Donna the Buffalo Performs at Levon Helm Studios on Fri 9/4

Levon Helm Studios Presents Donna the Buffalo
Friday, September 4, 2015

“There are many meaningful, inspirational, and important happenings on this musical life journey and I will say that having had the great fortune to meet Levon Helm, and play music along side him was at the very top of my list. Levon was a soulful and beautiful spirit through and through, perhaps the most soulful and inspiring musician I’ve ever heard or watched play. I had the great honor of playing the Midnight Ramble after recording ‘Wood And Stone’ [2011] there and I am very excited to be returning to The Barn with Donna The Buffalo. It is a truly special place. A truly hallowed hall.” —Tara Nevins, Donna the Buffalo

Gates 6pm/ Show 8pm; Seating $35/ Standing Room $25
More info at http://levonhelm.com/midnight_ramble.htm
Levon Helm Studios: 160 Plochmann Lane, Woodstock, NY 12498
845.679.2744

Distinctive, groove-heavy, and danceable,
Donna the Buffalo is a band for the people

Having started in 1989, Donna the Buffalo just passed the marker as their 25th year as a band and have proven to be a true purveyor of American music. What’s the recipe? To be sure, it’s infused with more spices than you’ll find at a Cajun cookout by way of a southern-fried, rockin’ country old-time jamboree. “For the dizzying array of styles and genres with which they work, Donna The Buffalo maintain a surprising level of consistency… over the course of their 25-year career, they retain a sharp focus that has helped them create some truly lasting music…” writes Elmore. “Few groups are this comfortable as performers, and even fewer would take as many risks.”

Donna the Buffalo. Photo by Bill Davis.

Donna the Buffalo is Jeb Puryear (vocals, electric guitar) and Tara Nevins (vocals, guitar, fiddle, accordion, scrubboard) joined by David McCracken (Hammond organ, Honer Clavinet & piano), Kyle Spark (bass) and Mark Raudabaugh (drums). “It’s been really fun with this lineup,” Puryear says. “You get to the point where you’re playing on a really high level, things are clicking and it’s like turning on the key to a really good car. It just goes.”

“You have to do just what you want to do, and everyone likes different things,” Nevins says. “Both Jeb and I come from this background of old-time fiddle music, which is very natural, very real, very under-produced, and all about coming from the gut—flying by the seat of your pants. So we have that in us, too.”

Donna the Buffalo has also announced The Stampede: A tour to raise awareness to the inappropriate use of corporate money in politics. They’ve joined forces with Ben Cohen, Co-Founder of Ben & Jerry’s, who has started stamping slogans on currency in protest (stampstampede.org). “As a band, we have made a long term commitment to join this burgeoning movement,” says Jeb Puryear. “It is clear to us that we will never get significant government action on issues like healthcare, student debt, wall street banks, the environment, and corporate tax evasion until we outlaw legalized corporate bribery of our politicians.”

They are joining forces with legendary American roots music troubadour Peter Rowan to kick off The Stampede in the Fall of 2015 and are looking to snowball the tour into the election year to raise awareness to the topic. Peter Rowan says, “At last, it comes around again; making music with Donna the Buffalo, one of my favorites.”

All Music Guide says their most recent album, Tonight, Tomorrow and Yesterday (2013 Sugar Hill Records), “highlights everything this consistent band does, and it has a warm, live-sounding production… This is what 21st century Americana sounds like, a little bit of this and that from anywhere wrapped up into a poignant, jamming dance reel, a place where the past and history meet easily in the immediate now and everybody feels like dancing.”

Donna the Buffalo has toured the nation for over twenty five years with an ever-evolving grassroots sound and plans to keep on doing so for many years to come.

For more information and tour dates, please visit www.donnathebuffalo.com
facebook.com/donnathebuffalo and twitter.com/donnathebuffalo

What folks are saying about Donn the Buffalo:

“Multi-instrumentalist Tara Nevins and Jeb Puryear, both ace guitarists, split vocals and writing for this band that’s country, old-timey, rock and roll, and well, just all around great. Best tune? Pick any one.” —Vintage Guitar

“I first encountered DtB at MerleFest in the late 1990s. They were to me an unknown band with a weird name in the dance tent. I got seduced by Tara Nevins’ accordion and swishy beats and next thing I knew I was soaked with sweat and losing myself. They’re the EDM of Americana.“ —Music City Roots’ Craig Havighurst

“Initially inspired by Appalachian string music, they’ve since incorporated folk, pop, soul, zydeco, and psychedelic rock. Meanwhile, Jeb Puryear’s reedy tenor and Tara Nevins’ husky comely croon complement each other with their earthy charm, yet as songwriters they each possess their own distinct character.” ––Charleston Scene

“The beauty of Donna’s presentation and the secret of their success and longevity is the purely organic way they weave genres together without diluting them. Many bands can’t generate this kind of enthusiasm and energy in half as much time and with half as many albums that Donna the Buffalo have over twentysomething years and ten studio albums.” —Cleveland Scene

“They’ve got some real chops in just about every department.” —The Nashville Scene

“Donna the Buffalo is quite simply one of the groovin’est bands in America — a bona-fide American institution.” —New Haven Register

For more information and tour dates, please visit www.donnathebuffalo.com
facebook.com/donnathebuffalo and twitter.com/donnathebuffalo

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Tara Nevins (of Donna the Buffalo) and Friends Tour the Southeast This December

Tara Nevins (of Donna the Buffalo) and Friends
Tour the Southeast This December
Performing Songs From Her Latest Solo Release ‘Wood and Stone’

Tara Nevins and Friends on Tour:
Wed 12/5  Atlanta, GA  Smith’s Olde Bar
Thur 12/6  Charlotte, NC  The Double Door Inn
Fri 12/7  Asheville, NC  The Grey Eagle
Sat 12/8  Huntsville, AL Kaffeeklatsch

“A tour de force from start to finish” –Elmore Magazine about Wood and Stone

“If heroes and heroines of rock ‘n’ roll are defined by their uniqueness, they definitely broke the mold when they made Tara Nevins.” —Wildman Steve

American roots traditionalist Tara Nevins will be touring this winter in the southeast for select shows, in between her other gigs with Donna the Buffalo. She will be performing songs from her latest solo release, Wood and Stone, on Sugar Hills Records which hit in the Top 20 on the Americana Music Chart in 2011.

Joining Nevins for this tour are Riley Baugus (Banjo), Mike Compton (Mandolin), Pete Finney (pedal steel & electric guitar), David Grier (Acoustic Guitar), Todd Phillips (bass), Mark Raudabaugh (Donna the Buffalo’s  Drummer), and Amber-Dawn Rische (harmony vocals & 2nd fiddle).

Fans of Nevins from her 21-year tenure with Donna the Buffalo are familiar with her versatile talents; she shares the vocal and songwriting responsibilities for the band and is a stellar musician on fiddle, guitar, and accordion. (She plays a mean scrubboard too.) Prior to DTB, Nevins was a founding member of the all-female, old time/Cajun band The Heartbeats.

Wood and Stone was produced by Larry Campbell at the Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY and showcases Nevins’ ever-evolving repertoire as she journeys both back to her own “roots” and head-long into new territory. Featured guests on the album include Levon Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Allison Moorer, Teresa Williams, The Heartbeats, along with the core band of Larry Campbell, Justin Guip, and Byron Isaacs.

CMT says, “With the wonderful fiddle groove and vividly written lyrics, Nevins gives a glimpse into her roots. Stepping out for a rare solo record (beyond her beloved band, Donna the Buffalo), she meshes her Cajun influences, unique voice, drums and steel guitars for an intriguing look at her heritage.”

“Two surprises on the album are “Stars Fell on Alabama,” in which Nevins turns the ‘30s jazz standard into a bleak, gothic soundscape, and “Tennessee River,” an even more desolate turn recalling the best of Lucinda Williams,“ writes Lonesome Road Review.

For more visit www.TaraNevins.com

WATCH- Stars Fell on Alabama Official Music Video
WATCH – Tennessee River performance and interview

About the Players for the Tour:

Riley Baugus. Photo by Abigail Seymoure

RILEY BAUGUS
Riley Baugus represents the best of old time American banjo and song. His powerful singing voice and his expert musicianship place him squarely in the next generation of the quality American roots tradition. When not teaching or building banjos, Riley can be found out on the road performing or in the studio recording.  Riley was the acapella ballad singer for the voice of Pangle in the Academy Award-winning film “Cold Mountain”.

His banjo playing can be heard on several recordings such as Alison Kraus and Robert Plants “Raising Sand, Willie Nelsons “Country Music”, and his two acclaimed solo recordings, “Life Of Riley” and “Long Steel Rail”, to mention only a few. He’s performed with many Old Time string bands and artists such as Dirk Powell, Tim O’brien, Kirk Sutphin, and The Lonesome Sisters. Riley makes his home near Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Photo Courtesy of Mike Compton

MIKE COMPTON
Preservationist, performer, modern-day musical pioneer, composer, and educator, Mike Compton, a musician’s musician has rightly earned a reputation as one of the best and most influential mandolin players in acoustic music today. Grammy award winner, nominated IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year, and musical US Ambassador throughout the world, Mike has entertained at Carnegie Hall, at the White House, and been honored by the Mississippi State Senate with State Resolution Number 45, a special honor commending his musical accomplishments.

Over a span of 35 years, Compton has made a career playing on recordings of others adding his signature sound. Mike has made music with such diverse notables as Ralph Stanley, Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes, David Grier,producer T-Bone Burnett (O Brother, Where Art Thou and Down From The Mountain tours), Nashville Bluegrass Band, John Hartford to name a few, and has performed on over 100 CD’s in a variety of genres, with some of the most beloved artists of our day.

Photo Courtesy of Pete Finny

PETE FINNEY
Pete Finney is a pedal-steel guitarist (and multi-instrumentalist) who has toured and recorded with Patty Loveless for over 20 years, and also worked extensively with folks like the Dixie Chicks, Vince Gill, Pam Tillis, Jim Lauderdale, Doug Sahm as well as countless others,
and has recording credits with the likes of Justin Townes Earle, Bonnie “Prince” Billy,  Radney Foster and Beck.

Photo Courtesy of David Grier

DAVID GRIER
The most award-winning guitarist in recent memory is David Grier. For the past several years, he has been voted by the members of the International Bluegrass Music Association as Best Guitar Player of the Year. He has also appeared on two Grammy- winning recordings: “True Life Blues-A Tribute to Bill Monroe” and “The Great Dobro Sessions.” David is also included in the book, “1,000 Great Guitarists.”

In addition to touring solo, David also appears as the guitarist for Psychograss, who are currently celebrating a critically acclaimed new album, “Now Hear This”.  David makes his home in Nashville.

Photo Courtesy of Todd Phillips

TODD PHILLIPS
Todd Phillips is the bassist of choice for many of the most innovative, as well as traditional, acoustic instrumental and bluegrass recordings made since the mid-1970s.  A two-time Grammy Award winner and founding member of the original David Grisman Quintet, Phillips has made a career of consistently performing and recording with acoustic music’s finest and most creative artists.  He also played in The Tony Rice Unit and the now classic bluegrass recording group The Bluegrass Album Band.

Phillips has had the opportunity to work with a virtual “who’s who” of acoustic music’s finest, such as Vassar Clements, Ricky Skaggs, Sam Bush, John Hartford, Jerry Douglas, Alison Brown, Mike Marshall, Stuart Duncan, Tim O’Brien, Del McCoury, Darrell Scott, Larry Campbell, John Doyle, Dirk Powell, Joan Baez and many more.  Phillips has produced recordings for guitar great David Grier; “Panorama”, and two projects for mandolinist Matt Flinner; “The View From Here” and “Latitude”, which lead to the formation of the innovative instrumental trio; Phillips, Grier & Flinner and their two unique and highly acclaimed CDs; “Phillips, Grier & Flinner” and “Looking Back” (Compass Records).   Todd Phillips lives in Nashville, tours with Psychograss, Russ Barenberg & Brittany Haas, will tour Russia (w/ Bill Evans) in August 2012, reuniting with The Bluegrass Album Band (scheduled 2013) and is doing studio work in his new home town.

Mark Raudabaugh. Photo By Lori Sky Twohy.

MARK RAUDABAUGH
Atlanta based drummer, Mark Raudabaugh, is a versatile and skilled performer who is currently on the road with Donna the Buffalo. He has also toured with Papa Mali, Bobby Lee Rodgers and The CodeTalkers, Grant Green Jr., Ruby Velle and The Soulphonics, among many others.

Photo Courtesy of Amber-Dawn Rische Nicholas

AMBER-DAWN RISCHE NICHOLAS
Amber-Dawn Rische Nicholas has been performing worldwide for many years as a violinist and singer with the now disbanded Arista/Sony Nashville signed group, Jypsi. With the band, she had the opportunity to play many prestigious venues such as Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, South By Southwest (SXSW), Stagecoach, and many more including several appearances at The Ryman and The Grand Ole Opry. She has toured/performed with major artists including, Darius Rucker, Ronnie Milsap, Hootie & the Blowfish, etc. She has also gained invaluable experience working in the studio with many of the world’s top record producers such as Don Was, Nathan Chapman, Tony Smith, and the list goes on.

Amber-Dawn presently performs with her husband Bobby Nicholas in their duo BAD Nicholas.  They have recently written and recorded their first album together “We Will Fly”.  Amber-Dawn makes her home in Nashville.

Visit TaraNevins.com and Facebook.com/TaraNevins or Facebook.com/TaraNevinsFiddle for more information about the album, a gallery of images, videos, music, and lyrics.

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Tara Nevins Announces Shows in Atlanta 12/5 and Asheville 12/7

Tara Nevins Performs in the Southeast this Winter
Performing Songs from Her Latest Solo Release ‘Wood & Stone’

NEW DATES: Tara Nevins and Friends on Tour:
Wed 12/5  Atlanta, GA  Smith’s Olde Bar
Thur 12/6  Charlotte, NC  The Double Door Inn
Fri 12/7  Asheville, NC  The Grey Eagle
Sat 12/8  Huntsville, AL Kaffeeklatsch

Click here for updated information and a cast of performers!

American roots traditionalist Tara Nevins will be touring this winter in the southeast for select shows, in between her other gigs with Donna the Buffalo. She will be performing songs from her latest solo release on Sugar Hills Records which hit in the Top 20 on the Americana Music Chart in 2011. Wood and Stone is an exploration of her own heritage, musical and otherwise and was produced by Larry Campbell at the Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY. It showcases Nevins’ ever-evolving repertoire as she journeys both back to her own “roots” and head-long into new territory. Featured guests on the album include Levon Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Allison Moorer, Teresa Williams, The Heartbeats, along with the core band of Larry Campbell, Justin Guip, and Byron Isaacs.

Fans of Nevins from her 22-year tenure with Donna the Buffalo are familiar with her versatile talents; she shares the vocal and songwriting responsibilities for the band and is a stellar musician on fiddle, guitar, and accordion. (She plays a mean scrubboard too.) Prior to DTB, Nevins was a founding member of the all-female, old time/Cajun band The Heartbeats. (They join her on two tracks here as well.) Wood and Stone delivers the musical expertise fans have come to expect and surprises with new perspectives.

WATCH- Stars Fell on Alabama Official Music Video
WATCH – Tennessee River performance and interview

Performers for the shows

Tara Nevins– vocals, fiddle, guitar
Mike Compton – Mandolin
Mark Raudabaugh – Drums
Riley Baugus– Banjo
Todd Phillips – bass
Tommy Hannum – pedal steel & electric guitar
Amber Dawn Rische– harmony vocals and 2nd fiddle
Tba – Acoustic Guitar

What the Press says about Tara Nevins’ “Wood & Stone”

“A tour de force from start to finish” – Kay Cordtz, Elmore

“With the wonderful fiddle groove and vividly written lyrics, Nevins gives a glimpse into her roots. Stepping out for a rare solo record (beyond her beloved band, Donna the Buffalo), she meshes her Cajun influences, unique voice, drums and steel guitars for an intriguing look at her heritage.” —CMT

“If heroes and heroines of rock ‘n’ roll are defined by their uniqueness, they definitely broke the mold when they made Tara Nevins.” —Wildman Steve, The Corner News

“The centerpiece of the album, in my opinion, is the sweeping “The Wrong Side,” which features Allison Moorer and Teresa Williams. It’s a track sounds like it was from the O’Brother Where Art Thou? sessions, but the same could be said of the haunting “Stars Fell On Alabama,” where once again Nevins shows her prowess on the fiddle. This is an exceptional piece of music, one that I think needs to be heard—to prove that people are still cutting “Country Music” these days!” —Chuck Dauphin, Music News Nashville

“a wide-ranging affair encompassing all manner of rootsy Americana, spiced with Nevins’s voice and multi-instrumentalist skills, served up in a package that is polished but never slick. Nevins, in other words, is the real deal.” —David Maine, Pop Matters

“The sound is both loose and tight at the same time; the band knows how to walk that line and let Nevins be herself. To put it simply, it just plain works.”  —Brian Robbins, Jambands.com

“…….and a version of “Stars Fell on Alabama” that is now among my favorites. She has rearranged the tune magnificently and rekindled the spirit of the song.” —Cat Johnson, No Depression

“Wood And Stone adds another powerful and engaging chapter to Nevins’ musical achievements”. —Steven Stone, Vintage Guitar

Visit Tara Nevins website www.TaraNevins.com for more information about the album, a gallery of images, videos, music, and lyrics.

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Americana Roots Rockers, Donna the Buffalo, Return to Florida for NYE and a host of other shows this January!

DtB will play 3 days at Skippers in Tampa for NYE 12/30/11-1/1/2012

Fri-Sun, Dec 30- Jan 1, 2012 – Tampa, FL – Skipper’s Smokehouse
Wed-Thu, Jan 4-5, 2012 – Key West, FL – Green Parrot
Fri, Jan 6, 2011 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution Live
Sat, Jan 7, 2012 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza “Live”

Announcing Virginia Key Grassroots Festival in Miami Feb 10-12th

I am thrilled to announce that Americana roots rockers Donna the Buffalo return to Florida for a 3 Day New Year’s Eve run at Skippers in Tampa! They will also stop in at The Green Parrot in Key West on Jan 4-5th, Revolution Live in Ft. Lauderdale on Jan 6th and the Plaza “Live” on January 7th in Orlando.

DtB will return to Florida for the 1st annual Virginia Key Grassroots Festival in Miami from February 10-12th and will be back in Northern Florida at Live Oak for Suwanee Springfest in March of 2012!

Donna the Buffalo‘s feel-good, groove-oriented, danceable and often socially conscious music all began over twenty years ago with roots in old time fiddle music that evolved into a soulful electric Americana mix infused with elements of cajun/ zydeco, rock, folk, reggae, and country. Donna the Buffalo is known for touring the country remaining fiercely independent as one of the industry’s most diverse roots-music bands and has “earned a reputation as one of the most respected, eclectic and hardest-working acts today,” praises Encore.

“Donna the Buffalo is in the enviable position of being a homegrown entity, a group that finds itself outside the coloring lines of the accepted formula, a formula that is now in the past tense…People doing what they love, and better, sharing that passion to the benefit of the public, is the strongest business formula ever written. Donna the Buffalo is living proof of that.” states Beat Magazine. Edd Hurt with the Nashville Scene writes, “Folkies with a superior sense of rhythm are rare enough, but folkies with a good beat and a healthy disrespect for eclectic clichés are a national treasure..they’ve never sounded better…”

The dynamic songwriting tandem of vocalists Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins have penned over 180 songs in their collaboration with DTB and have many more in the making. Although never writing a set list for live show, the Erie Times notes, “they stick to a pattern…usually alternating between Puryear’s rhythmic, Dylan-influenced, guitar-centered songs and Nevins’ breezy, melodic, accordion-driven gems like the folksy Tides of Time and infectious Locket and Key.” As of late, Nevins and Puryear have also been known to perform as a duo on air and at live shows, which is always enjoyable to the fans to hear their favorite DtB songs in stripped down arrangements.

Donna the Buffalo has been working on a 10th album with Puryear on guitar, Nevins on fiddle, guitar, accordion, and scrubboard, keyboardist Dave McCracken, bassist Kyle Spark, and new Atlanta-based drummer Mark Raudabaugh. Donna the Buffalo has released nine albums and are affiliated with several others, including a Puryear’s 2007 solo album Hopes and Dreams and a 2003 release, Wait Til Spring, with Jim Lauderdale. The band’s 2008 release Silverlined, on Sugar Hill, rose to #8 on the Americana Music Chart.

Co-DtB bandleader and American roots traditionalist, Tara Nevins, released Wood and Stone, her first solo album since Mule to Ride in 1999 on Sugar Hill Records on May 3rd, 2011. Wood and Stone showcases her ever-evolving repertoire as she journeys both back to her own “roots” and head-long into new territory. The album was produced by Larry Campbell with guests including Levon Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Allison Moorer, Teresa Williams and more.

“… her music takes on the spirit of the [Levon Helm] Barn like a well-worn and cozy Gypsy jacket that was tailored to her shoulders,” says Brian Robbins with Jambands.com.  In a another recent review of the album, Wildman Steve wrote, “If heroes and heroines of rock ‘n’ roll are defined by their uniqueness, they definitely broke the mold when they made Tara Nevins.”  You can find out more at www.TaraNevins.com.

As an extension of this community and the band’s own dedication to live roots music, Donna started, and are still the driving force behind, the 20+ year old Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in Trumansburg, NY, the bi-annual Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival in Silk Hope, NC and February 2012 marks the first year for the Virginia Key Grassroots Festival in Florida.  DtB are regulars at MerleFest (NC), Suwanee Springfest & Magnolia Fest (FL), All Good (WV), Floyd Fest (VA), and The Great Blue Heron Festival (PA) amongst others. You can also see them in 2011 at Nateva (ME), Del Fest (MD), DuneGrass (MI), Head Jamz (TN), Targhee Bluegrass Fest (WV), Smilefest (NC) and a variety of other venues across the nation.

Over the years and through their travels, Donna the Buffalo as a band and its individual members have had the opportunity to play music with and/or record with musicians such as Jim Lauderdale, Preston and Keith Frank, Railroad Earth, Bela Fleck, John Paul Jones, Bill Kreutzmann, The Avett Brothers, Del McCoury, Tim O’Brien, Pete Wernick, Abigail Washburn, Mamadou Diabate, Los Lobo, Rusted Root, Claire Lynch, David Hidalgo, The Duhks and Amy Helm, just to name a few.

With over twenty years of playing to celebrate, hundreds of gigs ahead of them, and an ever-evolving grassroots sound; it looks like Donna the Buffalo is riding a cloud that is truly Silverlined.

DtB Upcoming Shows

Fri- Sat, Dec 2-3, 2011 – Floyd, VA- Sun Music Hall
Sun, Dec 4, 2011 – Annapolis, MD – Rams Head Tavern
Thu, Dec 8, 2011 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Intersection
Fri, Dec 9, 2011 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
Sat, Dec 10, 2011 – Kent, OH – Kent Stage
Fri, Dec 16, 2011 – Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theater
Sat-Sun, Dec 17-18, 2011 – Ithaca, NY – Castaways
Fri-Sun, Dec 30- Jan 1, 2012 – Tampa, FL – Skipper’s Smokehouse
Wed-Thu, Jan 4-5, 2012 – Key West, FL – Green Parrot
Fri, Jan 6, 2011 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
Sat, Jan 7, 2012 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza “Live”
Thu, Jan 19, 2012 – Greensboro, NC – The Blind Tiger
Fri, Jan 20, 2012- Knoxville, TN – The Bijou Theatre
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
Sun, Jan 22, 2012 – Huntsville, AL – Crossroads Café
Tue, Jan 24, 2012 – Birmingham, AL – WorkPlay Theatre
Wed, Jan 25, 2012 – Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley
Thu, Jan 26, 2012 – Carborro, NC – The Cat’s Cradle
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 – Falls Church, VA – The State Theatre
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 – Morgantown, WV – 123 Pleasant Street
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 – West Chester, PA – The Note
Fri, Feb 3, 2012 – Buffalo, NY – The Tralf
Sat, Feb 4, 2012 – Unitca, NY – Uptown Theatre
Sat-Sun, Feb 10-12, 2012 – Miami, FL– Virginia Key Grassroots Festival
Fri, March 23, 2012 – Charleston, SC – The Pour House
Sat-Sun, March 24-25,2012 – Live Oak, FL – Suwanee Springfest
Thu-Sat, April 26-28, 2012 – Wilkesboro, NC – Merlefest

More shows tbd…

www.DonnaTheBuffalo.com

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Sugar Hill Recording Artist, Tara Nevins, Plays a Showcase at AMA 2011 at The Station Inn on Sat, October 15th!

Sugar Hill recording artist, Tara Nevins, has been invited to play a showcase at this year’s Americana Music Association Festival in Nashville on Saturday, October 15th at The Station Inn at 10pm!

Performing along with Tara at the Station Inn are:
Rose Sinclair – Banjo, Accordion
Todd Phillips – Bass
Chris Henry – Acoustic Guitar
Mike Compton – Mandolin
Tommy Hannum – Pedal Steel, Electric Guitar
Mark Raudabaugh – Drums

This showcase will be live-streamed by Fat Music Radio who will be broadcasting from the Station Inn during AMA week!

Tara can also be heard LIVE on Music Fog at 3pm on Friday Oct 14th.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out this fantastic mix that NPR Music put together with music from artists involved in the event. Nevins’s version of “Stars Fell on Alabama” is included. Others in the mix are The Avett Brothers, Bela Fleck, Buddy Miller, The Civil Wars, David Wax Museum, Jim Lauderdale, Justin Townes Earle, Lucinda Williams, Mumford and Sons, Peter Rowan, Sarah Jarosz, Pokey Lafarge and more!

Find the complete AMA showcase schedule here:   
http://americanamusic.org/showcase-lineup

Information about other Sugar Hill and Vanguard Recording Artists can be found at: https://dreamspider.wordpress.com/2011/10/06/sugar-hill-vanguard-recording-artists-at-at-ama-2011/

American roots traditionalist Tara Nevins’ new release, ‘Wood and Stone’ is an exploration of her own heritage, musical and otherwise. Released on May 3rd, 2011 on Sugar Hill Records ‘Wood and Stone’ was produced by Larry Campbell at the Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY. It showcases Nevins’ ever-evolving repertoire as she journeys both back to her own “roots” and head-long into new territory. Featured guests on the album include Levon Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Allison Moorer, Teresa Williams, The Heartbeats, along with the core band of Larry Campbell, Justin Guip, and Byron Isaacs

Fans of Nevins from her 21-year tenure with Donna the Buffalo are familiar with her versatile talents; she shares the vocal and songwriting responsibilities for the band and is a stellar musician on fiddle, guitar, and accordion. (She plays a mean scrubboard too.) Prior to DTB, Nevins was a founding member of the all-female, old time/Cajun band The Heartbeats. (They join her on two tracks here as well.) Wood and Stone delivers the musical expertise fans have come to expect and surprises with new perspectives.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“A tour de force from start to finish” – Kay Cordtz, Elmore

“With the wonderful fiddle groove and vividly written lyrics, Nevins gives a glimpse into her roots. Stepping out for a rare solo record (beyond her beloved band, Donna the Buffalo), she meshes her Cajun influences, unique voice, drums and steel guitars for an intriguing look at her heritage.” – CMT

“Wood And Stone adds another powerful and engaging chapter to Nevins’ musical achievements”. – Steven Stone, Vintage Guitar

“a wide-ranging affair encompassing all manner of rootsy Americana, spiced with Nevins’s voice and multi-instrumentalist skills, served up in a package that is polished but never slick. Nevins, in other words, is the real deal.” – David Maine, Pop Matters

“If heroes and heroines of rock ‘n’ roll are defined by their uniqueness, they definitely broke the mold when they made Tara Nevins.” – Wildman Steve, The Corner News

“The centerpiece of the album, in my opinion, is the sweeping “The Wrong Side,” which features Allison Moorer and Teresa Williams. It’s a track sounds like it was from the O’Brother Where Art Thou? sessions, but the same could be said of the haunting “Stars Fell On Alabama,” where once again Nevins shows her prowess on the fiddle. This is an exceptional piece of music, one that I think needs to be heard—to prove that people are still cutting “Country Music” these days!” – Chuck Dauphin, Music News Nashville

Visit Tara Nevins website www.TaraNevins.com for more information about the album, a gallery of images, videos, music, and lyrics.

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The Birmingham News Reports on Tara Nevins’s version of “Stars Fell on Alabama”

Think you’ve heard too many covers of “Stars Fell on Alabama”? Well, think again.

Tara Nevins, a member of the roots-rock band Donna the Buffalo, has created a unique version of the 1934 jazz standard, adhering to the original lyrics but changing the melody significantly.

Her cover, which appears on Nevins’ new solo album, “Wood and Stone,” makes the tune sound like old-time mountain music, with instrumentation and vocals to match.

Read the Full report here: http://blog.al.com/mcolurso/2011/09/tara_nevins_cover_of_stars_fel.html

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New Music Video: “Stars Fall on Alabama” by Tara Nevins

New Music Video: “Stars Fall on Alabama” by Tara Nevins

Filmed and produced by Jim Torres

From the Album “Wood And Stone” on Sugar Hill Records

American roots traditionalist Tara Nevins’ new release ‘Wood and Stone’ showcases Nevins’ ever-evolving repertoire and was produced by Larry Campbell at the Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY. Featured guests on the album include Levon Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Allison Moorer, Teresa Williams, The Heartbeats, along with the core band of Larry Campbell, Justin Guip, and Byron Isaacs.

CMT writes, “With the wonderful fiddle groove and vividly written lyrics, Nevins gives a glimpse into her roots. Stepping out for a rare solo record (beyond her beloved band, Donna the Buffalo), she meshes her Cajun influences, unique voice, drums and steel guitars for an intriguing look at her heritage.”

One of the songs that stands out is Nevins’s version of the Jazz standard “Stars Fell on Alabama.”

A few years ago, living in Huntsville, Alabama, Nevins was approached by director Jim Torres and was asked to adapt “Stars Fell On Alabama” for the movie he was then directing – “20 Years After” (an MTI Video). Torres states, “I was looking for a song that had romantic lyrics and a geographical reference to Alabama which is where the movie took place. I’ve always loved Ella Fitzgerald and Louie Armstrong’s version of the song, and the lyrics were perfect for the movie, but I needed something a little darker, almost melancholy to match the tone of the film. I met Tara through mutual friends on the film project and we talked. I loved her music, and the thought of adapting a Jazz standard intrigued her.”

Nevins used the original lyrics and rewrote the music in an Old Time Mountain Music style. She created the new melody for the lyrics and wrote a fiddle tune as the centerpiece of the instrumental sections. She then went up to Nashville and recorded the song with Gary Paczosa.

Nevins states, “when the movie came out I put the song up on MySpace. It was also put, with just an abstract picture, up on YouTube. Between the two, the song has had nearly 60,000 views and comments. I continually receive messages from folks who’ve seen “20 Years After” saying it was their favorite thing in the movie and where can they get a copy of my version of the song? I decided to put “Stars Fell On Alabama” on my new record because of that, and because I think it is beautiful and it fit perfectly with the rest of the record.”

Here it is, yet another version of this great Jazz standard – different from all the others with an Old Time Country sound. This version is of interest to anyone who knows the song, and has had a great response from those who have heard it. It’s reference to Alabama has alot of meaning for Nevins personally and this version has seemed to touch the hearts of many listeners living in Alabama.

It seemed like the perfect song from “Wood and Stone” to do a video of. Like Jim Torres says “We wanted the video to stand on its own, and let it support the music – just Tara and her fiddle and a beautiful song.”

Here is what the press is saying about “Stars Fell on Alabama”

“…….. even though I am familiar with at least two dozen other renditions of the song, it’s as though I heard it for the first time. It is stunning in its quietness.” – Amos Perrine, No Depression

“Stars Fell on Alabama” sounds like it fell from her heart and pen too, but Nevins has the capacity to take a well-known standard like this, change the melody, and perform it so ingenuously that it fits in seamlessly to the whole groove of the record.” – Acousticana Journal

“ … it’s a track sounds like it was from the O’Brother Where Art Thou? sessions…. the haunting “Stars Fell On Alabama,” where once again Nevins shows her prowess on the fiddle” – Chuck Dauphin, Music News Nashville:

“Three deftly picked covers include the standard “Stars Fell on Alabama” (from the film 20 Years After),….Nevins works some real magic here” – Hyperbolium

“……… a dynamite reading of “Stars Fell on Alabama,” – The Daily News

The music video for “Stars Fell on Alabama” was created by Director/Editor Jim Torres, Assistant Director Keith Sims, and Cinematographer Daniel Beard in July of 2011 in Huntsville, Alabama.

Visit www.TaraNevins.com for more information about the album, a gallery of images, videos, music, and lyrics.

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“A Tour De Force from Start to Finish” ~ Reviews of ‘Wood and Stone’ by Tara Nevins

“A tour de force from start to finish” – Kay Cordtz, Elmore

“With the wonderful fiddle groove and vividly written lyrics, Nevins gives a glimpse into her roots. Stepping out for a rare solo record (beyond her beloved band, Donna the Buffalo), she meshes her Cajun influences, unique voice, drums and steel guitars for an intriguing look at her heritage.” – CMT

“Wood And Stone adds another powerful and engaging chapter to Nevins’ musical achievements”. – Steven Stone, Vintage Guitar

“a wide-ranging affair encompassing all manner of rootsy Americana, spiced with Nevins’s voice and multi-instrumentalist skills, served up in a package that is polished but never slick. Nevins, in other words, is the real deal.” – David Maine, Pop Matters

“If heroes and heroines of rock ‘n’ roll are defined by their uniqueness, they definitely broke the mold when they made Tara Nevins.” – Wildman Steve, The Corner News

“Larry has taken Tara’s music to an entirely higher level, if this doesn’t turn into an award winner they’ll have been cheated!” – Hudson Valley Bluegrass Association

“It’s a smart move…” – Andy Gill, UK Independent

“The centerpiece of the album, in my opinion, is the sweeping “The Wrong Side,” which features Allison Moorer and Teresa Williams. It’s a track sounds like it was from the O’Brother Where Art Thou? sessions, but the same could be said of the haunting “Stars Fell On Alabama,” where once again Nevins shows her prowess on the fiddle. This is an exceptional piece of music, one that I think needs to be heard—to prove that people are still cutting “Country Music” these days!” – Chuck Dauphin, Music News Nashville

“Tara channels swampy accordion and mountain fiddles through a set of songs about heartaches and a longing for the sanctity of family values and a simple home life. The chemistry between Nevins and Campbell cooks up a powerfully convincing sound through tracks like Down South Blues, The Wrong Side and You’re Still Driving That Truck as the duo’s varied strings entwine. But the star turn is the brooding Tennessee River with its big, fat, shimmering guitars and broken heart laid bare. Terrific.” – Properganda

“Songs such as the fiddle-infused title cut, a touching tribute to home and family, and ‘You’re Still Driving That Truck’ are country rockers. ‘Snowbird’ is a string ballad about unrequited love, while “Nothing Really” is an instrumental bluegrass dust-up. ‘Tennessee River,’ a dark and gripping song about love’s place in ones’ life, features Campbell’s harrowing, electric guitar wails. The record closes with a cathartic, beautiful cover of Van Morrison’s ‘The Beauty of Days Gone By’—bringing Wood and Stone full circle.”  Bill Clifford – Relix

“The sound is both loose and tight at the same time; the band knows how to walk that line and let Nevins be herself. To put it simply, it just plain works.”  – Brian Robbins, Jambands.com

For more reviews of ‘Wood and Stone’ please visit Taranevins.com

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Tara Nevins, of Donna the Buffalo, Performs Live “From the Living Room to the Loft” on Wednesday, July 6th Promoting New Release “Wood and Stone”

Tara Nevins with The Heartbeats

“Wood and Stone”

From the Living Room to the Loft
SiriusXM Recording
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
$15 , 21+
10pm set-time

The Living Room
212-533-7237

154 Ludlow Street
New York, NY 10002
www.livingroomny.com

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American roots traditionalist Tara Nevins’ new release, ‘Wood and Stone’ is an exploration of her own heritage, musical and otherwise. Released on May 3rd, 2011 on Sugar Hill Records ‘Wood and Stone’ was produced by Larry Campbell at the Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY.

Nevins will be performing a set of music from the new album live “From The Living Room to the Loft” on Wednesday, July 6th at 10pm. The Heartbeats,  the all-female, old time/Cajun band that Tara has played with for years, will be joining Tara on stage at the Living Room in NYC and the evening’s show is recorded to air on Sirius XM. Also joining Tara and the Heartbeats will be Lora Pendelton- Guitar and Vocals, Thomas Bryan Eaton- pedal steel, Barry Mitterhoff (from Hot Tuna)- Mandolin.

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Wood and Stone has been well received with sentiments of the music being an eloquent, honest blend of Donna the Buffalo, Americana, old time country, pop and straight up rock and roll:

“If heroes and heroines of rock ‘n’ roll are defined by their uniqueness, they definitely broke the mold when they made Tara Nevins.” – Wildman Steve, The Corner News“Larry has taken Tara’s music to an entirely higher level, if this doesn’t turn into an award winner they’ll have been cheated!” – Hudson Valley Bluegrass Association

“This is an exceptional piece of music, one that I think needs to be heard—to prove that people are still cutting ‘Country Music’ these days!” – Chuck Dauphin, Music News Nashville

“‘Tennessee River,’ a dark and gripping song about love’s place in ones’ life, features Campbell’s harrowing, electric guitar wails. The record closes with a cathartic, beautiful cover of Van Morrison’s ‘The Beauty of Days Gone By’—bringing Wood and Stone full circle.” Bill Clifford – Relix

“…as invigorating as it is mesmerizing.” – Amos Perrine, No Depression

“… That’s the mark of the good ones, the guarantee is their name on the label, something Nevins shares with Van Morrison (maybe it’s the water in Woodstock) whose ‘Beauty Of Days Gone By’ closes out the album.” Blurt

“The pedigree of the album is staggering. Start with Nevins, who has been an integral member of DTB since its formation in 1987, and add producer Larry Campell along with guest performers Levon Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Allison Moorer, and Teresa Williams, and you get a record that is as solid as the building materials mentioned in the title.” – Fifty Cent Lighter Blog

“a stellar collection….It’s an album that sounds familiar, yet new, not an easy feat.” – Jim Morrison, No Depression

…..the real bridge between past and present is a voice, so singular and beautiful, that it must be heard to be appreciated. – Chip Frasier, Twangville

“… her music takes on the spirit of the [Levon Helm] Barn like a well-worn and cozy Gypsy jacket that was tailored to her shoulders.” – Brian Robbins, Jambands.com

“She’s outdone herself with the superb ‘Wood and Stone.’ – Jeffrey Sisk, The Daily News

“exceptional music and excellent songwriting; ten of the thirteen tunes were written by Ms Nevins, and she does sure brighten the day.” – FAME

Visit www.TaraNevins.com for more information about the album,a gallery of images, videos, music and lyrics.

Wood and Stone showcases Nevins’ ever-evolving repertoire as she journeys both back to her own “roots” and head-long into new territory. Featured guests on the album include Levon Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Allison Moorer, Teresa Williams, The Heartbeats, along with the core band of Larry Campbell, Justin Guip, and Byron Isaacs.

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Tara Nevins (of Donna the Buffalo) Performs a Solo Concert at the North Shore Points House Party on June 11th in Norfolk, VA

Photo by John D Kurc

Tara Nevins
North Shore Point House Concerts 10 year Anniversary Show
Saturday, June 11th, 2011
8pm
The donation to the artist is $20.

Norfolk, Virginia

Anyone interested in attending should email jim@northshorepoint.com or visit www.northshorepoint.com

American roots traditionalist Tara Nevins recently released Wood and Stone, her first solo album since Mule to Ride in 1999. Wood and Stone showcases her ever-evolving repertoire as she journeys both back to her own “roots” and head-long into new territory. In support of the new album, Nevins will be performing at the ten year anniversary show for North Shore Point House Concerts on Saturday, June 11th at 8pm in Norfolk, VA.  Anyone interested in attending should email jim@northshorepoint.com or visit www.northshorepoint.com

North Shore Point’s first show in 2001 was with Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (the second was with Steve Forbert). They’ve hosted well more than 60 shows over the years with folks like Jim Lauderdale, Eliza Gilkyson, Marshall Crenshaw, Jimmy LaFave, Kim Richey, Steve Forbert, Tom Russell, Dave Alvin, Chris Smither, Peter Case, Mary Gauthier, and dozens of others. It’s generally considered one of the more successful series in the country so come out and celebrate!

Fans of Nevins from her 21-year tenure with Donna the Buffalo are familiar with her versatile talents; she shares the vocal and songwriting responsibilities for the band and is a stellar musician on fiddle, guitar, and accordion. (She plays a mean scrubboard too.) Prior to DTB, Nevins was a founding member of the all-female, old time/Cajun band The Heartbeats. (They join her on two tracks here as well.) Wood and Stone delivers the musical expertise fans have come to expect and surprises with new perspectives.

“This album is personal and sort of revelatory,” Nevins says. “It’s an expression of recent emotional discovery within relationships lost and found, and how knowing the core of who we are is the real deal. There were so many elements I wanted to explore—to combine all the pieces of my personal musical puzzle–and then have it come together in a cohesive whole. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Larry Campbell. I am honored to have had him both produce and play on my record. He’s an amazingly talented and soulful musician. He has a very natural, down-to-earth approach and an instinctual insightfulness that I really appreciate; he really got what I was after. The whole experience was inspiring and challenging in a very positive way.”

Campbell is a much-sought-after musician/producer renowned for his work with Bob Dylan and still rolling from the success of Levon Helm’s two Grammy- winners, Dirt Farmer and Electric Dirt, which he produced. He found Nevins’s project immediately compelling. “I liked the feel of the project– her combination of old-time mountain music and original songwriting—and I was taken with Tara’s unique talent; she’s got a distinctive voice—there’s a kind of honesty that shines through.”

The record kicks off with the title cut “Wood and Stone,” and that “honest” element is readily apparent in this touching tribute to home and family. Old-timey acoustics are quickly joined by drums and steel guitars as Nevins sings about “the better part of me” regarding her upbringing and early influences. “It’s got that magical blend of music and lyrics,” Campbell says of it, “and it really paints a picture of where she comes from.”

Ten of the thirteen tracks are originals, and Nevins’ complexity gets a broad stage. She dispenses wit and wisdom with an atypical take on love and relationships through gritty songs such as “You’ve Got It All” and “You’re Still Driving That Truck,” then turns to wrenching hearts with songs like “Snowbird” (accompanied by Jim Lauderdale), a beautiful metaphorical ballad about the pain of loving someone unable to truly give back, and “Tennessee River,” a haunting, gripping song about the stranglehold love can have over a person’s whole existence. “Stars Fell on Alabama” sounds like it fell from her heart and pen too, but Nevins has the capacity to take a well-known standard like this, change the melody, and perform it so ingenuously that it fits in seamlessly to the whole groove of the record.

The record is “framed” by another nostalgic piece, “The Beauty of the Days Gone By” (by Van Morrison), bringing the record full-circle and serving as a sort of catharsis for the dark tone of “Tennessee River”. “I wanted to end the record with it,” Nevins explains, “because I love the sentiment of the song and it’s kind of like ‘the sun always comes back out’ kind of thing. We grow and learn and take our relationships with us for better and for worse and that’s life in all its beauty and glory.”

Nevins’ rare blend of enormous talent coupled with genuine down-home humbleness has won the hearts of fans and colleagues alike. “Tara has this worldly awareness combined with a fragile innocence,” Larry Campbell notes, “which makes her songwriting and music very accessible…very appealing.” Wood and Stone is sure to add to that appeal. Visit Nevins’ website at http://taranevins.com to read the song lyrics, see a photo gallery, listen to the songs and more.

North Shore Point House Concerts

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