DC BLUEGRASS UNION FEBFEST! For the month of February, Earp's Ordinary will be hosting Bluegrass bands every weekend!
SWEET YONDER-6PM
Guts. Glory. Soul. With instrumental attitude and inspiring vocal harmonies, the women of Sweet Yonder present a driving mix of banjo, mandolin, guitar, fiddle, and bass on compelling originals and bluegrass classics. They even include their own spin on American classic rock.
Mary DeGuire Romagnoli, mandolin, vocals; Carolyn Eyerly Sagatov, guitar, vocals; Rachael Vohrer, banjo, vocals; Sarai Rivera, bass, vocals, Janine Lewis: Fiddle, vocals.
BOB PERILLA'S BIG HILLBILLY BLUEGRASS-8PM
International veterans of stage, screen, and television, “Bob Perilla’s Big Hillbilly Bluegrass” (BHB) performance highlights include an appearance in Chris Rock's film “Head of State”, a live television gig with Earl Scruggs, six Kennedy Center concerts, and a two-week residence at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. At the command of the U.S. Department of State, Big Hillbilly Bluegrass has toured Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Oman and the Dominican Republic over the years, crowning BHB as “America's Defacto Bluegrass Ambassadors”. One of most recent tours Brought Bluegrass music to Africa for a month, performing in Mauritania, Togo, Republic of Congo, and the Central Africa Republic. BHB recordings have achieved critical acclaim and BHB also appears in Ruth Oxenberg-Rob Schumer documentary film “Bluegrass Journey” Big Hillbilly Bluegrass has been entertaining music fans for more than 30 years on four continents. The ensemble boasts more than 200 years of combined musical experience. An exciting blend of bluegrass along with country, folk, and original material will please even the most discriminating listeners and make easy converts of those unfamiliar with bluegrass music. The band was heard every weekly for over twenty years at their home venue Madam's Organ in Adams Morgan, Washington, D.C.
Equally at home on mandolin, fiddle, guitar & dancer Tina Kaarsberg was raised in Alberta Canada, and educated in the USA. As our newest member, Tina is proud to bring authentic vocals and a vibrant presence she is a genuine crowd pleaser everywhere she goes.
Bob Perilla was reared in rural Maryland and honed his craft by playing with the Baltimore bands Satyr Hill and Jackstraw, among others. He is an accomplished entertainer and Event MC with a voluminous body of bluegrass repertoire Perilla is a guitarist in the tradition of Jimmy Martin. He has performed with Don Stover, Buzz Busby, Bill Clifton, Leon Morris, Kenny Smith, Tom Gray, Jerry McCoury and Al Jones & Frank Necessary. He wrote the song “May's the Man,” which BHB performed on screen in the movie “Head of State”. Mr. Perilla composed and recorded the musical score for the hit play and TV movie “T-Bone & Weasel.”
Banjoist Mike Munford is a fiery soloist, yet simultaneously a real team player. His powerful technique, quicksilver improvisations, and seemingly inexhaustible reservoir of musical ideas have won him high-visibility gigs with the likes of Tony Rice, Peter Rowan, “Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen” and the DePuy Brothers. In a fruitful lifetime devoted to bluegrass, Mr. Munford has won innumerable friends and fans while acquiring an encyclopedic capability with all things banjo ). Mr. Munford was honored to appear on cover of the influential “Banjo Newsletter” Mike has been honored by being named “Banjo of the Year” by the IBMA.
Fiddler Tad Marks won his bluegrass spurs by touring with Del McCoury, Lynn Morris, Kate MacKenzie, Charlie Zahm and James King. His playing reveals a grand knowledge of bluegrass, old-time, swing, Celtic, and classical music and he can always be counted on for sly musical humor. With five solo discs to his credit, he is a prolific composer and an expert violinmaker.
Both prolific and admired, bassist “Jenkins” has his roots in South Carolina and came to DC for his final hillbilly polish. He is equally at home on bass, guitar or mandolin and is a fine songwriter. Noted for his Grammy nominated stint with Frank Solivan’s band and his current gigs in “Nothing Fancy” and “Carolyn Eyerly”, Jenkins is the number one call as DC’s reigning favorite hillbilly bassist.