BELOVED, FRESH & ENGAGING CELTIC AMERICANA DUO FLOWER & MCLAREN BLEND BRAND NEW TUNES WITH TRIED AND TRUE TREASURES IN A HIGHLY ANTICIPATED RETURN ENGAGEMENT AT THE FREIGHT & SALVAGE
Bay Area musical favorites, Robin Flower and Libby McLaren will perform a selection of brand new tunes and other choice picks from their extended catalog of original songs. Joining them in the celebration will be their hot band of longtime musical compatriots: bass player extraordinaire, Jan Martinelli; fiddle, guitar and vocals with their friend from "Wake The Dead", Danny Carnahan; and percussion master Peter Maund.
Flower and McLaren's performance at the Freight will highlight five brand new tunes that have not been played in public before. The engaging "Tell Me" is the first love song they have ever written in their 25 years of musical collaboration! The song is set in nature where two people meet while fly fishing on a river, and how the river has a mysterious influence on the outcome of their encounter. An intricate call and response is interwoven within the music and lyrics. An old Woody Guthrie chestnut "Pastures of Plenty" is getting an exciting modern twist. The song is being paired with the Southern tune "Foggy Dew" building one verse at a time. It begins with Robin's soulful old-time blues interpretation, leading into Libby's and then Danny Carnahan's rich voices to produce a tight powerful vocal on this timeless American anthem. Side-note: Robin Flower will be performing in the Woody Guthrie celebration of his 100th birthday in July at the Freight as a member of the band.
"After Augrim" is a famous poem by Irish writer, Emily Lawless. Flower and McLaren were inspired to set the poem to music and pair it with a tune written on electric guitar to simulate the sound of pipes. The duo has composed a melody so brand new that it has not even been named yet! For now they are just calling it the "UnLap Tune" because they use an unlap dulcimer, which is held with a strap like a guitar. Combined with a banjo, they strive to create a unique "mountain sound".Combining inventive instrumental prowess on piano, fiddle, accordion, mandolin, and guitar and the intertwining of richly textured vocal harmonics Flower and McLaren have created a unique brand of Folk Fusion. To complete their lineup of brand new pieces Flower and McLaren are showcasing Texas singer/songwriter, Butch Hancock's sweet, mournful and epic love song "If You Were a Bluebird ". This will be a lush vocal extravaganza, sung by Libby with Robin and Danny on harmonies.
Come visit the Freight and experience the musical company of two of Celtic Americana’s most vastly creative and accomplished artists. Flower and McLaren continue to find their collective voice through their love of song and tune writing, traditional Irish instrumental music and staying close to their early musical roots. Come for the music, the creativity, the community and the fun!
Bios:
Multi instrumentalist, songwriter, and performer Robin Flower's music was influenced from her mother's traditional Kentucky roots as well as the rock, folk and later swing of America. She moved seamlessly through these musics, picking up stylistic nuances while playing mandolin, fiddle, and guitar, recording 4 albums for Flying Fish Records. Her recordings and live performances, topical and quirky songwriting and driving instrumentals have garnered accolades from Frets Magazine, the VillageVoice, The Boston Globe, Bluegrass Unlimited, Canada's Globe and Mail, and a myriad of other publications. Robin toured in the back up band for the legendary duo Hazel and Alice (Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerard)and legendary guitar player, Elizabeth Cotten.
Libby McLaren grew up listening to swing and jazz as well as her father's Dixieland banjo playing while learning to play the piano. Her singing style developed while singing with the popular California-based jazz fusion band, Night Flyte. The band was signed in New York by GRP Records. After Night Flyte, Libby was busy with a career as an in-demand back-up singer in New York City. She co-wrote the #1Billboard Disco hit, "For the Same Man" Five years before her return to California, Libby became an integral member of the three-sister folk super-group, The Roches, as the keyboard player and 4th singer. With her return to the San Francisco Bay Area, Libby became the pianist and singer with the celebrated Ronnie Gilbert of The Weavers. She has also recorded with Nobel Peace Prize nominee singer-activist Holly Near.
Media & Artist Quotes:
"With a musical intimacy that is extraordinary, Robin Flower & Libby McLaren create a unique excitement in every performance."- Indie-music.com
"It is a musical marriage made in heaven, Flower and McLaren's. To be in the presence of their joyous musicianship, so full of passion for life, is to travel in the realm of pure delight."-Ronnie Gilbert
Website: http://flowerandmclaren.com
