News Archive

Celtic, Blues and Bluegrass

JONESBOROUGH – Music on the Square invites Celtic and Blues duo, Ivy Road, and the Brookfield Bluegrass Band to downtown Jonesborough Friday, August 1 at 7 p.m.

Jason Lloyd and Lynda Laws, otherwise known as Ivy Road, have been playing music together for 14 years. The duo met when Lynda's sister had a music hall in Jonesborough with a July 4th "no show" band. Lynda says some begging and alot of blackmailing convinced her to do her first show ever. Jason, home from Tennessee Tech, said he played guitar a little and offered to help Lynda. The rest is history. They've been the opening act for Johnny Winters, The Marshall Tucker Band and Black Oak Arkansas. They've toured and played festivals in Scotland, fan-fare in Nashville, Binion's Horseshoe Lounge in Mississippi and been the headline act for The Little Chicago Blues Festival. The two have been featured on The King Pup Radio Hour, Live with Dave Carter on WETS and on HTV3 television. Some of their festivals have included The Blue Plum Festival, the Abingdon Highland Festival, Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Speyfest in the U.K. Ivy Road has made three CDs; two Celtic and one Blues and they're working on their fourth.

On any given Sunday afternoon one may hear the ringing of a mandolin, mellow tones of Martin guitars, deep thumps of a dog-house bass and sweet mountain harmony in a country church atop Brookfield Drive in Newport, Tennessee. With band members being spread throughout the Southern Appalachian Region, it seems by the work of a higher power these individuals were destined to be brought together. When these guys and gals get together to rehearse or perform, you are sure to experience much laughter and enthusiasm about the music and life in general. Look out, it may be contagious! This group of musicians and singers love traditional bluegrass and bluegrass gospel music with inspirations such as Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Keith Whitley, Larry Sparks, Tony Rice and Alison Krauss. A young group, it is an adventure to experience their sound being created and perfected with each passing performance. Group members include Aubree Beeler-mandolin; Austin Pratt-rhythm/lead guitar; Chris Flatford-bass; Andre' Pratt-rhythm/lead guitar; Kristy Flatford, Vera Pratt and Amanda Pratt-Vocals.

For more information, call the Jonesborough Visitors Center at 423-753-1010.

Bluegrass with Jay Clark and Robinella!

JONESBOROUGH –Bluegrass performer, Jay Clark, will open Music on the Square for the band Robinella, Friday, July 25 at 7 p.m. in downtown Jonesborough.

Jay Clark grew up playing guitar in Winchester, Tennessee. During the summers of 1993 and '94, he performed at Dollywood and various bluegrass festivals. His former band, The Stringbeans, played frequently in the Knoxville area and were voted the "Best Bluegrass Group" in 1999 by the Readers Poll of Knoxville's alternative weekly, the Metropulse. After attending the University of Tennessee, Jay moved to Oklahoma to pursue a PhD. While there, he continued songwriting and would occasionally return to Knoxville to perform with Robinella and the CC Stringband. He now performs beyond the Knoxville area, frequently opening shows for Robinella, as well as touring on his own as a solo act.

Labeled as a jazz-country hybrid, Robinella is the band of singer Robin Ella Contreras. The band was first formed as Robinella and the CC Stringband in the late 1990s by Robin Ella and husband Cruz Contreras at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. They released three albums under that name before shortening it to simply Robinella with the 2006 release of Solace for the Lonely, an album which began to explore areas of pop and funk. Prior to that, much of the band's work could be described as a mixture of progressive bluegrass and jazz blues. Robinella continues to perform regularly most Sunday nights at Barley's Taproom and Pizzeria in the Old City section of Knoxville.

For more information, call the Jonesborough Visitors Center at 423-753-1010

"Fiery Mountain Music on the Square"

JONESBOROUGH – Acoustic roots music from Jeff & Vida and "fiery mountain music" from The Biscuit Burners will be showcased during Music on the Square Friday, July 11 at 7 p.m. in downtown Jonesborough.

One of New Orleans' best known acoustic roots acts, Jeff &l Vida, has recently relocated to Nashville. With three critically acclaimed records under their belts and five years of rigorous touring both nationally and internationally, the duo makes big impressions wherever they go. Performing original material, spanning from Appalachian bluegrass to alternative country, their live performances showcase Vida's powerful voice and Jeff's harmonizing picking on mandolin, guitar and banjo. With ballads that sound like they could have been written 50 years ago and raucous barnstorming numbers that keep your feet tapping, their live shows are exciting and unique, full of humor, good music and unforgettable songs. With past performances including the Ryman Auditorium, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival in Ireland, Jeff & Vida are emerging as the next up and coming Americana act.

A fresh approach to acoustic music with roots that date as far back as mountain music can reach, The Biscuit Burners offer their "Fiery Mountain Music" with innovative instrumentation, respondent harmonies and captivating original material. Their unique yet familiar material pulls strong from their respect of traditional mountain music, their love of bluegrass and classic country and their appreciation of music from the far corners of the world. Their debut album was chosen in The Top 10 Bluegrass Albums of 2004 by the Chicago Tribune. In 2005, their second album was chosen in the Top 20 of the Roots Music Report National Bluegrass Airplay chart for the first five months of its release. By 2006, The Biscuit Burners had been heard on radio, TV and in over 130 concerts nation wide. Not only do The Biscuit Burners take their "Fiery Mountain Music" to America's finest venues, but they also take their knowledge and passion for music to schools across America as part of their Appalachian Culture Music Program. Their presentations range from history lessons to instructional lessons and are customized for students from kindergarten to high school. From Oregon to Virginia, the band has introduced and inspired America's youth in hopes to preserve the music they have dedicated their lives to. The Biscuit Burners are Billy Cardine (resophonic guitar), Dan Bletz (guitar), Mary Lucey (bass), Odessa Jorgensen (fiddle) and Wes Corbett (banjo).

For more information, call the Jonesborough Visitors Center at 423-753-1010.