Deep Roots digging in for awesome music weekend

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

Kings County Register

Deep Roots Music Festival director Lisa Hammett-Vaughan says what’s exciting for her is “co-ordinating a group of people who are so talented and so competent.

“Being the festival co-ordinator is fun.”

After having put on three festivals, she says, people have figured out the mechanics of what they are doing. The creative juices can really flow.

Of course, the line-up itself is exciting, adds Hammett-Vaughan quickly.

“Mary Gauthier is a songwriter of heartbreaking honesty; I saw her at Stanfest a few years back and really loved her presence and her message.”

She says she is also looking forward to seeing Ndidi Onukwulu, a soulful blues singer who apparently has a glamorous stage presence.

“I get goosebumps thinking about what will happen when Ndidi joins Ken Whiteley for our 'Singing from the Soul' concert on the Sunday.”

“For people who love Celtic music, we have McCrimmons Revenge and Vishten. Fiddler Gillian Boucher is returning this year. She performed last year with Mary Jane Lamond and, this year, she will be performing with her life partner Andrew White, who is an amazing guitar player.”

Local heroes the Hupman Brothers are returning to Deep Roots. The Deep Roots Music Co-op is dedicated to promoting local musicians, says Hammett-Vaughan, “so you can imagine how thrilled I was when I heard that the CBC has asked to record The Hupman Brothers during the festival.

“The show will be aired nationally, which will be fantastic exposure for them.”

The Hupman Brothers have been collaborating a lot lately with Matt Anderson, who will also be at the festival.

“We are going to have some great blues happening.”

Hammett-Vaughan looks at all the details. She is glad Wee Giants puppets will be part of the festival again this year.

“Those wonderful puppets bring such a beautiful presence to our community, and people of all ages can relate to them.”

Night on the Town end-of-day events (Friday) at On the Verge and Paddy's, she adds, will be awesome.

“Another cool initiative is our collaboration with the Wolfville Farmers Market. We will have musicians performing there and then, after the market closes, our free concert will take place on the same location, followed by a community jam dance.”

Deep Roots' opening concert September 14 at Acadia University's Convocation Hall offers solo performances by two of the most compelling songwriters to emerge in recent years, Louisiana's Mary Gauthier and Nova Scotia's own Joel Plaskett. The evening also features plenty of great blues: Carlos Del Junco, a gifted harmonica player, and Ken Whiteley. The concert begins with MacCrimmon's Revenge's mesmerizing orchestral World-Celtic music.

At Convocation Hall September 15, the mainstage show offers Vishten's irresistible Acadian-Celtic music and Matt Andersen's and The Hupman Brothers' powerful blues. More guitar wizardry is in store with virtuoso Ryan Leblanc and world-renowned Andrew White, who will be joined by violinist Gillian Boucher. "In their own Words" will feature ex-Wailin Jennys' Annabelle Chvostek, Dave Carmichael and Heather Kelday, singer/ songwriter with A Band of Owls. The concert also features the Deep Roots World Music Summit, a unique collaboration between Nova-Scotia based world music artists. Concert hosts Gordon Stobbe and Greg Simm bring it all together.

The September 16 afternoon show, “Singing from the soul,” will close the weekend at Festival Theatre with rising blues star Ndidi Onukwulu, gospel from Ken Whiteley, Matt Andersen and the Hupman Brothers. Add some inspired instrumentals by Gordon Stobbe and Greg Simm and sweet harmonies with Dave Carmichael and Melissa Trottier. Also, expect a stage full of great musicians, as A Band of Owls, Rust Bucket, T@B, Jack Mcdonald and John Kavanagh come together and prove the vitality of the Valley's music scene.

Deep Roots also presents Artists at Acadia, lectures and mini-concerts by festival artists.

Saturday's events begin with participatory workshops, and free, family-friendly events include the rhythm parade. Also, Saturday afternoon, Festival Theatre features a songwriters' circle that brings together the festival's best wordsmiths, as well as a very promising blues collaboration.

Weblink: www.deeprootsmusic.ca.