Last month, the Vernon Folk-Roots Music Society was honoured to host the amazingly talented indie blues and folk singer-songwriter Ann Vriend.
Next, the VFRMS presents Canadian Whitewater, a local bluegrass quartet guaranteed to make your toes tap and your inner dancer take to the floor, Saturday at the Vernon Army Navy Air Force Spitfire Lounge.
With enough instruments between them to start a whole new band, Canadian Whitewater have wowed crowds with their traditional bluegrass style for more than a generation, and now they are reuniting again to bring the fun home.
Members Chris Stevens, Bert Jensen, Charlie Veaudry and Jim LeDuc have all played and performed as solo artists, as well as in various award winning bands, for most of their lives.
The group took some time off after the tragic loss of honoured banjo player Gene Bretecher last year, but after a show done in memoriam for their departed band mate last May, they are ready to reunite again and showcase their incredible passion for bluegrass.
Fans new and old will be treated to fiddle playing, banjo picking, two- and three-part harmonies, and even some unique instrumental appearances (namely, the “bandolin” or “manjo,” they haven’t decided which title to go with yet), which will be sure to delight fans of the bluegrass genre and music aficionados alike.
Each member of the band brings his own unique inspiration to the group, with influences ranging from country to blues (Veaudry continues to play in a blues band in Mexico every year), to folk and old-time bluegrass. And each brings his own form of passion for live music as well, so the audience is always in for a rare treat of upbeat, driving sound delivering the “classic heartbreak message that still can’t manage to make a person sad when the banjo is being played,” said guitar player and lead vocalist Veaudry.
Opening for the band is Vernon’s contemporary folk singer-songwriter Carolyn Anele.
Anele’s music is a blend of traditional folk, Celtic, country, and bluegrass, and her charming voice along with personable stage presence will be sure to touch hearts.
Anele’s third recording, Where Birds Sing, mixes traditional themes and cosmopolitan country-rock songs that make her a rising star in the folk scene. Her performance is sure to be the perfect segue into the feature bluegrass performance, but Anele has enough talent to take the stage on her own and will likely gain a few new fans who haven’t already had the pleasure of experiencing her music.
Tickets for the show, which starts at 7:30 p.m., are $20 available online at www.vernonfolkroots.com, at the Bean Scene, or the door. VFRMS members receive $5 off at the door.
