journey as a belly dancer while living on the west coast of Canada where she lived for about 15 years. She studied with various teachers and was part of a belly dance troupe on Salt Spring Island. Originally from New Brunswick, Angie heeded the call to come back home, returning to the east coast and making her home in Wolfville in 2009. She has created “Sister Lotus” as a business that could incorporate all her passions…belly dancing, herbal medicine & sensual body care products.

This belly dancing herbalist has found many eager students and appreciative audiences so she keeps herself busy teaching and performing belly dance as well as juggling the other parts of her business. You can find her at the Wolfville Farmers’ Market, selling her luscious products or doing herbal consultations when she is not on stage or teaching.

For more visit: www.sisterlotus.com

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This ‘homegrown’ talent is sure to get your feet tapping and dancing if there’s room. From Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, the Kickin’ Mule Blues Band recreates authentic blues tracks from both Chicago and West Coast Jump Blues Sound; sounds that were once popularized by artists like Hollywood Fats, William Clarke, amongst others.

Guitar, bass, harmonica, drums, and vocals help this band really perfect the essence of the blues. The band is comprised of Brian Chipman, Mark Bezanson, Darrin Beaton, Jason Burns, and Richard “Rico” Berthiaume.

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