Friday, June 21, 8 PM: Stand and Sway, featuring Beth Wood and Ara Lee James, with special guest Singer- Songwriter Stephanie Schneiderman.
Beth, a Texas-raised and Oregon-based singer-songwriter, has won almost every major songwriting competition in the U.S. (as well as a 2019 Oregon Book Award for Poetry); and with 20 years of touring and 11 studio albums she’s done. With anything that doesn’t bring her joy.
Apalachia-raised and Washington based, Ara is a singer, poet, and truth-teller with an unmistakable sound and voice that will leave you speechless. Rooted in the traditions of gospel, Ara holds court on stage like a modern day mystic.
Between them they stretch the boundaries of soul and folk.
Trying to pin Stephanie down to any one genre, talent or discipline is next to impossible. Whether pursuing her work as a solo artist, playing drums for Dirty Martini, stepping on the stage in the musical The Full Monty, producing a humanitarian concert series for refugees in Uganda or producing the soundtrack for 3 popular children's DVD's, Stephanie is one of the most diversely talented artists in the Northwest.
Quite simply, Folks, look forward to a perfect inspiring first night of Summer.
(tix $15-20 sliding scale;drop by the store or call 541-345-8986 to reserve)
http://www.stephanieschneiderman.com
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STAND AND SWAY BIO
Texan-raised, Oregon-based singer-songwriter Beth Wood has won almost every major songwriting competition in the United States, and with 20 years of touring and 11 studio albums under her belt, she’s done. With anything that doesn’t bring her joy. So she’s added writing books and publishing poetry and teaching songwriting and creativity to pass the torch of music for music’s sake. And now her poetry is gaining recognition, too. Beth’s second book of poetry, Ladder to the Light, is the winner of the 2019 Oregon Book Awards Readers’ Choice Award and was a finalist for the Stafford/Hall Oregon Book Award for poetry. Beth’s mission is to communicate and share the joy she feels through singing, to raise the vibration through words and sounds - through creativity and music as a spiritual practice. When you see her live you’ll taste this, and you’ll understand why Beth has long been one of the most beloved singer-songwriters in the industry.
Appalachia-raised, Washington-based Ara Lee James is a singer, poet, and truth-teller with an unmistakable sound, commanding presence, and a voice that will leave you speechless. Ara has been singing professionally for over 20 years as an award-winning soloist, studio vocalist, and songwriter (formerly Ara Lee). Rooted in the traditions of gospel and deep South soul, Ara holds court on stage like a modern-day mystic. When you see her live you’ll wonder what just happened to you, and you will understand why Beth grabbed her after a show and said “We have to work together.”
As a duo, Wood and James push the boundaries of soul and folk music and attempt to break down the walls that have separated the worlds of music and poetry. Wood and James Stand and Sway. The two also sit down and cry when it’s tough, laugh when it’s useless, and sing really loud often. They also have a passion for teaching and mentoring, and they lead workshops in conjunction with their tours to help people uncover their musical selves. Stand and Sway’s upcoming album, “DEEP BLUE”, set to be released in summer of 2019, takes soul, folk, spoken word, gospel and Americana, shakes them around in a basket of harmony, and makes what Wood and James affectionately call “grown-out-roots-music.”
What began as a collaboration on the anthem “Nasty Woman” has evolved into its own beautiful thing – Stand and Sway: a meeting of minds, voices, and spirits. Wood and James’s distinct, ceiling-shattering voices stand strong on their own, and together they create magic everywhere they go.
With eight solo recordings under her belt - Stephanie Schneiderman (1999), Unbelievably Unbroken (2001), Fall Sessions EP (2001), Touch Down (2004), Live at Kung Fu Bakery (2005), Dangerous Fruit (2008), Rubber Teardrop (2011) and Live At The Old Church (2013), plus four releases with her collaborative bands Dirty Martini- Dirty Martini (2004), Tea and Revenge (2007) and Swan Sovereign - Arctic (2014) and Valentine (2017), Schneiderman has seen her music placed in numerous films and Primetime TV shows, as well as toured around the world.