Benefit Concert

[Dec 17]

In the spirit of bluegrass and old-time music, Grammy-award winner Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum will perform their versatile and engaging repertoire of love songs, laments, social commentary and free-wheelin' fun at the Community Center of Mendocino on Saturday, Dec 17, at 7:30 PM. The concert is a benefit for the Community Center of Mendocino.

Fiddler and guitarist Laurie Lewis and mandolin player Tom Rozum are widely regarded as being among the most preeminent bluegrass and Americana artists of our time, and are well-known for their perfectly balanced harmonies. They formed a musical partnership in 1986, when Tom joined Laurie’s acclaimed band "Grant Street." Between them, they have recorded over twenty albums, as a duo and with their many talented musical friends, including their own 1995 Grammy-nominated album “The Oak and the Laurel.” Lewis earned a Grammy for “True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe.” Their latest album pays tribute to Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard, two trailblazing women of bluegrass.

"It's possible to be a strong female presence in the Bluegrass music world, but you have to be really strong. Laurie is one of the greatest Bluegrass artists, woman or man, because of her consistency over decades, the depth and width of her subject matter, her commitment to the Bluegrass form, and her technical command. Oh yes, and her strength. Laurie's strength manifests in many ways: her commanding presence on stage combined with an emotional vulnerability, the truths in her lyrics, her physical voice which transcends gender, her strong commitment to causes and issues in which she deeply believes, which all resonate with a respect for the land, the natural world, and human mercy and justice.” –– Darol Anger (founding member of the David Grisman Quintet)

“A quintessential stylist who creates mandolin breaks with the same passion and precision Monet put into his brush strokes, Tom Rozum ought to be recognized as a mandolinist of the first order.” –– Mandolin Magazine

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. They are available at Out of This World in Mendocino and Harvest Market in Fort Bragg, or at www.brownpapertickets.com. Doors open at 7:00 PM. Refreshments, beer and wine will be available for purchase throughout the evening. For more information call 937-5575 or go to www.ccmendo.org.