RUBY JEWEL PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

ABOUT THE SHOW

Who:      John Reishman and the Jaybirds
What:     In concert at the Historic Washoe Theater
Where:  Washoe Theater, Anaconda, MT
Date:      Sunday, Oct 29, 2017
Time:     3-5:30PM
Price:  $13 advance $15 door $25 VIP $5 kids 12-18 under 12 Free
VIP includes a pre-show reception, balcony seating – LIMITED 100 seats

This concert will be a fundraiser to benefit non-profit The Anaconda Family Resource Center.

ABOUT THE BAND

Years of European and North American tours, five critically acclaimed albums, two Juno nominations and two Canadian Folk Music Award nominations…little wonder, the buzz around John Reischman and The Jaybirds continues to grow. Like the mandolinist at its helm, the group fashions a stylish, elegant take on bluegrass that is at once innovative and unadorned, sophisticated and stripped-down, happily old-fashioned, yet unselfconsciously new. To see their live show is to believe it. A genial blend of story-telling and side-show humor provides the backdrop to their studied performance of original songs, instrumentals, and newly arranged traditional material.

Hailing from the variegated ranks of the contemporary West Coast acoustic music scene, each of these ‘birds has certainly earned his wings: the list of projects they have contributed to over the years is nothing less than a short list of acoustic power houses. Together, their seamless ensemble work makes for one of the freshest, most tasteful band-sounds on the folk and bluegrass circuit today.

John Reischman, Mandolin

Contrary to a vicious rumor that has been circulating, the Jaybirds did not begin as a radical underground Western Canada political sect bent on relocating 49th parallel boundary monuments to claim the West Coast’s finest bluegrass musicians for the Commonwealth. The simple fact is, it was always about music – the music of one man.Fans of the Jaybirds know it is a shared loved of John Reischman’s mandolin work that brought together this select and accomplished group of players. And there is little doubt that when the Jaybirds get together musically, something special happens; some have noted that other kinds of boundaries are shifting. Few can traverse the disparate landscapes of bluegrass and old-time as expertly as Reischman and the Jaybirds have. With each new recorded offering, this stellar group furthers its exploration of a unique musical geography where our timeless string-band traditions are renewed, expanded, and enhanced.

Whether setting the tone for a mournful ballad, laying in fills for one of the group’s unique original compositions, or providing essential rhythmic foundation to breakneck speed bluegrass, John Reischman’s mandolin acts as the sonic heart and soul of the band and its conceptual touchstone. He is a mandolin master of the highest caliber, having garnered praise from every corner of the music world for his tasteful, classic, and versatile technique bar-none. After cutting his teeth with West Coast groups of now-legendary status (the Tony Rice Unit, the Good Ol’ Persons) Reischman has once again reached new heights with the Jaybirds; this time, it is with a singular sound built around his musical tastes and fortified by the intrepid spirit of his musical partners.

Visit John’s Website for me about him.

Greg Spatz, Fiddle

It’s hard to tell who will show up to the party: Jaybird Greg Spatzor his dour, northerly doppelganger, Gregory. If you happen to be wandering the grounds of Eastern Washington University, you’ll likely meet the latter, who has an impressive writerly resume. Gregory’s fiction (most recently the critically acclaimed novel, Fiddler’s Dream) has even graced the high-art pages of “The New Yorker.” Imagine him pushing around campus, absent-minded, shuffle-footed, in a maroon cardigan.Then there’s Greg, a party to far-out beyond bluegrass experimentations with his college roommate Mark Vann of Leftover Salmon, or his post-college roommate, a certain resophonic guitar celeb named Rob Ickes; Greg, a first-call session man with a style so rapturously soaring, so wildly bluesy only a sweater of Mr. Rogers proportions could temper its fire. Most recently he is proprietor and bouzouki geek of the worldly old-time of Mighty Squirrel.

While the academic version is far from this man or his music, there must be a little bit of Gregory in Greg, even when he’s a fiddling Jaybird. Perhaps the writer’s focus gives the fiddler the uncanny ability to, in the space of a single set, play melodic partner to Trisha Gagnon’s pure, timeless voice, slice a clean edge through a blues-infused Jim Nunally composition, and double up or harmonize with John Reischman’s note-perfect mandolin, all at the drop of the hat.

Trisha Gagnon, Bass

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Or in the wild raspberry jam, which British Columbia-based Trisha Gagnon makes herself on her farm and preserves in mason jars. They’re for sale, seasonally, during set breaks at Jaybirds road shows. If you take home a jarful, you will no doubt find that the adjective chosen by folk music authority “Sing Out!” to describe Gagnon’s voice was apropos in more ways than one: “Irresistible.”A less epicurean adjective would not have sufficed, and not only to account for her organic jam-making enterprise: Gagnon brings a perceptive beauty to all she touches. Her many roles in the band — vocalist, bassist, and song-writer — all are informed by the same personal, homespun touch. But that’s not all. Her Chilliwack, B.C. farm has harbored many a wayward animal in search of a place to rest — about a dozen cats, several dogs, and other critters could attest to her generosity.

Gagnon’s earnest, convivial spirit informed her work of several years with her sister in the popular BC-based band, Tumbleweed, and has inspired such memorable Jaybird narratives as “Blackberry Bramble,” “On My Way to You,” and “Home Sweet Home,” a rare collaboration that set Gagnon-penned lyrics to a Reischman melody. To hear her explain the inspiration for the song in concert drives home the great virtue she celebrates, and in many ways embodies in her music: a true sense of place. As a grounding force in this band of far-flung and far-flying Jaybirds, for Gagnon, each and every road leads home.

Visit the band’s website for more about them.

ABOUT THE CAUSE

Ruby Jewel Productions Presents

Nell Robinson & Jim Nunally Band at Washoe Theater in Anaconda, MT at 7:30 on Friday, June 16.

About the Show

Who:      Nell Robinson & Jim Nunally Band in Concert
What:     In concert at the Historic Washoe Theater
Where:  Washoe Theater, Anaconda, MT
Date:      Friday, June 16, 2017
Time:     7:30 – 10:00pm
Price:  $15 advance $18 door $25 VIP
VIP includes a pre-show reception, balcony seating – LIMITED 100 seats
We’re offering a special community $10 hardship ticket price for for those in the community who can’t afford the $15 price but love live music.

About the Band

This band is the new “Nashville 2.0” sound at it’s finest.  If you’re following the evolution of the Nashville sound and would like to experience some of it live and in person right here in Montana, this is the perfect concert for you in an amazing listening venue.

The Nell Robinson & Jim Nunally Band brings five genre-busting artists together to bring joyful music infused with folk, bluegrass, americana, roots, swing, jazz, and the blues. Alt-Roots, Folkbilly – whatever you call it – it’s original, well done, and a pleasure to hear. Featuring Pete Grant on pedal steel, Jim Kerwin on bass fiddle and Jon Arkin on percussion. This is truly an all-star band.

The Nell Robinson & Jim Nunally Band released their new EP West in Berkeley CA on April 30th.

West is the first of a four-part, five-song EP series named after one of the four cardinal points on a compass – North, South, East, and West. When placed together, the back covers of the four releases will form one piece of art. Physical copies will be available for purchase for only $5 at all live shows, and digital versions will be available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon in early 2017.

“We are excited about releasing a series of eclectic new works with a super talented band,” said Jim Nunally. “We pay homage to great artists like George Jones, Buck Owens, Tammy Wynette, while our original songs like ‘Mirror’ take folk music in an entirely new direction. We aren’t just following a path; we are paving a new one.”

“Hey, five is the magic number this year, it’s a number that signifies change and grace,” added Nell Robinson. “Five songs per album for $5, five jazzed musicians … and I turn 55 this spring!”

Nell Robinson has been described as a “modern day Patsy Cline” and “one of the freshest voices in roots music.” Her side-projects, from the poignancy of Soldier Stories to the whimsy of The Henriettas, further attest to the breadth and ambition of the youthful musical passions she let flower.  Robinson’s 2014 release “The Rose of No-Man’s Land became a PBS Special with it’s own episode in the Music Gone Public series.  The abum, produced by Joe Henry, featured Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Kris Kristofferson, John Doe and Maxine Hong Kingston.

“Music is the ultimate communication tool and Nell’s songs, performance and album moved the WoodSongs audience deeply! A fine person and a fine artist, ’nuff said.”- Michael Johnathon, Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour.

Jim Nunally is a San Francisco Bay Area-native, a musician, composer, record producer, and teacher. As a guitarist and vocalist with the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience for over 13 years, Jim joins master American guitarists Doc Watson and Tony Rice as one of the finest interpreters and performers of bluegrass and traditional music. He is a recipient of two Grammy and IBMA Awards and is a two-time Western Open Flatpicking Guitar champion. His work is featured on soundtracks for The Beverly Hillbillies Movie, Snoopy’s Reunion, The Sims, Streets of SimCity and more. His third-generation traditional music roots began in Arkansas with his guitar-playing grandfather who taught Jim’s father, who in turn taught Jim. This pedigree contributes to his unmistakably traditional sound.

Pete Grant’s resume looks like a who’s who of music! He started playing banjo, guitar, and dobro in the early sixties in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sharing musical adventures with his friends Jerry Garcia, Jorma Kaukonen, Pat Simmons, and others, he has performed solo, in duos, and his own groups. The Grateful Dead album Aoxomoxoa was his first studio recording, from there he went on to become one of the most sought after steel players on the West Coast. Touring in Japan with Guy Clark, he played on Clark’s second release, Texas Cookin’. Grant is a two-time nominee for Best Steel Guitarist by the Academy of Country Music.

Jim Kerwin is considered simply one of the best string bass players in the country. He has played with David Grisman for over 30 years and is featured on all of Grisman’s Jerry Garcia recordings, all of which boast a unique acoustic setting, encompassing a myriad of musical genres. A San Francisco State University graduate with a performance degree in solo double bass, he spent several years touring Europe with an avant-garde jazz trio led by vibist Larry Blackshere. He has performed with bluegrass greats Red Allen and Del McCoury and has played at Carnegie Hall with Stephane Grappelli and YoYo Ma. Kerwin is featured on numerous recordings – including six Grammy nominees – from big band and bluegrass to jazz and latin.

Jon Arkin is a versatile, gifted drummer/percussionist who is known for his performances & recorded work in a wide variety of musical contexts. In addition to leading his own groups, he has performed with jazz greats such as Lee Konitz, Gene Perla, and Ira Sullivan, with singer-songwriters including Stew and Meklit Hadero, Afrobeat bands Albino and Soji Odukogbe, a multitude of collaborators in the experimental music world, and countless other artists. He has just released an album of original experimental jazz with the Schimscheimer Family Trio entitled “Broken Home”, and has developed a unique repertoire as a solo electro-acoustic percussionist. Could his bluegrass groove have come from his father? Steve Arkin played banjo with Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys!

Projects

Credit Nell Robinson and Jim Nunally for offering up a take on traditional Americana that rings with authenticity and even though the mostly songs come from their own pens.  

– Lee Zimmerman ELMORE MAGAZINE

The Venue

The Washoe Theater with it’s near perfect acoustics is a music aficionado’s dream.  Every nuance of the music is available to consume when enjoying a show at this beautiful historic theater.

The Washoe Theater in Anaconda, Montana was the last theater constructed in the United States in the Nuevo Deco (a form of Art Deco) style. The theater was designed in 1930 by Seattle architect B. Marcus Priteca. It was almost entirely finished by 1931, but its opening was delayed until Thursday, September 24,^{[2] 1936 because of the Great Depression. In 1936 dollars, its construction cost was a grand $200,000. The Smithsonian rates the Washoe as a national treasure due to the lavish interior. In 1982, the Washoe was listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places for architectural significance.}

The interior design and furnishings were done by Hollywood theater designer Nat Smythe. The exterior doors are etched glass. Each joint and trim work is carved in complicated relief patterns with much use of ornamental ironwork. Use of copper is especially prevalent, as Anaconda was a company town for the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. Silver and gold leaf supplement the accent work. Carved rams heads line the walls. Every flat surface, including the domed ceiling, is a painted mural done by Colville Smythe.

The silk curtain is a piece of art in itself, though seldom seen. Its age presents a problem for curators who are afraid that taking it down, even to try and restore it, would cause it to fall apart. It has a painting of deer stags.

The theater was also designed to have near perfect acoustics. The delay in opening allowed the sound system to be re-designed as a showcase for Western Electric’s newest innovation “Mirrophonic Sound”. Recorded sound with films was itself a relatively new innovation, so the creation of a high-fidelity audio system was quite remarkable for 1936.

The site of the Washoe Theater was the site of two previous theaters in Anaconda. The Margaret Theater existed on the site since near the founding of the town. It was re-modeled in 1927 at a cost of $60,000 and renamed the Sundial Theater only to burn down in 1929.

The first movie to play in the Washoe was a Western, The Texas Rangers starring Fred MacMurray as a Texas Ranger. The Washoe still operates as a movie theater today.

More about the band’s sound

Here’s a nice video documenting the Rise of Americana – Nashville 2.0 genre

Invite your friends on Facebook

We will be at Wintergrass again this year hosting the Montana – Ruby Jewel Hospitality Suite.  Please stop by and shack and howdy with us.  We’ll be showcasing several new bands.  Showcase bands will jam at midnight each night.  BANDS SIGN-UP FOR SHOWCASE HERE

We also host a slow jam on Saturday morning.