Snowmass Village announces 2007 summer music schedule
Snowmass Village announces full summer music schedule
Bluegrass, Jazz, African, Acoustic and more take to the Fanny Hill Stage
Snowmass Village, CO : May 17th, 2007 — Snowmass Village is pleased to announce the summer music schedule with an expanded line-up of talented acts and nearly $200,000 in venue improvements slated for this summer season. From the Chili Pepper & Brew Fest which kicks off the Aspen/Snowmass summer in June to the Summer of Free Music Series all summer long to two Massive Music & Movies weekends and the hot new acts during the Parrot Head Block Party,
Snowmass’ summer music scene is unparalleled in the mountains. This year music lovers additionally will find nearly $200,000 worth of venue improvements including new sod seating and a state-of-the-art stage roof and sound system.
“We’re dedicated to providing high quality and affordable concerts in Snowmass Village, and this year we went all out,” says Susan Hamley, Director of Marketing and Special Events for the Town of Snowmass Village. “We’ve got over 21 major acts heading to Snowmass this summer, all of which are free except Chili Pepper & Brew Fest where tickets cost as little as $15. It’s really an outstanding summer schedule and my hat is off to our producers who programmed the music for this year’s line up.”
Talent for the Snowmass Summer of Free Music Series is produced by the esteemed Jazz Aspen Snowmass organization, while the Chili Pepper & Brew Fest, Massive Music & Movies, and all other event acts are booked by Snowmass’ contracted summer event producer, Josh Behrman. Together, these two entities consistently bring in top notch musical talent to Snowmass Village in the summer.
The Snowmass Village Summer Music Schedule
JUNE 8-10: FOURTH ANNUAL SNOWMASS CHILI PEPPER & BREW FEST. Top national chili cooks, microbreweries and music combine in this salsa-hot season opener festival. (Tickets: $15-$30 or $50 weekend pass at www.snowmasschiliandbrew.com)
The Del McCoury Band (June 8). Del McCoury has embodied the best qualities of bluegrass since he first performed with Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys in the 1960s. Since then, McCoury has won 31 International Bluegrass Music Association awards and a 2006 Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. He is the leader of the Del McCoury Band, which includes sons Ronnie McCoury (mandolin) and Rob McCoury (banjo) and has produced eight albums, including the 2006 Grammy Award-winning album The Company We Keep.
The David Grisman Quintet (June 8). For more than 40 years, mandolinist/composer David Grisman has inspired a whole new genre of acoustic string instrumental music that blends swing, bluegrass, Latin, jazz and gypsy styles, while his quintet has over the past 25 years won numerous awards and headlined at major international music festivals.
Sweet Sunny South (June 8). Sweet Sunny South is an acoustic old-time bluegrass band that plays a unique blend of new and traditional music. Based in Paonia, Colorado, the group has performed extensively throughout the region and has a reputation for a lively stage show and great songwriting.
Ziggy Marley (June 9). Four-time Grammy Award-winner Ziggy Marley, who won his first solo Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 2007, is the son of reggae legend Bob Marley and was the driving creative force behind The Melody Makers, a triple Grammy-winning act with his siblings. One of the most recognized icons in the reggae world, he released his first solo album in 2003 and his style crafts a soulful blend of blues, R&B, hip-hop, and reggae.
Spencer Durham (June 9). Take one part jamband, add one part southern rock, one part blues, and mix together with a high-energy stage show and you get The Spencer Durham Group, a young band taking the South by storm. Led by 19-year-old phenom Spencer Durham, this group has been compared to the Allman Brothers Band of the 1970s with strong rhythms, bluesy slide guitar, unmistakable B-3 organ, and stirring vocals dripping with soul.
Papa Mali (June 9). Solo artist, slide guitarist, singer/songwriter and acclaimed producer Papa Mali was professionally playing funk, soul, gospel, blues, reggae, Swamp Boogie, and rock by the time he was 17. Christened “Papa Mali” while with the internationally acclaimed band The Killer Bees, Papa Mali has worked with The Meters, Dr. John, Willie Nelson, Derek Trucks, and many more.
JUNE 23: PARROT HEAD BLOCK PARTY (FREE).
Snowmass is the place to be before Jazz Aspen Snowmass’ June Festival acts begin, offering sidewalk sales, tropical specials, and exceptional music in its own right.
Jake Shimabukuro. Jake Shimabukuro (she-ma-BOO-koo-row) is regarded as one of the world’s top ukulele musicians. Renowned for lightning-fast fingers and revolutionary playing techniques, he captivates audiences with intricate strumming, electrifying high-energy grooves and smooth, melodic ballads. Playing jazz, blues, funk, classical, bluegrass, folk, flamenco, and rock, he has performed with Diana Krall, Fiona Apple, Blues Traveler, Jimmy Buffet, Ziggy Marley and many others.
The Greencards. The Greencards is an acoustic music trio that has headlined major festivals and toured with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. Named Best New Band at the Austin Music Awards in 2004, they also won Best New/Emerging Artist of the Year at the Americana Awards in 2006. Known for their instrumental chops, The Greencards perform with musical super-conductivity, a respect for tradition, and a zest for innovation, toeing a line that connects Fairport Convention to New Grass Revival to Patty Griffin while still remaining vibrantly independent and exquisitely balanced.
JUNE 28: SNOWMASS SUMMER OF FREE MUSIC SERIES (FREE)
This popular weekly concert series draws crowds by the thousands every Thursday for al fresco sunset concerts on Fanny Hill at 6 p.m. Bring a blanket, a picnic basket of food and soft drinks. Beer and wine is available for purchase.
War. This original street band phenomenon that forever fused rock, jazz, Latin, and R&B while transcending racial and cultural barriers with a multi-ethnic line-up kicks off the summer series. The band has sold nearly 25 million records to date and is a permanent part of America’s pop cultural landscape. A touring act that performs 150 shows a year, their catalog of timeless hits have been featured in countless movies, television shows, commercials, and remakes by everyone from Janet Jackson to Shaggy to TLC.
JUNE 30: MASSIVE MUSIC & MOVIES INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION (FREE)
This free extravaganza on the Saturday before July 4th is the ultimate holiday celebration concert with two renowned acts and a specially designed half hour laser light show.
Son Volt. Principle musician Jay Farrar has amassed a sizable and distinctive body of work since coming on the radar with popular group Uncle Tupelo in 1989. His band Son Volt has met with critical acclaim with music ranging from quiet folk/country ballads reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s John Wesley Harding, to barhouse rockers in the spirit of Neil Young with Crazy Horse. Often considered a staple band of the alternative country movement, Son Volt music is best described as genre-spanning traditional American music.
Keller Williams. Keller Williams is literally a one-man jam band and one of today’s most distinctive guitarists/singer-songwriters. A self-taught, percussive, and rhythmic musician, Williams is known for unconventional introspective folk songs and his innovative and original methods of performing concerts in the jam band scene. Incredibly prolific, Williams has released nearly an album a year since 1998.
JULY 5: SNOWMASS SUMMER OF FREE MUSIC SERIES (FREE)
This popular weekly concert series draws crowds by the thousands every Thursday for al fresco sunset concerts on Fanny Hill at 6 p.m.
Tony Furtado. Tony Furtado is an award-winning banjo picker and slide guitar player. A two-time winner of the Grand National Banjo Championship in Winfield, Kansas, he has released 13 albums and played with such notable musicians as Earl Scruggs, Béla Fleck, Alison Krauss, The String Cheese Incident and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. He has released several solo albums including his latest album “13” released in January 2007.
JULY 12: SNOWMASS SUMMER OF FREE MUSIC SERIES (FREE)
This popular weekly concert series draws crowds by the thousands every Thursday for al fresco sunset concerts on Fanny Hill at 6 p.m.
Marcia Ball. American blues singer and pianist Marcia Ball is known for a piano style influenced by zydeco, swamp blues and boogie woogie. Inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 1990, she’s at home playing roadhouse rock, jump-blues, second line syncopation (a la Professor Longhair, one of Ball’s idols), R&B, deep soul, and ballads. Ball’s talented singing and songwriting are matched by superb and eclectic piano playing.
JULY 19: SNOWMASS SUMMER OF FREE MUSIC SERIES (FREE)
This popular weekly concert series draws crowds by the thousands every Thursday for al fresco sunset concerts on Fanny Hill at 6 p.m.
Average White Band. Don’t let their name fool you. For the better part of 30 years, Average White Band has performed sold out shows around the world performing infectiously danceable funky soul. Formed in 1972, their roots may have been Scottish, but the collective heart of the band belongs to the soulful sounds coming out of Memphis, Detroit, and Philadelphia in the 1960s.
JULY 26: SNOWMASS SUMMER OF FREE MUSIC SERIES (FREE)
This popular weekly concert series draws crowds by the thousands every Thursday for al fresco sunset concerts on Fanny Hill at 6 p.m.
Bettye Lavette. Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Bettye Lavette cut her first record at the tender age of 16 and is considered one of the greatest soul singers in American music history. Winner of a 2004 W.C. Handy Award for Comeback Blues Album of the Year and the Living Blues critic pick as Best Female
Blues Artist of 2004, Lavette draws enthusiastic live crowds across the country and on the European tour circuit.
AUGUST 2: SNOWMASS SUMMER OF FREE MUSIC SERIES (FREE)
This popular weekly concert series draws crowds by the thousands every Thursday for al fresco sunset concerts on Fanny Hill at 6 p.m.
The B Side Players. The B-Side Players have been spreading their message of culture, music and family for over 10 years. The San Diego based septet led by frontman Karlos Paez, more commonly known as Solrak, formed in 1993, built a local following and continues to win San Diego music awards annually for their blend of Latin flavored reggae, afro-beat and funk. The band has toured with artists such as Ben Harper, Ozomatli, the Wailers and Papa Roach and have a new album due out this summer.
AUGUST 4: MASSIVE MUSIC & MOVIES (FREE)
Two favorite mediums combine into one spectacular weekend of free music and movies. Award-winning Aspen Shortsfest films include Air Guitar Nation and Stuart Copeland’s documentary of The Police, Everyone Stares
John Hiatt. Hiatt is an American rock guitarist, pianist, singer, and songwriting legend who has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including New Wave, blues and country. Hiatt has been nominated for eleven Grammy Awards, has released 18 studio albums and two live albums, and his songs have been covered by notable artists including Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Joan Baez, Paula Abdul, Jimmy Buffett, and Rosanne Cash.
Shawn Colvin Acoustic Solo. Shawn Colvin is a Grammy Award-winning folk/rock musician whose first break came singing back-up vocals for Suzanne Vega’s hit “Luka.” Her 1989 debut “Steady On” won her a Grammy for best contemporary folk album, followed by “Sunny Came Home” in 1997, which won her two more Grammys. Colvin has emerged as a powerful songcraftswoman with plenty of pop smarts, which has earned her a broad and loyal following. She’s appeared in movies, contributed vocals to songs by Bela Fleck, James Taylor, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and collaborated with Sting.
AUGUST 9: SNOWMASS SUMMER OF FREE MUSIC SERIES (FREE)
This popular weekly concert series draws crowds by the thousands every Thursday for al fresco sunset concerts on Fanny Hill at 6 p.m.
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars. The Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars is a band of six Sierra Leonean musicians who were forced to live as refugees due to a brutal civil war in their own country. Through their music, the Refugee All Stars have found a place of refuge, a sense of purpose, and a source of power. The subject of a feature length documentary film, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars now tour the world spreading their message of peace and love in a "can't help but dance" show that fuses traditional West African music, roots reggae and rhythmic traditional folk.
AUGUST 16: SNOWMASS SUMMER OF FREE MUSIC SERIES (FREE)
This popular weekly concert series draws crowds by the thousands every Thursday for al fresco sunset concerts on Fanny Hill at 6 p.m.
The Ditty Bops. The Los Angeles-based Ditty Bops plays a blend of folk, bluegrass, jazz, western swing, ragtime and musical theater. Headed by Abby DeWald (vocals and acoustic guitar) and Amanda Barrett (vocals, mandolin and dulcimer), the band is noted for excellent harmonies and a generally playful style and tempo as well as a theatrical live show. Six of their songs have been included on the hit show Grey’s Anatomy with "There’s a Girl" being on the series soundtrack. In 2006 to commemorate the release of their second album, they logged 4,502 miles bicycling from Los Angeles to New York City.
AUGUST 23: SNOWMASS SUMMER OF FREE MUSIC SERIES (FREE)
This popular weekly concert series draws crowds by the thousands every Thursday for al fresco sunset concerts on Fanny Hill at 6 p.m.
Salvador Santana. Keyboardist and composer Salvador Santana’s vibrant music mixes hip-hop, jazz, rock, Latin and other world idioms into a uniquely individual and totally contemporary style. Son of Carlos Santana, one of the most influential guitarists in rock history, Santana calls the richly textured grooves he creates with the Salvador Santana Band, "a new blend, a sound reinvented." The group, which formed in 2004, has toured extensively, opening for Los Lonely Boys, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Ozomatli and Rusted Root, and playing at smaller venues nationwide as a headliner.
AUGUST 31-SEPTEMBER 3: JAZZ ASPEN SNOWMASS LABOR DAY FESTIVAL
Over Labor Day weekend in Snowmass Town Park, Jazz Aspen Snowmass presented by Calamos Investments offers a jam band fan’s dream come true: the Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Joss Stone, Nickel Creek, and The Derek Trucks Band and Susan Tedeschi, with additional artists to be announced. One of the biggest music festivals of the Colorado summer, this event lures crowds of over 30,000 to Snowmass. Music continues into the night at various locations in Snowmass Village with JAS After Dark performances. (Tickets at www.jazzaspen.com)
SEPTEMBER 9: OKTOBERFEST (FREE)
This stein-klinking, lederhosen-laden, strudel-scarfing German harvest celebration combines authentic German biergartens, music and cuisine, with more modern live music, crisp fall air and fantastic mountain views.
Ruthie Foster. This prodigiously gifted singer and songwriter from Texas mixes contemporary folk with old-school gospel and blues, showcasing a powerhouse voice that’s drawn comparisons to Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin.
The Steve Rock’s Tanzkapelle. A Denver-based German & American variety band whose name translates to mean “dance band,” The Steve Rock’s Tanzkapelle group specialize in polkas and waltzes with a German beat sure to get people dancing on the mall. With more than 35 years of experience, this three-member band plays the accordion, drums, trumpet, and occasionally the Tuba and is a classic hit for Oktoberfest celebrations.
SEPTEMBER 14-16: SNOWMASS BALLOON FESTIVAL AND SNOWMASS WINE & JAZZ FESTIVAL
Acts for the free balloon festival night glow and the jazz portion of Wine & Jazz are TBD. Check back at www.snowmasspress.com/mountainmusic for updates.
The resort town of Snowmass Village, Colorado, is located in the heart of the Elk Mountains 9 miles from Aspen, Colorado. Snowmass is accessible via four regional airports (Aspen, Eagle, Grand Junction, and Denver), with new daily service from Los Angeles on United and expanded Delta service from Salt Lake City. Snowmass offers diverse lodging and daily activities for families, adventurers, and couples. For a summer media guide to this popular mountain destination, please visit www.snowmasspress.com.