The Bay Area’s Steep Ravine plays an “exquisite collection of original acoustic folk laced with influences of bluegrass, pop, jazz, even a hint of funk,” says the Marin Independent Journal. “The sound is rich, textured, layered, lovely. With The Pedestrian, this trio has given us another beautiful album full of elegant songs played with a consummate musicianship, style, and no small amount of grace.” Here’s Laurie Lewis’s take: “Steep Ravine's personal mix of acoustic string band styles, drawing from jazz and swing, folk and bluegrass, is as refreshing as the western breezes blowing off the Pacific.” With Simon Linsteadt on guitar, banjo, mandolin, and vocals, Jan Purat on fiddle and vocals, and Alex Bice on bass, drums, percussion, and vocals, the trio released their debut album, Trampin’ On, just last year, and now they’re following up with The Pedestrian, which the website No Depression salutes for “an entirely different approach to roots music.”

Patchy Sanders is a six-piece folk orchestra from Ashland, Oregon with a sound all their own, quirky, traditional, timeless, and cutting-edge. Working with ecclectic themes from dreams, fairy-tales, after-life, wild lands etc... Patchy crafts stream-of-conciousness story music with an emphasis on melody and lyrics.  These aren’t songs as much as they are musical emotional experiences which conjure other worldly journeys.  By and large their music fits as well in an acoustic art-house as it does in a farm house hootenanny hoe-down or main-stage at a pop festival.

The band features Danielle Aubert on banjo, Jacqueline Aubert on vocals, Daniel Sherrill on guitar, Sara Wilbur on violin,  Ian Van Ornum on mandolin, and Eric Jones on upright bass. “Great musicianship, harmonies, and feel,” says singer-songwriter Mason Jennings. “A really warm vibe that makes wherever you are standing feel like the center of a Gypsy Caravan.” If that feeling sounds good to you, Patchy Sanders will deliver.

visit the Steep Ravine website

visit the Patchy Sanders website