ENNIS – June 24, 2012 – 8 pm

ENNIS – Sunday, June 24, 8pm, $20

Some of the most beautiful music we’ve had in the house – so glad they’re returning.

ENNIS (formerly The Ennis Sisters) is a dynamic, JUNO award winning original group with a unique contemporary voice, flavored by  deep roots and Celtic traditional Newfoundland influences. Maureen (lead vocals-songwriting-acoustic guitars) and Karen (backing vocals-acoustic guitar-mandolin-tin whistles) are powerful, interesting  and humorous story tellers with a broad mix of Maureen’s accessible original songs, and uniquely  interpreted traditional Celtic songs and instrumentals passed down to them from their rich musical heritage. The Ennis girls are joined by long-time musical collaborator Mark Murphy, and together they continue to be a major force behind contemporary traditional Newfoundland and Irish music in Canada. With 7 albums (1 Gold) and inclusion on countless compilation CDs (2  gold) to date, they have shared the stage and recorded with the Chieftains, toured with The Nitty Gritty  Dirt Band, Jann Arden and Colin Linden, among too many others to mention. Touring highlights include  Playing for Canadian Troops in the middle east, the Millenium Celebration in St John’s Newfoundland,  the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Stan Rogers Folk Festival, the Strawberry Music Festival (California),  Merlefest (North Carolina), The Cleveland and Pittsburgh Irish festivals. They have also played Canada  Day events on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and Trafalgar Square in London, England. (And Point Rock – ha!)

 

 

 

John Campbelljohn, Carmel Mikol and Kim Dunn – Song Circle – June 8, 2012- 8pm – $20

John Campbelljohn - Canadian Slide Guitarist of the Year

Many artists have their specialties – some cut great records but need support to realize their studio sounds in a live setting while others are born performers who never quite translate to records as well as they do live. Rarely do you find an artist who excels at both. John Campbelljohn does. In each of his many forms. In his solo, acoustic blues performances he makes the most of the song. Campbelljohn soulfully commands the stage with rich vocals, while his powerfully prolific technique on guitar or trusty dobro lap steel further embellishes each composition. Power blues that touch on rock, reggae and roots with a few overtones of pure country – these are John Campbelljohn’s stock and trade. The overall quality of the musicianship, the energy of his delivery and the guaranteed good times that spring from the performances are proof of the pudding.  www.johncampbelljohn.ca

Carmel Mikol

A triple nominee at the 2011 East Coast Music Awards, Carmel has always been a songwriter. From her childhood on a family farm in rural Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, to her current “home” on the road, Carmel has built her life around crafting songs, collecting stories, and carving poetry out of the human experience. Carmel’s songwriting has garnered her international attention, winning the folk category in the 2010 Great American Song Contest and International Singer Songwriter Awards Song Contest. She’s a fan favourite at festivals in Atlantic Canada and the US. www.carmelmikol.com

Kim Dunn

Kim Dunn has been working on a successful music career for 30 years now,with a brief four year reprieve studying Jazz at ST. FX. In addition to producing, musical directing and arranging credits, he has worked with the who’s who of East coast artists. In 2003 Kim was the recipient of the first ever ECMA Musician Special Achievement Award. After playing on countless cds of other artists, Kim brought his songwriting, and singing to the foreground with his first solo project, ‘Take This Hammer’. His biggest asset has always been versatility and he has implemented this feature prominently on this self-produced debut CD, blending elements of Jazz, Blues, Pop and Folk. www.kimdunn.ca