10:30 am
Foggy Mountain Hilton
Foggy Mountain Hilton is a grass-roots, tradiitonal bluegrass band in the style of Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, and Red Allen. The band was started about six years ago to fill a slot at the New Deal Cafe in Greenbelt, MD, and has since played a variety of venues, including the Folklore Society of Greater Washington's Midwinter Festival and the Glen Echo Contra Dance. The band will release it's first CD on the Patuxent label. Matt Levine (guitar) has played a variety of instruments in bluegrass and country bands including Cliff Waldron, Ed Schaefer & Rattlesnake Hill, Squeeze Bayou, Dixie Cannonballs, and the Slim Jims. He is originally from New Jersey and now makes his home in Gaithersburg, MD. Geff King (bass) has played in many top DC country bands, including The Slim Jims, Honky Tonk Confidential, and Karen Collins and the Backroads Band. He is From Baltimore and currently resides in Greenbelt, MD. Ira Gitlin (banjo) is a multi-talented instrumentalist who also plays with The Blue Moon Cowgirls and Karen Collins and the Backroads Band. Originally from New York, he now makes his home in Arlington, VA. Ira was named best bluegrass instrumentalist by the Washington Area Music Association in 2008, and has won many Wammies in other years. Eddie Goldbetter (mandolin) has played in bluegrass bands including The Jumbo String Band and Bear Acker and Billings Gap. He is originally from New York and now makes his home in Winchester, VA. Tom Lyons (fiddle) is one of the great fiddlers in the DC area, and has played with bands such as The Dixie Cannonballs and the Mike Garris Band. He lives in Hyattsville, MD.
Contact: mattandjanine@msn.com

1:00 pm
Sears Trio
Sheryl Sears came from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on the wings of her dream to attend Howard University. After completing her studies, she immersed herself in the local music community. She began sharing her talents as a singer of American and Brazilian jazz at the historic Charles Sumner Museum, the Black Family Renunion at the National Mall, Howard University Blackburn Center and the Anacostia Museum and a variety of local nightclubs and restaurants. Her repertoire has recently expanded to include the blues which she considers to be the most personal and passionate of musical expressions. Carl Aiyeola came to the States from London, England and immersed himself in the study of traditional blues and jazz achieving a subtle style of presentation that evokes a strong response. Allen Holmes has played music most of his life starting with piano and trombone as a child. At 17, he picked up the harmonica and later added the stand-up bass. Now, he moves seamlessly between the instruments playing blues, jazz and gospel with equal passion and skill. The three came together as a part of the community of Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation and merged their musical styles into a sound grounded in the traditional and energized by the contemporary. With rhythms ranging from classically quiet to bouncy bossa nova, they warm and energize a crowd.
Contact: sherylsings@aol.com