Crossroads Music Co. & Listening Room: Calendar

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

BETTY SOO / Brin Beaver opens

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price!

Click on BettySoo's name above to visit her official website, or click to her myspace to hear tunes right away:
http://www.myspace.com/bettysoo
BETTYSOO BIO...
Change is good. Sometimes, you just need a little shake-up to get things to how they always ought to have been. With Heat Sin Water Skin, BettySoo adds some welcome edge and grit to the heartbreaker ballads and bell-pure vocals she's come to be known for.

Teamed with seasoned producer Gurf Morlix (Lucinda Williams, Mary Gauthier, Slaid Cleaves), BettySoo has made a record worth sitting up and paying attention to. Her vocals are striking, the players strong, the sound gripping, and the lyrics compelling.

Her first studio efforts (Let Me Love You, 2005; Little Tiny Secrets, 2007, Never the Pretty Girl EP, 2007) were well received by critics, earning praise locally and nationally - even securing her performance opportunities overseas. And she’s not slowing down any time soon. Since their release, she has earned multiple songwriting awards (including Kerrville New Folk, Wildflower Festival, and Big Top Chautauqua Songwriter of the Year) and has proven herself a strong emerging live performer.

Joining her on Heat Sin Water Skin are Todd Wilson on organ, Gene Elders on fiddle, and Dave Terry on drums. BettySoo and Gurf handled the guitar and vocal parts themselves. As for genre, she’s still nestled in the folk-rock world, but she is bringing something new to her listeners. “There’s a little gospel, some straight-ahead folk, a bit of twang, and maybe even a familiar oldie with a new twist. Be ready for a surprise.”

Then again, not much about BettySoo isn’t surprising. People are surprised just to see her take the stage. Plain-faced, petite (clocking in at exactly 5 feet), and freckly, people don’t have any idea what to expect – they certainly don’t expect such a large voice and moving songs. “I guess Asian-American singer-songwriters aren’t that common,” she comments, “at least, not in Texas.”

And, of course, there’s the whole issue of her name. How did a second-generation Korean end up with such a classic southern name? Is it a stage name? “No,” she answers, laughing, “I guess I’m just lucky that way. It’s right there on my birth certificate. Soo is my dad’s middle name, too. Yep, he’s a boy named Soo.”

We welcome back young BRIN BEAVER from Emory this evening to open for BettySoo. You can hear Brin's original songs online at http://www.myspace.com/brinbeaver

Friday, May 1st, 2009

CELEBRATE KATE - Kate Hearne potluck dinner & open mic!

YOU'RE INVITED TO "CELEBRATE KATE"

The "Unofficial, Untraditional, Outside-The-Box, Not-By-The-Book, KATE HEARNE Graduation Potluck Dinner & Open Mic, Hootenanny Jam."

Friday, May 1, 2009
5:30 PM gather / eat / visit
7 PM open mic kicks off!

NO COVER. Cap & gown optional:)

Bring your guitar, harmonica, bass, kazoo, percussion, ukulele, etc. and join in on the merry making. We have a surprise musical guest booked to kick off the music. Expect ENTERTAINMENT. For potluck DISH ASSIGNMENT details, see below.

5:30 to 6 PM ~ Potluck folks gather and commune, meet and greet.

INTEND TO BE A PART OF THE POTLUCK DINNER? PLEASE DO ARRIVE BETWEEN 5:30 and 6 PM so we can prepare the tables, and enjoy each others' company (along with the mystery and intrigue of not knowing what's for dinner).

WHAT TO BRING: If the first letter of your LAST name begins with...of course no one is going to be taking names or making notes. Bring what you can, and come enjoy the camaraderie.

A - D - G - J - M - P - S - V or Y: bring a MAIN dish (meat or vegetarian)

B - E - H - K - N - Q - T - W or Z: bring a SIDE dish or two (depending on how many in your party), includes veggie or fruit SIDES and SALADS.

C - F - I - L - O - R - U or X: bring a BREAD or DESSERT (sinful AND healthy desserts welcome!)

Crossroads will provide paper plates, napkins, plasticware, bottled water, bottled tea, and soft drinks (for a donation of your choice). As our guest, you also are welcome to bring the beverage of your choice. Please plan ahead for serving utensils, and for carrying home leftovers.

OPEN MIC DETAILS...Open Mic to kick off at 7 PM

1) SIGN UP! If you intend to perform at the open mic, please put your name and contact info on the SIGN UP SHEET when you arrive.

2) LIVE ONLY (please and thanks). Live instrumentation only (no pre-recorded tracks in other words).

3) ONE SONG. Everyone will be invited to perform one song until we make it completely through the names on the sign up sheet. One song kept to no longer than five (5) minutes please, so everyone on the list who wants to can perform at least once, and perhaps we'll have time to go around the list a second time or more. Thanks y'all! SEE YOU THERE.

In the green and growing spirit of May Day, we will have a MONEY TREE for Kate's college fund. In August, Kate will be a freshman at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, on a guitar scholarship. She won't be informed as to the amount of the scholarship award until midsummer, so she's saving all she can in the meantime!

Saturday, April 18th, 2009

SUSAN GIBSON / Jana Pochop opens

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price!

Visit Susan online by clicking on her name above! Visit opener Jana Pochop at www.janapochop.com.

HERE ARE SOME CHOICE PRESS QUOTES FROM SUSAN'S WEB SITE...Susan Gibson's "Wide Open Spaces" was a massive hit for the Dixie Chicks and her platinum calling card to fame. Last year's Outer Space re-established the Austin area resident in the ranks of popular singer-songwriters and reaffirmed her determined direction down heartfelt highways. ~ Margaret Moser, Austin Chronicle

"...singer Susan Gibson’s growl grabs you in a headlock and doesn’t let go ... She has the intensity of steel-lunged belters such as Joan Osborne or Beth Hart, although, unlike them, she keeps her voice firmly tethered to the song..." ~ Marc Rigrodsky, SoundStage! Magazine

"...Ms. Gibson...possesses clear, crisp, bold pipes. Her vocals have a rough edge that is tempered by a potent sense of melody. When she sings, you can see her body surge with energy. She's pulsating with every word." ~ Mario Tarradell, Dallas Morning News

Saturday, April 11th, 2009

THE QUEBE SISTERS BAND / Heather Little opens

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price!

Click on the Quebe Sisters name above to visit and hear them online, and click on the following link to hear opener HEATHER LITTLE! http://www.myspace.com/heathermarielittle
ABOUT THE QUEBE SISTERS... When Grace, Sophia and Hulda Quebe (pronounced kway-bee) take to a stage, audiences marvel. When they raise their fiddles to play and sing their vintage-style three-part harmony, audiences are blown away. Add the rhythm guitar of Joey McKenzie (3-time World Champion fiddler!) and the upright bass of Drew Phelps, and the Quebe Sisters Band becomes a force of nature.

Whether it’s a Western swing classic a la Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, a swing standard (Benny Goodman), vintage country shuffle (Ray Price), or Western anthem that would do Sons of the Pioneers proud -- the band is phenomenal. The house comes down, too, when the QSB launches into bluegrass or a traditional, Texas old-time fiddle breakdown.

Reaction is the same wherever the Fort Worth-based group goes. And this group has been around -- from concert halls and festivals, to cowboy gatherings and rodeos across North America, as well as The Kennedy Center, the Grand Ole Opry, and NYC’s Lincoln Center. Concerts from Canada to California, and Austin to Boston, to Bangor, Maine, include shows with Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Asleep at the Wheel, Merle Haggard, Marty Stuart, Riders in the Sky, and The Reno Philharmonic.

Investor Warren Buffet was so impressed by the band’s rendition of “Red River Valley” at a Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting that he was moved to sit in with a ukulele and sing along. (See the video at their youtube channel!). Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett said the band's “blend of swing with a dash of contemporary color … so unique in today’s music world” and its “cannonball of stage presence … stopped me in my tracks … Man, can they play.”

QSB — recently tagged Group of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists, and named winner of the Crescendo Award by the Western Music Association, is in the midst of an extensive tour behind its debut album, TIMELESS (FiddleTone Records), with dates scheduled from Texas to Canada and Washington to Tennessee through the end of the year.

Visit www.youtube.com/quebesistersband to see & hear the QSB!

Saturday, April 4th, 2009

ADLER & HEARNE / Kate Hearne opens

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price!

Come celebrate with Crossroads co-founders LYNN ADLER and LINDY HEARNE on this evening as they give one final performance on their own Crossroads stage before the venue's next chapter begins. The venue's founding musical duo recently announced they are winding down their role as proprietors of Crossroads (effective immediately following JOHN GORKA's May 16 concert here), to pursue their own musical endeavors in a more fulltime capacity.

Joining Adler & Hearne on this evening on lead guitar, as well as performing an opening set, is Lindy's performing songwriter daughter KATE HEARNE, who is celebrating the early completion of her high school studies at Winnsboro High School. Kate has been awarded a guitar scholarship to attend the renown music program as a freshman at South Plains College in Levelland, TX, this coming fall. Read more about Kate, and hear her music online at:
http://www.myspace.com/katehearne
You can hear tunes from Adler & Hearne's new CD (including songs rooted in the East Texas piney woods) at:
http://www.sonicbids.com/adlerhearne
A personal note from Lynn and Lindy: Y'all please join us on this special night. THANK YOU to all who already have asked for certain songs. We'll happily oblige. And for those who want to make a special song request, feel free to email us in advance at lynnandlindy@adlerandhearne.com. We're looking forward to performing songs from our new release "To The Heart" along with familiar songs we've done through the years from earlier projects, including those not yet recorded. We look forward to spending the evening with you ALL.

ADLER & HEARNE BIO ~ From Spring Hollow Organic Song Farm in the East Texas piney woods outside the rural hamlet of Winnsboro, performing songwriters Lynn Adler and Lindy Hearne serve up fresh harvests of homegrown music, mixed with seasoned tunes from their collections of original ballads and story songs.

The two met in Nashville while on solo musical journeys. Years later - their paths merged in Texas, where they formed the duo Adler & Hearne. In the summer of 2008, they returned to the city where they first met to record their debut studio recording TO THE HEART, scheduled for official release by mid-2009.

Adler & Hearne's music is a spirited blend of original, folk-country blues-grass. Crooning songs of love and longing, losing and finding. Covering off on touchy subjects draped in unexpected musical overtones. And camping it up with modern-day spirituals steeped in dry wit.

Adler & Hearne share roots in gospel and classical music - organic influences that lend themselves to the duo's harmonies and phrasing. The subject matter of their songs, though, knows no bounds. Nor does their musical style. As songwriters, the two take themselves seriously enough. As artists, they're at ease with being hard to define.

Lynn Adler and Lindy Hearne were two of 10 finalists in the national 2001 Wildflower Festival Performing Songwriter Showcase in Richardson, Texas. In 2004, Hearne placed again as a Wildflower Festival finalist. He and cowriter Hal Greenwood won first place in two song categories in the 2002 Walnut Valley Festival NewSongs Showcase at Winfield, Kansas. The two, along with Adler, penned another first-place song in the same event for 2003. Adler is a two-time, regional semifinalist of the Kerrville Folk Festival's NewFolk songwriting competition; and finalist in the 2001 and 2004 B.W. Stevenson Memorial Singer/Songwriter Competition in Dallas. A&H also were 2nd place finalists in 2004's 57th Annual Ozark Folk Festival in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

In November 2005, Adler & Hearne co-founded Crossroads Coffeehouse & Music Co. in their adopted hometown of Winnsboro. As organic song farmers, the couple's favorite venues to play include festivals, community concert halls and folk venues, house concerts, church coffeehouses, and venues of all descriptions that provide an opportunity to interact with a listening audience. The two welcome opportunities to lead songwriting workshops on a variety of related topics.

CONTACT ADLER & HEARNE:
Adler & Hearne
P.O. Box 979 Winnsboro, TX 75494 lynnandlindy@adlerandhearne.com
903.365.2713

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

RHETT BUTLER / Markley & Balmer open

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price!

We're delighted Rhett will join us again for another night of his truly amazing and moving guitar "magic."

We hope you'll join us too! Hear Rhett's amazing guitar ART by clicking on his name above, or visit his music myspace at:
http://www.myspace.com/rhettbutlerguitar
And we're especially delighted to announce the addition of the dynamic duo MARKLEY & BALMER ( A coustic / Jazz ) to this evening's special music. Lisa and Bruce will perform a 45-minute opening set. Hear their music at: http://www.myspace.com/markleyandbalmer and at
http://www.myspace.com/lisamarkley

Saturday, March 21st, 2009

SLIGHTLY TILTED (Classic Rock) ~ Comedian "Buck" French opens

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price!

YUP! They're back so soon by popular demand ~ with special guest comedian JERRY "BUCK" FRENCH opening too. AND on this night you can be part of the LIVE "studio audience" as we host yet another LIVE DVD RECORDING at the Crossroads. (Remember our friends Diddley Squat, and their great video shoot?!) Once again "sharp shooter" Conrad Wolfman will be in the house with his multicam set up catching all the action!

More to come about this slightly tilted night at the Crossroads. Mark your calendar!

Saturday, March 14th, 2009

JOHNSMITH (Folk / Acoustic / Lyrical) ~ Kevin Tinney opens

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price!

Click on John's name above to visit his website, or visit his music myspace page at:
http://www.myspace.com/johnsmithjohnsmithmusic (YES, that IS the correct myspace address!) And here's a link to Kevin Tinney's myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/kevinetinney
Whenever you read or hear about the music of Johnsmith, certain watchwords always come up, regardless of the source. Words like "uplifting," "integrity," "heart," and "soul." His songs and voice go straight to the heart, because that’s where they come from. John was born into a rural eastern Iowa, large Irish Catholic family of 10 kids. Pursuing a life of music has led him far from his small town roots. After a short college stint in southern California, a couple years on an organic hippie farm in Iowa, and a few years in Colorado, he now resides along the upper Mississippi in western Wisconsin. Over two decades of performing festivals, concert halls, coffeehouses, colleges, and house concerts, along with a half dozen acclaimed CDs, Johnsmith has built a solid fan base in the US and abroad.

After a few inspiring solo tours to Ireland, John now leads tours to the Emerald Isle a few times a year, bringing small groups of fans and friends, touring castles and fishing villages by day, and sharing music with the locals in pubs by night. He’s a past winner of the New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival, and has taught songwriting there, as well as at the Swannanoa Gathering, the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, and the Big Sur CA Esalen Institute. He was recently featured on the elite “New Dimensions” program on NPR.

“Break Me Open” his most recent CD, features some of the finest players in acoustic music today: Darrell Scott, Tim O’Brien, Stuart Duncan, Byron House, Kenny Malone, Andrea Zonn, former ‘Runaway’ duo partner Dan Sebranek, native American chants and flute cameos by Bill Miller, and harmony vocals by Suzi Ragsdale, Sally Barris, and John’s daughter Elisi Smith-Waller. This CD portrays John’s earthy brand of spirituality, and finds him stretching his songwriting wings expressing the harder sides of life and love. From the poetic "Back to the Mystery," to the touching tribute "Cold, Cold Ground," to the honest "Messy Thing." The disc also includes masterful covers written by friends Darrell Scott (“Love’s Not Through With Me Yet”), and L.J. Booth (“Box Elder”). Johnsmith has walked down the roads that made him whole, and when he brings that onstage, he connects with folks. He calls himself a blue collar songwriter, banging out his tunes along the back roads one show at a time.

Fellow songwriter Buddy Mondlock sums up the power of Johnsmith's music with this simple statement: "I feel like every time one of Johnsmith’s songs gets heard, a little healing happens to the world." AS ALWAYS, WE LOOK FORWARD TO JOHN'S RETURN TO THE CROSSROADS STAGE!

Saturday, March 7th, 2009

GURF MORLIX (Folk Rock / Country / Blues)

Visit Gurf online by clicking on his name above!

Providing the opening set on this evening will be recent Winnsboro High School 2009 graduate and performing songwriter KATE HEARNE, joined by her Dad, Crossroads Co-Founder, LINDY HEARNE.

Tempting as it may be, don't just judge Gurf Morlix by the company he keeps, even if it does provide a fine starting point: eminent musical artists like Lucinda Williams, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Warren Zevon, Ian McLagan, Patty Griffin, Robert Earl Keen, Michael Penn, Buddy Miller, Mary Gauthier, Tom Russell, Jim Lauderdale and Slaid Cleaves, to name but a few. Instead, listen to Last Exit to Happyland, his fifth solo album, and understand why his blue-ribbon associations as a producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist have led Morlix to a similar level
of excellence as a singer, songwriter and artist in his own right.

As critic Henry Cabot Beck notes on Amazon.com, "If anybody is still looking for a candidate to replace Robbie Robertson in The Band, look no further. Morlix can write, sing, produce, and play nearly every instrument (mostly stringed) and has a bottomless (albeit muddy) range of American musical idioms from which to draw." Through more than four decades of professional music endeavors, Morlix has distinguished himself with his innate musicality, exquisite taste, keen creative instincts, and well-honed ear for not only songwriting but also the elements that bring songs to their fullest fruition.

And now, on Last Exit to Happyland, "I've found my voice, and my albums just keep getting better and better all the time," Morlix says. "I'm really proud of these songs and this album."

The album is a showcase for Morlix's gifts as a musician and producer as well as his finest moment yet as a writer and singer. He plays everything on it but the drums, which are ably handled by Rick Richards, who has manned the kit on many of Morlix's productions in recent years. Icing the cake are Patty Griffin, Barbara K (of Timbuk 3 fame) and rising Texas singing sensation Ruthie Foster, who contribute harmony vocals to a number of tracks. As with all that Morlix has produced and played over the years, every note and creative touch ultimately serves the songs. And his trademark grit, soulfulness and authenticity suffuse the album, representing the "muddy," as Morlix calls the junction where the varied strains of American roots music meet and mingle, at its truest and finest.

HERE'S A BIT MORE INSIGHT INTO THE MUSIC OF GURF MORLIX: ...With his debut and each album to follow, critics and listeners who had noted the quality and integrity of Morlix's work with other talents greeted his emergence with enthusiasm. Fishin' in the Muddy in 2002 was dubbed "a romper stomper" by the Austin Chroncle, while All Music Guide found it "hypnotic in its shambolic, loose-wound, grooving glory." Morlix's love for gutbucket C&W and honky-tonk informed his
third release in 2004, Cut 'N Shoot, which All Music Guide praised as "a solid country record, stripped to the rag and bone shop of the heart, and full of broken love songs [with the] requisite irony, humor, and a gritty, honest approach that is sorely missing from almost all country records these days." Growing ever more secure with stepping out front as a writer and singer, he released the "splendid, moving collection" (Austin Chronicle) Diamonds To Dust in 2007, which
led critic Richard Skanse to observe on CD Baby.com that "Morlix should henceforth be regarded as nothing less than one of the most compelling and formidable songwriters in his adopted home state of Texas, if not in all Americana music."

Saturday, February 28th, 2009

PIERCE PETTIS (Acoustic / Americana / Roots Music)

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price!

Visit Pierce online by clicking on his name above! Joining Pierce on this night will be cellist DIRJE SMITH! Also on this night, we welcome special opening guest GARY PATRICK (Americana / Country / Folk / Pop), formerly of Las Vegas, and now (he got smart!) of Golden, Texas. WhooHOO!!! Just wait until you hear this man's honey voice, and awesome songs -- a perfect opening complement to Mr. Pettis!
Click here to listen: http://www.myspace.com/garypatrickmusic
PIERCE PETTIS BIO...
You know you've got a shot when Joan Baez covers one of your songs. That's what sparked the career of Alabama singer-songwriter Pierce Pettis in 1979 when Baez chose to include "Song at the End of the Movie" on her Honest Lullaby. From there, Pettis was involved with the Fast Folk movement in New York in the '80s alongside artists such as Shawn Colvin and Suzanne Vega. He continued to write songs and eventually embarked on his solo career in 1987 with the independent release of Moments, an album which some still consider his finest. Following that, Pettis made his way onto High Street Records, issuing four releases between 1991 and 1996. Tinseltown, While the Serpent Lies Sleeping, Chase the Buffalo, and Making Light of It all garnered much critical praise, but failed to find a widespread audience. What Pettis did find were fans in other artists who began adding his original tunes to their own repertoires. Dar Williams snagged "Family" for her Mortal City disc, while Garth Brooks tapped "You Move Me" for his hit Sevens. Maintaining his status as a songwriter has always been a focus for Pettis, from his time at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios to his work as a staff writer for PolyGram Publishing in Nashville. Making his name as an artist is another matter, and one that Pettis continues to pursue. In 1998, he aimed himself in a slightly different direction, he signed on with Compass Records and released Everything Matters. A fine collection of poignant character sketches, Everything Matters has a more refined, mature sound than previous efforts, perhaps due to the production of Grammy winner Gordon Kennedy who is best known for his work on Eric Clapton's "Change the World."
— Kelly McCartney , All Music Guide

Saturday, February 21st, 2009

CHRIS SMITHER (Blues / Folk) ~ Adler & Hearne open w/Kate Hearne

"Chris Smither mines that great, dark crossroads where folk and blues intersect. The flash is in his fingers and his world-weary voice." ~ Houston Chronicle

Visit Chris online by clicking on his name above -- CLICK on his Press Kit to read his bio and press quotes. And there's just SO MUCH of interest to read about and listen to by clicking through the links on the left side of Chris's home page. Treat yourself to that before you come to his 2-21-09 appearance at Crossroads in Winnsboro. What a legend, and what an AWESOME opportunity -- to get to hear this man and his music so up close and personal on this night.

HERE ARE A FEW WORDS ABOUT CHRIS'S LATEST CD "LEAVE THE LIGHT ON"...Chris's brand new album, Leave the Light On (his second with producer David "Goody" Goodrich) features seven new songs as well as a few choice covers, and arrangements of traditional songs. The album also features the young neo-gospel group Ollabelle, who bring a complementary loveliness to Smither's "Seems So Real" and additional resonance to the traditional "John Hardy." The renowned roots musician Tim O'Brien plays mandolin and fiddle all over the record, and also harmonizes with Smither, Sean Staples and Anita Suhanin on the lilting title track. Atypically, Chris tackles topical themes on "Origin of Species" (which he says is "making fun of dummies") and the edgily political "Diplomacy," which harkens back to his roots in the '60s folk scene. Also different this go round is Smither's bold and surprising decision to arrange Dylan's "Visions of Johanna" in 6/8 time (he credits his friend Steve Tilston for the suggestion) which results in a track of otherworldly beauty.

AND HERE'S A VERY COOL QUOTE WE FOUND JUST TO PUT THE EXCLAMATION POINT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS CONCERT NIGHT AT CROSSROADS: Said Rolling Stone magazine: "Smither's stoic reflection and foxy wit are bathed in the flickering glow of passing headlights and neon bar signs. And Smither's roots are as blue as they come. There is plenty of misty Louisiana and Lightnin' Hopkins in Smither's weathered singing and unhurried picking...So fine." Born in New Orleans, Chris's unique brand of blues-infused folk (influenced by artists like Lightnin' John Hopkins and Mississippi John Hurt) has, over the years, proven him to be what The Boston Herald aptly deemed "a one-man band of blues-inspired power that can justly be called locomotive." [AND YES, GREAT SEATS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR THIS CONCERT. CALL NOW -- THERE'S NOT A BAD SEAT IN THE HOUSE!!!]

Saturday, February 14th, 2009

SLIGHTLY TILTED (Classic 60s & 70s Roots Rock)

Make plans now to attend this very special FUNNY VALENTINE night at the Crossroads with the classic 60s & 70s roots rock band SLIGHTLY TILTED, and special guest comedian Jerry "Buck" French providing an opening set of hearty laughter!

This promises to be one GROOVY Valentine's night of music.

Here's the band's bio...

One hot August night in 1977, a Dallas rock band packed up and loaded the van for the last time. Thirty years later they somehow ended up as neighbors in East Texas. Rhandy Simmons, Fred Howard and Tim Grugle went their own way on that day in 1977; now with the addition of Kent Gooding and Wes Hendrix, they are slightly grayer and play slightly quieter.

Kent Gooding is an accomplished vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist and percussionist. Kent has played with many artists during his career including Gary Porterfield and Michael O’ Neal. He is currently busy recording a solo album at Siesta Ranch Recording Studio in upper Upshur County, and also performing with The Whisky River Road Show and Post Oak Savannah.

Wes Hendrix shares the vocals and is also a smooth operator of a six string. Wes brings a soulful and gritty style to the mix. He paid his dues working as a house musician in 1979 at The Steak Pit on Harry Hines in Dallas where he met songwriter David Patton and formed the David Patton band, from whom many lessons were learned. In 1981 Wes formed the country band Stallion and for 14 years toured with great success. In 1995 he toured with Sony
recording artist Ty Herndon. Wes now works freelance with artists such as Kacey Musgraves.

Fred Howard can rock with the best, as he did in Dallas bands Lodella and Pandora, but he also is an accomplished finger-style guitarist. With this diversity, Fred brings a refined element to the group. This is evident in his songwriting abilities and musical tastes that range from jazz-fusion to classical to blues. Fred is a session guitarist for Siesta Ranch Studio.

Being elected as a Buddy Magazine Texas Tornado in 1991 was one of the highlights of drummer Tim "Chopper" Grugle’s career. It started when his parents noticed he beat everything in their house with wooden spoons and sticks. Also a recording engineer and producer, he has played with, recorded or produced for most major and major independent labels, and acts such as Metallica, Chuck Berry, John Nitzinger, Raizin Cain, and Pantera. His band Bellicose was an icon in the Texas music scene, and their CD “Love On Ice” went to number one on many stations.

Bassist Rhandy Simmons started out with Fred and Tim back in the ‘70s and went on to play with numerous notables including Danny and Darius Brubeck (Dave’s sons) and Roomful of Blues. Rhandy won the Buddy Magazine Texas Tornado award in 1987, and was with Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets when the band won the 1992 W.C. Handy award for Best Blues Band. After touring and recording with Mike Morgan and the Crawl, Rhandy established Siesta Ranch Recording Studio where he has recorded and produced dozens of CDs.

Opening this night is comedian Jerry "Buck" French, bringing us his signature, rural-East-Texas humor. More about Buck to come.

Here's a peek at Slightly Tilted's set list from the last time they played the Crossroads stage. Rumor has it they've added some hot new (old) numbers to this awesome list of favorites:

1. Space Cowboy - Steve Miller
2. Mr. Tambourine Man - Dylan/Byrds
3. Six Days On the Road - Flying Burrito Brothers
4. Cross-Town Traffic - Jimi Hendrix
5. Feelin' Alright - Traffic
6. The Weight - The Band
7. Tupelo - Kent Gooding
8. Jam Groove - Fred Howard
9. Cinnamon Girl - Neal Young
10. Gypsy Queen - Carlos Santana

1. The Lost Highway - Hank Williams
2. Mood for a Day - Steve Howe / Yes
3. Hey Mr. Space Man - The Birds
4 .Hide Your Love Away -Beatles
5. Stuck in Lodi Again - Credence Clearwater Revival
6. Prime Time- Fred Howard
7. Shifting of the Blame- Kent Gooding
8. Poncho and Lefty- Townes Van Zandt
9. American Crawl - Fred Howard
10. Summer in the City - Lovin Spoonful

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

blacktopGYPSY (Americana / Texas Country-Bluegrass)

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price!

Click on the group's name above to link to them online.

The heart and soul of this self-titled debut CD, blacktopGypsy, is Heather Stalling and Andie Kay Joyner. These two exceptional musicians have spent most of their lives preparing for this dynamic partnership. Joyner and Stalling were both raised in small east Texas towns on big heaping helpings of musical encouragement from their families.

Joyner got hooked at 5 years old when her family got an electric piano and an old country songbook. In those early years, she and her parents performed as a trio for local events, with her mom on bass fiddle, step dad on guitar, and Andie doing the vocals. That soon led to singing with a bluegrass band, and at 13 she began working with several Opry bands as a backup vocalist.

Stalling started down her path at 3 years of age playing the fiddle. As a child, her parents entered her in fiddle contests all over the state, in all age categories, and taking top honors most every time. Stalling even played the Ryman Grand Ol’ Opry at the ripe old age of 10. She also spent several years backing Branson bands to hone her art.

The gals got acquainted in the early 90s. Then for the next ten years or so, Stalling and Joyner toured with other bands, performed together at Adair’s in Dallas every Tuesday for about a year, and shared a house for a while, where they began quite a bit of collaborative songwriting. They took touring jobs either individually or together backing several Texas music artists like Mark David Manders, Max Stalling, Tommy Alverson, and Johnny Lee (Stalling on fiddle; Joyner as vocalist). During this phase they perfected their “world-class hotel jammer” method of songwriting when their schedules coincided. Eventually with an overflowing and multifaceted collection of songs, and lots of musical touring highway time under their belts, it was a natural evolution of talent, life experience, song collection, and timing that blacktopGYPSY was born. The name collectively reflects the roots and foundation lifestyle of the two talented women at the core of this amazing musical synergy. BTG’s recording features Stalling on fiddle and mandolin and Joyner’s vocals. They are joined by John Moore on drums, Rodney Pyeatt on lead guitar, Steve Cargill on bass guitar, and Lloyd Maines on steel guitar and dobro. BlacktopGYPSY and Adam Odor produced the collection. All the songs were written or co-written by Andie Kay Joyner and Heather Stalling. Although the collection reflects the backbone country/bluegrass fiddle and vocals of the pair, the musical styles and genres run a varied and eclectic course.

Friday, February 6th, 2009

SCOTT WALKER (Americana / Southern Rock / Country)

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price!

A rare Friday night concert at Crossroads, and we're delighted to get Scott back to play the Crossroads stage. Joining his is special guest JOHN SIMMONS. Click on Scott's name above to link to him online.

Scott Walker's powerful stage presence, combined with his awesome band of top-notch musicians, make for a truly unforgettable musical experience. Whether on stage or on CD, the thing you will remember most about Scott Walker is his talent for songwriting. From one song to the next, he keeps you glued to your seat with his moving lyrics, then back on your feet with another rousing roadhouse foot-stomper.

You might say Scott was born with music in his blood. Born Sept. 3, 1965 to "singing legislator" Bill Walker and writer Kay Herbert Walker in Houston, Texas, he grew up taking piano lessons but soon turned to the instrument he could really express himself with, the guitar.

At Kingwood High School, Scott and friends Paul Logan and Davin James started their first band, wowing their friends with heart pounding southern rock, playing in garages, at parties, and down at the boat dock.

While attending college at Sul Ross University in Alpine, Texas, Scott was a regular attraction at the Calamity Creek and the Railroad Blues. Living in West Texas sparked Scott's imagination and was the birthplace of his song Brother Tumbleweed, which was recorded by Gary P. Nunn and eventually made it onto Gary P. Nunn's Greatest Hits Vol. 2.

After college, Scott returned to East Texas and hooked up again with longtime songwriting partner Davin James to form the band Fandango. Based in Mineola, the band toured all over Texas in the early 90's. It was then that Scott began to focus on his songwriting and production skills in the studio.

Since the release of his debut CD Wanderin' Mind, Scott has put together an awesome band The Edge of Texas. He spends his time performing with the band and writing songs for the next album, due to be recorded soon.

Scott is an accomplished bass guitarist as well, and has played with Larry Joe Taylor, Davin James, Chris Wall, Owen Temple, Mike Graham and many others. As an audio engineer, Scott has recorded Larry Joe Taylor, Jerry Jeff Walker, Gary P. Nunn, Reckless Kelly, Cross Canadian Ragweed and Tommy Alverson to name a few.

Scott has performed at the Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival, the Power of Houston Festival, the River Oaks Music Festival, Tommy Alverson's Family Gathering, the Larry Joe Taylor Music Festival, the Americana Jam at Smoothwater Ranch, the Terlingua World Championship Chili Cookoff, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo BBQ Cookoff, LJT's Coastin' and Cruisin' Carribean Cruise, the Red River Music Festival, the Northeast Texas Music Festival, and the Gilmer Yamboree.

Saturday, January 31st, 2009

JONATHAN BYRD / Warren Jackson Hearne opens

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price!

Description to come! In the meantime, visit Jonathan online by clicking on his name above!

Saturday, January 24th, 2009

RAY BONNEVILLE

Description to come. In the meantime, visit Ray online by clicking on his name above, or visit his music myspace at:
http://www.myspace.com/raybonneville

Saturday, January 17th, 2009

ELIZA GILKYSON

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price!

Click on name above to go to Eliza's site, or visit her at http://www.myspace.com/elizagilkyson to listen to her music on MySpace.

Here are some press reviews for Eliza Gilkyson's latest CD "Beautiful World"...

"Beautiful World should become a benchmark record for contemporary folk. Displaying humor, wit, and a winning charm... Gilkyson commands our attention. Listen."
- PopMatters

"As an album, "Beautiful World" features so many elements that have made Gilkyson's 21st century body
of work so compelling: softness, self-inventory, a prayer for mercy, psychological depth... The breadth of the album's tone is impressive."
- Austin American-Statesman

"Few folksingers, even those from the original folk revival, have been able to combine social consciousness with musicality as well as Eliza Gilkyson. She merges strong songwriting talent with
commanding vocals to create music that has immediate appeal as well as lasting intellectual impact."
- Vintage Guitar

“Beautiful World is Gilkyson’s masterpiece.”
- All Music Guide

“one of folk music’s sharpest activist voices...The Austin singer-songwriter balances prickly observations and supple atmosphere on the rough edged ‘Beautiful World’”
- Hartford Courant

“Gilkyson has raised the composing bar to a whole new level.”
- FolkWax

“Gilkyson, who draws on both personal and political themes, remains one of the most insightful and
compelling of roots-based singer-songwriters.”
- Montreal Gazette

“stylistically adventurous... political in all the right ways”
- Austin Chronicle

Saturday, January 10th, 2009

AMY SPEACE / Johann Wagner opens

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price!

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM AMY'S WEB SITE (just click her name above to go there, hear tunes, and read her full bio, etc.) AWESOME TALENT, and we're honored to welcome Amy to the Crossroads stage on January 10, '09! Also, make time for a quick dip into the awesome music of opener Johann Wagner from Austin! It's ALL good (as always) at Crossroads. http://www.myspace.com/johannwagner
NOW, here's Amy's press reviews... "Praise For "Songs For Bright Street"

"[Songs for Bright Street] is a superior example of stunning music at its best ... guaranteed to make waves this side of the Atlantic. ... a unique country-folk sound that can be best described as an Americana Dido... both illuminating and effortly accessible."
The Verve

"... a baker's dozen of heartfelt, soul stirring, uplifting and crashing down again songs ... Ms. Speace knows how to rip your heart out and shred it to pieces."
Zeitgeist-scot.co.uk

"If you're a fan of Lucinda Williams / Caitlin Cary / Roseanne Cash then give this girl a whirl and wonder why you haven't heard of her before... [Songs for Bright Street]'s got the lot - lots of sad country twang, a dollop of folk and just a smidge of pop... In short, it's full of melodic treats that will make your heart ache."
Lonesome Music

"Speace combines country and folk to great effect and her lovely vocal inflections invite favourable comparison with her compatriate & contemporary Dar Williams. A fine album ..."
Classic Rock Society

"Songs For Bright Street' by Amy Speace & The Tearjerks is a piece of nu-country magic - superbly crafted, rammed with lyrical reality, overflowin' with instrumental brilliance. Oh, and then there's those Amy Speace vocals - simply stunning!! Country music at its grittiest, most tangible and outrageous best!"
Toxic Pete

"This cool little lady ... has one of those spellbinding voices that just draws you in ... soft and seductive, yet witty and street smart, and a little dangerous ... Her voice is to die for but the Americana foly, twangy country arrangements ... and the confrontational songwriting come up to the same level. This album is like the summer we never had ... she gets two fullhearted thumbs up. Hell, I'll give her a few digits extra. She's that good."
Irish World

Amy Speace is an inimitable talent, and Songs For Bright Street is a masterpiece. Delving into the heartbreak and melancholy of country music with a folk/rock sensibility and a class and reserve reflective of the best of Alison Krauss, Amy Speace has created an album full of classic tunes that cannot be ignored or denied.
Wildy's World

"Amy Speace has one of those fetching voices, the kind that taps you on the shoulder and motions seductively for you to follow it around corner after dark corner. You don't know where you're going to end up or how you'll ever find your way back, but that doesn't matter right now: you're enjoying the trip."
Scott Brodeur, No Depression

"The talented Ms. Speace is lately taking her Americana away from twangy contemplation toward tangy confrontation. Paste magazine has discovered her, and you should too... she’s well worth checking out."
Barry Mazor, The Village Voice

"[Speace's] arresting voice combines the best parts of Lucinda Williams with Roseanne Cash ... [and] brings an unflagging sense of 21st century hipness to all her songs. Produced by James Mastro, Songs For Bright Street delivers big-budget sound worthy of any A-list performer."
Steven Stone, Vintage Guitar Magazine

"Rarely do I receive a CD that is complete in its brilliance...songwriting, music, production. Amy Speace's most recent release is one of those rare CDs. Like a relieving wind on a hot day, Amy reminds me that there is always someone out there who has The Goods"
Michael Jaworek, The Birchmere Theatre, Alexandria VA

Saturday, January 3rd, 2009

ADLER & HEARNE / Kate Hearne opens

From Spring Hollow Organic Song Farm just outside the rural hamlet of Winnsboro, Texas, performing songwriters Lynn Adler and Lindy Hearne (AKA co-founders of Crossroads) serve up fresh harvests of homegrown music, mixed with seasoned tunes from their collections of original ballads and story songs.

The two met in Nashville while on solo musical journeys. Years later - their paths merged in Texas, where they formed the duo Adler & Hearne. Due to their desire to work with producer and friend Rick Clark, they returned to the city where they first met to record their debut studio recording TO THE HEART just released in recent days.

Adler & Hearne share roots in gospel and classical music - organic influences that lend themselves to the duo's harmonies and phrasing. The subject matter of their songs, though, knows no bounds. Nor does their musical style. As songwriters, the two take themselves seriously enough. As artists, they're at ease with being hard to define.

Adler & Hearne's self-imposed categorical handle for their music is "a spiritual blend of folk-country blues-grass." One minute they're crooning songs of love and longing, losing and finding. The next, camping it up with modern-day spirituals steeped in dry wit, children's songs laced with grownup overtones, and an ocasional odyssey into their own brand of musical theatrics.

Adler & Hearne were two of 10 finalists in the national 2001 Wildflower festival Performing Songwriter Showcase in Richardson, Texas. In 2004, Hearne placed again as a Wildflower Festival finalist. He and co-writer Hal Greenwood won first place in two song categories in the 2002 Walnut Valley Festival NewSongs Showcase at Winfield, Kansas. The two, along with Adler, penned another first-place song in the same event for 2003. Adler is a two-time Kerrville Folk Festival NewFolk semifinalist; and finalist in the 2001 and 2004 B.W. Stevenson Memorial Singer/Songwriter Competition in Dallas. A&H also were 2nd place finalists in 2004's 57th Annual Ozark Folk Festival in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Since November of 2005, the two have focused their energies on growing an audience for their Crossroads Coffeehouse & Music Co. in Winnsboro, Texas -- dubbed by the Dallas Morning News as "...one of Texas' premier live music venues."

As song farmers, Lynn and Lindy welcome opportunities to lead songwriting workshops on a variety of related topics. Favorite venues to play include festivals, colleges, coffeehouses, churches, community concert halls, and especially - house concerts. For more details, and to hear sample songs from the new CD, visit Adler & Hearne online at:
http://www.myspace.com/adlerandhearne
Visit KATE HEARNE at:
http://www.myspace.com/katehearne

Friday, December 12th, 2008

Making-Room-for-Improvements SALE at the CROSSROADS!

FLASH! Yes, this sale is happening two days in a row -- FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12 and SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13. (See partial list of items below!)

We have no idea how many folks will flock to the Crossroads, but FYI we did place a sizeable ad in this week's Winnsboro News. Please get there when you can. You might be surprised what kind of Christmas shopping (for yourself and for someone you love) you can accomplish at Crossroads this weekend. AND you'll be helping us accomplish all sorts of good things -- namely, making room for improvements happening in the weeks to come (like NEW potties -- whooHOO!), and the income from the sale is going to go toward completion of Adler & Hearne's (that's us!) upcoming release TO THE HEART. (Read more and hear sample songs at: http://www.myspace.com/adlerandhearne)

We'll have tickets for sale for the ADLER & HEARNE, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20 CD Release Concert at Crossroads. And you'll be able to pre-order the CD too. (THANK YOU, thank you to so many of you who have already pre-ordered one, several -- even 20 at a time!!!) Your support in this way is helping us complete the project in record time.

So come check out our cool, making-room-for-improvements SALE AT THE CROSSROADS on Fri. Dec. 12 and Sat. Dec. 13 -- from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. We promise this sale is loaded with FUN treasures -- some awesome antiques and one-of-a-kind collectibles, fun quirky stuff, souvenir glassware and furnishings from our old hardware store turned music sanctuary -- the entire Crossroads concert hall has been turned into an antique store/flea market setting for the weekend.

Hot cider and hot coffee, camaraderie, and more than likely an impromtu musical jam depending on who stops in. If you're curious about what kind of items are included in the SALE, here's a short, top-of-mind, random listing...

We're selling some of the old soda shop glassware and all the hand-built, revolving stools that used to be bolted to the floor around the old wood counter.

One really HUGE item is that long, beautiful wooden display/storage piece (the one with the built-in and lighted stained glass all along the front). We suspect it's original to the building) -- and it's quite a treasure. Just takes up valuable seating space for our venue, so we're hoping to send it to a good home!

On a musical note, there's really quite a range of instruments, musical supplies, LPs, CDs, cassettes -- even an 8-track or two. Old Rolling Stones magazines, some amazing vintage music posters, and other music collectibles. Collectible, rare books too.

For you Xena Warrior Princess fans out there, well you'll just have to come look at the assortment. All part of a collection that once belonged to a dear friend who passed away a couple of years ago. These Xena dolls and memorabilia deserve to go home with a devoted fan.

Remember the old sewing machine-base tables many of you have enjoyed sitting at -- either for lunch when the soda shop was open, or for a concert night at Crossroads. Those are for sale. There's also a sweet little round table and soda-shop-style chairs -- perfect for a breakfast nook, game room, or screened in porch.

Lindy's famed collection of pearl-button shirts and Hawaiian shirts is on sale. Along with all-sorts of Lindy treasures you'll just have to see to appreciate. And Lynn's decided to part with her treasured home-recording studio equipment. It is beautifully installed and wired together into its own storage rack, with numerous awesome components, and all the instruction books to go along with it!

There's an old sled for sale. A wind-up Fullotone cabinet gramophone that plays those cool, scratchy-sounding 78s. Numerous one-of-a-kind chairs, and end tables. A cozy pair of wicker chairs from England -- truly perfect for the screened in porch. And an old Corona typewriter that travels in its own little case.

Speaking of cases -- we're selling many favorites from our vintage suitcase collection. It's just gotta go to make room for even better days ahead at Crossroads.

We have only ONE concert this month, and that's our Adler & Hearne CD Release concert next Saturday night, December 20 -- featuring an opening set by Kate Hearne!

We'd love to see you all the next two days. Stop in, browse, visit, buy some tickets, pre-order our new CD (which we pick up next week!!!), and maybe take home a few of our treasures. Merry Christmas dear Crossroads Friends.

Saturday, November 29th, 2008

RAY WYLIE HUBBARD / Monica Taylor opens

WhooHOO! It's night number TWO of Ray's DOUBLE HEADER as we make a weekend of celebrating Crossroads' THIRD Anniversary.

And be SURE to visit opener MONICA TAYLOR at her web site: http://www.monicataylormusic.com -- Monica was recently a special guest on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion. Just GOOGLE that!!!

Friday, November 28th, 2008

RAY WYLIE HUBBARD / Monica Taylor opens

WhooHOO! It's a Crossroads tradition. Ray's back, only this time it's a DOUBLE HEADER -- giving the Crossroads audience two opportunities to come out and help us celebrate Crossroads' THIRD Anniversary. Ray and yet-to-be-named sidekick will play TWO duo nights in a row this Thanksgiving Weekend.

And be SURE to visit opener MONICA TAYLOR at her web site: http://www.monicataylormusic.com -- Monica was recently a special guest on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion. Just GOOGLE that!!!

Saturday, November 22nd, 2008

BRIAN BURNS / David Byboth opens

NOTE: Students 18 and under admitted HALF PRICE!!! Click on Brian's name above to go directly to his music myspace, or visit his official web site at:
http://www.brianburnsmusic.com.

This is Brian Burns' third appearance on the Crossroads stage. It's always an absolute honor to host this musical historian on our stage. Get your tickets early!

Tonight's opener DAVID BYBOTH played mandolin on a song or two with friend Ray Wylie Hubbard for our Crossroads 1st Anniversary Concert on Thanksgiving weekend of 2005. He also opened for Malcolm Holcombe here in May of '07. Welcome back David! You can hear David's music at: http://www.myspace.com/byboth.

Now -- here's Brian's bio...
Brian Burns has for many years been regarded as one of Texas' top performing songwriters, his work having been covered by a number of legendary artists. But in recent years, Burns has emerged as one of his state's most powerful and engaging performers. His songs explore the poignant and the humorous sides of humanity, drawing out things we've all felt and wish we could have said. The warmth, wit and eclecticism of his performances captivate audiences night after night.

Burns grew up in Central Texas, listening to the western ballads of Marty Robbins and the progressive country music of Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. Early on, he developed an appreciation for musical depth, along with a knack for the story. As his passion for music grew, he began to explore a variety of styles ranging from pop to reggae. At 16, Brian Burns hit the road on a musical journey that found him sharing stages with some of America's top performers.

His Texas roots remained an integral force in his life and work. After his first million-or-so miles of rough road, and half a lifetime of noted musical accomplishments - Brian planted his musical roots even more deeply in Lone Star soil. "Music's not a choice I made. I believe the choice made me," declares Burns in the title cut of his debut solo album "Highways, Heartaches, and Honky-Tonks" - a 1997 work that summarized his musical mission up to that point. His second album, 1999's "Angels & Outlaws," produced the venomous, yet humorous Texan anthem, "Welcome To Texas (Now Dont Forget To Go Back Home)," which dominated FM heavy rotation lists in the nation's largest country music markets for many months. But "Angels & Outlaws" also met critical acclaim and enlightened a discriminating listening audience to a more intellectual and introspective side of Brian Burns.

Burns' 2001 release, "The Eagle & The Snake: Songs Of The Texians," presented an epic collection of classic, contemporary, and original ballads based on the history, folklore and culture of Texas. "The Eagle & The Snake" was heralded by reviewers as a masterpiece shortly after its release, and went on to become an established Texas classic. The album's first single, "I've Been Everywhere (In Texas)," spread like wildfire throughout Texas, and achieved unprecedented success, charting nationally for five weeks on R&R (Radio & Records). The single "Evangelina" remains in the Top 10 of the Texas Music Chart.

Nothing ignites a young mind's historical interest more effectively (and infectiously) than songs and stories that bring past events stirringly back to life. Over the summer of 2003 Brian adapted "The Eagle & The Snake: Songs Of The Texians" into an educational program for 4th and 7th-grade students of Texas history. This program has become the state's premier educational presentation for K-12 Social Studies curriculum enhancement, taking Brian's musical and storytelling talents into elementary and intermediate schools throughout Texas.

Burns' release, "Heavy Weather," introduced a collection of 12 new Brian Burns compositions and four exciting new cover songs. Ranging from the historical ballads that have become integral to his work to substantive country, folk, pop, and Celtic styles, "Heavy Weather" is all about thunderstorms, shipwrecks, hurricanes, heartaches - all the storms of life. And no one tells the story like Brian Burns. Case in point, his most recent CD release "Border Radio," which is comprised of 12 original songs and five covers - all capturing the essence of Texas border music, people and places in true Brian Burns story-song style.

More and more people are discovering Brian Burns, 'The Last True Texas Troubador' - an artist who, for many years, was considered one of Texas' best-kept secrets. The Terry Awards, a long-standing institution recognizing excellence and accomplishment in Texas music, has presented Brian Burns with its Top Solo Artist award. Rockzilla.net, a popular online electronic community dedicated to Texas music, voted Burns Texas Artist of The Year for two consecutive years. Brian performs an average of 300 shows a year, including solo performances and songwriter shows with some of the country's top performing singer/songwriters.

Saturday, November 15th, 2008

CADILLAC SKY / Back Roads opens

Cadillac Sky’s propulsive brand of music is the perfect marriage of tradition and innovation.
This original approach comes from a deep-seated respect for tradition wrapped around an
unbridled musical curiosity. There's no dichotomy in the band's sound, just a synthesis of the band's eclectic influences.

The band first came together in 2002 in Texas when Simpson (mandolin, vocals) teamed up with
young banjo whiz Matt Menefee. The timing was perfect because Simpson was beginning to have success as a mainstream country songwriter but was burdened by a deep well of more personal material that he felt deserved a forum but had no vehicle for. Menefee's colorful and rhythmic banjo playing combined with a similar musical vision, was the launching pad that Simpson had hoped for but not expected to find.

They soon added the virtuoistic, Ross Holmes (fiddle, vocals) and, more recently, the talents of Andy "Panda" Moritz (bass, vocals) and David Mayfield (guitar, vocals). When the band began rehearsing, they quickly realized the diverse, but complimentary musical backgrounds they could pull from. They blended the traditional sounds of Bill Monroe and the colorful stylings of The Beatles with free form jazz to develop their signature sound.

"Everybody in this band comes from such different backgrounds musically, that we all bring our own element to the group," explains Holmes about the band's original sound. "You can hear a lot of the classical and jazz influences that Andy and I have, and Bryan's more bluegrass style. And Matt, he's simply one of the best banjo players on the planet and everything he does is just
amazing."

Simpson believes building the band's sound on the traditions of bluegrass has given Cadillac Sky a solid foundation—one strong enough to support their unique musical perspective. "We
definitely have progressive leanings, but we are trying to find our own voice and not be flimsy retreads of New Grass Revival or Nickel Creek; even though we LOVE that stuff. What I like
about acoustic music is that there is such an honest energy to it. We try to keep that and combine
in it with the innovation of rock music. Then we take some of the country music sensibilities in the lyric and melody and put all that together. Probably not consciously, but it seems to sort of work out that way."

Simpson has always had that rare ability to create songs with substance and heart that have hooks a mile wide. It's a skill that's made him one of Music City's hottest young songwriters. As the band began making a name for itself in Texas, Simpson's songwriting career was kicking into high gear. He had a cut by former DreamWorks artist Joanna Janet that became a single. Three months later Epic/Sony artist Brad Martin took "Before I Knew Better," into the Top 15 of the country charts. It went on to become one of 50 most played songs in 2002. George Strait, Terri Clark, and the Lonesome River Band have all recorded Simpson's songs. He's also had cuts by Kenny Rogers, Jason Aldean, Mark Wills, Neal McCoy, and a host of newer acts. He can now add international hit songwriter to his resume as George Canyon and Brad Johner have recently
taken two of his songs to No. 3 and No. 8 respectively on the Canadian country charts.

In many ways, Simpson is Cadillac Sky's secret weapon. Not many bands, acoustic or otherwise,
have a songwriter of his talent penning songs for them. It gave the band a distinct advantage when it came time to write songs for their latest release. The disc is a showcase for Simpson's songwriting and also serves as a celebration for the band's other secret weapon—banjo player Matt Menefee. His bandmates consider him to be one of the best banjo players on the planet and they're not alone in that estimation. Menefee became a Winfield national banjo champion at age 17.

While they'd be reluctant to sing their own praises, David Mayfield, Ross Holmes and Andy Moritz are also world-class musicians. David Mayfield has performed with the likes of country star Andy Griggs, the Avett Brothers, and up-and-coming artist and sister Jessica Lea Mayfield. Ross Holmes' vibrant fiddle work has landed him on stages as diverse as Carnegie Hall, and the Grand Ole Opry, and catapulted him into the spotlight as a sideman with hit country artist, Josh Turner, and as a soloist with several symphonies across Europe. Andy Moritz is a highly accomplished upright bass player whose skills are favorable to the iconic Edgar Meyer and whose arco abilities are nearly unmatched in the world of acoustic music. One of the most compelling things about Cadillac Sky is how these five individuals come together to create something bigger than their individual accomplishments. The depth and breadth of emotion they've created on stage and in the studio is breathtaking.

To hear Back Roads (this night's opening duo), and to learn more about them, visit:
http://www.myspace.com/backroadstxmusic
See y'all at Crossroads on 11-15!!!

Saturday, November 8th, 2008

TOM KIMMEL / Randy Brown opens

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price.

We're excited about getting TWO of our favorite songwriters back to Crossroads -- Nashville headliner TOM KIMMEL, and our special guest opener RANDY BROWN of Mineola! You won't want to miss this evening of CHOICE original music at Crossroads. Click on Tom's name above to visit his web site. And you can hear Randy's music by clicking on the Music page at his web site (just imagine Charles Darwin meeting Guy Clark and Van Morrison at an MIT BBQ):
http://www.brownrandy.com
Tom Kimmel is one of those unique singer-songwriters whose heartfelt artistry with words and music is both genre-crossing and timeless. Since 1980, when his songs were recorded by Roger McGuinn & Chris Hillman (of Byrds fame) and Levon Helm (of The Band), dozens of his compositions have been covered by a host of major artists including Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Cash, Joe Cocker, Shawn Colvin, Waylon Jennings, the Stray Cats, Randy Travis and the Spinners. Tom’s unique ability to write songs that connect stems from his lifelong career as a touring performer.
Once an eclectic rock and roller, Tom found his voice as a singer-songwriter while opening Nanci Griffith’s 1991-92 world tour. A New Folk winner at the Kerrville Folk Festival in ’93, he began performing as a solo act, stressing a lean, acoustic-centered approach to his music and bringing a poignant and humorous spirit to his poetry and storytelling.

Tom’s peers have joined critics in commending the Alabama native's unadorned stylings as uniquely soulful. Irish songstress Maura O’Connell, who has recorded haunting versions of Tom’s The Blue Train and Poetic Justice, says, "Tom is an incredible songwriter... And he seems to be getting better as the years go on." Crow Johnson, former ZMN publisher, calls Tom a "singer’s singer, writer’s writer." And according to The Nashville Scene, "Tom Kimmel's moody textured songwriting reaches into soulful realms that few Music Row pros enter."

Saturday, November 1st, 2008

DIDDLEY SQUAT

New info to come on this FAVORITE band. In the meantime, visit their web site. We're HOPIN' this night will be a CD release night for the band for their LIVE at the Crossroads CD recorded earlier this year!!! Watch this site for the latest updates about DAT!

Saturday, October 25th, 2008

JIMMY LAFAVE / BettySoo opens

NOTE: A limited number of $50 Golden Circle Table Seats are available for this night, for those of you who MUST have your LaFave live-in-concert tickets up close and person. Of course, keep in mind the venue is intimate (150 capacity), so there's no such thing as a bad seat!

This coming Saturday night's concert will be CHOICE! We welcome back Jimmy LaFave
and his awesome band, and we look forward to another happy dose of Bettysoo in her opening set.

This Saturday night's concert happens on the same day as our town's famed Autumn Trails antique Car Parade Saturday morning. It's an event that draws majillions of people to our humble little hamlet here in the East Texas Piney Woods. What better way to cap off the night than to fall asleep hearing Jimmy's song "Revival" playing in your sweet dreams after an evening of listening to Jimmy and band LIVE at the Crossroads!!!

Tickets have been steadily selling for months now, but still -- there are great seats to be had. Call and reserve yours today. And let's meet at the Crossroads this last beautiful weekend of October.

Here's one of many great reviews we found on Jimmy' most recent CD release...

"CIMARRON MANIFESTO": WEST CHESTER DAILY REVIEW, SEAN HICKEY

No one can argue that on his last three recordings, 2001's Texoma,
2005's Blue Nightfall, and here, on Cimarron Manifesto, Jimmy LaFave
seems to be onto something. He's been on as restless a journey as a
songwriter can embark upon. He likes the raw bar--band sound and
demands he be true to himself both on record and on the road. He's a
romantic, a true one, with wanderlust. He's not a philosopher, he's a
man who is rooted deeply in the Oklahoma red dirt and its unique
history, especially the dust bowl and the soil and the wide open
spaces of Texas, and by what he's seen; not just where he's been. The
cover art of this newest CD says it all. LaFave is standing to the
left of a divide on an empty street in the middle of the night. He's
in the background, the forlorn street and an old hotel, whose lights
are extinguished, are the real subjects here.

The album opens with "Car Outside." With help from Kacy Crowley on
backing vocals, the sum total of LaFave's "manifesto" shows up and
reveals itself in full, all the while digging at the heart of every
person who feels the need to just go, no matter what it costs. It's
not the need to escape; it's the need to just go. LaFave is as full of
simple poetic romance and the ragged weariness and restlessness as Doc
Pomus -- who would contain a universe of thoughts and emotions in just
a few lines. The band here supports LaFave well and includes
guitarists Andrew Hardin, John Inmon, and dobro/lap steel boss Jeff
Plakenhorn with Hammond B--3 player and pianist Radoslav Lorkovic...

His bluesy version of Joe South's "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" brings it
back into collective memory as the folk song it is. And ultimately
that's what LaFave establishes himself as on these last three
recordings, a writer and singer of songs in the country, blues and
rock idioms that are ultimately folk songs, all of this is in the
reedy, sweet smoky voice of LaFave.

He's been on a roll, and he shows no signs of slowing down. As fine a
record as you're likely to hear, Cimarron Manifesto is for all of us.
You will hear yourself thinking and be caught in your emotions as you
listen; you've been some of these people, and that's the kind of
connection the best singer and songwriters make.

We look forward to the amazing BettySoo too! Visit her online at: http://www.bettysoo.com

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

MALCOLM HOLCOMBE / Gus Gustafson & Kate Hearne open

Click on Malcolm's name above to link directly to his web site. Then just settle in and read all the reviews posted on his Press page -- which will compel you to purchase tickets FAST for MALCOLM HOLCOMBE's 10-18 return to the Crossroads stage. Visit Malcolm's music MySpace for immediate gratEARfication: http://www.myspace.com/malcolmholcombe.

Here's just one review from the Mobile Press-Register
Thursday, July 31, 2008
By LAWRENCE SPECKER
Entertainment Reporter

As he wrapped up a recent show at Callaghan's Irish Social Club, Justin Townes Earle took note of the fact that Malcolm Holcombe would be playing at the same venue a few weeks later.

He didn't just urge those present to return for Holcombe's show. In blunt terms, he questioned the manhood of anybody who failed to do so. And in a more printable terms, he described Holcombe as the finest American songwriter currently breathing.

Informed of this, Holcombe shuffled a bit for the right response, describing Earle as "a fine young scrapper."

"That's awful kind of him. It's just a popularity contest, just a beauty contest, we brag on each other," Holcombe said. "I don't want to spit on his shoes unless I'm going to shine 'em."

That's unlikely to happen, but this weekend listeners get the chance to decide for themselves whether Earle was on the money. Holcombe plays Pirate's Cove in Josephine on Saturday and then hits Callaghan's Irish Social Club on Sunday.

It'll be his first stop at Callaghan's, while Pirate's Cove (where Alan Rhody will open) is a familiar tour stop that he describes as the home of "the best greasiest hamburger in the South."

To both venues he brings his stock in trade: A gruff voice and an off-the-grid persona that has beguiled many a listener. He also bring a catalog of songs that tend to capture transcendental moments, good and bad, in the lives of people living hard lives.

In his focus on the elusive moods of instants, he writes somewhat like Widespread Panic's John Bell — but with an altogether more down-to-earth focus.

From the title track to his most recent album, "Gamblin' House":

"i got my own kinda problems/my own kinda rules/ i got friends in my wallet/ they love me like a fool/ they love me like a fool"

Critics stumble trying to categorize his music, citing country, blues and folk influences. He rates highly on the America charts, and said that if there must be a label, he'll take "folk."

"I just call it folk music. It's got fewer syllables and it's easy to spell," he said, with evident self-deprecation. "It's another whiner with a damn guitar, that's got a ... opinion."

On this tour, Holcombe said, he's doing songs from his three most recent albums — "Gamblin' House," "Not Forgotten" and "I Never Heard You Knockin'" — "And anything else that I can remember."

His goals are simple, he said. He just hopes to get a few feet tapping and maybe "stir a brain-bone or two."

Given his track record, and favorable reviews in every publication from No Depression magazine to the Wall Street Journal, it's a sure thing he'll accomplish both ambitions.

We very much look forward to Malcolm's return to the Crossroads stage.

Okay wait -- found some more cool quotes we had to share...:

"I'm nearly speechless. This is the most innovative and original sound since the first notes of bluegrass passed Bill Monroe's lips."
- Rick Marino, Titans Radio, Nashville

"the Pink Floyd of country music .....rejuvenators of the genre.....""
- Evert Wilbrink, Folkwax (cont)

"...Sam Bush gave bluegrass a great shot in the arm, a kick in the butt, pioneering progressive rock-flavored band New Grass Revival - but these guys from Texas will stir up way more musical mayhem and eventually will bypass the roots reports and shoot to the top of the Billboard charts..."
- Evert Wilbrink, Folkwax

We're also delighted to announce this night's special opening set shared by Crossroads' own KATE HEARNE, and GUS GUSTAFSON - who is not only a great singer/songwriter and blues harmonica player, but is the economic development coordinator for our sister city to the east - Pittsburg, Texas! Click below to listen to Gus's music, and Kate's too:
http://www.myspace.com/gusgustafsonmusic http://www.myspace.com/katehearne

Saturday, October 11th, 2008

BEATLEGRAS / Dave Sherman opens

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price.

Beatlegras ~ the bluegrass version of The Beatles!

Imagine the music of the Fab Four shaken up with infusions of bluegrass and jazz, and topped off with a classical twist. That's what audience members can expect to hear on Saturday night, October 11, when Beatlegras returns to the Crossroads stage to perform songs from its new release "In A Perfect World."

Beatlegras is comprised of studio musicians George Anderson on upright bass, Milo Deering on mandolin and more, and Dave Walser on guitar - often referred to as the Fab Three. Together for four years now, Beatlegras is what the Beatles might have sounded like if they never discovered electric guitars and drums.

"We would never dream of messing with the melodies in the slightest, just everything that goes around them" says Dave Walser, guitarist and vocals. "We're not The Beatles or Beatle imitators, we're just Dave, George and Milo, and we love playing their music our own way. If we can't find a unique fun way to do a song, we don't do it, or we save it for later. The good news is, it will be a long time before we run out of songs."

Eight of the 14 songs on "In a Perfect World" are Lennon/McCartney classics, while the remaining six are original tunes with a strong Beatles infuence. "Our one goal," Walser says, "is to honor the music in our own way. We have a blast doing this and if you smile and want to sing along, we've done our job."

The band's music can be heard online at: http://www.beatlegras.com and at http://www.myspace.com/beatlegras
Visit opener Dave Sherman at: http://www.davesherman.com

Friday, October 10th, 2008

SLIGHTLY TILTED / Blake Jackson & Ellie Belows open

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price.

Crossroads is SO jazzed about this band's debut on the Crossroads stage. [NOTE: Check out their set list at the foot of this concert description -- it's classic 60s and 70s roots rock, only slightly TILTED!] This promises to be one GROOVY night of music.

One hot August night in 1977, a Dallas rock band packed up and loaded the van for the last time. Thirty years later they somehow ended up as neighbors in East Texas. Rhandy Simmons, Fred Howard and Tim Grugle went their own way on that day in 1977; now with the addition of Kent Gooding and Wes Hendrix, they are slightly grayer and play slightly quieter.

Kent Gooding is an accomplished vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist and percussionist. Kent has played with many artists during his career including Gary Porterfield and Michael O’ Neal. He is currently busy recording a solo album at Siesta Ranch Recording Studio in upper Upshur County, and also performing with The Whisky River Road Show and Post Oak Savannah.

Wes Hendrix shares the vocals and is also a smooth operator of a six string. Wes brings a soulful and gritty style to the mix. He paid his dues working as a house musician in 1979 at The Steak Pit on Harry Hines in Dallas where he met songwriter David Patton and formed the David Patton band, from whom many lessons were learned. In 1981 Wes formed the country band Stallion and for 14 years toured with great success. In 1995 he toured with Sony
recording artist Ty Herndon. Wes now works freelance with artists such as Kacey Musgraves.

Fred Howard can rock with the best, as he did in Dallas bands Lodella and Pandora, but he also is an accomplished finger-style guitarist. With this diversity, Fred brings a refined element to the group. This is evident in his songwriting abilities and musical tastes that range from jazz-fusion to classical to blues. Fred is a session guitarist for Siesta Ranch Studio.

Being elected as a Buddy Magazine Texas Tornado in 1991 was one of the highlights of drummer Tim "Chopper" Grugle’s career. It started when his parents noticed he beat everything in their house with wooden spoons and sticks. Also a recording engineer and producer, he has played with, recorded or produced for most major and major independent labels, and acts such as Metallica, Chuck Berry, John Nitzinger, Raizin Cain, and Pantera. His band Bellicose was an icon in the Texas music scene, and their CD “Love On Ice” went to number one on many stations.

Bassist Rhandy Simmons started out with Fred and Tim back in the ‘70s and went on to play with numerous notables including Danny and Darius Brubeck (Dave’s sons) and Roomful of Blues. Rhandy won the Buddy Magazine Texas Tornado award in 1987, and was with Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets when the band won the 1992 W.C. Handy award for Best Blues Band. After touring and recording with Mike Morgan and the Crawl, Rhandy established Siesta Ranch Recording Studio where he has recorded and produced dozens of CDs.

Opening this night is Blake Jackson, a talented young, 14-year-old East Texas star on the rise. Blake has been playing the guitar and singing for four years. Joining Blake in a cameo appearance will be another 14-year-old up-and-coming artist -- Ellie Bellows, whose step father happens to be Tim Grugle -- drummer for Slightly Tilted. We enjoyed performances by both Blake and Ellie at this past May's Winnsboro Woodstock events hosted on the Crossroads stage. Encouraging young artists is IMPORTANT! Be sure to catch this night's opening set, and enjoy being a part of their enthusiastic audience.

Here's a peek at Slightly Tilted's GROOVY set list:

1. Space Cowboy - Steve Miller
2. Mr. Tambourine Man - Dylan/Byrds
3. Six Days On the Road - Flying Burrito Brothers
4. Cross-Town Traffic - Jimi Hendrix
5. Feelin' Alright - Traffic
6. The Weight - The Band
7. Tupelo - Kent Gooding
8. Jam Groove - Fred Howard
9. Cinnamon Girl - Neal Young
10. Gypsy Queen - Carlos Santana

1. The Lost Highway - Hank Williams
2. Mood for a Day - Steve Howe / Yes
3. Hey Mr. Space Man - The Birds
4 .Hide Your Love Away -Beatles
5. Stuck in Lodi Again - Credence Clearwater Revival
6. Prime Time- Fred Howard
7. Shifting of the Blame- Kent Gooding
8. Poncho and Lefty- Townes Van Zandt
9. American Crawl - Fred Howard
10. Summer in the City - Lovin Spoonful

BY THE WAY, nothing super formal, but there will be a DESSERT POTLUCK this evening -- feel free to bring a dish, or simply come prepared to enjoy the sweets others bring. Maybe someone will bring a slightly tilted something or other.

Saturday, October 4th, 2008

RHETT BUTLER / Enola Gay with Kurt Bittner opens

Here's one of our all-time FAVORITE quotes about guitarist RHETT BUTLER:

"Rhett Butler is one of those artists that has to be seen to be believed. 10 fingers, 2 guitars and a room full of jaws hitting the floor." ~ The Austin Chronicle

Here's another one: "Rhett Butler is a gifted jazz guitarist. He uses his trademark style to coax filigreed harmonies and shimmering melodies out of his instrument. The Obsessive-Compulsive Guitarist is born." ~ The Fort Worth Star-Telegram

That pretty much sums it up for us. Want to read more and hear some jaw-dropping tunes? Click on Rhett's name above to visit his official web site. Or visit his music myspace at http://www.myspace.com/rhettbutlerguitar.

Opening for Rhett, we welcome back Sulphur Springs-based guitar wonder Kurt Bittner who last played the Crossroads in November when he opened for Pierce Pettis. Joining Kurt is jazzy vocalist Enola Gay! So many folks in these parts know Enola as the award-winning DJ and host of Sulphur Springs-based KSST’s Good Morning Show weekdays from 6-9am. (That's at 1230 on the AM dial, FYI - celebrating 60 years!) Enola's jazz vocals pair so nicely with Kurt's smooth jazz guitar.

Kurt attended Berklee College of Music in Boston Massachusetts, where he studied alongside singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge and guitarist Steve Vai. As a guitar major, Kurt graduated cum laude from Berklee and began touring extensively throughout the United States. While on tour, he shared the stage with many talented artists including Charlie Daniels, The Drifters, Doug Kershaw, and Donna Fargo. Kurt has performed internationally in Australia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Guam, and Diego Garcia. Kurt continues to refine his guitar technique by regularly attending workshops with jazz greats including Jim Hall, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, and John Abercrombie. In addition to playing guitar, Kurt has worked professionally as an audio engineer in both studio and live applications. Visit Kurt online at http://www.kurtbittner.com.

We look forward to seeing you ALL for this awesome evening of jazz and guitar "acrobatics" at the Crossroads!

Saturday, September 27th, 2008

ALBERT & GAGE / Kevin Tinney opens

NOTE: This will be a POTLUCK DINNER CONCERT night at the Crossroads. Dish-assignment details posted at the foot of this concert description.

We heartily welcome back this powerhouse duo to the Crossroads stage. This will be their fourth appearance on the Crossroads stage, and for good reason. The Crossroads audience DEMANDS them!!! (Plus, A&G do seem to love coming to our town and playing for the famed Crossroads audience too.)

MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS EARLY for this show -- it tends to fill up FAST!

In Austin, Texas—a town overflowing with gifted singer/songwriters and guitar heroes—Christine Albert & Chris Gage have a nine year track record of making beautiful music together. Over the course of five duet albums, the duo has demonstrated that disparate backgrounds do not preclude musical soulmates from finding one another.

Their Burnin’ Moonlight album led an Austin Chronicle reviewer to exclaim, “(The songs are) beautifully framed by the duo's intertwined, yearning vocals, leaving a glow as luminous and bright as moonlight itself.” And the Houston Press noted, “From George Jones and Tammy Wynette to Richard and Linda Thompson, male-female duets are one of popular music's most delightful permutations. And the Austin-based duo of Christine Albert and Chris Gage easily slot right in with the best.”

In 2003 Albert and Gage released their first live recording, Albert and Gage at Anderson Fair. Dirty Linen commented that the set had “energy, humor, really fine duet singing, strong leads, original harmonies, a strong sense of partnership, personality, and musicality”. Sing Out! found it to be a “a cohesive and exciting exploration of the roots of popular, mostly American, music”.

Says Christine of her partner, “Musically, I like to go in lots of different directions”—from country songs to French chansons—“and Chris goes right along with me. It's not just that he plays bluegrass or folk or blues, but that he plays it all with so much integrity.”

“After being a sideman for several years I was ready to start my own band again,” recalls Gage. “I wasn't sure exactly how that would manifest, and then I met Christine. What we brought out in each other was magical.”

Onstage, Albert's slender, dark beauty contrasts strikingly with Gage's craggy good looks. How gracefully they complement each other is easily apparent. Although they have functioned as a duo for just nine years, both musicians' individual pedigrees are far more extensive.

Gage is a journeyman musician and South Dakota native who literally began touring in a station wagon at age 15. In the mid-Seventies and early Eighties he led the popular midwestern country-swing Red Willow Band, and from there graduated to an eight-year tenure on piano with guitar virtuoso and country star Roy Clark. After moving to Austin in 1991, Gage began commuting to San Antonio to take the reins as musical director for the Fiesta Texas theme park.

But it was during (and following) his next incarnation, as bandleader for West Texas alt.-country singer/songwriter Jimmie Dale Gilmore, that he began to carve out his own place in the Austin scene as an in-demand session player and accompanist. It was with Gilmore that Christine first heard Chris play and in 1997 Albert & Gage was formed. The duo later toured as an opening act for Gilmore and as members of his ensemble.

Christine Albert's French grandmother lived in Paris and her mother was born in Switzerland, so perhaps it's inevitable that the occasional Edith Piaf song migrates into her sets of original material and carefully chosen covers. Indeed, she recorded an entire album of lovely (albeit improbable) Franco-Lone Star fusion entitled Texafrance in 1992; and a 2003 sequel—Texafrance-Encore!—was released, appropriately enough, on Valentine's Day that year.

Christine herself cut her musical teeth in northern New Mexico, in the chic environs of Santa Fe and in the rough-and-tumble biker bars out along the Turquoise Trail. Along with fellow New Mexico chanteuse Eliza Gilkyson, Albert re-located to Austin in 1982 and began to distinguish herself as a singer-songwriter in a town where the bar for such artists is set very high indeed.

She has released five solo albums, including Texafrance, The High Road and Underneath the Lone Star Sky. In 1996, she was voted Female Vocalist of the Year in the Kerrville Music Awards poll associated with the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival and has appeared on Austin City Limits, both with Gilkyson and on her own show. A longtime community activist, Albert is also known for her work on behalf of survivors of sexual assault and has recently founded “Swan Songs”, a not for profit program that arranges private concerts by favorite Texas musicians for individuals with a life threatening illness.

The duo’s 2006 release Cry Love, was recorded entirely at their own MoonHouse Studio, showcasing their compelling songwriting, impeccable harmonies and Gage’s natural instrumental gifts. When not on the road, Chris and Christine stay busy producing other artists and have expanded MoonHouse Records with releases produced by Chris Gage for fellow Austinites Cowboy Johnson and Michael Austin.

This night we have the pleasure of hosting Winnsboro-based performing songwriter KEVIN TINNEY. Kevin is a gem of a songwriter, with a clear and high tenor voice that's so easy on the ears. We're always excited to hear what new songs Kevin's been writing. And we love providing a forum for our area's own up-and-coming songwriters. You can hear Kevin's songs at his music myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/kevinetinney.

POTLUCK DETAILS...
6-6:15 PM Potluck folks gather and commune (SPECIAL PRICE: Potuck Reserved Seating only $15 per person / half-price for students 18 and under)
7 PM Doors open to others
7:30 PM Music begins

INTEND TO PARTICIPATE?! PLEASE RSVP (not required, but appreciated), and arrive between 6 and 6:15 PM so we can prepare the table and enjoy each others' company (along with the mystery and intrigue of not knowing what's for dinner).

EVEN MORE POTLUCK DETAILS...
Potluck at the Crossroads is all about great CAMARADERIE and yummy
CUISINE as prelude to an unforgetable CONCERT in our cozy music hall. We're having fun with 'the potluck factor' -- experimenting with new ways to enjoy each other's company, AND provide a soulful and frugal way to enjoy great food AND great music!

WHAT TO BRING: Let's try this... (coordinating a potluck this way is equal parts art AND science) If the first letter of your LAST name begins with...

A - D - G - J - M - P - S - V or Y: bring a MAIN dish (meat or vegetarian)

B - E - H - K - N - Q - T - W or Z: bring a SIDE dish or two (depending on how many in your party), includes veggie or fruit SIDES and SALADS.

C - F - I - L - O - R - U or X: bring a BREAD or DESSERT (sinful AND healthy desserts welcome!)

Crossroads provides the paper plates, napkins, plasticware, bottled water, coffee (reg & decaf), and soft drinks (for a donation of your choice). As our guest, you also are welcome to bring the beverage of your choice. And please plan to carry home any leftovers.

AS A BONUS TO POTLUCK FOLKS, enjoy the benefit of purchasing RESERVED SEATING ($20 value for this concert) at the advance general admission price of only $15 per ticket. HALF PRICE for students 18 and under. (Yes, that's just $7.50 reserved seating for students 18 and under!)

You'll want to make sure you have ample table space to enjoy this awesome potluck night, so DO call in advance to purchase your reserved seats! NOTE: If you purchase advance price tickets at Winnsboro Bakery, but wish to participate in the Potluck RESERVED seating, please contact Crossroads directly to let us know, and to ensure that your table gets reserved. Thanks and see y'all on the 27th!

Saturday, September 20th, 2008

RAMBLIN' JACK ELLIOTT / Adler & Hearne opens

Yeow! We are pinching ourselves. Can't BELIEVE this legendary man will be performing on the Crossroads stage. Just incredible! EARLY RESERVATIONS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as this should be a SELL OUT NIGHT.

Click on Jack's name above to visit his official (amazingly in-depth web site), or for a quick listen to his music, visit his music MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/ramblinjackelliott. You can also find scores of performance videos at YouTube!

Here's the short of it -- the following announcement released August 19, 2008:
Iconic American folk balladeer, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, is back in the studio with producer Joe Henry (Bettye LaVette, Solomon Burke, Elvis Costello/Allen Toussaint) to record a collection of pre-WWII blues songs to follow-up his 2006 release, I Stand Alone (Anti-). The 77-year old Elliott sings and plays acoustic guitar, backed by musicians such as David Hidalgo of Los Lobos and Van Dyke Parks, who collaborated with Brian Wilson on 2004's Smile (Nonesuch) and Joanna Newsom on 2006's Ys (Drag City).

Back in the 1960s, Elliott grew as a musician under the tutelage of Woody Guthrie. He also made his mark on the Greenwich Village scene with his musical relationship with a young Bob Dylan who was sometimes referred to as the "son of Jack Elliott."

The yet-untitled album is scheduled for release early next year.

AND NOW, here's more background for your reading pleasure...a bio found on the MTV site:

Ramblin' Jack Elliott is one of folk music's most enduring characters. Since he first came on the scene in the late '50s, Elliott influenced everyone from Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger to the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead. The son of a New York doctor and a onetime traveling companion of Woody Guthrie, Elliott used his self-made cowboy image to bring his love of folk music to one generation after another.

Despite the countless miles that Elliott traveled, his nickname is derived from his unique verbiage: an innocent question often led to a mosaic of stories before he got to the answer. According to folk songstress Odetta, it was her mother who gave Elliott the name when she remarked, "Oh, that Jack Elliott, he sure can ramble."

Pressured by his parents to follow in his father's footsteps and become a doctor, Elliott resisted their urging. Instead, inspired by the rodeos he attended at Madison Square Garden, he became fascinated with the image of the American cowboy. After reading the books of cowboy novelist Will James, he ran away from home at the age of 15 and joined the J.E. Ranch Rodeo. Although he was only with the rodeo for three months (before his parents tracked him down and he was sent home), Elliott was exposed to his first singing cowboy, a rodeo clown who played guitar and banjo and sang songs. Returning home, Elliott taught himself to play guitar.

Elliott's recording debut came in the mid-'50s when he recorded three songs for a multi-artist compilation, Bad Men, Heroes and Pirates, released by Elektra. Elliott was so influenced by Guthrie (whom he had met during a Greenwich Village picking session in 1950) that he began his musical career by mimicking the legendary folksinger. When Guthrie traveled to Florida in 1952, he sent for Elliott to join him. By the time Elliott arrived, however, Guthrie had already left for Mexico, where he was turned back at the border and forced to return to New York. Elliott reunited with Guthrie a few months later. In the winter of 1954, they traveled together back to Florida; in the spring of 1954, they continued on to California's Topanga Canyon. The trip marked the last time that Elliott saw a healthy Guthrie. When he went to Europe in 1955, Elliott sang Guthrie's songs and told stories about him. England provided the setting for Elliott's early success; his first album on his own, Woody Guthrie's Blues, was recorded in England for the Topic label. In addition to recording four more albums for Topic, he attracted attention with his performances with Derroll Adams, a banjo player he had met in California. The duo barnstormed throughout Europe and had a profound influence on the British music scene.

After living in Europe for six years, Elliott returned to the United States in 1961. The day after he returned, he visited Guthrie in the hospital and was introduced to Bob Dylan. (In the mid-'70s, Elliott joined Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue and was featured in Dylan's film Renaldo and Clara.) Before long, he renewed his friendship with Guthrie, and ended up staying with him, his wife Marjorie Guthrie, and their children for a year.

Elliott was an influence on folksinger Pete Seeger. During an early-'60s tour of England and Scotland with Seeger and the Weavers, he inspired Seeger with his tales of sailing ships. Among the many other musicians Elliott befriended was Jerry Garcia. Elliott often performed opening sets for Garcia's bands and occasionally sat in with the Grateful Dead.

In 1990, Red House released Legends of Folk, a live recording of a concert that Elliott had performed with Bruce "U. Utah" Phillips and Spider John Koerner at the World Theater in Minnesota. Bob Feldman, owner of Red House, later persuaded Elliott to record his first studio album in more than two decades, South Coast. Recorded at Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, MN, the album's 25 tracks were recorded during three four-hour recording sessions. The album received a Grammy award as Best Traditional Folk Album of 1995.

Elliott returned to the recording studio to record Friends of Mine. Released in 1997, the album featured duets with Joe Ely, Tom Waits, Guy Clark, Jerry Jeff Walker, Nanci Griffith, John Prine, and Bob Weir. The Long Ride followed in 1999. A documentary about Elliott, The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack, and its soundtrack appeared in 2002, while Anti released the album I Stand Alone in 2006. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide

Friday, September 19th, 2008

A Night With The Ramseys

THIS CONCERT RESCHEDULED FROM THE FORMER DATE OF 9-13. the formerly scheduled opener -- Fiddlin' Frenzy -- won't be able to open on this evening. We look forward to hearing them another night down the road. NO potluck dinner plans this night after all since we changed to a Friday night and that would be a push for most folks. HOWEVER, you can look forward to a treat in the form of a coffee & dessert afterglow following the concert. YUM!

Note: Students 18 and under admitted half price.

The Ramseys are local artists who love making music as a family. Their music is acoustic folk rock, intertwining drums and guitar with three vocals, cello and piano. They will perform mostly original songs from their self-titled album "The Great Interference," written by brother/sister team Sam and Emma. We had a packed house for The Ramseys last time they played Crossroads. That evening we all immensely enjoyed the experience of watching their movie "The Photographer" on the big screen. To learn more, click on their name above to visit their music MySpace (where you can hear their beautiful original songs), or visit their movie's web site at: http://www.thephotographermovie.com. ALSO, here's a link to The Ramsey's blog, which is filled with personal stories, photos, music and more:
http://www.thegreatinterference.blogspot.com/

Saturday, September 6th, 2008

EMILY KAITZ with Drew Pierce!

POTLUCK DINNER this night. PLEASE RSVP if you plan to participate. See foot of this concert description for details!

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price.

We're absolutely delighted to have Emily back to Crossroads this September! Click on this woman's name above and dip into some of the original songs she has posted at her CDBaby site. If you're not already an Emily Kaitz fan, the way her music makes you grin will win you over.

Emily Kaitz, a Fayetteville Arkansas resident since 1998, cut her musical teeth in the vibrant club scene of Austin, Texas where she lived for 21 years and played "every place that had original acoustic music and didn't pay enough."

Emily Kaitz writes songs recorded by Trout Fishing in America, The Therapy Sisters, and The Austin Lounge Lizards. She's recorded six albums of her own songs, which she published under her own label, Pingleblobber Music. Her record label's name ought to give you a clue about the state of her mind, but just in case you haven't gotten the hint from the fact that her music is covered by the likes of Trout Fishing in America and the Austin Lounge Lizards, be alerted to the fact that she is hilariouly twisted.

With a name like Pingleblobber and recording groups like The Therapy Sisters and The Austin Lounge Lizards seeking out her work, it isn't too much of a stretch to guess that Emily's songs are eccentric, intelligent, and strangely humorous. Middle Aged Rock and Rollers Are So Damn Cute took its title from the song by the same name. The lyrics claim that middle aged rock and rollers have bags under their eyes, double chins and a bald spot under their cowboy hats?but damn cute!

Her song "Jay-Walkin" won her the 1983 Austin Music songwriter competition for the best in the Jazz/Soul/Blues category. She's been writing songs in Austin since 1976. She didn't begin performing live until 1980, but has been a regular around town since then.

In 1994, a live album was recorded at La Zona Rosa called Live at the Emily Fest and featuring Emily's songs performed by Christine Albert, The Austin Lounge Lizards, Kris Barnes, The Cow Pattys, Grian Cutean, The Funn Brothers, Gail Lewis, Mike Maddux, Dick Price, The Therapy Sisters, Trout Fishing in America, Caryl P. Weiss, and Emily, too. The Funn Brothers did one of Emily's better known songs, "The Shallow End of the Gene Pool."

Terminally Trendy contains the great number "When I'm Dead, Dress me in Drag." Also on this album, Emily has a duet with Ray Wylie Hubbard on "I Will Stay With."

We also look forward to the awesome, banjo-pickin' sidekick in the seat of the pants Mister Drew Pierce who will join Emily on stage again this evening!!

POTLUCK DETAILS...
6-6:30 PM Potluck folks commune (SPECIAL PRICE: Potuck Reserved Seating only $15 / half-price for students 18 and under)
7 PM Doors open to others
7:30 PM Music begins

EVEN MORE POTLUCK DETAILS...
We had our first potluck recently (a listening party for Adler & Hearne's new CD) and potluck went over so big , we thought we'd try it again, only this time on the night of an actual concert.

Saturday (9- 6) we host one of America's MOST FUN songwriting treasures -- EMILY KAITZ, with banjomeister DREW PIERCE. We're talking true potluck lovin' artists for sure.

Potluck at the Crossroads is all about great CAMARADERIE and yummy
CUISINE as prelude to an unforgetable CONCERT in our cozy music hall.
WHAT TO BRING: one dish (a true potluck; no planning -- the other
night we enjoyed everything from a range of prize-winning recipes to
store-bought goodies). As our guest, you are also welcome to bring the
beverage of your choice. Crossroads provides bottled water, coffee
and soft drinks (for a donation of your choice).

INTEND TO PARTICIPATE?! PLEASE RSVP and arrive between 6 and 6:30 PM so we can prepare the table and enjoy each others' company (along with the
mystery and intrigue of not knowing what's for dinner).

SPECIAL POTLUCK RESERVED SEATS!
AS A BONUS TO POTLUCK FOLKS, enjoy the benefit of purchasing RESERVED
SEATING ($20 value) at the advance general admission price of only $15
per ticket. HALF PRICE for students 18 and under.

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

BILLY JOE SHAVER / Effron White opens

[TICKET SALES UPDATE: As of Friday (8-29) at 5 PM, the room is 3/4 filled, so there are some FINE SEATS still available. Y'all don't miss out on this chance to hear a true Texas legend in such an intimate, listening-room setting.]

This will be the second time the Grammy-nominated BILLY JOE SHAVER performs on the Crossroads stage. Last time he played to a sold-out crowd, so get you tickets early!!

Shaver was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006. Click on his name above to go to Billy Joe's website. To listen to his music, go to http://www.myspace.com/billyjoeshaver. And here's a brief bio blurb from his hall of fame write-up:

Billy Joe Shaver - Honky Tonk Hero
"To me, the song is poetry," reflected songwriter-performer Billy Joe Shaver. "It's the way I describe the world around me, make sense of it. When I lost my fingers, Jesus made it clear to me that writing songs is my mission in life. I've stayed true to that ever since, and I always will. I believe my songs will live long after I'm gone." Shaver's songs have been recorded by an impressive array of artists, including Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Elvis Presley, Patty Loveless, the Oak Ridge Boys, Tom T. Hall, and Bob Dylan. "He's as real a writer as Hemingway," said Kris Kristofferson. "He's timeless."

Born in Corsicana on September 15, 1941, he was abandoned by his father before his birth. As an infant Billy Joe was left with his impoverished grandmother when his mother moved to Waco. He spend boyhood summers chopping cotton on farms outside Corsicana. Billy Joe's grandmother died when he was twelve. He moved to his mother's home near Waco, but clashed with her new husband. The unhappy youngster spent a great deal of time away from home at the honky tonk where his mother worked or at a nearby hobo camp. Billy Joe picked up rough habits and was often in trouble for fighting. He quit school in the eighth grade, but not before impressing an English teacher with his talent for writing verse. He never forgot her encouragement. "As long as you are honest with what you write, you will always have something special to say."

At seventeen he enlisted in the US Navy. Following his discharge, he returned to Waco and soon met Brenda Tindell. They married and had a son, Eddy. Billy Joe worked at a sawmill and cowboyed on the ranch of his father-in-law. Although an accident at the sawmill cost him parts of three fingers on his right hand, he continued to play guitar. Shaver played and sang in honky tonks, and several times he traveled to Nashville to try to sell the songs he was writing. His marriage became strained, and Billy Joe and Brenda divorced, then remarried, divorced, and remarried again. Shaver drank heavily and abused drugs. But his personal travails provided heartfelt material for his songs, which rang true for country music fans. Willie Nelson described his gifted friend: "Billy Joe Shaver may be the best songwriter alive today."

We look forward to a packed house this night for "Everybody's Brother" - the one and only BILLY JOE SHAVER.

Opening for Billy Joe will be another hall-of-famer EFFRON WHITE! The Northwest Arkansas Music Awards (NAMA) just inducted Effron into its Hall of Fame this past April. He's an awesome artist who was a NewFolk winner at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 2004. Effron's raspy vocals and distinctive guitar style deliver well-crafted songs that touch his listeners with extraordinary poignancy and emotional truth. Visit him online at www.effronwhite.com.

Saturday, August 16th, 2008

DENICE FRANKE - CD Release concert! / Adler & Hearne open!

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price.

There was San Marcos. And Austin. And Houston, and bars and auditoriums and coffee shops the world over. There were collaborations with some of the greats of American song, including Nanci Griffith and Eric Taylor. There was time as a bartending folk singer, or a folk singing bartender. But, for Denice Franke, it was Galveston that did the trick. Crossing the causeway, there was something that happened to the air, and it made the breathing seem easier, and it kept the guitar strings in tune.

"It's a weird thing, this feeling that immediately came over me when I would come on to the island," said Franke, whose new Gulf Coast Blue album is a series of portraits and postcards straight out of her new home of Galveston. "Whatever it was, it put me totally in the moment. I took time to walk the beach and play guitar and read and work on songs, and I could dig my heels down and get into stuff that I wouldn't in a noisy environment."

Produced by Mark Hallman (Carole King, Eliza Gilkyson), Gulf Coast Blue is an invitation to terrains internal and external, beautiful and complex. There's grit and danger here. There are secrets revealed and secrets kept close, and motorcycles and sad motels. And there's a feeling that this is something distinct and different from Franke's first two solo albums, each of which were recorded by Lone Star muse Taylor. This isn't a back turned to Franke's past, but it's a page turned, with roots in folk and branches outstretched towards blues and rock.

"You go in to the studio with a clear picture of how it'll play out, and then you get something else," she said. "And that's what you want: You want the songs to do what they're going to do."

On Gulf Coast Blue, Hallman wraps Franke's voice - an instrument that conjures silk and smoke and dusk and other lovely things - within textured settings. Spare piano and percussion adorn "Weather Is Fine," while "Gibraltar" and "Cool Water" are fleshed out with organ, bass and amped-up guitars. Franke's acoustic guitar is the album's instrumental centerpiece, and she plays that guitar with a musical eloquence that is uncommon in this era of bang 'n' strummers. The guitar, the voice and all else work in service to songs populated by seekers and wonderers.

"A lot of the characters in these songs, their lives are associated with the gulf and the water and those surroundings, and the gulf coast ties them all in," Franke said. "It's a collage of different folks who present themselves."

Franke is one of those folks, opening windows to herself as she shines light on Sergio and Tara Lee, the Harley girl and the woman whose skirt "whips like liberty." It's a soft light that Franke shines. It's short of flattering, because flattering is too close to pandering. But there's a kindness inherent in her portraits, just as there's a kindness inherent in the artist. For decades, Franke has worked back roads and highways, touring and recording with Griffith and Taylor, Hal Ketchum and plenty of other notables. After all that, she has emerged with a bag of beguiling words and melodies, and with a wholly unique way of singing and playing for people. Lay your worries down, baby. Leave the nightingale to sing.

Saturday, July 12th, 2008

DIDDLEY SQUAT - Live CD & DVD recording!*

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price.

ANOTHER NOTE!: Crossroads sends out a litle extra "SALUTE!" to attorneys JOHN ALEXANDER and GREG BEANE of THE ALEXANDER LAW FIRM in Winnsboro, Texas. Thanks to them back on the Winnsboro Woodstock first weekend of May '08, we were able to host Diddley Squat on our stage once again. Evidently they had SUCH a good time, and LOVED the Crossroads audience so much, that they chose our venue as the spot where they will record this upcoming LIVE IN CONCERT CD and DVD. Awesome!!!)

So, HEY! Do you know Diddley Squat?! :) If not, come to Crossroads on this second Saturday night in July and be a part of the audience "vibe" as Diddley Squat captures its live performance on the Crossroads stage for a forthcoming CD and DVD release!

This will be Diddley Squat's fourth appearance on the Crossroads stage.

For a clue as to how good and how serious these five blues players are, visit Diddley Squat's official web site by clicking on their name above.

You can also visit their music MySpace at:
http://www.myspace.com/diddleysquatblues
AND you can see and hear all sorts of bells and whistles at:
http://www.sonicbids.com/diddleysquat

Saturday, July 5th, 2008

SUSAN GIBSON / Jana Pochop opens!

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price.

Click on Susan's name above to go to her website, or to listen to some of her music go to http://www.myspace.com/susangibson
We found the following write-up on a University of Texas at Austin web site about on-the-road (or maybe it was "off the road") musicians. Thought y'all would enjoy reading this...

There are authentic modern day minstrels and then there’s Susan Gibson. The Texas Hill Country based singer-songwriter travels as far and wide as any performer yet can summon her muse with the greatest of ease. Born in Fridley, Minnesota, and raised in Amarillo, Gibson is best known for writing the Dixie Chicks mega-hit, ‘Wide Open Spaces.’ The album by the same name has sold 16 million copies worldwide, but the tune is just one of a treasure trove of compositions that gets toes to tapping, near and far.

Gibson, a student of song from adolescence, began her career singing in the church and high school choirs while learning the entire catalogs of her favorite artists. From the stage of the Amarillo High talent show to her current performances, Gibson’s easy stage manner has always remained winsome. That approach is ever present in the capital city, which offers Gibson just the right setting for piecing together new material. “I think Austin is a wonderful music city that doesn’t try to force itself on you and lets you maintain your own individuality,’ Gibson said.

Ironically, Gibson’s Americana roots music leanings were spawned while a member of Amarillo’s pop-rockers, the Groobees, “a hometown band that started together,” Gibson said. During her time with the Groobees, Gibson wrote ‘Wide Open Spaces,’ for which she received the American Songwriter Magazine’s award for Country Songwriter of the Year. “A national hit song kinda gets you above a surface that I otherwise wouldn’t have,” Gibson said of the song’s success. “We played together for about two years after the song hit,” but by the time the group disbanded, Gibson had developed her own style of deep, reflective contemporary folk.

Most of Gibson’s songs relate a life that’s seen everything from a turn at forest ranger school in Montana to commercial success. Her initial solo release in 2002, “Chin Up,” prompted a tour which spanned North America and the United Kingdom, and that newfound worldliness is unmistakable on her 2005 release, “Outer Space.” All along the route, Gibson has kept a sense of optimism. “I don’t feel I have ever experienced discrimination because I’m a girl . . . I like to play music that doesn’t make it sound ‘like it’s a girl singer.’” In the end, it is the personal experiences which have affected her most. “I have a lot of music that I like to poke fun of myself, as long as we’re all laughing.”

Opening on this night is Jana Pochop - yet another powerhouse singer/songwriter from down Texas Hill Country way! Visit her online at http://www.janapochop.com http://www.myspace.com/janapochop

Saturday, June 21st, 2008

ADLER & HEARNE / Kate Hearne opens!

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price.

Once or twice each year since opening the venue (November 2005) Crossroads' co-founders Lynn Adler and Lindy Hearne present a concert of fresh-picked songs from their Spring Hollow Organic Song Farm 10 miles outside of Winnsboro. Adler & Hearne last performed in full concert at Crossroads at the end of October 2007. This evening promises a fresh harvest of new songs mixed with favorites from concerts and recordings past, as Crossroads' founders prepare for their first studio recording as a duo. The couple's debut release -- Opposites Attract -- is a live recording (released Spring of 2005) of their house concert performance at the famed Music at the Monastery house concert series.

More about this concert in the coming days! Lindy's daughter KATE HEARNE will join the duo on lead guitar. Kate opens too, with her own set of original songs.

Click on Adler & Hearne above to go to their MySpace, or visit them online at http://www.adlerandhearne.com
Visit Kate online (read her bio and hear her music) at http://www.myspace.com/katehearne

Saturday, June 14th, 2008

ADAM CARROLL / Karleigh Paige opens

NOTE: Students 18 & under admitted half price.

The native East Texan Adam Carroll is back -- with a BRAND NEW CD! This night will be a CD RELEASE event NOT TO MISS. Advance reservations recommended!!!

The following blurb sets up a recent online interview with Adam, which you can read in its entirety at:
http://www.lonestartunes.com/Content/WrapStatic.aspx?file=featured.html
AND until the end of MAY you can download his new CD -- Old Town Rock & Roll -- at LoneStarTunes.com

Here are the interview's opening paragraphs...

Adam Carroll is not fast. Not this Adam Carroll anyway. It's been three years since his last studio record, Far Away Blues, and you'd have to go back another five years for the studio record that preceded that one. While he may not release albums at the Formula One speed of others in the Texas music scene, he still manages to lap them in the number of memorable songs he's written. While many are quoting Robert Earl Keen lyrics (even sometimes, painfully, in their songs), Robert Earl Keen quotes Adam Carroll lyrics. So, fast? No, but this Adam Carroll is one of the most respected songwriters in the Texas music scene.

After seven years and four albums with legendary producer Lloyd Maines, Carroll decided it was time to shake things up a bit. He headed into the home studio of Mark Jungers with a pocketful of songs and Canadian artist and producer Scott Nolan with a plan not so much to make a record, but to see what would happen. The results are stellar songs (expected) and a fresh sound (surprising) combining to make Old Town Rock N Roll the best album of Adam Carroll's career (significant).

Before heading out on the road with Owen Temple and Jason Eady for a seven-state songwriters tour, Adam caught up with LoneStarTunes for a brief chat about the new record.

To learn more about the amazing young (15!) Karleigh Paige, visit her music MySpace at:
http://www.myspace.com/karleighpage

Saturday, May 17th, 2008

EMILY ELBERT TRIO and TYLER DOW BRYANT

Tyler Dow Bryant and Emily Elbert are combining their musical talents this Saturday night, May 17, at Crossroads Coffeehouse & Music Co. in Winnsboro. Tyler – a 17-year-old high school junior from Honey Grove (near Paris, Texas), is well known in blues circles for his guitar wizardry. And Emily – from Coppell, Texas, and a 19-year-old freshman at famed Berklee College of Music in Boston – has made a name for herself as a soulful vocalist and songwriter.

Tyler received the 2007 Robert Johnson Blues Foundation’s New Generation Award, naming him the most promising blues artist of 2007. He also won the Ernie Ball Play Crossroads Competition at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival in 2007. “We’ve seen a tremendous amount of talent in the years that we’ve been promoting unsigned musicians,” said Brian Ball of the Ernie Ball Company. “It takes a lot to be wowed, but Tyler blew the judges away.”

On the East Coast, Emily has also gotten rave reviews. The Boston Folk Festival recently wrote about her, “Emily is among the most glowing of the upcoming generation of American singer/songwriters, if ‘upcoming’ even applies to this phenom any longer. Emily has an astounding early career opening for some of the biggest and most venerated names in the business. Her style is all over the map in terms of influence, with a freshness that one only finds in so young an artist.”

Emily grew up listening to jazz, studied classical music as a piano student, and was absorbed in pop music. Today, her music is jazz-infused folk with a lot of soul, and a fresh, hip perspective. She is bringing friends and classmates home to Texas with her for a brief tour – bass player Tim Luckow of New York, and drummer Davis Rowan of Maryland. The trio will perform old favorites, new originals, and covers that New Englanders have described as “sizzling” and “brilliant.” Emily has been honored with many awards for her music, including being chosen for the 2007 Gibson/Baldwin Grammy Jazz Ensemble, and being named a 2008 Kerrville Folk Festival “New Folk” Finalist.

As a first-grader, Tyler Dow Bryant was playing guitar while other kids his age were watching cartoons on TV. For several years, he was mentored by blues musician Roosevelt Twitty, and counts among his influences such legends as Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Muddy Waters, and B. B. King. Tyler has worked with Etta James, Huey Lewis, Steve Lukather, Paul Simon and Edie Brickell, and played at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival in Chicago. He just wrapped up a documentary with Carlos Santana, ZZ Top, Slash, and Jeff Beck.

These two young rising stars share a love and respect for the music and musicians who’ve come before them. Both are intent on establishing their own place in the highly competitive music industry, and they share a fan base that cuts across generations of music lovers. Tyler and Emily perform Saturday, May 17, at Crossroads Coffeehouse and Music Co. in Winnsboro, Texas, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 advance, $18 at the door, $20 reserved, and half price for students 18 and under. Concertgoers may purchase advance general admission tickets at the following two Winnsboro shopping and dining establishments: Mossman Guitars and Winnsboro Bakery & Café. Or contact Crossroads directly at (903) 342-1854 or 1-888-342-1854, or contact@CrossroadsMusicCompany.com for more information. Visit Tyler and Emily online at the sites below to hear their music.


Tyler Dow Bryant
www.tylerdowbryantband.com www.myspace.com/tylerbryantband
Emily Elbert
www.emilyelbert.com www.myspace.com/emilyelbert

Saturday, May 10th, 2008

THE LAWS

The Laws are Canadian husband-and-wife singer/songwriters. Their songs are an acoustic mix of country, bluegrass, folk and pop, delivered with harmony singing "that recalls The Everly Brothers in their prime". As recent winners of the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Competition, The Laws are making a strong move for greater recognition in the Americana ranks behind a typically ambitious touring schedule (200-plus nights a year on the road) and a stirring new album for their own label titled Ride It Out. The duo’s fifth CD, Ride It Out is packed with compelling original songs, empathetic musicianship and emotionally charged vocal performances.

Click on the name above or to hear their music, go to http://www.myspace.com/thelawsmusic

Saturday, May 3rd, 2008

DIDDLEY SQUAT / E-Flat Porch Band opens

Students 18 and under admitted half price!
WINNSBORO'S WOODSTOCK WEEKEND!!! (Note: Crossroads salutes attorneys JOHN ALEXANDER and GREG BEANE of THE ALEXANDER LAW FIRM in Winnsboro, Texas, for underwriting this special Winnsboro Woodstock weekend return of DIDDLEY SQUAT to the Crossroads Stage. It's our wonderful audience members, and co-sponsors like you who are helping keep music aLive and well here in rural East Texas.

HEY! Do you know Diddley Squat?! :) If not, come to Crossroads on this first Saturday night of May. This entire weekend is Winnsboro's WOODSTOCK Weekend, and you don't want to miss it. (DETAILS TO COME!) This will be Diddley Squat's third appearance on the Crossroads stage, and the E-Flat Porch band's second time to open for them. It's a powerhouse pairing of musicians to cap off what promises to be a very FULL Saturday of Woodstock events.

For a clue as to how good and how serious all these guys are as blues players, read on. Visit Diddley Squat by clicking on their name above, and visit E-Flat Porch Band at their web site posted below.

In 2004, Diddley Squat placed 1st in the Sonny Boy Blues Society Battle of the Bands, and in turn, had the honor of opening the 2004 King Biscuit Blues Festival - an annual event in Helena, Arkansas, and one of the most famous and respected blues festivals in the world. And in October 2005, Diddley Squat was chosen to participate in the acclaimed "Blues in the Schools" program in Helena, Arkansas, in conjunction with their participation in the annual blues fest there.

The group’s front man is guitarist/vocalist Jim 'Blind Lemon Pie' Cobb, whose influences range from the blues styling of Duke Robillard, Gatemouth Brown, T-Bone Walker, and Ronnie Earl, to classic rock aces like Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, and Mark Knopfler. His vocals embrace it all - from suave and sexy soul ballads to growling, strutting blues, to energetic interpretations of such greats as Van Morrison and Delbert McClinton, to jazzy scatting you might expect from George Benson. Jim is known to surprise the crowd with some subdued solo resonator slide, and then take right off with the full band into a rollicking Ray Charles number.

On the horn is resident live-wire Rick 'Saxman' Sims. Rick exudes enthusiasm as he honks and blows up magical leads, working his way through the crowd, leaving jaws dropping and heads spinning. His influences include Boots Randolph, King Curtis, Ace Cannon, and Doug James. Lately, Rick has added some ethereal, jazzy flute work, and an old-time classic - a jug.

Rodney 'Gizmo' Beal is the steady drivin' man on bass (who also happens to be a great drummer when the occasion arises). At times this multi-instrumentalist is found walking the bass line like a younger, thinner Willie Dixon. Sometimes you’ll find him holding a funky tapped groove like he’s channeling Jaco Pastorious, and other times he may be alternating between soothing-soul bottom lines and hard-hitting rock n’ roll panache.

Val "Valeron" Nail, the bands "shot in the arm" drummer, is the "groove king" when performing.
Val started his music career at an unheard of young age. At four years old he was playing the piano, at five he got his first set of drums, and he's been mastering his craft ever since. Between school band programs, performing at Christian events, and via sheer self determination, Val has emerged into a spectacular musician and composer. His previous bands have varied from R&B to progressive trance-hop. His influences are the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tool, and Steve Gadd, to name a few. Val toured with Little Milton's last road gig in Texas before Milton's death. Roll over 'Beatovan' -- here comes Val! Also on this night at Crossroads, Diddley Squat welcomes special guest vocalist and percussionist Ms. Sylvia Carrell!

We're also jazzed about this evening's special OPENING guest -- the E-FLAT PORCH BAND -- known for their soulful performances of original and traditional acoustic blues. Visit them online at: http://www.eflatporchband.com

Saturday, May 3rd, 2008

SPOTLIGHT ON TEXAS SONGWRITERS

Another Crossroads hosted event in conjunction with Winnsboro's TEXAS WOODSTOCK Weekend festivities. There will be lots of live music on the outdoor stage on Market Street (AKA "The Bowery"), and there will be street performers all around town. And indoors, on the Crossroads stage, there will be an all-day line-up of Texas performing songwriters. Watch for an update soon for a complete list of performers scheduled to play! Here's who's scheduled so far: Gus Gustafson, Brin Beaver, Kate Hearne, Randy Brown, Warren Jackson Hearne, Matt Koger, Debbie Porter, and MORE!

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

TEXAS STAR Competition

All Original Singer/Songwriter Performances, special guest judges -- Randy Brown, Tim Grugle and Shane Shepard. If you would like to participate please email Denice Grugle: dgrugle@gmail.com

Also, click on TEXAS STAR above to link directly to more info related to Winnsboro's TEXAS WOODSTOCK Weekend events!

Saturday, April 26th, 2008

THE FARM COUPLE

LATE-BREAKING NEWS (posted Wed. April 23 at 1:45 PM) THE FARM COUPLE concert on our stage is CANCELLED this week, sadly due to the death of a treasured musical friend to The Farm Couple, and to so many others in the fold of the Oklahoma-and-beyond music community. Mr. Bob Childers passed away yesterday evening, on Earth Day, April 22, 2008. God bless his family and all those who held him close. And we will look forward to Monica and Patrick playing the Crossroads stage another day down the road.

We hope all will still visit The Farm Couple online, and purchase their CDs as they continue to spread around the sweet red dirt, in the spirit of Woody Guthrie. Click on their name above to visit them online!

Since their meeting five years ago at the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in Winfield Kansas, The Farm Couple, Monica Taylor and Patrick Williams, have played their Red Dirt songs in many States. Their travels have taken them throughout the Appalachian states, Gulf states, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

"We've met so many kind folks while traveling," says Monica, "Spreading our music and the songs written by our friends here in Oklahoma is one thing that God put us together for... our bluegrass, country, gospel backgrounds have influenced our writing greatly. Patrick and I have enjoyed singing harmony with each other and playing good old fiddle tunes, too. Oh, my goodness... you oughta hear him pick the guitar!"

"The Farm Couple mixes organic country, folk and back porch homilies for a sound reminiscent of Doc and Merle Watson and Norman and Nancy Blake. If you like Emmylou Harris, you'll like Monica's voice."
-- Dustbowl Records

"The combination of Taylor's beautiful, yet rootsy, voice and Williams' impressive guitar wok made for an organic blend that is somewhere between country and folk."
-- Greg Johnson, Owner of Oklahoma City's Blue Door
Writer for the Oklahoma Gazette

"...The Farm Couple were playing to a standing-room crowd at the Fourth Annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival. nTheir songs have the same haunting flavor of Guthrie's music, and their set included an original song, "Young Mother," that won second place at the Festival's songwriting contest last year."
-- Sandy Davis, The Daily Oklahoman (July 2001)

Saturday, April 19th, 2008

TEXAS GYPSIES / Tejas opens

[TICKET NOTE: Students 18 and under admitted for half price!]

Crossroads audience members who love to dance will no doubt NOT want to miss this special evening of swing-style music!

"The Texas Gypsies" is a merry band formed by experienced professional musicians, including a Grammy winner and sidemen for a number of famous recording artists. The band represents a love for a music that is "Pop music, Swing or Hot Jazz, from the 30s and 40s" along with a Southern Western Swing influence. Thus, the Texas Gypsies really own their own sound.

The band members are Steve Curry on guitar and vocals, John Hewitt on bass and vocals, Erik Swanson on guitar and lead vocals, Mark Menikos on violin, and Andrew Griffith on drums.

Here are some band highlights:

Featured band International Musician Magazine June 2007!

On the new "Don't mess with Texas Cd" with Willie Nelson!

Debut CD Texas Gypsies was in the Grammy voting 2005!

New CD "Cafe du Swing" just released!! "I Will Survive" (Yes the Disco song) a #1 download on ITUNES!

Currently featured on Fox TV performing the Theme song for GoodDay! The group headlines at many festivals, and was voted #1 act at Richardson's Wildflower Festival.

Opening for the Texas Gypsies will be the delightful Fort Worth duo known as TEJAS, featuring Carol Nuckols on fiddle, and I.D. Houston on guitar. The pair will play an invigorating opening set of pop, country and swing, as well as Scottish, Irish and old-time American music. On this night -- we'll be swingin' into spring at the Crossroads!!!

Friday, April 18th, 2008

RALPH STANLEY & THE CLINCH MOUNTAIN BOYS / Kacey Musgraves opens

[NOTE: Special thanks to the following friends of Crossroads for co-sponsoring this important concert: COUNTY LINE MAGAZINE, FALL FARM - A Fine Country Inn, and MOSSMAN GUITARS!]

Ralph Stanley’s voice is not of this century. Nor of the last one, for that matter. Its stark emotional urgency is rooted in a darker time, when pain was the common coin of life and the world offered sinful humanity no hope of refuge. Preserved in the cultural amber of remote Appalachia, this terse, forlorn sound is the bedrock of Stanley’s inimitable style. But don’t mistake an ancient voice for ancient ways. Stanley tours and performs with the vigor and elan of a rock star.

Now 81 years old, Stanley has been performing professionally since he and his older brother, Carter, formed a band in their native southwestern Virginia in 1946. Between that date and 1966, when Carter died, the Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys became one of the most celebrated bluegrass groups in the world, rivaling in popularity such titans as Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs.

After Carter’s death, Stanley shifted the band’s musical emphasis from hard-driving bluegrass to an older, sadder, less adorned mountain style. As a bandleader, he nourished such young and promising talents as Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, Larry Sparks and Charlie Sizemore, all of whom eventually graduated to distinguished solo careers.

While he has long been revered by enthusiasts of folk, bluegrass and country music, Stanley has lately been commanding the kind of honors due a musical original. In 2003, he shared with his friend Jim Lauderdale a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. The year before that, he won Grammys for Best Country Male Vocalist Performance (beating out Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Tim McGraw, Lyle Lovett and Ryan Adams) and Album of the Year (for his part in the O Brother, Where Art Thou? collection). In 2001, he was the subject of an admiring profile in the New Yorker, written by novelist David Gates, who traveled with Stanley for months gathering material. He is the central figure in the D. A. Pennebaker/Chris Hegedus 2000 documentary, Down From The Mountain.

In January, 2000, Stanley became the first artist of the new millennium to be inducted into the historic Grand Ole Opry. He holds the Living Legend award from the Library of Congress and was the first recipient of the Traditional American Music award from the National Endowment for the Humanities. One of his proudest achievements is the honorary doctorate in music Lincoln Memorial University conferred on him in 1976. In addition to all these honors, Stanley was chosen to be the closing act for the 2002 Down From The Mountain Tour, a sold-out series of concerts inspired by the success of the O Brother album.

The Virginia Press Association named Stanley “Virginian Of The Year” in March, 2004, an honor that placed him in the company of novelist William Styron, Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham and fellow musicians June Carter Cash and Bruce Hornsby. And most recently, he was selected by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia as the 2008 Outstanding Virginian.

“Well, it’s true these awards have been coming pretty fast,” says the reticent, plainspoken Stanley, “but I enjoy every one of them.” Of his Best Country Male Vocalist Grammy, he notes, “I was a little surprised, but that was the one I really hoped to win. It just felt so good I can’t hardly tell you.” He acknowledges that there are few major recognitions he still aspires to but adds, “Well, there is the Country Music Hall of Fame. I’d like that to happen some day.”

So respected is Stanley as a musical stylist that dozens of other major artists have recorded duets with him, among them Bob Dylan, George Jones, Vince Gill, Randy Owen, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Dolly Parton, Ricky Skaggs, Joan Baez, Pam Tillis and Porter Wagoner. And requests to record keep coming in.

In working with Stanley on the soundtrack of O Brother, producer T Bone Burnett was so taken by his sound that he signed him as the flagship artist of his new label, DMZ/Columbia. In 2002, Burnett produced the critically acclaimed album Ralph Stanley, a collection of ancient and old-time songs from England and Appalachia. The album immediately leaped into Billboard’s bestseller list and stayed there for weeks. And in 2006, Sony/Columbia released his album A Distant Land to Roam, a tribute to the Carter family.

Ralph Stanley still lives near the spot where he was born in a mountainous, tucked-away corner near the rugged Virginia-Tennessee border. It remains his cherished retreat from the rigors of the road and the 150 plus shows he continues to do each year.

One of our favorite rising stars, KACEY MUSGRAVES returns to the Crossroads stage to open for Ralph and the boys! Already a seasoned performer, Kacey's career has taken off like rocket since she was a finalist on USA Network’s hit series Nashville Star, country music’s equivalent of American Idol. Musgraves was recently nominated by the Texas Music Awards for “Female Vocalist of the Year” and “Song of the Year” for her song “Next Time.” For more info visit:

http://www.kaceymusgraves.com http://www.myspace.com/kaceymusgraves

Saturday, April 12th, 2008

ROBIN & LINDA WILLIAMS & Their Fine Group/Adler&Hearne open

Click on the name above to visit Robin and Linda's website. Visit Crossroads' own Adler & Hearne at http://www.myspace.com/adlerandhearne. Here's a December '07 Washington Post review of Robin and Linda's latest CD -- Radio Songs:

"ROBIN & LINDA WILLIAMS first appeared on Garrison Keillor's public-radio show, "A Prairie Home Companion," in 1975, just a year after the program debuted. The Virginia husband-and-wife folk singers have been frequent guests ever since, even forming the Hopeful Gospel Quartet that included Kate MacKenzie and Keillor himself. It's not hard to discern why Keillor kept inviting the Williamses back. Their combination of irreverent humor and genuine affection for small-town America echoed the host's own "Lake Wobegon" monologues.

Now the duo has collected 14 of its favorite performances from "A Prairie Home Companion" on a new album, "Radio Songs." The bits, from 1993 through 2005, include five originals and two extended medleys. Six were recorded with the Williamses' regular band, plus there are collaborations with the Hopeful Gospel Quartet, the bluegrass band Mountain Heart, old-time musicians Mike Seeger and Peter Ostroushko, and Keillor's house musicians, Guy's All-Star Shoe Band. Whether it's the moving Vietnam Memorial ballad, "50,000 Names," or the hilarious sendup of late-night TV ads for country records, the disc is the perfect souvenir from years of radio pleasure.
-- Geoffrey Himes

Robin and Linda Williams, the Virginia-based duo known for their rich harmonies and original songwriting, will be joined in concert this night by Jim Watson, a founding member of the Red Clay Ramblers, on bass and his distinctive harmony vocals, and bluegrass veteran Jimmy Gaudreau on mandolin and mandola.

For more than a quarter of a century they have delighted audiences large and small with a blend of bluegrass, folk, old-time and acoustic country that truly merits the title of "American music." Also on the Red House Records label, Robin and Linda's
CD, “Deeper Waters,” is a selection of personal and strong songs that has been described as “nothing more than a masterpiece” by the All Music Guide. Their previous cd, "Visions Of Love," stayed on the Americana Charts soon after its release January 2002 and was rated in the top five of both the Folk and Bluegrass charts on Roots Music Report.

Robin and Linda Williams have gained recognition from a variety of sources, winning a nomination from their colleagues at the International Bluegrass Music Association
for "Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year" (1995's Good News). In 1998 they received a Crossroads’ (how appropriate!) Music “Gold Star” Award for the best Contemporary Folk CD of 1998, and listed in the top 10 "Album Of The Year." (Devil of a Dream)

They have appeared on The Grand Ole Opry, "Austin City Limits," American
"Mountain Stage," "Music City Tonight," and have enjoyed the rejuvenation of The Hopeful Gospel Quartet on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion."

They have performed in venues ranging from Philadelphia and Kerrville Folk Festivals, to bluegrass-oriented festivals such as Winterhawk, Wings & Strings and the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival, to arts centers and concert halls in dozens of states and countless clubs and coffeehouses - not only across the US, but in Canada and Europe as well.

As live performers they are second to none. Their stirring concerts have earned them a huge body of fans over the years. But as gifted songwriters Robin and Linda have earned an even rarer honor, the devotion and deep respect of their musical peers. The list of artists who have covered their original songs include some of the greats of country music -- names like Emmylou Harris, Tom T. Hall, George Hamilton IV, Tim & Mollie O'Brien, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Kathy Mattea and The Seldom Scene.

We are delighted to bring Robin and Linda Williams to our cozy 'front porch' stage in historic downtown Winnsboro. This will be yet another unforgettable night at the Crossroads.

Saturday, April 5th, 2008

JOHNSMITH / Kevin Tinney opens

Whenever you read or hear about the music of Johnsmith, certain watchwords always come up, regardless of the source. Words like uplifting, or integrity, heart, or soul. His songs and voice go straight to the heart, because that’s where they come from.


John was born into a rural eastern Iowa, large Irish Catholic family of ten kids. Pursuing a life of music has led him far from his small town roots. After a short college stint in southern California, a couple years on an organic hippie farm in Iowa, and a few years in Colorado, he now resides along the upper Mississippi in western Wisconsin.


Over two decades of performing festivals, concert halls, coffeehouses, colleges, and house concerts, along with a half dozen acclaimed CDs, Johnsmith has built a solid fan base in the US and abroad.


After a few inspiring solo tours to Ireland, John now leads tours to the Emerald Isle a few times a year bringing small groups of fans and friends touring castles and fishing villages by day, and sharing music with the locals in pubs by night.


He’s a past winner of the New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival, and has taught songwriting there, as well as the Swannanoa Gathering, the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, and the Big Sur CA Esalen Institute. He was recently featured on the elite “New Dimensions” program on NPR.


“Break Me Open” his most recent CD, features some of the finest players in acoustic music today: Darrell Scott, Tim O’Brien, Stuart Duncan, Byron House, Kenny Malone, Andrea Zonn, former ‘Runaway’ duo partner Dan Sebranek, native American chants and flute cameos by Bill Miller, and harmony vocals by Suzi Ragsdale, Sally Barris, and John’s daughter Elisi Smith-Waller.

This CD portrays John’s earthy brand of spirituality and finds him stretching his songwriting wings expressing the harder sides of life and love. From the poetic ‘Back to the Mystery’, to the touching tribute ‘Cold, Cold Ground’, to the honest ’Messy Thing’. The disc also includes masterful covers written by friends Darrell Scott (“Love’s Not Through With Me Yet”) and L.J. Booth (“Box Elder”).


Johnsmith has walked down the roads that made him whole, and when he brings that onstage, he connects with folks. He calls himself a blue collar songwriter, banging out his tunes along the back roads one show at a time.

Someone’s voice is not just an instrument; it’s more like the sound of their soul. It’s a connection thing that moves us. As a solo performer Johnsmith totally opens up and bares his genuine self on stage. Night after night, CD after CD, he brings it all on full heart. Fellow songwriter Buddy Mondlock best sums it up:


" I feel like every time one of Johnsmith’s songs gets heard a little healing happens to the world."

Click on John's name above to go to his regular website or copy and paste the following to go to his MySpace. http://www.myspace.com/johnsmithjohnsmithmusic

Saturday, March 22nd, 2008

JIMMY LAFAVE

Jimmy has devoted most of his life to making music, beginning as a young boy in Texas, first learning to play the drums and then moving to the guitar. Jimmy's family moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma when he was in high school, and he began his career as a singer-songwriter and never looked back. There he crafted his sound, a combination of his experiences among authentic songwriters from the tradition of Woody Guthrie. Though he has lived in Austin for the past twenty years, Oklahoma remains a home and an inspiration to him and his music.

Jimmy released his first album, Austin Skyline, in 1992. Since then he has become highly respected in the Austin music scene and beyond. He has toured extensively through the U.S. and Europe, gaining a reputation for his unique voice and combination of haunting ballads and rock and roll. After being invited by Nora Guthrie to appear at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Tribute to Woody Guthrie, he has continued to devote much time and energy to celebrating the spirit and music of Woody. He was a major force in getting the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival off the ground as well as the Ribbon of Highway Endless Skyway tour, a tribute show that includes a number of folk musicians from around the country. Jimmy also pays tribute to another major influence of his, Bob Dylan, with his many recordings of Dylan's songs. Dave Marsh writes, "No one, not a single singer, has ever sung Dylan with as much grace and insight as Jimmy LaFave." His live performances are filled not only with original songs but also plenty of Dylan, Jackson Browne, and other fellow songwriters.

Jimmy's latest album, Cimarron Manifesto, came out in May 2007. In fact, he is now #1 on the Americana charts!

Click on Jimmy's name above to go to his website for more information on his music. To listen to his music you can go to http://www.myspace.com/lafavejimmy

Saturday, March 15th, 2008

BETH WOOD and RHETT BUTLER

This night will be a split night with BETH WOOD and RHETT BUTLER. For more info on their music go to their websites below.

http://www.bethwoodmusic.com http://www.rhettbutler.org

Saturday, March 8th, 2008

BILLY JOE SHAVER / Heather Little opens

THIS CONCERT RESCHEDULED TO THE MARCH 8 DATE FROM THE PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED FEBRUARY 2 DATE. We'll see you on March 8!

Click on name above to go to Billy Joe's website. To listen to his music, go to http://www.myspace.com/billyjoeshaver
To listen to Heather's music go to http://www.myspace.com/heathermarielittle
REASON FOR RESCHEDULE:
The GOOD NEWS is late Tuesday night, January 22, we received the news that Billy was cast in a movie and the shooting started the week of his prior scheduled concert on our stage (2-2-08)! Hey -- "when opportunity knocks" -- right?!

Happily, Billy Joe was available to REschedule his appearance at Crossroads, and committed
to play our stage on this Saturday, MARCH 8, '08! We look forward to a packed house this night for "Everybody's Brother" - the one and only BILLY JOE SHAVER

Saturday, March 1st, 2008

BEATLEGRAS

Click on the band's name above to visit their official web site, or visit their music myspace for easy access to a range of tunes at:
http://www.myspace.com/beatlegras
The Fort Worth Star Telegram listed Beatlegras as the "Pick of the Week."

There are so many Beatles cover bands around that we were starting to become bored with mundane versions of Back in the U.S.S.R. Until we heard Beatlegras do that song on National Public Radio a few weeks ago. Their fast-picking version actually had us singing along, which no other group, aside from the Fab Four themselves, have managed to do. The Trio of Milo Deering, George Anderson and Dave Walser do the John-Paul-George-Ringo catalog as bluegrass and jazz with a “classical twist.” It’ll have you tripping like you just discovered Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.
-Mark Lowry

The Dallas Morning News listed Beatlegras as the "Hot Ticket."

They’re not John, Paul, George and Ringo, but you might want to call Beatlegras the Fab Three. Studio pickers Dave Walser on guitar, George Anderson on upright bass, and Milo Deering on just about every other stringed instrument, take the Lennon-McCartney songbook and refashion it as fiery bluegrass tracks. And they have a sense of humor, too...
-Mario Tarradel

Waxahachie Downtown-
Friday evening, February 11, 2005 - We knew a little about this group, having checked out their web site, www.beatlegras.com, and listened to the music samples. What we heard during their generously long sets was some of the most imaginative, creative and thoroughly enjoyable music we have heard in a long time. The melange of musical styles brought together by this trio of extremely talented musicians was very exciting to hear. The melding of jazz, country, bluegrass and rock and roll with the familiar Beatles' classic music was awesome. Their performance was a great treat from beginning to end. Their on-stage banter was hilarious, and this approachable trio was very friendly and signed their CDs after the show. The trio, George Anderson, Dave Walser, and Milo Deering are all session musicians in the Dallas area with many years of musical experience under their belts. Hopefully, they will make many trips down south to The Texas Theatre and share their music with us.
- Mary Flowers

Now how can you NOT be at the Crossroads on March 1?!?!

Saturday, February 23rd, 2008

TERRI HENDRIX w/Lloyd Maines / Kate Hearne opens

"The quality of Hendrix’s writing is high from start to finish ... Hendrix is a folk singer first, but there’s a tinge of country thanks to her Texas twang and stellar instrumental accompaniment provided by co-producer Lloyd Maines. The versatile Hendrix borrows from pop, bluegrass, gospel, and R&B, with one cut-- the clever "It’s About Time" -- finding a groove reminiscent of the Pointer Sisters. All that’s missing is opera." - Associated Press


Below is a self-written bio by Miss Hendrix herself:

My name is Terri Hendrix. No relation to that Hendrix, but I am the daughter of a man named Jim. I'm an Aquarius, born in 1968 in San Antonio, Texas. My father was a career military man, and for several years when I was a child, my family was stationed in Fort Clayton, Panama. After completing his service there, my father squeezed the family into a maroon van and drove us all the way back to Texas. My mother, who grew up in Cuba, translated from Spanish to English to Panamanian to Tex-Mex to Spanglish the whole trip, thus enabling us to communicate our way safely through the heart of guerilla warfare in South and Central America. After we settled back down in San Antonio, I noticed that I didn't quite fit in with the other kids my age. So I spent quite a bit of time making up songs on the guitar I'd borrowed (or stolen) from my sister the Christmas prior.

Upon graduation from high school, I received a classical music and voice scholarship to Hardin Simmons State University, a conservative Baptist College in Abilene, Texas. After two years of failing music theory, I switched majors and transferred to what's now known as Texas State University, in San Marcos. I waited tables to pay for school, and fumbled along aimlessly until I found an open-mic night at Cheatham Street Warehouse. Soon thereafter, I met a woman named Marion Williamson, who employed me to look after a few goats of her property, Wilory Farm. Within months I was bartering out my goat milkin' skills for guitar lessons, as I'd come to find out Marion was a great fingerpicker from the schools of Mississippi John Hurt, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Big Bill Broonzy.

With Marion's encouragement, by 1991 I was making demo tapes off her DAT machine and booking gigs around the Texas hill country. My tour bus was a green, beat-up 1991 Toyota pick-up with a camper shell and a big dent in the shape of a deer (or two). I carried my own PA system and landed a gig as my own personal "roadie." Later on, after I started playing tourist hot spots like the San Antonio Riverwalk and bars along the Port Aransas shoreline, I got a Web site and started a mailing list. Slowly but surely, my fanbase started to grow - as did my appreciation for the music of Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O'Day, David Bromberg, Joe Ely, Terry Allen, Kris Kristofferson and the Indigo Girls, not to mention local heroes like Kent Finlay, Ike Eichenberg, Al Barlow and Stan Smith.

My label, Wilory Records, took root in 1996 by way of a rejection letter from a label (which shall remain nameless, though it's now out of business). I had friends to pay back who had already loaned me money for recording costs, so I released my first record, Two Dollar Shoes, on my own. Within six months or so, I'd paid everyone back and even made enough to start a new record. Everything was going great until my mentor and best friend Marion died suddenly in 1997. I was devastated. There's something to be said about miracles, though, as it was exactly one month after Marion's passing that I first met Lloyd Maines at South by Southwest in Austin. He had heard a cassette of my new songs, and we visited about what would later become my second record - and the first one he would produce for me. I named it after Marion's old place: Wilory Farm.

Lloyd and his wife moved from Lubbock, Texas to Austin in 1998. They both noticed my inability to balance a checkbook, and knew that I needed help running my label. We've been business partners ever since. We launched our own online E-Commerce store (that's funded every recording since) and updated my mailing list from names on scraps of typing paper to a physical list. Independent radio stations began playing my songs, and we soon started touring all over the United States and Europe behind subsequent albums Places in Between (2000), The Ring (2002) and The Art of Removing Wallpaper (2004). Marion's favorite goat from years past, Peggy Lee (named after the singer), became my label's mascot. In 2005, Peggy even got her own song - "Get Your Goat On" - on my first "kid's record," Celebrate the Difference.

The Spiritual Kind is the ninth record I've released independently. It was recorded with pretty much the same approach I've had on all my records (the kid's one included), in that I didn't worry about being too loud for folk, too pop for country, too country for jazz, or too this or too that for any other genre. It's a little more acoustic-driven, with a lot more harmonica (my three dogs like to hear me practice to Sonny Terry records). I just wrote what I felt like writing and sang how I felt like singing. I like all styles of music, and that's what we did on this album. The end result is what I'm calling a folk record. I figure I get to call it what I want, because I paid for it.

So here I am, about a decade and a half after Marion first took me under her wing, and I still choose to live in San Marcos and make music for my living. I'm now 14 years past the age I was told by a promoter (when I was 25) that you had to have "made it" by in order to "make it" in the music industry. And I'm nine records down the road from the point I was told I'd fail without national distribution. I'm not gonna lie: It's a hard gig, and I've seen this industry go through many changes in the decade since I started my label. But I've also found that the two things that first inspired me to follow this crazy path have stayed the same: namely, all the fans that support music because of their genuine love of the song, and the songwriters out there who continue to put what's in their soul to music. I called my record The Spiritual Kind as a tip of the hat to these folks that have been with me on my journey so far, and to all those I've yet to meet on the road still ahead of me. Where that road will ultimately lead to is anyone's guess. But I gotta say that, thanks to the "spiritual kind", it continues to be one great boogie ride.

Kind Regards,

Terri Hendrix

Click on Terri's name above to go to her regular website. http://www.myspace.com/terrihendrixmusic
You can learn more about Kate Hearne and her music at http://www.myspace.com/katehearne

Saturday, February 16th, 2008

BARB SIFTAR - Concert, singalongs & folk dancing!

SPECIAL PRICING FOR THIS EVENING ~ Two-for-$25 advance price tickets will be available for purchase. And as always (except where noted) students 18 and under are admitted for half price.

Whether you're an individual, a couple, or an entire family -- this evening of listening, singing along, and dancing promises to be a most memorable experience.

Crossroads' own Lynn Adler and Lindy Hearne have sung live and in the studio with this Boston folk diva. And while on staff as songwriting workshop leaders at NNESRE Camp Winni sessions in New Hampshire in recent summers, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves dancing the night away in the barn as Barb Siftar led us through soul-stirring and often downright hilarious moments of dance from around the world. We look forward to giving the Crossroads audience a taste of it!

Here's a link to a funny Barb Siftar moment on You Tube -- check it out!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zK4B1Fikl0 (Note: as is typical with these things -- it's best to go feed the dogs, fix a cup of tea, or do some other errand while the video downloads. Then come back to watch it by clicking on the "replay" icon.)

Barb Siftar was born and raised in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. She has lived in the Boston area since 1981 and currently resides in Somerville, Massachusetts. As the child of recreation leaders, Barb grew up with folk music and has been a singer all her life. At age five she could carry her own part in a round on long family car trips. She has been performing professionally for 28 years.

Open During Renovations is her first solo recording although she has performed and collaborated on eight others. Three were as a member of the Back Bay Chorale, including Paul Winter Consort’s Live at the United Nations. Three were with other folk singers from around the US for the Episcopal Church’s national Youth Events. Two were with singer/songwriter Bill Milford, including the 1987 release Count On Me, which is played on Boston's WUMB, WERS and WGBH radio stations and by Robert Sherman on New York’s WQXR “Woody’s Children” program.

Barb Siftar’s voice, while being classically trained, is most at ease singing folk music. The Boston Globe has said that “Barb’s voice has the throbbing clarity of the early Judy Collins.” Her voice has been compared to Joan Baez, Holly Near and Carly Simon too. These artists were all strong influences for her, but by combining her wide range with expressiveness and a touch of gospel and jazz -- she has created her own sound. Bill Milford, who often performs with Barb, has said that, "Barb transcends the music she sings to become an expressive instrument of whatever style she is using, whether it be classical, folk, spiritual or contemporary music.”

Barb is a recreation leader and a member of the Eastern Cooperative Recreation School. For over 10 years she has led Round Singing workshops, together with her mother Dotti Siftar, and more recently Joanne Hammil at the annual New England Folk Festival. She also leads folk dancing and games for inter-generational groups. She is a recently tenured folkdance and song leader at the Northern New England School of Religious Education (NNESRE). Barb’s “real job” is at Massachusetts General Hospital as a manager in the Psychiatry Department.

Barb’s background in performing comes from a history in school and community theater and choral groups. For six years she was a member of Delaware County, Pennsylvania’s successful Summer Stage, playing such roles as Anna in The King and I, and Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker. She also directed and performed in several children’s theater productions. Since her early school days Barb has always sung in choirs. She says, "It’s a totally different experience from solo performing and helps to keep me vocally healthy." In Boston she has sung with The Back Bay Chorale for 25 years. The Chorale has performed at Boston’s Symphony Hall with the Christmas Pops and with John Williams and the Esplanade Orchestra on July 4th. The chorale sings back-up on “Sound Over All Waters” on Barb’s CD, a piece she originally learned when the chorale performed the Missa Gaia with the Paul Winter Consort at Symphony Hall in Boston. Barb is also a member and soloist of the Mystic Chorale, a 250-voice choir under the direction of Nick Page.

Here's something cool Barb wrote for an NNESRE publication:

What I’ve Learned From Folkdancing
By Barb Siftar

People say, “You can’t know a person until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” Well, I can say, “I have danced a lot of miles in a whole lot of shoes.” Music and movement express so much; how I’m connected to the earth, to others, and to my faith. People have been “dancing the dance” from the beginning of feet, and maybe even before then. Dances celebrate all kinds of events from the mundane to the extraordinary.

For example: I dance the dance of everyday work in the cracking of hazelnuts in the Romanian dance Alunelul and the threshing of grain in the American dance we call Cut Off Your Heads. I dance the dance of community in the Bolivian festival dance Carnavalito and the South African party dance Pata Pata. I dance the dance of faith in the Israeli dance Tzadik Katamar, where I sway like a date-palm flourishing in the desert, and in the sheer joy of the line dance Hallelujah. I dance the dance of history in the 12th century Welsh dance called Robin Ddiog. I dance the dance of modern times in YMCA and Traffic Jam, both of the American culture. I dance the dances which celebrate life when I thank the midwives for assisting the babies of the village safely into the world in the Romanian dance, Joc de Leagne. I dance the dances that keep alive tradition, as when groups of women took up the traditionally male morris dances of England when so many men were lost in the war. And we, here in the Barn at Winni, dance the dance of the simple yet profound act of getting a cool drink of water in the evening when we dance our closing dance from Bulgaria, Trygnala Rumjana.

I may not know these people individually or their cultures intimately, but I feel I have met them deep in my visceral self -- which leaves in me an openness to, and appreciation for their unique lives and experiences. This openness and appreciation help me to more joyfully dance my own dance.

Saturday, February 9th, 2008

SONGWRITERS AT THE CROSSROADS - Students of John DeFoore

Yup. This night WAS scheduled and advertised as a DREAMSICLES concert, but the duo had to cancel for reasons beyond their control. We love them, and look forward to scheduling Cary and Tom on another Saturday evening down the road.

A lovely treat has come our way in the form of one of our famed SONGWRITERS at the CROSSROADS evenings. These are always serendipitous nights of original songs by awesomely talented singer/songwriters from near and far. This evening will be especially sweet as it is brought to us by the one and only JOHN DEFOORE.

The three songwriters sharing the stage this evening are: BRIN BEAVER, JOSEPH CLEMMONS, and JILL HOBBS! JOHN DEFOORE will be there too of course, and we hope to lure him on stage -- perhaps we can get him to agree to OPEN that night!

Click on his name above to go directly to John's web site where you can listen to the music of these three featured songwriters by clicking on "Students" at that site. John also has his students' myspace and web site links posted there.

FYI -- Located in Mineola, Texas, the DeFoore Music Institute currently has four teachers and approximately 140 students. In addition to guitar, the Institute offers instruction in bass, mandolin, banjo, autoharp, piano, fiddle, violin, music theory, songwriting, and performance.

For more than 40 years, John DeFoore's mission has been to introduce everyday people to the art and science, heart and soul of playing the guitar. "I encourage my students by giving them 'permission' to write their own songs; make their own music. Truth is, I MAKE my students write songs - it's part of their homework." For many, it turns out to be therapy. For others, the songs generate tears and laughter for family and friends. And for a number of former students, it's become part of a more public journey toward writing songs that have enjoyed audiences on a national scale.

Some approach their assignments with uncertainty and fear. Others take to the process like it's second nature. The way John sees it, the point is, "Everyone can make their own music. There's no greater joy as you learn guitar, than to create your own songs and be able to sing and play them for yourself, for your friends and family, and even for the world if that's what you want to do."

Several of John's students have gone on to make names for themselves in the music industry. Check out the Students page to see what some of his former pupils have accomplished.

P.S. of note: Our own Kate Hearne is a student of John DeFoore!

Saturday, February 2nd, 2008

BILLY JOE SHAVER -- RESCHEDULED FOR SAT. MARCH 8, '08

Our apologies on behalf of Billy Joe for the rescheduling of this concert. The recently Grammy-nominated legend was cast in a movie and the shoot is happening THIS WEEK! It caused Billy Joe's "people" to go into a real spin to get concerts rescheduled. Thankfully, opener HEATHER LITTLE was able to reschedule for that same date. Everyone's really looking forward to hearing her again too. See the listing below for 3-8-08 for the latest details.

Let this be a lesson to us all -- ESPECIALLY those who travel to concerts at Crossroads from afar -- it's always a good idea to check the web site or call the venue to confirm any given concert is still on -- as things CAN change up to the last minute. Oi vey!

Sunday, January 27th, 2008

FAINT OF HEART

This local Winnsboro band of high school students calls itself "Faint of Heart." Their music is anything BUT that! (If YOU are faint of hearing, you might want to bring earplugs.) The band has booked Crossroads for a live concert this last Sunday night of January. Faint of Heart bills itself as "Christian / Hard Core / Southern Rock."

If you or your band is interested in booking Crossroads on an "off" night, contact us at (903) 342-1854.

Saturday, January 26th, 2008

JONATHAN BYRD & JESS KLEIN

www.jonathanbyrd.com www.myspace.com/jonathanbyrd
www.jessklein.com www.myspace.com/jessklein

Saturday, January 19th, 2008

A Night With The Ramseys - Concert & Film

$10 advance / $12.50 door / $15 reserved
Students 18 and under half price

PLEASE -- click directly to the web site of this film and experience firsthand the beauty of the filming and the music. This film provides a glimpse into the talent and heart of an extraordinary family that lives right here in Winnsboro. (Note: We highly suggest you click on the Cast page to read about those who play key roles in this film. Many of them are members of the Ramsey family, and you will meet them personally on this night!)

We look forward to filling the house for this Night with The Ramseys -- one of the most remarkably talented families we know. We are honored they are bringing their beautiful film - "The Photograher - How The Rain Falls" along with a live mini-concert of their original songs -- to the Crossroads stage on this evening.

From the film's website (where YOU will link if you click on their name above), here's a synopsis of the STORY behind the movie, all of which was filmed in and around Winnsboro:

The year is 1929. James Lewis is a police photographer in a small
suburb. His job involves high risks and little reward. Jem finds himself struggling to find a true standard of justice amid his turbulent times. Ella Reinhardt is a banker’s daughter. Her mother died at an early age and Ella is left alone in their spacious home with her preoccupied father and a mystery her mother left behind. Jem and Ella are linked together as, quietly and unobtrusively, a thunder cloud threatens to drench them in a downpour that will reveal a mystery and leave an indelible mark. In every life there are hard choices to make. Only God can know what the world will look like beyond the storm.

Samuel D. Ramsey
Director, Producer, Editor, and Composer

Sam became interested in filmmaking through his experience with videograpy and photography. After producing four wedding video projects he began working on his first film project. "The Photographer: How The Rain Falls" became a reality January 2007. The screenwriting process began, and January through May was spent crafting the direction of the flim. At the same time props and gear were accumulated and constructed. A shack was built soley for an explosion and a 1926 Chevy sedan was restored. May through July was spent shooting, editing, and composing the original score. The project was completed by July and August and sent to a few festivals. The film won the best feature award at the first Annual Independent Film Festival in Tyler, TX where 7 judges gave the film high marks for cinematography, sound, screenplay, acting, and original score. The film also won Runner-up in the Narrative category and was a finalist for best of festival at the 2007 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. Results remain pending for future festivals.

Emma Ramsey
Writer, Artist, and Actress

Emma has written over 70 poems and more than 30 songs and is currently at work on a novel. “The Photographer, How the Rain Falls,” her first screenplay, was written in the hope that its subtle message of truth would resound through the minds of the viewers. Her work on the costumes, hair, makeup, and set design also added to the overall authentic historical look of the film. Together, the story and the recreation of it helped to tell a simple truth in a “real” way.

Friday, January 18th, 2008

VANCE GILBERT / Sydney Price opens

Check out Vance's website by clicking on his name above. There you can read all the COOL stuff about this amazing man, and his voice and songs. In the meantime, just because we LOVE this news so much and it's so exciting -- we've cut and pasted in here Vance's January 1, '08 message posted on the NEW! page on his web site:

C'mon Winter, You Don't Scare Me....
Monday, December 31st, 2007
1/1/08

Yeah, it's the New Year. Clean slates, diets, the gym....I'll remind you of all this in a few months!

I'm just about done writing all the songs as I work towards a new album called "Sounds Like...". The concept goes like this: all the tunes are written by me but sounding like they were penned by someone else. Brazen, maybe, but a fun and inspiring way to get new material to happen.

Who do I try to, uh, be? Here's a list of writers and co-writers that "join" me on this endeavor ( the list has expanded!!):

John Hiatt
Al Jarreau with Lynrd Skynrd
Bob Dylan
Bruce Springsteen
Garth Brooks
David Wilcox with help from Patty Griffin and Raffi
Van Morrison
Tom Waits
Thomas A. Dorsey
Richard Thompson.....

Come to a live show and see what's happening in my head ( help us all).

Until then, please be good to each other,

Vance

And HOLY COW! DO go NOW and listen to this night's beautiful singer/songwriter SYDNEY PRICE (our current favorite listen is "Caravan" - ! WHOO!!:

http://www.myspace.com/sydneyprice or
http://www.sydneyprice.com
This is going to be a DELICIOUS evening of songs, written and sung by two soulful singers.

Saturday, January 12th, 2008

BRIAN BURNS

Click on Brian's name above to go to his website. Or visit his music myspace page to IMMEDIATELY hear some of his awesome songs:
http://www.myspace.com/brianburnsmusic
Brian Burns has, for many years, been regarded as one of Texas' top performing songwriters, his work having been covered by a number of legendary artists. Over the past few years, he has emerged as one of his state's most powerful and engaging performers. Brian Burns' songs explore the poignant and the humorous sides of humanity, drawing out the things we've all felt and wish we could have said.

Brian grew up in Central Texas listening to the western ballads of Marty Robbins, and the progressive country music of Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. Early on, he developed an appreciation for musical depth, along with a knack for the story.

Brian's Texas roots remained an integral force in his life and work. After his first million-or-so miles of rough road and half-a-lifetime of impressive musical accomplishments - yet not much to show for it, Brian planted those roots firmly back in Lone Star soil. "Music's not a choice I made, I believe the choice made me," declared Brian in the title cut of his debut solo album, Highways, Heartaches, and Honky-Tonks, a 1997 work that summarized his musical mission up to that point. His second album, 1999's "Angels & Outlaws," produced the venomous, yet humorous Texan anthem, Welcome To Texas (Now Dont Forget To Go Back Home), which dominated FM heavy rotation lists in the nation's largest country music markets for many months. But Angels & Outlaws also met critical acclaim and enlightened a discriminating listening audience to a more intellectual and introspective side of Brian Burns.

Brian's 2001 release, "The Eagle & The Snake: Songs Of The Texians," presented an epic collection of classic, contemporary, and original ballads based on the history, folklore, and culture of Texas. "The Eagle & The Snake" was heralded by reviewers as a masterpiece shortly after its release, and went on to become an established Texas classic. The album's first single, I've Been Everywhere (In Texas) spread like wildfire throughout Texas, and achieved unprecedented success, charting nationally for five weeks on R&R (Radio & Records). The single, "Evangelina" remains in the Top 10 of the Texas Music Chart.

Nothing ignites a young mind's historical interest more effectively (and infectiously) than songs and stories that bring past events stirringly back to life. Over the summer of 2003, Brian adapted "The Eagle & The Snake: Songs Of The Texians" into an educational program for 4th- and 7th-grade students of Texas history. This program has become the state's premier educational presentation for K-12 Social Studies curriculum enhancement, taking Brian's musical and storytelling talents into elementary and intermediate schools throughout Texas.

Brian's latest album release, "Heavy Weather", introduces a collection of 12 new Brian Burns compositions and 4 exciting new cover songs. Ranging from the historical ballads that have become integral to Brian's work to substantive country, folk, pop, and Celtic styles, Heavy Weather is all about thunderstorms, shipwrecks, hurricanes, heartaches... all the storms of life... and no one tells the story like Brian Burns.

Saturday, January 5th, 2008

FRIEDMAN & FROMHOLZ - Legends & Puppies Tour

NEWS FLASH! This just in: Kinky will be auctioning off a Willie Nelson signed guitar on this night. WhooHOO!!!

(Details about $100 Reserved Seating at this event's Golden Circle "Utopia" Tables below.) This is Crossroads' first concert of 2008 -- featuring the one and only KINKY FRIEDMAN, and Texas Poet Laureate STEVE FROMHOLZ -- Two Texas Legends Raising Money for Utopia -- aka the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch!!!

Here's the official NEWS RELEASE...

THE LEGENDS AND PUPPIES TOUR OF 2008
Texas Legends Kinky Friedman and Steven Fromholz Touring For Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch

Former (and future?) gubernatorial candidate, Kinky Friedman, has once again asked a legendary friend to help him raise money for Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch. This time it's beloved minstrel, actor, musician, author and recently named Texas Poet Laureate, Steven Fromholz, who has gleefully accepted the challenge.

Kinky and Steven will be joining talents in a rare and intimate series of two-man performances, singing their songs and telling their tales, all for the benefit of the Kinkster's favorite cause, the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch, a 501(c)(3) organization that rescues abandoned and/or abused dogs, nurtures them and places them with loving families.

Named Texas Poet Laureate in April, 2007, Steven Fromholz is a unique and pure Texan. Four years after suffering a near-fatal stroke, he both survives and thrives, almost miraculously. With a song bag chock full of gems and a brand new book, Texas Trilogy (Esteban Publishing), Steven is ready to conquer whatever there is left to conquer. His take on it: "There's good times and there's bad times.......but there's still time."

A legendary songwriter, Steven has had his songs recorded by Hoyt Axton, John Denver, Lyle Lovett, Michael Martin Murphy, Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker and dozens of others. Willie's version of his tune, "I'd Have To Be Crazy" earned him two platinum records. Fromholz describes his music as: "free-form, country-folk rock, science-fiction, gospel-gum, bluegrass opera, cowjazz music." And he is a force to be reckoned with on stage, which is a good thing, as he and Kinky will be sharing that stage in a song swap-style performance.

The Kinkster, who continues to mull over his future in politics, was recently the featured speaker for the Pen Warmed up in Hell Lecture Series at the Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, an honor reserved for those who best represent the legacy of Mark Twain's work as a social critic. No surprise there.

Also no surprise is Kinky's commitment to all the lost puppies of the world, and Steven Fromholz will be there to help. And in the end, Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch will save more puppies. YAY LEGENDS! YAY PUPPIES!

# # #

For more details on these two Texas music icons and the rescue ranch they are singin' for... visit the following links:

http://www.utopiarescue.com http://www.kinkyfriedman.com http://www.stevenfromholz.com http://www.myspace.com/stevenfromholz
In addition to the $40 Reserved Seat tickets (concert seating / no table), there are a limited number of $100 Reserved Seats for this event's Golden Circle "Utopia" Tables. These seats come with "treats" in the form of Kinky Friedman memorabilia, and who knows what else! And you and your party will have the opportunity to have your picture made with Kinky and Steven!

Remember: Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch is a 501 (c)(3) organization. Tickets are selling at a steady pace for this awesome evening.

Monday, December 31st, 2007

TOO MUCH SAUSAGE / Adler & Hearne open

[THIS SHOW CANCELLED. We apologize for the disappointment, but due to a band member's family emergency, this concert will be rescheduled for a future date. Y'all have a real happy New Year's Eve, and we'll look forward to seeing you in 2008. We're leaving this write-up here in honor of this awesome band's music!!!]

FLASH! There are now TWO TMS songs posted on their music myspace page (click on name above)!! WARNING: when you listen, be prepared to dial our number and book your RESERVATIONS for Crossroads' annual New Years Eve rockin' good time!!!

Didn't get enough "Sausage" LAST New Year's Eve at CROSSROADS?!?! Come back for TOO MUCH SAUSAGE on NEW YEAR'S EVE 2007. All the guys in the band will be back: Sam Taylor on keyboards, Jon Wallace on guitar, Jeff Wallace on bass, Steve "Catfish" Cagle on drums, and the awesome Joe Dickinson on lead vocals. This band puts on a SHOW. We're thrilled to start yet another fun tradition at Crossroads by having them back to wrap up another awesome year of music.

What kind of music is TOO MUCH SAUSAGE all about?! It's GROOVY. It's a kind of 60s ROCK-N-ROLL REVIVAL BAND. A blues JAM band. A riotous good time kind of merry band of players.

TOO MUCH SAUSAGE plays a wide range of hits, from "Susie Q" to "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" to "Keep on Rockin' in the Free World."

What better way to ROLL UP 2007, and ROCK INTO 2008?!

Oh yeah! Crossroads' own Lynn Adler and Lindy Hearne will provide the opening celebratory set for the evening, featuring solos and jams by Kate Hearne, Jonathan Hearne and Warren Jackson Hearne! The maestro of bass players, Rhandy Simmons, will be joining in on bass. And no tellin' who else may join in on the opening music this night!

Saturday, December 15th, 2007

RUTHIE FOSTER / Emily Elbert opens

There's SO much one can say and read about the PHENOMENAL Ruthie Foster. The best way to "get it" is to LISTEN to Ruthie by going directly to:
http://www.myspace.com/ruthiefosterband OR you can click on Ruthie's name above and link directly to her web site.

Same thing goes for the PHENOMENAL Emily Elbert. Just LISTEN! at:
http://www.myspace.com/emilyelbert OR visit her web site at:
http://www.emilyelbert.com
MOST IMPORTANTLY: You don't want to miss this night! Two incredibly gifted VOICES packed into one PHENOMENAL evening at the Crossroads. Merry Christmas dear friends!!!

Saturday, December 8th, 2007

EMILY KAITZ / Debbie Porter opens

Click on this woman's name above and dip into some of the original songs she has posted at her CDBaby site. If you're not already an Emily Kaitz fan, the way her music makes you grin will win you over.

Emily Kaitz, a Fayetteville Arkansas resident since 1998, cut her musical teeth in the vibrant club scene of Austin, Texas where she lived for 21 years and played "every place that had original acoustic music and didn't pay enough."

Emily Kaitz writes songs recorded by Trout Fishing in America, The Therapy Sisters, and The Austin Lounge Lizards. She's recorded six albums of her own songs, which she published under her own label, Pingleblobber Music. Her record label's name ought to give you a clue about the state of her mind, but just in case you haven't gotten the hint from the fact that her music is covered by the likes of Trout Fishing in America and the Austin Lounge Lizards, be alerted to the fact that she is hilariouly twisted.

With a name like Pingleblobber and recording groups like The Therapy Sisters and The Austin Lounge Lizards seeking out her work, it isn't too much of a stretch to guess that Emily's songs are eccentric, intelligent, and strangely humorous. Middle Aged Rock and Rollers Are So Damn Cute took its title from the song by the same name. The lyrics claim that middle aged rock and rollers have bags under their eyes, double chins and a bald spot under their cowboy hats?but damn cute!

Her song "Jay-Walkin" won her the 1983 Austin Music songwriter competition for the best in the Jazz/Soul/Blues category. She's been writing songs in Austin since 1976. She didn't begin performing live until 1980, but has been a regular around town since then.

In 1994, a live album was recorded at La Zona Rosa called Live at the Emily Fest and featuring Emily's songs performed by Christine Albert, The Austin Lounge Lizards, Kris Barnes, The Cow Pattys, Grian Cutean, The Funn Brothers, Gail Lewis, Mike Maddux, Dick Price, The Therapy Sisters, Trout Fishing in America, Caryl P. Weiss, and Emily, too. The Funn Brothers did one of Emily's better known songs, "The Shallow End of the Gene Pool."

Terminally Trendy contains the great number "When I'm Dead, Dress me in Drag." Also on this album, Emily has a duet with Ray Wylie Hubbard on "I Will Stay With."

We're delighted to finally get Debbie Porter to the Crossroads stage! She recently relocated BACK to East Texas from Austin. (It's the LURE of the piney woods!!! The wonders along I-35 pale in comparison!) Visit the beautiful web site of this amazing, multitalented artist at: http://www.debbieporter.net.

Saturday, December 1st, 2007

SARA HICKMAN / Rhett Butler opens

We are delighted to have Sara Hickman coming back to Crossroads for a second time. Click on Sara's name above to go to her website. Or you can go to her myspace www.myspace.com/sarahick
Below is a review for Sara’s latest album "Motherlode" By Brad Buchholz

After recording and performing music for children the past several years, Austin singer-songwriter Sara Hickman swings back into adult music with "Motherlode" — a self-produced two-CD concept album, a musical rumination on the dark and light dimensions of womanhood. Hickman’s aim, throughout, is reflection. The moods of individual songs spin from sorrowful to spiritual to humorous. But the beauty here is in the whole. The first "Motherlode" CD is titled "The Mirror of Despair." It is introspective, exploring themes of melancholy and woe — though it’s never as blue as, say, Joni Mitchell. The second disc, "The Thread of Happiness" is overt, expressing hope and joy. Hickman is so intent in conveying just the right mix of emotional colors that she functions more as a director than a writer on this project. Twelve of the CD’s 20 songs are not her own. Hickman’s fans will celebrate many of these covers as refreshing departures, especially on songs written by men, such her playful take on "Mother’s Little Helper" by the Rolling Stones, a treatment of "Mad World" by Tears for Fears that’s as dark as midnight, and the affirming "Little Bird of Anger" by Bob Ackerman. Hickman writes two tunes with friend David Batteau that really stand out for their ethereal spirit — the brooding "A Song of You," rich with the paradoxical imagery of presence and absence, appreciation and longing; and "Birdhouse," which suggests a joyful garden party that might be choreographed by the likes of George Harrison, John Muir and Buddha. Yet in the end, it’s tone and texture, not word, that sticks with you the most on this record. No coincidence that the album is populated by musicians who have jazz backgrounds, whose creative emphasis is on landscape, not sheer speed: Mitch Watkins on guitar, Eddy Hobizal on piano, Steve Zirkel on bass. Backing Hickman’s sweet sound on vocals are guests Kelly Willis, Shawn Colvin, Ruthie Foster and Jimmy LaFave. Hickman’s strength as a singer and writer, even in themes of darkness, is connected to a kind of delicacy. Her songs rarely cut directly to the emotional vein; they arrive there slowly, almost discretely. So while "Motherlode" is probably the most complex album of Hickman’s career, its beauties are subtle ones. Women will surely recognize a lot of themselves in these songs. Men probably will recognize women they love in some of them — and in some cases, feel that universal connection that defies gender.

Visit opener Rhett Butler at http://www.rhettbutler.org then click on reviews and read "Oh Brother, I Love Thou." Then you'll "get" Rhett Butler and what his music is all about. There are also some great performances for viewing at You Tube. Sara too!

Saturday, November 24th, 2007

RAY WYLIE HUBBARD - Kacey Musgraves opens -SOLD OUT-

This night will be Crossroads' TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY!! More info to come soon! Click on Ray's name above to go to his web site, or visit him at:
http://www.myspace.com/raywylie
Visit Kacey online at http://www.kaceymusgraves.com or at http://www.myspace.com/kaceymusgraves

Saturday, November 17th, 2007

HANS THEESSINK / Warren Jackson Hearne opens

Like others of his generation, in the early 1960s a love of the Blues took hold of the man whom Bo Diddley described as "one helluva guitar player," and it has not let go since. Above all, the country blues with its earthy and heartfelt sound impressed Hans Theessink and played a major role in his development as a musician. His roots are unmistakenly in the blues, but he has also been influenced by countless other aspects of roots music. This musical variety has become a trademark of Hans Theessink, who as a songwriter has succeeded in building bridges to the present in addressing issues that reflect the reality of the here and now. Hans is probably Europe’s number one blues export -- one of the top blues and roots musicians worldwide who has entertained audiences around the globe during a musical career that spans over more than 35 years. The world’s leading bluespaper - US magazine Blues Revue wrote: "Hans Theessink is an international blues treasure. He is one of the world’s pre-eminent country pickers and his warm baritone expresses blues." Visit Hans online by clicking his name above.

Visit opener Warren Jackson Hearne at http://www.myspace.com/warrenjacksonhearne

Saturday, November 10th, 2007

ALBERT & GAGE / Abi Tapia opens

In Austin, Texas—a town overflowing with gifted singer/songwriters and guitar heroes—Christine Albert & Chris Gage have a 10-year track record of making beautiful music together. Over the course of five duet albums, the duo has demonstrated that disparate backgrounds do not preclude musical soulmates from finding one another. Their Burnin’ Moonlight album led an Austin Chronicle reviewer to exclaim, “(The songs are) beautifully framed by the duo’s intertwined, yearning vocals, leaving a glow as luminous and bright as moonlight itself.” And the Houston Press noted, “From George Jones and Tammy Wynette to Richard and Linda Thompson, male-female duets are one of popular music’s most delightful permutations. And the Austin-based duo of Christine Albert and Chris Gage easily slot right in with the best.” In 2003 Albert and Gage released their first live recording, Albert and Gage at Anderson Fair. Dirty Linen commented that the set had “energy, humor, really fine duet singing, strong leads, original harmonies, a strong sense of partnership, personality, and musicality.” Sing Out! found it to be a “a cohesive and exciting exploration of the roots of popular, mostly American, music.”
Click on Albert & Gage above to visit their web site, or visit them at http://www.myspace.com/albertandgage.

Regarding our special opening guest this night, here's what Texas Music had to say about Abi Tapia: "a refreshing sparkle reminiscent of Terri Hendrix's Wilory Farm or Shawn Colvin at her most unguarded." Sounds good to us! Can't wait. Learn more at http://www.abitapia.com

Saturday, November 3rd, 2007

PIERCE PETTIS / Kurt Bittner opens

We welcome Pierce Pettis back to the Crossroads stage! He first played Crossroads in June 2006, and everyone's been asking "When will Pierce be back!"

Before releasing his most recent albums (Making Light of It, Everything Matters, State of Grace and his most recent, Great Big World) on Compass Records, Pettis released three critically acclaimed albums on the prestigious Windham Hill/ High Street label. Pierce Pettis has performed in all 48 continental states as well as in Canada and Europe, appeared nine times on American Public Radio's Mountain Stage, been featured on National Public Radio's E-town, Morning Edition and World Cafe ... appeared on VH-1, CBS News, and the Nashville Network. He has received numerous songwriting awards including a 1999 Country Music Award from ASCAP for You Move Me --co-written with Gordon Kennedy and recorded by Garth Brooks on his album, Sevens. With the release of Great Big World (his eighth album), Pierce Pettis rejoined State of Grace producer Garry West in what has been called “a masterpiece” and “his best yet.”

PLEASE DO visit Pierce's web site to get a more complete picture of just what a TREAT we are in for on Saturday night, November 3rd! (Simply click on his name above to go straight to his web site!)

Opening for Pierce is jazz guitar wonder Kurt Bittner -- a welcome newcomer to Winnsboro's neighboring town of Sulphur Springs! Kurt is a guitarist, songwriter, and audio engineer. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston Massachusetts, where he studied alongside singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge and guitarist Steve Vai. As a guitar major, Kurt graduated cum laude from Berklee and began touring extensively throughout the United States. While on tour, he shared the stage with many talented artists including Charlie Daniels, The Drifters, Doug Kershaw, and Donna Fargo. Kurt has performed internationally in Australia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Guam, and Diego Garcia. Kurt continues to refine his guitar technique by regularly attending workshops with jazz greats including Jim Hall, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, and John Abercrombie. In addition to playing guitar, Kurt has worked professionally as an audio engineer in both studio and live applications. Visit Kurt online at http://www.kurtbittner.com.

Saturday, October 27th, 2007

ADLER & HEARNE / Kate Hearne opens

Crossroads' co-founders Lynn Adler and Lindy Hearne take the stage this night, with friends RHANDY SIMMONS on bass, RICK MURRAY on drums, AND Lindy's daughter KATE HEARNE on lead guitar. Kate opens too, with her own set of original songs.

This will be a FUN day in Winnsboro, as the final weekend of the annual AUTUMN TRAILS festivities. Saturday 9 AM is the world-renown ANTIQUE CAR PARADE. And lots more going on in town. Visit winnsboro.com to learn more!

Click on Adler & Hearne above to go to their MySpace, or visit them online at http://www.adlerandhearne.com
Visit Kate online (read her bio and hear her music) at http://www.myspace.com/katehearne

Saturday, October 20th, 2007

KUNIO KISHIDA

SPECIAL TICKET OFFER FOR KUNIO'S concert - BUY TWO advance tickets / GET TWO FREE tickets for this Saturday night's gig!!! Hey folks, we're posting this ticket SPECIAL to celebrate the front-page feature story on Crossroads that appeared in the 10-14-07 Sunday Dallas Morning News!!! (We'll get links posted on our site's News page ASAP!) The ticket special is something fun we thought we'd try -- a "treat" for all you folks who've been wanting to introduce friends and family members to Crossroads. PLUS, we know Kunio isn't exactly a household name in Texas (yet) and we really want to pack the place in and make him feel welcome!!! So that's the deal. ENJOY!!!

To hear KUNIO's remarkable blues magic immediately -- click on his name above to link to his CDBaby page. (Unless you read Japanese, Kunio's actual web site might be a bit challenging.) Another fun site to visit is Kunio's music myspace:
http://myspace.com/tonemankuniokishida
How does a Japanese man become such an accomplished Southern Rocker? Kunio’s passion for classic Southern Rock recordings, his love of blues
guitarists, and his never-ending quest for the perfect ‘shake’ (that awesome tremolo sound guitarists go for), continue to propel his virtuosity, heartfelt melodies and
rocking blues on a journey that's taking him around the world, AND bringing him back to Crossroads! (Among other gigs, including the Arlington Guitar Show this same weekend.)

Even though he hails from the other side of the planet (Nagoya, Japan to be exact), this favorite guitarist/singer/songwriter is a stone-cold Southern rocker. Kunio’s guitar styles have been compared to Duane ALLMAN, Mark KNOFLER (Dire Straits), and Eric CLAPTON. His vocal sound is often compared to Clapton’s and Knofler’s.

Returning to Crossroads with Kunio will be same stellar ensemble of players/recording mates who joined him on the Crossroads stage when he played here last October:
Jamie OLDAKER, (legendary veteran recording and touring drummer for JJ CALE, Leon RUSSELL and Eric CLAPTON - featured on Clapton’s first 11 solo recordings including I Shot The Sheriff); Jerry Wasley, veteran bassist with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, Brenda LEE; and Grammy Award nominated producer and keyboardist Sam Taylor -- featured on Kunio’s first Johnny SANDLIN produced Muscle Shoals album, Swamp Waters.

There will definitely be some rockin' and rollin' goin' on at the Crossroads this Saturday night.

Saturday, October 13th, 2007

MICHAEL SMITH / Kristy Kruger opens!

For music AND musical theater lovers - this will be yet another unforgettable SATURDAY NIGHT at Crossroads -- thanks to Michael Smith AND to opener Kristy Kruger.

MICHAEL is a much-revered, veteran songwriter whose name MAY be unfamiliar, but whose songs are universally known. Singing and writing since the early 1960s, his rich and challenging songs have been recorded by more than 30 performers, including Jimmy Buffet, Steve Goodman, Suzy Bogguss, Jerry Jeff Walker, Liam Clancy, Gordon Bok, The Four Freshman, Spanky and Our Gang, Small Potatoes, Anne Hills and many others.

A Song Talk Magazine review commented "Hearing the songs of Michael Smith in this day and age is like reading an anthology of short stories by Hemingway after decades of only comic books." Steve Goodman's recording of The Dutchman in 1973 on his now legendary album Somebody Else's Troubles, formally introduced Michael's songs to a large audience, and propelled The Dutchman into Michael's most popular song.

By all means, CLICK on Michael's name above and go to his web site to link to all the good news and great reviews that have appeared in the Chicago Sun/Times, Chicago Tribune, and Variety, regarding Michael's musical THE SNOW QUEEN, which was held over earlier this year at Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater, and was based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. The show WILL be brought back THIS coming winter at the same Chicago venue - so get on the list for those tickets if you're headed that way! AND a Snow Queen CD is forthcoming!

LATE-BREAKING NEWS -- KRISTY KRUGER OPENS FOR MICHAEL SMITH!!! PLEASE visit Kristy's web site: http://www.kristykruger.com -- it's an experience in itself, and DO listen to her music online, either there OR at her music myspace: http://www.myspace.com/kristykruger
Kristy Kruger is an artist. Lynn had the pleasure of being introduced to her music when they both were finalists in the B.W. Stevenson Memorial Songwriting event at Poor David's Pub several years ago. After losing her brother in Iraq this past November, Kristy has decided to spend the next year of her life performing in remembrance of him in all 50 states. "Since he died in the name of this country, I'd like the country to know his name. And I'd like to see America, the whole thing. I'd like to see what he died for." (Read more of this heart-stirring story at Kristy's web site.) Following are some reviews/quotes from her site:

“Kristy was one of my favorite interviews this year. Way more comments about her than say, our coverage of Iraq.”
-Ira Glass, Host of Public Radio International’s This American Life

“Her voice has a timeless quality to it and whatever setting she places it into…like a hot hand in the small of your back leading you to the dance floor, you are powerless to resist.”
-David Cowling, Americana UK, the largest resource for Americana in the UK

“She has grown into one of the most eclectic singers in Dallas…Imagine a female Tom Waits, produced by Daniel Lanois.”
-Thor Christensen, The Dallas Morning News

Saturday, October 6th, 2007

ANN ARMSTRONG & STEVE HUGHES

Ann Armstrong is right up there with the great musical exports of Texas! (Link directly to clips from her latest CD "Lucky Charm" by clicking on her name above!) She plays guitar sometimes sweetly, sometimes prickly as an Ocotillo cactus, sings like a steam-powered nightingale and writes songs from a depth of experience.

"Ann Armstrong's music runs the gamut from love songs to deep blues. If you're looking for a peg on which to hang the music of Ann Armstrong and her band, here's a clue - you'll need more than one," says the San Antonio Express-News.

The Austin American - Statesman says, "Her talents, both as a songwriter and blues performer, are deep and diverse. Her constant companion and musical partner Steve Hughes spices up the proceedings with fine harmonica and flute work. If you haven't caught her act (check out her blazing bottle-neck guitar work), you're way behind the times in keeping up with the Texas blues scene."

Ann and Steve's two recordings, "I Go To Pieces" (Heads Up OXCD/MC 3007) and "Think About The Rain" (OXCD/MC 3012) have gained the group international attention. Radio and press in the US, and from as far away as Poland and Hong Kong, have been very favorable. The Scotsman of Glasgow compares Ann Armstrong to "both Mary Chapin Carpenter and k d lang in the sensual swelling power of her singing - but with a wicked blues twist, bottleneck belters alternating with yearning love songs, rawness and delicacy memorably counter-poised."

Ann Armstrong's latest CD "Lucky Charm" was recorded with partner Steve Hughes, and drummer Steve Babcock and bassist Lee Arden, plus special guest appearances.

Ann and Steve as a team, and their mutual love for the music, started more years ago than either care to comment on. One critic commented "It's scary to think of where Ann would be today if she'd been putting out records earlier in her career." Through the years, the duo has shared billings with Albert Collins, Jerry Jeff Walker, Hot Tuna, Arlo Guthrie, Guy Clark, Taj Mahal, Richard Thompson and many more. Ann & Steve have performed at Festivals such as The Kerrville Folk Festival, Iowa's Rollin' on the River Festival, and the Benson & Hedges Blues Festival. Ann and Steve have appeared on Tom Bodett's "End Of The Road Show" and Illinois' "Rural Route 3."

The Fayetteville Morning News says of Armstrong and Hughes, "Whether with a full band or taking the stage as a twosome, the music they make always sets toes tapping and bodies swaying." Also, "Armstrong and multi-instrumentalist Hughes deliver a delectable mixture of folk and blues, from classic covers like Robert Johnson's 'Come Into My Kitchen' to Armstrong's own gorgeous classic, 'Think About The Rain'."

We are JAZZED about hosting this delightful duo on the Crossroads stage once again. They last played the Crossraods stage in July 2006. Welcome back!

Saturday, September 29th, 2007

MICHAEL RENO HARRELL / David Harl opens

Michael Reno Harrell is an award winning songwriter, as well as a veteran storyteller and entertainer, and he’s from the South…the Southern Appalachian Mountains to hone it a bit finer. Four decades of performing have taken him to over forty states and several foreign countries. One could compare Michael’s performances to his granddaddy’s pocket knife, well warn and familiar feeling, but razor sharp and with a point. He gets the job done. His recordings top the Americana Music Association charts year after year and his touring schedule stays full. Michael’s combination of music and storytelling are based in experience, sometimes downright funny, sometimes just plain scary, maybe even with a message worth taking away, but always mesmerizing and entertaining. He has penned hits for Nashville receiving both Gold and Platinum Awards. Michael won First Place in the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting contest at Merle Fest in 2002. He has recorded with some of the giants in the acoustic field including pals Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas. His storytelling has been described as, "Andy Griffith with an edge" and "...the Appalachian Mark Twain". Don’t miss an opportunity to immerse yourself in the Southern Experience. As Michael puts it, "You don’t have to be from the South to be Southern, you just gotta live here... and like it!"

Click on Michael's name above to go to his website!

Saturday, September 22nd, 2007

JIMMY LAFAVE

To listen to Jimmy's music right away, click on his name above to go directly to his music myspace. Or learn more about Jimmy LaFave at his web site by going to: http://www.jimmylafave.com
Jimmy LaFave was born in Wills Point, Texas, a small town 30 miles east of Dallas. He began school down the road in Mesquite, and by Junior High was making music perched behind his Sears & Roebuck drum kit. It wasn’t long before his mother traded a drawer full of green stamps for his first guitar, and the switch to singer–songwriter was in progress. His family later moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he finished high school. Although he has lived in Austin for nearly 20 years, many people think of him as being from Oklahoma, because of his strong musical ties to the state and what he often refers to as its “red dirt music.” It was in this landscape that he began to define his sound, and to soak up a combination of his experiences among authentic songwriters from the tradition of Woody Guthrie. Before leaving Oklahoma for Austin, Jimmy did some independent recording, and toured the Southwest with the first version of his band Night Tribe.

He moved to Austin in 1986, where he continued to write songs and to develop his musical ideas. Shortly after arriving he was asked to help launch the songwriter nights at the new performance venue Chicago House. In 1988 he recorded his self–produced tape, Highway Angels...Full Moon Rain, which won the Austin Chronicle Reader’s Poll Tape of the Year Award. This led to a recording contract with a small independent label and allowed LaFave the opportunity to work with Bob Johnston, producer of several of LaFave’s favorite albums including Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde and Nashville Skyline. Although these recordings were never released, by 1990 LaFave had put together an Austin version of Night Tribe and had become, according to the Austin American–Statesman, “a perennial presence upon the Austin music scene.” In 1992 Jimmy released a self–produced CD, Austin Skyline, which drew international attention to his songwriting and vocal talents, and led to a publishing agreement with Polygram Music. Due to his growing popularity and radio play on more than 200 stations, Austin Skyline and its label, Bohemia Beat, received national distribution through the Rounder Record Group. His second album, Highway Trance was released in 1994 followed by his third CD, Buffalo Return to the Plains, in 1995.

The grass roots demand and critical acclaim for Jimmy’s music, which led to extensive touring in the United States and Europe, was recognized in 1996 when he was asked to tape a performance for the PBS musical series Austin City Limits, and was invited by Nora Guthrie to appear in Cleveland at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to Woody Guthrie. That same year LaFave won his second consecutive Austin Music Award for Best Singer–Songwriter. His fourth CD, Road Novel, which was released in early 1997, received many glowing reviews. That year he was asked by Nora Guthrie to speak and perform at the induction of Woody Guthrie into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. He traveled to Europe twice that year and also toured the USA and Canada and made multiple appearances on NPR’s Mountain Stage.

In the fall of 1998, Jimmy and record label President, Mark Shumate, began compiling a 15–year retrospective of bootleg tapes, live performances, radio shows and studio out takes. LaFave kicked off 1999 with the release of the CD entitled Trail. The double CD contains 31 tracks recorded in Texas and around the world. Including 12 Dylan songs, it answered the demand of fans for a ’LaFave does Dylan’ CD. In the liner notes Dave Marsh noted: “Jimmy LaFave has one of America’s greatest voices, and this album is the story of what he has learned to do with it. It’s a unique instrument, with startling range and its own peculiar sense of gravity, liable to swoop in and wreck your expectations at any instant.”

In 2001, Jimmy released Texoma, a celebration of the Americana spirit with a heartfelt valentine to the heartland. KGSR Program Director, Jody Denberg called it a “phenomenon.” Denberg said, “the phones lit up immediately after it was added to the playlist, and they stayed lit.” Since the release of Texoma, Jimmy combined his solo dates with the Woody Guthrie tribute tour titled “The Ribbon of Highway – Endless Skyway,” featuring a rotating cast of Americana musicians that has included such notables as Eliza Gilkyson, Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Tom Russell and Slaid Cleaves. The two–disc live album Ribbon of Highway Endless Skyway is a collection of the tour’s live performances that features some of Jimmy’s interpretations of Woody Guthrie classics.

Encouraged by his friend, fellow Austin artist Eliza Gilkyson, Jimmy LaFave signed with indie label Red House records, and in 2005 released Blue Nightfall. This stunningly soulful album was LaFave’s first in 4 years and won him much critical attention. LaFave’s new album Cimarron Manifesto finds Jimmy taking a more country road, with sweet and mournful songs about life and loss and special guest appearances by Carrie Rodriguez, Ruthie Foster and Kacy Crowley.

Saturday, September 15th, 2007

DRUHA TRAVA

Druha Trava is a wonderfully individual band from the Czech Republic. They perform new acoustic world music with bluegrass influences. You'll hear them perform bluegrass tunes, Bob Dylan tunes, songs by other American or British artists, and many originals. Though they basically use a typical bluegrass complement of instruments, you'll witness the banjo player also picking up a clarinet or Irish whistle. This along with the versatility of the dobro player helps create much of their unique sound. The Bluegrass Association of the Czech Republic declared Druha Trava "Group of the Year" in 2005 and 2006. Click on their name above to visit them online!

Here's a review we found on cduniverse.com by Joe Ross, staff writer for Bluegrass Now:

"Czech this out! The international appeal of bluegrass music is far-reaching, and there are a number of fine groups in the Czech Republic who can relate to the acoustic nature, themes and broad appeal of the genre. It does seem that the further a group is from Appalachia, the more eclectic and independent their musical amalgamation becomes.

Druha Trava (translation: “Second Grass”) provides an enthusiastic grassified spin to tunes from Johnny Cash, Mark Knopfler, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, John Fogerty, Peter Rowan and Kris Kristofferson. Add in an original song (“When Death Does Us Apart”) and a few of their own instrumentals (“Fall Farm,” “Ossian” and “Caurea”) and you’ve got a unique blend of music with Slovak, Moravian and Czech dialects. Actually recorded in April, 2004 and then released in their country on the Universal label, “Good Morning, Friend” was then released in the U.S. in 2006 when Compass Records decided to put it out. Compass had previously distributed their Czechmate, New Freedom Bell, and Piece of Cake projects in the U.S. about 1999.

Mandolinist and vocalist Robert Krestan’s full-bodied, gruff voice sounds a bit weather-stained. But despite his raspiness, he provides a certain gusto to lines like Johnny Cash’s “Yes I'm feeling like a million since I've got you livin' in.” European audiences are not necessarily looking for that “high, lonesome sound” in their bluegrass, and Krestan’s multi-year wins of “Male Vocalist of the Year” (Banjo Jamboree Festival), “Country Artist of the Year” (Czech Music Academy), and “Best Male Vocalist” (Bluegrass Association of the Czech Republic) prove that. His gruffgrass vocals are complemented by some excellent banjo, guitar and Dobro instrumental work courtesy of Lubos Malina, Emil Formanek, and Lubos Novotny. Malina also provides some refreshing whistles to the Celtic-flavored “Ossian,” and clarinet to Dylan’s “Goin’ To Acapulco.” The band’s solid bass lines are provided by Petr Sury. Guests provide background vocals, harmonica, violin, resoradio and vibratongue (whatever those last two are).

Druha Trava has collaborated on recording and touring with Charlie McCoy on numerous occasions, and his harmonica is a welcome addition to the mix of six tracks. It would’ve been nice to hear more of Stano Paluch’s fiddle than just on the three cuts including him. I was also a tad disappointed that the mandolin is relegated to a rather minimal role on the CD. Druha Trava dates back to 1991 when Krestan and Malina left the band known as Poutnici. Within a year, the new group had won a Czech “Band of the Year” Grammy.

Over they years, they’ve done considerable recording and touring, sometimes singing in their native Slavic language and sometimes including a drummer. From 1993-97, Druha Trava toured the U.S. acoustically. From 1998-2001, they toured with a drummer. Beginning in 2002, Druha Trava again began touring the U.S. as an acoustic band. Their varied presentations indicate their diversity and open-minded attitude towards finding their own niche. The all-acoustic and all-English elements of “Good Morning, Friend” will help them to continue building their American fanbase among aficionados of their new acoustic music with interpretive twists.

Druha Trava proves its familiarity with straight-ahead bluegrass (“Sitting on Top of the World”), but they tend to show more of an affinity for strong and evocative singer/songwriter fare from country and folk tunesmiths. While the contemplative lyrics are certainly interesting, the presentation of them occasionally feels like they are missing some of the relevant emotion needed to convey the sentiments. A reflective song like Dylan’s “Ring Them Bells,” for example, requires a philosophic air as it concludes “Oh the lines are long, and the fighting is strong, and they're breaking down the distance, between right and wrong.” Some enigmatic songs come from the pen of Mark Knopfler. With its references to Edinburgh and Charles Dickens characters, I believe that “What It Is” was written to evoke an environment with historical impressions and ambiance from another time and place. “Speedway at Nazareth” builds an analogy between CART racing and life -- “And the raceways were the battlefields and we fought ‘em all the way.” We learn from mistakes in life, and if we can get it perfectly right, success will be right behind. Maybe this is a perfect anthem for Druha Trava that is chasing their dreams. The band shows a lot of optimism, perseverance and dedication even when they’re touring far from their European homeland. With Tom Waits’ “Hold On,” the message conveyed is “When it's cold and there's no music / well your old hometown is so far away / but, inside your head there's a record that's playing, a song called hold on, hold on, you really got to hold on …. “ Although they’ve already accomplished a great deal, Druha Trava is evidently focused on even greater heights. While Kristofferson’s “Nobody Loves Anybody Anymore” is more about love, I’m sure the band can relate to the greater message of “And if it don’t come easy now, It ain’t worth fighting for.” The entertaining band seems to succeed best when they’re exuberantly “Goin’ on the run, Goin’ down to see some girl, Goin’ to have some fun.” (Goin’ to Acapulco). Now isn’t that what music should be all about?

Besides proficient musicianship and simply having fun, their strengths are clearly their confidence and composure with music that knows few boundaries.

Saturday, September 1st, 2007

JAMES MICHAEL TAYLOR & PEGGY TAYLOR/ra byn james & tara dawn

Here are some quotes from James Michael's web site -- all from live venue proprietors who were in the audience the evening he and Peggy opened for Jonathan Byrd at Crossroads this past June 23rd. Read what these folks had to say -- and we KNOW you won't want to miss this special LABOR DAY WEEKEND concert at the Crossroads...

"Where have you been all my life? Maybe I was imagining it, but that could have been the question I saw on the faces in the crowd at Crossroads Music Company in Winnsboro, Texas, as the people listened to James Michael and Peggy Ann Taylor. From James’ own soulful "I Play C" to the unbelievably beautiful Porter Wagoner/Dolly Parton cover tune to the just-plain-fun "Play One More," James and Peggy commanded that lovely little stage and the attention of every person watching. On the faces of the young and not-so-young I saw open-mouthed wonder, I saw laughter, and I saw tears being wiped away. James and Peggy brought us together and put us in touch with our human experiences - and isn’t that what really good music is supposed to do? I could have listened to them all night and can’t wait until they take our own Wildwood Concert stage again....Mary Andrews/Wildwood Concert Series/Tyler, Texas

"The reason why people listen when James Michael Taylor and Peggy Ann Taylor sing their songs is because the husband and wife troubadours simply sing the songs they like to sing, the way they like to sing and play them. When true artists bring their music to an audience, and tenderly hand it over to them from such an honest place -- the beauty is bound to follow, and be heard. This was our experience of The Taylors when they opened for Jonathan Byrd. The audience was spellbound by the picture, and the sound. We look forward to having them back for a full evening of what we couldn't get enough of Saturday night." ~ Lynn Adler of the duo Adler & Hearne, and co-proprietor of Crossroads Coffeehouse in Winnsboro, Texas

"Well it's true - you SHOULD have been there! What a pleasure to be part of the appreciative crowd at The Crossroads in Winnsboro (Texas) Saturday night that heard the stunning and slightly off-center duo of James Michael Taylor and Peggy Ann Taylor. As is often the case, the opening act is sometimes as or more enjoyable than the headliner. In this instance, headliner Jonathan Byrd (North Carolina based KFF New Folk Winner and rising presence) held up his end of the bargain, but no one got antsy waiting for the opener to end. To the contrary, James Michael and Peggy sometimes had to wait for the sustained applause to subside before they could go on to the next compelling song in their set. Let's start with Peggy's crystal clear voice - powerful and plaintive all at once. Her rendition of a song entitled "Mary" (found on her fresh new CD, "Lather, Rinse, Repeat"), was unadorned folk music at its pinnacle. It drew forth the same thunderous applause as James Michael's original piece, "Drunken Indian" (a driving, rocking number that his powerful guitar and voice virtually nailed to the back of everyone's head). For my money, James Michael is one of the most creative and intriguing songwriters I know (and I know a bunch!). His recent CD, "I Play C," is a great listen. The title cut is already being covered by other artists who heard it at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Look for these seasoned veterans of the music world to reach a new peak in their careers as they prove that, although each is supremely talented, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Well crafted songs, Peggy's "voice for the ages," guitar work pleasantly rough and perfectly suited, harmonies sparingly salted in like an understated binding on a priceless guitar - there you have it - James Michael and Peggy. Don't miss them again. ~ Roland Brown/Roland's Next Door, Jacksonville Texas

James Michael and Peggy's son ra byn and his wife tara dawn will be this night's special opening guests. Guaranteed: a truly special opening set by these two artists extraordinaire.

Saturday, August 18th, 2007

THE GINN SISTERS

The Ginn Sisters second release touched a nerve with listeners, climbing up and up the Americana and roots music charts — as well it should, being fashioned as it is from folk, blues and country and tones that are classic and timeless. Their turns on XM Satellite Radio, numerous Web and terrestrial radio stations, and the renowned West Virginia “Mountain Stage” public radio program as well as triumphant tours across the country and rave reviews by critics have given The Ginn Sisters nationwide exposure. Tiffani and Brit, sisters a year apart, sing like a pair of Texas angels and captivate audiences handily. Tiff writes songs, sings melody and plays guitar. Brit sings harmony and lead and plays the flute and the melodica. They create magic as a duo and when backed by their rootsy band known as The Ginn Sisters (pronounce it with a hard G).

One way to envision their music is to think acoustic Sheryl Crow with Emmylou Harris on harmonies, Dolly Parton, Indigo Girls, Eliza Gilkyson, Dixie Chicks. But that wouldn’t do them justice. The Ginn Sisters perform mostly originals, written by Tif, with covers by the likes of Bob Dylan, Mickey Newbury, Ian Tyson and Dire Straits. The combination of talent, beauty and charm (not to mention the supporting band’s musicianship) really is a rare thing, making The Ginn Sisters a big hit on tour, at festivals, concerts, fairs and rodeos and at parties and in listening rooms. That second release, BLOOD ORANGES (Sweetbird Records; June 27, 2006), is a collection of 12 Tiffani-penned songs (Abi Tapia contributed “Get It and Go").

You can click on The Ginn Sisters' name above to go directly to their web site, where you can hear their music. OR visit their myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/theginnsisters

Saturday, August 11th, 2007

MICHAEL YOUNG / Gus Gustafson opens!

MICHAEL YOUNG is a fingerstyle guitarist who plays both the six and twelve string guitar with driving rhythm and groove, and he carries that bouncy and energetic groove from powerful and compelling compositions to soulful ballads. Moving from daunting and alarming to lighthearted and idiosyncratic instrumentals, Michael takes advantage of the guitar's possibilities by combining standard and alternate tunings with a mix of slide guitar into his playing.

An excerpt from an article by Celeste Regal of The Observer in New Jersey:

He was born in Hibbing, MN, in that northern mining town on the Iron Range (remember North Country?). Young managed to retrieve his own special sense of the land: that makes his work worth considering.

He started playing guitar at 14, and the game was on. He is microscopically articulate about his genesis as a musician: a sure sign of conviction. "I took a mandatory general music class in 7th grade. We were learning note values with drum sticks, we got into the keyboard a little bit, and then we got to the acoustic guitar," Young said. "I was noodling around with a guitar one day, and the teacher came over and asked if I took lessons. I said I didn't, but she said that I should look into it." After having his natural ability recognized by his teacher, he explained the experience to his mother.

"She came home with a cheap no-name acoustic guitar. I spent a little time on that, plucking individual strings one at a time, like playing a horn, but wanted to learn chords and get a better knowledge of it," Young said. After taking beginner guitar lessons at the local music store, Young quickly got into the electric guitar. "I was playing both acoustic and electric and kind of bouncing back and forth between the two. My teacher mentioned fingerstyle guitar to me, and gave me a Leo Kottke CD," he said. "I took it, listened to it, thought it was cool, but gave it back to him telling him it didn't really get a hold of me and seemed out of reach. At the time, I didn't know Kottke was famous, so when I saw his name again, I thought it was a really bizarre coincidence. Since it sparked my curiosity that I would come across this obscure player again, I checked him out, and that's when fingerstyle guitar stuck."

Young said Kottke's "I Yell At Traffic" gave him an idea of what fingerstyle guitar is about. "Having bass lines and melody lines and not getting stuck into picking patterns," he said. "Getting stuck into picking patterns is inevitable, but you work through that and get to a point where each note is pretty purposeful."

One of Young's first shows gave him an epiphany that defines him as a performer and musician, as well as a human being who can see the other side.

"I was playing in this small coffee shop in Minneapolis. When I walked in, barely anybody was there. I stepped outside wondering if I was even going to play. When I came back in, there was a couple that came to see me and had driven a ways to do it. I didn't know them, and I'm not sure how they heard of me, but I didn't really care," he said. "So I sat down in front of them, just the three of us, and played. It was the first time that somebody had specifically come out to see and hear me, and I thought that was great.

I owed it to them to play. I still keep that in mind. If I'm worn out, tired and don't really feel like getting up in front of people to play for them, I remind myself that these people took time out of their days, maybe got babysitters, spent money, etc., to come out. I might be somebody's date night for that week, two weeks, month, whatever. I owe it to them to play and perform well."

When asked about his goals, Young has a simple formula, sort of. "I'm always hoping that the next tune comes along. There is an irrational fear way back in my brain somewhere that I'm all dried up and my most recent tune is my last. If I can continue to get shows and play publicly for many years to come, I'd be happy," he said. "I'll always play as long as I have hands that work, but I really do enjoy playing for others. It's satisfying that people are into something you created in your bedroom in your underwear. I think it'd also be great to be an influence on other players and an inspiration for other players. Maybe I am and I don't know it, and I guess I can take comfort in that. It's nice to think that you go beyond what you're aware of."

A last note on what Young is trying to do with his guitar playing:

"I'm not really trying to convey any great message with my music. I honestly just want people to enjoy a show and make them feel like it was time and money well spent," Young said. "I think that's the bottom line; people want to be entertained."

To hear Michael's music, including video performances! -- check out Michael's websites: http://www.myspace.com/michaelyoungmn OR click on his name above to go to his regular site.

Saturday, August 4th, 2007

COWBOY JOHNSON / Amanda Pearcy opens

Kent Johnson's parents didn’t give him the name "Cowboy," but it has been tattooed on his chest for 30 years now. So yes, that's his real name. He was born in Lancashire, England while his dad was in the Air Force, but the family moved back to the states and he spent most of his childhood in California. Like many of the great singers, he sang gospel music in the church choir as a child before the Johnsons moved to Minnesota when Kent was 15. By 1969, at the age of 16, he was on his own and ended up in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where he spent the 70s working the mines, playing music and living hard. It was there that a disgruntled neighbor, whose mailbox Kent had shot full of holes one drunken afternoon, declared to the community "we gotta do something about this damn cowboy."

The name stuck, but the alcoholism and addiction he had been struggling with for years did not. Sober now for 24 years, Cowboy sings songs of pain, loss, regret and redemption. His voice betrays the truth that he has actually lived these songs. He has danced with his demons and you can hear them in the soulful honesty of his voice. Cowboy shares his hard-won wisdom as a certified co-leader of the worldwide "New Warrior" training for men. A journeyman carpenter and former member of the steel workers' and painters' unions, he has made his living with his hands for close to four decades. Through four marriages and divorces, the births of three children, the challenges of recovery and the loss of both of his parents, music has been his foundation. Cowboy Johnson knows thousands of songs and writes his own when the spirit moves him. Mostly he is a singer of great songs and he doesn't care where they come from. He moved to Austin, Texas in 1996 and began to tap into a goldmine of songs by Texas writers, expanding his already extensive repertoire.

He first heard Mickey Newbury's music in 1970 and has been a fan ever since. Cowboy's voice and Mickey's songs are a musical marriage made in heaven. After Mickey's death in 2002, Cowboy became determined to carry on his legacy by recording an entire album of Newbury's songs. The stars lined up in late 2003, and he recorded the first CD of his career with his old friend from South Dakota, Chris Gage, in the producer's seat. Gage has been a believer in Cowboy's talent since the 70s and the two carefully created "Cowboy Johnson - A Grain of Sand," a CD that beautifully showcases Cowboy's voice and Mickey's songs. Gage's record label (with his musical partner and wife Christine Albert), MoonHouse Records, has licensed the project and is promoting its release.

Cowboy Johnson, currently living in Austin, Texas, recently filmed a "Songwriters in the Round" television show for The Austin Music Network, and has been steadily building a loyal following with regular regional performances. He is happily trading the hammer for the guitar.

We look forward to Amanda Pearcy's opening set too! Visit her on online and listen to her music at: http://www.amandapearcy.com.

Saturday, July 28th, 2007

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK FOR COWBOY JOHNSON with Amanda Pearcy opening!

Saturday, July 21st, 2007

GEORGE GAGLIARDI / Adler & Hearne open

We're delighted to have GEORGE GAGLIARDI (pronounced gal-YAR-di) back on the Crossroads stage this Saturday night, JULY 21.

Many of you have enjoyed our past two Christmases at the Crossroads with concerts featuring George's music. George is a poet and a pilgrim. He's funny, quirky, one of the most prolific songwriters we know, and especially gifted at weaving God's comfort and joy into his songs. Not all of his songs are religious; but ALWAYS spirited!

George says he's calling this Saturday night's show "George Gagliardi -- Alive & Pickin'" (this is a fun insider celebration of the fact George has survived two heart bypass surgeries, and lived to tell and sing about it). Saturday night, he plans to devote one of his musical segments to heroes, featuring such original songs as "Zoro is a Friend of Mine," "Last of the Singing Cowboys," "Where Have All the Heroes Gone," and "House Where the Dream Maker Lives."

If you're unfamiliar with George's talent, he has several great original songs posted at his site from his CD Poet & Pilgrim -- Reflections of One Man's Spiritual Journey, which was recorded live at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas:
http://www.georgegagliardi.com -- just click on the MUSIC tab. P.S. For those who know and love the music of CYNTHIA CLAWSON (who has recorded numerous Gagliardi songs) Cynthia has a new CD in the works featuring her renditions of George's songs Doubter's Prayer, What About the Children, and Episode.

A BIT OF TRIVIA: Also being a jazz guitar maestro, George has invited LYNN ADLER to play a role in Saturday night's concert by singing two of his most-requested 'torchy' love songs -- "After Awhile" and "Tomorrow is Another Day" (a nod to Scarlett O'Hara). George and Lynn once formed a jazz trio named True Blue in Dallas, with bass player Stone Savage. The stint was short-lived, but when the two get together, they always enjoy performing favorite popular songs of days gone by.

For more on George, read his bio at his web site by clicking on his name above.

ADLER & HEARNE OPEN...
We (Lynn and Lindy) look forward to opening for George this Saturday night. Visit our new myspace (thanks Kate!) at: http://www.myspace.com/adlerandhearne

Saturday, July 14th, 2007

PAULINE REESE & High Country

Click on Pauline's name above to go directly to her web site! Pauline Reese has done a lot in just a short period of time. Aside from working practically every honky tonk and dancehall in the state, her vocal skills have become enormously in demand to kick off rodeos and sporting events across Texas with her crowd-pleasing rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.” Pauline has been a very busy girl off the stage, as well, working Texas & Oklahoma radio, modeling at fashion shows and she is now sponsored by Michelob Ultra (Anheuser-Busch), Elixir Strings, Bad Company Rodeo and Martin Audiology, which also keeps her moving at a fast pace.

Pauline’s family history is steeped in rodeo and music, with country, bluegrass, Spanish and big band thriving at their small East Texas ranch. In addition, her mother, a musical director for the local church, brought that influence into the home. At age 14, Pauline and her family moved to the Austin, Texas area. At that point, she was introduced to many other styles of music, but country remained her passion. By the age of 15 she was singing backup in a local band, and by 18 she was fronting her own.

Now, at 27 years of age, Pauline has evolved as an artist and a songwriter. Known as one of the hardest-working artists in the state, she has shared bills with Willie Nelson, Gary P. Nunn, Freddy Powers, Kevin Fowler, Mark Chestnut, Johnny Rodriguez, Billy Joe Shaver, Merle Haggard, Johnny Bush, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Cory Morrow, Pat Green, Gene Watson, Jack Ingram, Sonny Throckmorton, Roger Creager- the list goes on and on. In addition, she has garnered a nomination for the “Western Swing Female Vocalist of the Year” award by the Academy of Western Artists, and has completed her first tour of Europe in the summer of 2003. Pauline received a lot of attention on her second CD release “Trail to Monterrey” and her third CD project “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” is now out getting rave reviews and quickly climbing the Texas & Oklahoma charts. On this project she has written or co-written eight of the fourteen tracks, including a duet with Willie Nelson. Her first single “One Less Honky Tonk” went to #15 on the Texas / Oklahoma chart and is now working the song”Cowboy Way” Which is currently in the top 30 on the Texas Chart. With her full six-piece band, powerful vocal style, and an undying appreciation of true-to-the-roots country music, Pauline Reese is a natural fit for audiences across the state and beyond- anywhere good country music is treasured.

Wednesday, July 11th, 2007

10th Annual WOODY GUTHRIE FESTIVAL

The 10th Annual Woody Guthrie festival in Okemah, OK happens July 11th- 15th! Check out the amazing artists who are coming to play for free! What a great time... Tim O'Brien, Kevin Welch, Joel Rafael, Jimmy LaFave (who will be on the Crossroads stage Saturday, September 22!!!), Butch Hancock, Ellis Paul... and of course, Arlo Guthrie and his family!

We've also heard through the grapevine that Graperanch Vineyards & Winery will be hosting shows each day as well... they are just 6 or 7 miles south of Okemah out in the country. "Lovely place" according to our good friends Monica Taylor and Patrick Williams (aka The Farm Couple!) And yes, they'll be there playing TOO!

Click on the festival name above to go directly to the web site for the latest details on the artist lineup, camping, area lodging and dining, directions, and more!

Saturday, July 7th, 2007

T & C Miller

This past November 2006, when Texas troubadour T-ROY MILLER married
CANDACE KUNZ (lovingly referred to by many of her fans as the
"Luckenbach Sweetheart") -- the two began their new journey of
performing as T&C Miller.

With T-Roy Miller's legendary following in these parts thanks to his
music festival called Pickin' in the Pines (happens the 3rd weekends
of May and September in Pine Mills near Mineola) - well, we just HAD
to get these two booked to play the Crossroads stage! Y'all are in
for a real nice dose of true Texas Country this weekend at
Crossroads.

Regarding T-ROY's GENERATION TEX CD, here are some quotes about
T-Roy's awesome talent, from some of Texas' most loved
singer-songwriters. This from Brian Burns, who's played Crossroads
several times: "One of the most tremendously talented musicians in
the great state of Texas."

"I had heard T-Roy play with Max Stalling and I heard his CD, which I
thought was great, but I never really understood how good he really
was until I stood beside him on stage one night. He blew me away." -
Tommy Alverson

"T-Roy Miller is one of my favorite musicians. He's smart and
sensitive and enormously talented...at the tender age of 22 he's well
on his way to becoming a well-rounded, world-class musician." - Slaid
Cleaves

Want to read more about T-Roy's Pickin' in the Pines events (other
than what we've got posted on the Crossroads Links page on our own
web site, check out this link to a story from a few years ago written
by Miss Lana!: http://www.misslana.com/PIP.htm Rumor has it this
coming fall 2007 event features the one and only Chuck Pyle!

You can visit T-Roy and Candace by clicking on their name above to go to their web site. They also have a myspace at http://www.myspace.com/tandcmiller

Saturday, June 30th, 2007

EMILY ELBERT / Sydney Price opens!

Emily Elbert is an 18-year- old Texas musician whose deep musical roots and love for creative expression led her to the development of her debut album, Bright Side. The CD contains 11 original songs that she wrote, arranged, and performed. Bright Side was produced by Bob Gentry and recorded at New Masters Studio in Tyler. Emily’s music has delighted audiences and music critics with her jazz-infused sound, which she describes as “acoustic soul-folk.” She blends a hip musical perspective with an in-depth knowledge of classic favorites to create unique vocal and guitar arrangements.

A third-generation professional musician, Emily studied classical music as a piano student, then switched to guitar in middle school. She soon found that her greatest passion was in singing music of her own. Hungry to learn, she became part of her school’s national award-winning Renaissance chamber group and show choir, then studied jazz in programs at the University of North Texas and Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.

In 2006, at the end of her first year as a professional performer, The Dallas Morning News selected Emily as “local rookie of the year.” Now the Coppell, Texas native has won awards for music performances on both coasts and at home, including the 2007 Gibson/Baldwin Grammy Jazz Ensemble in Los Angeles and the Performing Songwriter Contest at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. She also won first place at the Old Settler’s Music Festival’s youth talent competition in Dripping Springs, and was grand prize winner in Texas Music Project’s Texas 10 Under 20 Contest in Dallas.

In September, Emily will move to Boston to attend Berklee, where she’s been awarded a full-tuition scholarship. She’s looking forward to playing for Texas audiences this summer and especially at Crossroads in Winnsboro.

To listen to samples of Emily’s music, go to http://www.myspace.com/emilyelbert, and for more information, click on Emily’s name above to go to her website.

Now - regarding opener Sydney Price. What a delight it was to hear her recently at a gathering of musical friends at Emily's home. And we're thrilled to have Sydney as our special guest opening artist on this evening.

SYDNEY PRICE, a graduate of the prestigious Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Dallas, Texas, was awarded the top prize in the 8th Annual John Lennon Scholarships, sponsored by the BMI Foundation. The program recognizes the best and brightest young songwriters from around the nation. Sydney received the 1st Place honors and a $10,000 scholarship during the BMI Pop Awards ceremony in L.A. on May 17.

The winning song, “Moon Lullaby” was written on her first overnight transatlantic flight. The lyrics allude to the excitement and anticipation of new experiences. And, with her talent, many new experiences await her.

As a vocalist, Sydney has been exposed to a wide range of musical styles and performances. She has sung with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and as the recipient of the 2004 and 2005 Shirley Tennyson-McFatter Competition has been the featured soloist with the Dallas Jazz Orchestra.

Sydney has also sung commercially on music produced for television, including music for the series, Peter Jennings, In Search of America, and CNN’s Showbiz Tonight. Currently, Sydney is pursuing a degree in vocal performance at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York. To listen to Sydney's music visit her online at: http://www.sydneyprice.com or at http://www.myspace.com/sydneyprice

Saturday, June 23rd, 2007

JONATHAN BYRD / James Michael Taylor opens

Folk legend Tom Paxton discovered Jonathan Byrd's music and sent him a quick email, saying, "What a treat to hear someone so deeply rooted in tradition, yet growing in his own beautiful way." He had just released "Wildflowers," in late 2001, simple tales of love and death that seemed to be a hundred years old or more. In 2003 Byrd released his second album, "The Waitress" and won the prestigious New Folk competition in Kerrville, TX. That year, he set CD sales records at the festival.

For his third album, Jonathan approached his friends, the critically acclaimed world-music duo known as Dromedary, often featured on National Public Radio's All Things Considered. "The Sea and The Sky" is the result, a vast, poetic suite of music that weds world sounds to deeply rooted folk balladry.

A native of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Jonathan grew up singing in the Southern Baptist church, where his father preached and his mother played piano. After four years in the Navy, he returned to Chapel Hill to play in rock bands in that legendary underground music scene. A friend of Jonathan's invited him to an old-time fiddle festival in the mountains of southwest Virginia, where his writing began to change. Assimilating the sounds of southern traditional music, Byrd wrote new songs in an ancient style.

One of those first songs was "Velma," a murder ballad based on the true story of Velma Barfield, the last woman to be executed in North Carolina (in 1984) and the murderer of Jonathan's own grandfather. This was the track that prompted Tom Paxton to respond so eloquently to Byrd's music.

As Jonathan grows into a contemporary artist of increasing influence, his traditional roots are always evident in his simple, poetic storytelling and classic flatpick guitar style. But, as quoted in a recent interview for Dirty Linen magazine, Jonathan says, "Everything I do is a departure from what I've done." "The Sea and the Sky" is certainly evidence of that. Keep an ear out for an upcoming electric album, sure to take us further out on a limb without forgetting our roots.

"I thought I was listening to a young
Doc Watson."
- Jay Moulon, Southeast Performer Magazine

We're DElighted to welcome back to Crossroads JAMES MICHAEL TAYLOR from Fort Worth. JMT opened for Kate Campbell here this past December 16. We love this man and his music. Here's what the Fort Worth Weekly wrote about him this past September when they labeled him the "staff choice" for best "free spirit" in their "Best Of" edition:

The local folk scene’s most inventive songwriter — a strong statement but it’s true — is a liberated cuss who’s played the clubs since the 1970s, sometimes solo, sometimes with Texas Water, a trio that consists of himself, his wife, and his ex-wife (told you he’s a free spirit). He’s a handyman who can put up Sheetrock, yank a water heater, or frame a window. He drives an old van to the Kerrville Folk Festival and stays the entire three weeks, immersing himself in late-night campfire singalongs, yet doesn’t drink, smoke, or use drugs. As an actor, he most recently landed a bit part on Fox’s Prison Break — but he also works behind the scenes as a union stage rigger at places like Bass Hall. Skills listed on his online resumé include yoyo champ, iron sculptor, backhoe operator, and juggler. He spends hours in his home studio writing and recording some of the most biting but thoughtful lyrics you’ll ever hear. The Weekly stopped by his house unannounced on a recent afternoon and the gaunt 62-year-old jack-of-all-trades answered his doorbell wearing a robe and looking like a prison camp inmate — he had shaved off his long silver hair for a tv audition.

Visit James Michael Taylor online at: http://www.jamesmichaeltaylor.com

Saturday, June 16th, 2007

LU MITCHELL & Catch 23

Visit this comedic folk diva online by clicking on her name above.

Lu Mitchell worked as a secretary for almost thirty years and hated every minute of it. Now, as a full-time folksinging songwriter and grandmother of two who began her music career by performing at the legendary Rubaiyat in Dallas, Texas, she's loving the life she leads as one of the busiest funny ladies on the folk music circuit.

Lu has appeared in concert at churches, universities, and corporate events throughout the Southwest. She is a consistent favorite at Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse, Poor David's Pub, and Pocket Sandwich Theatre, her "home base" these days. Additionally, she has shared the stage with The Kingston Trio, Tom Paxton, John Prine and many other name acts, and has performed for children in concert and on TV. She has released more than a dozen albums and published a songbook. She is currently at work on her autobiography.

Read what others say about Lu Mitchell:

"With Tom Lehrer long absent from the musical-satire scene, we rely more than ever on local folkies such as Lu Mitchell to make sense and nonsense of current events."
Perry Stewart, Ft. Worth Star Telegram, March 10, 2006

"...Lu Mitchell is a funny gal who...cocks a saucy, irreverent eye at our mad, mad, mad world... like a banshee zonked on truth serum."
Music Critic Grover Lewis

"Lu Mitchell was one of the earliest influences on my career. When I was only 17 years old Lu was actively singing and playing guitar in the Dallas area, making everyone aware of the impact that a good song can have on society in general. One thing we always loved about Lu was her humor, her satirical style, and her ability to keep her head during her performance. Her style is ageless. She is as fresh today as she was many years ago when I was a kid in high school."
Michael Martin Murphy, from the liner notes on the album "Chant of the Rat Race."

"They'll probably be singing Lu Mitchell's songs around the fire in summer camp around 2049. That's if by then young campers sing about old women caught growing marijuana or young women aspiring to be misbehaving White House interns..."
Lawson Taitte in "The Dallas Morning News," Sept. 16, 1999.

"... Lu's recordings and songbook... all full of her wise, witty and wonderful social commentary... Lu is able to channel strong feelings about the corporate world, the Christian right and the medical profession -- to name a few of the targets -- into clever and catchy songs, never sounding mean-spirited or superior... she flails the sacred cows of our society in high good spirits."
Faith Petric, Folknik, Newsletter of the San Francisco Folk Music Club

"...Her highly developed sense of the absurd keeps her satire fresh and sharp without being bitter. In the tradition of Tom Paxton and Tom Lehrer, Mitchell takes the "ire" out of "satire," writing with wry wit and whimsy of things frustrating to us all...."
Cathy Gould, Buddy Magazine

"...she is a kind of Erma Bombeck of the folk circuit... whose plucky wit and strong delivery of satirical commentary folksongs belie her age..."
Susan Pena, "Eagle-Times," Bethlehem, PA

OH -- and here's some IMPORTANT info on Lu's band CATCH 23! (We're not sure exactly which combination of band members will be with Lu this evening, but it'll be GOOD, we know that!) Here's the roll call...

LU is lead singer-songwriter-satirist and guiding light for Catch-23, the band she named after Joseph Heller's novel entitled Catch-22. She has a songbook called Singing for Her Sanity, a passport, and loves to travel.

DRAKE ROGERS (lead guitar) has performed with Lu and Catch-23 since 1986. He's played lead guitar and sung vocal harmonies on most of Lu's albums. He now co-manages Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse at Northpark Presbyterian Church in Dallas and teaches guitar.

LADONNA GOETZ (bass & vocals) brings 24 years of experience with various bands to Catch-23. She has toured with Solid Gold and Lady Luck. Although LaDonna has recorded with Lu and other artists, she's also produced three CDs of her own: TWO KINDS OF LOVE and, with Kirk Edens, CYCLES. Her latest release is LETTING GO.

GERALD JONES, while not a regular band member, is a frequent welcome guest in Lu's shows. A consummate musician, Gerald plays violin, mandolin, and guitar; and he has won several national awards for banjo. He has played with such performers as Vince Gil, LeAnn Rimes, and George Jones.

GAY TAYLOR (harmony & percussion) is lead singer for the THE RAGGED EDGE folk band.

BILL SMITH often sings duets with Lu...mostly about love and war between the sexes.

Friday, June 1st, 2007

7th Annual NORTHEAST TEXAS MUSIC FESTIVAL

Located at Winnsboro City Park & Pavilion, this is the Winnsboro festival's seventh year! There's a carnival for kids on Friday evening, June 1. And the carnival and live music happen all day on Saturday, June 2! Find out all the details on artists, tickets, camping and more by clicking on the name of the festival above. We also have this festival listed on the Links page of our own Crossroads web site. FLASH: This year's festival features THE BELLAMY BROTHERS performing their hits: Let Your Love Flow, If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body, Sugar Daddy, Lovers Live Longer, Redneck Girl, Kids of the Baby Boom, Old Hippie, . . . and many more!

Saturday, May 26th, 2007

THE LAWS

http://www.myspace.com/thelawsmusic Visit The Laws' myspace link for a quick listen to their award-winning song "Am I Still the One" - or click on their name above to visit their web site.

Exciting news about "Am I Still the One", the first track from The Laws new CD, Ride it Out:

"Am I Still the One," written by John and Michele Law and Regie Hamm won the General Category of the 2007 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at MerleFest in North Carolina, Friday, April 27, 2007. Previous winners have included Gillian Welch and Tift Merritt ... this is the first time a Canadian has won this prestigious contest!

The Laws played Crossroads this past October, and we welcome them back to the Crossroads stage.

Husband and wife performing songwriters John and Michele Law, exploded onto the Canadian music scene in 2000 with the release of their first independent CD, Estimated Time of Revival.

The Laws are instantly recognizable by their "tight-as-a-glove"
harmony singing and "full of feel" instrumentation. John and Michele's songs cross the boundaries of country, folk, bluegrass and blues, and they have shared the stage with everyone from Emmylou
Harris to Randy Bachman.

There's an obvious connection between John and Michele that comes
through naturally in their live performance. The Laws' songs and show
will restore your faith in true love. Six years and 4 CD's later, they've made the road their home, touring non-stop throughout the US,
Canada and Australia on a "permanent honeymoon" ... and they're just
getting started!

THIS WILL BE A MEMORABLE Memorial Day weekend concert at
Crossroads!!!

Thursday, May 24th, 2007

36th Annual KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL

The festival runs May 24 through June 10, 2007. This festival is THE ideal place to hear MANY of the artists you've come to know and love who've played the Crossroads stage. Click on the festival name above to go directly to the Kerrville Folk Festival web site. There, you can find all the info you need on the artists playing the festival this year, details about camping on the ranch, news about the Labor Day Weekend wine and music festival, and more! Are you a Kerrvert?!

Saturday, May 19th, 2007

MALCOLM HOLCOMBE / David Byboth opens!

To hear Malcolm's music, go directly to his web site by clicking on his name above.

Born and raised in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina, Malcolm Holcombe is being recognized by the contemporary U.S and European folk/americana community as a performer of national stature, and an uncommonly unique guitarist/vocalist about whom Rolling Stone magazine says: "Haunted country, acoustic blues and rugged folk all meet [here]..."

Malcolm's 2006 CD release, Not Forgotten, once again lifts Holcombe's music to another dimension. With a small, tight combo of experienced players, including bassist Bill Reynolds (Donna the Buffalo), and dobro player Jared Tyler (David Wilcox) this CD reveals a meeting ground where traditional and contemporary folk, rock and blues all converge. Taken together the final result is a deep drawing from the resonant well of our musical heritage, and its fusion, through Holcombe's inimitable style, should not be missed.

Not Forgotten was produced by Malcolm Holcombe and Aaron Price at Collapseable Studios in Asheville, NC; mastered by 2005/2006 Grammy award winner Ray Kennedy (Steve Earle, Delbert McClinton) at Zen Masters Studios in Nashville, TN.

Malcolm also recorded the song "The Old Woman Taught Wisdom" for the upcoming Sony/Emergent release "Song Of America". Sponsored by National History Day, produced by Ed Pettersen and David Macias, the project is the history of the U.S. in song from 1620 to the present. It will be distributed in public schools across the country, as well as retail sale, with all profits going to music education. The CD's were released in 2006, with a concert and documentary on PBS scheduled for sometime this year.

His 2005 CD release, I Never Heard You Knockin' was called "Holcombe at his best" by No Depression magazine and earned four stars in Performing Songwriter and American Songwriter. The Wall Street Journal's Jim Fusilli calls the CD "... a stunning aural equivalent of found art", and goes on to name it one of the best discs of 2005, as does Jim Farber in The New York Daily News.

Holcombe's album "A Hundred Lies" (Hip-O/Universal) received a four star review in Rolling Stone by music editor David Fricke, and received accolades from USA Today, No Depression, and Dirty Linen as well as international press. His moody poetry, country blues guitar and rumbling baritone has garnered comparisons to notable musicians such as Tom Waits and John Prine. He has also earned raves from such Nashville notables as Lucinda Williams.

Malcolm has toured with Shelby Lynne and opened for such notable artists as Merle Haggard, Richard Thompson, John Hammond, Leon Russell and Wilco. In addition, Maura O'Connell cut two of Malcolm's songs on her album "Walls and Windows". Touring throughout the year, his live performances are legendary among his legions of fans. He continues to write prolifically, appearing regularly on radio in areas in which he is performing.

Tonight's opener DAVID BYBOTH played mandolin on a song or two with friend Ray Wylie Hubbard for our Crossroads 1st Anniversary Concert this past Thanksgiving. Welcome back David! You can hear David's music at: http://www.myspace.com/byboth.

Thursday, May 17th, 2007

T-Roy Miller's PICKIN' IN THE PINES

Located at Pine Mills (20 or so miles southeast of Winnsboro), Pickin' in the Pines happens twice a year, the third weekends in May and September.

By the way, we're looking forward to T&C Miller's concert on the Crossroads stage coming up this July 7!

This Spring's Pickin' in the Pines happens May 17-20. Learn more about who's playin' when (HINT: Terri Hendrix & Lloyd Maines will be there!!) by visiting T-Roy's web site (click on festival name above). There's also more about this homegrown music festival on our own Links page here on the Crossroads web site.

Saturday, May 12th, 2007

ADAM CARROLL / Ryan Beaver opens!

Adam last played the Crossroads stage on March 17, 2006. We look forward to his return. And based on his last visit, this promises to be a sell-out night!

We loved this quote from Linda Ray of No Depression magazine (a WAY cool music publication, FYI): "Adam Carroll might be peddling short stories to the New Yorker today had he not fallen into a rock n' roll fantasy, namely the notion that he could get girls with a guitar. He's not saying if it worked, but literature's loss is music's gain.

Carroll's keen observations of the commonplace yield characters as familiar as the next cab driver, or the guy slinging suds in the coffee shop kitchen. With marvelous economy, the former student of poetry and creative writing imparts a vital sense of character and motivation, like, say, Faulkner or Steinbeck, or, for that matter, Guy Clark." To learn more about this Texas music mainstay, go to his web site! (To do that, just click on his name above.)

We always love hearing Ryan Beaver. His voice and songs are not to be missed; yet another star in the making from Texas' upper east side! Hear a song from his debut CD in the works at http://www.myspace.com/ryanbeaver

Saturday, May 5th, 2007

DIDDLEY SQUAT / E-Flat Porch Band opens

HEY! Do you know Diddley Squat?! :) If not, come to Crossroads on this May Saturday night -- and you will! It's Cinco de Mayo to boot! Diddley Squat played Crossroads this past September 9, 2006, and we're soooo glad they're comin' back! For a clue as to how good and how SERIOUS these guys are as blues players, read on. Or click on their name above to go directly to their web site.

In 2004, Diddley Squat placed 1st in the Sonny Boy Blues Society Battle of the Bands, and in turn, had the honor of opening the 2004 King Biscuit Blues Festival - an annual event in Helena, Arkansas, and one of the most famous and respected blues festivals in the world. And in October 2005, Diddley Squat was chosen to participate in the acclaimed "Blues in the Schools" program in Helena, Arkansas, in conjunction with their participation in the annual blues fest there.

The group’s front man is guitarist/vocalist Jim 'Blind Lemon Pie' Cobb, whose influences range from the blues styling of Duke Robillard, Gatemouth Brown, T-Bone Walker, and Ronnie Earl, to classic rock aces like Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, and Mark Knopfler. His vocals embrace it all - from suave and sexy soul ballads to growling, strutting blues, to energetic interpretations of such greats as Van Morrison and Delbert McClinton, to jazzy scatting you might expect from George Benson. Jim is known to surprise the crowd with some subdued solo resonator slide, and then take right off with the full band into a rollicking Ray Charles number.

On the horn is resident live-wire Rick 'Saxman' Sims. Rick exudes enthusiasm as he honks and blows up magical leads, working his way through the crowd, leaving jaws dropping and heads spinning. His influences include Boots Randolph, King Curtis, Ace Cannon, and Doug James. Lately, Rick has added some ethereal, jazzy flute work, and an old-time classic - a jug.

Rodney 'Gizmo' Beal is the steady drivin' man on bass (who also happens to be a great drummer when the occasion arises). At times this multi-instrumentalist is found walking the bass line like a younger, thinner Willie Dixon. Sometimes you’ll find him holding a funky tapped groove like he’s channeling Jaco Pastorious, and other times he may be alternating between soothing-soul bottom lines and hard-hitting rock n’ roll panache.

Val "Valeron" Nail, the bands "shot in the arm" drummer, is the "groove king" when performing.
Val started his music career at an unheard of young age. At four years old he was playing the piano, at five he got his first set of drums, and he's been mastering his craft ever since. Between school band programs, performing at Christian events, and via sheer self determination, Val has emerged into a spectacular musician and composer. His previous bands have varied from R&B to progressive trance-hop. His influences are the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tool, and Steve Gadd, to name a few. Val toured with Little Milton's last road gig in Texas before Milton's death. Roll over 'Beatovan' -- here comes Val! Also on this night at Crossroads, Diddley Squat welcomes special guest vocalist and percussionist Ms. Sylvia Carrell!

We're also jazzed about this evening's special OPENING guest -- the E-FLAT PORCH BAND. Known for their soulful performances of original and traditional acoustic blues, this will be their first appearance at Crossroads. Visit them online at: http://www.eflatporchband.com

Friday, May 4th, 2007

Warren Jackson Hearne and Johann Wagner

WILL RE-SCHEDULE ASAP!!! Still, we hope you'll enjoy reading about these artists (below) and link to their music on their web sites!

WARREN JACKSON HEARNE
(NOTE: We've interjected this great write-up on Warren's music, with a few parenthetical comments of our own. And yes, Warren is the first-born son of Crossroads' own Lindy Hearne.)

Out of Missoula, Montana, Warren Jackson Hearne wandered into Denton, Texas in 2000, bringing with him a past steeped in underground music and a family engaged in gospel and country. His blending of folklore and traditional ballads created the Merrie Murdre of Gloomadeers (as in murdre of crows), who have been driven by Warren's Sampoerna-clouded music, a music which evokes haunting spirits of dead lovers and pale-faced, avalanche-murdered friends of the past. (Yes, we sometimes refer to Warren's music as "death folk" - but really when you stop and think about it - the great folk music of any generation is woven with tales of woe, and laments of gloom and doom. Warren's lyrics are so cinematic, his music so mesmerizing - for us, it is a celebration of the beauty in the darkness.)

Warren's music maintains a historical presence that resurrects atmospheres of starkly-lit taverns that span from the edges of cossack battlefields to Edwardian metropolitans. Warren Jackson Hearne and The Gloomadeers have been described as death-folk americana, stemming from their broken circus sounds led by Warren's whiskey-drenched baritone. (This evening we'll miss Warren's wonderful merrie band of players, but we'll enjoy the distinct pleasure of hearing Warren solo.) Visit him online at: http://www.myspace.com/gloomadeer
JOHANN WAGNER
After a four-month tour to support his new record "Songs From the Kitchen Sink,” Wagner has made Austin, Texas, his home. He has performed at six universities, two television shows, countless radio shows, the Kerrville Folk Festival, and was a featured artist at the Texas Storytelling Festival, The Deep Ellum Arts and Music Festival, and The Fort Worth Arts Festival. He has been featured on NPR’s Texas Eclectic radio show along with a spot on Texas Radio One. He was labeled as Number 1 Best Bet by both the Austin American Statesman and The Dallas Morning news. Wagner's music has been covered by more than 18 artists, and two of his songs were featured in the film “The Porch.” The Dallas Morning News referred to Wagner as “A North Texas Songwriting Staple.” His songs consist of his highway travels, broken hearts, and the strangers he has met along his journeys. He mainly performs as a solo artist but is often backed up with his band, the Kitchen Sink Poets. He was born in West Virgina, raised in Albuquerque, NM, and spent the last 15 years in Texas. Wagner has recorded two albums on Insect Records with Polyphonic Spree member and string arranger, Rick G. Nelson. He is working on a third recording that will feature a couple of songs from other Insect Recording artists. Wagner has been compared to Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Ryan Adams and Townes Van Zandt. He was a regional finalist in the New Folk Songwriting Competition, and while still in college, won the Texas Collegiate Songwriter Award. Visit Johann online at: http://www.myspace.com/johannwagner