CBMS Presents: Beyond the Grass!

4747 Pearl,Boulder CO 80301

18 May, 2023

Description

Colorado Bluegrass Music Society will celebrate 51 years of history by kicking off this fundraising series! Beyond the Grass will be an intimate show with interviews mixed in, conducted by Neil Smart (of KGNU’s Old Grass GNU Grass). The first of this series will feature performances by Blue Canyon BoysPete and Joan WernickJake LegBecome a member at https://www.coloradobluegrass.org/join-cbms. to receive $10 off tickets! Once you have done that or are already a member, email us at [email protected] to request a code !Silent auction with items include: RockyGrass -Two 3-day General Admission Passes Rhythms on the Rio -Two 3-day General Admission Passes A Framed Billy Strings poster OZO- 2 Travel mugs, Gift cards, 10 free drinks card Franziska Zenhausen- Cheese making class Gift from Western Stars Gallery & Studio Watercolor Painting of Jon Pickett (Chain Station) More to come! The Fed Food Truck will be on-site: The season and local farmer produce dictate our dishes. FED enhance nature with a second life of fermention, sprouting and using nourishing ingredients which energize so you can thrive. Cash Bar-proceeds benefit The Roots Music Project Doors 6:15 pm. Show 7:00 pm About Colorado Bluegrass Music Society: Colorado Bluegrass Music Society is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that was formed in 1972. Its mission is to promote and encourage the growth and preservation of traditional Bluegrass while embracing the evolution within the genre. Visit www.coloradobluegrass.org for more information. About Roots Music Project: Roots Music Project is a non-profit local music incubator based in Boulder, Colorado. We believe in the power of music to make the world a better place. All music starts locally. We empower artists, fans, and venues to connect and create a thriving and inspiring local music scene. RootsMusicProject.org Blue Canyon BoysThe genre of bluegrass has its generations, with Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers of the first generation blending it’s way into the second generation of JD Crowe, Seldom Scene, Del McCoury and many others. Similarly, Colorado has its bluegrass generations prominently starting with Hot Rize and the Bluegrass Patriots, and leading into the Left Hand String Band from the 80’s and 90’s. In the early 2000’s the Blue Canyon Boys formed and over the past 20 years they have landed themselves solidly atop Colorado’s second generation in the bluegrass tier. The Blue Canyon Boys are equal parts purists and innovators when it comes to Bluegrass: they stay true to the form’s roots while constantly reimagining their relationship to tradition. Never settling for the same-old-same-old nor comfortable sitting back and going through the motions, the Blue Canyon Boys continuously quest for the song and the sound that drives their collective bluegrass spirit. The result is a toe-tapping mix of haunting standards, genre-bending arrangements, and catchy original numbers—all built on the bedrock of their collective bluegrass mastery. Ever since founding members Jason Hicks and Gary Dark launched the Blue Canyon Boys in 2003, the Blue Canyon Boys have raised the bar for bluegrass bands. They bring it all: seamless brother-duet style, crisp instrumentation, unvarnished lyrics and subversive humor. After winning first place in the 2008 Telluride Bluegrass festival band contest, the Blue Canyon Boys went off at full tilt, taking the bluegrass circuit by storm, performing in illustrious venues across the country as well as internationally. Their distinctive sound, honed from two decades of performing together, moves easily from instrumental wizardry to playful ribbing. Ultimately and repeatedly, they hit a high note—the rare confluence of harmony that leaves the soul ajar. The seasoned quartet features Gary Dark on mandolin, Jason Hicks on guitar, Drew Garrett on bass, and Chris Elliott on banjo. Their latest album, aptly titled “7”, is perhaps their most polished and poignant yet. Classic bluegrass, clean and raw, blends effortlessly with the band’s homegrown compositions, then peppered with a judicious cover or two, such as the band’s riveting take on Warren Zevon’s “Carmelita”. Whether calling on their old timey musical roots or reconnoitering the future, the band’s musical prowess never wavers. This is high lonesome sound at its best: a driving pulse that weaves through harmonies and fierce rhythms, always with the reminder that as long as the music plays we are never quite alone. Pete & Joan WernickPete Wernick, “Dr. Banjo” of Hot Rize fame, and his singer-guitarist wife Joan are one of bluegrass music’s most appealing and enduring performing couples. Now in their 70s, Joan's clear, soulful singing and Pete's masterful picking bring life to a diverse repertoire including traditional bluegrass, vocal duets and blazing instrumentals. In the early ‘70s the pair performed with the groundbreaking progressive bluegrass band Country Cooking, based in Ithaca, New York. Since 1976 they have lived in Niwot, Colorado in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. They are both members of the Colorado Music Hall of Fame and the Colorado Bluegrass Hall of Honor. Starting in 1990, “Dr. and Nurse Banjo” have performed as a duet all over the continental US as well as in England, Ireland, Russia, Hawaii, Israel, Holland, the Czech Republic, and on national TV in Denmark, as well as a special appearance on the David Letterman show with Steve Martin and Earl Scruggs. Pete and Joan also work together in presenting Pete’s long-running Bluegrass Camps at Merlefest and other locations around the US. Jake LegJake Leg is a 4-piece, new acoustic group from the Front Range of Colorado. The band consists of award-winning musicians Eric Wiggs (vocals/guitar), Dylan McCarthy (mandolin/vocals), Justin Hoffenberg (fiddle) and Troy Robey (bass). Forged in their favorite elements of the bluegrass genre, Jake Leg focuses on delivering compelling, original music. Expressive musicianship and soulful vocals create the framework for the vivid storytelling in each song to come to life. A Jake Leg live show centers on exciting improvisation, and features a spectrum of textures and grooves that engages the audience from the first note to the last. Since forming in 2021, Jake Leg has been quickly recognized as one of the leading contemporary bluegrass bands out of the Colorado area. 2022 saw them moving into bigger regional festivals, including an invitation from Planet Bluegrass to perform in the Wildflower Pavilion at Rockygrass. With steadily growing momentum and plans to release their debut full-length album next year, Jake Leg is poised to make their mark on the bluegrass genre with their unique voice.