Amy Kucharik, with Dennis Stroughmatt, featuring Robert Russell, house concert on Sunday, August 27th, 3:00 pm (doors open at 2:00 pm) at our Redbud Hill venue at 411 N. 9th Street, Murphysboro, IL. Suggested donation: $20.
AMY KUCHARIK
A native of Southern Illinois now based in Somerville, MA, Amy Kucharik [/kuh-CHAR-ick/] performs as a one-woman band with ukulele, tenor guitar, foot percussion, mouth trumpet and harmonica, or with bands featuring top New England musicians. Combining poignant lyrics and a danceable swing, Amy draws from blues and Vaudeville traditions, musical theatre, 80s pop and contemporary folk music with a street-smart stagecraft honed in the subways of Boston. Amy was a winner of the prestigious Kerrville New Folk songwriting competition and a formal showcase artist at SWRFA in 2015, and a Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist for 2018. She has headlined, performed and taught at ukulele festivals including Flower City (Rochester, NY) and the Gaithersburg Ukefest, and is featured in the fall 2023 issue of Ukulele Magazine. She is a Mi-Si Electronics performing artist. www.amykucharik.com
DENNIS STROUGHMATT
Dennis Stroughmatt takes listeners on a musical odyssey not so different from his own musical journeys into Upper Louisiana Creole Culture. Taught to play fiddle by local Creole fiddlers Roy Boyer and Charlie Pashia in the tradition of their fathers, Dennis gradually became an adopted son of the French Midwest Creoles living along the Mississippi River near St Louis. A vibrant blend of Celtic, Canadian and Old Time sounds, this music bridges the gap between contemporary Canadian and Louisiana Cajun styles. Preserved by families in the Ozark foothills, the music remains largely intact and true to the traditions that have been passed down for over three centuries. Among his many achievements, Dennis is a member of the National Oldtime Fiddlers Hall of Fame and was Consultant, Musician and Linguist for the 2018 Installation of the New “Arch National Park” French Creole Exhibit in St. Louis MO. http://www.creolefiddle.com/
ROBERT RUSSELL
Connecting Amy and Dennis is musical collaborator, Robert Russell. His acoustic blues performances provide an opportunity to hear how blues sounded before it moved to Chicago. Robert fell in love with acoustic and Mississippi blues as a teenager in North Carolina, where he was exposed to the southeastern or “Piedmont” tradition of blues. He’s a professional musician who has been on the road with Dennis Stroughmatt and Zydeco band Creole Stomp for more than 17 years. Last year, Amy and Robert shared an evening co-bill at the Varsity Theater in Carbondale, sharing their love of Memphis Minnie and other early blues artists.
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