We are Huntsville, AL's premier concert venue that hosts intimate concerts from local musicians to national touring musicians.
Doors at 6:30. Opening Act is the awesome Alexa Rose
Thanks to our amazing sponsors Irons One Whisky, Yellowhammer Brewing, Touronimo destination management. Carol Shutt Realtor, Downtown Huntsville Inc, Artemis Music Production
Doors at 6:30.Opening Act is the awesome Alexa Rose
Thanks to our amazing sponsors Irons One Whisky, Yellowhammer Brewing, Touronimo destination management. Carol Shutt Realitor, Downtown Huntsville Inc. and Artemis Music Production.
Program:
Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22 -- Clara Schumann
Three Romances for Oboe (Flute) and Piano, Op. 94 -- Robert Schumann
Intermission
Trio No. 1 for Piano, Violin and Cello in B major, Op. 8
I. Allegro con brio
II. Scherzo: Allegro molto
III. Adagio
IV. Allegro
About the Program:
There are few composers whose lives became as intertwined as those of Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. At the urging of his friend, the violinist virtuoso Josef Joachim, young Brahms introduced himself to the Schumann’s in 1853, with Robert later writing that Brahms was a genius who was destined to be the heir of Beethoven’s legacy. Brahms would struggle with this proclamation throughout his whole career, relying on the advice of friends like Joachim and Clara Schumann until the end of his life.
Three Romances, Op. 94 by Robert Schumann
The Three Romances, Op. 94 by Robert Schumann (1810–56) were originally written for the oboe and piano (his only chamber piece for oboe), but has entered the repertoire for violin, clarinet, and flute. The set was premiered with the violin in a private concert in 1850 and was not performed on oboe in public until 1863. Robert wrote the pieces on three different days in December, 1849 in order to give them to Clara as a Christmas present. The three pieces highlight several characteristics of his music: they are songs, but without a strong separation of melody and accompaniment, and the alteration of the two contrasting aspects of Robert’s own personality, the Dionysian ‘Florestan’ and the Apollonian ‘Eusebius.’
Three Romances, Op. 22 by Clara Schumann
Clara Schumann’s (1819–96) Three Romances, Op. 22 was written in 1853 and published in 1855, dedicated to Josef Joachim. Indeed, Joachim and another violinist, Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski, worked with her on the violin parts. The three movements were almost certainly a reflection of Clara and Robert’s relationship, with the first romance containing several explicit references to Robert’s first violin sonata. Though Clara had composed several works when she was young, these were among the first pieces she had written since 1846 and they became some of the last pieces she ever wrote. Robert’s mental health continued to deteriorate, culminating in a suicide attempt in 1854, after which he was committed to a sanatorium until his death in 1856. Clara stopped composing after Robert’s death, instead committing herself to performing Robert’s music and caring for her family.
Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8 by Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms’ (1833–97) Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8 was originally written in 1854, but was heavily revised by the composer in 1889. Brahms seemed to have been displeased with the original version almost right away, telling Josef Joachim that he wanted to make alterations to the piece immediately after it was published. Some have conjectured that Robert’s article praising him as “Germany’s new rising star” pressured Brahms to rush the publication of the work. Brahms had burned several earlier chamber works he deemed not worthy and said “the praise you have openly bestowed on me will arouse such extraordinary expectations of my achievements by the public that I don’t know how I can begin to fulfill them even somewhat.”
In the revised version, Brahms suggested that he merely wanted to rid the piece of its “youthful exuberances,” writing “I didn’t provide it with a new wig, just combed and arranged its hair a little.” In reality, the original version is about a third longer than the revised version, with the second movement the only one that was not heavily revised with themes being rewritten and replaced.
About the Musicians:
Charissa Leung, native of San Jose, CA, is one of Nashville Symphony’s newest members, joining the ensemble’s 2nd violin section in the 2022-23 season. She has most recently performed at the Manchester Music Festival in 2021, received the String Quartet Fellowship at Madeline Island Chamber Music in the summers of 2018 and 2019, attended the Aspen Music Festival from 2013-2016, and made her solo debut with the Prometheus Symphony as the winner of the Khuner Concerto Competition in 2015. Charissa was featured at the Rome Chamber Music Festival in 2017 and 2018, and is a frequent guest artist at Hawaii Chamber Music Festival and Nashville Chamber Music Society. Charissa is passionate about teaching, whether it be giving group lessons at the elementary school in which she grew up, teaching underprivileged aspiring musicians online through a non-profit organization called Through the Staff, or more recently, maintaining a small studio of Yale undergraduates. She is currently on faculty at Covenant Conservatory teaching budding violinists and coaching adult chamber groups. Charissa began her violin studies at age 3 with the Suzuki method, and graduated from the McDuffie Center for Strings where she double majored in Violin Performance and French as a recipient of a four-year Presidential scholarship. In 2021, she completed her Master of Music degree under the tutelage of Syoko Aki and Tai Murray at Yale University. Charissa loves hiking, baking focaccia, and admiring cats from afar.
Cellist MaryGrace Bender is a performer, teacher, and believer in the beauty of music and the important impact it has on how we see the world. As a Suzuki teacher, she leads a studio of cellists in the Huntsville area and co-founded the Huntsville Suzuki Academy. MaryGrace founded the Nashville Chamber Music Society, which is a 501(c)(3) organization and performs regularly with NCMS in a variety of spaces for a variety of audiences. Bender recently taught at StringTime in DC, a festival for young musicians, and previously served as a faculty member and performer for Lincoln Center’s Restart Stages series for BridgeMusik in NYC. She regularly records in Nashville for scoring companies such as Sony, Bungee, Hulu, and Netflix, and enjoys coaching NashvilleCMS program chamber groups. She performed with the McDuffie Center for Strings in Carnegie Hall, as Young Artist for The Rome Chamber Music Festival in Italy, and recorded orchestrally under Philip Glass’s Orange Mountain Music label which The Wall Street Journal reviewed as, “impeccably polished.” MaryGrace’s studies include a master's degree from The Cleveland Institute of Music in Cello Performance and Suzuki Pedagogy, and an undergraduate degree from The Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University. She spent summers at The National Repertory Orchestra, Meadowmount School of Music, Brevard Music Festival, Chautauqua Summer Institute, and the Aspen Music Festival and School as a New Horizon's fellow. Past influential teachers include Dr. Melissa Kraut, Hans Jørgen Jensen, Julie Albers, Dr. Felix Wang, and Anne Hall Williams. MaryGrace lives in Huntsville with her husband Blake, their son Charles. They have a loving dog named Cooper and two chickens, Juanice and Glenna.
Canadian-American pianist Brendan Jacklin is a performer, teacher, lecturer, and new music advocate. A special interest of his involves performing interdisciplinary and multimedia music, performing works with electronics, video, poetry, and dance. Brendan has presented at conferences across the USA, including topics on recording technology, performance practice, and pedagogy.
Brendan is a co-founder of A Seat at the Piano, an initiative to create a more equitably representative body of piano works, as well as Director of Programming for the Nashville Chamber Music Series. He currently serves as Assistant Professor of Piano at Fisk University. Brendan completed his D.M.A. at the University of Cincinnati, with cognates in piano pedagogy and multimedia music. He received his M.Mus from Bowling Green State University, and his B.Mus at Brandon University with minors in cello performance and history. Previous teachers and mentors include Awadagin Pratt, Michelle Conda, Thomas Rosenkranz, Megumi Masaki, and Leanne Zacaharias. Based in Nashville, TN with his family, when he is not doing any of the above, you can probably find Brendan running, baking, or reading. You can follow his baking at with Instagram (@brendanjacklin) or find upcoming concert and project details at www.brendanjacklin.com
Korean-Australian flutist Danielle Maeng pursues a multi-faceted career and has performed in notable venues across the United States. Growing up in Nashville, Danielle studied with Norma Rogers and Philip Dikeman as a Myra Jackson Scholar at the Blair School of Music of Vanderbilt University. She continued her studies in London at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music where she earned her Bachelor of Music degree. Furthering her education, Danielle studied in Paris, France at l’École Normale de Musique de Paris and subsequently obtained her Masters of Music at Yale University - School of Music.
She was a first prize winner in the Alexander & Buono International Flute Competition and gave her debut performance in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City. She has spent summers at the Brevard Music Center, Caroga Lake Music Festival and L’Académie Internationale d’Eté de Nice. This summer, she will be a Flute Fellow at the esteemed Classical Tahoe Academy. During the 22/23 season, Danielle was a Flute Fellow in TŌN (The Orchestra Now). Based in New York, TŌN comprises vibrant young performers from across the globe performing regularly at venues including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Most recently, she was appointed flute faculty at Brevard Music Center’s Flute Seminar. Currently based in Nashville, Danielle performs regularly with the Nashville Chamber Music Society, an organization dedicated to promoting chamber music in and around Nashville; she is also a dedicated teacher, avid session musician, and frequently performs with various ensembles, including the Nashville Symphony.
Triplets and high-energy musicians from the farmlands of Iowa and now based in Nashville, Tennessee, The Lubben Brothers have spent the last 15 years pioneering an original sound steeped in lyrical sensitivity, rich vocal harmonies, and the multi-instrumental flair of the American folk tradition.
The Brothers have soloed at venues ranging from South Florida's Meyer Amphitheater and Broward Center for the Performing Arts, to The Gardens Hockey Arena of Northern Minnesota. Their music has aired on radio stations across the United States, was chosen as an encore for NPR’s “Live from Here” with Chris Thile, and featured in Netflix’s premiere film of the 2021 Christmas season, Love Hard. Composers as well as musicians, the Lubben Brothers have written multiple musicals, and actively write, record, and release new music to an ever expanding catalogue now streaming everywhere
Don’t miss Austin Tx. style good times at Tangled String
Don’t miss a night of modern jazz from this amazing Quintet! Get Tickets Here!
“The General Dance will be released on 2/7/25.
This album features 11 of my original compositions played by a world class group of musicians that I feel lucky to work with and call my friends.
Saxophonist Gary Wheat, pianist Choko Aiken, bassist Nick Walker, drummer CJ Brown, and I spent a couple days recording at Ivy Manor in Sheffield back in July. It was a special couple of days recording because we were all comfortable with the material, felt at home in the studio, and at ease working with each other as well as our engineer Jared Przybysz and his crew.
After that, the album was mixed by Jared and then mastered by Dave Darlington at Bass Hit Recording, NYC. Faith Carpenter did the art and design for the full album that you see in the video above plus album art for two singles.
Videographer, Blake Butler filmed and edited the video you see above as well as full length videos for the albums two singles.
It's been quite the process to get this all together, but it's almost here and I can't wait to share it with you all!!
Ist single - "Fertile Ground" - 1/10/25
2nd single - "Hope" - 1/24
full album - THE GENERAL DANCE - 2/7
Album release show at Tangled String Studio 2/28
Gareth Pearson, known as “The Welsh Tornado,” is a talented acoustic guitarist known for his fingerstyle pyrotechnics and explosive lead runs. He has a unique style that covers various genres, from country to pop to jazz, and has been influenced by musicians such as Chet Atkins and Tommy Emmanuel
‘I knew at that time he would be an incredible force in music…he was always received with thunderous applause and standing ovations…’ - Tommy Emmanuel AM
‘likely the most influential acoustic guitar composer of his generation … publicly unsung, his pieces have shaped the progression of the art form since his emergence onto the world stage, only growing stronger through his dormancy … we’re excited to see what this master of the guitar presents in his renaissance’
Guitarist, Composer, Producer and Musical Director, Kyran Daniel began his career performing alongside Grammy Nominee Tommy Emmanuel on stages spanning the globe. His debut album ‘Per Se’ became a highly influential work in the acoustic guitar world, opening the door to his attendance of the prestigious Berklee College of Music studying under the greatest songwriting & production professors in contemporary music.
Following his time at Berklee, Kyran focussed on the roles of songwriter & producer for a cohort of Australian artists including G Flip, Gretta Ray, and Kingswood. His diverse musical palette and superlative musicianship saw him fast become one of Australia’s finest studio talents, and a go-to for artists & labels domestically & abroad, his work garnering millions of worldwide streams, and credits including Gretta Ray’s ARIA Nominated Album ‘Begin To Look Around’ (EMI), and G Flip’s #1 ARIA Charting Album ‘Drummer’ (4x ARIA Nominated). Meanwhile his work on stage as Session Guitarist & Musical Director for the likes of Kingswood was presented on international tours and radio & television broadcasts across the globe.
2022 saw Kyran return to his most authentic musical form as a solo artist, with a triumphant return to European and American stages alongside mentor Tommy Emmanuel, followed by a relentless tour schedule of solo concerts across Australia, Europe, and the USA, re-introducing him as one of the greatest solo guitar players on the planet. Kyran is currently completing his renaissance solo album entitled ‘Like The Night Itself’, drawing upon rich global influences, alchemised into emotive compositions, cinematic soundscapes, and virtuosic performances from the heart.
8:30 Show Get 8:30 tickets here!
6:00 show Get 6:00 Show Tickets Here!
There is a ferocious Southern engine inside of Billy Allen + The Pollies’ debut album Black Noise. It thrums to life atop a classic rock chassis and expertly weaves in and out of gospel, grunge, funk and soul along its eleven-song journey.
The band is a hybrid of four piece rock outfit The Pollies and fellow Alabamian, and frontman, Billy Allen. The story of what fused Allen and The Pollies is one that begins in a bar 8 years ago. This particular bar was on Allen’s gig circuit and it just so happens to be where Jay Burgess (founder of The Pollies) was having a drink that evening. While there was intrigue and potential in that first chance meeting, the two would remain ships in the night, each building their own careers, until years later when the stars would align at FAME studios in Muscle Shoals. As the story goes, both Allen and The Pollies, who were all occasional session musicians at Fame, were finally in the room together and the track on deck was Little Richard’s “Greenwood, MS”. To hear Allen retell this part of the story is to hear a man talk about the beginnings of a priceless friendship. “There was an immediate romantic musical connection,” Allen said. “This is my band.” To hear Burgess tell it, the feeling was mutual. Over the subsequent year, the two groups rehearsed, toured, wrote, and gelled together under the moniker Billy Allen + The Pollies. The joining of Billy and Jay (along with the other charter members of The Pollies: Spencer Duncan, Jon Davis & Clint Chandler) was like the clicking of a dislocated bone back into true
Mr. Pope and his Army does it again. Don’t miss a DNO show
Drummers’ Night Out does it again in Tangled String. Never miss a DNO show!
Poiema Trio, dedicated to sharing the joy of chamber music with audiences of all demographics, infuses their performances with spontaneity, imagination, and storytelling. Formed in the summer of 2023 at the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, they are the recipients of the 2024 Gold Medal Prize from the Ninth International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition. The members hold degrees from the Juilliard School and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Their name, "Poiema," means poetry at the intersection of beauty and brokenness, a poignant reminder of an artist's true calling
Get Tickets and info Here!
Don’t miss this show! Check out Andrew Duhon here.
It was Leo Tolstoy who said “All great literature is one of two stories; a man goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town,” and in the case of Andrew Duhon and his latest album Emerald Blue, both instances are true. Duhon temporarily left New Orleans, his longtime home and musical muse in 2019, finding himself inspired by the landscape of the Pacific Northwest and notably, its colors—a hue he describes as ‘emerald blue’ for which the album is named, the same shade looking back at him in his partner’s eyes. Had he overlooked the specific shade of her eyes while living below sea level? Or did the change of location open his mind more acutely? The record does just that: examine the familiar in the context of the unfamiliar. Emerald Blue is a probing appreciation of the dailiness of life; a note-taking exercise in living.
Duhon channeled his new perspective into an eleven song collection, calling on friends and collaborators including Jano Rix on drums, percussion, and harmonies; Myles Weeks on upright and electric basses and harmonies; and Dan Walker on keys and accordion. Duhon returned South for the recording process, finding comfort and creativity in Maurice, Louisiana’s storied Dockside Studios with GRAMMY-award winning engineer and longtime collaborator of Andrew’s, Trina Shoemaker, to capture every inch of vibe and beauty and texture each song had to offer.
Emerald Blue in the news:
“Andrew Duhon looks for a better balance to life on new ‘Emerald Blue’” via Gambit Weekly
Duhon muses on the kindness of strangers and fly fishing for Coastal Angler
“Faintly reminiscent of early M Ward and artists like Beachwood Sparks, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Sparklehorse or Damien Jurado, ‘Emerald Blue’ sits happily at the crossroads of harmony-drenched pop, rustic americana, Appalachian folk and about a half-dozen other styles, all meeting and mixing around the warmth of Duhon’s vocals; world-weary, stretched and full of soul.” -Holler
Duhon is “a teller of stories with an undeniable voice, weighted and soulful.” -KPCW/NPR
No Depression calls the album “effortless,” noting “Duhon reminds us that everything comes in its time: adventure, loneliness, tragedy and — yes, even if it’s fleeting — contentment.”
Fans can watch the music video for “Emerald Blue” at this link, check out previously-released singles “Everybody Colored Their Own Jesus” and “Castle On Irish Bayou.” Duhon’s tour picks back up tonight in Lafayette, LA before continuing throughout the Southeast and then over to the Pacific Northwest in late summer. A full list of dates and ticket information can be found below.
The Irish Drum Center will be hosting another evening of fabulous Irish Traditional music on Wednesday, October 9th at Tangled String Studios at Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment
Welcome the next Huntsville Music Collective Concert Series at Tangled String!
Tickets Available HERE
Performers: Charissa Leung, Anthony Parce, Grace Parce, Brendan Jacklin
Fireball Mail returns thanks to our sponsors Yellowhammer Brewing and Martinson and Beason Attorneys at Law. If you missed the last show here’s your chance to experience bluegrass pickin, singin, and carousin. These guys are amazing!
Our last Rising Artist Spotlight for this year is a great one! It is the acoustic Album Release for Luna Koi!
LUNA KOI is a rising duo formed in 2022 by NY native singer/songwriter Kelly Joyner, and Huntsville guitarist Chris McDonald. Luna Koi's music is a fusion of Joyner's folk background and McDonald's 90's alternative pop/rock roots, mixed with Americana undertones: lacing thoughtful guitar riffs with haunting harmonies. LUNA KOI recorded their debut album with Grammy award winner Jimmy Nutt at the Nutthouse Studio in Alabama and is scheduled to release in September 2024. They frequently tour as an acoustic duo but also play with cellist Kevin Lay, and with a full band to recreate the intensity of the record.
comprised of sisters Emma (16) and Bella (14) Burney create music with a maturity and emotional intelligence that belies their age. They write keen and knowing songs while arranging for multiple instruments and structuring unique and resonant harmonies. The result-personal and penetrating music that both connects with and captivates their listener. Their soul nurturing sibling harmonies and tunes are reminiscent of The Avett Brothers, First Aid Kit, Lake Street Dive, The Staves, and Joseph.
These will go fast! Get your tickets now!
Get Tickets and Show Info HERE!
The Irish Drum Center will be hosting fiddler Eimear Atkins and guitarist David McKindley-Ward for an evening of fabulous Irish Traditional music on Friday, August 23, 2024 at Tangled String Studios at Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment. Doors open at 6p, and the show starts at 7p.
Eimear Arkins is an award-winning musician and singer from County Clare, Ireland, now living in St. Louis, MO. She has toured throughout the US, Ireland, and beyond with acclaimed bands like Cherish The Ladies, Téada, and Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas. Eimear is also a qualified Irish music and dance instructor and has performed and given workshops at festivals all over the world, including Féile Séamus Creagh (Newfoundland), Catskills Irish Arts Week (NY), Viljandi Pärimusmuusika Festival (Estonia), and Festival Interceltique de Lorient (France).
Award-winning musician and singer David McKindley-Ward grew up in the Washington, DC area steeped in Folk, American, and Old Time music. He has collaborated with numerous Irish musicians including Billy McComiskey, Liz Hanley, and Joey Abarta. He has made a name for himself as a touring artist across the US, Ireland, and the UK, and regularly performs and teaches at festivals including Catskills Irish Arts Week, Baltimore TradFest, and The Philadelphia Céilí Group.
Don’t miss Common Man with McKenzie Lockhart!
Get Tickets HERE!
Don’t miss this all time favorite show dedicated to the art of drumming. Performed by the best drummers around TWO SHOWS 6:00 and 8:00
Get tickets HERE
Welcome back to Tangled String English Guitarist Richard Smith. His unforgettable performance last fall left many asking for a repeat performance. We are happy to accommodate!
David Grier’s journey to becoming one of the greatest flatpick guitarists in the world started at a young age at the feet of Bluegrass legend, Bill Monroe.
David Grier’s father Lamar Grier, was a member of “Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys” in the mid-1960s. Throughout his childhood, David spent hours listening to Monroe as well as many other prominent pioneers of Bluegrass music. Among the most influential to him were flatpick guitarists Clarence White, Tony Rice and Doc Watson. David Grier quickly found a strong passion for guitar and began to develop what is now his own world-renowned distinctive style.
Welcome Paul Durham to Huntsville! Buy tickets here:
ALT-ROCK JUGGERNAUT PAUL DURHAM REEMERGES TO SUPPORT ACOUSTIC SOLO ALBUM
Paul Durham, founder and frontman of the alt-rock band Black Lab, is staging his own revival after years of personal heartbreak and professional trials — and is taking a new approach to live performance.
Black Lab’s 1997 Geffen release Your Body Above Me spawned two hits on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart with sales of 120,000 copies. To date, Black Lab and Durham’s other projects combined have garnered over 30 million streams and 70,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
In the late 1990s and beyond, film and television producers found Durham’s refined alternative sound to be perfect for many projects, including the megamovie Spider-Man as well as TV’s House MD, Banshee, The Shield, Pretty Little Liars, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer among others.
Now Durham is touring solo, and his acoustic shows are specifically intended to evoke a deep connection with fans. “I’m playing small, quiet listening rooms, with plenty of time for stories, Black Lab classics, and a few of my new songs — as well as a chance to hang out and get to know each other afterwards,” said Durham. “I want to give the audience a new relationship to these songs through their direct relationship with me.”
The hushed intensity of Durham's shows also accentuates his 2023 solo release, This Sweet Life. The album strips down songs of love and loss to their steel-string essence and infuses others with bluesy swagger.
This Sweet Life is a reflective, acoustic-based release from a musician whose visual lyrics, distorted guitars, and moody videos helped shape the West Coast post-grunge scene. The tracks lay bare Durham’s jagged introspection, making the album as raw as it is rewarding, a record born from a master songwriter whose talents edge increasingly closer to the sublime.
Durham will be performing in California, Texas, Montana, Tennessee, and Europe this spring and summer. Get more at pauldurham.com.
Since dropping out of college in 2007, Jacob Johnson has journeyed across the country in six minivans (so far), captivating audiences with his highly caffeinated brand of acoustic guitar playing. Known for his energetic performances, Jacob has had the privilege of sharing the stage with Grammy winners like Tommy Emmanuel, and Victor Wooten, as well as esteemed musicians including Phil Keaggy, Marcus King, and Tim Reynolds.
Born in Japan, raised in Dublin, Ohio (USA). Shohei always knew he had a special connection with music through out his life…. having piano lessons from his mother, joining concert band in middle school, or always holding on to his Sony Walkman. He finally found the sound he was looking for when he strummed a simple E minor chord on his father’s guitar. Ever since, he would try to play whatever song that caught his attention…. songs from the hit-charts, TV, movies, or from his parents CDs, but he was especially attracted to the authentic “guitar music” with some folk and roots influences. After attending Berklee College of Music in 2004 he has perfomed and worked with many prominent guitar players such as Adam Rafferty, Muriel Anderson, Richard Smith, Tommy Emmanuel and more.
Don’t Miss Beppe Gambetta! Get tickets Here
Lana White EP Release Show with Special Guests
“All guitar players are like Frankensteins. Their music is made out of bits and pieces of other players. In Brooks' case, he's a son of a Frankenchops, the well known monster picker Buster B. Jones. Buster and Brooks are both so scary ... the legend continues.” - Mason Williams
"Brooks Robertson has one of the very best techniques in fingerstyle guitar. You can hear the influences of Buster B. Jones, Jerry Reed, and all the great fingerpickers past ... and he's writing some fabulous new material. An amazing guitar player who's showing the rest of us how it's done! Nobody whops Brooks Robertson!" - Richard Smith
He just doesn't need much more than two thumbs, eight fingers and six strings on a wooden box to carry his listeners away. The protege of Buster B. Jones, Brooks Robertson wowed guitar fans around the world even as a child. At age 14 he appeared on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion", where he won first place in a talent competition for 12-20 year olds. In 2010 he won 1st place in the country category and 2nd place overall in the "Yamaha Six String Theory Guitar Competition" in Los Angeles. In 2012 Brooks received the Horizon Award for young, up and coming guitarists by The National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame, and was recently voted Portland, Oregon's "Best Emerging Artist" by Deli Magazine.. Hailed by prominent exponents of his instrument like Nokie Edwards, Thom Bresh, John Jorgenson and Mason Williams, the young fingerstyle guitarist embodies the creative vision of a postmodern world: It's the music that counts. Brooks utilizes his superb technical abilities to play bass, rhythm and melody simultaneously and surpass the borders of conventional genres. He merges hauntingly beautiful compositions, country rhythms and jazzy harmonies with funky licks into his very own art form – sometimes delivered with a punch, sometimes with a smile. Brooks was born in Eugene, Oregon in 1989. Seeing Buster B. Jones perform at a festival near his home town became a life-changing experience for the kid from the sticks. Just eleven years old, he was immediately inclined to pick up the guitar. Soon, the world renowned fingerstyle virtuoso and instructor dedicated his spare time to introducing his new fan into the secrets of the fretboard, and after six months of lessons the natural talent performed his first show with his mentor. When Buster B. Jones took him under his wings, Brooks began playing high-profile gigs such as the Nokie Edwards Festival, the NAMM Show in Anaheim, the Montreal Jazz Festival or the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield among others. By the time he was a teenager he had become the youngest endorsee of Godin Guitars and traveled to several states and foreign countries to perform. Brooks went on to play on Garrison Keillor's National Public Radio classic "A Prairie Home Companion" in 2004, where he won first place in a talent competition for 12 to 20 year old participants.
ATTENTION: Tonight's sold out concert with Ickes and Hensley has been cancelled due to artist illness! We will try to reschedule. Refunds are currently underway.
Take a 15-time IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Dobro Player of the Year and a Tennessee-born guitar prodigy called “Nashville’s hottest young player” by Acoustic Guitar magazine, and you have Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, a powerhouse acoustic duo that has electrified the acoustic music scene around the world. Known for their white-hot picking and world class musicianship, as well as their soulful stone country vocals, the GRAMMY® nominated duo cleverly and uniquely melds bluegrass, country, blues, rock, jamgrass, and string band music of all kinds to create a signature blend of music that defies restrictions of genre. NPR has called Ickes and Hensley “two musical phenoms”; Vintage Guitar raved they’re an “acoustic firestorm” who “are changing the rules”; Acoustic Guitar describes their sound as “steel-string bluegrass with all the intensity of rock ‘n’ roll” and No Depression observed they’re “two of the finest musicians playing today.” Ickes and Hensley have shared the stage or collaborated with Tommy Emmanuel, Taj Mahal, Vince Gill, David Grisman, Jorma Kaukonen, Marty Stuart, and Steve Wariner—all admirers of the duo. Ickes, the most decorated musician in IBMA Awards history and former founding member of bluegrass “supergroup” Blue Highway and highly sought-after Dobro master, has graced the recordings and concerts of artists such as Earl Scruggs, Merle Haggard, Alison Krauss, Tony Rice and more. Hensley, who earned IBMA Guitar Player of the Year nominations for the past three years, made his Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 11 (thanks to an invite from Marty Stuart with Earl Scruggs) and has appeared on stage with the likes of Johnny Cash, Peter Frampton and Old Crow Medicine Show. All three of the Compass Records albums released by Ickes and Hensley have received widespread acclaim, including their debut Before The Sun Goes Down, which garnered a GRAMMY® nomination, and the combo’s current release World Full of Blues, which features collaborations with Vince Gill and Taj Mahal. Ickes and Hensley teamed with guitar master Tommy Emmanuel for a very special EP, Tommy Emmanuel – Accomplice Series Vol. I With Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley (released May 7, 2021 via Emmanuel’s label, CGP Sounds) to critical acclaim. The three high-powered guitar virtuosos performed together on the Grand Ole Opry on May 8, 2021 and from famed Nashville venue 3rd & Lindsley on May 9, 2021 via worldwide broadcasts to celebrate the release of the project. Ickes and Hensley have completed their fourth record for Compass Records with GRAMMY®-winning producer Brent Maher, which is set for release in early 2023.
Trevor has established himself as a unique and pioneering voice on the international stage, albeit one who speaks through his guitar and every sound that it’s capable of, rather than words. On top of a touring calendar that’s taken him through 17 countries and counting, his discography has amassed millions of listens and views through streaming services such as Spotify and YouTube, allowing his music to connect meaningfully with listeners across all borders, regardless of their language or location.
Since emerging on the fringe of the Philadelphia, USA, music scene as a young guitar virtuoso in the early 2000s, Trevor’s fingerpicking style of textured instrumentalism took little time to leave an impression on listeners. He was rated a top 30 under 30 guitarist by Acoustic Guitar Magazine and has shared the stage with or drawn praise from peers and guitar legends who helped blaze the path before him, including the likes of John Mayer, Steve Miller, Graham Nash, Steve Hackett, Dar Williams, Will Ackerman,Pat Martino, Stanley Jordan, Phil Keaggy, Tommy Emmanuel, Pierre Bensusan and Andy McKee to name a few. He’s also been featured on NPR, NBC, PBS, and many international outlets and publications around the world.
