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All the performers at the East Coulee Spring Festival donate their time & talents to help support the Museum.
Thanks!

15th East Coulee Spring Festival - April 4, 2009

Performer Bios

(Performers are listed in alphabetical order.)

A Trbute To Ian Tyson

The Gift: A Tribute to Ian Tyson was conceived seven years ago as a number of Alberta musicians banded together to pay homage to one of the great North American songwriters of the past 50 years.
The show was critically acclaimed as artists such as Stewart MacDougall, Corb Lund, The McDades, Ron and Lionel Rault, and Doug Andrew came together to celebrate Tyson’s astounding catalogue of songs that run back to his days as half of Ian and Sylvia, through his honky-tonk years and onto his ever expanding chapter as the king of cowboy culture.
Gaining momentum, The Gift was performed as part of the Alberta Scene Festival in Ottawa. A recording under the same name was released two years ago with contributions from many of the aforementioned artists, along with Tyson interpretations from the likes of Tom Russell, Blue Rodeo, Gordon Lightfoot, and Jennifer Warnes.
This stripped down version of The Gift will be hosted by Stewart MacDougall, who will be joined by a number of friends including Ron and Lionel Rault

Andy Donnelly, Jan Randall, Lionel Rault

Andy Donnelly is the Host and Producer of The Celtic Show on The CKUA Radio Network.
Andy is also a writer and performer and along with Jan Randall and Lionel Rault is delighted to have been invited to this festival.
Stories and songs of growing up in Scotland, broken hearts and empty promises are all part of a new recording being worked on by Andy called "Raising Sheepdogs".
Andy will be joined by Brad Bowie on Guitar and Mandolla.

Brian Lannigan Band

Three local lads bashing it out. No pretense – just music. These guys have been rocking the valley since the middle of the Cretaceous period.

Brian Lannigan (guitar and vocals), Terry Ruth (bass) and Tom Clerey (drums).

Danyluk & Card

Whether it’s a verse from a Danyluk-penned cracked country ballad where a solitary lyric gives way to a sweeping and bluesy fiddle line from Card or songs shaded with glimpses of hope and determination, Card and Danyluk have created a warm, sobering and alluring sound that draws on west of centre country, blues, and folk traditions.

This duo can attest to much time being spent on touring around both Canada and Europe, woodshedding, as well as reflecting on, and setting new courses for their music that shakes out a collection of sounds that might have permeated the walls of a decades old prairie community hall.

Deborah Robinson

"Singer, songwriter, vocalist, Deborah performs on piano &/or guitar. Belting out the blues with a heartfelt quality is her specialty, but it doesn't stop there. Her individual style shines through an ecclectic mix of roots, blues, jazz and contemporary, including standards, covers & original compositions.
Influences are wide spread from early era of roots right through to contemporary. Deborah has captured the magic of a well disciplined voice and a true love for music. A seasoned performer from a musical family has played at festivals, clubs, concerts, jams, both in bands and as a solo performer. A creative spirit with many outlets of expression, Deborah has been described as a renaissance woman balancing visual art, music, theatre, and business."

Drive-by Shout-outs

Drive-by Shout-outs may be a family band but there is nothing "partridge" about them.

This dynamic group features Marcel Augey of Downtyme, his wife Jillian, cousins Vienna, Ryan and Makara of Calgary, and local drummer Kendall Coveney.

Lead vocalist Vienna's voice is hot as a fever while the rock-driven instrumental arrangements will get you dancing. The band creates a bass lover call, singeing guitar solos, dynamic percussion beats, and soulful harmonies.

The Drive-by Shout-outs offer the best of cover songs that will capture the energy and spirit of all music lovers.

Front Porch Roots Revue

Ron Rault, Stewart MacDougall, Bobby Cameron and Crawdad Cantera
The piano playing and singing MacDougall is a former member of Ian Tyson's Chinook Arch Ryders , and k.d. lang's reclines. His songs have been recorded by Tyson, lang, Randy Travis and the Great Western Orchestra. Stew has participated in COIMK shows at the Blue Chair Cafe and Festival Place. He recently participated in the critically acclaimed Ian Tyson tribute album The Gift and his song Yellowhead to Yellowstone, which Stewart co-write with Ian, is the title track of Ian Tyson's latest disc
Ron Rault has recorded with American blues greats Johnny Shines and Louisiana Red, backed John Lee Hooker and written the hit Jump Up for the Powder Blues Band. Ron's bass playing and singing has been a cornerstone of COIMK for over three years. Ron is also a member of the Ian Tyson Tribute show The Gift and has worked for years with his guitar playing brother Lionel in the Rault Brothers Band and prior to that Pontiac.
Crawdad Cantera has worked with many American blues artists including Lazy Lester and Mojo Buford while a member of the Yardbird Suite house band, and he first added his harp playing and singing to COIMK six years ago. Dave also plays with the electric blues band Jimmy and the Sleepers which released a well received debut disc in 2006.
Bobby Cameron is a longstanding member of the Edmonton roots rock community who recently moved back to Edmonton after four years of living in Ottawa and Toronto.
Bobby has recorded a number of albums of original material, performed with the late Jeff Healey, and had Chuck Leavell, Darryl Jones and Bernard Fowler of the Rolling Stones sit in with him during a legendary gig at the Sidetrack Cafe in the nineties.
Bobby is a highly regarded songwriter who landed a tune on Julie Black's latest hit album and he also spent two years touring in an acoustic setting with the late British Blues legend Long John Baldry.

Gerd Krause

Gerd Krause first became enamored by a guitar at the age of ten, but managed to resist the urge to let it take over his future for another fifteen years. Eventually he gave in and all hope for a normal life was lost. A couple of years of jazz studies at Malaspina College in Nanaimo B.C. started things rolling followed by regular gigs playing classical guitar in Nanaimo restaurants. This was followed by several years of touring western Canada with cover bands, a short stint on a cruise ship, and many nights of hosting open-mics and jam sessions, and generally hanging out in places of questionable repute.
Gerd’s real passion for the last ten years has been acoustic fingerstyle guitar and the emphasis has shifted back to playing solo, creating a full sound with just one guitar and vocals. Influenced by jazz, blues, traditional country, bluegrass, and ragtime, Gerd’s original songs cover all of these styles and then some. Bottleneck blues, Travis-picking, and walking bass swing are all fair game. This combination of diverse musical styles along with quirky and sometimes witty lyrics makes for some interesting and unusual original songs.

www.gerdkrause.ca

Jan Baker

Jan Baker's CD "IN GOOD TIME" contains 11 original tunes reflecting everyday experiences portrayed into song with melodic charm. Combined with a voice that can make a room full of conversation stop and listen, these beautifully orchestrated songs play very well acoustically to a live audience.
Jan's song CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF YOU awarded 1st Place in the Country category in Mike Pinder's Songwars Songwriting competition! Jan was the 2007 winner of Toronto Exclusive Magazine's Adult Contemporary "Best Female Solo Artist" in the Canadian Provincial category. Jan's song SPRINGTIME was awarded an "Honorable Mention" by WE ARE LISTENING Singer Songwriter Awards. Her title song "All In Good Time" received an Honorable Mention from the International Narrative Song Competition. "Hold Me" was just acknowledged as a top 500 finisher in the 15th Annual Billboard World Song Contest.
Usually plays as a duo with a single guitar but can add more guitar, bass, fiddle and percussion.
Debut full length CD "IN GOOD TIME" released June 24/07 featuring 11 original tracks. Presently being played on CBC radio and CKUA Alberta and MVY internet radio. Jan's CD IN GOOD TIME was nominated by Toronto Exclusive Magazine as Best Adult Contemporary CD in the Canadian Provincial category.

Visit: www.janbaker.ca

Jan Krueger

Jan Krueger is a singer/songwriter, artist, poet and storyteller of the folk tradition. He lives in the mostly empty town of East Coulee; once a thriving coal mining community downstream on the Red Deer River from Drumheller.
Born in Port Arthur, Ontario (also a place that disappeared with it’s amalgamation with Thunder Bay), his family came west when he was a child. His love of history and fascination with coal mines and miners, mixed with his flair for spinning a good yarn, have made him a modern troubadour and an enthusiastic ambassador for the Drumheller Valley.
Jan’s band, The TIPPLErs have performed at festivals, theatres and halls around southern Alberta. Highlights includes: twice opening for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra at their “Beethoven in the Badlands” concerts, twice opening for the Alejandro Escovedo at the EPCOR Center for the Performing Arts in Calgary: the East Coulee Spring Festival in 2006 and 2008; Waynefest in 2006; selected for “Best song of Alberta” by the Calgary Folk Festival songwriters competition; sold out the Kaleidoscope Theatre in Drumheller (180 seats). Jan appeared live on CKUA Radio’s “Wide Cut Country” in April of 2008.
Jan has established a large following of fans of his stories and songs of minershomesteaders.

www.myspace.com/jankruegerandthetipplers

John Matthews

An Australian Singer Songwriter multi instrumentalist who favors banjo picking is currently working in Fort McMurray and a regular guest at the local Full Moon Café. Music is his passport.

John Matthews is an exceptionally talented individual with a light but smooth melodic voice.

“You can see him join in and jam with any style or culture of music” “He blends in like he belongs there!

John recently began writing his own songs. His world travels are reflected through his engaging stories and music. His songs are diverse being humorous historical and often have a deep emotional understanding of his subject. A modest man who prefers to add to the performance rather than be the performance, his talent draws the spotlight to him.

Samantha Carmody will be performing with John.

John Rutherford

Known throughout western Canada for work with the Ronnie Hayward Trio, No Guff, the Front Porch Roots Revue and the Highwater Jug Band, John Rutherford has recently embarked on a new musical journey as a solo artist.

Simultaneously contributing to several bands and various collaborative projects Rutherford strikes a balance in his creative output penning a collection of personal and introspective songs while setting out to perform under his own name for the first time in an extensive and diverse musical career.

With songwriting as the driving force behind this direction, Rutherford’s vocal and instrumental approach finds renewed artistic freedom.

Rutherford is currently recording his first solo project due for release in the fall 2009.

Karl Roth

Karl Roth draws in and engages audiences with jazz vocals distinctively lush and low and a distictive violin improv style. The repertoire is jazz standards and oddball treasures.

Karl has to date released 3 CDs “Everybody Wants To Be A Cat”, 1997, a Christmas cd in 1998 and a third album “almost behavin” in 2001.

After a 3 year hiatus and move to Montreal for a much needed sabbatical karl is back living and performing in calgary and is presently at work on a new album to be released in the fall of this year.

Karl performs regularly with Dave Hamilton - one of western Canada's finest guitarists - and Jeff Drummond, also no slouch on the guitar.

Visit: www.karlroth.ca

Lothar The Magician

Born in New Guinea at an early age LOTHAR began his performing career at the age of 9 and has since gone on to sharpen, hone and improve his style over the years.
LOTHAR’S career has taken him to Jamaica, Edward’s Air Force Base, and all across Western Canada. In fact, his name is even a household word in Germany –-- he has relatives there.
He is married with 3 children and lives in Rosebud, AB, where he prepares and delivers his programs to audiences everywhere. An international performer from Canada, LOTHAR has been amusing and amazing audiences since 1975!
His magic and illusions always guarantee to mystify audiences of all ages. Whether he’s eating fire in a medieval show, reading your mind at the Banquet or making folks Laugh with his after-dinner entertainment, LOTHAR will reveal himself as an inescapable part of your program.

Marshall Lawrence

Marshall Lawrence "Doctor of the Blues" has the distinction of being a "Maple Blues Award Nominee" and an "Independent Music Award Nominee". Marshall performs acoustic slide, delta, and finger-style blues, taking these traditional blues styles and infuses them with a raw, fiery energy. His playing is steeped in roots music and reminds you of sitting in a smoky Gin Joint in the '30s and '40s listening to the true blues masters. Marshall has released two CDs –‘Where’s The Party?’ and ‘The Morning After’ - to wide critical acclaim. Marshall Lawrence “Doctor of the Blues” is sure to summon up the Blues to fix whatever ails you!

www.doctorblues.com

Patrick Kevin O'Brien

Patrick is a serious observer of the human condition, warts and all.  His songs are people stories infused with the contradictions of humor and sadness, strength and frailty, and hope and desolation that describe humanity.  Patrick is an anthropologist with the ability to reflect objectively on his observations, but a storyteller never wants to be too far from his subjects.  Empathy is a writer's blessing and curiosity his best friend. Better to fly low to the ground.  It helps one appreciate that we're all connected in some way.
Patrick draws inspiration for his writing from almost everything he sees and hears.  In addition to being a habitual people watcher, he enjoys using the natural world as a source for metaphors about the human experience.  He is also an inveterate reader, and is influenced by John Steinbeck, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Wallace Stegner, Joan Didion, Mark Twain, Timothy Findley, and many others.
Patrick Kevin O'Brien has been writing songs and playing guitar for about 20 years, but spent much of that time learning about life and working as an archaeologist.  His musical influences include Bruce Cockburn, Michael Timmins (Cowboy Junkies), Tom Waits, Guy Clark, John Prine, and Neil Young, among many others.  With a move to Medicine Hat, Alberta in 2005, he decided to follow a long-postponed dream of writing, playing, and performing in earnest.  Lucky for Patrick, he has the support of his family and a group of like-minded musicians and music enthusiasts.  In addition, to playing regularly at open mics, he has performed at the inaugural Tongue on the Post Folk Festival, the Alberta Centennial celebration, the Spectrum Festival and the Canada Heritage Day celebration.  He has also played in Athabasca, Alberta and took part in the Winnipeg Folk Festival's Folk Retreat in 2008.

Plaid Stallions

A raucous gang of wayward museumites, the Plaid Stallions have been pillaging meat-packing plants and elementary school gymnasiums for many, many months. Perhaps you saw the band on stage at last year’s festival – or met them afterwards, as they wandered the streets of East Coulee marauding. If you know them, you already love them and can’t wait to ride their donkey. If you’ve yet to meet them – grab the Tylenol, you’ll likely find their pirate flavoured celtic noise to be anything but soothing.

Rob Smith

East Coulee Spring Festival says…“Rob Smith is a superb songwriter who has long been a favorite of Spring Fest audiences. Rob mixes sweet harmonica, passionate vocals, and solid guitar licks in a thoroughly enjoyable fashion.”

Roger Duncan & the One World Experience

Roger Duncan & the One World Experience arre an exciting mix of talented people that bring many styles and sounds to their live performances.
The band was formed by Roger Duncan (percussionist, facilitator and teacher) to feed his passion for creating and performing music with a world beat flavour.
Come out and experience the intensity of live drumming and music.
There will be a chance for some members of the audience to participate by joining in trying their hand at drumming with the band.

Visit: www.one-world-drum.com

Sadlier-Brown Band

This band is a group of good friends and family of Mark Sadlier-Brown. Mark has been playing is own kind of rootsy, rockabilly, folk and proto jazz music for years. He played with the Alien Rebels for ten years. He also wrote "spur of the moment" songs for the local CBC station in Calgary. He is also presently a member of "The Highwater Jug Band". Dylan has been performing with the "Screamin Jimmys". He will be slapping his big aluminum bass with Bev and Mark. Bev will be keeping the rhythm with her trusty rusty slingerland snare drum. This year we expect to play as a three piece band with Mark, Dylan and Bev. However we might invite a special guest or two from the available talent to throw into the mix.

http://www.myspace.com/sadlierbrownband

Shadoplay

SHADOPLAY is an all original Instrumental Jazz/Funk/Latin Band from Calgary. The Trio consists of fretless Bass guru Alex Hutchison, Jazz/Fusion Drummer James Donald and Guitar wizard Patrice Bance. Alex has recorded and performed with David Haney and Han Bennink.

More info at www.Shadoplay.com

Simon Budd

Simon Budd is a gifted artist. Quiet and unassuming in ordinary life, once onstage, he sings and plays with all the fire and passion in his soul. His second CD, The Wait is Over was nominated for Outstanding Instrumental Recording at the 2006 Western Canadian Music Awards. Simon has opened up for Tim Williams and has played with Steve Pineo, both from Calgary. His playing and singing style are truly his.
Many people have told him he sounds like a cross between Martin Simpson, Richard Thompson and Lyle Lovett. Having been a guitar instructor for well over a decade, Simon covers a lot of territory with the students he teaches.If you had to him put in any genre, it would be folk roots, with a dash of blues and hint of jazz just to be on the safe side.
Simon Budd has played at numerous events in western Canada. He was a headliner at the Kispiox Music Festival in Northern BC in 2003. He also played at the Highland Games in Regina, Saskatchewan as well as having run workshops for fingerstyle guitar.
Simon was born in Burnham-on-Sea, England. His family moved to Canada in the mid-seventies when he was only eight. Music has always been a passion for Simon. He used to fall asleep to the radio when he was a baby. It wasn't until he was sixteen that he picked up the guitar. When everyone else was playing heavy metal or classic rock, Simon was playing ragtime and blues.
Simon was always shy about his guitar playing. So much so that it wasn't until his mid-twenties he joined his first band, Blues after Midnight. They played everything from swing to Chicago Blues.
Playing in this band, Simon's confidence grew and his playing skills quickly improved. Simon is a very versatile player. He peruses music with a passion unparalleled by his contemporaries. Yet, one cannot simply pigeon hole this man's work. Simon produces from the heart. His soul is his formula. His soul is his genre. His soul is his writing tool. His soul is so beautiful that one cannot help be swept away by his incredible music.

Visit www.simonbudd.ca

Starland Sadie

Starland Sadie presents a mix of some of their favourite tunes from folk/roots, country rock, blues, and pop jazz genres, along with band originals.
Carol and Lorrie take turns on lead vocals, harmonies, guitar and bass.
The group brings a wealth of musical experience in the Drumheller area, having participated with such groups as Blues Formation, The Voodoo Dogs, The Great Train Robbery, Slingshot, Prairie Girl, and Cabin Fever.

The Lovebullies

Formed out of the ashes of drive-in movie theatres and ’57 Cadillacs, the Lovebullies are the real deal, bringing 1950s and 60s vintage pop back into the mainstream. Hummable melodies, danceable tunes, and sweet-as-syrup songs. The Lovebullies are: Chantal Vitalis, Caroline Connolly, Joni Clarke, Kevin Herring, Paul Jahn and Andrea Revel. Good sassy fun.

The Ruminants

Music for music's sake. It's why The Ruminants first climbed on a stage, to bash out a blend of dirty western ballads and provoking pop for an appreciative audience. With a guitar, bass, mandolin and drum foundation, The Ruminants can fade to a sweet whisper, or leave your nerves on edge with freight-train tempos. It's a sound still under construction — and it probably always will be. As FFWD magazine put it, “The Ruminants only use country music as a jumping point to whichever genre suits their fancy at that particular moment.” Amen to that.

The Wayfaring Fiddlers

The Wayfaring Fiddlers and Ingrid Thornton, David Daly, Doug Richardson and Don Brinkman, all from the Drumheller area.  With an eclectic set of fiddle tunes ranging from Texas Swing to Old Time Appalachian and with stops in the Maritimes and Ottawa Valley along the way, the Warfaring Fiddlers explore the harmonic possibilities of this quintessential folk music. 

Tim Hus

Tim Hus has a voice sweeter than a Husqvarna chainsaw, a wit that is sharper than rusty barbed wire, and a list of songs longer than a Saskatchewan fence line! He has released three highly acclaimed albums of outstanding original songs about bootleggers, buckin’ horses, bulldozers and everything that is embraced in the West. Tim is a crowd favorite entertainer who has performed on the mainstage at Canada’s largest festivals: Big Valley Jamboree, Dauphin Coutryfest, and the Calgary Folk Festival. In 2006 Hus represented Alberta at the prestigious Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC.

“Tim Hus is well on his way to becoming an Albertan and Canadian institution." Barry Hammond - Penguin Eggs Magazine

Tim’s awesome. He’s one of my favorite Canadian songwriters. Nobody captures the rough-and-ready frontier imagery better than him.” Corb Lund – Juno & CCMA award winning singer/songwriter

"Tim Hus is a Canadian treasure” John McLaughlin - Vancouver Province

“Canada needs more singers like Tim Hus” Stompin’ Tom Connors – Legendary Canadian singer/songwriter

Visit: www.timhus.ca

Tir Na N'Og

Folk that rocks

Tir Na N’og is a Calgary-based folk roots band which takes traditional music and contemporizes it. It also takes contemporary music and folkifies it. Live performances are fun-filled affairs with crowds of Tir na n’oggins grooving to the music..

Tir Na N’og was formed in early 1999 by singer-songwriter Brian Volke.

What is the Tir Na N’og sound?
It is original music spiced with traditional tunes. It is heartfelt traditional music refreshed with original arrangements.

Who makes the Tir Na N’og sound?
Brian Volke fires up the band with vocals, guitar, mandolin and original songs.
R.J. McConnell is the rock, anchoring everything with his bass.
Colin Peters fiddles up a storm and adds harmony vocals.
Brad Uphill is the heartbeat, playing bodhran and percussion.
Christie Simmons, plays whistles, guitar and sings lead and harmony.

Where’s Tir Na N’og been all your life?

The Water Valley Celtic Music Festival, the Rocky Mountain Folk Club, the James Joyce Irish Pub, the Karma Local Arts House, the Big Breakfast, the Hose and Hound, Fionn McCool’s, the Lethbridge Irish Festival, the 4th Street Lilac Festival and the Cochrane Valley Folk Club.

Tir Na N’og’s first CD “Home Again” was released in December 2003.

Visit: www.tirnanogtheband.ca

Willow Creek

Willow Creek has opened the East Coulee Spring Festival since it started 15 years ago. Initially called the Valley Fiddlers the band had ten fiddles with keyboards and singers. Over the years the band downsized and was renamed Silver Sage and now Willow Creek.
This year will feature singers Velma Peake with her Newfoundland talents and Rachael Robinson, our youngest upcoming entertainer. Ed Peake, talented on rhythm, bass, fiddle, mandolin and vocals will be singing the real cowboy song. Russ Bixby of Bixby fame will be on rhythm guitar and banjo. Del Adie on bass is well known in the valley. Delbert Gillespie, a rancher from Dorothy, is on banjo. Don Howard, band leader, is on fiddle and mandolin. Don't miss the opening show.

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