PERFORMANCES SCHEDULE

West Virginia Songwriters in the Round

An engaging, up close and personal evening of original songs with three diverse songwriters from across the state. 

 

RON SOWELL

Best known for his role as Music Director of Mountain Stage, the internationally acclaimed radio show, Ron Sowell is also a dynamic singer-songwriter, guitar & harmonica player, performer and producer. 

Growing up on the high deserts of Roswell, New Mexico. Ron dedicated his early years to sports and music. He learned to sing by mimicking his dad’s high tenor in church and he played a mean third base for his state champion Little League team. 

At age 13 his life was altered forever when his mother bought him a guitar and lessons at a local music store. Buoyed by her encouragement and the revelation that “girls dig it” Ron played “till his fingers hurt” in a series of rock bands and folk groups. 

In high school he was crushed by the realization (and several NFL-sized linebackers) that at 5’8” and 155 pounds, a professional sports career was not in his future. So, heading off to college with a scholarship to sing in the choir in his pocket, Ron dove headlong into developing his musical skills. It was there that he began writing songs. 

After graduation from Eastern New Mexico University, he hit the road playing clubs and coffee houses. Four years later on a brief visit to the beautiful hills of West Virginia it felt “so right” that he unloaded his car and began putting down roots. There he formed two critically acclaimed bands “The Putnam County Pickers” and “Stark Raven” with whom he recorded four albums and clocked thousands of miles touring across the US, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Crete, Ethiopia and Greenland. 

About the same time Ron joined a fledgling local radio show called Mountain Stage as the resident guitar player eventually rising to the position of music director. Starting with a handful of local radio stations, Mountain Stage is now heard on almost 300 stations nationwide on NPR. As a member of the Mountain Stage Band he has played with a wide array of artists ranging from Sarah McLachlan, Lyle Lovette & Maria Muldaur to The Band, REM, Dr John & Nora Jones. 

 “Dance Till the Music Stops” marks the release of his 3rd solo album.

Check out Ron's website at ronsowell.com

 

MARY DAILEY

For Mary Dailey music isn't a hobby or a career, but a way of life - whether performing onstage, jamming with fellow musicians, writing a song or serenading birds, black snakes and deer at the end of a holler. Having grown up in the Washington, D. C. suburbs, she made her great escape as a young adult, heading for the hills of West Virginia to work at the Appalachian South Folklife Center in Pipestem. While there she was introduced to authentic mountain music, from traditional folk ballads to fiddle and banjo tunes - it was love at first sound! Then came the songs of Woody Guthrie which fed her youthful idealism and inspired a first self-penned song (an admittedly less than stellar attempt that her sister has good naturedly enjoyed making fun of for years.) But earnest effort to hone the craft has gifted Mary with a little passel of songs that she's happy to share with the world, and for her one of life's great joys is connecting with others through music. Not content to only write and sing her own songs, Mary has performed with numerous Appalachian and Celtic musicians in the mid-Atlantic region for many years, and is currently half of the duo "Lark in the Holler" with fiddler Rachel Johnson. As a teaching artist, she incorporates music into Carnegie Classrooms programs for public school and homeschool students. She also travels statewide for the History Alive program portraying ballad singer Minnie Reed, a fictional character based on the lives, songs and stories of real West 

Virginia women folksingers of the past. https://wvhumanities.org/programs/history-alive/history-alive-roster/

 

ARISTOTLE JONES​

Appalachian Soul Man, Aristotle Jones, has become a fan favorite in the Central Appalachia, Mid Atlantic Region and beyond. 

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AUTHENTICITY MEETS ORIGINALITY...​

What makes Aristotle's music and live performances so specials is his connection to the region and history. Aristotle leans into genre blending and his repertoire combines elements of Soul, Folk, Jazz and Blues that were staples of the "Chit'lin Circuit"... with the Bluegrass, Folk, and Gospel music that was also found in big doses in coal camps in Appalachia. 

His Original material, selected covers, and reimagined folk songs give the audiences a  glimpse into an under represented American genre from a first hand account and transports audiences to the intersection of early Rhythm and Blues.   

 

MORE THAN A GOOD FEELING.​

The central theme of Aristotle's music and community projects is shedding light on the contribution to art in culture provided by Black Americans living in the Appalachian Mountains. He is the descendant of coal miners, and farmers who against all odds made a life in the poor coal town of Osage, West Virginia.  ​

Jones' music reflects the values of courage, fortitude and determination that were taught to him while porch picking with his grandfather, a regional Gospel and Soul singer who traveled to segregated coal camps performing for black coal miners in the mid 20th Century, and Aristotle is proud to carry on the legacy of Soulful Folk  and Rock n' Roll born in hills of Appalachia.

 

You can find music from Aristotle Jones on Apple Music, Spotify, CD Baby, as well as other major platforms and at www.AristotleJones.com