James Reams and The Barnstormers featuring Blaine Sprouse
You won’t want to miss James Reams & The Barnstormers when they’re in your area. Come out and see why Jerry Paul, former editor of Acoustica, had this to say about the band: “James is such an inspiration to watch. He truly feels his music, and sings from his very soul…. If James is ever within your area, he is a ‘must see’ bluegrass icon.” Their high-energy performances of hard-core bluegrass music (including original songs) are real crowd pleasers. And, with legendary fiddler, Blaine Sprouse joining the band as a featured performer for selected west coast venues, the audience is treated to brilliant fiddling matched by blazing banjo and mandolin pickin’ and smokin’ vocals from James that echo his heroes Lester, Carter, and Red. Get out and see ‘em, you won’t be disappointed!
Lynn “Chirps” Smith, Fred Campeau & Steve Rosen (from The Volo Bogtrotters)
These three fellows have been playing old time music together for over 30 years, as the founding members of the Volo Bogtrotters, the Combine, and numerous other configurations, for 100’s of dances, festivals, concerts and other events coast to coast. All of these gentlemen have penned fiddle tunes that are played at sessions everywhere. Home is Illinois and Wisconsin and they are really excited to come to Santa Fe, see some natural beauty, meet you nice folks, eat green chile and play lots of tunes!
LYNN “CHIRPS” SMITH plays fiddle, mandolin and banjo, and is well known for his driving fiddle playing and repertoire of Midwestern and other regional tunes. He was a member of the seminal string band, the Indian Creek Delta Boys, who travelled the Midwest before digital and collected hundreds of tunes that would have been lost, from older fiddlers and singers.
FRED CAMPEAU is an amazing and powerful musician on everything he plays; fiddle, banjo, guitar, uke, anything else he puts his hands on. He has a rich and comfortable singing voice for the old time, jug and acoustic blues music he has been playing for 35 plus years.
STEVE ROSEN is known for his clawhammer banjo playing and driving guitar at dances. He also plays fiddle and mandolin and plays and sings country and bluegrass and teaches at the one of a kind “Old Town School of Folk Music” in Chicago. The U.S., Brazil, Australia, France and Italy have heard his playing and none have banned him so far.
Higher Ground
Based in Northern New Mexico, Higher Ground Bluegrass’ members reside in Albuqueque, Santa Fe and Los Alamos. Founded in 1998, HGB plays original, contemporary and traditional music informed by the American traditions of folk, bluegrass, country, and rock and roll.
Fred Bolton (Oak Ridge, TN) plays guitar and sings lead and harmony vocals. Dave Devlin (Long Island, NY) plays mandolin and dobro, his musical influences are numerous, with Rob Ickes and Jerry Douglas at the top of the list. Ken “Duke” Weddington (Burlington, NC) plays the banjo, guitar, mandolin. He also sings lead and harmony vocals, and is a prolific songwriter. Duke’s instrumental “Alamance” won the 2004 New Mexico Music Industry Award for Best Instrumental. Pat Mahoney (Carmel, CA) plays fiddle and sings lead and harmony vocals. He helps put the “high” in HGB high tenor harmonies, along with tasteful lead vocals and remarkable instrumental skills. Laura Leach (Albuqueque, NM) plays bass and sings harmony vocals. As we understand it, she always wanted to be a musician, but settled for being a bass player instead. She comes to HGB from the folk tradition, and one of these days she might even sing some lead vocals.
Frank George & Kim Johnson
2014 SHOWCASE BANDS
The Adobe Brothers
Cheap Shots
Breaking Blue
Watermelon Mountain Jug Band
EagleStar
LittleTable Contraband (NOT PICTURED)
2014 COMMEMORATIVE SHOWCASE BAND
THE SONS OF RODAN
The band was put together in the summer of 1978 specifically to play in a couple of bluegrass band competitions; one at the Isleta Lakes Bluegrass Festival and the other at the Caravan East sponsored by KRZY-AM. We won both of them so we decided to keep the band together on a part-time basis as all of us were playing in other bands at the time.
We played Ned’s El Portal every Monday night from 1978 until the place burned (arson) in 1983. We had a huge following and the place was always packed to the gills the entire 4-½ year run. The Sons of Rodan tee shirts Ned’s printed up for us were real hot items. We also played the Santa Fe festival during those years. We played fundraising events for the SW Pickers at places like the Madrid Ballpark and Company Store.
The band consisted of Bob Goldstein on banjo, George Bullfrog on guitar, Ollie O’Shea on fiddle, Daved Levine on bass, and me (Claude Stephenson) on mandolin. The band broke up shortly after Ned’s burned.
We came out of retirement to play a standing-room-only reunion concert at the El Rey in 1989, and then didn’t play again until last May for the 40th anniversary party of the Home of Happy Feet, where many fans showed up wearing Sons tee shirts. As Ollie has now moved back to NM, we thought it would be fun to come out of retirement and play a few gigs together for old time’s sake.
2013 Old Time Band Winner “Encore”
FANCY MINER
Hailing from Northern New Mexico, Fancy Miner plays music in the authentic
Old-Timey of the Future style. The band consists of John McNair (guitar,
mandolin, and vocals), Eric Carlson (banjo, guitar, vocals) and Pete
Singdahlsen (bass and vocals). This trio has burrowed deep below the
surface of traditional American music to unearth some shiny gems for your
listening enjoyment. And remember, whether you mine gold or you mine coal,
Fancy Miner reminds you to dress well on Saturday night!