Local "newgrass" great Drew Emmitt to host impressive lineup July 6 - 10
GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (March 13, 2010) - For 13 years, the Crested Butte Music Festival (CBMF) has turned Crested Butte into one big concert hall in July, with music resounding from outdoors venues, performance halls, private homes, churches and barns. This summer, CBMF will host the first-ever "Bluegrass in Paradise" from July 6 - 10, featuring a three-day Kids Camp, workshops for adults, and six top-level concerts on an outdoor stage at the base of Crested Butte Mountain Resort ski area.
World-Class Performers
The host of the festival is Drew Emmitt, internationally acclaimed "newgrass" star and Crested Butte resident. Emmitt is not only one of the most energetic and innovative mandolin players in bluegrass today, he is also a singer, storyteller and master of multiple stringed instruments. He has played with Leftover Salmon and most recently the Drew Emmitt Band.
Friday, July 9
- Bearfoot - Bluegrass music from Alaska? Not just any bluegrass, but some of the best. Telluride Band Contest winner Bearfoot has a fresh approach to acoustic music that features twin fiddles, fast-picking mandolin and guitar, upright bass and beautiful harmony vocals. Bearfoot's exuberant stage presence elicits an appeal that bridges generations.
- Spring Creek - In 2009, Spring Creek joined the ranks of Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys, Kenny & Amanda Smith and Steep Canyon Rangers as a Rebel Records recording artist. Hailing from Lyons, Colo., Spring Creek's creative, original songs and meticulous harmony vocals made it the first Colorado-based band to be signed by Rebel.
- Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys - Stanley, The Godfather of bluegrass, is still the best banjo picker and tenor singer in bluegrass music after 55 years in the business. As a recording artist, he has performed on more than 170 albums, tapes and CDs. He has written countless songs both individually and together with his brother, the late Carter Stanley.
Saturday, July 10
- Emmitt-Nershi Band - For Bluegrass in Paradise, Drew Emmitt will team up with Billy Nershi, who will play guitar and sing and is a founding member of The String Cheese Incident, an American jamband from Boulder, Colorado. Joining the pair will be Andy Thorn on banjo and Tyler Grant on bass.
- Shannon Whitworth - Shannon Whitworth, a founding member of the acclaimed acoustic quartet The Biscuit Burners, has set a high bar for Americana music in the last few years. Her definitive songwriting and captivating voice have earned her national praise. Whitworth's debut solo release, "No Expectations," is pure, strong and heartfelt, catching the ears and touching the hearts of the most unsuspecting bystander.
- Blue Highway - Now in its 16th year as a band, Grammy-nominated Blue Highway is one of the most esteemed and influential groups in contemporary bluegrass. With a deep bench of virtuosic songwriters, vocalists and instrumentalists, Blue Highway's hallmark is an unwavering commitment to the ensemble, the "democracy of the band," that makes Blue Highway a powerhouse.
Tickets cost $50 for a single day and $90 for a weekend pass for adults and $20 for kids ages 16 and under for a weekend pass.
Kids Camp & Adult Workshops
On July 6 - 8, a Kids Camp will be held at the Lodge at Mountaineer Square Conference Center at the ski base. The three-day bluegrass and folk music program for children, ages 6 to 16, is organized and taught by members of Bearfoot, which has instructed thousands of kids worldwide.
Campers can pick from a wide range of classes, including all levels of guitar, bass, banjo, fiddle and vocals. They also will be involved in a band class with their peers, daily jams, square dances, art projects, optional private lessons, and games, as well as an end-of-camp concert for friends and family. All levels are welcome. The cost of registration is $175, and campers can purchase a weekend pass for the concerts for an additional $20.
Grown-ups also can expand their abilities through adult seminars and drop-in workshops on July 9 and 10 with Blue Highway and Drew Emmitt.
Go to http://www.crestedbuttemusicfestival.com/ to purchase tickets for Bluegrass in Paradise and any performances and events taking place during the 13th annual Crested Butte Music Festival, July 3 - Aug. 5. A registration form for the Kids Camp also can be found there. The CBMF office can be reached at (970) 349-0619.
Vacation Packages & Visitor Information
To find out more about Gunnison-Crested Butte's calendar of events and personalized vacation packages, call the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association's toll-free number (800) 814-8893 or visit http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/. Find the Tourism Association on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gcbta or follow us on www.twitter.com/gcbta.
The Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is served year-round by United Airlines with flights from Denver and during the winter season by American Airlines with direct flights from Dallas/Fort Worth and Delta Air Lines with direct flights from Salt Lake City and Atlanta.
About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado
Gunnison-Crested Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness in southwest Colorado. Winter sports enthusiasts know the area for its world-class alpine skiing and snowboarding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing. Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a haven for outdoor summer activities. In the warmer months, visitors can choose from recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, boating, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback riding. Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and stimulating cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options - from rustic inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resort hotels.
Gunnison, county seat and a real western town, is home to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison Whitewater Park, Gunnison Valley Observatory, Pioneer Museum and Western State College, which offers bachelor's and master's degrees in liberal arts and sciences and pre-professional fields. Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities.
Recognized as the "Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado" by the Colorado Legislature and one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in 2008, Crested Butte is 28 miles from Gunnison and the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. Only three miles up the road is the resort village of Mt. Crested Butte, home to the ski area, an active base area, the area's conference center, and outstanding hiking and biking trails.
In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado's largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country's newest national parks. Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte. Gunnison County is part of the West Elk Loop and Silver Thread Scenic & Historic Byways.
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Photo: Bearfoot
For a Word version of this press release, click on the link below.
Contact: Beth Buehler
Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association
(970) 349-1168 or bethbuehler@qwestoffice.net
http://www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/
Bluegrass in Paradise.doc (875 KB)
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