Spring is most definitely here, the flowers are coming up and music is in the
air. The April 4th local concert features the spring time freshness of Kristin
Erickson and some earth shaking bluegrass from one of Utah's longest running
bands, Ridin' The Faultline. As always, the concert at the South Valley Unitarian
Universalist Society begins at 7:30 PM, the donation is $5 and coolers are welcome.
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Kristin Erickson, Salt Lake City based singer-songwriter, decided
she wanted to be a folk singer when she was eight years old. Growing up
in Minnesota, Kristin was raised on music: church choir, Broadway show
tunes, classical, country, and was blessed with piano lessons and played
in school band with clarinet and oboe. But it was the music of the '60's
that really captured her attention and her heart.
Kristin left school in her mid-teens to pursue her music full-time. She
performed for many years, based in Minneapolis and throughout the upper
Midwest in coffeehouses, college concerts, bars, television, radio, recording
studios, bowling alleys….. wherever she could get hired to play.
Most of her performances were solo, just her voice and acoustic guitar,
although she did put in a year with Minnesota country legends, The Sky
Blue Water Boys. High points from those early days included opening sets
for Tom Rush, Wendy Waldman, and Odetta. Then came a twenty-year break
for college, law school, marriage and children. Thankfully, Kristin has
returned to singing, playing, writing and recording with greater passion
than ever.
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Her 2007 recording See What the Morning Brings has been compared to the works
of Dar Williams and Eliza Gilkyson. The clarity of her vocals and the variety
of her 11 original cuts on the album help to put her CD in the upper echelon
of local releases last year.
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RIDIN' THE FAULT LINE features Mike Akin (banjo and lead vocals), Larry
Swift (mandolin and harmony vocals), Richard Schmeling (guitar and harmony
vocals) and Janna Lauer (bass).
The group's contagious traditional sound has earned them opening slots
for Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Steve Kaufman, Don Williams,
Alison Brown Quartet and Mountain Heart.
Mike's music began at age 7 when his mom taught him piano. In the folk
era, Mike played finger-style guitar. Later, he would play his way through
college with such bands as - The Country Gentlemen, The Nashville Freeway,
and The Elkwater Flea & Tick Band. In the seventies, Mike picked up
the banjo and hasn't put it down. In California, he played with group
Niles Stalnaker and the Bluegrass Dreamers. Since returning to Utah, he
has been the cornerstone of RIDIN' THE FAULT LINE. (Mike won first place
in the Utah State Banjo Championship at the Sandy Bluegrass Festival July,
2000).
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Brooklyn born, and California raised, Richard Schmeling is a multi-talented
musician - playing piano, mandolin and guitar. In 1966 Richard founded California
folk group Greensleeves. For RIDIN' THE FAULT LINE, he handles the guitar and
takes the high harmonies.
Raised in the Ozark's of Missouri, Larry Swift was weaned on Bluegrass. Larry
is a fan of many musical styles - and is a top blues guitarist in his own right
- but he always comes back to his roots. Master of the mandolin, Larry's favorites
include Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers and J.D. Crowe.
Rock solid on the upright bass, Janna Lauer played with well-known Utah bands
Somewhat Faithful and Cactus Swing. She founded and directs Heart & Soul,
a non-profit organization in Salt Lake City that takes music (400+ shows/ year)
to people isolated in institutions
This amazing ensemble of musicians have played at the Wind River Ranch Bluegrass
Festival, Utah Arts Festival, Gallivan Folk and Bluegrass Festival, Capitol
Theatre, Logandale Bluegrass Festival, Founders' Title Company Folk & Bluegrass
Festival, Deer Valley, Utah, Ogden City Festival, Sandy City Folk and Bluegrass
Festival, & the Birch Creek Bluegrass Festival.