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Special Guests
Saturday, February 17, 2001
BEAUSOLEIL takes its name (French for “good sun”) from a fertile region of Nova Scotia, settled in the 17th century by French immigrants. When asked to declare allegiance to either the French or the English, the settlers fled to New Orleans. There they were credited with the creation of Cajun (Acadian) music, a mix of old French songs and Louisiana country music. The leader of BeauSoleil, Michael Doucet, grew up when traditional Cajun culture was on the decline. He played rock’n’roll and New Orleans-style swamp pop in high school before playing French music in an improvisational group called Coteau. The band was invited to play a festival in France, where Doucet found a new appreciation for his own culture. Using a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, he spent years tracking down artists who had written and sung on the first Cajun records. Doucet and BeauSoleil released their American debut album, The Spirit of Cajun Music (Swallow Records), in 1976. They have since released more than a dozen recordings and have received seven Grammy nominations. Their latest CD is Looking Back Tomorrow...Live! (Rhino Records). BeauSoleil are: Michael Doucet (vocals, fiddle, mandolin), David Doucet (guitar, vocals), Jimmy Breaux (accordion), Al Tharp (bass, banjo, fiddle, guitar), Billy Ware (percussion), and Tommy Alesi (drums). The band will play a concert here at the Fitzgerald Theater following tonight’s broadcast. Web site: www.rosebudus.com/beausoleil
SPENCER BOHREN was raised in Wyoming as a devout Baptist, singing harmonies in church by the age of eight. He started playing the guitar in the mid-’60s, and, drawn by the burgeoning folk scene at the Denver Folklore Center, left Wyoming in 1968. After learning from performers like Reverend Gary Davis, he moved to Seattle, where he played with a series of bands and wrote his first songs. In 1973, Bohren moved back to Colorado, where a backstage conversation with Dr. John inspired him to head to New Orleans. There he played in the French Quarter at the Absinthe Bar, and uptown at Tipitina’s. As his reputation grew, he began to travel farther and farther from home. In 1983, he and his wife decided to move into an Airstream trailer, towed by their classic ’55 Chevy Bel Air, and take their three children along to his performances. The journey lasted seven years, during which Bohren recorded four albums. In 1990, Bohren and his family settled in Wyoming, and in 1996, he released two albums on his own Zephyr Records label, Present Tense and Dirt Roads. He moved back to New Orleans in 1997 and immersed himself again in its rich musical culture. His latest record, Carry the Word (Zephyr), was named Best CD of 2000 by a Louisiana Artist by The Times-Picayune.Web site: www.spencerbohren.com
RALPH STANLEY was born in Stratton, Virginia in 1927. His mother taught him the claw hammer style of banjo picking, and with his older brother Carter, he formed the Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys. They recorded for such companies as the small Rich-R-Tone label and later Columbia, a relationship that lasted from 1949 until 1952. These classic sessions defined the Stanleys’ approach to bluegrass and made them as important as Bill Monroe. In December of 1966, Carter Stanley died at just 41 years of age. After much consideration and grief, Ralph carried on and took his “high lonesome” vocals to a new plane. Popular at bluegrass festivals, Stanley and each edition of the Clinch Mountain Boys grew to be one of the most respected outfits in bluegrass. He continued to record for a wide variety of labels, including Stanleytone, his own label. A Bluegrass Hall of Fame member, Stanley has inspired Dwight Yoakam, Emmylou Harris, and the late Keith Whitley, and has played on over 150 recordings. His most recent CD is Man Of Constant Sorrow, a compilation disc on Rebel Records. Stanley’s rendition of “Oh Death” and the Stanley Brothers’ “Angel Band” are also featured on the soundtrack for the new Coen Brothers’ film O Brother, Where Art Thou?
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