Folk rock trio performs at ECA

  • By Sharon Wootton For The Enterprise
  • Wednesday, February 4, 2009 1:21pm

A trio with more than a century of stellar musicianship has combined talents, friendship and separate story lines into a bound-to-be thumbs-up concert.

John McEuen and country-rock pioneers Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen perform Feb. 5 in Edmonds.

McEuen, co-founder of the country-folk-rock Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (with which he still performs), brings his vintage string instruments to work.

McEuen recorded more than 30 albums with NGDB, including “Will the Circle Be Broken?” “Circle” turned out to be an iconic crossover to country album, influenced by all-star bluegrass and country musicians’ recording cast.

McEuen has shown his versatility by performing or recording with ALLDolly Parton, The Doors, Andy Williams, Willie Nelson, Little Richard, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Phish.

Now he’s joined Pedersen and Hillman for a three-man ride that has attracts two generations of listeners.

Guitarist and mandolinist Hillman shifted from folk to bluegrass before he became a founding member of The Byrds. In 1965 the band recorded “Mr. Tambourine Man” with electric instruments. Folk-rock was born.

Three years later, with Gram Parsons featured in the band, “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” jump-started country rock.

By the 1980s, Hillman had rediscovered his bluegrass and country roots, joining Pedersen to form the Desert Rose Band.

Pederson, armed with a five-string banjo and a tenor voice, has worked with ALLJohn Prine, Jackson Browne, Earl Scruggs, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Jerry Garcia and Vince Gill.

He’s been working with soundtracks since the 1970s, including “Rockford Files,” the Mel Gibson-led “Maverick” and “The Simpsons.”

Chris Hillman, Herb Pedersen, John McEuen

The folk rock musicians come together for a collaborative concert at the Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 Fourth Ave. N., Edmonds.

8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5,

Tickets: Tickets: $35 adult, $32 senior (62+), $18 youth (17 &under). available by calling 425-275-9595 or online at www.ec4arts.org.

Talk to us