Sena Ehrhardt
October 12, 2013 - 8pm

Sioux Falls Historic Orpheum Theater

Tickets:
Single $42/33
Subscriber $34/$28

Roots music label Blind Pig Records has signed Minneapolis-area vocalist Sena Ehrhardt, one of the freshest and most dynamic young voices on the blues scene today. Ehrhardt was born and raised in a house of blues. Through years of playing music in clubs and juke joints, her guitarist father, Ed Ehrhardt, laid the groundwork for a love of blues that eventually lead to the formation of the Sena Ehrhardt Band. Sena has taken those influences and several years of experience to forge her own personal and intelligent take on the blues.  In 2012 she was featured on the main stage of at the Sioux Falls JazzFest.  Fans have been asking for her to return ever since.

Though her band’s repertoire includes a wide range of blues, soul and funk cover tunes, Sena chose to record ten original compositions that she co-wrote with her father for Leave The Light On. Her songs are fresh and incisive, delivered in a style that moves effortlessly from sultry to declarative to passionately forceful. Her band – Ed Ehrhardt on guitar, bassist Steve Hansen and drummer Tim Hasler – performs flawlessly throughout, matching Sena’s drive and intensity.

 

LaVerne Butler
November 22, 2013

Sioux Falls Historic Orpheum Theater

Tickets:
Single $43/33
Subscriber $40/$32

Dotsero
January 24, 2014

Sioux Falls Orpheum Theater

Tickets:
Single $41/$32
Subscriber $38/$29

March 7, 2014 - 8pm

Sioux Falls Historic Orpheum Theater

Tickets:
Single $42/$33
Subscriber $38/$32

The Soul Of John Black is the nom de musique of John Bigham, whose impressive resume includes a stint as percussionist with the Miles Davis band, eight years of guitar and keyboard work with the pioneering rock-funk-ska band Fishbone, and touring and session work with Dr. Dré, Eminem, Nikka Costa, Bruce Hornsby and Everlast, just to name a few.

The arrangements on the recording Black John blend blues, folk, funk, rock, country, classic soul, Gospel and world music, but Bigham doesn't spend a lot of time planning out his line of attack. "I have my own style, but I have no preconceived notions about what a song's going to sound like. I get it down by feel and instinct, just doing what comes naturally. It's the same approach I've taken to my entire career, and my life, for that matter."

Bigham's album, The Good Girl Blues, was nominated for Best New Artist Debut from the Blues Music Awards (formerly the W.C. Handy Awards) in 2008. It was hailed for the emotional power of its stark musical vision, a journey back to the primal roots of the blues. On Black John, Bigham lightens up with songs that are funkier, more soulful and more groove oriented. The music still has its wicked moments, but there's a ray of sunshine shining through, even on the album's darkest tracks. Bigham brings the same laid back, but focused approach to his live gigs, be they solo with guitar and voice, guitar-bass-drum trio outings or full band jams. "I always keep my mind open to fresh ideas," he says.

Sioux Falls Historic Orpheum Theater

Tickets:
Single $49/$39
Subscriber $46/$37

Mark O'Connor
A product of America's rich aural folk tradition as well as classical music, Mark O'Connor's creative journey began at the feet of a pair of musical giants. The first was the folk fiddler and innovator who created the modern era of American fiddling. Benny Thomasson; the second, French jazz violinist, considered one of the greatest improvisers in the history of the violin, Stephane Grappelli. Along the way, between these marvelous musical extremes. Mark O'Connor absorbed knowledge and influence from the multitude of musical styles and genres he studied. Now, at age 49, he has melded and shaped these influences into a new American Classical music, and a vision of entirely American school of string playing. As The Los Angeles Times recently noted, he has "crossed over so many boundaries, that is style is purely personal.

O'Connor's first recording for the Sony Classical record label, "Appalachia Waltz', was a collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma and Edgar Meyer. The works Mr. O'Connor composed for the disc, including its title track, gained him worldwide recognition as a leading proponent of a new American musical idiom. The tremendously successful follow-up release, 'Appalahian Journey', received a Grammy Award in February 2001.

With more than 200 performances, his first full length orchestral score "Fiddle Concerto" has become the most-performed modern violin concerto composed in the last 40 years. It was recorded for the Warner Bros label in 1995. Mr. O'Connor's 2nd concerto "Fanfare for the Volunteer" was recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Steven Mercurio, released by Sony Classical in October 1999. The Neward Star Ledger notes: "As a composer, he understands the power of a thematic transfiguration and development throughout a 40-minute work." Mark O'Connor's most recent recording, 'Jam Session', offers "dazzling" (Wall Street Journal) live acoustic recordings that combine bluegrass and gypsy jazz.

Augustana Orchestra
The Augustana Orchestra is a student ensemble of approximately sixty musicians.  Their repertoire consists of major works and overtures, as well as traditional, contemporary, and popular literature for the orchestra. Talented music majors and non-majors alike play an active role in the orchestra program while pursuing music as a major or in other academic disciplines. The orchestra is often featured in Recital Hour, Chapel Services, and to promote interest in Augustana's music program by playing with high school orchestras throughout the region.  In October of 2011, the Orchestra partnered with legendary rock band KANSAS as part of the band's 2011 Collegiate Symphony Tour to raise money for music tour programs. This sold out event took place in the Mary Sommervold Hall at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls.