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MAY 3rd - 7:00 PM 8:30 PM at St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church
MAY 4th - 3:00 PM 4:30 PM at Cameron Art Museum
MAY 5th - 3:00 PM 4:30 PM at Azalea Station
For more information, visit the Wilmington Voices website: https://www.wilmingtonvoices.com/performances
Voice & the Pen is a songwriters series curated by local musicians Emily Burdette, CB Johnson, and Delia Stanley. We host this showcase at Ted's the 2nd Wednesday of each month.
RANDY MCQUAY is a talented singer / songwriter and roots musician from North Carolina. He performs around the country with his band and as a solo acoustic artist offering an eclectic mix of soulful sounds and rhythms. With sincere lyrics and accomplished musicianship, Randy is a masterful storyteller who plays from the heart. His set is one not to miss, blending Blues, folk, rock & roll, funk, and Americana roots music from behind his harmonic and guitar.
He has performed at festivals and on premier stages all around the US including local events such as the Cape Fear Blues Festival in Wilmington, NC, the Pleasure Island Seafood, Blues & Jazz Festival Kure Beach, and the GoodVibes Brewfest in Carolina Beach. He has won numerous awards including the International Blues Challenge (3-Time Finalist), the prestigious Lee Oskar Harmonica Award, Semper Fidelis Award for Musical Excellence, Cape Fear Blues Challenge Solo (3-time winner!), and was voted ‘Best Musician’ in encore magazine’s Best of 2020.
A few years ago, he released his first solo album, “Solo.” In 2017 he released a followup, “My Kind of Blues.”
Website: randymcquay.com
Video: https://youtu.be/OokrXbi54Y4
After teaching music full time for over a decade, Michael Daughtry left his comfort zone to pursue his passion for musical connection as a recording artist. Michael was born in a tiny North Carolina town to an elementary school teacher and an agricultural entrepreneur. Discovering his grandmother’s piano at age 3, his musical devotion grew throughout his childhood, even though he admits he has yet to get that drum set he once requested on his Christmas list. Happily married and sharing his love of music with his school-age daughter, he remains dedicated to his local community.
A magna cum laude graduate of Berklee College of Music in Songwriting, he has opened for a diverse slate of artists including Edwin McCain, Lit, Dale Baker (Sixpence None the Richer), Marc Davis (Hootie and the Blowfish), Bleu, Sponge, Mary Gauthier, John Ford Coley, David Nail, Who’s Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience, and Tyler Barham. He opened for Blue Man Group for nearly two years when they played at the Charles Playhouse in Boston.
Michael’s music opens the door for emotion, with multilayered lyrics, strong vocals, and relatable themes. He performs to inspire listeners to think, to feel... and ideally to move and be moved along the way. When asked about his signature sound, Michael comments, “It’s very musically rich and diverse, with my trademark sophisticated piano work and my genuine love of what I do mixed in.” He notes that a thread of hope often weaves throughout the texture of the music.
Michael continues his musical mission at home as well as on the road. He teaches piano, guitar, voice, and songwriting to all ages, laying the foundation for a legacy for generations to come. He is a staple at festivals and running events across the eastern seaboard. Notably, he is honored to have partnered with (and performed for) the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series since 2013, an organization that shares his passion for philanthropy. A portion of Michael’s last album sales was donated to his area’s Child Advocacy Center of Fayetteville, NC.
Jay Killman has been a professional musician for twelveyears. He performs with a wide array of acts including jazz ensembles, singer songwriter acts, hip hop groups, and fusion bands.
Over the years Jay has studied and played with numerous greats including Keith Ganz, Andrew Renfroe, Joey Calderrazo, Robert Trowers, Ralph Bowen, Branford Marsalis, Isaiah Sharkey, Peter DiCarlo, Jerald Shynett and more. He has achieved a BA in Music from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and a MM in Jazz Composition from North Carolina Central University.
Jay has released 3 albums of original music - Rene & Jay Nice Sounds Collection no. 1, Rene & Jay Nice Sounds Collection no. 2, and Jay Killman Cycles. https://open.spotify.com/album/0yDP6i7ajTd2RtadJejFyF
In addition to performing, Jay is an avid composer, arranger and teacher.
Website: https://jaykillmanmusic.com/
Video: https://youtu.be/HJVCiKbxv8Q
Seth Walker is often cited as one of the most prolific contemporary Americana artists on the scene today. He’s a multi-dimensional talent who combines a gift for melody and lyric alongside a rich, Gospel-drenched, Southern-inflected voice with a true blue knack for getting around on the guitar. His new studio album, I Hope I Know, produced by Jano Rix of The Wood Brothers, and a string of singles, including “We Got This,” “Spirits Moving” and a cover of Van Morrison’s classic “Warm Love” further build upon this reputation.
In 2021, Walker added published author to his oeuvre with his first memoir, ‘Your Van Is On Fire.’ A riotous and charming melange of a touring musician’s life, the book is comprised of many short essays, poems and paintings he’d accumulated over a near 30-year career. Written during the pandemic lockdown, Walker offers a first hand account of an artist in perpetual motion who’s dedicated his life to chasing the muse wherever it may lead.
Growing up on a commune in rural North Carolina, the son of classically trained musicians, Seth Walker played cello long before discovering the guitar in his 20s. When his introduction to the blues came via his Uncle Landon Walker, who was both a musician and disc jockey, his fate was forever sealed. Instantaneously, Seth was looking to artists like T-Bone Walker, Snooks Eaglin, and B.B. King as a wellspring of endless inspiration. The rest is history. He’s released ten albums, broken into the Top 20 of the Americana Radio Charts, reached No. 2 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart and received praise from NPR, American Songwriter, No Depression and Relix, among others.
In addition to extensive recording and songwriting pursuits, Seth is consistently touring and performing at venues and festivals around the world. Along with headline shows, he’s been invited to open for The Mavericks, The Wood Brothers, Raul Malo, Paul Thorn and Ruthie Foster, among others.
Seth Walker is currently based in Asheville, NC after previously residing in Austin, New Orleans and Nashville. He’s used those experiences wisely, soaking up the sounds and absorbing the musical lineage of these varied places. With a bluesman’s respect for roots and tradition, coupled with an appreciation for—and successful melding of—contemporary songwriting, Seth sublimely incorporates a range of styles with warmth and grace. Perhaps Country Standard Time said it best: “If you subscribe to the Big Tent theory of Americana, then Seth Walker –with his blend of blues, gospel, pop, R&B, rock, and a dash country—just might be your poster boy.”
Video: https://youtu.be/knthwZWX-Yk
Website:https://sethwalker.com/
General Admission Tickets: $10 each
1 General Admission Ticket + copy of the new album on Vinyl: $35
Penguin Night at the Movies is Back!
Wednesday, May 15th, Live At Ted's and 98.3 The Penguin FM will be hosting a very special showing of the Avett Brother’s 2017 documentary “May It Last.” We'll be kicking off the evening with an EXCLUSIVE listening party for the new album, “The Avett Brothers”, prior to its’ release on May 17th.
Come out for the movie, or grab your movie ticket and a copy of the new album on vinyl BEFORE it's released! This super sweet deal is brought to you by our friends over at Yellow Dog Discs.
All seating is General Admission and on a first come, first serve basis, so get there early to grab your seat and soak in all your new favorite tunes from the album. We'll even have a speaker out on the back deck so you can listen outside and catch some of those beautiful Cape Fear River views!
Live At Ted's offers light snacks for purchase (nuts, candy, Pirates Booty, Cheezits), beer, wine, and many non-alcoholic drink options including coffee and Panacea Kombucha. While we do not have any hot food or food trucks on site, we absolutely welcome any outside food you'd like to bring. Please, no outside beverages.
SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES!
Shanna in a Dress is your quirky best friend who refuses to wear pants. She says what everyone has felt but no one else will say and you'll get an uncensored journey of clever humor and heartbreak, extreme candor, and a hefty side of entertainment at her shows. This witty wordsmith is known for taking you on an emotional roller coaster, sometimes within the same song. Think John Prine mixed with Ingrid Michaelson with a twist of Phoebe Buffay from Friends all wrapped up in a sweet voice accented by guitar, piano, and ukulele. She's as real as it gets, as anyone who follows her on FB or Instagram knows.
Shanna started her career at the University of Virginia, fell in love with Boulder, Colorado, and now keeps her fun music flowing out of Nashville unless she's touring the US or Europe. You can't get the same Shanna in a Dress show twice with her spontaneous banter and playful stage presence. She manages to teeter the line masterfully of taking on complex subject matters with smart, bold, and yet accessible lyrics. Her charisma and boldly honest songs are full of interesting language and wordplay and delight audiences of all ages.
Most recently, Shanna in a Dress was pronounced the winner of the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriting Contest and will be performing with a full band at the 2023 Rocky Mountain Folks Fest. In 2020 alone, Shanna was a winner in the Kerrville New Folk competition, winner of the Great River Folk Fest Song Competition, a finalist at Songwriter Serenade, and a Grassy Hill Emerging Artist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.
During the summer of 2021, Shanna bicycled from Seattle to Boston while music-touring on her epic "Tour de Dress," playing over 60 shows from coast to coast and partnering up with the global non-profit Pangaea World Foundation.
In May 2022, her debut record "Robot" was released after a wildly successful crowdfunded campaign years earlier. She was the winner She has most recently been seen gracing the stages of Kerrville Folk Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Black Bear Americana Fest, Great River Folk Fest, and the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. Tom Prasada-Rao calls her "Kerrville's fastest rising star" and she's certainly delightfully unique and is one to watch in the future.
Website: https://www.shannainadress.com/home
Video: https://youtu.be/GxGZZ6kutrE
Bluegrass ambassadors Hank Smith and Pattie Hopkins Kinlaw join forces once again with their original and energetic new soulgrass band, Hank and Pattie. Hank and Pattie take bluegrass and infuse it with their own flair, drawing from a melting pot of styles including classical and Motown, which adds up to an authentic and unique reflection of American music. While some of the music sounds old school and some sounds fresh and new, their overall musicianship, vocal harmonies, impassioned delivery and innovative arrangements captivate all generations of music lovers.
Hank and Pattie are backed by an all-star band comprised of Carolina musicians Stevie Martinez on Bass and vocals and Billie Feather on guitar.
Video: https://youtu.be/-Kw-t_JNHLw
Website: https://www.hankandpattie.com/
Batuquê Trio came together out of a shared passion for Afro-Latin music and jazz. The trio blends a myriad of Latin jazz styles, from the folkloric roots of Cuban and Brazilian music to contemporary trends in Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and Caribbean jazz. The term, batuquê, refers to Afro-Brazilian polyrhythmic drumming and dance. In 2015, they released their debut album, Transparency, which gives listeners an exciting take on familiar tunes and showcases original compositions that are steeped in groove. The show will feature new originals and arrangements found on their upcoming album, releasing in Fall 2024. The trio's return to Wilmington is generously supported by the South Arts Jazz Road Tours grant.
Catesby Jones was born in Versailles, Kentucky and raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio. As a young man, he began writing original compositions, playing in folk clubs in Boston, and touring on the fabled New York college coffeehouse circuit. He has held steady gigs in Cleveland, the Virgin Islands, a Kingsville, Texas honky tonk, the Rum Boogie Cafe in Memphis, and The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. He won the Kerrville New Folk Competition in 1982 and, as a staff writer in Nashville, co-wrote Travis Tritt's breakout hit 'Country Club'. In 1993, he moved to Wilmington, NC where he has performed extensively and pursues his prolific songwriting career, collaborating with talented local characters like Jamie Hoover, Jim Ellis, and others.
Website: https://catesbyjones.com/
Hailing from Durham, NC, Jon Shain is a veteran singer-songwriter who’s been turning heads for years with his words, his fiery acoustic guitar work, and his evolved musical style – combining improvised piedmont blues with bluegrass, swing, and ragtime. Jon has released nine solo albums to date, along with two albums with duo partner FJ Ventre, a Jon Shain Trio live album, and one album of co-writes with Joe Newberry. Shain’s newest album, Restless Soul Syndrome, recorded at Good Luck Studio this past year, will be released April 9, 2024. Shain is also the author of the music books Gettin’ Handy With the Blues – a Tribute to the Legacy of W.C. Handy and Jon Shain’s Fingerstyle Guitar Method, both published by Mel Bay Publications. In 2019, Shain won the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN in the solo/duo category.
Jon grew up in Haverhill, Massachusetts, a Merrimack River mill-town that had already seen its better days by the time he was a child in the 1970s. His family’s business was a small textile dyeing company, and he worked in the factory during the summers throughout his teens. At the same time, Shain began to discover his love of American roots music and songwriting, specifically drawn to the narratives about regular people and themes of social justice.
Shain headed south to North Carolina in 1986, to study American History at Duke University and to continue his musical journey, as well. In addition to studying with jazz professor Paul Jeffrey, he also had the good fortune to learn the piedmont blues tradition firsthand by playing in Big Boy Henry’s backing band. It was at this time that Shain also got to meet and play with John Dee Holeman and a number of the great older NC blues players. Shain's classes in school were heavily concentrated in southern history, English, and world religions. That mixture of the academic environment and the real-world blues music is what has most informed his musical direction.
Shain cut his touring teeth from 1989-1998 founding the Chapel Hill, NC folk-rock group, Flyin' Mice and their spin-off group, WAKE. The band performed with acts such as David Grisman, Tony Rice Unit, Hot Tuna, and the Dixie Dregs, released four CDs, and played clubs, schools, and festivals up and down the East Coast, building a legion of fans.
After the band’s breakup, Shain went solo, returning to his roots by touring in the folk and blues circuit. Shain has also become a sought after guitar teacher and studio producer. In 2021, he produced Donna Herula’s blues radio chart-topping album, Bang at the Door.
Over the last several years, Shain has headlined listening rooms both as a solo and with duo partner FJ Ventre throughout the US and he's done two solo tours in Europe. He has opened shows for John Hiatt, Keb’ Mo’, Little Feat, and many other roots legends. When Shain is not recording, producing other artists, or performing, he stays busy giving private instruction in guitar, and teaching group workshops in songwriting and blues guitar.
FJ Ventre began playing music with Jon in 1982 when they met in high school and have developed a brotherly connection that continues to this day. Ventre went to University of Massachusetts-Lowell, earning a B.A. in Music Performance and Sound Recording and remained for some time in the Boston area, performing in the city's vibrant music scene. Since relocating to Chapel Hill, NC in 2000, Ventre has performed with his own group The Swang Brothers, as well as with Chris Stamey, Wes Collins, Huzzah, and a who's who of NC music groups. In addition to being a sought-after bassist, Ventre spends his time behind the mixing board, producing and engineering at his own Good Luck Studio as well as writing his own songs.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj3klop8pGk
Website: https://www.jonshain.com/
Ted’s favorites, Port City Trio, are back! Based in Wilmington, NC, the Port City Trio has been pleasing audiences for years. Featuring standards from The Great American Songbook, a little blues and strong originals.
Video: https://youtu.be/4YlNwAVbqBM
Adam Fenton is a local musician and music instructor in Wilmington who's been playing covers (as well as original music with his group Happy Pill) for the past 3 years. More details on the musicians joining him to come!
Soul-R Fusion is Tim Koehler and Alex Goodell. Soul-R Fusion is Blues, Soul, Americana, Folk and Roots music at its best and all rolled into one.
Lipbone is a one-man orchestra who who turns story into song. He has humble roots in North Carolina, and after several years in New York City, he began busking in the Manhattan subways and parks. He used these very public places to work on his original material. Uncompromisingly true to his own voice, Lipbone tells his life-story through his unique music. Vocals, guitar and…other stuff, Lipbone has a style that adheres to no style at all. Musical, upbeat and imaginative, sometimes soft and soulful, his story is peppered with vocal trombones and throat-singing birds, fantastic animals and a host of poignant characters. Lipbone engages the audience as if they are additional band members, and invites them to employ their voices, claps and dance moves for the greater good.
When not on the road making music and friends, Lipbone is artist-in-residence at Oak Grove Retreat in Tarboro, North Carolina.
Website: lipbone.com
AZUL is a queer Latinx musician that oscillates from tender moments of grief and love to disco dance bops, music numbers on betrayal and the stress of living in our modern world. Oh, and sometimes its in Spanish. She sings and plays trumpet with her best friends and her goal is to always connect with her listeners. After releasing her debut original EP in 2021 “The View From Here”, Azul has played all over NC and opened for several nationally touring acts. The INDIEWeek said about her debut single “Magic,” “Magic,” feels like a true pop song— lush, catchy, and persuasive and full of kind of pent of drama that makes the quest for greater belief and optimism feel fresh. Zapata’s voice is bold and reaching; this is a single with the thrill of a big beginning.”
Website: https://www.azulzapata.com/
Video: https://youtu.be/bzYRvF-HiaI
Hailing from Durham, North Carolina, Emily Musolino has been crafting a unique combination of soul inspired, powerhouse vocals for nearly two decades. Influenced as a child by iconic female vocalists Etta James and Janis Joplin, Musolino’s music emits a dynamic combination of blues and shredding rock guitar with hints of jazz and classic outlaw country that only those with a mastery in music composition can create. Traversing addiction, discrimination, and growing up LGBT in the southeast, Musolino finds strength for her recovery in songwriting that culminates in authentic, pure music infused with strong feminist and queer positive messaging.
After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2012, Emily moved back home to Durham, North Carolina where she built her own recording studio, Blue Moose Studios. She quickly found her talents recruited by Dark Water Rising and spent the following 4 years performing over 200 shows a year, perfecting her sound. In 2017, she transitioned to focus primarily on her solo work, fronting the Emily Musolino band and releasing three albums of original material.
Studio owner, producer, singer-songwriter, Berklee graduate - Emily Musolino is a unique musical talent that fits in no bounded box and brings an energetic excitement to every crowd, stage, and venue that experiences her performances. You will find Emily on stages all across North Carolina and beyond, from local Triangle staples like The Pour House Raleigh and Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival to tours and festivals across the U.S. and Europe. No matter where she is playing, Emily always delivers positive, inspiring music. Stay tuned on social media for upcoming show dates and new releases.
Video: https://youtu.be/9Mvjp5fSdEA?list=TLGGdiCDx8m-ItQzMDA0MjAyNA
Website: https://www.emilymusolino.com/
Originally formed in Wilmington, North Carolina, The Hatch Brothers are a breed of their own. Lead vocalist and songwriter, Sam Hatch, has an iconic voice that transcends genre. His songwriting approach captures stories in time with colorful chord progressions, unique time signatures, and poetic lyricism. Bassist Paul Hatch is a self-taught musician with an ear for improvisation. Paul is never afraid to play with new ideas in the moment. Drummer Phil Milligan is a master of many styles. His biggest asset is understanding exactly what a song needs. He picks his moments, and when it’s time to shine holds nothing back. Their newest member, Joe Sprunt, is the lead guitar master who undoubtedly breathes new life into the band. The overall sound is a blend of their favorite genres pulling from blues, rock, jazz and even folk in some instances. Collectively, The Hatch Brothers have undeniable chemistry and their ability to tailor songs on the spot creates a unique performance every time.
In 2010, brothers Paul and Sam Hatch began their journey in music performing at local Wilmington venues. Over time their vision grew, and they evolved into a full band, known as The Hatch Brothers. Although Phil and Joe are not technically related, the group has adopted the brother identity through and through.
The Hatch Brothers’ debut album Twelve Bar Grievances is a representation of transformation that fully encompasses the band’s spirit and energy. Some songs were written years ago while others were written just days before recording. The band’s favorite thing about the album is that there is at least one song for every kind of person out there. No matter what genre an audience may prefer, The Hatch Brothers ensure their music reaches everyone.
Website: https://thehatchbrothers.com/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqdy2LH7bSM
Well into its second decade, WHQR's Soup To Nuts LIVE! has become one of the Cape Fear region's favorite, live-listening experiences, featuring a wide array of musical genres on its stage.
STNL!'s recording process reflects its commitment to high quality, ongoing success, and the hard work of its technical staff. Each performance is engineered, multitracked, and edited into a one-hour program for broadcast on an upcoming date. In addition, WHQR forwards and cross-promotes the live event (and the later broadcast) across their website, on-air, social media, and related platforms.
Starting in 2023, Live At Ted’s joined in hosting and booking acts for the STNL! show, alternating hosting duties each month with WHQR. Ted’s listening room environment, recording capabilities, and commitment to showcasing original music made for a seamless partnership.
Sam Robbins is often described as an "old soul singer songwriter." A Nashville based musician whose music evokes classic 70's singer songwriters like James Taylor and Neil Young, Sam adds a modern, upbeat edge to the storyteller troubadour persona. An avid performer, he has gained recognition from extensive touring and as one of the six 2021 winners in the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk competition, one of the largest and most prestigious songwriting competitions in the country.
Sam released his debut album, Finally Feeling Young, on May 14th, 2021. The album is reminiscent of his 70's singer-songwriter heroes, with a modern perspective. On the heels of the award winning opening single, 'Remind Me", Finally Feeling Young has already garnered radio airplay and critical acclaim. Two album tracks, Remind Me and Saying Amen, won him a place as one of the six Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk winners. Americana Highways writes: “He writes of subjects that others don't explore. Saying Amen has Robbins touching that special place Leonard Cohen went. This is brilliance." Fateau Magazine in the UK writes "One of the most promising new songwriters of his generation".
A multi-instrumentalist from a young age, Sam began learning drums and piano, falling in love with guitar at age 15. He then started writing original music, recording his first CD during his sophomore year of high school, while playing open mics in his hometown of Portsmouth, NH.
Over his career, Sam has performed countless shows across the country, in theaters, house concerts, biker bars, weddings, proposals, frat parties, and everything in between. Sam is able to tour full time, and feels at home in both intimate listening rooms and larger venues. Sam is a solo acoustic performer who melds intricate and exciting acoustic guitar arrangements with smooth, intriguing vocals. Wherever he is performing, Sam builds an intimate, easy connection with the listener, naturally creating a feeling of closeness throughout the performance.
Sam is a full time troubadour, playing over 150 shows a year across the country, including the MainStage at the Kerrville Folk Festival, Dripping Springs Songwriter’s Festival, and as one of the “‘Most Wanted to Return” artists in the 2023 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.
Since moving to Nashville in September 2019 following his graduation from Berklee College of Music, Sam has made a splash in music city - performing at the Bluebird Cafe within a month of moving, and sitting in again at the legendary venue with Liz Longley in February. Sam was also a winner at the Eddie's Attic Songwriter's shootout competition in Atlanta in early March 2020.
In 2018, Sam was able to audition and was aired on NBC's The Voice, performing for Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton and Jennifer Hudson as the first artist to perform a Jim Croce song on the show.
Sam considers himself a student of songwriting, constantly searching and learning about why songs have the impact they do. A 2019 graduate of Berklee College of Music's songwriting department, he has hosted many songwriting workshops and masterclasses, including at the Harvard Music Department, the Boys & Girls Club of Boston, and the Folk Project's Fall Acoustic Getaway. In his performances and workshops, Sam explores the magic behind the craft of songwriting, and tries to help others express themselves through the unique and powerful medium of songwriting.
Website: https://samrobbinsmusic.com/home
Video: https://youtu.be/zUZbLTs263c
Raised in North Carolina, Brooklyn-based Americana crooner Kevin Daniel is set on making NYC a destination for Nashville sounds. The songwriter and multi-instrumentalist brings southern rock, gospel, and blues to barrooms of Brooklyn and beyond. But Daniel wasn’t always chasing his dreams.
In the winter of 2013, during a dinner party in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Kevin received a phone call from his sister that would change everything. His mother and stepfather, adventure-seekers and amateur pilots, had been flying back from their mountain house in western North Carolina when their plane had crashed, killing both of them. Daniel’s life was turned upside down, his family torn apart and the world forever changed. During his return to North Carolina to help with family business, and while reliving his parent’s lives through photos, essays, and family stories, Kevin wrote over a dozen songs, all fueled by the grief of losing his parents as well as the celebration of the large lives they were known for. From those songs six were chosen to record, including one written specifically for Kevin’s parent’s memorial service.
The result of those recordings was FLY, Kevin Daniel’s inaugural EP. The six-song project was recorded in 2014 in Brooklyn and embodies the depth of Daniel’s emotions during a time of supreme distress. Southern sounds of banjo and country-loving three-part harmonies were backed by rock riffs and pop lyrics, which spoke true to life and the celebration of living. “I always knew I wanted to record my own music, and a life spent being in other people’s bands had prepared me to lead my own, both in the studio and on the stage. It was losing my parents that gave me the kick in the ass to finally do it”, says Daniel. The EP is available on all digital outlets as well as on 12-inch opaque blue vinyl.
Kevin followed up his sophomore release with his first full length LP, ‘Things I Don’t See’. The 11-song album brings together some of New York state’s most talented musicians and producers, including Anthony Krizan (Spin Doctors), The Restless Age, John LeDeau (The National Reserve), and Kenny Siegel (Old Soul Studios). The album has taken Kevin all over the US and UK, touring both solo and with a full band, gaining global radio spins through tunes like “Used To Be”, “Pour Me A Drink”, and “Time To Rise”. Americana Highways Magazine says “Things I Don’t See showcases Daniel’s fluid ability as a songwriter to seamlessly incorporate bits of rock, soul, country, blues, roots, and Appalachia into his thoughtful examination of pain and awakenings, visceral and spiritual.” Kevin Daniel continues to tour, obtaining official selections from Mountain Jam, SxSW, Celebrate Fairfax, The ListeningRoom Festival, and more.
Website: https://thekevindaniel.com/home
Video: https://youtu.be/h4aTZg5mHyw
A river beneath a river with an edgy sense of humor, Sara Jean Kelley is an explorer, a rescuer, naturalist, and an active member of her creative community. Born and raised by the venerable bluegrass songwriter, Irene Kelley, Sara loves wild plants and animals and music and people and has the scars and stories to prove it. Sara’s songs are conceptual, yet relatable. Her voice is timeless, yet singularly her own. And her delivery can shift, like the weather, from dark and sultry, to light-as-a-feather.
A lover of wild things— plants, animals, people, and music— Nashville native Sara Jean Kelley crafts songs that combine upbeat, pop-inspired country hooks with thoughtful, often philosophical lyrical themes that explore our human connection to the natural world. Due to her dark sensibility and slightly melancholic sense of humor, Kelley’s particular brand of alternative country is multidimensional, with one foot firmly rooted in her Nashville Country/Americana background, another foot exploring the realms of alternative rock, rock and roll, pop, and even hip hop influences. Her voice, at times husky, dark and sultry, at times floating light-as-a-feather, has been compared to celebrated female country stars Brandi Carlisle, Patti Griffin, and Lucinda Williams. She’s opened for country music icons Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, and her songwriting reveals a clear, intuitive understanding of what makes a song work. Her latest EP Black Snake, is about life and death, transformation and rebirth, strength and resilience; all the things you experience in your early thirties that you wish you had known a decade earlier.
Website: https://www.sarajeankelley.com/home
Video: https://youtu.be/DZ6kwuXooR8
Mesmerizing folk duo Ordinary Elephant has spent the better part of the last decade on a never-ending tour that’s earned married couple Crystal and Pete Damore widespread critical acclaim and made fans of luminaries like Tom Paxton and Mary Gauthier. In 2017, the pair took home the International Folk Music Award for Artist of the Year on the strength of their breakout album, Before I Go, and two years later, they returned with the similarly lauded Honest, which the Associated Press hailed as “one of the best Americana albums of the year.”
The band’s new stripped-down, self-titled collection is the purest distillation of their sound yet, showcasing the arresting power of the couple’s gorgeous harmonies and intricate fretwork. The songs are timeless, rooted in rich, character-driven storytelling, and the performances are similarly transportive, fueled by delicately intertwined banjo, guitar, and octave mandolin. Though the songs were born out of a period of deep uncertainty, the record itself is a work of profound self-assurance, one delivered by a duo whose personal and professional lives embody the limitless possibility of honest, organic collaboration. Press play on Ordinary Elephant and you’ll hear more than just a husband and wife; you’ll hear the sound of sincerity and commitment, of patience and gratitude, of learning to let go of expectation and revel in the simple beauty of the moment.
Website: http://www.ordinaryelephant.net/
Video: https://youtu.be/2b8qHJ3j9Ik
A tasty No Dollar $hoes, Jewell Brothers, & Salt Mullet stew...
Well into its second decade, WHQR's Soup To Nuts LIVE! has become one of the Cape Fear region's favorite, live-listening experiences, featuring a wide array of musical genres on its stage.
STNL!'s recording process reflects its commitment to high quality, ongoing success, and the hard work of its technical staff. Each performance is engineered, multitracked, and edited into a one-hour program for broadcast on an upcoming date. In addition, WHQR forwards and cross-promotes the live event (and the later broadcast) across their website, on-air, social media, and related platforms.
Starting in 2023, Live At Ted’s joined in hosting and booking acts for the STNL! show, alternating hosting duties each month with WHQR. Ted’s listening room environment, recording capabilities, and commitment to showcasing original music made for a seamless partnership.
Joe Smothers was born in the Piedmont area of North Carolina in 1950. He grew up on barbecue, chili dogs, Brunswick stew and Elvis. Skinny belts and two tones were replaced in 1964 with Chelsea boots, Cuban heels and long hair thanks to the Beatles.
Joe got his first guitar when his mom Betty purchased a Stella at the local pawn shop when he was thirteen. One morning Joe's dad JM called him to the TV to see a blind guitar player on a local channel in Raleigh, North Carolina. The man's name was Doc Watson. Little did either one of them know that years down the road Joe would have the honor of becoming a member of Doc and Merle Watson's band Frosty Morn. Years of touring and more than a dozen albums with Doc, forged a relationship of deep respect. Joe has performed at every Merle Fest (26) and was also asked to be a performer at Doc's funeral.
Joe also toured extensively with Jack Lawrence. Their duo was Smothers and Lawrence. They recorded an album called Smothers and Lawrence.
Joe chose to stop touring to help raise his son and daughter. He continued to to play in a favorite local band while working as a sales representative for an international casket company.
With the children grown, Joe is again writing and touring in earnest. He recently completed his first CD called These Things I Know. One of the cuts is a song called The Three Buglers. It is a mix of fiction and historical facts on how Taps was written. Joe performed it at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas in 2007. He received a first place for this song.
Joe's voice is strong and pure. His guitar playing is solid. His mastery in song writing keeps your attention from beginning to end.
Today Joe teaches guitar, and tours. He splits his time between homes in Valdosta, Georgia and Cortez, Florida with his wife Marghy.
Website: https://www.reverbnation.com/joesmothers
Video: https://youtu.be/vP7h2Iq91GM
Ted's is hosting another NC Songwriters round!
Featuring:
Chris McGinnis
Website: https://chrismcginnismusic.com/
Video: https://youtu.be/winVjxeNCuY
Jack Marion
Website: https://www.jackmarion.com/
Video: https://youtu.be/YBIEuKxrz_Y
Jared Michael Cline
Website: https://jaredmichaelcline.com/about
Initialize Duo is a Wilmington, NC based Folk/Americana duo featuring singer songwriter, CB Johnson, and guitarist Tk Thomas. Their influences range from Bob Dylan to the Grateful Dead.
Video: https://www.facebook.com/reel/3553871264889906
Website: https://www.facebook.com/cbjohnsonmusic
Coty Hoover grew up in the rolling hills of Lake Wylie in upstate South Carolina. Inspired by his Paw Paw, he picked up the guitar and taught himself how to play in his high school years. Coty is the first of his family to earn a Bachelor's degree, majoring in Spanish language at College of Charleston. Soon thereafter, he went on to attend the University of South Carolina for a Masters in Spanish. A Renaissance man, Coty has expanded his musical abilities to reach a variety of instruments.
Becca Smith is a native of Columbia, South Carolina. She grew up in a musical home and, as legend has it, she sang in the crib as a baby. Becca began playing guitar by the time she was 10, and shortly afterwards began her journey as a songwriter. She also attended College of Charleston, where she double-majored in German and Arts Management. After college, Becca released her self-produced debut album, entitled I-26, in July of 2018. She was also awarded Charleston City Paper's "Best Singer-Songwriter" of '18.
As a band, this duo has created a timeless style and classic sound that speaks for itself. In an age where adding mechanized bells and whistles are the norm, Admiral Radio opts for a more natural feel by getting back to the basics of good songwriting and music with heart. Their favorite venues are the quiet coffee shops and intimate spaces, where listeners can be still and do what they do best - listen.
Website: https://www.admiralradiomusic.com/
Justin Cody Fox is a Blues/Rock powerhouse with a double threat vocal and guitar prowess that's been forged in fire since his early jump into the music industry at just 15 years old. Justin began honing his skills at a young age on late night family jams and developed an early appreciation for songwriting exploring his parents record collection. By the time Justin had formed his first band he was already gaining regional attention as one of the premiere performers on the NC coast. Some of Justin’s early influences included guitarists Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix, as well as Rock bands The Black Crowes, Humble Pie, The Faces and Tom Petty. Over the years Justin has written and recorded six albums and toured up and down the East Coast, Southern US and The Virgin Islands, sharing the stage with many great national acts.
Please join us for this very special acoustic show with Justin and his band!
Website: http://www.justincodyfox.com/
Video: https://youtu.be/xLxk_LL7UME
Voice & the Pen is a songwriters series curated by local musicians Emily Burdette, CB Johnson, and Delia Stanley. We host this showcase at Ted's the 2nd Wednesday of each month.
Courtney Lynn & Quinn have been busy lately. In July of 2021, the married front-women released their new single Reminiscing, which takes their beautifully layered vocal harmonies and songwriting to the next level, exploring deeper themes of coping with toxic relationships, and embracing the ones you love.
The band has been blessed with many accomplishments, such as their recent interview for NPR’s Amplifier Podcast, as well as being featured in many regional publications such as The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Pride Magazine, CLTure, and Queen City Nerve. They have performed on NBC’s ‘Charlotte Today,’ and won the national Songwriter Universe Contest for their original music. The band is currently beginning the recording of a brand new EP, while maintaining a heavy touring schedule.
Website: https://www.courtneylynnandquinn.com/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWaaLqVM624
Formed in 2021 by Steven Hall and Micah Cottingham, falllift couples playful melodies, heartfelt lyrics, and the balance of a male and female lead. The duo brings authenticity and refreshing honesty to a modern sound by drawing inspiration from life experiences that connect each and every one of us. Their debut EP 'Sunday Sessions' was recorded with Doug Williams (EMR Recorders) released in December 2022.
Website: https://www.falllift.com/
Local musician, Laura McLean, curates an afternoon of local and regional songwriters. A Ted's favorite - ya'll come!
Singer-songwriter Jess Klein – whom the New York Times calls "a songwriter with a voice of unblinking tenacity" – has always used music to dream her way forward. Over multiple decades and 11 albums, Klein has pursued a creative evolution that has seen her delve into her own empowerment for emotional insights, while continuing to refine her eloquently melodic, effortlessly accessible song–craft.
The Bluegrass Situation hails her work as “one part grassroots social activism, two parts alt-country guitar rock — a combo we can certainly get behind.” Klein's new album, When We Rise, harnesses this potent combination with themes of empowerment and the joy of overcoming set to a dynamic and deeply introspective roots-inflected soundtrack.
In 2020 when she found herself suddenly cut off and passing the hours with images of BLM protests, women’s marches, unrest, and uncertainty moving through her mind, Klein, like many people, was left grappling with powerful emotions. As she witnessed activists displaying ultimate courage on her TV screen and drew inspiration from artist-activists like Adrienne Maree Brown, Alok Vaid Menon, Beyonce, Lizzo and Allison Russell, Klein picked up her pen.
It’s a tool she’s always used to imagine a better world and carve out her own path through word and song. Klein’s artistic pursuits have taken the Rochester, NY native all the way from Kingston, Jamaica to Austin, TX, where she immersed herself in the vibrant music culture before settling with her husband (songwriter Mike June) in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Klein’s critically acclaimed albums, which mark the new musical frontiers she explored throughout those years, include Wishes Well Disguised (1998), Draw Them Near (2000), Strawberry Lover (2005), City Garden (2006), Bound to Love (2009), Behind A Veil (2012), Learning Faith (2014), 2015’s Bootleg, recorded live with some of Austin’s top players, and Back to My Green (2019)
As she put out new music, Klein performed across the world, including at the Newport Folk Festival, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Fuji Rock Festival in Japan and sold-out shows in renowned listening rooms like Joe’s Pub, NYC, The Borderline in London, Club Passim in Boston and Fogartyville in Sarasota, FL. She has appeared on Good Morning America and NPR’s All Things Considered and toured across the US, Europe and Japan solo and with such artists as Arlo Guthrie, John Fullbright and Carlene Carter.
After all those years of music and kinship, Klein instinctively knew forward motion would come through music once again. A longing to break through the seclusion and reconnect with her musical family inspired Klein to reach out to her longtime friend and producer from Austin, TX, Mark Addison. The two worked together via Zoom for a year to co-write and arrange a new album.
Slowly, When We Rise took shape.
Never Gonna Break Me, the anthemic first single finds Klein looking back at her teenage self to offer words of strength and encouragement during a period of adversity and slut-shaming. As a seasoned female artist, her years of wisdom and experience resonate to empower all young women to buck off oppression and never back down.
Klein also found threads of vulnerability weaving their way into the record. She wrote the spacious and heartfelt Safe Harbor about wanting to feel safe in a world that feels increasingly shaky. With a melody that lets her powerful mezzo-soprano shake the rafters, Klein demonstrates the ultimate strength that lies in being vulnerable.
The rollicking sing-along Annie’s Place is a tribute to a dysfunctional but lovable artists’ community Klein lived with in Austin, and recaptures the vibe of friends sitting around, playing music, and just letting loose.
Other tunes like Overcome express the raw anger and frustration of a world gone wrong and the desire to tap into a well of personal and collective strength we may not have known we had.
“It took everything I had to create this album in a period of such isolation,” says Klein. “I had to really lean into my hope and my faith that if I tried to put something beautiful and positive and uplifting out there – if I spent the time, money and energy to create this – it would connect me to people. It would resonate with them. It would empower them to do the same in their lives, and to look at the world and find the hope and the commonalities we all share.”
For Klein, songwriting is a problem-solving process: writing it out to ask questions and get answers, not only for herself, but for others who are struggling. As the world emerges into a place where many people are still struggling to express their feelings about where we’ve been and where we’re headed, When We Rise provides a much-needed outlet…and empowers us to keep moving forward.
Website: https://jessklein.com/home
Video: https://youtu.be/_UTldBMDQyE
Mike Blair is a Wilmington, NC singer/songwriter with a uniquely rich and soulful voice. He is known for his 70’s rock and folk influences and his venerable approach to songwriting that translates on stage. He performs locally as a solo artist and also with his band, Mike Blair & The Stonewalls.
Website/Music: https://mikeblairandthestonewalls.bandcamp.com/album/almanac-county-2
A native of North Carolina, singer songwriter Zack Aaron has spent his life playing music and performing live. After retiring from American Aquarium in 2010, Zack has shifted his focus to songwriting. Drawing influences from different genres you can hear Neil Young, Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers and others. His debut album "Wild Petunias" featuring a band of veteran Nashville musicians, is set for release April 7th 2023!
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5SX01GPTKk
Website: https://zackaaron.com/
Songwriting duo Pete and Maura Kennedy make a strong return to the studio and stage after three years of weekly live-streamed lockdown-era concerts. They took the opportunity to explore classic songwriting in depth, performing over a thousand songs during the pandemic. That vast overview strengthened and refined their own writing and laid the foundation for this new collection of original, socially-conscious songs.
“After such a deep dive into American roots music, we felt like we had a new set of writing tools. We were ready to create this body of work, and there’s just SO much to write about,” says Maura. “During our five-year hiatus from writing and recording, America changed in massive ways, divisive ways that have shaken our whole foundation. That has to be addressed by creative artists, those of us who have a voice to speak for others. Our love of the great things about this country, things that are under threat, is the reason we decided to make “Headwinds” the title track of the CD. Political and social headwinds are making it hard to get back “home’ to our greatness as a nation. We want to push back in a positive way against those winds.”
In addition to singing and writing, Pete and Maura are multi-instrumentalists. The thirteen songs are cast in a soundscape that draws from the classic canon of American roots, in keeping with the theme of getting back “home” as a nation. Acoustic and electric guitars, a vintage steel guitar, a gospel-inflected piano/organ mix, and even a slide ukulele all add colors to a songbag of sounds that have drawn us together during hard times. Pete and Maura believe that those sounds still have the power to pull us through again.
The Kennedys began their writing and touring life three decades ago as members of Nanci Griffith’s Blue Moon Orchestra, developing their own sound as a frequent support act on Nanci’s tours across America, Ireland, Scotland and England. Collaborations with Nanci continued, culminating in Pete and Maura producing her final album, “Intersections.” Along the way, they hosted a nationwide radio program, “The Dharma Cafe” on Sirius/XM, wrote and released sixteen CDs of original music, and have been core artists on folk radio, expanding their audience further with the inception of the AAA and Americana formats.
Travis Shallow (is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and recording artist.[1]
He is best known for his steady solo career, with the single "Hard Time With The Truth" released on Pearly Girl Records March 31st, 2023. "Hard Time With The Truth" follows the release of "Let It Pass" that was released on Cavity Search Records.[2]
Shallow said "I wrote Let It Pass last year and recorded it in late January (2020) right before the quarantine and COVID thing got into full swing here in the states. I was watching a friend of mine going through a divorce and it was hard on her, and I could see her trying to hold onto to something that was already long gone, and she was holding onto more of the idea of how it used to be instead of how it actually was. It’s like holding onto an electric fence waiting for it to stop hurting you, when all you have to do is let go. I’ve had to keep learning this lesson over and over, so I’m singing it to myself just as much as documenting her story too."[3]
Shallow debuted "Let It Pass" on his livestream series "Live from Shallow Chateau" that he created during quarantine in response to all live shows being cancelled due to the pandemic. He has live-streamed over 125 episodes during quarantine since March 2020.[4] The "Live from Shallow Chateau" livestream series was also broadcast on JamBase as one of their weekly Featured Livestreams.[5]
Shallow also live-streamed on Breedlove Guitars social media during November 2020 as Shallow followed Jeff Bridges as their Featured Artist of the month.[6] Shallow initially became an endorsed artist with Breedlove Guitars in January 2019.[7]
Shallow was also a former member of alternative country band A Few Good Liars, with whom he recorded one studio album in 2011 titled, Battered Wooden Body. "That album showcases the harmony vocal power of the group and Shallow sings songs that can be tender and those that traffic in darkness. In all he does so with restraint, whether on country tinged acoustic ballads (the excellent "Amen") or aching confession-drenched numbers"[8] "Battered Wooden Body" was recorded in Oxford, Mississippi at Tweed Recording Studio and was engineered by Andrew Ratcliffe whose discography includes (Will Hoge, The Damnwells, American Aquarium)
In 2012, Shallow left A Few Good Liars and started writing and recording songs that would later be released as his first solo self-titled album, Travis Shallow, to regional critical acclaim in the southeastern United States.
Shallow went back to Tweed Recording Studio with Andrew Ratcliffe engineering to record his solo debut album. This solo album was acoustically driven with an accompanying band to highlight the songwriting and lyrical prowess. "Shallow is a singer whose vocal personality is ultimately a category unto itself, like a Willie Nelson, an Otis Redding. He could sing anything and make it sound great, make it well worth listening to. His self-titled album has seven songs like that."[9] Shallow's solo album has a maturity to it that catapulted Shallow into bigger rooms and a wider audience.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QkLc5VFHt0
Website: https://www.travisshallow.com/
Time Sawyer’s name reflects the pull between the past and the future. The character Tom Sawyer evokes the rural background and love of home that the band shares. Time is a muse for songwriting; it’s the thread that runs through life, bringing new experiences and giving us a sense of urgency, while still connecting us with our past. The folk-rock band has performed on the stages of some of the Southeast’s most iconic festivals, including Merlefest, Floydfest, Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, Albino Skunk Music Festival, and Carolina in the Fall. They’ve shared bills with American Aquarium, John Craigie, Hiss Golden Messenger, Langhorne Slim, John Moreland, Steep Canyon Rangers, The Wood Brothers, Susto, and many more.
In March 2020 the band started a variety livestream called “Sam on Sunday.” The show originated out of necessity, as the pause button was hit for live shows, but quickly, connecting with friends, family, and fans each week became just as important. As live music returned, the project transformed into “Sam on Someday,” bringing together guest artists of widely varying genres to create memorable, one-time-only collaborative experiences.
Time Sawyer’s songs call out the attitudes and behaviors that lead to our divisions – the way that we show understanding to our friends and family, without thinking about how folks outside our social circle are experiencing their own problems, and are, at heart, just like us. The music does what might seem impossible. It holds listeners accountable, but at the same time, draws them in and makes them feel good about what we all have in common. One of Time Sawyer’s goals has always been for listeners to feel a sense of community and connection during the show, and then to keep it with them, long after the music ends.
Website: http://www.timesawyer.com/
Video: https://youtu.be/WXjX7qD4dlw
Voice & The Pen is a local songwriter showcase curated by CB Johnson, Emily Burdette, and Delia Stanley. Live At Ted’s hosts these events the 2nd Wednesday of each month.
Once referred to as neo-southern gothic indie-folk, Churchyard Ghost brings you a unique style of rock that leaves audiences feeling devilish.
Originally a solo project by singer songwriter Andrew Covil, the group took its current form with the introduction of Paul Glaser (lead guitar), Andrew Hirst (bass), and John Wolfe (drums) bringing the music to new heights.
Hailing from Wilmington North Carolina, Churchyard Ghost blends indie blues rock with spooky big band swing for a sound that is truly one of a kind.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ddnzyXgkmM
Jaden Money, a talented singer-songwriter residing in Wilmington, NC, captivates audiences with soulful melodies and heartfelt lyrics. Her music reflects a unique blend of genres, showcasing a passion for storytelling through song. With roots in the vibrant music scene of Wilmington, Jaden continues to leave a lasting impression with her distinctive sound.
An intimate evening of stories and songs from one of Wilmington's prolific songwriting duos. Selections from their solo recordings Rodeo (2015), Windows (2020) and their collaborated releases Radio Ranch (2021) and Mainline America (2022), will be performed and recorded for a live release. Guest musicians will include Wes Chappell fiddle, Jim Ellis piano, Jason Moore bass and Brian Mason drums.
Recordings: https://johnfonvielleandjeffreid.bandcamp.com/album/mainline-america
Co-Founder of Band of Heathens
Facebook | Spotify | Instagram
Video: https://youtu.be/l-fTv6LlghQ?si=ajxJN6I_C_HmvJso&t=292
A native of the Wilmington, NC area, Kyle Lindley began playing and writing at the age of 14. He started playing professionally while attending the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, playing local clubs and bars in and around the city. After receiving a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Computer Engineering, he moved back to his hometown of Wilmington to pursue his musical interests.
Starting with Bob Dylan, his fascination in Folk music grew immensely affecting his writing. Brought up on legends such as Van Morrison, Neil Young, Woody Guthrie and Jerry Jeff Walker, Kyle began a journey of traditional interest in roots music. Now he is writing well crafted and critically acclaimed songs of contemporary and Old Time reference.
Kyle feels strongly good writing depends upon how relatable it's content is. His songs have been described as varying from Blues-Folk to Country, some dark while other optimistic and upbeat. Many songs seem to fringe on Americana. In his words, “A song must be generic enough to relate to everyone and at the same time specific enough to relate to anyone individually.”
Adam Carswell, also a Wilmington native, is a guitarist, pedal steel player, and man about town! You may have seen him perform with Eastbound, Jason Jackson, or Justin Cody Fox.
Website: http://www.reverbnation.com/kylelindley
The Wolfe Gang performs their own unique blend of original songs and instrumentals and their special arrangements of cover songs by zydeco, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, reggae, jazz, swing, funk, soul, folk, country, second-line, and blues artists.
Video: https://youtu.be/OLV0ykpfPbM
RANDY MCQUAY is a talented singer / songwriter and roots musician from North Carolina. He performs around the country with his band and as a solo acoustic artist offering an eclectic mix of soulful sounds and rhythms. With sincere lyrics and accomplished musicianship, Randy is a masterful storyteller who plays from the heart. His set is one not to miss, blending Blues, folk, rock & roll, funk, and Americana roots music from behind his harmonic and guitar.
He has performed at festivals and on premier stages all around the US including local events such as the Cape Fear Blues Festival in Wilmington, NC, the Pleasure Island Seafood, Blues & Jazz Festival Kure Beach, and the GoodVibes Brewfest in Carolina Beach. He has won numerous awards including the International Blues Challenge (3-Time Finalist), the prestigious Lee Oskar Harmonica Award, Semper Fidelis Award for Musical Excellence, Cape Fear Blues Challenge Solo (3-time winner!), and was voted ‘Best Musician’ in encore magazine’s Best of 2020.
A few years ago, he released his first solo album, “Solo.” In 2017 he released a followup, “My Kind of Blues.”
Do not miss this incredible Wilmington, NC musician!
Website: randymcquay.com
Video: https://youtu.be/OokrXbi54Y4
The Marshall Brown Bluegrass band features John Duncan on banjo, Jacob Brewer on Bass, Zeb Gambill on mandolin, Bridger Dunnegan on fiddle, and Marshall Brown on lead vocals and guitar. Each of these musicians has a unique background of musical influences, but they share a love of traditional bluegrass music. Their influences span from first-generation bluegrass musicians, like Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers, through the 1960s with acts like the Kentucky Colonels and Red Allen, up to Tony Rice and The Bluegrass Album Band.
The Marshall Brown Bluegrass Band highlights instrumentation as well as the emotionally charged harmonies of traditional bluegrass music. Join them as they play traditional bluegrass songs and originals off Marshall Brown's debut album.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck3Dw46JGO4
Website: https://marshallbrownbluegrassband.com/
Dear MariBella is a sibling band from Wilmington, NC. The band features Isabella on the fiddle, AnnMari on the guitar, and Pete on the banjo. We are often joined by our youngest brother, Chris on mandolin. Our love for music has grown out of our love for life and good times. To us, music is communal and about the memories we share.
Local bluegrass favorites, Massive Grass, make their way back to Ted’s for a fun evening of stories and music.
“Their uniqueness isn’t just limited to the musical sound, but also in the lyrical content. Massive Grass combines their sometimes dark and witty, and sometimes sorrowful and yearning lyrics over driving, energetic, rock and roll chord progressions and still delivering the appeal of bluegrass. ” — Layla Sutton, Beach Buzz
Website: https://www.massivegrass.com/home
“Eclectic, immersive and mesmerizing; guitarist and songwriter Hiroya Tsukamoto embodies the notion that music has no language: Beautifully raw and cathartically emotional, Tsukamoto is a world-renowned, self-made musician.”
Hiroya Tsukamoto is a Japanese-born fingerstyle guitarist who moved to the United States in 2000 to attend the Berklee College of Music. Needless to say, he’s not only a dizzyingly agile fingerpicker, but a soulful and transcendent performer, with compositions that combine instrumental guitar work with lyrical performance and spoken stories from his life.
Tsukamoto has been recognized for his talents on stages such as at Blue Note in New York City, Japanese National Television and United Nations, and by scoring second place at the International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship both in 2018 and 2022.
“Fingerpicking is delicate, fluid, and beautifully detailed" -Acoustic Guitar magazine
“Hiroya Tsukamoto has an orchestra at his fingertips” -Lansing City Pulse
"Hiroya Tsukamoto takes us to an impressionistic journey " -Boston Herald
"...chops, passion and warmth. Zealously recommended!" -Jazz Review.com
Website: https://hiroyatsukamoto.com/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=85BM_xhZmv0
When Alice Wallace picked up and moved to Nashville in December 2019 from her longtime home in Southern California, she could never have predicted that three months later the world would come to a grinding halt. But the Americana singer/songwriter, whose early 2019 album “Into the Blue” earned her accolades from across the country and the world, used the time in lockdown to start a brand new duo project with her friend Caitlin Cannon called Side Pony. Side Pony released their debut album “Lucky Break” in October of 2021 to rave reviews and spent the better part of a year and a half zigzagging across the country on tour, including stages at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival, the Hudson West Folk Festival, and even tours through England and Spain.
And now that the world is regaining a sense of normalcy, Alice is getting prepared to release a new solo record to feature the many songs she’s written since moving to Nashville – songs about coming to love her new home in Tennessee, songs about navigating her life as a touring artist and the relationships that come and go as a result, and songs that truly tap into what Alice does best when she stands on a stage behind a microphone.
“Wallace’s voice is a powerful natural occurrence…an awe-striking wonder of the West” said Saving Country Music.
Back in 2017, Alice was named the Female Vocalist of the Year at the California Country Awards. Her vocal power and
control is one of the first things noted in every review she ever receives, and this new batch of songs puts that power on full display. Her vocal style draws influence from iconic voices ranging from Linda Ronstadt to Patsy Cline, not to mention keeping the country yodel alive with songs from classic artists like Patsy Montana and Don Walser.
The new album is being produced by Nashville producer and session drummer Nick Buda, whose recording credits include Taylor Swift, Martina McBride and Dolly Parton, and who currently tours as in Kenny Chesney’s band. It features an A-list team of players including Grammy-winning guitarist Kenny Greenberg (Willie Nelson, Wynnona Judd, Hayes Carll), bassist Ted Pecchio (Doyle Bramhall II, Susan Tedeschi) and keyboardist Jimmy Wallace (The Wallflowers). The album is set to be released in early 2024.
“…one of the most unheralded singers in independent country/Americana.” – Saving Country Music
“Sometimes you hear an album and the only way you can think to describe it is stunning.” – Americana Highways
“Americana artist, Alice Wallace, draws on some powerful female influences, like Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. Not only are these powerhouses heard throughout her music, but Wallace is invoking their fierce, independent spirits and paying it forward for female artists.” – Guitar Girl Magazine
“She’s got the songs, the voice and the determination to make this her life’s work.” – American Songwriter
Website: https://www.alicewallacemusic.com/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqyDJHRCA4I&t=27s (this is a full band video, but she will be performing solo)
“It’s Like The Guitar Has Been Given Free Reign To Play It’s Self!”
French-Algerian acoustic guitar virtuoso, vocalist and composer Pierre Bensusan, surnamed “Mister DADGAD”, has taken his unique sound to all corners of the globe.
Winner of the Independent Music Award for his triple live album "Encore", voted Best World Music Guitarist by Guitar Player Magazine reader’s Poll, winner of the Rose d’Or at the Montreux Festival for his debut album, Pierre is recognized as one of the greatest guitar players of the 21st century.
When Michael Hedges titles one of his compositions “Bensusan”, you know that the inspiration behind it must be special and Pierre Bensusan certainly is. Guitarists from Leo Kottke to Larry Corryel, to Tuck Andress, Tommy Emmanuel, Mark Knopfler, Andrew York, Andy Timmons, to Steve Lukather… have sung his praises, and Steve Vai released three Bensusan albums on his label Favored Nations. And it's not just guitarists who are so inspired by Pierre's music, as a recent studio collaboration with him on Donny Osmond’s latest album “Start Again” goes to show.
If World Music means the fusion of traditional, contemporary, jazz, classical and pop music, then Bensusan is one of the most eloquent World Music musicians of our time. A pianist in his beginnings then self-taught on the guitar, the originality of his style makes him one of today’s greatest guitarists and composers for the instrument. Also called “The Prince of DADGAD”, his story is far from trivial and it is on stage that this artist has earned his stripes: among others, the Rose d'Or of the Montreux Festival, and being elected Best Guitarist of World Music by the readers of Guitar Player Magazine! His triple album "Encore" won the Grand Prix of the Independent Music Awards in the category Best Live Album... Since his first performances in 1974 in France, the guitarist has sold half a million albums and given thousands of concerts around the globe, both solo and through numerous collaborations.
Born in French Algeria, Pierre Bensusan is an adventurer of unusual lands. His almost “sacred” music is an intimate and orchestral hymn, a solo crossing on a multi-shell Lowden guitar subjected to the natural elements with sound molecules and finger pulp on an ebony fingerboard for open tuning - an unique and transparent technique, under the fingers of an adventurous pilgrim. Big emotion guaranteed.
Website: https://www.pierrebensusan.com/
“It’s Like The Guitar Has Been Given Free Reign To Play It’s Self!”
French-Algerian acoustic guitar virtuoso, vocalist and composer Pierre Bensusan, surnamed “Mister DADGAD”, has taken his unique sound to all corners of the globe.
Winner of the Independent Music Award for his triple live album "Encore", voted Best World Music Guitarist by Guitar Player Magazine reader’s Poll, winner of the Rose d’Or at the Montreux Festival for his debut album, Pierre is recognized as one of the greatest guitar players of the 21st century.
When Michael Hedges titles one of his compositions “Bensusan”, you know that the inspiration behind it must be special and Pierre Bensusan certainly is. Guitarists from Leo Kottke to Larry Corryel, to Tuck Andress, Tommy Emmanuel, Mark Knopfler, Andrew York, Andy Timmons, to Steve Lukather… have sung his praises, and Steve Vai released three Bensusan albums on his label Favored Nations. And it's not just guitarists who are so inspired by Pierre's music, as a recent studio collaboration with him on Donny Osmond’s latest album “Start Again” goes to show.
If World Music means the fusion of traditional, contemporary, jazz, classical and pop music, then Bensusan is one of the most eloquent World Music musicians of our time. A pianist in his beginnings then self-taught on the guitar, the originality of his style makes him one of today’s greatest guitarists and composers for the instrument. Also called “The Prince of DADGAD”, his story is far from trivial and it is on stage that this artist has earned his stripes: among others, the Rose d'Or of the Montreux Festival, and being elected Best Guitarist of World Music by the readers of Guitar Player Magazine! His triple album "Encore" won the Grand Prix of the Independent Music Awards in the category Best Live Album... Since his first performances in 1974 in France, the guitarist has sold half a million albums and given thousands of concerts around the globe, both solo and through numerous collaborations.
Born in French Algeria, Pierre Bensusan is an adventurer of unusual lands. His almost “sacred” music is an intimate and orchestral hymn, a solo crossing on a multi-shell Lowden guitar subjected to the natural elements with sound molecules and finger pulp on an ebony fingerboard for open tuning - an unique and transparent technique, under the fingers of an adventurous pilgrim. Big emotion guaranteed.
Website: https://www.pierrebensusan.com/
Growing up in western North Carolina’s Ashe County, Trajan “Tray” Wellington heard a lot of music — and from the first time he heard the banjo as a young teen, he was, he says, “hooked.” Even before he graduated from East Tennessee State University’s renowned Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country program, Wellington had earned acclaim as the banjo player with Cane Mill Road, performing across the country and winning a 2019 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award while the group took Momentum Band of the Year honors. A well-received, independently released 2020 EP under his own name, the creation of his Tray Wellington Band and signing with Mountain Home Music Company that same year marked Wellington’s decision to make his own path going forward. As he began releasing singles in advance of his full-length debut, Black Banjo, Wellington continued to garner attention, leading banjo workshops at the prestigious Merlefest and Gray Fox festivals; performing on the IBMA’s 2020 World of Bluegrass Main Stage and acting as host for the Momentum Awards ceremony; gaining coverage in publications like No Depression, The Bluegrass Situation and Folk Alley; and appearing on David Holt’s PBS NC series, being interviewed by Rhiannon Giddens for a BBC documentary series and by W. Kamau Bell for his CNN series, United Shades of America. Upon its release in May, 2022, Black Banjo earned a glowing review in the Wall Street Journal that concluded: “This is a record that breaks right through subgenre boundaries. If bluegrass is about spotlighting virtuosos, here’s a new one people will be checking in on for some time to come.”
Website: https://traywellington.com/
Echromatics is a band that aims to approach the modern soundscapes of today’s jazz with the timeless elements of funk, hip-hop, and RnB. The band name is a fusion of the words echo and chromatic: the group showcases a non-traditional approach to harmony (often chromatic or modal vs diatonic), while showing an echo of nods to the other listed styles of music.
In its current iteration, Echromatics consists of saxophonist Sean Meade, guitarist Jay Killman, bassist Michael D’Angelo, and drummer Jon Hill. This powerhouse quartet debuted its first original in Jan 2023, and in Feb 2024 will be sponsored by UNCW to promote the jazz workshop programs the school offers to grade schools around the state of North Carolina, while previewing their debut album of original music.
Website: seanmeademusic.com
FORMED IN 2015 THE RHYTHM BONES ARE ALL VETERAN MUSICIANS PLAYING A BLEND OF ORIGINAL AND COVER MATERIAL VERY MUCH STEEPED IN THE BLUES AND FUNK THAT HAS ALWAYS INFORMED THEIR MUSIC. IT IS AT TIMES ROCKING AT OTHER TIMES BLUESY, FUNKY AND SOULFUL. IF YOU COME, COME TO DANCE, COME TO HAVE A GOOD TIME AND A FEW LAUGHS.
THE BAND HAS BEEN FEATURED PERFORMERS FOR BOTH THE SEAFOOD BLUES AND JAZZ FEST AND THE CAPE FEAR BLUES FESTIVAL. THE BAND PUTS ON ENERGETIC AND ENGAGING PERFORMANCES - IF YOU LOVE THE NEVILLE BROTHERS, DR JOHN, BB KING AND ETTA JAMES YOU'LL LOVE THIS BAND.
Website: https://therhythmbones.com/home
Video: https://youtu.be/k0z-r4BLhUg
Well into its second decade, WHQR's Soup To Nuts LIVE! has become one of the Cape Fear region's favorite, live-listening experiences, featuring a wide array of musical genres on its stage.
STNL!'s recording process reflects its commitment to high quality, ongoing success, and the hard work of its technical staff. Each performance is engineered, multitracked, and edited into a one-hour program for broadcast on an upcoming date. In addition, WHQR forwards and cross-promotes the live event (and the later broadcast) across their website, on-air, social media, and related platforms.
Starting in 2023, Live At Ted’s joined in hosting and booking acts for the STNL! show, alternating hosting duties each month with WHQR. Ted’s listening room environment, recording capabilities, and commitment to showcasing original music made for a seamless partnership.
