THE OKEE DOKEE BROTHERS
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Artosphere: The Okee Dokee Brothers
Program The Okee Dokee Brothers will perform a selection of songs from their Adventure Album Series, Can You Canoe? A Mississippi River Adventure Album, Through The Woods and Saddle Up, and will talk about each of their trips during the show. This performance is just under an hour.
About “The Okee Dokee Brothers remind us of the American belief that we’re bound for better weather. Their album celebrates everyday explorers, young and old, who rediscover that notion daily.” NPR’s All Things Considered As childhood friends growing up in Denver, Colorado, Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing were always exploring the outdoors. They spent summers at their neighborhood creek building makeshift rafts, fishing for crawdads and dreaming of great river adventures. Now, as The Okee Dokee Brothers, they have put this passion for nature at the heart of their Americana folk music and their ambitious Adventure Album Series. In 2011, Joe and Justin began a canoe trip in Minneapolis, MN and continued down the Mississippi River for the next thirty days until they arrived at the St. Louis Gateway Arch. During their month-long journey on the Mississippi, they camped, canoed, filmed and most importantly, composed the songs that make up the album, Can You Canoe? A Mississippi River Adventure Album. The songs on this album range from direct references of the river—“Can You Canoe?,” “Mr. and Mrs. Sippi” and “Haul Away Joe”—to more general topics in the outdoor motif—“The Bullfrog
Opera,” “Campin’ Tent” and “Thousand Star Hotel.” The Okee Dokee Brothers also use the river as a metaphor for the struggles and triumphs in a friendship as well as the ever-evolving phases of life. In May of 2013, The Okee Dokee Brothers embarked on their second adventure, a month-long trek on the Appalachian Trail. They camped, hiked, met mountain musicians and wrote the songs that make up their next CD/DVD for kids and families, Through the Woods. As a follow-up to their Grammy® Award-winning album, Can You Canoe? A Mississippi River Adventure Album, the new album invites listeners along for a journey full of camping, old-time mountain music and many miles of hiking! The music was recorded with producer, Dean Jones, in his hay-bale studio near Woodstock, NY and emulates the instruments and styles heard in traditional old-time Appalachian music. The record features Hubby Jenkins
(Carolina Chocolate Drops; mandolin and bones), four-time Grammy winner David Holt (Doc Watson; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; mouth bow and gut string banjo), Rosie Newton (old-time fiddler and singer), as well as twotime Grammy winners, Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer (mountain dulcimer and cello banjo). The songs on this album span from references to hiking the trail—“Through the Woods” and “Walking with Spring”—to broader subjects within mountain culture— “Jamboree,” “Hillbilly Willy” and “Black Bear Mama.”
In 2015, The Okee Dokee Brothers went out West for a month-long horsepacking trip along the Continental Divide. They rode horses, camped out, told stories and created a third album based off their adventures, Saddle Up! On this album, Joe and Justin trade their paddles for saddles and their hiking boots for cowboy boots. They spent 30 days riding horses and writing songs about western wildlife (“Jackalope”), Navajo stories (“Sister Moon” and “Brother Sun”), the Spanglish of the Southwest (“Somos Amigos”), friendship (“The Great Divide”) and many more.
Upcoming Artosphere Events: ++Chapel Music Series: The Barefoot Movement | May 16 ++Chapel Music Series: The Dover Quartet | May 18 ++Artosphere Festival Orchestra Food & Music Night: Downtown Bentonville Square | May 20 ++Chapel Music Series: Aizuri Quartet | May 20 ++Artosphere Festival Orchestra Russian Masterworks | May 21 Corrado Rovaris, Music Director ++Egg | May 21
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SPONSORS AND FUNDERS
This project is proudly supported by:
MEDIA PARTNERS
INDIVIDUALS Bob & Becky Alexander Emily & James Bost June Carter Tom & Cynthia Coughlin Sandy Edwards Pete & Shirley Esch Hershey & Denise Garner Jeff & Lisa Gearhart Reed & Mary Ann Greenwood Orville & Susan Hall
Rick & Marybeth Hays Malcolm & Ellen Hayward Tom & Jill King Greg & Hannah Lee David & Deborah Malone Margaret & Dick Rutherford Frank & Sarah Sharp Barbara G. Taylor