Last Year’s Selection
The Martin Family Band:
The Martin family used to play music together at home just for fun. But, it wasn’t long before they were performing throughout the region as The Martin Family Band. This talented group performs a rich and unique blend of Irish, 18th century Colonial and old-time mountain music and has been the informal “house band” at Mt. Vernon for 15 years.
Locally, they have performed at events such as the Sheep and Wool Festival and the Washington Folk Festival. Internationally they have performed in Ireland, Scotland and Germany. Their unique mix of instruments includes hammered dulcimer, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, guitar, button accordion, piano, lap dulcimer, recorder and tin whistle.
Carl, the father, plays mandolin and tenor banjo and is also a member of the Common Ground Ceili Band. Jeanean, the mother, plays hammered dulcimer and guitar. She sings and has been performing and teaching music for 20 years. She is also a talented visual artist who teaches and exhibits in the Washington, DC area. Both Jeanean and Carl are fine musicians who have encouraged their family and others to play music.
Children Lydia, Emily and Claude have all followed in their parent’s footsteps. Lydia plays piano, 5-string banjo, recorder, guitar, button accordion and sings. At the age of 17 she had the distinction of performing for President Clinton at the White house. She received a scholarship from the Levine School of Music in Washington, DC where she studied classical piano, and she studied 5-string banjo with banjo master Dwight Diller.
Lydia is the recipient of many awards including 1st Place in the Old-time Banjo and band competition at the Deer Creek Fiddler’s Convention, Westminster MD and was recently featured on the banjo staff at the Folk Alliance in Memphis, TN.
Emily plays tenor banjo, mandolin, lap dulcimer and tin whistle. She is a natural musician, mostly self-taught, who learns her music by ear in the true folk tradition. She has the distinction of winning two consecutive 1st place medals at the Mid-Atlantic Irish Music Competition. She also received 1st place in mandolin at the Deer Creek Fiddler’s Convention. Emily heartily pursues her interest in old-time music, playing and singing mountain ballads with sister Lydia. And together, they are studying Appalachian ballad singing with Ginny Hawker.
Claude began playing fiddle at the age of seven. An award-winning fiddler, he took 1st place at the Deer Creek Fiddler’s Convention and the Speedy Tolliver Fiddle Contest and 2nd place at the George Mason Traditional Fiddle contest. Claude performs with his family and also with his own band Fauntel. He sings and plays his own compositions, as well as contemporary arrangements of traditional music.
An exciting new addition to the band is Josh Henderson who brings it all together with his steady bass rhythms. At the Deer Creek Fiddler’s Convention he took 1st place in the bass competition. To learn more about the musical adventures of the Martin Family band, visit www.themartinfamilyband.com.
Hardline Drive:
It’s not very often that two women front a bluegrass band, but the high-powered harmonies and lead vocals of Toni Erskine and Danielle Smith are the core and essence of Hardline Drive.
Michigan’s Hardline Drive came together in 2006. Each member has years of experience in traditional and contemporary bluegrass, but their focus is on producing original material highlighted by solid timing and tight harmonies.
Toni Erskine, a fiddler and gifted songwriter, sings powerful lead vocals with a bluesy feel. Danielle Smith, who started singing at the age of four and playing mandolin at the age of eight, plays mandolin, up-right bass, fiddle and saxophone. Greg Fuson, who grew up in a family of bluegrass musicians, plays a mean dobro and is a phenomenal rhythm guitarist. And with the recent addition of Wes Pettinger on banjo, this band is really cookin’!In 2008 Hardline Drive released its first CD, Gonna Be Alright. “Hardline Drive is the complete package,” says Bill Keith of Trinity House Theatre, “great songs, inspired musicians and wonderful singers; these elements magically come together in a not-to-be-missed performance. One of Michigan’s best kept secrets will soon be the Bluegrass world’s favorite new band.” To learn more about Hardline Drive, visit www.hardlinedrive.com.
For music samples visit the band’s MySpace page!
Chocolate Thunder:
Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Etta James! Linda Rodney, who performs under the name of Chocolate Thunder, is determined to reach the success levels of these blues, rock, jazz and R&B divas, and with her amazing voice and dynamic stage presence, her destiny is written in the stars.
Growing up in South Carolina, Rodney was immersed in the music enjoyed by family and friends at a very young age. She grew up listening to everything from Patti LaBelle and Shirley Cesar to Muddy Waters and the Grand Dame of rockin’ soul Aretha Franklin. Her church mentored her while she polished her vocal prowess singing in the children’s choir. There, she astonished church parishioners with her powerful and mature vocal abilities.
Rodney’s career has always included performing on stage. For several years she acted and modeled, but her first love has always been music – particularly the blues. “You see, I not only can sing the blues, but I also know why we sing it,” she says.
After expanding her vocal skills training with opera singer Sarah Reece, Rodney hit the music scene in South Carolina, crossed the continent to perform in California and traveled overseas to perform in Paris, France.
Her music career has been filled with treasures that include performing with groups such as the Main Street Blues Band, Blues Beat Band and Palmetto Blues Boys. But, eventually she stepped out on her own and formed her own band, Chocolate Thunder.
Over the years, she has shared the stage and opened for legendary artists such as Little Pink Anderson, Sandra Hall and B.B. King. People notice Linda not just because of her sonic soulful voice, but for her incredible stage presence. “Every show I give 100% no matter what,” she says.
In 2007, as a result of numerous fan requests, Rodney entered the studio to record her own tunes. Although it can be difficult to write truly original blues songs, Rodney flawlessly succeeds, as evidenced by her debut CD Barkin’ Up the Wrong Tree.
With the demand for her music continuing to grow, her sophomore CD Ear Candy was released in 2009. Ear Candy is a soulful mix of supreme quality with every song an original. And now, Rodney is touring to support her new musical calling card. “I love to give it all I’ve got. In the past years of pursuing my career in singing the blues, it has been a beautiful and unforgettable ride.”
Check out Chocolate Thunder, the Southern wonder, at www.cthunder.com.
Blue Moon Rising:
Bluegrass band Blue Moon Rising brings the sounds of East Tennessee to their live performances and chart-topping albums. A national touring band, Blue Moon Rising is comprised of Chris West on lead vocals and guitar, Tony Mowell on bass and vocals, Brandon Bostic on mandolin, guitar and vocals and Owen Piatt on banjo. This year the band will celebrate the release of their fifth album.
Blue Moon Rising garnered international recognition with the release of their third album, On the Rise. The name of the album proved to be a symbolic title for the group, because in 2005 the album debuted at #14 on the BILLBOARD Top 50 Bluegrass Chart. On the Rise received tremendous recognition. Along with numerous other honors, it made CMT.com’s Top 10 Bluegrass Albums, Gritz Magazine’s Top Overall Albums of 2005 and spent ten months on Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine’s Bluegrass National Survey Top 15 Album Chart.
The single, This Old Martin Box, spent the entire 2006 calendar year in the Top 30 Singles. And, IBMA members honored the group with a nomination for Emerging Artist of the Year with band leader Chris West performing in the Songwriter’s Showcase.
Blue Moon Rising is lead by multi-talented guitarist and acclaimed songwriter, Chris West, who writes many of the band’s songs. His original tunes have become the signature sound of the band. Simply put, this band has it all. They play well, sing well, and write well. To learn more and listen to a few tunes, visit www.bluemoonrisingband.com.
For music samples and further information, visit the band’s MySpace page!
Kelly Bell Band:
Named Best Blues Band in the Mid-Atlantic Region for eleven years in a row, the Kelly Bell Band gets crowds jumpin’. Every show is a musical marathon. Bell writhes and rocks, sweat flying off the ends of his dreads as his deep baritone voice fills the air. Drum sticks fly, horns blow and the crowd screams Kel-ly, Kel-ly! And, no one wants to go home!
And, as if fronting his own band isn’t enough, Bell is also a professional championship wrestler, a regular on the radio, a writer and an actor! He’s acted in commercials, on television and in movies. His band has shared the stage with James Brown, The Black Crowes, Ziggy Marley, Buddy Guy, Better than Ezra, Bo Diddley and many others.
According to Chris Terry of The Towerlight, “As timeless as the blues may be, Kelly Bell’s success stems from his ability to take such a classic form of music and add his own touch.” For example, every track on his 2008 release I’m Just Sayin’ is an original. By combining hip-hop, funk, rock, a head full of dreadlocks and good old fashioned Muddy Waters’ blues, Kelly Bell has created his own sound. To learn more about the Kelly Bell Band, visit www.phatblues.com.
Music samples can be found on the band’s MySpace Page!
The Polka Dots:
As festivalgoers enter the gate, they will be greeted by The Polka Dots, a young trio from Loudoun County, who will be performing old time music near the entrance.
