CALIFORNIA BLUEGRASS REUNION

 WITH OTTER OPRY

AT MONTEREY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Having brought the house down at their first Otter Opry performance in 2022, the California Bluegrass Reunion will be back on Tuesday, November 14th at the United Methodist Church to do it again.This star-studded band is highlighted by the outrageous double fiddling of Brandon Godman and Chad Manning and features an abundance of original instrumentals from mandolinist John Reischman and banjo player Bill Evans. Anchoring the rhythm section is Jim Nunally on guitar and vocals and Sharon Gilchrist on bass.  

Brandon Godman got his literal “bluegrass roots” growing up in Kentucky and honed them in as a professional touring musician in Nashville; he performs regularly as the fiddler for Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands, and with other local groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. Grammy Award-winning John Reischman is a foundational mandolinist, composer, bandleader and musical educator in bluegrass and North American roots and folk music. Bill Evans – winner of the 2022 Steve Martin “Excellence in Banjo” Award– occupies a unique niche in the music world, celebrated for his varied bluegrass banjo styles as well as his innovative original compositions. Jim Nunally is a musician, composer, record producer and teacher – all in addition to being one of the finest guitar players in the world. Chad Manning is a bluegrass, old-time and swing fiddler who has performed with more famous bands than you can count. Sharon Gilchrist has long made her home in the American acoustic music scene, performing on concert and festival stages all over North America.  

These musicians have made music in various combinations for decades, but this all-star performance is an incredible opportunity to see and hear them together. To describe the show as a once-in-a-lifetime (actually, twice-in-a-lifetime) opportunity is no exaggeration. The event includes a delicious dinner at 5:30pm ($12.50 before November 12th, $17.50 at the door). Online sales will end at noon the day of the performance.

7pm. 

 $35/show (CBA members $30; 15 and under free); $12.50-17.50/pre-show dinner. 

Ticketing will end at noon on the day of the performance.

larry@otteropry.org

We will observe all County COVID restrictions.

MR SUN

 WITH OTTER OPRY

AT MONTEREY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

One of the best things about watching an awesome band – obviously, in addition to the incredible virtuosity on display – is to see the performers interact with each other onboth a musical and an emotional level. The acoustic music supergroup Mr Sun, appearing Friday, December 15that the United Methodist Church in Monterey, is known for just this kind of connection. Mr Sun features four of the finest musicians on the American roots scene: renowned fiddler Darol Anger, guitarist Grant Gordy, Scottish bassist Aidan O’Donnell, and mandolinist Joe Walsh. Says Anger, “As we try to crack each other up, we find ourselves making the music we hoped we'd always hear. I can always count on Joe, Grant and Aidan to totally jump onto the emotional arc of every song, which gets to looking more and more like a rainbow or a rocket trail.”

Banjo innovator Tony Trischka has had the opportunity to play with Mr Sun, and he speaks warmly of the experience. “Mr Sun radiates hi-tone improv that will actually drop your jaw. Darol Anger’s Gang of Four is steeped in bluegrass and jazz and swing and everything else under the sun. Their compositions range from heart-tugging pastorality to the intensity of a solar flare tsunami. It’s beyond inspiring to play with them as they beam virtuosity and warmth to the rest of the audient solar system.”

The last word goes to Grammy Award winner Tom Piazza: “This is brilliant music, seriously playful, full of light and shade and a seemingly effortless virtuosity that always makes a musical and human point. Airborne and exultant; it flies eight miles high and digs right down to the core.” Come on out and hear for yourself. The event includes a delicious dinner at 5:30pm $12.50 before December 9, $17.50 at the door). Online sales will end at noon the day of the performance.

7pm. 

 $35/show (CBA members $30; 15 and under free); $12.50-17.50/pre-show dinner. 

Ticketing will end at noon on the day of the performance.

larry@otteropry.org

We will observe all County COVID restrictions.

SPECIAL CONSENSUS

 WITH OTTER OPRY

AT MONTEREY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Otter Opry is bringing a truly special event to Monterey on Friday, January 12th. The Special Consensus is a bluegrass band that has achieved a contemporary sound in their four decades of performing, making their music a modern classic. The band is led by Greg Cahill, banjo player and recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), and includes Greg Blake (guitar), Dan Eubanks (bass) and Michael Prewitt (mandolin).  

Special Consensus has received six awards from the IBMA and two Grammy nominations. They are four talented vocalists and instrumentalists who follow their creative desires without straying too far from their bluegrass roots. “Rivers and Roads” (Compass Records) was nominated for the 2018 Best Bluegrass Album GRAMMY award and received 2018 IBMA awards for Album of the Year and Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year (“Squirrel Hunters”). “Chicago Barn Dance” (Compass Records) 2020 celebrates the 45th band anniversary and the connection of country and bluegrass music to Chicago from the time of the WLS “National Barn Dance” – precursor to the Grand Ole Opry. The title song “Chicago Barn Dance” received the 2020 IBMA Song of the Year Award.

Special Consensus’ sound is grounded in a deep appreciation and understanding of bluegrass music; the infectious band sound reminds people of the past while utilizing the innovations of today. The event includes an outside dinner at 5:30pm ($12.50 before January 6, $17.50 at the door). Online sales will end at noon the day of the performance.

7pm. 

 $35/show (CBA members $30; 15 and under free); $12.50-17.50/pre-show dinner. 

Ticketing will end at noon on the day of the performance.

larry@otteropry.org

We will observe all County COVID restrictions.