A Prairie Home Companion from American Public Media

Special Guests
Saturday, September 10, 2005

Cindy Cashdollar

You've heard dobro and steel guitar ace Cindy Cashdollar playing with Asleep at the Wheel, Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton-the list goes on and on, but check out her debut solo CD, Slide Show (Silver Shot Records). Winner of five Grammy Awards, Cashdollar (her real name) was honored as Instrumentalist of the Year in 2003 by the Academy of Western Artists Awards, the same year she was inducted into the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame. Born and raised in Woodstock, New York, she now lives in Austin, Texas.

Elana Fremerman

Fiddle player Elana Fremerman grew up in Prairie Village, Kansas. Her parents were violinists in the Kansas City Symphony, but Elana's musical path was slightly different: She studied classical violin, then took a liking to the music of north India, before turning her attention to western swing. One of the youngest members ever to be inducted into the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame, she was the driving force behind the hot jazz/western swing trio Hot Club of Cowtown. Recently, Elana hit the road with Bob Dylan as part of his spring 2005 touring band.

Kelley Hunt

Kansas City-born Kelley Hunt grew up entranced by her parents' record collection-blues, R&B, jazz and gospel. Listen to her music and you can hear where those early influences left their mark. There are traces of Ruth Brown and Aretha, Professor Longhair and Johnnie Johnson, but the style is unmistakably Kelley Hunt. "A powerhouse singer, hardboogieing pianist, polished songwriter," the Minneapolis Star Tribune called her. True enough. Solo or with her band, Hunt has wowed audiences in concerts and at festivals across the country. Her latest CD is New Shade of Blue (Coda Terra / Ryko).