Chris Alastair |
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Chris Alastair |
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Chris Alastair ("allister") has lately been raising all sorts of eyebrows for both his songwriting and his showmanship. Five of the songs on his debut CD, "Ghost in Love," have received songwriting awards including a First Prize in last year's Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. He was nominated for a 1996 Wammie as Best Male Vocalist (Alternative Rock). His music has been heard on radio stations up and down the east coast, and abroad via the Voice of America. Come see why the regional press calls Chris "electrifying...one of the most interesting rockers on the verge."
Joe Baldwin
is a fingerstyle guitarist and composer who performs instrumental
music combining diverse styles including acoustic jazz, celtic,
rock, and classical. His influences include Earl Klugh, Steve
Morse, Stephen Stills, and Aaron Copland.
He is currently recording a collection of original works with a
small ensemble as well as solo guitar arrangements. There is one
traditional celtic piece. Completion is expected in Spring.
In addition to his playing, he has produced concerts in
Fredericksburg for Margo Henneback, and Al Petteway & Amy
White.
A Fredericksburg resident, he programs computers for a living.
This is his second Showcase appearance.
Kim Person
& Lana Puckett
write music in the key of life. Their songs speak of ordinary
things: relationships, family, love... yet it's the way that Lana
and Kim put words together that is earning them
recognition." (The Daily Press). Based out of Yorktown,
Virginia, four time Kerrville New Folk Finalists Kim Person and
Lana Puckett have won many prestigious awards for their vocals,
songwriting and musicianship during their fourteen years of
performing together.
Their music journey together began in 1982 when they won the
First Place Country Vocalist Award in the American Song
Festival/Columbia Recording Artist Search. This award gave them
national exposure, $2500.00 and an all expense paid trip to New
York for the video taping of the winning vocal performance. In
1984 they were presented with yet another vocal award for the
Best Traditional Female Country Vocalist in the state of
Virginia.
But it wasn't until 1985 during a much needed break from the club
scene that Kim & Lana began to write songs together. During
that break Lana pursued a degree as a graphic artist and Kim
worked on staff as a recording engineer at Alpha Audio in
Richmond, VA. ...but at night they worked on songwriting.
In 1988 those evening sessions proved successful when they were
selected as Kerrville New Folk Finalists for renowned Kerrville
Folk Festival in Texas. Both performers loved the creative
environment that prevailed for singer/songwriters at Kerrville
and since that time been selected to appear in the New Folk
Concerts again in 1993, 1994 and 1996 as well as being selected
for the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Singer/Songwriter Showcase in
Hillsdale, NY and The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, TN.
In 1986 Kim and Lana formed Cimirron/Rainbird Records, an
independent record label specializing in singer/songwriters and
acoustic music. Kim continues her engineering work at Wistaria
Studio a division of Cimirron/Rainbird, Inc. In 1993 Kim and Lana
recorded and produced their CD "Windows of Life" with
some help from friends Rickie Simpkins on Fiddle and Viola and
Brian Wood and Stephen Bennett on guitars. Reviews from
"Windows of Life" can be accessed through Kim &
Lana's NOMA home page. Since it's release songs from
"Windows Of Life" have won First Place honors for
songwriting from The Austin Songwriters' Group, The Fort Bend
Songwriters' Network, The Virginia Organization Of Composers and
Lyricists and the West Texas Songwriters' Group, as well as
awards from The Louisiana Songwriters' Guild and the Songwriter's
Association of Washington. This debut, recording has received
airplay in the US and overseas. Quotes from radio DJ's can also
be accessed through their
home page.
Their songwriting has taken on many new forms since the release
of "Windows of Life." Lana and Kim's musical
compositions can be heard on radio and TV jingles and soundbeds
as well as in documentaries and videos. Their original music
score for "The Ways of Our Fathers" an historical
documentary on the Pumunkey Indians won a Telly Award and a Gold
Award in the Houston Film Festival.
In addition to their vocal and songwriting abilities, Lana and
Kim are also recognized as multitalented musicians. Kim is well
known for her acoustic guitar playing as well as keyboards and
banjo. Lana is one of a handful of female pedal steel guitar
players in the country, she also plays acoustic and electric
guitars. The duo continues their writing and performing as well
as running Cimirron/ Rainbird Records. A new CD is in the plans
for the coming year.
Steve McWilliams is
originally from New York City, but has been a resident of
Virginia for the past ten years. A veteran of many national and
regional groups, in 1990 Steve decided to strike out on his own.
Performing his own material in clubs up and down the East Coast
and California, Steve honed his songwriting skills and put
together a crack band to play the songs that he had written. His
1995 release, "Everywhere We Go", garnered three Wammie
nominations including Best Roots Rock Recording. It also received
a Naird awards nomination for Best Independent Release. The
Washington Post said the record "recalled the restless
spirit of Mellencamp's best work."
In 1996 Steve has enjoyed continued success. As a performer, he
received three 1996 Wammie nominations for Best Male Vocalist,
Best Roots Rock Artist and Best Roots Rock Group. Steve has also
entered the studio to record a now record due out in early 1997.
Steve McWilliams writes American music straight from the heart.
Nothing complicated or technical, just truthful and honest.
What's up next --
Friday, March 28, 1997, 8 p.m. -- From Athens, Ohio: Bruce
Dalzell, Pat White, Jim Phillips, JD Hutchinson
Friday, April 25, 8 p.m. - Steve Hudson, Rich Follett, Alisa
Fienman, and Douglas Ebert and David Bailey
Friday, May 30, 8 p.m.- Lisa Taylor, David Alberding, Randy
Barrett, Matt Holsen
For more information --
URL for this page: http://www.mwc.edu/ernie/songwrite.html
Last Time I changed anything on this page:
Sunday, February 9, 1997
Page put together (with info & pics from Bob) by Ernest Ackermann.
Send rants/rave to above mentioned Ackermann at ernie@mwc.edu
FROM the fortune list ...
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein
