Upstate New York Musicians Richie Stearns and Rosie Newton live at Blue Smoke's Sunday Sit Down Get Down.
Richie and Rosie blend traditional and contemporary sounds, outrageous punk banjo, powerful evocative fiddle with beautiful vocal harmonies. Richie, is an innovator of 5-string banjo much loved for his “mantra-groove spooky-banjo style Rosie is a ferocious fiddler who’s work spans many musical styles.
RICHIE STEARNS
Richie is one of the major innovators of 5-string banjo playing, described by bluegrass legend Tony Trischka as “a transcendentally clawhammering force of nature”; loved by Bela Fleck for his “mantra-groove spooky-banjo style and by Natalie Merchant for” his ability to blend traditional technique and repertoire with contemporary and original material that sets him apart”. Richie has recorded, toured, and/or performed with everyone from the neo traditional alternative rock bands THE HORSE FLIES and DONNA THE BUFFALO, jazz guitarist BILL FRISELL, Malian bluesman VIEUX FARKA TOURE, North Indian Gypsy band MUSAFIR, Tibetan singer YUNGCHEN LLAMO, pop legend LINDA RONSTADT, country and bluegrass legends PETER ROWAN, VASSAR CLEMENTS, TONY TRISCHKA, and JIM LAUDERDALE, folk hero PETE SEEGER, Cajun groups (Michael Doucet & BEAUSOLEIL, REDSTICK RAMBLERS), Celtic bands (DE DANNAN, John Doyle of SOLAS), SAMITE of Uganda, South African Afro-pop star JOHNNY CLEGG, DAVID BYRNE, BILLY BRAGG & WILCO, OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW, JOAN BAEZ, and the Tuvan throat-singers - the ALASH ENSEMBLE.
ROSIE NEWTON
Rosie is one of the world’s most exciting and contemporary musicians playing roots music on the violin. Her playing, which draws on the syncopated rhythms of old-time bowing, spans a wide range of musical styles, from Irish and old time to country and pop. She has appeared at major US music festivals (Rhythm & Roots, Newport Folk Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival, MerleFest, DelFest) and has performed with Natalie Merchant, Chris Eldridge (Punch Brothers), and Jefferson Hamer (Anaïs Mitchell/Child Ballads). Recently she toured the Northeast USA playing zydeco fiddle with Louisiana legend Preston Frank. She performs in a duo with Richie Stearns, with The Duhks, Red Dog Run, the Evil City Stringband, Home Remedy and The Pearly Snaps.
