The 9 Songwriters Series, Justin Trawick, Jamie and James, Dear Creek, Natalie York, Eli Staples, Justin Jones, Cordell, Louisa Hall, Dan Fisk
Jammin Java
08/27/2015 08:00 PM EDT
Adv: GA $10 | Premier $10 | Premier Plus $15 <br />Day of: GA $15 | Premier $15 | Premier Plus $15
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The 9 Songwriters Series
Founded in 2008 by singer/songwriter Justin Trawick, "The 9 Songwriter Series" is a touring songwriter collective and live show based in Washington, DC. The show was created with the idea of nine artists getting together and combining their talents in order to play in nicer clubs and to larger amounts of people. Each installment features nine solo singer/songwriters performing together in a unique and captivating format, telling stories, and often sitting in each each other and making up music on the spot. Where else can you hear almost 30 songs from nine different artists in one evening? To date, over 300 different artists have participated in "The 9", at shows in DC, Baltimore, Annapolis, Philadelphia, New York, Fairfield, Boston, Richmond, Charlottesville, Charlotte, Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Justin Trawick
Lying somewhere between Bob Schneider, The Tallest Man on Earth, and David Gray, Justin Trawick has been performing in the Washington DC Area and the East Coast since since 2006 both solo and with his band “Justin Trawick and the Common Good”. Trawick has opened for over 30 national acts including Suzanne Vega, Brett Dennen, Blues Traveler, Bob Schneider, Edwin McCain and shared bills with Dr. Dogg and The Avett Brothers. Founder of “The 9 Songwriter Series” and co-founder of “The Circus Life Podcast”, Trawick has built a brand that extends beyond just being a musician local to DC. In February of 2014, Trawick won “Song of the Year” at the Washington Area Music Awards for his song “All the Places That I’ve Been”, which can be downloaded on iTunes as a single along with his five other records and EPs. For more information go to justintrawick.com, wearethe9.com, and thecircuslife.com.
Jamie and James
Over the past three years, Jamie & James has matured from a simple collaboration of two prominent D.C. singer/songwriters into a notable group in its own right. Boasting an eclectic, yet authentic sound, Jamie & James is not your average guy/girl duo. The two blend each others musical backgrounds to create a fresh musical recipe. Indie, jazz, americana, and a large helping of blues grabs attention and keep listeners guessing on what will come next.
Dear Creek
Amongst the orange and red fallen from trees lining the Shenandoah River, the duo of Dear Creek was born. In 2009, singer/guitarist, Kate Potrykus, and guitarist, Alex Salser, could be found writing songs between classes and playing local gigs on the weekends. Soon, Dear Creek grew into a 5-piece, inspired by the sounds of the Appalachian Valley in which they were cradled, and the jazz, blues, folk, and rock music, which moved them to become musicians in the first place. Two albums, several tours including a recent 16 State tour, and a few line-ups later, Alex and Kate have stripped down to the very foundation upon which they had started. Now catch Dear Creek live as a duo as they tour the country releasing their newest album, “So it Goes.” Listeners will get tripped up in the roots of Dear Creek’s energetic, acoustic grooves, and leave their show soothed by the sultry sounds of their soaring melodies.
Dear Creek has played many notable venues across the country including, The Black Cat (DC), Pianos (NY), Reggie’s (Chicago) and The Elbo Room (Chicago). In 2012 they made an appearance at an unofficial showcase at SXS, and have also been a featured artist on NPR's "Out of the Box" radio program. The Mockingbird in Staunton, VA described Dear Creek as “one of the best rising stars in the (Shenandoah) Valley.”
"Dear Creek is a folk/indie band influenced by blues, jazz and rock and fostered by the heart of the Appalachian music tradition. Their live shows are passionate, energetic, sincere and always a blast."
-Writeup by Becca Pollard
Natalie York
Washington-born and Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Natalie York is a force to be reckoned with. The Washington Post has called her debut "one of the best local releases of 2010,” and praised her “soulful and warm vocals” and “sophisticated palette.” Natalie has earned favorable comparisons to Grace Potter, Norah Jones, and Bonnie Raitt. She studied jazz at the University of Miami, and was the first graduate from the distinguished institution’s Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program. York has garnered accolades for her quiet-fire aesthetic, a mix of contemporary folk and simmering Stax soul. But, for her sophomore record, she decided to do something bold – Natalie decided to make a rock record filtered through her distinct Americana vision. In addition to press plaudits and academic accomplishments, Natalie has established a highly credible artist profile through performing and working with such diverse talents as Jonny Lang, Bruce Hornsby, Shawn Colvin, Lamont Dozier, Jim Lauderdale, Jon Secada, and Phil Ramone.
"This is great. Every song! Very soulful, loose, affecting vocals. Natalie has an alluring Macy Gray-esque husky quality, with interesting phrasing that keeps it ever interesting. Clever, quirky lyrics. Nice, dynamic arrangements and great production. This is a quantum leap forward for her, and I'm really impressed and proud of her. Fantastic job."
-Bruce Hornsby on Natalie’s most recent release, ‘Promises'
Eli Staples
Eli Staples has been leaping across genres of music and styles since his first professional gig with a big band at the age of 16. With formal training as a classical organist and as a jazz pianist, he might have ended up immediately in the concert hall, but it was in the diverse music scene and nightlife of Washington, D.C. that he found his inspiration. He has performed in a vast array of genres including jazz, rock, R&B, cuban, Brazilian, funk, classical, and tango, and travelled around the world doing it.
He is now launching a new phase in his career as a singer/songwriter, performing pop/jazz originals and modern renditions of songs ranging from Dolly Parton and James Taylor to Stevie Wonder and John Legend. He released his first EP in 2012.
Some of his previous career highlights include the aforementioned performance opening for Prince, appearing on the Today show in Rockefeller Plaza with Ashanti for the release of her "Chapter II" album, and being a featured artist with the National Philharmonic at Strathmore Hall in Washington, D.C.
His performance credits include touring with R&B artists Mya and Ashanti (both multi-platinum, Grammy award winning artists), performances with R&B artists Robin Thicke and K'Jon, rock icons Journey, jazz artists Nneena Freelon and Bryan Lynch (six-time Grammy nominee and Grammy award winner, respectively), and nationally known contemporary jazz artists Karen Briggs, Ken Navarro, Cindy Bradley, Jessy J, Jaared, and Grainger.
Justin Jones
"I was raised on blues and soul music. When I look at the core of myself, my name is Luther and I'm a 68-year-old black guy with one green eye and a couple gold teeth and I play harmonica in a blues band that plays at a dump in the ghetto. Nobody comes to the gigs, and I'll have played there my whole life—like, five days a week my band plays there. One night, Keith Richards is in town and he comes in and jams with me. Word gets around and someone recorded it and then that record gets released, and I die the day before it gets released. When it's released, it's the biggest blues hit since Stevie Ray Vaughan. On the inside, that's what I look like."
Justin Jones is "rock and roll....No Auto-Tune, no gimmicks—just a songwriter with a guitar and a crack band," says The Vinyl District's Jennifer Carney. With a musical career that spans more than a decade, Virginia native Justin Jones is taking his soul-stirring brand of rock and roll on the road for his I Can Feel It Tour 2013 of the U.S.
Weaned on the sounds of southern soul, blues, and rock, Jones started playing open mike nights in Charlottesville near his hometown in his early teens. His first album, Blue Dreams - recorded in 2004, is the cornerstone of what turns out to be this prolific singer-songwriter's catalog of albums, including Love Versus Heroin, and I Am the Song of the Drunkards, and The Little Fox, that express both the lows and highs of love and life. "The songs I write and the music my band and I play, in my mind, is quintessentially American... It lives and breathes in the landscape that is America... sometimes soulful and sometimes stark... sometimes hard and sometimes lush. I like to think I write beautiful songs about death, sad songs about love, and hopeful songs about life. What I consider a kind of secular spiritual music." Fading Light, Jones' fifth album, was released in 2012. Produced by Jamie Candiloro, best known for his work with Ryan Adams and R.E.M., Fading Light is a collection of songs written over a two-year stretch.
In 2012, Jones took his emotionally charged live show on the road. His busiest tour to date, Jones played 130 shows across North America, including stops at Virgin Mobile Festival, Floyd Festival, and the Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL). It is no wonder Speakers in Code names Justin Jones one of the top-ten performances at ACL 2012, and Bob Boilen of NPR's All Songs Considered lists Justin Jones "as one of the top performances of the year." And all signs point to Justin Jones surpassing this momentum in 2013, with a new album and documentary on the way, an upcoming U.S. tour, and his highly anticipated European debut.
Cordell
Ryan and Grace started singing karaoke at The Barking Dog in January 2014, and shortly after, they began collaborating. They formed the jazz pop duo Cordell, and have been showcasing original music in the MD/DC area.
Grace Sinaga started singing at a very young age, and grew up performing at many local events in Indonesia, Australia, and the United States.
Ryan McMichael plays the piano, guitar, saxophone, and sings. He also enjoys writing music and arranging covers of your favorite songs.
Band interests: Froyo, Karaoke, Coffee, Dancing, and Live Music!
Louisa Hall
Louisa Hall has been enamored with music and silliness for as long as she can remember. Described as aggressively joyful or Ella Fitzgerald with a comic edge, she encourages audiences to take life a little less seriously. Louisa has brought her brand of lighthearted (and occasionally creepy) music to stages including the Kennedy Center Millenium stage, The Hamilton Live, the 9:30 Club, and even a Junk boat on Halong Bay, Vietnam. She is a frequent contributor to The Circus Life podcast, The Capital City Showcase, and a regular guest of the Nine Songwriter Series. She is currently recording an album to be released in 2014.
Dan Fisk
Award-winning singer-songwriter, Dan Fisk writes beautiful melodies woven with soulful, witty lyrics that speak to his audience's heart. Rubbing the boundaries of both the singer-songwriter and country genres, Fisk transcends both with a unique, appealing sound. Critics have drawn comparisons to fellow Virginia natives Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz, and Pat McGee, yet Fisk's percussive, rhythmic guitar style is all his own. It is the foundation - and soul - of his music, forming the backbone of his rollicking country/rock tunes, sweet ballads, or songs of regret and sorrow.
Dan founded “Painting The Music” in 2012, and the event is now held as a regular performance series at different locations and cities. The show has also appeared at The Atlas Theatre and The Dunes in DC, The Franklin Park Performing Arts Center in Purcellville, VA, Gallery 5 in Richmond and the Village at Leesburg.
Venue Information
Jammin Java
227 Maple Ave E
Vienna, VA 22180
https://jamminjava.com/