Stage Two
There's a lot of local talent here in Albuquerque and New Mexico, and we're offering Stage Two as an avenue where a few of these bands can play and gain some visibility. This year, we've added Colorado favorites, Willson & McKee. Come on out and meet established and up and coming folk and traditional music bands on the local music scene. Thanks to Michael Coy for organizing Stage Two.
Friday
| Time | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | Jaw Harp Workshop | New Mexico Symphony musician Ken Dean will go over basic techniques for this ancient mouth resonated instrument. Feel free to bring your own instruments. There will be a very limited number of bamboo instruments available. |
| 7:00 PM | Western Swing Fiddle Workshop | Western Swing Fiddle with Gretchen Van Houten, past Winfield fiddle champion. Like they say,"It don't mean a thing...if it ain't got that swing!" Show up and we'll doozy up a tune or three. |
Saturday
| Time | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | Banjo's Etc. | Banjos, Etc. plays good old songs and early jazz favorites with four banjoists, a pianist, and a bassist. Be ready to sing! |
| 11:00 AM | Muddy River String Band | The Muddy River String Band draws the listener down a dusty lane echoing with acoustic memories of lonely mountain melodies. Rousing bluegrass tunes cause toes to tap of their own accord. Art Garcia leads the Muddy River String Band with his smooth vocals and driving mandolin picking. His original music journeys to a folksy, sepia-toned vision of bygone days. Diane Prior’s liquid, bluesy voice adds power to the ensemble, while her hammered dulcimer fulfills a longing for simpler times. Ben Prior adds the unique sound of the ‘cello with his rhythmic, pulsing accompaniment and unusual, improvised leads. Lynda Garcia on bass rounds out the band. |
| 12:00 PM | Atomic Grass | Originally from Los Alamos, Atomic Grass has been entertaining New Mexicans for more than thirty years with traditional and modern Bluegrass, featuring the smooth vocal harmonies and tight, lively instrumentals of Ron Hale on rhythm and lead guitar, Jerry Longmire on fiddle, James Horn on banjo, and Phil Vergamini on bass. |
| 1:00 PM | Willson & McKee | Willson & McKee, a nationally touring duo specializing in original as well as traditional Irish and Scottish acoustic music, play Rocky Mountain Celtic… what Celtic becomes when it settles comfortably, three generations in the west! Americans doing what they do best – interpreting their roots music in fresh and original ways. The combination of Willson and McKee's Celtic heritage plus their Montana and Colorado roots gives audiences a fresh musical experience: Original compositions with an ancient sound, and traditional pieces re-dressed in their distinctive style. This duo, has won four top honors at the International Songwriting Competition at the Milwaukee Irish Festival, the largest Irish Festival in the world! Along with stellar songwriting skills, they showcase award-winning instrumental talents. Blazing instrumentals, warm harmony vocals, and a lot of laughter complete the Willson & McKee experience. Kim McKee received 15 years of classical training before turning to traditional Irish and Scottish music 28 years ago. She moves effortlessly among her instruments and her pallate includes hammered and mountain dulcimer, folk harp, accordion, guitar and bodhran, and she never passes up an opportunity to teach a Ceili dance! Ken Willson is the pulsing folk drive, adding an engaging tenor voice and tasteful guitar and bouzouki foundations to the unique material. A weaver of wit and tales, he can also spin a fine Ceili swing on the dance floor! |
| 2:00 PM | Hands Five | Hands Five is an acoustic string band originating out of the Contra Dance tradition. As both dancers and musicians, we thrive on the energy that flows from the band to the dancers on a good medley (and back to the band when it all comes together!). Not wed to a particular style, you'll hear everything from the lilt of Celtic fiddling to the syncopated percussion of the hammer dulcimer. The musical focus of the band has always been contra dance music, but there are lots of subsets to this genre. Thus, you'll hear the band jumping from old time southern reels to sweet flowing New England hornpipes and from French Canadian tunes to new-time old-time compositions by band members and friends of the band. Sometimes they’ll play a schizophrenic mix of styles in the same medley. If there's an opportunity, they'll even burst forth into songs ranging from old swing standards, to Klezmer, to contemporary compositions. This may not be legal according to the musical police, but Hands Five has never been able to decide on a favorite. |
| 3:00 PM | Adobe Brothers | The Adobe Brothers, elected as Albuquerque's best bluegrass band (along with the Squashblossom Boys) in The Alibi, play traditional and new string band music. |
| 4:00 PM | Holy Water and Whiskey | Holy Water and Whiskey is an Albuquerque vocal trio that plays acoustic traditional, folk, bluegrass, gospel, cowboy, etc. and some select “whiskey” tunes. The group bases its arrangements on solid and straightforward instrumental playing with a special focus on the vocal harmonies found in the songs that they play. They also enjoy having fun interacting with their audience in the genuine belief that music and laughter are universally healing. The group consists of Maggie Washburne on bass, Scott Altenbach on guitar, and Bruce Washburne on guitar and banjo. The group was formed in 2003 and since that time, they have played at over 200 private and public events in New Mexico, California, Arizona and Iowa. They all got their start playing and performing during the folk movement of the 60’s, and their musical tastes have evolved since then to include many other acoustic styles. Their first CD “Better Late than Never” reflects these varied interests. Their second CD “Spirits of All Kinds” was released in July 2008 and it continues their tradition of fine harmony singing and an eclectic and interesting selection of songs. Audiences say that they particularly appreciate the close and sweet harmonies in their songs as well as the interesting variety of songs and the human stories that those songs tell. They also enjoy their delightful jokes and their friendly rapport with the audience. Their beautifully rendered bluegrass gospel tunes and other tunes with spiritual themes sometimes earn them invitations to perform at church events, but they are just as much at home playing those and their other tunes at pubs, festivals, parties, fund raisers and other concert settings. |
| 5:00 PM | Friends Forever | The Friends Forever Trio consists of a husband and wife team, Michael and Donna Coy, backed by Christine Nelson on bass. They play and sing folk songs and tunes from various traditions such as Celtic, Gospel, Old-Time, Bluegrass, Cowboy and Traditional Southwestern, as well as Singer/Songwriter and Original, focusing on vocal harmonies and accompanying themselves on guitar, fiddle, mandolin, bouzouki, and bodhran (Irish drum). |
| 6:00 PM | JUBALation | A young trio of sisters with a smooth blend of vocal harmonies, and strong instrumental back-up on harp, guitar, fiddle, mountain dulcimer, bass and bodhran. |
| 7:00 PM | Willson & McKee | Willson & McKee, a nationally touring duo specializing in original as well as traditional Irish and Scottish acoustic music, play Rocky Mountain Celtic… what Celtic becomes when it settles comfortably, three generations in the west! Americans doing what they do best – interpreting their roots music in fresh and original ways. The combination of Willson and McKee's Celtic heritage plus their Montana and Colorado roots gives audiences a fresh musical experience: Original compositions with an ancient sound, and traditional pieces re-dressed in their distinctive style. This duo, has won four top honors at the International Songwriting Competition at the Milwaukee Irish Festival, the largest Irish Festival in the world! Along with stellar songwriting skills, they showcase award-winning instrumental talents. Blazing instrumentals, warm harmony vocals, and a lot of laughter complete the Willson & McKee experience. Kim McKee received 15 years of classical training before turning to traditional Irish and Scottish music 28 years ago. She moves effortlessly among her instruments and her pallate includes hammered and mountain dulcimer, folk harp, accordion, guitar and bodhran, and she never passes up an opportunity to teach a Ceili dance! Ken Willson is the pulsing folk drive, adding an engaging tenor voice and tasteful guitar and bouzouki foundations to the unique material. A weaver of wit and tales, he can also spin a fine Ceili swing on the dance floor! |
| 8:00 PM | Southwest Wind | Southwest Wind came into being around 2004, forming around Gary Reynolds and his Folk Rock and Country styles. Gary is featured on vocals, guitar, banjo and harmonica. He is joined by Robin Mackenzie on fiddle, keyboard and vocals, Eugene Ruff-Wagner on drums and vocals, and Kevin Clower on bass and vocals. They bring old Folk and Country-Western favorites back to life, including the likes of John Denver, Michael Martin Murphy, The Eagles, and Hank Williams. |