Lonesome Ace Stringband
Through twenty-five years and thousands of shows together in bands such as The Foggy Hogtown Boys and The Lonesome Ace Stringband, John Showman and Chris Coole have developed a deep and instinctual musical bond. Their music lurks in a truly unique space that is somewhere on the outskirts of old-time, bluegrass, and folk. The songs of John Hartford, Hank Williams, Dock Boggs, and The Band share space with the fiddle tunes of Eck Robertson and Ed Haley. The duo’s original songs and tunes take in all these vistas and paint something both personal and timely.
They have performed across North America and Europe at festivals such as Merlefest, Rockygrass, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Mariposa, Wintergrass, Gooikroots, and The John Hartford Memorial Festival. In 2022, the duo released two albums; “ Afield” a collection of old-time fiddle tunes, and “Much Further Out than Inevitable – A Tribute to Some Music of John Hartford.”
“John Showman has made his mark as “one of the very best and most influential fiddle players in Canada” (Steve Pritchard, CIUT 89.5 FM).
“Renowned for his clawhammer banjo picking, Coole now establishes himself as a gripping songwriter.” (Roddy Campbell, Penguin Eggs Magazine)
Miles Zurawell
Miles Zurawell is a multi-instrumentalist, performer and composer of acoustic music on dobro and banjo based in British Columbia, Canada. His debut full length album, Far Afield, will be released October 1st, 2023. Expressive, soaring and soulful, the record is an exploration of diverse modern and traditional acoustic instrumental music.
Born and raised in Ardrossan, Alberta, Miles Zurawell was exposed to a diversity of acoustic music through the Canadian folk music scene. A pianist and guitarist in his formative years, he discovered the dobro, banjo and the bluegrass of Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs through a university biology professor in 2011. Leaving the biology profession aside, he studied with dobro masters Ivan Rosenberg, Billy Cardine, and Mike Witcher. For more than a decade he has performed and toured internationally with acclaimed bluegrass, old-time, and roots artists including Zachary Lucky, Greg Blake, John Lowell, Blaine Sprouse, and more.
Having grown up in the Canadian prairies mostly isolated from the bluegrass playing community and American dobro players, Miles has developed a unique voice on the instrument. During the last five years living on the west coast of Canada, he’s been taking inspiration from the melodic approach of players local to the Pacific Northwest such as John Reischman and becoming interested in fiddling traditions beyond bluegrass that are more often heard on the coast. Rather than stick to well-trodden bluegrass territory, he began exploring what tunes from Appalachian old-time, celtic, Quebecois, and Métis traditions could sound like on dobro and 5-string banjo, as well as delving into the roots of slide guitar music from Hawaiian to western swing. Along with his long track record as an accompanist for song-writers, what has emerged from this exploration of diversity is an instrumentalist with a distinct musical voice.
John Reischman
Grammy Award-winning musician John Reischman has been a foundational mandolinist, composer, bandleader, and musical educator in bluegrass and North American roots and folk music since emerging from the vibrant “new acoustic” bluegrass music scene of the Bay Area in the 1980s. A member of the groundbreaking Tony Rice Unit, Reischman’s mastery of bluegrass, old-time, swing, and multiple Latin American musical styles, coupled with an old master’s sense of tone, taste, and musicality, has brought him a global reputation as one of the finest mandolinists of his era.
His latest CD, New Time & Old Acoustic on Corvus Records, blends a lifetime of musical influences into an engaging recording with some of today’s top acoustic players including flatpicking guitarists Molly Tuttle and Chris Eldridge, fiddler Alex Hargreaves, and bassist Todd Phillips. The 14-track album includes 12 new Reischman originals and a reinterpretation of his classic tune “Salt Spring.” New Time & Old Acoustic is the most mature, accomplished solo recording of Reischman’s storied career.
New Time & Old Acoustic was recently nominated for a Juno Award and a Canadian Folk Music Award.
Never Come Down
Weaving together modern and traditional styles of bluegrass and americana, Never Come Down is a Portland, Oregon, based 5-piece band composed of Joe Suskind (guitar), Crystal Lariza (vocals), Lillian Sawyer (fiddle), Kaden Hurst (mandolin), and Matthew Holmes (bass). Their dedication to thoughtful songwriting and dynamic arrangements highlight polished technical skills and a commitment to listening to each other. Formed in 2018, the band released their self-titled debut that year and their second album Better Late Than Never followed in 2021. They’ve toured internationally and have found acclaim at festivals and venues such as Iceland Airwaves, John Hartford Memorial Fest, Americanafest, FreshGrass, and RockyGrass.
Eli West
It’s always illuminating to ask an artist how they understand music, but Eli West’s perspective is nothing short of ground-breaking.
A trained designer, he sees music architecturally, visualizing his compositions spatially. It’s a highly unusual way to think about music, tied to his verdant natural world of the Pacific Northwest. On his new album, Tapered Point of Stone, West lays out original songs and tunes like houses built by hand, weaving their melodies into the setting of acoustic roots music that first inspired him. Recorded in 2020, just before everything shut down, the album brings together West’s favoured quartet of musicians: Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse) on mandolin and guitar, Christian Sedelmeyer (Jerry Douglas) on fiddle, himself on mandolin, guitar, and banjo, and Clint Mullican (Watchhouse) on bass.
This is the 3rd album this quartet has built, including solo albums for Marlin and Sedelmeyer, and at this point they operate on a near-magical wavelength.
As both a noted arranger, songwriter, performer, and composer, West has been crafting a Northwest-centric roots music aesthetic through earlier collaborations with Cahalen Morrison and John Reischman, and recordings with Bill Frisell and Dori Freeman. Tapered Point of Stone showcases West’s collaborative nature.
Golden Shoals
Golden Shoals is a fiddle and guitar duo with a "rousing old-time-style music that’s fueled by acerbic modern-day wit” (-No Depression Magazine). They are no strangers to traditional music, having placed in contests including Clifftop (3rd place 2023, 4th place 2022), Mount Airy, The Grand Masters Fiddlers Championship and Galax. Often switching instruments between fiddle, two guitars, and banjo, their original songs have been compared to Gillian Welch, with the added edge of instrumental prowess informed by energetic old-time and bluegrass recordings.
Initially brought together by a mutual love of American folk music, Golden Shoals' sound has expanded to include country, Americana, indie and experimental influences, allowing them to move more freely beyond genre boundaries with their songwriting while still emanating a deep understanding of old-time and bluegrass music. Ever inspired by the enduring spirit of traditional Appalachian mountain music, their songwriting comes across as simple, honest, and fresh to the ears. The listener can expect the polished technique of conservatory training, in tandem with the grit, drive, and soul of musicians like Roscoe Holcomb or Ola Belle Reed.
The Tone Rangers
Saddle up and join The Tone Rangers, a ragtag band of troubadours whose songs echo across the vast plains and dusty trails. From campfire ballads to saloon showdowns, this eclectic posse serenades the frontier with tales of adventure, heartache, and redemption.
Copper Island Bluegrass Collective
As is our annual tradition, the NimbleFingers Festival presents our secret weapon, an all-star band comprised of musicians from the varied bands presented on the festival day. Lead by our workshop program director, band leader Steve Roy never fails to disappoint with whatever rabbit he pulls out his hat.