Summer Festival
July 7-9, 2023
We’d like to welcome you all to the 36th annual festival July 7, 8, & 9, 2023.
Enjoy The Tommy Webb Band and High Fidelity from the USA,
and from Canada, Bluegrass Tradition, Oxbow Mountain Boys, Third Harmony, Backroad, Janet McGarry, Stiff Family, SK Bluegrass, Just Grass and more.
Schedule
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
THE LINEUP
High Fidelity
High Fidelity were nominated for International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) New Artist of the Year in 2019. Their sound is influenced by the bluegrass stars of the 1950s and 60s such as Don Reno & Red Smiley, The Stanley Brothers, The Louvin Brothers, and Jim & Jesse. The band consists of five outstanding musicians and singers. Jeremy Stephens, guitarist and lead vocalist for the group, has worked for the world famous gospel group The Chuck Wagon Gang, on the television show Ray Stevens’ Nashville, and most recently with Jesse McReynolds & the Virginia Boys. Corrina Rose Logston, fiddler and harmony vocalist, has worked with a who’s who of today’s traditional-based bluegrass performers, most notably Jesse McReynolds & the Virginia Boys and Jim Lauderdale. Kurt Stephenson handles banjo duties and harmony vocals. He is the 2010 National Bluegrass Banjo Champion at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. Vickie Vaughn, who plays upright bass and contributes vocals, has worked in recent years with Patty Loveless and Ricky Skaggs. Multi-instrumentalist and harmony vocalist Daniel Amick, has won numerous instrumental contests across the southeast and is a recipient of IBMA’s 2019 Instrumentalist of the Year Momentum Award.
The Tommy Webb Band
Tommy Webb is from Langley, Kentucky. He performed with Clyde Bowling and the Southern Bluegrass Boys before starting The Tommy Webb Band in 2005. Tommy sings lead, tenor, and guitar is his main instrument, but for an eager crowd he will always pull out the old time claw hammer banjo. Tommy’s band also includes Chris Goble on high tenor and banjo, Kenny O’Quinn on vocals and mandolin and Tadd Huff on baritone vocals and bass. Their latest recording is called Eastern Kentucky.Tommy Webb is from Langley, Kentucky. He performed with Clyde Bowling and the Southern Bluegrass Boys before starting The Tommy Webb Band in 2005. Tommy sings lead, tenor, and guitar is his main instrument, but for an eager crowd he will always pull out the old time claw hammer banjo. Tommy’s band also includes Chris Goble on high tenor and banjo, Kenny O’Quinn on vocals and mandolin and Tadd Huff on baritone vocals and bass. Their latest recording is called Eastern Kentucky.
Bluegrass Tradition
Bluegrass Tradition are from Nova Scotia and they have been performing since 2005 and are dedicated to the traditional bluegrass music they love. Trevor Boutilier and Karen DeCoste are the founding members. The band has won many awards including Band of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year and Gospel Performance of the Year at the East Coast Bluegrass Music Awards. Trevor earned his Masters in Mandolin at the ECBMAs and has won Male Vocalist. Karen has her ECBMA Female Vocalist Masters and has won Bass Player and Composer of the year awards. Ryan Dillman has been playing music since he was eight- years-old. He has won many awards and has his ECBMA Masters in Banjo. Ryan led the successful band Shadow River for many years. Andrew Kent is a versatile fiddler, session musician and teacher. He has performed all over the world and is a long-time fiddler at the Calgary Stampede grandstand show.
Third Harmony
Third Harmony is from New Brunswick and formed in 2015. These musicians are no strangers to the bluegrass circuit and feature Gerry Richard on guitar and vocals, daughter Natasha Richard on fiddle and vocals, Dan Maillet on banjo and vocals and Ron Savoie on mandolin and vocals and Dave Noel on bass. The Third Harmony repertoire is a mix of traditional and contemporary bluegrass music, along with high energy fiddle tunes. The band’s first album is called Stepping Up. In 2019, Third Harmony won Recording of the Year, Vocal Group of theYear and Female Vocalist of the Year (Natasha) at the Eastern Canada Bluegrass Music Awards.
The Oxbow Mountain Boys
Specializing in traditional bluegrass & old time country music, the members of Oxbow Mountain Boys are seasoned musicians and in their tenth year together as a band. They received 2018 and 2019 East Coast Bluegrass Music Awards for Band of the Year. The band is Greg Hamilton on banjo, Brian Hazlett on bass, Charlie Bourque on guitar and Al Ryan on mandolin.
BlueRoad
BlueRoad is a group of young friends from New Brunswick who share a passion for bluegrass music. The five members are Brandon Saulnier, Dominic Bourque, Sean Bastarache, Mack Hicks and Gabriel Hebert. These young musicianshave traditional bluegrass sound with country and French Acadian folk flavors. As jams brought them together, BlueRoad was created in December 2021. Brandon Saulnier (lead vocals and guitar) leads the group. He has been playing guitar since the age of six and originally brought the group together. Dominic Bourque (vocals and mandolin) only began singing in 2020, approximately the same time he picked up the mandolin, Dominic’s vocals are like no other in the band. Mack Hicks (bass) is the newest member to the band on bass and has only been playing for a few months before the band was put together in 2021. Sean Bastarache (vocals and resophonic guitar) Sean’s vocal range gives the band its high lonesome sound. Gabriel Hebert (vocals and banjo) is now attending East Tennessee State University. He has been playing the banjo since the age of twelve.
Janet McGarry Band
For over twenty years, Prince Edward Island’s Janet McGarry has been a dominant presence in bluegrass music, releasing twelve albums on her own label, Diamond Productions. Janet is the only Canadian member of “Daughter of Bluegrass,” a leading group of female bluegrass artists recognized on Blue Circle Records, Nashville, TN. Janet is a five-time Female Vocalist of the Year at the Eastern Canadian Bluegrass Awards. On stage she is accompanied by her husband Serge Bernard who is an accomplished instrumentalist, playing mandolin, guitar, fiddle, dobro, bass and his instrument of choice, the banjo. In addition, Janet’s band includes Trevor Boutilier and Karen DeCoste from Bluegrass Tradition.
The Stiff Family
The Stiff Family has enjoyed living in Prince Edward Island for five years, keeping busy with their hobby farm but still making time to enjoy and play bluegrass music. The family consists of Dave on guitar and Heather on bass along with their children Aaron on banjo and dobro, Hannah on mandolin, Elizabeth on fiddle and Abigail on fiddle. The group also is known for those smooth vocal harmonies which only a family band can provide.
Bluestreak
After a fifteen-year break, Bluestreak re-grouped and now has fifteen new original songs ready for their third CD, which will be called Rounding Third. Their first two albums, First Impression and Second Nature won PEI Music Awards Bluegrass Recording of the Year in 2004 and 2005 and East Coast Music Award nominations in both of those years. Band members are David Blue on bass, Roger Wightman on banjo and vocals, Larry Campbell on vocals, guitar and mandolin, Peter Richards on dobro and Marcella Richard on vocals and guitar.
Bluegrass Revival
Bluegrass Revival has been playing for 23 years on Prince Edward Island, performing at concerts, festivals, benefits and church events. Band members include Dave Clarke on dobro, Cherie LeMoine on vocals, Shirley Jay on mandolin, vocals, Lucas Lamrock,on guitar, Peter LeMoine on banjo and Ann Hay on bass.
Just Grass
Just Grass is a band of musical friends with four lifetimes-worth of experience. The group was formed in 2014. Bob Jobe is a multi-instrumentalist who played the country circuit with The Haggart Brothers. Bob has also played with Next of Kin and Free Wheelin’. George Grant has been with Just Grass from the start. George is also a multi-instrumentalist and is the current master dobro player of the East Coast Bluegrass Music Awards. Glenda Johnston began playing bass with Back Porch Bluegrass and continues to play bass with SK Bluegrass, Glenda & Charlie as well as Just Grass. Charlie Hansen started his career in rock ’n’ roll in the 60s before moving on to country music and bluegrass. He has played guitar with Just Grass from the beginning.
Heartfelt Bluegrass
Heartfelt Bluegrass ia a family band from St Louis PEI. The band formed in 2009, originally with Larry Jones on vocals, Wilma Jones on mandolin, guitar and vocals and cousin Jerome Arsenault on guitar, mandolin and vocals. Donna Bernard joined the band two years late on bass, guitar and vocals . They love to gather as family and with friends to play music that is from the heart. They have played at the Evangeline Bluegrass Festival, St Louis Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Festival, Summerside Bluegrass & Acoustic Music Association Festival and in Dundas at the PEI Bluegrass Festival.
SK Bluegrass
SK Bluegrass is a veteran band of bluegrassers from “Up West” in Prince Edward Island. The band comprises Eileen Brown on guitar, Jerome Arsenault on mandolin and Frank Brown on banjo. They are joined by Islander Glenda Johnston on bass.