"I love old time music. Whether it's gospel, folk, mountain, or early country, it's music that tells an honest story, often in a hauntingly straight forward way. My style of playing the guitar and singing has certainly been influenced by the many great performers that I admire, but, I think I fit most accurately in the folk and bluegrass categories. Musicians like Doc & Merle Watson, Woody Guthrie, Norman Blake, John Prine, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash have all been among my favorites but others like Bill Monroe, Tim O'Brien and Charles Sawtell of Hot Rize, to name a few, have all left an impression on me as well . Come on down to Coffee Amici and order up a cup of your favorite gourmet coffee and relax to an evening of bluegrass flavored, folk and gospel inspired music."

Bill Phillips

   Jack plays a mixture of old rock and roll, blues, country rock,and original songs, focusing on songs that most everyone knows, but seldom hear.  Jack Schilb currently plays guitar and sings with the Diamonds in the Rough band. He's been playing guitar and writing songs since the early seventies. 

Bob and Mary Fry are a husband and wife team that have been playing music most of their lives -  they have been playing for over 20 years together. They both have been in various bands separately and for the last 10 years have been members of the 3rd Floor Band which they still perform with.  They recently decided to start performing again as a couple also.  Their style of music is a combination of easy listening, country, classic rock, with a few original songs thrown into the mix.

So...maybe it's a love story, but who doesn't need a little love these days? Katie & Pat went out over ice cream one windy spring afternoon and the rest was history. After spending their lives playing in various countries, with various groups, using various instruments, and with various people, Katie & Pat found themselves playing with each other. At some point they realized their love of music and love of one another. Then, they decided to join forces and become an unstoppable team, like Batman and Robin Hood. Katie pretends to play the guitar and Pat plays everything else (including the better sounding guitar). Katie writes and sings most of the songs, but Pat likes to do those things too. Pat is more of a background guy-and Katie likes to be the center of attention, so it kind of works out. When you see them live, you may notice they are happy...hopefully that makes you happy.

Katie and Pat Website: www.myspace.com/katieandpat

BIO

Local Columbus singer/songwriter Rj Cowdery has been singing and writing songs since she was a teenager. This labor of love — from playing open mics to opening for Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival many years later — paid off when Rj won the coveted Mountain Stage NewSong Contest in September, 2007.  

 

The Mountain Stage NewSong Contest showcased 12 musicians who were finalists in an intensive summer-long competition made up of live regional rounds held across North America. Hundreds of aspiring singer-songwriters submitted and performed their original songs. Columbus Ohio’s Rj Cowdery was one of five co-winners selected at the River to River Festival in New York City. To see the rest of the winners and hear their talent, visit www.newsongfestival.com.

 

Rj Cowdery has been influenced by some of the great musical story tellers of our time; from Nancy Griffith, Carol King, The Carpenters and John Denver to Jackson Browne, Jim Croce and Neil Young…to name a few. 

In 1995, Cowdery wrote and recorded "Bernie's Daughter" and developed a strong regional fan base.  She also contributed a cut to the “ripe!” compilation made up of singer/songwriters from the Columbus, Ohio area. Cowdery's latest effort, "One More Door" was released in February, 2008. 

"One More Door" was recorded live in Parkersburg, West Virginia with Michael Lipton and Ammed Solomon from National Public Radio’s Mountain Stage Band and Don Dixon, legendary producer of REM and Marshall Crenshaw.  West Virginia singer-songwriter icon Todd Burge produced the album.  For more information go to www.rjcowdery.com.

  

"Rj truly differentiates herself with well-crafted songs, a natural  

yet confident stage presence and a beautiful voice that  

perfectly compliments her guitar playing."

Gar Ragland 

Music producer and NewSong Director

VENUES

Andyman’s Treehouse/Columbus, Ohio 

Barking Spider/Cleveland, Ohio 

Blennerhassett Hotel/Parkersburg, West Virginia

Donkey Coffee/Athens, Ohio

Borders Books and Music/Akron, Columbus & Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois 

Caribou Coffee/Grandview Heights, Ohio 

Club Diversity/Columbus, Ohio

Columbus Arts Festival/Columbus, Ohio

Community Festival/Columbus, Ohio

Common Grounds/Columbus, Ohio

Espresso Yourself Music Café/Powell, Ohio

First Unitarian Universalist Church/Clintonville, Ohio 

Folk Alliance/Memphis, Tennessee

Keg Room/Marietta, Ohio

Little Brothers/Columbus, Ohio

Ludlows/Columbus, Ohio 

Ohio Women’s Festival/Kirkersville, Ohio 

River to River Festival/New York, New York

Ruby Tuesday/Columbus, Ohio

Six String Concerts/Columbus, Ohio

Staches/Columbus, Ohio

Southgate House/Newport, Kentucky

Stagecoach BBQ/South Bloomfield, Ohio

Telluride Troubadour Contest/Telluride, Colorado

The Far Side/Columbus, Ohio

The Galley/Marietta, Ohio

Thirsty Ear/Grandview Heights, Ohio 

Tri State Women’s Festival/Cincinnati, Ohio 

Union Hall Theatre/Chesterhill, Ohio

Victorians Midnight Café/Columbus, Ohio

WCBE 90.5/Columbus, Ohio

WKSU/Kent State University, Ohio 

WOUB Ohio University/Athens, Ohio 

 

For booking information contact Robin Walters, GoosePie Music, 614-238-0650.

Ellery, the husband-and-wife duo formerly known as Dividing the Plunder, has just unleashed its brand new EP, "Make Your Troubles Mine." The CD showcases a band that has, after five years of making music together, finally found its musical center.

Ellery's unique brand of alternative-folk has taken them across the country, building a strong following over the years -- A following that so far has swallowed up nearly 3000 copies of their debut independently released album, "The Ordinary" (2003). On the heels of that release, the Goldens played more than 100 shows in 2004 at colleges, coffeehouses, bars, radio stations, and events nationwide - and their newsletters go out to a diverse group of nearly 1400 fans every month. With a busy touring schedule planned in support of the new EP, they don't show signs of stopping anytime soon.

Live, the Goldens have an infectious stage presence that's both endearing and immediately penetrating. Their approach is intimate and personal - bringing the crowd right into the songs. Their easy way with an audience is much of what keeps people coming back again and again, often driving hours to catch the nearest show.

Early this year they hit the studio again, recording this time with Ric Hordinski - known for his brilliant guitar work and ethereal production sense. (Formerly of Over the Rhine, Hordinski has produced for such musical gurus as David Wilcox and Phil Keaggy.) The resulting "Make Your Troubles Mine" is an undeniably catchy EP, boasting an even more developed sound, along with the lyrical craftsmanship Ellery's fans have come to expect.

"We're excited about how these songs capture the emotional intensity we felt writing them," says Justin Golden. "There are big, driving moments, and sparse, gentle moments. It's quiet and it's loud - which feels a lot like relationships, like life. This EP has captured something very personal to us, and we hope it can become personal to our listeners."

Ellery Website: www.ellerymusic.com