Tag Archives: Laurel Premo

Artist Updates

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The Stray Birds the_stray_birds_-_best_medicine_sm_2

The Stray Birds’ new release “Best Medicine” is a 12 song CD recorded at Stonebridge Studios in Leesburg, VA and produced by the band and Stuart Martin. 10 of the tunes are originals with the same intelligent lyrics and tight harmonies that we learned to love from their first album, The Stray Birds.  The two traditional tunes included are ‘Who’s Gonna Shoe’ and ‘Pallet’; the latter being my favorite because I love the spirit that Charlie brings to the lead vocals.

Banjo BabesLindsay

If you’re looking for a 2015 wall calendar, you might want to consider Banjo Babes.  It features two artists that were at Chestnut House Concerts this fall, Lindsay Lou and Evie Ladin.

We’ll have to wait for 2016 and hope the other banjo babes that have been at Chestnut House Concerts like Laney Jones, Allison Russell (Birds of Chicago), Laurel Premo (Red Tail Ring),  Rachel Baiman (10 String Symphony) and Greta Bondesson (Baskery) will be featured in the next calendar.

The proceeds from the calendar are used to promote banjo music.

Billy Strings & Don Julin

Billy and Don

You know a band has got talent when they are booked to open for two of the greatest musicians in the history of bluegrass – Del McCoury and David Grisman.  Five shows in November starting tomorrow (11/11/14) at City Winery in New York, NY.

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The Barefoot Movement

Congratulations to The Barefoot Movement for winning the “Band of the Year Momentum Award” from the International Bluegrass Music Association in October, 2014.  This band will make a return appearance at Chestnut House Concerts on Sunday, December 7, 2014.  Show at 7:00.

 

 

The next concert will be guitarist and singer/songwriter David Jacobs-Strain. David will be playing with Bob Beach (vocals, harmonica) on Sunday, November 23, 2014.  Potluck at 6 pm, Show at 7 pm.  Email Tim at tlehman9@gmail.com to reserve a seat, or find us on Facebook.

Peshtigo

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I like songs that recount history like Dylan’s “Hurricane” or “Louisiana 1927” by Randy Newman and I particularly like when one of these historical ballads has information that is new to me, requiring some online research.  Laurel Premo’s “Peshtigo” on Red Tail Ring’s Middlewest Chant  was one of those songs.

Of course I knew of the Chicago fire of 1871, and the wrongly accused cow.  What I wasn’t previously familiar with was that the worst recorded forest fire occurred the same night in Peshtigo, Wisconsin.  When the large cyclonic storm that revved up Chicago’s fire also came through Wisconsin, conditions were perfect for a forest fire in that region – a long drought, a town built with wood, logging industry, ‘slash and burn’ methods for clearing farm land, and cleared ground for the railroad. Some theorize that a meteorite or comet might have ignited the flame that killed more than 1200 people and burned over 2400 acres.

Laurel Premo’s family lives in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan near the Wisconsin border and the Peshtigo fire is an important part of her family history.  Though he was just an infant at the time of the fire, Laurel’s great-great-grandfather and his mother survived the fire. Laurel wrote about this piece of history in her song “Peshtigo”.

http://www.peshtigofire.info/gallery/harpers.htm

“Both animal and man, ran from the fiery hand, the waters were the only way, for son and mother to be saved. … The river Menominee, with blankets held over thee, but in the well where soot floats down, one may smother but not drown” (from Peshtigo by Laurel Premo). http://www.peshtigofire.info/gallery/harpers.htm

Both members of the duo Red Tail Ring write the songs they sing and instruments incorporated by Laurel and Michael (Beauchamp) include: banjo, mandolin, jaw harp, fiddle and guitar. For a night of original songs such as “Peshtigo”, RSVP for Red Tail Ring’s show on Friday, October 24, 2014 by contacting Tim Lehman at tlehman9@gmail.com or call/text 717-940-9311.  Potluck at 6:00 pm, Show at 7:00 pm.