Thursday January 17, 2013

MONTPELIER -- Mayfly (Katie Trautz and Julia Wayne) performs at the Summit School Winter Folk Music Festival Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013, and shares the stage with Dirk Powell and Riley Baugus, two of the nation’s most respected old-time musicians. 7pm, Bethany Church, Main St. , Montpelier The Summit School of Traditional Music and Culture presents its third annual Winter Folk Music Festival, Jan. 18, 19 and 20 in Montpelier Join Summit School for three full days of music, workshops, and special events.

Headlining the 2013 festival are renowned folk musicians, Dirk Powell and Riley Baugus joined by Corey Porsche. Contributors to the soundtrack of the film Cold Mountain, Dirk and Riley have recorded with Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Ralph Stanley, Linda Ronstadt and others. Mayfly, Old-time and Appalachian duo, is a Vermont based band that performs old-time New England and Appalachian music, as well as original songwriting on guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo and vocals. Mayfly has been performing for over 10 years, touring throughout New England and Canada. The girls, Katie Trautz and Julia Wayne, have two albums, one of which won Best Traditional Album of the Year’ in Vermont. Mayfly intersperses close harmony vocals with strong instrumentals influenced by blues, ballads, and American roots music.

Also featured are Banjo master Ken Perlman with Jim Prendergast, Swedish fiddler Anna Lindblad

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with Ryan Dricky, local legends Pete Sutherland, Jeremiah McLane and Sarah Blair, and Mayfly. There’s a free guitar pull Friday night, numerous workshops each day, concerts each evening, and a free screening of the film Blues Houseparty ,produced by musician Eleanor Ellis. Blues Houseparty provides an opportunity to join the late Virginia bluesman John Jackson, his friends, and family for an hour of music, food, and good cheer. Jackson, one of the finest practitioners of the guitar fingerpicking style known as "Piedmont blues" was a mainstay of folk and blues festivals from the 1960s until his death in 2002. The film will be shown at the Montpelier Senior Activities Center on Sunday, Jan. 20, at 10:30 a.m. The film will be followed by a discussion led by Montpelier musician/educator Mark Greenberg.

From learning banjo and fiddle at the feet of his grandfather in Kentucky, through founding the Louisiana Cajun group Balfa Toujours, to extensive recording and film work with such artists as Jack White, Joan Baez, T-Bone Burnett, Anthony Minghella, Loretta Lynn, and Spike Lee, Dirk Powell has arrived at a place all his own. He has toured with Joan Baez and performed at festivals around the globe.

In addition to his collaborations with Dirk Powell, Riley Baugus has made his own path, building in-demand instruments and performing at festivals all over the world. He’s contributed to film, has worked as producer and performer and collaborated on theatrical presentations featuring original and traditional southern Appalachian music. Riley contributed to the Grammy award winning Album Of The Year, "Raising Sand" -- the multi-million selling album by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant and he was featured on Willie Nelson’s Grammy nominated recording "Country Music".

Both Powell and Baugus, as well as all of the other performers, will offer workshops at the Festival in addition to their scheduled concert performances.

Also performing at the Winter Festival are Cajun dancer and accordion player Corey Porsche, Swedish Fiddler Anna Lindblad with Ryan Dricky, Ken Perlman and Jim Prendergast, Pete Sutherland, Jeremiah McLane, Sarah Blair and Mayfly. For information about the Winter Festival call 802-917-1186 or email Mary L. Collins, Executive Director, Summit School of Traditional Music and Culture at director@summit-school.org