Second day of “Rock on! Unplugged” at Spectrum Playhouse in Lee, MA featuring blues guitarists Robin O’Herin and Andrew Cohen, and singer-songwriter Heather Maloney.
July 26 at 7:30pm
Robin O’Herin
2009 Telluride Blues Challenge Finalist, Robin O’Herin, specializes in historically rich, often interactive concerts that include original and traditional American music, for small listening rooms, libraries, festivals and schools. Her concerts are warm, affirming experiences she shares with the audience. Let her take you on a journey of musical exploration through the Delta and Piedmont regions of the South. Song selections may include Robert Johnson, Blind Willie Johnson and Robin’s own original blues and fingerstyle ballads. She has her original music licensed to PBS and currently has one of her songs being played on NPR’s CarTalk. Learn more about Robin at www.robinoherin.com
Robin has shared the stage with Paul Geremia, Andy Cohen and Roy Bookbinder. She is currently working on a new gospel CD and then hopes to jump right into a new blues and original CD. She teaches beginning delta and piedmont blues guitar and songwriting and partners with raisingtheblues.org and guitarsintheclassroom.org to bring the power of music into the classroom and hospitals to reach children and teachers in new and innovative ways.
Andy Cohen
Andy Cohen sings the songs that present day traditions were built upon. His concerts are funny and fast paced, bringing the roots of folk and blues into the present with humor and skill. His special focus is on ‘Piedmont’ style country blues. He is a student of Rev. Gary Davis and his music, and takes the Old Guys’ music seriously, like it was Art Music, which it is.
A versatile favorite performer at festivals (Old Songs, Fox Valley, King Biscuit, Chicago Blues Festival, Winnipeg etc.), he is also a musicologist of sorts, teaching workshops on things like how music theory applies to the picking of Rev. Gary Davis. For many years he made his living touring and doing performances with the actual Old Guys.
Recently he was given two Lifetime Achievement awards. One was from the Autoharp Hall of Fame, for his work with the Dolceola; the other, the Eisteddfod Award, is given to people who’ve made a substantive contribution to the continuance of traditional music.
Heather Maloney
Singer songwriter Heather Maloney is garnering praise for her unique style and lyrics. Her self-titled album, Heather Maloney, released in March 2013, is the third album for a songwriter hailed by The Huffington Post for “lyrics that cut to the chase.”
DigBoston wrote that she “deserves the type of cult following that has allowed the likes of Aimee Mann and Ani DiFranco that long standing success and influence they have had.”