Folk Alliance Artists Danny Burns, Anna & Elizabeth, The Stray Birds, Southern Ave.

Danny Burns

Danny Burns Band the “new D.C favorite” who hails from Donegal, has new E.P “Human Heart” in the works.  Danny has worked with Grammy-nominated record producer Warren Huart to create his debut album, “Off The Grid.” Huart (The Fray, James Blunt, Matisyahu) has managed to pull at the roots of Burns’ Irish blood, cultivating his passion, and showcasing Burns’ narrative songwriting, unique vocals and soulful delivery.

Danny has been touring since the age of 17, learning his craft on the road, playing and living in New York, Nashville, New Orleans and Chicago, and has extensive experience on the European & Scandinavian circuits. Burns’ influences not only come from his traditional upbringing, but also from legendary singer/songwriters such as John Martyn, Van Morrison, Richard Thompson, and Christy Moore.

This Donegal man has drawn great inspiration from the culture and passion of New Orleans, which he connected with soon after first arriving there, rapidly establishing a loyal fan base. He has recorded and performed with legendary New Orleans musicians George Porter, Jr. (The Meters) and Mean Willie Green (Neville Brothers Band, Bob Dylan).

Burns took part in the historic songwriters’ night at the Bluebird Cafe Nashville TN, home to such songwriters as Townes Van Zant, Steve Earle, and Guy Clark. Danny also featured in the critically acclaimed documentary about Irish legend, Shane MacGowan, “The Fairytale of New York,” Closer to home, some of the Irish Groups that Danny Burns has performed with include The Hot House Flowers, Kila, Damien Dempsey, Paddy Casey, Slide, Solas, and Karen Casey.

Anna & Elizabeth

Anna & Elizabeth find new ways to tell old stories of love, loss and intrigue, while relishing the tension that arises between their very different backgrounds and orthodoxies; holding firm to the roots of the music while removing the limits of how that music can be played and presented.

Anna Roberts-Gevalt is a voracious and curious musician who nestles in the space between ancient ballads and new sounds. After spending years in Baltimore’s underground art scene, she now resides in Brooklyn, NY. She fell in love with the sound of banjo in college, moved to the mountains, and learned with master musicians in Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina. She has been a fellow at the Berea College Traditional Music Archive and OneBeat (Bang on a Can’s Found Sound Nation); three years artistic director of Kentucky’s traditional music institute, the Cowan Creek Mountain Music School; and co-curator of Baltimore’s Crankie Festival. She is a summer 2017 fellow at National Sawdust in Brooklyn, and recently studied in a workshop with Meredith Monk.

Elizabeth LaPrelle is a world-renowned ballad singer who resides on a farm in Rural Retreat, VA. The student of master singer Ginny Hawker and National Heritage Fellow Sheila Kay Adams, LaPrelle was the first recipient of the Henry Reed Award from the Library of Congress at age 16, and won the 2012 Mike Seeger Award at Folk Alliance International. She has been hailed as “the best young Appalachian ballad singer to emerge in recent memory” by UK’s fRoots Magazine.

The Stray Birds

All originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, The Stray Birds started as a duo of acoustic buskers in early 2010 when Maya de Vitry and Oliver Craven met with their instruments, their voices, and their songs. It didn’t take much convincing to get bassist Charlie Muench on board, and with the addition of a third unique and powerful voice, the group began to define its captivating sound. Seven years, three original records, and some six hundred performances later, the band is best known today for its songwriting, its tight and forthcoming vocal harmony blend and its commitment to an impassioned delivery of original material, both on stage and in the studio. They’ve been seen from LA to London, sung songs from Dallas to Denmark, and played tunes from New York to New Orleans. Their 2016 Yep Roc Records release Magic Fire was produced by Grammy-winner Larry Campbell and earned much praise, including being named by NPR as one of Folk Alley’s Top Ten Records of 2016. With time, their sound has evolved to a palate broader than what it first was on the street corners and in the markets, but this much remains true: The Stray Birds is a band of musicians as subtle and nuanced as they are energetic, a band of writers as blatant and bold as they are coy, and perhaps most importantly, a band of people as friendly and compassionate as they are talented. It’s safe to imagine that most who hear their music come back for another listen, time and again.

Southern Avenue

Southern Avenue features five young but seasoned musicians who came from diverse musical and personal backgrounds to create music that spans their wide-ranging musical interests, while showcasing the powerful chemistry that the group has honed through stage and studio experience. Southern Avenue encompasses Memphis-born, church-bred sisters Tierinii and Tikyra Jackson, respectively a soulful, charismatic singer and a subtle powerful drummer; guitarist Ori Naftaly, an Israeli-born blues disciple who first came to America as an acclaimed solo artist; versatile jazz-inspired bassist Daniel McKee; and the band’s newest addition, keyboardist Jeremy Powell, an early alumnus of Stax’s legendary music academy.

 The band members’ diverse skills come together organically on Southern Avenue, scheduled for release on February 24, 2017 via Stax Records, a division of Concord Music Group. Produced by Kevin Houston (North Mississippi Allstars, Lucero, Patty Griffin), the 10-song album features guest appearances from Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars and trumpeter Marc Franklin of the Bo-Keys. But it’s Southern Avenue’s own potent musical chemistry that drives such sublimely soulful originals as “Don’t Give Up,” “What Did I Do,” “It’s Gonna Be Alright,” “Love Me Right” and “Wildflower.”  The band also pays tribute to its roots with an incandescent reading of Ann Peebles’ Memphis soul classic “Slipped, Tripped and Fell in Love.”