Lowville programs have diverse lineup

LOWVILLE — The following is the 2009 lineup of the Black River Valley Concert Series.

Saturday: Toughcats.

This trio is an acoustic rock ’n’ roll band from the island of North Haven, 12 miles off the coast of Maine. It consists of Joe Nelson on guitar; Colin Gulley on banjo and mandolin, and Jake Greenlaw on drums.

“The Toughcats lend a contemporary and interesting feel to Scruggs-style bluegrass, deep South ragtime, and singer-songwriting folk that shows a great feel for songwriting and fine musicianship,” according to a reviewer for The Portland (Maine) Phoenix.

Advance tickets are $15; the price at the door, $18.

Jan. 17: Bearfoot

Bearfoot is a five-member group from Anchorage, Alaska, that performs bluegrass and original jazz compositions. It was created in 1999 when six teenagers banded together at a music camp in Anchorage. Two months later they were performing for 20,000 people at the National FFA convention in Kentucky.

In 2001, the band won the Telluride (Colo.) Band Contest at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, an honor they share with such acts as the Dixie Chicks and Nickel Creek

In October, Bearfoot performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The group has recorded three CDs.

Advance tickets are $18; the price at the door will be $20.

Jan. 31: Chic Gamine

Members of this a cappella quintet are from Montreal, Quebec, and Winnipeg, Manitoba. With a solo percussionist as its main musical support, Chic Gamine uses voices as instruments. Styles include gospel, soul, rhythm and blues, ’50s doo-wop, Brazilian forró and French chanson.

The group has performed at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the California Strawberry Festival, the California World Fest and opened for Smokey Robinson at the Festival at Sandpoint, Idaho.

In June, Chic Gamine released a self-titled CD.

Advance tickets are $18; the price at the door will be $20.

Feb. 7: Eilen Jewell

Ms. Jewell, a native of Idaho who now lives in Boston, has been compared to Lucinda Williams. A Boston Globe reviewer wrote, “The slow, organic sway of her melodies, and the sensual way she rubs against the low end of her register, will remind some of Gillian Welch. Also like Welch, her writing is both intimate and vivid, classically framed and closely observed.”

Ms. Jewell’s band — drummer Jason Beek, Jerry Miller on electric and steel guitar, and Johnny Sciascia covering the low end on upright bass — accompanies her on tour and in the studio. Her latest CD is “Letters From Sinners and Strangers.”

Advance tickets are $18; the price at the door will be $20.

Feb. 28: Tanglefoot

Tanglefoot was named best vocal group at the 2007 Canadian Folk Music Awards. The band has announced that after more than 25 years together, this year will be the final one for the group.

The band features Irish-Canadian roots music. The BBC called the band “masters of the storytelling tradition, (with) elegant, sensitive musicianship and an impressive range of talent.”

Advance tickets are $20; the price at the door will be $23.

March 7: The Refugees

The three women in the Refugees formed the group in 2007. Individually, members of the Refugees have logged more than three decades in the industry, with 19 solo albums and multiple Grammy Award nominations to their credit. Their musical styles blend country, rock, folk and Americana.

The group’s debut CD, “Unbound,” is scheduled for release this month.

The refugees consist of Cindy Bullens, who got her start as a backup singer for Elton John; Deborah Holland, who began her career with the critically acclaimed Animal Logic; and Wendy Waldman, who was in the group Bryndle in the 1970s and later had a successful solo career.

Ms. Waldman co-wrote “Save the Best for Last,” which was a hit for Vanessa Williams, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s version of “Fishin’ in the Dark.”

Advance tickets are $15; the price at the door will be $18.

March 14: Ben Blair and Friends

This evening of local classic rock will feature Jimmy Burr, former member of Rollin’ Easy, on keyboard.

Mr. Burr has been part of the music scene in the north country for more than 30 years.

He has played solo piano at restaurants, clubs, weddings, concerts and special events in Jefferson and Lewis counties, and has been a part of jazz duos, trios, quartets and bands such as Rollin’ Easy and Skat.

Before coming to the north country, he lived in New Jersey, played in clubs in north Jersey and New York City, and performed for a few summers in Catskill hotels.

Advance tickets are $15; the price at the door will be $18.

March 28: John Jorgenson Quintet

Mr. Jorgenson is known as one of the pioneers of the American gypsy jazz movement. He has performed as a solo artist and has collaborated with other musicians worldwide.

Artists ranging from Barbra Streisand to Bonnie Raitt have sought out Mr. Jorgenson’s guitar work. He is also a vocalist and plays clarinet.

Mr. Jorgenson came to national prominence in the mid-1980s with the Desert Rose Band, which he co-founded with Chris Hillman. The band had five No. 1 singles and garnered several awards. In 1994, Mr. Jorgenson went on a world tour with Elton John.

Advance tickets are $20; the price at the door will be $23.

April 4: Jeremy Wallace Trio

Known for his songwriting and distinctive gravely voice, Mr. Wallace has been compared to Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett and Bruce Springsteen.

Mr. Wallace’s latest release is “Suicide Suitcase.” His MySpace page calls it a reflection of his station in life. He has “fallen in and out of love again, busted a few knuckles and bruised a couple of shins.”

“Wallace blends the best of American roots music, with a little bit of folk, some rock, a little country and a healthy dose of gritty blues, all enhanced by the distinctive sound of his Resonator guitar,” according to the Mohawk Valley Blues Society.

Advance tickets are $15; the price at the door will be $18.

April 25: David Jacobs-Strain

Mr. Jacobs-Strain is a finger-style and slide guitarist, who plays in the blues tradition.

At 25, he is a veteran of the national club and festival circuit. In 2008 he was chosen by Boz Scaggs to be the opener on his tour. He has also shared the stage with T-Bone Burnett, Bob Weir, Los Lobos, Lucinda Williams, Taj Mahal, Etta James, Dave Mason, and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

“He plays slide-driven country blues with a passion and authority that few artists of any age can muster,” a reviewer for Guitar Player magazine wrote.

Advance tickets are $15; the price at the door will be $18.

May 2: Stringwinds

This group features members of the Orchestra of Northern New York, including flautist Kenneth Andrews, violinist John Lindsey, bassoonist Carol Lowe and Harold Levin on viola.

Advance tickets are $15; the price at the door will be $18.

May 9: Vance Gilbert

Mr. Gilbert, a native of Philadelphia, Pa., is a singer-songwriter who began as a jazz singer but switched to folk music.

Mr. Gilbert, who has recorded eight CDs, is also known for his guitar playing.

“He pounds, claws, scratches, caresses, and the resulting sounds frame his voice in some natural, elemental way that couldn't result from simple chords or even complex finger-picking,” a reviewer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote. “It's possible, even probable, that any time you see Gilbert in person his songs will make you laugh and cry simultaneously.”

Advance tickets are $15; the price at the door will be $18.

May 16: Sue Foley and Peter Karp

For more than 20 years, Ms. Foley has been making her mark as a notable Canadian songwriter, producer and prolific recording artist. She has recorded with and/or shared the stage with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, George Thorogood, Tom Petty, Joe Cocker and others.

Mr. Karp, according to his MySpace page, is “an artist who blends roots music styles into something that combines and transcends blues, country, rock, honky tonk, R&B, swamp, swing and jazz.”

Advance tickets are $18; the price at the door will be $20.