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Greetings!
Please join Trey Merrill Presents in welcoming KARLA
BONOFF (with Kenny Edwards
and Nina Gerber) to the Manship Theatre in Downtown
Baton Rouge on Wednesday May 3rd. Also appearing
will be Rabadash Recording Artist Big Daddy 'O'. A
portion of the proceeds will go to the Tipitina's
Foundation (helping those musicians affected by the
hurricanes). Please bring any used instruments,
sheet music, band equipment, etc. Doors at
7:00PM Show at 8PM. All Seats $37.50 Purchase
Advance
Tickets HERE.
| EVENING HIGHLIGHTS |
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| KARLA BONOFF |
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Karla's legacy as a performer and writer was summed
up in a review of her "All My Life" (The Best Of Karla
Bonoff) CD in Billboard Magazine: "Long
before Alanis and Jewel, there was a breed
of singer/songwriters whose earthly anthems of soul-
searching, heartache and joy touched souls in a way
few can muster today."
Bonoff has enjoyed a soaring career as a
singer/songwriter. The lateTimothy White, Editor,
Billboard Magazine, in 1999 said "Bonoff is one of the
finest singer-songwriters of her generation, with
many of her ballads having become classics of
American pop songwriting in the second half of the
century." Bonoff's hits include: "Someone to LayDown
Beside Me"," Personally", "All My Life","If He's Ever
Near", "I Can't Hold On", "Lose Again", "Home", "Isn't
It Always Love", "Baby Don't Go", and "Like a Falling
Star". She has recorded over 13 albums, including
recordings with the pop group "Bryndle", comprised of
Kenny Edwards,Andrew Gold, and Wendy Waldman.
Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville won a GRAMMY in
1990, for Best Pop Vocal, covering Bonoff's song "All
My Life." Her songs have been covered by Linda
Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Vince Gill, Wynonna Judd and
other national recording artists. Bonoff will be
performing with long time Linda Ronstadt and Stone
Poney guitarist Kenny Edwards as well as Nina
Gerber.
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| Kenny Edwards |
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In 1965, Kenny was a co-founder of The Stone
Poneys, along with Linda Ronstadt and Bobby Kimmel.
The group made several albums on Capitol Records,
toured, and became well-known in the new American
folk-rock movement. After the Stone Poneys, Kenny
lived and worked right in the heart of
LA's "Troubadour days," that legendary period which
solidified the California country-rock sound forever. It
was then that he met Karla Bonoff, Wendy Waldman,
and Andrew Gold who were all beginning their careers
as writers and players. The four loved singing
together so much they decided to become a group,
and ultimately they were signed to A&M - this, by the
way, was before some of their friends joined forces
to form the Eagles. Kenny's group, Bryndle, made a
record but was destined to be a springboard for the
substantial careers of its members - not to be
reunited until two decades later itself. Kenny Edwards
went to work in Linda Ronstadt's band, along with
Andrew Gold. These two were more than anyone else
the backbone of the Ronstadt sound - and thus,
much, much more. They played the records and sang
on them, and toured extensively for many years. In
Kenny's case, he also supplied Ronstadt with
material - he introduced her to the music of Karla
Bonoff, and he co-wrote with Linda himself on
occasion. Audiences don't know how very familiar
they are with the sound of Edwards' voice and his
wonderful musicianship - but everyday somewhere in
the world, those records are played and people are
hearing him.
When Karla Bonoff signed to Columbia, it seemed
natural that she should turn to her old partner Kenny
Edwards, who produced the classic Bonoff
albums, "Karla Bonoff," "Restless Nights," and "Wild
Heart of the Young." He began to produce other
records as well, and to be called upon extensively as
a session musician for many great artists, and
continues to this day. A partial list of session credits
includes these names: Don Henley, Brian Wilson,
Stevie Nicks, Warren Zevon, Art Garfunkel, Vince Gill,
Mac McAnally, David Lee Murphy, Jennifer Warnes,
Danny Kortchmar, and Lowell George. In recent
years, Kenny pursued his interest in some of the new
music coming up, and spent a lot of time in the clubs
of LA again, playing with younger musicians and
getting a feel for where music is going, working with
groups like the Williams Brothers, Peter Case, and the
Brothers Figaro. He also began to commute to
Nashville to write and play sessions,and found many
musicians who'd long been familiar with him and were
anxious to work with him. With Andrew Gold, he
produced "When Will I be Loved" featuring Vince Gill
for the movie "Eight Seconds", a New Line feature
film.
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| Nina Gerber |
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After carving a career out of what some might call
the shadows, guitarist Nina Gerber is at last beginning
to dare the light. Her first album as a leader, Not
Before Noon, follows two decades which brought her
to prominence without ever placing her name on the
front of an album cover. Since her accompaniment of
Kate Wolf first earned her recognition, her acute skills
as performer, producer and arranger have continued
to deepen. Her contributions to acoustic music have
earned her a following as loyal as for the numerous
high talents she has accompanied - proving the
shadows equal to the spotlight in the creation of
honest, powerful, and beautiful music.
Nina has a unique ability to completely free herself
within an eclectic range of styles. Presented with
folk, country, bluegrass, rock, or blues, she is able to
fall into leads which have rare reverence for the true
feeling of a song, always emphasizing taste over
technical display. She seeks to express through her
hands, rather than gain attention, and it is this
integrity which makes her expressions worth intent
listening.
That kind of intent listening will reveal Nina's melodic
touch in more places than many realize. Nina has
performed and/or recorded with: Nanci Griffith, Greg
Brown, Lucy Kaplansky, Mollie O'Brien, Jerry Jeff
Walker, Karla Bonoff, Ferron, Rosalie Sorrels, Barbara
Higbie, John Gorka, Cheryl Wheeler, Terry Garthwaite,
Tom Paxton, and many others. Her soulful
enhancement of their music easily explains why
several return the favor by appearing on Not Before
Noon.
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| Big Daddy 'O' |
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Big Daddy 'O' is one of those rare blues finds. For
the past 30 years he has been playing roadhouses
and juke joints in the delta area near the
Louisiana/Mississippi border. Rabadash
Records 'discovered' Big Daddy 'O' performing at a
small bar in Amite, LA. His approach to performing
songs makes each song sound like his own and
everyone who has the pleasure of hearing him knows
his big beautiful voice and good natured
presentation. At 6'6" he has a strong presence on
stage that no one forgets. He performs as a solo
act or with his band the "Big Daddy 'O' Review.
Big Daddy 'O' was raised in New Orleans where he got
his start singing in his family's barbershop quartet.
At the age of 19, he became a street musician in the
French Quarter, singing and playing guitar, stealing
licks wherever he could. He quickly moved into the
Bourbon Street clubs. It was there that he met his
wife Gretchen and the soon moved out to the
country to raise their family. His music has matured
over the years establishing a strong fan base through
his powerful rapport with each listener.
Since signing with Rabadash, Big Daddy 'O' has
become all the buzz - being recognized as "Best
Emerging Blues Artist" by Offbeat Magazine, and
being invited to perform at the 2003 New Orleans
Jazz & Heritage Festival. In addition, his debut
CD "That's How Strong My Love Is" was named one
of the best CD's of the year by the Times Picayune,
Gambit, and Offbeat Magazine. He has recently sold
out shows in Arkansas and Florida and has performed
at the House Of Blues, Maple Leaf, Tipitina's & Howlin'
Wolf in New Orleans. He has had the privilege of
sharing the stage with Lonnie Mack, Johnny Winter,
Black Oak Arkansas, Dr Hook, Mark Chestnut and
Marcia Ball. Born to the Blues, Big Daddy O aka
Owen Tufts never fails to please
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| TIPITINA'S FOUNDATION |
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The Tipitina's Foundation
Mission
The Tipitina's Foundation a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization, has worked dilgently to uplift the music
community of New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina
devastated the city, the Foundation responded by
rebuilding New Orleans' music culture. Initally, the
Foundation addressed the immediate needs of our
exiled musicians and allowed them to carry on with
their lives. Now the foundation is using the legendary
music club, Tipitina's Uptown, as the center of its
relief efforts by hosting a newly-opened Music Co-op
Office that allows musicians to conduct their business
activities during the daytime, free legal and
accounting seminars, free music lessons for music
students, regular Master Seminars, and help with
housing information. An important aspect of the
rebuilding process has involved finding replacement
instruments for both professionals and music students
alike. So far the foundation has given away over
$500,000 of new instruments. Through these efforts,
the Tipitina's Foundation is saving the musical
traditions of New Orleans.
New Orleans Artist Relief
Effort
The Tipitina's Foundation is coordinating relief to
artists who are displaced and/or in need of help.
Artists and donors may post listings so that the
Foundation can match specific donations to artists in
need. Artists and donors may also browse the lists
themselves to try to make their own
matches.
TIPITINAS
FOUNDATION SITE
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