RHYTHM & ROOTS FESTIVAL

ALASDAIR FRASER & NATALIE HAAS

Legendary Scottish Fiddle player, Alasdiar Fraser, and talented cellist, Natalie Haas, perform with a near telepathic interplay which dazzles both for its breathtaking technical prowess and its boundless dynamism. National Fiddle Champion, Alasdair Fraser is a consummate performer. His dynamic fiddling has been a major force behind the resurgence of traditional Scottish fiddling in his homeland and the U.S., inspiring legions of listeners and learners through his recordings and concerts. Dazzling teamwork and driving, dancing rhythms mark this each of their performances.

PATTY LARKIN

Patty Larkin is part of the urban-folk/pop music phenomenon that spun of of the singer/songwriter explosion of the seventies, reinterpreting traditional folk melodies, rock, pop, bossa nova, drawing on anything from Dylan (Bob) to Dylan (Thomas). A self described "guitar driven songwriter," Larkin has wound her way through soundscapes of evocative vocals, inventive guitar wizardry and imaginative lyrics. Her songs run from impressionistic poetry to witty wordplay.

LINDSAY MAC

Lindsay Mac is a girl you'll not likely forget. The obvious is that she is the girl who straps her cello to her body. Like a guitar, she strums and plucks it while singing. "A classical education gone horribly wrong" is usually the gist of the local headline. Yet what you'll remember about this musician might not be the obvious. Beneath the headlines the single most valuable bow in Mac's indie-music-making quiver is her songwriting. Her songs of love, bewilderment, protest and reverence are what move Lindsay's fans to drive long distances, to pre-order CDs a year in advance and to spread the word to friends on opposite coasts and throughout the world.

THE NOUVEAUX HONKIES

Originating from a small commercial fishing town, the Honkies started playing in a tiny café on Saturday nights. Their combination of blues, swing and early country soon swallowed the local crowd and this quartet exploded out of the gate recording two albums and leaving a trail of old tonk-style shows from Florida to the Northwest. They have a matchless sound and perform a blistering show with fluid guitar work, reverent vocals and a haunting violin, making them the discovery of the year.