Sedona Bluegrass Festival 2011 - Claire Lynch Acoustic Quartet

Sunday, May 8 - 11:00am-5:30pm
Los Abrigados Resort & Spa - Creekside

Grammy nominated songwriter, guitarist and singer Claire Lynch brings her acoustic quartet to town as the third of three CMS Artists in Residence in a five-day series of Bluegrass activities culminating in the Sunday Festival. Lynch's quartet is joined by three additional bands TBA.

Claire Lynch

There were very few role models for a young woman starting out on the bluegrass highway back in the mid ‘70’s when Claire Lynch joined a band called Hickory Wind. A native of Kingston, New York, who has lived in Northern Alabama since the age of 12, Claire was offered a position in the band, decided she was going to be a bluegrass singer, and that was pretty much that. After changing its name to the Front Porch String Band, the group worked regularly throughout the Southeast over the next several years, becoming fan favorites on the strength of its open-minded musical approach and incredible lead singer.

But by 1981, despite a handful of well-received albums (including Claire’s first solo effort, Breakin’ It) and increasing word-of-mouth acclaim, the band had tired of the grind and called it quits. A decade would pass before the band regrouped, but Claire put the time to good use. In addition to raising a family, she launched dual careers as a songwriter (her songs have been recorded by Patty Loveless, the Seldom Scene, Cherryholmes, Kathy Mattea, the Whites and Stephanie Davis) and a session vocalist. Her exquisite harmonies have graced albums by such leading artists as Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Patty Loveless, Pam Tillis, Kathy Mattea, Jesse Winchester, Sarah Watkins and Ralph Stanley.

A re-energized Front Porch String Band roared back onto the scene with their 1991 album, Lines and Traces. The success of that album and the band’s resumed touring led to Claire’s second solo album, the critically-acclaimed Friends for a Lifetime in 1993. Next came the Grammy-nominated Moonlighter in 1995, followed by 1997’s sublime Silver and Gold, which also received a Grammy nomination. During the next several years on the fast-track the Front Porch String Band evolved into one of the sharpest, most exciting post-modern bluegrass bands on the circuit. Their last recording effort was Rounder’s Love Light, a collection more-than-half comprised of original Claire Lynch songs and which was described as “a masterpiece… an Americana programmer’s true delight.

In 2000, husband and mandolinist Larry Lynch, founder and instrumental mainstay of the band from the beginning decided to follow his ever-increasing musical passion for Celtic style picking. For the next few years, Claire enjoyed another hiatus from the road while searching out new players. In the fall of 2004, she formed the Claire Lynch Band and begain extensive touring.

In the Winter of 2005, Claire signed her second three-album deal with Rounder Records. The first release, New Day (March ’06), was a top favorite pick for several publications, scored a #1 song on the National Bluegrass Survey and an IBMA nomination for “Song of the Year”. Next came the anthology collection, Crowd Favorites (October 2007) which earned another couple of top ten positions on the survey. Ms. Lynch describes her follow-up CD, Whatcha Gonna Do (September 2009) as “Americana-inflected bluegrass.” It took the #1 spot on the January 2010 BMP national bluegrass CD chart and was included in several “Top Pick” CD lists for 2009.

Mark Schatz
Bass, Clawhammer Banjo, Percussive Dance

Mark is a prominent figure in the new acoustic music scene. Twice named IBMA Bass Player of the Year, he has worked and/or recorded with an impressive variety of artists including Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Maura O'Connell, Tony Rice, John Hartford, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Tim & Mollie O'Brien and most recently, Nickel Creek. He also acts as Musical Director for the internationally-acclaimed Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble, which showcases his other talents - clawhammer banjo and Southern Appalachian clog dancing.

He has two solo recordings, Brand New Old Tyme Way & Steppin' in the Boilerhouse, both on Rounder Records. He's also released two instructional bass videos on Homespun.

Jason Thomas
Mandolin, Fiddle & Vocals

Jason Thomas’s musical roots first took hold at age eight, when he began playing with his family band in southern Ontario. It was then that his dad taught him to play bluegrass mandolin. At twelve his interest in fiddle and set him on a path of research and self-instruction. The result has been mastery of a wide variety of fiddle styles including Bluegrass, Celtic, Country, Gypsy Jazz, Cajun, Western Swing and the French Canadian style that is so much a part of his own musical heritage.

In high school he expanded his interests to include guitar, banjo, bass and viola. He started his own band, began to do studio work, and played around the southern Ontario bluegrass scene. Contest playing became a natural progression. His talent garnered respect from the musical communities both in Canada (winner of the Canadian Open Mandolin Championship) and the state of Florida (winner of the Florida State Championship on fiddle and mandolin) after his family’s move south in 1984.

Since his studies in violin and Music Education at Evangel College in Springfield, MO, Jason has been a full-time professional musician, having toured extensively across the U.S. and overseas. Jason is in high demand around his residence in Orlando, Florida as a side musician in almost every musical genre.

He has toured and recorded three projects with the Montana-based band Kane's River, which charted two singles on Bluegrass Unlimited’s National Bluegrass Survey, recorded with IBMA nominee Mark Johnson along with Tony Rice and the Rice Brothers, and with Ben Winship and David Thompson on the highly-proclaimed "Fishing Music" projects.

In April of 2006, after having been a long-time Front Porch String Band fan, Jason joined the Claire Lynch Band. He appeared on four freshly-recorded tracks from Claire’s anthology cd, "Crowd Favorites" in 2007 and is a primary player on Claire’s newest release “Whatcha Gonna Do” contributing on mandolin, fiddles and harmony vocals.

"Seriously under-sung fiddle/mandolin man Jason Thomas' playing has exactly the right degree of lyricism to match Lynch’s world-class vocals" The Nashville Scene

Matthew Wingate
Guitar, Mandolin & Vocals

The newest member of the band may also be the youngest, but Matt Wingate brings impressive credentials and a mature, improvisational musicality seemingly far beyond his years, making him a natural for The Claire Lynch Band. Winning Merlefest’s Doc Watson Guitar Championship in 1997 at the age of 15, at a time when he was performing with his family band, Matt later honed his bluegrass chops performing across the U.S. and in Europe as Valerie Smith’s lead guitar player. He began performing with the Greencards in 2004, an experience that immersed Matt in a musically broader, more progressive repertoire, deepening his musical vocabulary and his facility with complex arrangements.

From 2006-08, his work as a member with a hot young band, The Lovell Sisters, opened the door for Matt to play a more significant creative role, lending a strong hand to the selection and arrangement of material. It also gave him the opportunity to return to the Merlefest stage in 2008, coming full circle to play the festival that was so key to launching his career at age 15. That year, Matt also released a solo CD, A Good Dream, to excellent reviews.

Flatpicking Guitar Magazine featured Matt on the cover of its March/April 2009 issue, praising not only his flatpicking prowess, but also his “top notch” level of musicianship and his considerable talents as a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (including guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, bass, drums and dobro). Dobro phenom Rob Ickes’ appraisal is spot on, terming Matt "one of the most exciting young musicians in bluegrass music today. Matthew has great chops, but he's also got a lot of soul.”

Tickets will be held at festival's Will Call.

[Directions & Seating]

Adult Festival Admission $40

Student Festival Admission $20 (13-21 w/ID)

Youth Festival Admission $0 (12-under w/paying adult)

Magical music in the red rocks