Wine-Ohs is thrilled to present this special showcase of Gretchen Peters and Sam Baker. Don't miss this opportunity to see these two in our intimate venue! Tickets are $20 in advance or $22 at the door. Tickets will go on sale Jan. 4. Call 403-263-1650 to purchase or stop by at 811, 1st SW, Calgary. Doors to the Cellar open at 6 pm. The Bistro will be closed.
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Gretchen Peters calls the new Hello Cruel World her “most close-to-the-bone work, written at a time when I felt absolutely fearless about telling the truth.”
Peters and her guest Rodney Crowell sing “life is still a beautiful disaster,” on “Dark Angel.” But Peters keeps the accent on the “beautiful” throughout the 11 songs on her ninth disc. Ultimately Hello Cruel World details the sheer triumph of survival and of finding strength, joy and growth in everyday life despite the challenges of our increasingly complex times. Her characters don’t just search for fulfillment. They take risks to find it, and none are willing to surrender.
Since her emergence from the Colorado folk scene, the Nashville-based performer has risen to the top of her craft by writing and recording songs that explore the deep corners of life with empathy and integrity. Martina McBride (who had an award-winning hit with Peters’ “Independence Day”), Pam Tillis, Neil Diamond, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, George Strait, Bryan Adams, Bonnie Raitt, Etta James and many others have recorded her songs. But Peters says, “I never had any aspirations of being a writer for other artists. I want to be understood for who I am.”
Praise
"Beautiful, brave and poetic... inspires me to tears." -- Rodney Crowell
"This is the best record I've heard in many, many years." -- Tom Russell
"Love her work, love her live presence, love her songs." -- Janis Ian
"A great record...full of beauty and real life from a grand voice." - Darrell Scott
GREAT writing. I'll be playing Hello Cruel World over and over. -- Gurf Morlix
"In Peters' music every tale is brave, unique, beautiful.” --Time Magazine
“Peters' songs about emotional thirsts that never get quenched have a quiet power all their own." -- Entertainment Weekly
I've been promoting shows for 17 years, and Gretchen has been a regular in our series for many years. Songwriter extraordinaire, fabulous singer and, accompanied by musical virtuoso Barry Walsh, the live performance is magical. Guaranteed to connect with the audience. Guaranteed. -- Alec Wightman, Zeppelin Productions, Inc., Columbus OH
Having put on nearly 80 concerts in Fort Worth, and having Gretchen Peters with Barry Walsh three times in our last 3 years, I can relate this: you can depend upon them to be there as the professional artists they are – makes no difference whether they are performing before a full concert hall or a small room, presenting the songs and music as an act of love and joy. It doesn’t get any better. -- John Jackson, Art Will Break Your Heart, Fort Worth, TX
Gretchen Peters delivers the fabulous combination of incredible songwriting, crystalline vocals and insight into the stories behind her songs. Our patrons make reservations weeks in advance because they love the musical magic created by Gretchen and Barry Walsh, her multi-instrumental accompanist. Even with her awe-inspiring resume, Gretchen remains accessible, cordial and an engaging fan-friendly conversationalist. -- Art Bowman, Bowman House Concert Series, Metro Atlanta, GA
http://www.gretchenpeters.com
Sam Baker is a man of few words. They are however, always beautifully chosen, and fully wrought. He places them as one would place the plants and objects in a Zen Garden, for maximum consideration. He is complicated. His website, which you must explore, is stark: black, white, and shades of gray. Baker is a man who has had to turn inward, to relearn the use of his body and brain after a Peruvian train bombing that almost killed him in 1986. It took years to heal, to reconnect. The road back was impossible, arduous, but it opened up new vistas for Sam in art, poetry, music. He put his first CD Mercy out in 2004, the first in a trilogy of compelling song paintings with sparse instrumentation and poetic delivery. It was followed by Pretty World in 2007, and Cotton in 2009. All three albums are subtitled, in order of release: "Everyone is at the mercy of another one's dreams," "How Beautiful are these days," and "Talk about forgiveness."
Sam Baker approaches life with an amazingly positive attitude considering what he has been through. From his website, "Everything is a gift at this point," he declares. "I went through the anger and the bitterness—deeply. But that energy didn’t get me anywhere. It’s toxic. And ultimately, I did come to a point where these days are beautiful. Because they are so short and so quick to pass. And that’s all we’ve got—no matter what we hold in our hands, drive around in, put in the bank, or shower ourselves with. All we’ve got is this one breath," he concludes. "And then, if we’re lucky, we have the next breath." We are lucky to have had Sam Baker
http://www.nimbitmusic.com/sambaker
http://sambakermusic.com/index.html
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