Showcase Stage Lineup
Holy Water and Whiskey
Holy Water and Whiskey plays traditional, folk, bluegrass, gospel, western, and some select "whiskey" tunes. They base their selections on solid and straightforward instrumental playing with a special focus on the beautiful harmonies found in the songs that they play.
Based in Albuquerque, the group consists of Maggie Washburne on bass, Scott Altenbach on guitar, and Bruce Washburne on guitar and banjo. Bruce and Maggie met in a band in Hawaii in the mid-70's, were married, and have been playing music together ever since. Actually, the music took a break for about 20 years while they raised their sons and, much to their delight, in 2004 they started singing with Scott, former hard rock miner and veteran of the coffee house circuit in Colorado. The trio has been having a great time with their music ever since.
Bootleg Prophets
Mountain skylines and the passage of time mark the journey of the Bootleg Prophets, travelers of the great Southwest and the four corners of this country who desire nothing more than to peddle their wares as they march on. Wares that manifest themselves in the act of fingertip touching metal, metal reverberating against wood, and sound falling from the hollow bodies of pieces of art conceived long before these four ever thought to pick them up.
Drawing from blues and bluegrass, western swing, country and western, folk and rock and roll, the Bootleg Prophets play their own blend of American roots music infused with the spicy flavor of the Southwest, the earnest twang of the South, the enveloping freshness of the Pacific Northwest, and the blue collar honesty of the Northeast.
Winners of the 2008 Specialty Duets Contest at the Four Corners Bluegrass Festival, Bootleg Prophets are Dave Devlin on dobro, mandolin, lap steel, guitar, and banjo; vocalist Cathy Faber on bass; songwriter/vocalist Tom Adler on clawhammer banjo and acoustic guitar; and songwriter/vocalist Aimee Hoyt on rhythm guitar and cajon.
Coyote Crossing
Coyote Crossing presents traditional bluegrass, gospel, and original acoustic music. Each of the band members are dedicated aficionados of bluegrass, and they have all played with numerous bands in the past. While their performances emphasize vocal harmonies, they back it up with powerful yet tasteful instrumental work ? all guaranteed to get your foot tapping.
Coyote Crossing has been around for many years, as everything from a duo to a sextet. As it exists today, the band was "born" in April, 2004 - and four of those original five members are still performing with the band. Since that time, Coyote Crossing has performed at restaurants, weddings, fundraisers, parties and festivals. They captured First Place in the Bluegrass Band Contest at the "Santa Fe Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival" in 2004, and were part of the entertainment booked for that festival in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009. They were also selected to perform at the "Enchanted Desert Bluegrass Festival", held at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque in May of 2005.
The Martin Family
The Martin Family Band presents a repertoire of Old Time Appalachian, Irish, and colonial music. With family roots in Southwestern Virginia, their style reflects years of study as well as a genuine feel for the music arising from the presence of music in the home. Audiences in their home state of Maryland, throughout the States and in Ireland have enjoyed this lively and accomplished band. For the past ten years, the Martin Family has performed regularly at George Washington's Mount Vernon. Here they have introduced thousands of visitors to the roots of traditional American music.
Wild Mountain
Wild Mountain is an acoustic string band from Durango, Colorado that plays an eclectic and unique blend of Americana, bluegrass, alt-country and folk music. The band began with Brad Bartlett's (guitar, vocals) passionate vibrato and Estella Moore's (fiddle, vocals) inimitable and graceful style. Their original songwriting mixes traditional ?mountain music? with social, environmental and political themes. Emily Wilson (mandolin) brings a recognized wealth of talent to the band and Tommy Frederico (banjo, vocals) is one of Durango's favorite bluegrass players deeply rooted in the local music scene. Rusty Charpentier (bass, vocals) grew up in a musical family playing just about any instrument with ease. Wild Mountain is honest and engaging, and is excited to be a part of the Southwest's blossoming music scene.
High Desert Bluegrass
Lead vocalist, Vicci Seaton and her guitar playing husband Danny are behind the formation of High Desert Bluegrass. They debuted as a group on December 9, 2008 at San Juan College?s Enterprise Center during a holiday book fair. Although the group has played together informally for years at Bluegrass festivals and jam sessions with larger groups of musicians, they first appeared together at an Ole Time music reunion at Joe Moore Reservoir near Mancos, Colorado. Then they decided to get serious about being a band and practiced sets for their holiday gig. They appeared on KSJE public radio at San Juan College prior to the book fair in an hour long live interview where they played, sang and talked about the roots of Bluegrass music.
Brian Dotson plays banjo and sings harmony and lead, Ed Sullivan on mandolin, Sue Coulter on bass, and Danny Seaton plays rhythm guitar. The tunes range from traditional bluegrass to country and gospel and include such songs as upbeat Bluegrass favorite "Glendale Train", "Going Back to the Blueridge Mountains", and a few original songs.
Hands Five
As both dancers and musicians, we thrive on the energy that flows from the band to the dancers on a good medley (and back to the band when it all comes together!). Not wed to a particular style, you'll hear everything from the lilt of Scottish fiddling to the syncopated percussion of the hammer dulcimer. Inspired by bands like Air Dance and mentored by the Albuquerque Megaband, Hands Five combines some old-time southern style, New England, Celtic, and "Newtime" music. With some of the band members from Santa Fe and others from Albuquerque, finding time to practice is always an interesting process. We all know "Hands Four" as the call to dancers to get organized at the start of a dance, so Hands Five seemed an appropriate name for a band of five in a perpetual state of reorganization.