Lu Anne Stephens

This week on New Settlers, Buddy Mondlock performing at the Old Settlers Inn. Buddy has written songs recorded by Garth Brooks, Art Garfunkle and Peter, Paul and Mary and many others but there’s nothing
like hearing the songwriter perform his own works. Buddy's soft, gentle vocals pack a surprising punch as they deliver wry, insightful lyrics. Upbeat ballads, haunting melodies, commentary. So, so good.

This week New Settlers features one of the Old Settlers Inn’s favorite performers. Singer-songwriter Brooks Williams has been with New Settlers since the first year and we’ve recorded him whenever he was in the area.

Two singer/songwriters shared a concert at the Old Settlers Inn - Celeste Krenz and Sally Barris. Celeste Krenz was born and raised in North Dakota; Sally Barris is now based in Nashville and works as a performer and a songwriter whose tunes have been covered by some of country music's top performers. Both women add a touch of "Americana" to their blend of folk and acoustic songs but their styles are quite different. They sounded great together!

This week it's Easily Amused – Canadian singer/songwriters with an alt-rock edge. The group has rebranded to “Keith and Renee” and they’ve been around for about a decade. We recorded them Linesight Gallery in Wichita - fairly early in their career. They are fresh, friendly, hip and oh-so-talented.

Here's an example of them performing live. A bit low-tech but a great example none-the-less.

Enjoy a rare performance by The Sherpas - a contemporary folk group made up of three established singer-songwriters: Tom Kimmell, Tom Prasada-Rao and Michael Lille, recorded at the Old Settlers Inn.  Great songwriting, great harmonies, great taunts – listen this Saturday and you’ll see what I mean.

Listen for folk and Americana musician Slaid Cleaves (based in Austin, TX), recorded at the Old Settlers Inn. Slaid performs both as a solo acoustic act and with other musicians.  He first gained notice in 1992 when he won the Kerrville Folk Festival "New Folk" competition. He hit the Americana charts in 2000 with his album and song "Broke Down."

This week we look back to one of the first shows recorded for New Settlers. Dan Crary and Beppe Gambetta, flatpickers-extraordinaire, pushing the boundaries of bluegrass and acoustic music.  Dan and Beppe have well-established solo careers but when they perform together, it’s wonderful. They’re favorites at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield but we recorded them in a much more intimate setting - St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in McPherson.

Krista Detor at the Old Settlers Inn. Krista is a singer-songwriter who has performed at venues around the world – including several times at the Old Settlers Inn.  Her music is often dark, moody, almost sultry at times. Krista hs released her 4th album which deviates from the singer-songwriter standard: it consists of a series of five three-song suites and is inspired by the works of thinkers, writers and artists. Definitely stepping away from the norm.

Listen to a performance by award-winning fusion trio Groovelily at the Old Settlers Inn. Groovelily’s sound also comes from their blended vocals and instrumentation – a six-string electric violin, keyboards and percussion. They're funny and eclectic and so very talented.

Listen for some of the best celtic groups that have performed in the area over the last several years as we celebrate with jigs, reels and Irish ballads. We’ll sample from some of the best – including Cherish the Ladies, Cathy Ryan and her band and Grace Griffith.