Two amazingly talented acts will be performing at The Evening Muse this Thursday, February 24th in Charlotte, NC: Cathie Ryan and Larry Keel & Natural Bridge.
Traditional Irish vocalist Cathie Ryan (Cherish the Ladies) is suberbly talented and has receive the award of “Female Vocalist of the Decade” by liveireland.com. Cathie will be accompanied on guitar and vocals by Ireland native Patsy O’Brien whose guitar playing moves from driving rhythm to delicate and melodic finger picking. The New Haven Advocate writes, “His music is stomping and ocean breezy – sure footed and fragile …”. Cathie will also be accompanied by on fiddle by New York born Matt Mancuso, who was the star fiddle player in Lord of the Dance – performing to sell out crowds throughout the world; a founding member of the rousing ensemble The Mickey Finns, and has taken star turns in tours with Irish super-group Grada. Cathie Ryan starts the evening off at 8pm.
Alternative Bluegrass ensemble Larry Keel and Natural Bridge have a show in the late evening slot, beginning at 10:30pm. Larry Keel is award winning flatpicker that is well known for his gravelly voice and lightning fast licks. Keel is backed by his band, Natural Bridge made up of the vastly talented Mark Schimick on mandolin and vocals, Larry’s life-long picker pal (and fishing phenom) Will Lee on soulful, blues-grass style 5-string banjo and penetrating lead vocals, and wife Jenny Keel with her impeccable timing and solid, yet imaginative bass lines as well as tenor vocal harmonies.
Irish American singer-songwriter, Cathie Ryan, has been called a “thrilling traditional vocalist,” by the Boston Globe. Billboard Magazine says her voice is, “enchanting.” and The Irish Echo says her singing is “mature, masterful, at times magnificent.” Since her acclaimed seven year tenure as lead singer of Cherish the Ladies, Cathie has released 4 critically acclaimed CDs on Shanachie Records: Cathie Ryan, The Music of What Happens, Somewhere Along the Road, and her latest, The Farthest Wave. She is featured on more than forty compilations of Celtic Music worldwide, including the renowned A Woman’s Heart – A Decade On.
Cathie tours internationally, headlining at performing arts centers, folk festivals, and guest starring with symphony orchestras. A captivating performer, Cathie’s shows are renowned for their blend of song, story, and the virtuoso playing of her award-winning band. “Anyone wondering what constitutes excellence in Irish American singing today, need only attend a Cathie Ryan concert…” The Wall Street Journal.
“There is a powerful sweetness in Cathie Ryan’s voice, as well as a Celtic intensity that can be felt in all the songs she writes and sings–songs of place, songs of memory, poignant songs of the heart,” state Billy Collins, Former U.S. Poet Laureate.
“With an unofficial title of ‘Bluegrass Legend and Master Fisherman’, Larry Keel is considered one of the best flatpickers on the planet. Steeped in the old-timey and with a gravelly voice as deep and rich as moonshine on a riverbank… Larry’s flat-picking style is as seamless as it is gymnastic and he’s a master at simulating banjo rolls, mandolin runs or even parts that you would normally hear played on a fiddle,” touts Mousike Magazine.
John Patrick Gatta from Jambands.com depicts, “It’s the approach to the material that makes all the difference here, a hybrid of bluegrass with folk, country and jazz that tweaks the arrangements in subtly, shifting ways to grab one’s attention. Keel dubs it New Mountain Music, and that’s good enough for me. It feels like sunshine peaking through a thick forest or a sunrise with the grass caked by morning dew.”
Keel has weathered the changing tides of traditional bluegrass, country, jam rock, roots reggae, and even the currently emerging indie-alt scene always honoring the pioneers that introduced Bluegrass and Mountain Music into popular culture. Throughout his career, Keel has released 13 albums and is featured on 10 others. He is an ever-evolving musical force that stands in ongoing defiance to all genre expectations. And his fierce, high-spirited energy also appeals to young rockers, jammers and alt country pickers and fans who are equally drawn to Keel’s deep rumbling voice, his earthy and imaginative song-writing, and his down-home-gritty-good-time charm.
Guitar Player Magazine states, “When bluegrass guitar greats Tony Rice, Norman Blake, and Beppe Gambeta sing your praises, you must be good.”
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Show Details:
8pm Cathie Ryan $8 adv/ $10 dos
10:30pm Larry Keel & Natural Bridge $12 adv/ $14 dos
704-376-3737
3227 N. Davidson Street
Charlotte, NC
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