Bluestem Bluegrass at Library
By Tom Keener
Bluestem Bluegrass shakes the Allen Public Library’s walls 7:30 p.m. Friday, January 21. Sponsored by American National Bank of Allen and Bach to Books, this concert is free but tickets are required for admission. Tickets will be distributed at 6:30 pm. Adopting the philosophy that there is no form of acoustic music that is outdated, Bluestem Bluegrass uses different styles for different songs and provides a tremendous range.
Excitement over Bluestem’s library concert can be summarized by American National Bank President Worley Stein, “Last year’s standing room only crowd of all ages enjoyed the rhythm and sounds of this American roots music. I encourage you to attend this year’s concert and experience a mixture of country, ragtime, and jazz. It is highly entertaining and surprising when each performer “highlights” their musical instrument by breaking from the band and taking his or her turn playing the melody or improvising.”
Country and western groups have their “obligatory” bluegrass song, but capturing the true composition is a challenge. Bandleader Patrick Bouldin declares, “We hope that our audience hears the emotional descriptive differences in bluegrass music as compared to other genre, and the live “orchestration” of the different pieces and the vocal harmony should put their mind squarely in the middle of traditional old town mountain life!”
Bluestem is composed of Jimmy Strawn, Patrick Bouldin, Phil Elery, Roddy Fuller, Meredith Brown, and Justin Thompson.
Band founder Jimmy Strawn trained with Mark Land, a widely-known and well-respected bluegrass instructor. Like other performers in the world of bluegrass, Strawn enjoys playing a vintage 1979 Martin guitar.
On mandolin, Patrick Bouldin has been pickin' bluegrass since he was invited to participate in a live jam and became enamored with the genre. Patrick studied with well-known professionals such as Steve Smith of The Allen Munde Gazette and Jordan Ramsey of Long Road Home.
With his early musical training beginning with the piano as a very young child, Phil Elery’s instrument of choice is now the upright bass. In addition to performing on a treasured vintage 1955 Kay upright bass, Phil also provides the high tenor harmony to the group.
Inspired by Earl Scruggs’s banjo music in the film “Bonnie and Clyde” and the TV show “The Beverly Hillbillies,” Roddy Fuller made it his goal to learn to play the banjo. He now performs on a Stelling Red Fox banjo.
A theater major in college, Meredith Brown provides vocals and rhythm guitar. She discovered the beauty of bluegrass when she performed with the Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre in the Virginia Mountains.
Justin Thompson played the viola but in college, but later swapped this instrument out for a fiddle. His musical influences are Johnny Gimble, Benny Thomasson and Bob Wills. Justin’s favorite genres are bluegrass, country, western swing and jazz.
The Allen Public Library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr., Allen, 75013. Call 214-509-4911 for additional information.
|
