The Revenants: Bluegrass Gospel Project alums Taylor Armerding, Andy Greene, and Kirk Lord have come together to present original, time-honored, and contemporary Americana music to venues throughout New England. Showcasing compelling, intricately braided vocals, richly textured instrumental work, and solid, innovative rhythm, the three band members bring decades of performing experience to the stage. Through their many years of musical collaboration, they speak soulfully with one voice.  

A2VT: Representing Somalia, Tanzania and Burundi and currently living in Burlington, Vermont, A2VT synthesizes their native African musical and dance roots with Western pop and Hip Hop sensibilities. Their songs, performed in up to eight unique languages, reflect their journey from Africa to America, and celebrate the musical collision of two continents and the party that ensues!

Mikahely hails from the beautiful island of Madagascar, but his music is out of this world! A self-taught musician, he draws inspiration from traditional Malagasy rhythms to create his own unique sound on guitar and valiha (a zither-like instrument made from bamboo). Having toured in Madagascar and Europe, he now brings his music to new audiences in the United States. He is also featured in the documentary Guitar Madagascar.

Patti Casey and Colin McCaffrey: Award-winning songwriter Patti Casey tells honest and quirkly tales of everyday life. Patti is a master of simple, pure vocal understatement. She is a prolific songwriter and has perfected her own New England-flavored bluegrassy style, one that shines equally with welcome, familiar sounds as well as undeniable originality. She has appeared on Prairie Home Companion, and recently released her fifth solo album, which VPR calls, “the sweetest voice and some of the finest songwriting to come out of Vermont…” Colin McCaffrey is an award-winning songwriter who picks and sings bluegrass, folk, blues, and jazz. Colin performs regionally in northern New England, and tours nationally both as a front man and freelance musician. He works with songwriters and performers such as Allison Mann, Will Patton, Pete Sutherland, Patti Casey, Mark Legrand, Jim Pitman, Sarah Blair, The Sevens, Susannah Clifford Blachly, Lewis Franco, The Clayfoot Strutters, The Stone Cold Roosters, and many more.

SHELLHOUSE is an original Vermont Americana rock band. The band consists of Bob Teer (singer-songwriter/guitarist), Jim Fox (electric guitar), Andrea Teer (vocals, mando), Bob DeFeo (drums) and Marshal Breakstone (bass, vocals). Shellhouse has two albums: Boomerang and Indian Summer. Songs from both albums can be heard regularly on Vermont radio stations. For almost 10 years Shellhouse has played summer concert series and music venues throughout Vermont and is working on a third album. Dan Bolles of Seven Days says this about Shellhouse: “fans of smartly conceived rock will find a lot to like.”

Allison Mann is very happy to have this opportunity to sing, especially during this unusual time, and especially with Colin McCaffrey, with whom she has had the joy of performing off and on since 1992. Allison has performed at Discover Jazz Fest, Mid-Summer Fest, Vermont clubs and restaurants, weddings and, most recently, at Studio C on Langdon Street in Montpelier. Allison is focused deeply on the physical process of making vocal sound—of creating one’s own unique sound by developing physical strength and grounding to support the free flow of energy and breath to create and shape sound. She often hopes the audience enjoys her music as much as she enjoys the experience of creating it.

She says, “for this performance, in celebration of Black Lives Matter, Colin and I will be performing songs by Black composers, and highlighting tunes of Thomas Wrights “Fats” Waller. His contributions to the American Jazz repertoire include Ain’t Misbehavin’, Honeysuckle Rose, and Ain’t Nobody’s Business. Several biographers also provide evidence that other well-known tunes (Sunnyside of the Street and I Can’t Give You Anything but Love, for example) were composed by Waller, sold for fast cash at a tight moment, then later published under another name. We will be offering these songs to you on September 24th. We hope you can join us.”