The North Island Concert Society is pleased to announce that bluegrass is coming back to Port Hardy Jan. 27 at the Civic Centre.
This concert was originally scheduled for last season, but the band had to postpone their appearance. Jackson Hollow is a 4 piece bluegrass band, and four time winner of the BC Country Music Association Traditional Country Award. Their sound blends the best parts of down-home Bluegrass, 1950s balladry, and 1980s Arena Country in a way that feels both modern and timeless. With heartfelt vocals, the impeccable instrumentation, the inimitable sound of Jackson Hollow has to be experienced to be described. This is what happens when four of the industry’s finest get together to create something special. “Simple, powerful and instantly magnetic”, the blend of heart-wrenching lead vocals and dead-on harmonies backed by pristine instrumental talent “strikes a chord with people of all ages, backgrounds and musical tastes.”
In June 2021 this band was chosen for an IBMA International Showcase and later signed with Virginia-based bluegrass label, Mountain Fever Records. Their debut release, “Travelin Heart”, reached #10 on the US Bluegrass Today Charts and was September’s 2nd most played bluegrass song on Sirius XM. Soon after, “Shallow Rivers”, released in November, quickly became a fan favourite, reaching #6 on the Roots Music Report, and #12 on the US Bluegrass today chart. Their holiday hit, “A Song for Christmas” gained over 14,000 views on YouTube. Jackson Hollow’s growing success recently landed them on the cover of Bluegrass Canada Magazine for January 2022, and they won their 4th BC Country Music Award for Traditional Country. Their most recent single “Shallow Rivers” was the 3rd most played single on Sirius XM’s Bluegrass Junction and a live video was released shortly after.
Lead vocalist and four-time BCCMA Award winner Tianna Lefebvre “has a voice that stops traffic”. Winner of the BCCMA Female Vocalist of the Year and Horizon Award, Tianna has performed with renowned artists such as Shania Twain, Michelle Wright, and Russell DeCarle. The band’s fiddle and mandolin player, Mike Sanyshyn, holds four Provincial Fiddle Champion titles and placed in the top 3 at the prestigious Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championship. The CCMA and BCCMA Fiddle Player of the Year has toured with Grammy-nominated artist Deric Ruttan, and worked with legendary artists Ian Tyson, The Good Brothers, Lucille Starr, and Randy Bachman.
BCCMA award winner Charlie Frie’s upright bass and vocals lay a soulful foundation for the band’s timeless harmonies. Juno nominee and Canadian Folk Music award winner Eric Reed (guitar/banjo) is a multi-instrumentalist and producer/recording engineer.
“Jackson Hollow continues to impress my ears. This band is exemplary in every category. Vocals, musicianship, arrangements, material and performance. The sound is pure bluegrass but with a freshness and vibrancy that seems to be missing in today’s more traditional groups. The vocal blend is as perfect as I have heard. Led by a dynamic female singer, this band is on their own unique trajectory, and that trajectory is simply out of this world!” (Wendell Ferguson)
The show is Jan. 27, 7:00 p.m. at the Port Hardy Civic Centre. Tickets are available from Café Guido, Island Dawn’s in Port McNeill, from Gail Neely in Port Alice, or can be arranged by phoning 250-956-0452.