Dustin Bentall hails from Vancouver, BC and it seems an unlikely place to nurture such a rustic troubadour. It seemed like an unlikely country for Rick Danko, Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel or Neil Young to be from… until people took a closer look. Kendel Carson has played the UK alongside the great Chip Taylor and had a radio 'hit' in her own right a few years ago with 'I Like Trucks' that still gets plays on Radio 2 and regionally. Her album was at Number 4 in the UK Americana charts for weeks.

Joining forces in 2011 Bentall and Carson have formed what is an incredible partnership with The Smokes, one of Canada's finest new bands. They will be releasing an EP, Orion' at end of March. You’ll find a reverence for the tales of everyday life and loss and you’ll find a lot of people who have time to woodshed and learn their craft. Spinning songs by Neil Young, The Band, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Tom T. Hall, The Beatles, Wilco and Steve Earle Dustin found the heart of that music and placed it under his own landscapes. The narcotic cowboy thing you hear in Dustin’s music comes from his love for Gram Parsons, The Flying Burrito Brothers and the Byrds with their so-called ‘Cosmic American Music.’ That is, not to mention the time he has spent in the saddle ropin’ and branding steers on the ranch.

Dustin recently opened some shows for Kathleen Edwards on the west coast. Concert goers in Vancouver are getting accustomed to seeing him up on stage for a Blue Rodeo encore. To complete the cross-Canada connection he snagged guitar slinging demon Luke Doucet for a couple days in the studio to Cameo on the new record. Dustin has done a lot of writing with Canadian Country Music up and comer Ridley Bent. One song in particular “Nine Inch Nails” holds the honors of 2008’s Country Song Of The Year with the Independent Music Awards of North America.

If the mark of a great songwriter is the number of artists singing their songs – then Kieran Halpin must be considered a great modern writer of songs. There can be few writers on the acoustic/folk scene in Europe today who have had more songs covered. Names like Vin Garbutt, Dolores Keane, The Battlefield Band, Ilse De Lange, John Wright, Flossie, Niamh Parsons, Chris Jones and countless more have recorded his songs. Halpin is equally at home playing to a small folk club audience and a large festival crowd. He is also one of the hardest touring musicians on the scene today with upwards of 160 shows per year all over the world

The David Raphael Band have been the best kept secret in the South East of the UK for a few years now. All that is about to change as they look to travel further afield to bring their very authentic Chicago Blues to stages all over Great Britain and Europe. Featuring the unique talents of David Raphael, the Harpmeister himself, and the searing guitar of Nick Hyde (a man highly rated by Johnny Winter no less). Coupled with the rock solid rhythm section of Matt Wheatley on drums and Steve Browning on bass.

Case Hardin take their name from the female lead in Boston Teran's noir thriller 'God Is A Bullet' (Pan 2000). In the finest tradition of naming groups, it came about by virtue of being the book that band- leader and songwriter Pete Gow was reading when the call came through that they had secured their first gig; necessity was, once again, the mother of invention on that day. You will see Case Hardin in any manner of musical configuration - stripped back to a duo, augmented by regular contributors and pick- up musicians alike and all points in between.. each night the songs are different, they have to be... framed and pitched for the band, for the audience, for the mood, for the hell of it.. often all four, as is the case tonight at the Brase.

Sean Taylor has grown to be one of the hottest new names in the Eurpoean blues/acoustic scene. His incredible passion for performance, sheer talent and songwriting of the highest calibre is a testament to his frequent comparisons with John Martyn, Neil Young and Tom Waits. Sean appeared at both Glastonbury and Cambridge festivals in 2010 and 2011. His 2011 Glastonbury performance on the Bourbon St Jazz & Blues stage was widely blogged as being a highlight of the festival. Apart from his 3 headline UK tours to date, Sean has also supported the Neville Brothers, John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater), Band of Horses, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Dukes and Eric Bibb.

Sean’s latest album ‘Love Against Death’ has been hailed a masterpiece by reviewers in the UK and Europe. The album was recorded in Austin, Texas, and produced by Mark Hallman. After hearing Mark's work, with Eliza Gilkyson in particular, Sean realised he would be perfect. Sean wanted to capture his live guitar sound, and Mark is the absolute master in this area. As a session guitarist himself, he knows exactly how to record and mix different guitars. Mark has also produced Carole King, Ani di Franco, Tom Russell, Iain Matthews, as well as working with Stevie Ray Vaughan, Oasis, and Lyle Lovett.

Bobby first carved his reputation as a renegade virtuoso during the Punk era as a founder member of The Fabulous Poodles but is most often recognised as the violinist and co-writer of the smash No.1 hit 'Young at Heart' by the Bluebells. His inspirational violin playing has gone on to be heard working with artists as varied as: Bob Dylan, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Bob Geldof & Shania Twain & is a regular member of Mark Knopfler's current band. However, it is with Los Pistoleros that his song-writing and his Astles.

This event will be a wonderful day of entertainment – music, dance, food, teas, cakes and stalls! Please come along and support fundraising efforts for the West African Kartong Festival 2014. Free entry on the day!, mid-day til late. The lineup includes Warriner Jazz Band, Total Impact, Sankofa with Modou Diouf, Swindlestock, Africa Junction, Jamatone and more. Robin Auld will play an acoustic set during the festival, and will be joined by his trio for a much-welcomed return evening in the bar. More information soon, watch the website!.

Slide guitar, harmonica, African blues guitar and soul vocals all feature in the fresh and vibrant sound of Robin Auld. An award winning artist with an international CV spanning twenty albums, he's performed and recorded in New York, London, Glasgow, Nashville, California and played events like Womad, the SA National Arts Festival, Belladrum Tartan Hearts, Gold Coast Oceanfest and Cambridge Folk Festival.

“This weekend I have had the pleasure of listening to ‘The Blind Dead McJones Band’s’ first album ‘Last Resort Mexico’, and well impressed I was too. Very different, like a cross between ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia’ and Quentin Tarantino’s ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’, rhythm section from hell and vocalist with the growl of Lucifer himself, I shall look forward to catching this band live. 8/10 and rising with every listen.” Barry Middleton, Chairperson of The Nottingham Blues Society and The British Blues Awards. “Deep and rich vocals somewhere between Tom Waits and Nick Cave and mind-blowing bluesy guitar work a la Buddy Guy. Ain’t your typical Chicago blues this one tho, lots more experimental and mixed with a ZZ Top typa southern rock tunage and a Dave Alvin americana feel.” Dublin Castle, London

With the February 2012 release of “New Kind Of Lonely,” their sixth CD, I See Hawks In L.A. wade deeper into the river of the Southern California folk and country rock tradition. The early Hawks albums tweaked the genre. Their later releases seem to redefine it.

Known for their psychedelic electric layering over country and folk music forms, the Hawks have gone back to basics on “New Kind of Lonely,” cutting 13 songs on acoustic guitars and upright and electric bass, standing in a circle around some nice German microphones. Overdubs of the trademark Hawks vocal harmonies, some dobro, and Gabe Witcher’s stellar fiddle complete the sparse, haunting sound.

The Hawks have been known for their lyrical celebrations of earth and its imperiled ecosphere, odes to the endless highway, and withering social commentary, but on this CD death and loss, in very personal terms, weave into almost every song, even the hard charging barn dance numbers.

In reaching back to pre-electric traditions, the Hawks seem to have tapped into the mortality that looms in the work of Hank Williams, The Stanley Brothers, and the Carter Family, far from the feel-good suburbiana of today’s Nashville songwriting. Dark times do need some kind of acknowledgement. I See Hawks In L.A. have taken this on.

Laurence Jones and his Band play a blend of Blues and Rock with a groovy and catchy modern edge. Laurence released his first professional album “Thunder In The Sky” in June 2012. Laurence has been featured on, BBC Radio 2, had reviews in Classic Rock Magazine, The Blues Magazine, Blues Matters, Get ready to rock and has even featured on Reverb T.V series where he played 3 live songs. Get ready to Rock Magazine gave the album a 5/5***** rating. Classic Rock magazine quoted Laurence as "Blues Rocks youngest Talent" and was featured on the "Blues Fury C.D along with Joe Bonamassa, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Popa Chubby and many more

Kent is an American blues legend, travelling the globe for the past thirty years playing the blues on his beloved 'Leadbessie' a 1934 National steel guitar. Grammy nominated and a W.C.Handy award winner Kent is the epitome of the travelling bluesmsan. 'Honest entertainment this good should not be missed.' Blueprint Magazine

A songwriter genuinely literate, sometimes almost literary, Ian is an original craftsman. Expressed through a distinctive bitter-sweet vocal delivery, Ian's songs hold nothing back. His ability and willingness to share with his audience, naked honesty and genuine emotion, is what sets him apart.

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