Thursdays on the Square

Jacqui Foreman

July 24

www.myspace.com/jacquiforeman

Jacqui Foreman grew up in the small town of Juneau, Alaska. Playing the violin since age 6, she taught herself to play the piano, guitar and the electric bass. A gifted vocalist, she has, in her own right, become a prolific songwriter with original rhythm patterns and catchy melodies all led by her beautiful, angelic voice. This will be the first year to have Jacqui play as a solo artist at Thursdays on the Square. Locals may have seen her playing with bluesman Ray Rossi or in several other collaborations with local artists including the Goddess Get Down. Click here for a story. [Top]

Chuck Cheesman and Matt Hall

July 31

www.chuckcheesman.net

www.matthewhenryhall.com
Chuck Cheesman and Matthew Henry Hall are our “songwriters in the round” performance this year. Both specialize in a plain-spoken, evocative style of folk and blues-influenced writing that transforms each performance into an intimate conversation. Cheesman is originally from the Chicago area and is a veteran instructor of the Old Town School of Folk Music. He has released two discs of his own original material. Hall is a true Flagstaff renaissance man. Aside from writing some of the most touching songs in recent local memory, Hall is a poet, a novelist and a cartoonist who has been published in several papers and magazines all over the country and has completed two books with Flagstaff artist Joe Sorren. Don’t miss these two as it will be a great evening with a couple of Flag’s best songwriters. Click here for a story on Chuck Cheesman. [Top]

Clarence Clearwater

August 07

www.cclearwater.com

For more years than we can remember Clarence Clearwater has been one of the staples of Thursdays on the Square. This year we’re pleased as can be to have him back and closing the season. Clearwater is not your average singer-songwriter. His tunes combine the traditions of American folk with his Navajo roots to produce an utterly distinctive hybrid that is his and his only. Interspersing English and his native tongue during his performances, Clearwater transcends cultural boundaries and makes each performance not only highly entertaining, but educational. Traditional Native American songs accompany a variety of styles that can only be described as, well, Clarence Clearwater. [Top]

Voluntary String Band

August 14

www.myspace.com/voluntarystringband

The Voluntary String Band has been a staple of the Flagstaff music scene for years and has included a broad lineup of some of the best acoustic pickers and most vibrant personalities around. The VSB, while it may resemble a traditional string band lineup instrument-wise, expands it sounds far beyond bluegrass and old timey while still maintaining allegiances to the roots of modern music. The band’s four members’ varying influences range from bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe and newgrass virtuosos Belá Fleck, Tony Rice, Sam Bush and Alison Krauss, all the way to gypsy guitar master Django Reinhardt, the Rolling Stones, Gram Parsons, David Bowie, Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck. The VSB also recently released its debut album, "No Worse for the Wear," which was recorded one chilly, early spring night live around one mic in their small Flagstaff rehearsal space. The band includes Kristin Straka on fiddle and vocals, Matt Robinson on five-string banjo, Joe Sorren on standup bass, and Ryan Heinsius on guitar and vocals. [Top]

Brothers Gow

August 21

www.myspace.com/brothersgow

They weren’t expecting to start a band; Brothers Gow just sort of happened one day. They were all already friends who had known each other since the early years of growing up in Tucson. The Brothers Gow might be new to Flagstaff, but their sound has certainly captured the sensibilities of many local music fans in a short time. Combining funk, hip-hop and rock with a jam band mentality, the band is a welcome addition to the Thursdays on the Square concert series. Click here for a story. [Top]

Cadillac Angels

August 28

www.cadillacangels.com

Once again, we’re thrilled to have Santa Barbara, Calif.’s rockabilly trio Cadillac Angels for Thursdays on the Square. The Angels have played Flag so many times over the years that most people think they’re local. (We’ll call them honorary locals—they pretty much are.) Led by sideburned guitar slinger Tony Balbinot, the Angels play a grooved-out brand of old-school rockabilly that rides the fence between gritty snarl and heavenly beauty. The Angels’ 2007 album “Fool Me Twice” is a classic modern rockabilly how-to and their newest album, "Haunt This Guitar," is a tribute to rock guitar pioneer Link Wray. The disc features the Angels as well as several other groups, and all the proceeds from the recording will benefit education projects on the Hopi Reservation. "Haunt This Guitar" is available through the band's Web site [Top]

Greg Reiter and Puerta del Sol

September 04

www.gregreiter.com

Sedona-based flamenco guitarist Greg Reiter and his ensemble Puerta del Sol return to Thursdays on the Square this year. Reading, Penn.-born Greg Reiter has devoted 35 years to mastering the many forms of guitar music. His adventure in music has taken him to New York, Washington D.C., and London, where he was the lead guitarist for a nwobhm group. Greg has devoted himself exclusively to flamenco/classical guitar. His influences include Paco de Lucia, Manolo Sanlucar, and many others. Come on down for great, high energy show that’s just right for dancing. Joined by frontman Reiter will be Gabriel Browne (flamenco guitar), Steve Falb (fretless bass), and Three Trees (percussion). [Top]

Backroads

September 11

www.myspace.com/backroadsflagstaff

Backroads began as a collaboration between Jim DeBusk (guitar and vocals), Raleigh Lintner (harmonica and vocals) and Mike Taylor (congas) and was eventually joined by their friends Russ Wiedmann (homemade hand drums) and Stan Clark (bass, guitar and vocals). The five-piece Flagstaff band plays a distinctive mix of rock and counts as some of their many influences the Beatles, Van Morrison, Traffic, Neil Young, the Grateful Dead, as well as the vibrant music scene of Austin, Texas. Backroads perform covers with their own twist as well as originals from DeBusk and Clark. But, as they say, their ultimate influence is the town of Flag and its surroundings of northern Arizona. [Top]