Past Concerts
The Stage at Cowee School has been busy! See all those that have performed as part of our Summer Concert Series!
ZOE & CLOYD
Zoe & Cloyd spring from deep roots in American music. Founding members of the acclaimed Americana trio, Red June, and long-time veterans of the Asheville, NC music scene.
Their second full-length album, Eyes Brand New, released in spring of 2017. Eyes Brand New showcases the breadth of their collective musical spirit, seamlessly combining original folk, country, old-time and bluegrass with sincerity and zeal.
DALE ANN BRADLEY
Dale Ann Bradley was born and raised in the coal fields of Kentucky. She fell in love with Bluegrass music as an early teen and was determined to pursue her dreams in spite of religious restrictions and a very rural upbringing. Her first musical outlet was a regional band called Backporch Grass.
Her ability to write songs about her upbringing, mixed with covers of all genres of music, including gospel, creates a show setting that has something for everyone. Pocket Full of Keys was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2016 for Best Bluegrass Album.
THE BOXCARS
The two-time IBMA Bluegrass Instrumental Band of the Year has achieved a level of musicianship that sets a standard in the genre. They have a knack for merging the power of traditional bluegrass with an updated style that draws in new fans.
The Boxcars are a band that embodies the definition of “super-pickers.” Top tier singers and musicians that have used their talents to craft a weighty album that is clever, complex, melancholy and profound.
Four albums are available on their website and through Amazon for purchase.
CAROLINA BLUE BAND
Carolina Blue is a Brevard, NC based band whose roots run deep in the tradition of Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs. The band was formed in 2007 after the release of the album "Nothing So Blue" by Bobby Powell and Tim Jones. Carolina Blue won the South Carolina state bluegrass championship at RenoFest in 2011.
The band's repertoire consists of original songs (including Tim Jones' "Spring Will Bring Flowers", which was recorded by 2014 IBMA entertainers of the year Balsam Range), many bluegrass favorites, and gospel too, all done in the traditional style.
MALPASS BROTHERS
The Malpass Brothers, Christopher and Taylor, are unabashed purveyors of tradition, playing music that is reminiscent of classic country, rockabilly and honky-tonk songs of decades past. The Malpass Brothers’ self-titled album, set for release May 26, 2015, was produced by Bluegrass legend and IBMA Hall of Fame member Doyle Lawson. Available on Organic Records, the album is a collection of inspired gems and original songs that harken back to another era.
BLUE MOON RISING
Blue Moon Rising is a nationally touring band from East Tennessee comprised of Chris West, Keith Garrett (of the Boxcars), Justin Jenkins (of Grasstowne), Randall Massengill, Tim Tipton, and Brandon Bostic.
In 2010 BMR released their fifth career project and first with Rural Rhythm records titled “Strange New World”. The band’s sixth album, “Blue Side of the Moon,” has also enjoyed chart success with singles in the top 10 on the Bluegrass Today chart and Roots Music Report.
BECKY BULLER BAND
Becky was featured on the cover of the the Spring 2012 issue of Fiddler Magazine and penned the title cut of Special Consensus' album Scratch Gravel Road, which was nominated for the 2012 Best
Bluegrass Album Grammy. During 2013 and 2014, Becky teamed up with Darin & Brooke Aldridge and their fine band.
Since 2005, Becky has also been a member of the award-winning Daughters of Bluegrass.
Becky’s third solo album, 'Tween Earth And Sky, was released in October 2014 on the Dark Shadow Recording label.
BLUE WHEEL DRIVE
Blue Wheel Drive is an energetic and modern hard-driving bluegrass band based out of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville, North Carolina. Their new CD features all original songs with hot instrumentals and tight harmonies. Blue Wheel Drive's music is decidedly new, while staying true to the traditional music stylings of their first generation bluegrass heroes.
Their debut release is emerging as one of the best new bluegrass CDs with all original songs written by band members. You won't be disappointed.
SLOCAN RAMBLERS
The Slocan Ramblers are Canada’s young bluegrass band to watch. Rooted in the tradition, fearlessly creative, and possessing a bold, dynamic sound, The Slocans (2015 Edmonton Folk Fest Emerging Artist Award recipients), have quickly become a leading light of Canada’s roots music scene, built on their reputation for energetic live shows, impeccable musianship and their uncanny ability to convert anyone within earshot into a lifelong fan.
On their new album, Coffee Creek (2015), produced by Chris Coole, The Slocan Ramblers blend lightning fast and devilishly intricate instrumentals with sawdust thick vocals.
Jonathan Byrd is “one of the top 50 songwriters of the last 50 years,” says Rich Warren of WFMT in the Chicago Tribune. Scott Alarik of the Boston Globe says, “This rootsy North Carolinian may be the most buzzed-about new songwriter in folkdom. He displays John Prine’s gift for stark little songs that tell big, complex stories, Guy Clark’s lean melodicism, Lyle Lovett’s wry mischief, and Bill Morrissey’s knack for the revealing image.” Byrd grew up singing in the Southern Baptist church, where his father preached and his mother played piano. After 10 years as a full-time touring songwriter and 7 acclaimed albums, it seems this native of Cackalacky is getting the attention he deserves.
JONATHAN BYRD
THE CROWE BROTHERS
With Josh Crowe on guitar, and Wayne Crowe on bass, the Crowe Brothers’ music career has spanned more than four decades and a dozen recording projects. Growing up in Clayton, Georgia, Josh and Wayne began playing music as boys with their dad, Junior Crowe, and with various local bands playing bluegrass and gospel. Over the years of their career, the Crowe Brothers have made notable appearances on the Grand Ole Opry and at the Library of Congress, as well as numerous National TV show performances, including the Bluegrass Spectacular, Fire on the Mountain, Nashville Now, I-40 Pickin’ at the Paradise, and American Music Shop.
MICHAEL CLEVELAND & FLAMEKEEPER
Michael Cleveland, nine-time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Fiddler of the Year Award, is considered one of the premier bluegrass musicians of his generation. He debuted at the Opry as a guest of Alison Krauss and was hand picked for the IBMA Bluegrass Youth Allstars before he was 14. His blistering prowess and technical fluency have since marked him as a sought-after guest, leading to performances with Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, The Mark Newton Band, J.D. Crowe and the New South, Audie Blaylock and Redline, and Dale Ann Bradley in recent years.
RUN BOY RUN
The unique sound of Run Boy Run is rooted in the traditional music of the Appalachian South. In recent years, bands like Nickel Creek, Crooked Still, and others have revived a sense of innovation in traditional American music. Run Boy Run continues this journey into music that is dynamic, orchestral, and overflowing with beauty.
MAC ARNOLD & PLATE FULL O'BLUES
Mac Arnold joined the Muddy Waters Band in 1966 and help shape the electric blues sound that inspired the rock and roll movement of the late 60’s and early 70’s. Mac played on John Lee Hooker’s “live “album, Live at the Café Au Go-Go, as well as Otis Spann’s classic recording “The Blues is Where It’s At”.
Mac accepted the award for Best Historical Album for his participation on the 1966 recording Muddy Waters - Authorized Bootleg: Live at the Fillmore Auditorium (Geffen Records). The recording was released in 2009.
Tellico’s music is a journey through the modern Appalachian soundscape, with vivid storytelling and memorable instrumental and vocal performances that wed tradition to contemporary Americana sensibilities.
Tellico will release their first album “Relics and Roses” in June 2015, featuring the singing and songwriting of Anya Hinkle (guitar, fiddle) and Stig Stiglets (bass), and showcasing Aaron Ballance on dobro and steel guitars and Jed Willis on mandolin and clawhammer banjo.
TELLICO
SIERRA HULL
Hull came to us as a bluegrass thrush, a teen prodigy. Krauss called her to the Grand Ole Opry stage when Hull was 11-years-old. Two years later, she signed with Rounder Records, and soon became known as a remarkable mandolin player, a tone-true vocalist, and a recording artist of high order. She made two acclaimed albums. She played the White House, and Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center, and she became the first bluegrass musician to receive a Presidential Scholarship at the Berklee College of Music.
DAVID GRIER
Born in Washington, D.C. in 1961, a family move to Nashville at age 3 fully immersed David Grier into the bluegrass music world, and at age 6, he began playing the guitar. Today, he is regarded as one of the premier acoustic guitarists in the world, along with his early influences, Doc Watson, Tony Rice, and family friend Clarence White.
Having released four albums on Rounder, beginning in 1988 with Freewheeling, Grier launched his own label, Dreadnought Recordings, with the 1998 debut release, Hootenanny.
Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass play powerful, unadorned, and intense traditional bluegrass. There is no hybrid or genre-bending music here. Their combination of instrumentation and vocals convey the energy and emotion of classic bluegrass and country music. Danny’s lead vocals will captivate your senses, so much so that many prominent musicians, including Alison Krauss, have considered Danny as one of their favorite singers. His voice combines powerful range and soulful blues with a sound like no one else in bluegrass today.
DANNY PAISLEY & SOUTHERN GRASS
MILE TWELVE
Although their sound is rooted in traditional bluegrass, Mile Twelve surveys a broader landscape on their newest album, City on a Hill. All five band members bring their own influences and observations into the music, resulting in a project that feels contemporary, thoughtfully crafted, and relevant.
“Original bluegrass music, written and played by young people, is very much alive,” says band member Evan Murphy.
LORRAINE JORDAN & CAROLINA ROAD
Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road’s distinct sound and old-time flair can be attributed to the bluegrass-rich area of North Carolina from which they hail and borrow their name. Band-leader Lorraine Jordan’s showmanship and chemistry with the audience make the group a perennial favorite among bluegrass fans at festivals and concerts across the country. Carolina Road’s performance is a hard driving traditional sound with invigorating instrumentals, smooth blending vocals, and all the energy that you can stand.