Squirrel Butter, husband and wife duo of Charlie Beck & Charmaine Slaven, started performing together after meeting at a music festival in 2005. Sharing a deep love of traditional music, they explore the genres of old-time, early bluegrass, blues, country, & Cajun while adding their unique perspective to these traditions and threading these influences into their original compositions. Multi-instrumentalists, they play banjo, guitar, fiddle, steel guitar, step-dance, and sing in harmony.
Occasionally, Squirrel Butter appears with guest musicians to form a trio or quartet. Currently both are members of honky-tonk project, The Lucky Shots, and half of venerable string band, The Tallboys. They are anchors of the old-time music, honky-tonk, & square dance communities in the Pacific NW and beyond.
Blues, Roots, Rhythms & Dance Revolution! Hillman City Sway is a rousing review of American Blues Music. Always with one foot in New Orleans, the band makes you jump up and dance.
Seven talented musicians, from their own deep musical traditions. Together they are The Hillman City Sway! Not just a great dance band but a great blues journey.
Ricky Gene Powell-Guitars/Mandolin/Vocals/Band Leader Ricky Gene is a singer and songwriter, who lays down infectious groove. He is known for his mandolin and guitar playing, fusing the best elements of bluegrass, folk, American roots and world beat music.
Steve Flynn-Piano/Vocals For over 50 years musician/singer/songwriter Steven Flynn has been singing and playing piano rooted in blues, boogie-woogie and New Orleans R&B
Briar-Vocals Briar is a singer/ guitar player whose voice, joyous presence and gift of song is an inspiration. She leads the structural leadership team at the Rhapsody Project.
Joe Seamons-Guitars/Harmonica/Vocals Joe is a musician and teacher who co-founded the Rhapsody Project in 2013 to harness the power of roots music to help create empathy and equity.
Martel Brooks Martel is known as the “Drummer of Exceptional Grooves”. He is also a wonderful father and dedicated family man.
John Oliver III-Drums/Bass/Vocals John is a Seattle native, 30+ years of drumming and keyboarding experience, with a strong gospel music based inheritance handed down by previous generations.
Rebecca Young-Bass Rebecca is constantly in demand as a bassist who tours, performs and records in the United Stated, Canada and Europe. She currently resides and works in Seattle, WA.
Madeleine Roger(she/her) is a singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Canada. While skillfully accompanying herself on acoustic guitar, it is her artistry as a songwriter that can silence a room, uniting her lyrical prowess with breathtaking melodies that linger long after they are sung.
Photo by Jenna Shouldice
Her newest collection of songs is a deeply personal body of work examining every nook and cranny of love and loss. It is unflinchingly honest, and is the result of three years of soul-digging, experimentation, and fine-tuning – Madeleine has poured over every word. Nerve,the album created in the process (out August 2024 on Birthday Cake Records) is her sophomore solo release, and it touches the exposed nerve left over from a breakup with a long-term lover and musical collaborator, the death of a soul-friend, the secret of an unrequited love, months of caring for a dying grandparent, and finding a curious peace in spite of it. It was produced by Josh Kaufman (Bob Weir, Bonny Light Horseman, Hiss Golden Messenger, Anaïs Mitchell) and recorded in four days in Kingston NY by engineer D. James Goodwin (The National, Fruit Bats, The Hold Steady).
She has toured extensively across Canada, Europe, USA, and the UK sharing her music live at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Shetland Island Folk Festival, Vancouver Island Music Festival, Stan Rogers Folk Festival, Summerfolk Festival of Arts and Crafts, among others. She is also a regular collaborator with JUNO award winning string quartet The Fretless, appearing with them in performances and on recordings as a vocalist and co-writer.
English Songwriter of the Year nominee (2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards)
Producer of the Year nominee (2019 Western Canadian Music Awards)
Winner: Kerrville’s 2025 Grassy Hill New Folk Competition For Emerging Song
Said bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley, when asked about what he called “old-time mountain music.” When Melissa Carper heard those words, something jumped inside her. While staying in the country with a friend, she found an old DVD of Down From the Mountain, the documentary and concert film of the “O, Brother Where Art Thou” soundtrack that featured this particular Stanley interview. She immediately jotted down “borned in ya” on a piece of paper. “I knew I had to write that song,” she recalls.
In the Spring of 2023, Carper went back to East Nashville’s Bomb Shelter – the same “analog wonderland” where she’d recorded Ramblin’ Soul and its predecessor, Daddy’s Country Gold, and enlisted the help of her trusted co-producers – Dennis Crouch and Andrija Tokic. “Borned In Ya” would become the title track of the new album, out July 19th via Mae Music/Thirty Tigers.
Like much of her writing, the song applies a homespun sensibility – and a bit of humor – to questions about life’s journeys. “I was turning over in my mind what it means to have something ‘borned in ya’,” she said. “The song evolved as I was writing it to be more about having your soul ‘borned it ya,’ and the more life experience you have, you hopefully grow to embody the highest version of yourself that you can be.” “Borned In Ya” could certainly stand as a reflection on Carper’s life in music. “Authentic” might be an over- used word to describe an artist’s appeal, but there’s something so natural and true about Carper’s musicality that she must have been born with it: An easy sway to her singing, a precise, but laid back sense of timing. A feel. And, lyrically, she has an instinctive sense for storytelling, both observant and intuitive.
The Horsenecks are Gabrielle Macrae and Barry Southern. Based in Astoria, Oregon, they are two multi-instrumentalists who have come together from traditional music backgrounds and found a sound that weaves through layers of influence that include early Appalachian fiddle and banjo music, country, classic bluegrass and original folk.
Gabrielle’s fiddle style is the result of being raised in the Old Time music hotbed of Portland, OR and being exposed to the fiddle traditions of the Southeast US through years of traveling to festivals and learning from some of the greatest players in the genre. Now deep in the world of songwriting, she brings together her background in traditional music and modern influences across many genres to create a catalog of songs that speak to their place in the evolving story of traditional music. Barry’s banjo and guitar playing range from thrilling and high-octane to moody and captivating, and his versatility shines whether flatpicking, playing clawhammer, or driving three-finger banjo. Barry has been consistently active in his home town of Liverpool’s music scene for over 20 years, playing lead guitar with cult heroes Tramp Attack and in the UK Old Time and Bluegrass scene, playing with multiple groups. Together, they create a distinctive sound, neither traditional or contemporary, their powerful harmony singing front and center. The Horsenecks continue to set a new standard in today’s traditional music scene with years of touring under their belts, appearances at major festivals in the USA and the UK and three critically acclaimed studio albums.
Woody Platt and The Bluegrass Gentleman bring a fresh, modern approach to classic bluegrass, led by Grammy Award-winner Woody Platt. As a founding member of the acclaimed Steep Canyon Rangers and a frequent touring partner of Steve Martin, Woody’s legacy in bluegrass is well-established. Now with The Bluegrass Gentleman—featuring Daren Shumaker on mandolin, Bennett Sullivan on banjo, Casey Driessen on fiddle, Buddy Melton on bass, and Woody on guitar—this ensemble unites some of the most celebrated talents in bluegrass. Each member has a notable career, recognized for their musicianship and contributions to the genre.
Woody’s first solo record, Far Away with You, released on Compass Records, showcases collaborations with his musical heroes, including Darrell Scott, Sam Bush, Del McCoury, Tim O’Brien, Jerry Douglas, and Shannon Whitworth. Together, Woody Platt and The Bluegrass Gentleman pay homage to bluegrass roots while offering a dynamic, contemporary edge that resonates with new and seasoned fans alike.
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