New Music Monday – Karen Savoca
New Music Monday is all about sharing the good tunes of new bands and artists that we love and/or coming to the Foundry soon! This week’s artist to check out is Karen Savoca who will open for Grammy-nominated folk musician Greg Brown on Sunday, March 20th, at the Foundry.
Karen Savoca’s baby diary reads, “20 months, knows six songs”. Born in northern NJ, daughter of a big band singer, her mother was not at all surprised to find her constantly dancing and singing. Karen studied piano at the age of eight, and at thirteen cracked her piggy bank to buy a guitar. She started writing songs in her early teens, sang in choirs, played in bands, and has been performing ever since.
“A voice with this much strength and easy confidence is a rare find. But that’s not where Savoca’s talents end. Her songs are filled with good humor, sensuality, and nature’s simple pleasures. She can work a sly smile into a lyric that makes you smile in spite of yourself. Open up and let her in.” – All Music Guide
Acoustic Guitar magazine calls Pete Heitzman “A true virtuoso of groove, with a sly touch that, combined with Savoca’s in-the-pocket drumming and spectacularly soulful vocals, gives the duo the impact of a four-piece band.”
Having performed together for decades, Savoca and Heitzman’s chemistry leaves audiences uplifted, wowing 10,000 from a festival main stage as effortlessly as they charm an intimate black box theater.
“Grit and sensitivity… percussion and groove… spanning soul, blues, r&b, roots and world rhythms like a high wire act working without a net.” – Six String, Columbus, OH
Savoca’s seventh solo album, “Promise,” was recorded in their 1890’s renovated church-home studio, nestled in the hills of upstate NY. The Edmonton Journal says, “There’s soul in the delicious grooves and phrasing, and soul in the broader sense that floats out of her lyrical vision.” “Promise” reached #1 on Alberta’s CKUA, and #25 on the Euro/Americana chart.
“Embracingly beautiful songs that have a beguiling way of changing and reconfiguring themselves like an aural kaleidoscope.” – Duluth News Tribune
In addition to their own catalog, Karen and Pete have produced two albums for Americana legend, Greg Brown, who says, “If she were a Native American, her name would be Sings Like Two Birds.” They have played hundreds of shows with Greg across the U.S. and Canada.
Karen and Pete have won seven SAMMY awards and are independent record producers and film scorers. They are currently recording I Shook The Tree, due for release in 2016
“Melodic songs that probe the mysteries of heart and soul. One of the most breathtaking live performances I’ve ever experienced.” –WILLAMETTE WEEKLY
Miners Foundry is pleased to present Whitewater Ramble with Absynth Quintet on Thursday, April 11, 2013. Described as High Octane Rocky Mountain DanceGrass, Whitewater Ramble starts with bluegrass instrumentation, adds drums, and finishes with a boundless approach to grassing up everything from disco house grooves to roots to Americana. Whitewater Ramble is now on tour behind their second studio release Roots & Groove. The album showcases WWR’s growth as songwriters and musicians. Produced by Tin Carbone of Railroad Earth, the album features an array of special guests such as Andy Hall on dobro (Infamous Stringdusters), and Andy Thorn on banjo (Leftover Salmon), Grammy Award winner John Macy on pedal steel and Bill McKay on piano. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the music starts at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.00 in Advance $15.00 at the Door, and are available online, by phone, or in person at the Miners Foundry, (530) 265-5040, or in person at Briar Patch Co-Op.
Based in Fort Collins, CO, Whitewater Ramble has performed and headlined on every major stage across the Rocky Mountain Region. With over 900 performances under their belt, the group has truly established themselves as one of the hardest working groups in the jam scene today. The quintet combines the elements of mandolin, fiddle, acoustic guitar, upright bass, drums, and vocals to explore the musical boundaries of multiple genres, and to fuel their own mixture of original music and innovate cover song interpretations. Whether playing an intimate encores, acoustic and unplugged in the crowd, or surfing on top of the upright bass, Whitewater Ramble delivers a powerful and memorable live performance.
Absynth Quintet purvey a truly unique brand of high energy acoustic music. The band’s sound, born and cultured in the fertile hills of Humboldt County, CA, melds a reverent treatment of time honored American music with a reckless, virtuosic and often zany approach to innovation. AQ tap into their diverse musical roots and tease out something fresh, original, and relevant to today’s music scene, while always keeping the foot-stomping influence of blue grass roots present.