|
Special Guests Norman Blake quit school at age 16 to play mandolin in a band. Over the years, Blake has mastered the mandolin, fiddle, guitar, and dobro. And he's become a noted and sought-after session musician in Nashville who has played with a long list of stars: June Carter, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Joan Baez, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and others. Blake met his wife Nancy while he was playing with Exit/In: she was a member of Natchez Trace, which opened a show for Exit/In. He and Nancy have performed together since 1974 and have recorded 25 albums and five videos in their three decades of collaboration. The Blakes have received two Grammy nominations for their work: in 1990, their album Blind Dog was nominated for Best Traditional Folk Recording and in 1993, their album Just Gimme Somethin' I'm Used To was nominated for Best Traditional Folk Album. Of their album, While Passing Along This Way (Shanachie Records), CD Review said: "If you buy just one folk recording this year, make it While Passing Along This Way. It's an American folk masterpiece." Their latest CD is The Hobo's Last Ride (Shanachie Records). Nancy Blake is taking a well-deserved sabbatical: Norman Blake's performance tonight is part of his current solo tour. Kate MacKenzie has been a favorite guest of A Prairie Home Companion since 1981. For many years, she was lead singer of Stoney Lonesome, with whom she recorded six bluegrass albums, toured Japan and North America, and was featured in the public television series, Showcase. With the Hopeful Gospel Quartet, MacKenzie has recorded a live album from Carnegie Hall, performed at folk festivals in Scotland and Denmark, and performed on PBS' Austin City Limits. Her work with A Prairie Home Companion has included coast-to-coast tours, farewell and reunion shows, 20 Disney Channel television broadcasts, the 1993 Book of Guys tour, and a recurring dramatic role as Sheila, the Christian Jungle girl (wild, yet pure). Her first solo album, Let Them Talk (Red House Records), was on the National Bluegrass Charts for 10 months. A new album, Age of Innocence (Red House), was just released. MacKenzie's success was noted in The New York Times, which grouped MacKenzie in "the new wave of strong female voices." Appearing with MacKenzie are: Tony Furtado (banjo), John Niemann (fiddle), Patty Shove (bass), Chris Silver (guitar), and Chris Thile (mandolin). The group performs an 8 p.m. concert tonight (October 19) at the Cedar Cultural Centre in Minneapolis. The Ensemble Singers of the Plymouth Music Series first sang together in 1991, part of the Plymouth Music Series-which, under the direction of world-renowned conductor, choral scholar, and performer Philip Brunelle-has grown over the past 27 years into one of the premier music organizations in Minnesota. The Ensemble Singers are known for innovative exploration of music for voices and instruments. Commissions and world premiere performances have included works of Dominick Argento, Conrad Susa, Stephen Paulus, Libby Larsen, Paul Schoenfield, Dan Kallman, Joseph Jennings, Carol Barnett, and David Baker. The Ensemble Singers made their European debut in 1994 and are heard on the Angel, Collins Classics, and RCA labels. Their second Witness recording, The Music of William Grant Still, (Collins Classics) was released earlier this year. Performing with the Ensemble Singers tonight: soprano: Lisa Habeck, Kathleen Hanson, Barbara Nelson, Andrea Schussler, Ruth Spiegel, Linda Zelig; alto: Rosita Elhardt, Barbara Kastens, Karen Lovgren Kennedy, Marita J. Link, Patricia Thompson; tenor: Claude Cassagne, David O. Henderson, Thomas Larson, James P. Miller, J. David Moore, Rick Penning; bass: Steve Burger, Michael Jorgenson, Brad Runyan, Douglas Shambo, Robert Smith, Frank Steen; pianist: Barbara Brooks. |
|
|
|
|
An Interview with Heather Masse
In a 2009 interview, Heather Masse tells us about her earliest influences, auditioning in a women's bathroom, and a few memorable moments from A Prairie Home Companion.
Old Sweet Songs: A Prairie Home Companion 1974-1976
Lovingly selected from the earliest archives of A Prairie Home Companion, this heirloom collection represents the music from earliest years of the now legendary show: 1974–1976. With songs and tunes from jazz pianist Butch Thompson, mandolin maestro Peter Ostroushko, Dakota Dave Hull and the first house band, The Powdermilk Biscuit Band (Adam Granger, Bob Douglas and Mary DuShane).
