Hillbilly concertos, Appalachian grooves… Pied Pumkin dulcimer ace Rick Scott joins forces with brilliant young pianist Nico Rhodes for ROOTS & GROOVES, a lively inter-generational smorgasbord of folk, blues and humour.
Forty years apart in age, Rick and Nico blur all boundaries. In a word, they cook. This is what you get when you combine an infamous dulcimer player with a rising jazz pianist, seasoned expertise with youthful exuberance, old school groove and Broadway chops.
The show follows a series of presentations in local schools for the benefit of youth in our community.
About Rick Scott & Nico Rhodes
At 29, Nico Rhodes is in constant demand as arranger and musical director for long run stage shows, with 25 musicals to his credit. Son of chanteuse Joelle Rabu and theatre technician Dusty Rhodes, Nico’s childhood soundtrack was Bach, Piaf and Rick Scott. When he was 8, he wrote Rick a fan letter. Age 23 he arranged Rick’s music for 47 musicians and children’s choir in a concert called MY SYMPHONY which became the Vancouver Island Symphony’s most popular education show, since performed for over 10,000 children.
Thus, began ROOTS & GROOVES, when Rick and Nico discovered that despite their diverse ages and musical backgrounds they share an irrepressible musical groove. From jamming for fun in Rick’s living room in their first year, they went on to play 40 concerts and record an eponymous CD. Nico says, “Playing with my childhood hero is more fun than I ever could imagine, we shake each other up and the audience gets to come along for the ride.” In April Nico will be honoured with the City of Nanaimo’s Young Emerging Leader Award. In 2020 the Firehall Theatre will premiere his original musical written in collaboration with Sara-Jeanne Hosie.
Since pioneering rogue folk with iconic BC trio Pied Pumkin, Rick Scott has enjoyed a long and varied careen as a singer, songwriter, actor and raconteur. He has performed in 9 countries and released 19 recordings honoured with 3 Juno nominations, Parents’ Choice, Western Canadian and Canadian Folk Music Awards. He’s Goodwill Ambassador for the Down Syndrome Research Foundation, curator of the Protection Island Museum and Canada’s leading proponent of Appalachian mountain dulcimer. Rick is currently obsessed with making and playing lamellaphones (thumb pianos) and has returned to the craft of building dulcimers. Last year he was honoured with Nanaimo’s Excellence in Culture Award. Rick says “Nico Rhodes is on fire! Not since the Pumkin have I experienced such unfettered creativity.”
Tickets are available online at www.niconcert.org
Or in the following places:
PORT HARDY Café Guido
PORT MCNEILL Flora Borealis
Adults $35 Youth $10 (under 18)
FURTHER INFOMATION
northislandconcerts@gmail.com
@northislandconcerts
www.niconcert.ca
ABOUT THE NORTH ISLAND CONCERT SOCIETY
Originally formed 21 years ago by Gwen Doi, Malcolm Fleeton, Maureen Lee and Gretchen Frith, the North Island Concert Society has dedicated itself to providing an annual series of concerts in a variety of musical styles and has a proven track record in presenting top quality professional entertainment to our audience. Now in its 21st Concert Season, the leadership of the North Island Concert Society has been handed over to a new Board of Directors who are committed to continuing the musical legacy built by the original founders.
2018-2019 Board of Directors
Elizabeth Aman-Hume, Chair
Muffy Jones, Secretary
Verna Carlson, Treasurer
Malcolm Fleeton
Natasha Griffiths
Bob Nicholson
Sandra McLaughlin
Jeremy Parker
John Tidbury
Sharon Whitehead