The Mavericks
- Fusing traditional country with traditional rock ‘n’ roll, the Mavericks were
one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful groups of the
early 1990s. In the years that followed, the group released multiple gold and
platinum albums, and toured the world. Formed by compelling singer/songwriter
Raul Malo, the son of Cuban immigrants and guitarist Robert Reynolds, the two
shared a penchant for the early rock ‘n’ roll and country of Roy Orbison,
Elvis, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. After releasing its debut in 1990, the
band’s rock-infused country quickly caught the ear of nearly every label in
Nashville. The Mavericks signed with MCA and, in 1994, the second record for
the label spawned a number of Top 20 hits, eventually being certified platinum.
After disbanding in 1999, Malo released his first solo effort in 2001 and
recorded with the Latino supergroup Los Super Seven. The Mavericks reformed for
the second time in 2011 and issued “In Time” in 2013. The band’s current release
is titled “Mono.”
The Kentucky
Headhunters - One of the country’s truly great rock ‘n’ country bands, The
Kentucky Headhunters’ 1989, genre-bending debut, “Pickin’ on Nashville,”
quickly established the band as tradition-minded upstarts who were in it for
the long haul. The LP eventually sold more than two million copies, earned the
band a Grammy, three Country Music Awards, an American Music Award and an
Academy Of Country Music Award. With seamless, sibling harmonies, Claptonesque
guitarwork and an NRBQ-solid rhythm section, The Headhunters are still as
potent and unique as they were 25 years ago. Along the way, they befriended
Johnnie Johnson, Chuck Berry’s legendary longtime pianist. They released their
first collaboration, “That’ll Work,” in 1993. Johnson, a native of Fairmont,
WV, was inducted in the inaugural class of the The West Virginia Music Hall of
Fame in 2007. A second session, recorded in 2003, was shelved when Johnson
passed away in 2005. That recording, titled “Meet Me in Bluesland,” was finally
released in 2015.
Guy Davis -
Growing up in New York City in a family of artists - his parents were noted
actors, directors, and activists Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis - Gud Davis was taken
with the music of Blind Willie McTell, Skip James, and Mississippi John Hurt at
an early age. Over the years, he has honed a gentle, literate style that offers
a contemporary take on the rural blues tradition. Now something of a
Renaissance man, in addition to being a renown musician, Davis is an
author, teacher and a film, television and Broadway actor. His one-man play,
“The Adventures of Fishy Waters: In Bed With the Blues,” premiered Off-Broadway
in the 1990s and has since been released as a double CD. He went on to star
Off-Broadway as the legendary Robert Johnson in “Robert Johnson: Trick The
Devil,” winning the Blues Foundation's Keeping the Blues Alive award.
When he joined the Broadway production of “Finian's Rainbow,” he played the
part originally done Sonny Terry in 1947. Davis has appeared on the Conan O’Brien
and David Letterman shows, played the four corners of the world including the
Ukraine, the Arctic Circle and a performance in Greenland for the visiting
Queen of Denmark. He has been nominated for nearly a dozen blues awards and
recently released tenth studio album titled “Kokomo Kidd.”
Humming House
- At once danceable and reflective, familiar and nostalgic, Humming House is a
musical experiment gone right. Woven together from diverse backgrounds
(Americana, classical composition, bluegrass, soul, and traditional Irish
music), their playground of musical exploration has something for every
generation. Unmistakable pop sensibilities mixed with a depth of lyrical
narrative give their whimsical songs an irresistible quality that can only be
described by the imagery of the name – Humming House. Fresh from recording
their debut album with Grammy-winning producers Vance Powell (The White
Stripes, Chris Thile, Buddy Guy) and Mitch Dane (Jars of Clay), Humming House
has hit the ground running. The band had
been featured on NPR's Live in Studio C and All Things Considered, Nashville's
Lightning 100 local spotlight, American Songwriter Magazine, STETSON's Center
Stage campaign and Daytrotter. This coming winter Humming House will be
performing on the Cayamo Cruise with John Prine, Brandi Carlile, and John
Hiatt.