Thursday, December 06, 2012

Christmas with the Trail Band

The Trail Band
photo by Keith Buckley
'Tis the Season once again, and few Christmas traditions are as pleasant or easy on the ears as spending a night with The Trail Band.  I've written about them in this space before, and that is another tradition worth carrying on. Friday, November 30, was the date of their annual Christmas Concert at the Historic Elsinore Theatre, in Salem, OR.  Fran & I have been attending these concerts for about 7 or 8 years now, and we are always amazed by the talent exhibited. Founded by Marv & Rindy Ross of Quarterflash fame ("Harden My Heart"), I doubt that you will find a more talented group of musicians/vocalists anywhere.

The Trail Band is an eight-piece ensemble that creates an energetic blend of brass and string arrangements of traditional and original music featuring five great vocalists including Quarterflash’s Rindy Ross. Hundreds of public and private appearances across America and Japan, plus seven successful albums have established The Trail Band as the premiere historic music ensemble from the Northwest. Cornet, tenor horn, tuba, fiddles, hammer dulcimer, guitars, penny whistle, mandolin, piano, saxophone, spoons, bones, drums, bass, and recorders combine with their rich vocal harmonies to create a diverse tapestry of sound.

Formed by Marv Ross in 1991 at the request of the Oregon Trail Council to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the trail, the band initially performed music exclusively from and about the era of the Oregon Trail with costumes, diary readings, traditional folk tunes, marches, hoedowns, and Native American melodies. Titled, Voices From The Oregon Trail, this performance has been the keystone of the band’s repertoire for over 10 years.

The link beneath the photo will take you over to their Facebook Page, where you can  see some of the other comments by their fans, and here is a link to their website:  The Trail Band, where you can meet the members of the band, get a sampling of their 11 CD's, and find out more information about their upcoming performances (if you happen to live in the Pacific Northwest).

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