WED NOV 8 2017 / 8PM
Texas Troubadours featuring
Ruthie Foster, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Carrie Rodriguez CHAN CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS AT UBC
“I think any form of writing can be a tool for self-discovery. With songwriting, half of it is poetry. It can also be very akin to journaling. And since journaling and poetry are both tools that some people use for their own personal discovery, then writing music definitely can have those aspects to it. Some people can do it sort of frivolously and without very much thought or investment, and still come up with really good songs. Many times, you just come up on little thought patterns and things, and you make associations that you might not have made otherwise. But for some people of a certain temperament, and I’ve always been of that temperament, the self-discovery part ends up being in my music, too.” – Jimmie Dale Gilmore (Omega, 2017)
Texas Troubadours featuring
Ruthie Foster, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Carrie Rodriguez PRESENTED BY THE CHAN CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Pre-show Talk 7:15pm, Royal Bank Cinema With Shari Ulrich Concert 8:00pm, Chan Shun Concert Hall Ruthie Foster Jimmie Dale Gilmore Carrie Rodriguez There will be one 20-minute intermission. Set list to be announced from the stage.
Please remember to turn off your phones, and note that photography and recording are not permitted. Thank you!
“The one thing you can count on from Ruthie Foster
anytime she steps onto a stage is being blown away by both her powerhouse voice and her familial warmth.” – Atlanta Journal
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Ruthie Foster In the tightknit musical community of Austin, Texas, it’s tough to get away with posturing. You either bring it, or you don’t. If you do, word gets around. And one day, you find yourself duetting with Bonnie Raitt, or standing onstage with the Allman Brothers at New York’s Beacon Theater and trading verses with Susan Tedeschi. You might even wind up getting nominated for a Best Blues Album GRAMMY — three times in a row. And those nominations would be in addition to your seven Blues Music Awards, three Austin Music Awards, the Grand Prix du Disque award from the Académie Charles-Cros in France, and a Living Blues Critics’ Award for Female Blues Artist of the Year. There’s only one Austinite with that résumé: Ruthie Foster. The small rural town of Gause, Texas had no chance of keeping the vocal powerhouse known as Ruthie Foster to itself. The worship services at her community church and influences like Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin created the foundation of her vocal capabilities, which developed into her own sound—unable to be contained within a single genre. Joining the Navy was one way for Ruthie to stake out her own path. It was during her time singing for the Navy band Pride that her love for performing became apparent. After leaving the service, Ruthie signed a development deal with Atlantic Records and moved to New York City to pursue a career as a professional musician. A deal with a major label is a dream come true for a budding artist, but the label favoured Ruthie as a pop star. In another bold move, she walked away from the deal and returned to her roots, moving back to the Lone Star State. Returning to Texas, Ruthie solidified her place as an up-and-coming singer/songwriter and began a musical partnership with Blue Corn Music, which has now lasted two decades. Ruthie’s latest album is called Joy Comes Back. When she recorded this album, Foster wasn’t merely singing about love and loss; she was splitting a household and custody of her 5-year-old daughter. Music was her therapy. The comfort she felt within the studio gave her the strength to pour the heartache of her family’s fracture and the cautious hope of a new love into 10 incredible tracks, nine of which are by a diverse array of writers ranging from Mississippi John Hurt and Grace Pettis (daughter of renowned folk singer Pierce Pettis), to Chris Stapleton and Black Sabbath. At one point, producer Daniel Barrett described the album to local hero Warren Hood, who plays fiddle and mandolin on “Richland Woman Blues,” as “some blues, some folk, some soul, some rock, some gospel.” Hood replied, “Sounds like Ruthie Foster music.”
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“Jimmie Dale Gilmore treats the song as religion.
His style incorporates elements of country, folk, rock and blues; what he draws from each is an essential devotion to the power of song.” – The New York Times
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Jimmie Dale Gilmore Jimmie Dale Gilmore has been writing and playing songs for more than 50 years. His music eludes categorization - blending elements of folk, rock, country, blues and bluegrass into one seamless sound. His recordings have earned three GRAMMY nominations in both Contemporary Folk and Traditional Folk categories and he was named Country Artist of the Year three years running by Rolling Stone Magazine. His high and lonesome vocal style, coupled with mystical and poetic lyrics, has led to musical branding such as Sagebrush Soul, Zen Country and Western Beat. Along with Joe Ely and Butch Hancock, Gilmore’s legendary band the Flatlanders has been credited as fathers of the alt-country movement. Born in Amarillo and raised in the somewhat-fabled West Texas town of Lubbock, Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s musical roots first sprouted under the influence of his father who played lead guitar in a country band. In the 1970s, Gilmore, alongside his childhood friends Joe Ely and Butch Hancock, formed the band The Flatlanders, a local term for folks who live in the kind of landscape the southwest has to spare. The group recorded its first album in Nashville in 1972. More of a song-swap than a commercial endeavour, the band’s sole recording project—released only in the short-lived 8-track format—was barely distributed. Disillusioned by the poor sales of their first release, the group disbanded, though their friendship continued. Decades later, that very album would have a rebirth of sorts, re-released under the title More a Legend than a Band and garnering significant critical praise. Following the disbanding of The Flatlanders, Gilmore did not make another record for 16 years. He spent much of the `70s in a Denver ashram. In 1980, Gilmore returned to Austin, where he began playing regular gigs in local clubs. It wasn’t until 1988 that Gilmore released his first solo album, Fair & Square, an attempt to merge his spiritual quest with a recording career. A second, eponymous album followed a year later, and the next decade saw the full flowering of this late, but glorious, bloomer. Three albums he recorded between 1991 and 1996 elicited global accolades—After Awhile, Spinning Around the Sun, and Braver Newer World. Also released were One Endless Night in 2000, Come on Back in 2005, and most recently in 2011 Heirloom Music— an album of “old-timey” songs in collaboration with the founder of San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, Warren Hellman. Jimmie Dale Gilmore currently resides in Austin, Texas and still tours regularly with The Flatlanders and others.
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“[Rodriguez] creates beautiful music that is always slyly smart, which in turn makes it more beautiful.” – The New York Times
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Carrie Rodriguez Carrie Rodriguez, a singer-songwriter also from Austin, finds beauty in the cross-pollination of diverse traditions. A passionate performer, she effortlessly melds fiery fiddle playing, electrifying vocals and a fresh interpretation of new and classic songs with an “Ameri-Chicana” attitude. Her latest project, the Spanish/English album Lola, is both a return to her musical roots and something of a departure where she delivers her own twangy, Texas-bred twist on Mexican Ranchera songs, creating culturally blended music for a culturally blended world. Lola was featured on both the Rolling Stone’s 40 Best Country Albums of 2016 and NPR’s Best 50 Records of 2016. Inspired by the 1940s-era recordings of Carrie’s great aunt, Chicana singing sensation Eva Garza, the album is a mixture of new and old songs. It features Spanish songs written by some of Carrie’s favourite Mexican composers, as well as her own Ranchera-inspired original songs written in English, Spanish and “Spanglish.” Produced by Lee Townsend, the album is supported by an all-star band, The Sacred Hearts, assembled especially for this project. The band features internationally acclaimed composer/guitarist Bill Frisell, Viktor Krauss on bass, Luke Jacobs on pedal steel and guitars, David Pulkingham on nylon string guitar and electric guitar and Brannen Temple on drums and percussion. The crowdfunded project, supported entirely by friends and fans, was released in 2016 by Carrie’s own label, Luz Records. Carrie began playing violin at age five. Her training quickly became the passion and focus of her childhood, and by age 10, she had performed as part of a group at Carnegie Hall. She continued the classical track in her first year at Oberlin Conservatory, then shifted gears to pursue her true love affair with the fiddle—staying true to her Texas roots—at the Berklee College of Music. Early in her career, a collaboration with singer-songwriter Chip Taylor resulted in four highly acclaimed duet albums. Her subsequent solo albums highlight the diversity of her musical identity, from her debut Seven Angels on a Bicycle to 2013’s Give Me All You Got, which reached number one on the Americana Music Charts. Carrie has toured, recorded and co-written songs with legendary artists such as Lucinda Williams, John Prine, Bill Frisell, Rickie Lee Jones, Mary Gauthier, Los Lobos, Alejandro Escovedo and Los Lonely Boys, among others. She has made numerous television and radio appearances, including Austin City Limits, The Tonight Show, and A Prairie Home Companion. She has been profiled in many publications, including Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Times of London, The New Yorker, The Washington Post and many more. Carrie lives in Austin with her partner and musical collaborator Luke Jacobs, a multiinstrumentalist /singer-songwriter from Minnesota, and their son, Cruz Calvin Jacobs.
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The Texas Troubadours: A Singing, Songwriting Tradition By Taryn Plater Born in Crisp, Texas in 1914, Ernest Tubb was the original Texas Troubadour – the namesake for a new folk supergroup comprised of Ruthie Foster, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Carrie Rodriguez. As a musician in the southern states and pioneer of early country western music (known at the time as “old-timey” music), Tubb inevitably participated in the age-old practice of sharing ideas and swapping songs with other musicians. It is this tradition of collaboration that still defines the music of Texas. Even before Tubb’s time, musicians were brushing shoulders in certain historic venues across the Lone Star State. Many of the locales that were known as hotbeds for musical innovation in the early 20th century are still important today, and some new influential stages have cropped up too.
Threadgill’s Filling Station and Beer Joint Opened in 1933, Threadgill’s was essential in shaping Austin’s music scene. It was a popular destination for musicians grabbing a drink after a show, and was where Janis Joplin got her start. By the 60s, Threadgill’s was a favourite of so-called hippies, beatniks, and folk/country fans alike. It was a place where vastly different groups of people crossed paths and absorbed diverse music styles. Texas Star Inn Now operating as a BBQ joint, the Texas Star Inn has seen its share of definitive live music acts since its opening in 1946. In addition to hosting a who’s who of classic country, it attracted local talent and gave upcoming songwriters the chance to jam with some of the greats. The inn’s neon sign, visible from the Bandera highway in Leon Valley, Texas, is still a landmark and symbol of the area’s rich musical history. Gold Star/SugarHill Studio Established in 1941, Gold Star Studio (né Quinn’s Recording) was the first recording studio in Houston, and launched the careers of countless Texas singer-songwriters, including Lightnin’ Hopkins, George Jones, and Willie Nelson. Originally focused on Texas blues, Quinn’s clients over the decades spanned blues, country, gospel, R&B, and rock. This piece of Texas musical history is still operational today, now under the name SugarHill Studios. Devil’s Backbone Tavern Established in 1932 in Comal County, Texas, the Devil’s Backbone draws visitors both for its live music and ghost stories. Always a popular spot for live bands and dancing (a dancehall was added in 1950), the Devil’s Backbone is still open, hosting meetings between local songwriters as well as weekly jam sessions.
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Austin City Limits The Austin City Limits festival was started in 1976 with the mission of celebrating the music of Texas. Now broadcast all over America and beyond, ACL is both a valuable platform and a rite of passage for singer-songwriters. Ruthie, Carrie, Jimmie, and Jimmie’s band The Flatlanders have all been featured on the ACL stage. Inspired by exceptionally diverse musical genres, from ranchera music to the blues, Foster, Gilmore, and Rodriguez’s collaboration is a modern-day example of Texas’ collaborative musical tradition, and a strong re-imagining of what the original Texas Troubadours were all about. Styles have evolved since the time of the original collective, but excellent songs, distinct voices, and a spirit of collaboration still define the rich musical landscape of the Lone Star State. “My songs are about life and living. Sometimes I’ll use someone else’s experience and write something from that and what that means to me. I’ve often written songs that mean one thing to me and someone interprets that song as something totally different. … If that’s what makes someone feel better and helps them to understand what the song means to them, then that’s fine. I just write from my own experiences, and I borrow other people’s lives, and put that to music too.” - Ruthie Foster (Austin City Limits, 2015) About the author Taryn Plater is in her second year working as Marketing & Communications Assistant at the Chan Centre. She pursuing a double major in music and linguistics at UBC, as well as a Master of Management, and is passionate about expanding the role of the performing arts in our society.
Exploring the role of the arts and artists in society. chancentre.com/connects
Pre-show Talk with Shari Ulrich 7:15pm: Royal Bank Cinema, Chan Centre Shari Ulrich, an award-winning Canadian songwriter since the mid-seventies, and former associate professor of lyric and libretto in UBC’s Creative Writing program, will be discussing the power of “the song.” Having been raised in the US, the music of these three esteemed songwriters in a style now often referred to as Americana, is in her blood. “All the elements of the craftsmanship of a song that speaks to listeners: melody, lyrics, chord movement, form, rhyme, patterns and of course the sharing of a story, all delivered by the human voice, are the magical elements that allow a song to ‘work’ for the human ear and heart. As listeners there is no need to experience the journey of a song with an analytical mind and yet knowing why and how it works from the perspective of a writer is a phenomenon endlessly fascinating to me.” - Shari Ulrich
UBC School of Music Fanfares The fanfare that was performed in the lobby prior to this concert (7:30pm and 7:45pm) was commissioned by the Chan Centre from UBC student Aaron Graham as part of an ongoing partnership with the UBC School of Music. Azura Quartet Eric Toombs - Soprano Saxophone; Mo Miao - Alto Saxophone; Haley Heinricks - Tenor Saxophone; Mia Gazley - Baritone Saxophone Aaron Graham is an award-winning performer, composer, and music educator pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of British Columbia, where he is currently a doctoral fellow. He has travelled the world playing percussion, has seen his compositions performed all over North and South America, and has had research published in several prominent publications. Desperate Poetry “I still believe in the need for guitars and drums and desperate poetry, and the sound that has the power to raise a temple and tear it down.” - Frank Turner 12
Celebrating 20 Years The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts opened its doors in 1997, and this season we’re celebrating 20 years! Visit our anniversary archives at chancentre.com for memorable events, stories and never-before-seen photos from two decades of world class performance.
A Musical Introduction By Jennifer Van Evra Organizing a field trip for an entire elementary school and packing more than 600 kids onto school buses is no small feat — but for participants in the Chan Centre’s Roots and Shoots World Music Education Program, it’s well worth the effort. First launched in 2006, Roots and Shoots is an outreach program for under-resourced Vancouver-area elementary schools that offers world music concerts in the Chan Shun Concert Hall, as well as six hours of musician-led workshops in each school. Participating artists have included favourites from Vancouver and beyond, among them Masabo, Kokoma African Heritage Ensemble, Dancers of Damelahamid, Cheondoong, Uzume Taiko, Orchid Ensemble, Gamelan Gita Asmara, and Aché Brasil. For the wide-eyed kids, many of whom have never stepped foot on the UBC campus or in a professional theatre, the experience can be profound. “They live in the southeast corner of the city, and their parents are working, so they don’t get to see much of the city,” says Moberly Elementary Vice-Principal Karl Graham. “Some of them have never even been to the ocean. So the kids are excited just to be in that space, with the plush seats and the beautiful wood, and then they get to see a great concert.” For educators, the program provides a unique opportunity to introduce kids to diverse cultures and musical styles. It also gives them an inspiring introduction to the UBC campus and its future possibilities. “To be exposed to that higher level of education, and know there’s another world out there, it gives them a dream,” says Graham, who was among the school leaders Masabo pulled up on stage to dance, much to the young students’ delight. “And to know that we’re being thought of, and that we’re able to participate — it’s just wonderful.” As part of the 20th anniversary of the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, we have commissioned 20 stories from writer Jennifer Van Evra – just a glimpse into all that has shaped who we are as an organization today. Read more at chancentre.com. 13
The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC Joyce Hinton Cameron McGill Carl Armstrong Wendy Atkinson Lloyd Balser Laura Busby Kara Gibbs David Humphrey Flora Lew Glenda Makela Trevor Mangion Chloe Martin-Cabanne Veronica Maynard Caitlin McKee Claire Mohun George Pereira Andrew Riter Nadia Roberts Lyndsey Roberts
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Members of Cupe 2950 Front of House, Stage, and Ticketing Staff Janice Lew Taryn Plater
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“The music we do is weaved together through stories and life experiences. When people
The Chan Centre would like to thank our 2017/2018 series sponsors: come to hear us, I hope they are uplifted The Chan Endowment Fund and the UBC Faculty of Arts
and that we give them a lot to take home.” – Dianne Reeves (San Diego Union-Tribune, 2016)
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Upcoming Events at the Chan Centre Full details at chancentre.com
Nov 10 at 8pm: UBC Symphony Orchestra with Robert Silverman Presented by the UBC School of Music
Nov 12 at 3pm: Seong-Jin Cho Presented by the Vancouver Chopin Society Nov 17 at 7:30pm: String Fest: UBC Chamber Strings Telus Studio Theatre Presented by the UBC School of Music
Nov 17 at 8pm: UBC ChoirFest Presented by the UBC School of Music Nov 18 at 8pm: UBC Bands Presented by the UBC School of Music Nov 22 – 24: UBC Class of 2017 Fall Graduation Presented by UBC Ceremonies and Events Nov 26 at 3pm: Hollywood Meets Broadway Presented by Vancouver Pops Symphony and Choir No 29 at 7pm: Building a Better Canada Presented by the University of British Columbia Dec 2 at 8pm: UBC Symphony Orchestra Presented by the UBC School of Music Dec 3 at 2:30pm: Christmas at the Chan Presented by Trinity Western University Choirs Dec 7 at 9pm: Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton Presented by Live Nation Dec 15 + 16: The Four Seasons with violinist Philippe Quint Presented by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Dec 23 at 7:30pm: Festive Cantatas Presented by Early Music Vancouver Feb 1-4: La Cenerentola Presented by UBC Opera UBC Symphony Orchestra
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CHAN CENTRE PRESENTS SERIES The Jazz Epistles: Abdullah Ibrahim with guest Terence Blanchard I FEB 18 Lila Downs I MAR 10 Daymé Arocena and Roberto Fonseca I APR 15 Circa: Opus I APR 28
BEYOND WORDS SERIES Tanya Tagaq and Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory I MAR 16+17
SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW! DAYMÉ AROCENA
ABDULLAH IBRAHIM
TERENCE BLANCHARD
LILA DOWNS
TANYA TAGAQ
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