15-Piece Orchestra of local all-star musicians to perform holiday tunes at Lakewood
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Kelly Brown leads Local Honey
Local Honey’s Holiday Mix Show, featuring a 15-piece all-star electric pop-orchestra, will return for its sixth year on Friday, Dec. 16, 2011 at 8 p.m. at the historical Lakewood Theater, 1825 Abrams Parkway, in East Dallas. Admission is $20 at the door or online at http://lakewoodtheater.com. Proceeds will benefit Joni & Friends International Disability Center. Singer songwriters Cary Cooper and her husband Tom Prasada-Rao will open. Call 214-821-7469 for more information. Visit this link to hear one of the songs: promos.studiohoney.com/Holiday.
Local singer/songwriter Kelly Brown, leader of Local Honey, has mixed star musicians fiddler Reggie Rueffer (Charley Pride, and the Rueffer Brothers), guitarist Chad Rueffer (of the Rueffer Brothers), drummer Earl Darling (of El Cento), bassist Dave Prez (of El Cento), keyboardist William Foley, vocalist Kim Brown Cain, classical guitarist Mack Price, percussionist/drummer Davis Bickston, violinist Kathleen Parsons, cellist George D’Ascenzo (of Ensemble Pro Musica), flautist David Castell, trumpeter Bruce Richardson (of Inner-City Allstars), saxophonist David Smith, and a guest appearance by trumpeter Freddie Jones.
The holiday concert repertoire will include classic pieces as well as pop, big band favorites, and original tunes. Get in the holiday spirit by logging on to www.localhoney.org. For press information, contact Taylor-Made Press, Lisa Taylor, 214-914-1099, taylormadepress@gmail.com.
About The Musicians
Davis Bickston has been the drummer and percussionist for Loop 12, Mildred, the Enablers, and Spot.
In the ‘90s, Kelly Brown was the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for the band Frankly Scarlet. Frankly Scarlet received national airplay and garnered interest from major record labels. Kelly has won songwriting awards from Billboard and Musician magazines, and has been honored with guest invitations to the Kerrville Folk Festival and Telluride New Folk Festival. She can be heard as the voice on CNN, and various television and radio commercials. She has performed with Bonnie Raitt and Sarah McLachlan; and has opened for David Bowie, Joan Osborne, Lisa Loeb, Earth, Wind and Fire and others. Her music has had national radio airplay, been played on NBC’s Dateline as well as the soundtracks for various indiefilms.
Kim Brown Cain has performed as a singer, songwriter and percussionist with various rock bands including Frankly Scarlet, with her sister Kelly.
David Castell is an American record producer, musician, and recording engineer based in Dallas, Texas. Castell’s recording career spans nearly three decades; his work with many major record labels and independent labels alike includes both platinum-selling national recording artists and unsigned regional acts, and a wide range of musical genres.
Earl Darling, is the drummer for numerous bands and projects in the D/FW area, including Spot, Jackopierce, the Backsliders and most recently El Cento.
George D’Ascenzo grew up in Fort Worth and has played cello since elementary school and began playing electric cello with the band Space Opera while attending UNT. He has played classical music with local ensembles and also with groups in Pennsylvania and New Zealand. As for his amplified adventures, George has played with various folk influenced bands as well as with local singer-songwriter Rhett Butler. (He can be heard on Rhett’s CD “In This World”.)
William Foley, a pianist and composer, performs in Dallas and nationally with musicians as varied and talented as Bill Tillman, Shelly Carol, Drew Phelps and John Adams. Mr. Foley is a graduate of the University of North Texas College of Music with a degree in jazz studies. He has also studied with Kenny Werner, Sanford Gold and at Columbia University.
Freddie Jones is a popular jazz trumpet player and composer in the D/FW metroplex. Mr. Jones has shared the stage with David Sanborn, Freddie Hubbard, Chuck Mangione, George Benson and Najee. On the side, Jones produces fundraisers to buy trumpets for high school band students.
Kathleen Parsons lives in Richardson, where she is active in the music program at the First United Methodist Church. She rings in an adult handbell choir, coordinates and directs the Children’s and Youth Bell Choirs, and serves as the accompanist for the Children’s Choirs. Kathleen sings in and serves as the warm-up pianist for the Chancel Choir. She plays the violin with the Chancel Choir, in the church orchestra, and performs as a soloist for weddings and events in the Dallas area.
Mack Price is an accomplished musician and composer, who has produced music for a variety of media projects ranging from soaring orchestral tracks to hard-core industrial electro acid grooves. As a freelance composer for the Stephen Arnold Group, he has composed and co-produced the theme music for Peter Jennings in Search of America, National Geographic, Showbiz Tonight and more.
Chad and Reggie Rueffer crank out hard driving honky-tonk custom built for sawdusted dance floors. Check out the Insiders’ album “Me & My Heart & My Shoes” as well as Chad’s most recent release “Be Where You Are Now.” Reggie currently tours with Charley Pride and has fiddled with the likes of Ray Price, Johnny Bush, Jake Hooker, and Darrell McCall over the years. Also check out Reggie’s art-rock powerhouse combo the Ho Chi Men. Chad Rueffer moved back to Texas in 2000 and began picking with Speedtrucker (Motherfu**er!) and continues to work with Michael Cox on occasional Dallas gigs. Chad is also working with singer/songwriter Randy Brown when Charley Pride steals Reggie away.
Tom Prasada-Rao and Cary Cooper are award-winning singer-songwriters (including the Kerrville New Folk Competition) and currently are featured on the new nationally televised docu-drama, “Troubadour, Tx” (airing on KTXA locally).
About the Beneficiary
Joni and Friends is an international Christian ministry serving individuals and families affected by disability. The Dallas/Ft. Worth office works alongside churches to reach out to those in need of hope and encouragement. Through programs such as Family Retreats, Wheels for the World, and Special Delivery, churches and individuals have opportunities to profoundly impact the lives of those who are the “least and the last” in the world. For information, please call 972-941-4525 or visit www.joniandfriends.org.