Bluegrass Jamboree Slated for July 29 at Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts

| July 18, 2017

FOXBURG, Pa. (EYT) – The Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts brings back the exciting, energetic bluegrass of the Allegheny Drifters to Lincoln Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 29.

The Drifters will perform their bluegrass classics featuring strong vocals and blazing instrumentals.

Internationally-acclaimed recording artists, the Allegheny Drifters have a reputation for superb song selection and good old-fashioned energy and drive – and they have a huge following and are audience favorites right here in western Pennsylvania, as seen at the Three Rivers Arts Festival.

In 2002, veteran western Pennsylvania bluegrass mandolinist Bob Artis was invited to put together a one-show-only bluegrass band to perform with the Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra at their debut concert in April 2003.

Bob’s wife, Karen, was the obvious choice to play bass and friend and former bandmate Bernie Cunningham was called in to sing and play guitar.  With the addition of Alabama transplant Jake Abrams on banjo, the Allegheny Drifters were born and were an instant hit.

At the time, Jake and his wife Lisa were busy with their own band, but Jake continued to help out on banjo.

In 2005, Keith Beaver, banjo picker from Leetonia, Ohio, was invited to join and remained a popular member for nearly a decade until his departure at the end of 2013.  New musicians have joined the group – Radford Vance on banjo and his wife, Michele Birkby-Vance, fiddler.

Hallmarks of the Allegheny Drifters are their stunning vocal harmony and total commitment to professionalism. Through many years of performing they’ve learned what audiences enjoy seeing and hearing and work hard to please and entertain.

They are a traditional bluegrass band without being overly bound to convention or restrained by the past.  Bob, Bernie and Karen, all talented songwriters, add fresh material and continue to seek new ways of reaching out to audiences with their heartfelt message of real bluegrass.

The Allegheny Drifters released their first CD, Out of the Woods, in the spring of 2006. It received great reviews – County Sales said “good songs, good singing, excellent listening” while Bluegrass Unlimited described it as “refined and well produced… traditional in the best possible way”.

In 2008, the band released Can’t Wait, featuring the outstanding fiddling of internationally acclaimed Michael Cleveland. WYEP’s Bruce Mountjoy referred to the material as “great original additions to the bluegrass songbook…tasteful arrangements that make each song come alive”.  With a nod to Bob’s catchy title tune, Bluegrass Music Profiles enthusiastically declared, “Can’t Wait? Don’t wait! Get it!”

Their latest project, an all gospel CD, Climb Heaven’s Ladder, was released in 2014. The title cut was penned by Karen, and guest Michael Cleveland provided blazing fiddle.

All three projects have been well-received by national and international audiences worldwide via broadcast radio and streaming audio.

Over the past decade, the Allegheny Drifters have earned a solid reputation as one of their region’s most popular, hard-working bluegrass bands, performing at festivals, county fairs, corporate events, community day celebrations, universities, weddings, arts and crafts fairs, churches, rural grange halls and urban summer concerts.

Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $5.00 for students.

Tickets can be bought online at: www.alleghenyriverstone.org or call 724-659-3153 to reserve.


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