L-R: (click on any of the photos or the date to go to a description of the AFP show; click on the name to go tot he artist's Web site)
2007:
Dec 15-16: Trails & Rails (Paula Strong and Walt Richards, with Bruce Huntington and Ken Wilson) – wonderful Western musicians from San Diego
Dec 22-23: Tim Weed – Virtuoso Musician – singer/songwriter/instrumentalist – plus original classical banjo music
Dec 29-30:  Dolan Ellis, Arizona’s Official State Balladeer – “Old Arizona 2008”
2008
Jan 5-6: Way Out West (Slim Rost, Tom Poley, Emmy Creigh) – a unique and fun style of Western music
Jan 12-13: Desert Sons (John (Buck) Ryberg, Benny Young, Slim Tighe, Skelly Boyd) – Western music in soothing 3- and 4-part harmony
January 20:The New Christy MInstrels® (see above and below)
January 26: Actor Wyatt Earp in "Wyatt Earp: A Life on the Frontier," a play by Terry Earp
January 27: Actor Wyatt Earp in "The Gentleman Doc Holliday," a play by Terry Earp
February 1: "Gathering Day 2008" featuring each of the following in a one-hour show:
   10:00 AM : Tom Chambers, Great Western Musician (Founding President of the Western Music Association)
   11:30 AM: Dolan Ellis, Arizona's Official State Balladeer (wearing chaps in the photo)
   12:30 PM: ---- break for lunch
   1:30 PM: Trails & Trails, four wonderful Western musicians from San Diego
   3:00 PM: Shad Pease, Cowboy Poet from Wyoming

DETAILED CONCERT INFORMATION:

Dec 15-16: Trails & Rails (Paula Strong and Walt Richards) – wonderful Western musicians from San Diego

Paula and Walt have spent a lot of time in Cochise, Pima, and Santa Cruz Counties, as well as Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the past few years as they have performed at Western music festivals and cowboy Gatherings and such. They are outstanding instrumentalists, and Walt is well-known as a teacher as well as performer.

This weekend they'll present their show "The Way West," in which they play and sing songs from historic periods and relate the songs to real events. They will also include a few numbers from the "Rails" side of their act, meaning railroad songs.

Trails & Rails won the Duo Harmony Award for the Western Music Association in 2005, and were nominated for the WMA Crescendo Award in 2007.

Dec 22-23: Tim Weed – Virtuoso Musician – singer/songwriter/instrumentalist – plus original classical banjo music (the artist formerly known as Tim Wiedenkeller)

There are two "for sure" things about a Tim Weed concert. The music will be outstanding, incredible, and all the complimentary superlatives one can think of. The second is that something wonderfully unexpected will happen. It may be a unique entrance. It may be a new Tim Weed composition. It may be a unique Tim Weed arrangement of a familiar song (a great example is his Route 66, which has become a favorite of his fans).

This weekend's program will include some Christmas music to celebrate the season. It will also include some of Tim's original classical banjo music from his Milagros CD, which is played on National Public Radio quite regularly. He sings, too--mostly his original compositions in wide-ranging genres: Long Tom (bluegrass), Under the Banyan Tree (a beautiful love song) and Corazon (Sonoran, written in both Spanish and English) for example. A recording of his most-requested song, New Old Pueblo (subtitled We No Peel Nopal No More) is available on his MySpace page--if you aren't yet sure whether you want to take a break from Christmas shopping to see Tim's show, visit that page and you'll likely be convinced. There are also three other wonderful recordings on that page.

Tim has played for many dignitaries, including the Dalai Lama. Lately he has been playing at a lot more festivals, and his name is becoming more and more well known, not just among fans but among his fellow musicians. It's easy to understand why this versatile virtuoso would be the talk of the town, wherever he goes.

Tim will bring two of his favorite playing partners this weekend:Mark Robertson-Tessi and Debbie Daly. Mark is one of the best mandolin players anywhere around. He will accompany Tim on most songs and will also join him on some of the classical banjo numbers, adding new textures to the already wonderful sounds. Debbie will play guitar and other instruments. The three of them have appeared together several times in recent months and are gaining respect and admiration for their great three-part harmonies.

Dec 29-30:  Dolan Ellis, Arizona’s Official State Balladeer – “Old Arizona 2008”

This weekend, Dolan will present his annual New Years Concert, in which he contrasts the Arizona of about a century ago, when Arizona was still a U.S. territory (or perhaps not yet a territory), and statehood was barely a dream. He has a wealth of original songs that take us back 100 years or so: The Life of Geronimo, The Old Crook Trail, Frank Murphy's Impossible Bradshaw Mountain Railroad, and He Called It Tombstone, to name just a few.

The most up-to-date song in Dolan's repertoire is his Ballad of Sheriff Joe, his humorous look at the famous Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, who is constantly in the news these days. The humor in the song is the best type, that which is based on truth. He covers the pink underwear, the green baloney stew, the lack of girlie magazines, and "He's back again don't you know, with a reporter and a camera crew; he's on TV while I'm pickin' up trash on the work gang..."

Other songs about the newer Arizona include Therapeutic 4-Wheel Drive, about the Jeeps that take us where we used to have to go on horseback or on foot. Yuppieville is perhaps the perfect example, a song about the semi-jet setter in the electronic age.

Jan 5-6: Way Out West (Slim Rost, Tom Poley, Emmy Creigh) – Bordergrass - a unique and fun style of Western music

Come to see this trio if you are ready for some high-energy entertainment. The songs they sing are mostly the traditional, 2008classic music of the working cowboys, plus some that are purely the product of the Hollywood "singin' cowboy" movies."

They also include some of their original songs, and will likely recite some of their original poetry as well.

Way Out West refers to their unique sound as Bordergrass. It definitely has somewhat of a bluegrass sound that comes largely from Tom's banjo. Tom also plays guitar and sings lead on many of the songs. Emmy is on guitar and vocals, and Slim on his bunkhouse bass and vocals.

Their shows are always fun, but there are some serious moments. Be sure to check out their songs on MySpace (the link above) and their Down on the Ol' Bar None album on CDBaby to listen to samples. If you like the songs, you'll love seeing them in person.

Jan 12-13: Desert Sons (John (Buck) Ryberg, Benny Young, Slim Tighe, Skelly Boyd) – Western music in soothing 3- and 4-part harmony

The Desert Sons have enjoyed a loyal fan base in Cochise County for many years. Buck (rhythm guitar) and Benny (fiddle and occasionally accordion) have been part of the group for almost 20 years. Skelly (from Safford, on lead guitar) joined the group in 1994 and Slim (from Bisbee, on upright bass) in 1995.

Just so you're not confused, there are really two groups of Desert Sons these days. Buck and Benny are the constants. Tucsonans Bill Ganz (lead guitar) and Bill Ronstadt (upright bass) will take the stage at most concerts in Tucson as well as some other locations.

No matter which group is playing, the music is the best. All members of the group sing, but Buck usually takes the role of lead vocalist. Their repertoire consists of the songs that are known to almost everyone, such as Cool Water, Tumbling Tumbleweeds, and Ghost Riders. They have also introduced fans to Western songs that are not so well known beyond the cowboy gatherings and Western festivals, such as Marty Robbins' beautiful and prophetic Man Walks Among Us and Ian Tyson's tribute to the Western painter Charles Russell, The Gift. There are also some fine original songs, including Buck's Arizona Home.

Jan 20: Mark your calendars and get your tickets early for this special concert by the world-famous New Christy Minstrels® Details

January 26: Actor Wyatt Earp in "Wyatt Earp: A Life on the Frontier,," a play by Terry Earp

If you have already met the Wyatt Earp of today, a great-nephew of the historic figure, you know him to be a wonderful gentleman. But he is such a fine actor that seconds into this play you'll forget about your friend and be totally absorbed as he becomes his famous uncle. 

This play was written by Wyatt's wife, Terry, as part of her Tombstone Trilogy (plays about Wyatt, Doc Holliday, and Big Nose Kate). Terry does meticulous research to maintain historic accuracy and at the same time add interesting tidbits about the characters.

Terry was in a horrible accident in September 2006, when she was riding her bicycle in Phoenix on a Saturday morning. Terry was abiding by all the laws, but was struck by an SUV. Her very life was in danger for a while, and there were fears that she would be a quadriplegic. She has overcome the odds again and again, and her miraculous and inspirational story is told on special pages of their Web site.

January 27: Actor Wyatt Earp in "The Gentleman Doc Holliday," a play by Terry Earp

Another excellent play in Terry Earp's Tombstone Trilogy (see above).