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ORANGE BEACH PARKS AND RECREATION
SCHEDULE - MUSICIANS AND SONGWRITERS STAGE
Musical arts will be a highlight of this year’s festival, as the Musicians & Songwriters Stage features artists in a variety of genres performing original work. From “trop rock” to native American influences, these local and regional musicians will bring their unique talents to this special waterfront venue. From contemporary to classic, the music will include jazz, blues, rock and country sounds and is sure to be a memorable part of the festival experience.
Brent Burns was born in Oklahoma, raised in Arizona and arrived in Gulf Shores, Alabama in 1972. This son of the desert has become the poet laureate of the beach and has been named the 2011 Trop Rock Entertainer of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. In 2008, Burns won three awards in the first ever Trop Rock Music Awards. Burns won “Entertainer of the Year,” “CD of the Year (for “Ragtops and Flip Flops”)” and a special WAVE award for his charitable work. 2010 brought more Trop Rock Music awards, CD and Song of the Year for “I’ve Got A Beach in My Backyard” and Songwriter of the Year.
This legendary singer and songwriter is also known as humorist. Burns was all over the national scene in recent years with his songs and videos, “Pain At The Pump” and “Drill, Drill, Drill.” His 80’s hit “Cheaper Crude or No More Food” sold 200,000 copies the day it was released and climbed the Billboard Charts. Burns has had five other nationally charted records.
A twice wounded, Purple Heart winning combat veteran, Burns also has the distinction of being the first American entertainer to perform for troops overseas after the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Burns’ philanthropic projects have continued throughout the years. A portion of his CD sales goes to charities including the American Cancer Society, Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, and Habitat for Humanity. Burns’ Habitat tribute song, “Build Them A House,” is available for free download on his website.
Ed Williams has performed professionally since high school days. He's played with rock bands, jazz bands, show bands, country bands; he's had duos, trios, quartets, and quintets, and played a single act. He's taught music for over thirty years and believes that one can never stop learning, so he keeps on. Ed played with many greats in his rock and roll years and has performed in shows with Johnny Cash, The Drifters, The Platters and Sam Cooke. He’s also performed with jazz greats Roy Eldridge and Jeremy Stagg. He's opened concerts for Ramsey Lewis, Freddy Hubbard and Loonis McGlohon. He's played jazz concerts in Charlotte, Charleston, Sarasota, Pensacola, Panama City, Seaside, Destin and surrounding area and has performed in numerous jazz clubs. Ed has done studio work in North and South Carolina. He's also produced numerous radio jingles and his own CDs in his Florida studio.
Gulf Coast Singer/Songwriter Lisa Christian has been described as "An unholy cross between Diana Krall and Ani DiFranco." Lisa Christian has spent the past decade plying her clever songs, lush vocal skills, phenomenal guitar talent, and witty stage repartee as a full-time nightclub musician throughout the southeastern United States.
Her music is influenced by the soul she grew up listening to in Philadelphia where she spent her teen years sneaking into local bars to play, and by her early 20s she was working at clubs in downtown Philly and the Jersey shore, honing her unique soulful sound and unusual guitar style. In 1995, she moved to Atlanta, where she teamed with singer/songwriter Lisa Durand in the duo Christian/Durand. Their innovative songwriting and harmonious vocal blend was a hit in Atlanta, and they performed at the 1996 Summer Olympics and the Lillith Fair, in addition to a full schedule of nightclub dates. The duo toured extensively, opening for Bonnie Raitt, Sarah McLachlan, Queen Latifah, Tony Joe White, America, Marty Stuart and others.
Lisa Zanghi performed locally in the 70’s and 80’s at various nightclubs in the Mobile, AL area. Some of her early influences include Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Bonnie Raitt. All of which have a major affect to her unique style. She moved to Nashville, TN in 1993 to pursue her musical career. In 1998 she was hired to play piano and sing backup for country music star Doug Stone. Lisa has written and co-written many songs, one of which was recorded by Doug Stone.
In 2005 after touring with Doug Lisa moved back to the Mobile area to be with her family. Her style can be described as adult contemporary with a bluesy, jazz influence. Lisa has published three of her own CD’s, A Woman Does Too and Brighter Days, and A Different Side of Me
Roman Street is an internationally trained instrumental band based out of the Mobile, AL area specializing in improvisational fusion of Classical, Gypsy and Contemporary Jazz, Latin, Funk, and Nuevo Flamenco. A departure from the over-produced music that is out there today, they keep it simple—the beautifully organic sound of acoustic instruments played by talented people who love what they are doing. Roman Street has opened concerts/festivals for international sensations George Benson, The Gipsy Kings, Ziggy Marley, Boney James, Dave Koz, The Rippingtons, Earl Klugh, Jesse Cook, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
When Sugarcane Jane makes music, heads bob, feet tap, smiles spread, and hearts beat just a little faster. Truly, the musical sugar the band produces is indeed so fine. The alchemy of Alabama’s own Anthony Crawford and Savana Lee Crawford yields mystically sweet, organic harmonies which are both accessible and familiar, while at the same time intuitive and distinctly their own. Whether singing original works (like Louisiana, Butterfly, and Sugar) or putting their down home sound on familiar classics (ranging from an incredibly playful and fun Hot Rod Lincoln to a spontaneous rendition of Roger Miller’s Dang Me or a dreamily mellow and psychedelic Midnight Rider), Sugarcane Jane’s appeal cuts across generations and appeals to a wide audience. If it’s your first time to hear Sugarcane Jane, you’ll find yourself saying, “Wow, who are these guys? They’re good.” If you are familiar with their work, you’ll overhear such comments and smile knowingly as you remember the exact time and place you first stumbled onto the band.
CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION: 251.981.2787.
The Friends of the Arts, Inc. is a private non-profit organization providing financial and volunteer support for the Orange Beach Center’s programs including the Orange Beach Festival of Art.
As a Friend, your membership supports the Center’s Gallery, community outreach and education programs. Your gift demonstrates your appreciation for the important role the arts play in our lives and our community and ensures a bright future for the Arts on Alabama’s Gulf Coast.
Because of our patrons' membership in the Friends organization, The Orange Beach Art Center has been able to expand education programs and reach out to an ever increasing and more diverse community of life-long learners.
Become a Friend today and join the members who are enjoying the benefits and the satisfaction of supporting the arts. Join our circle of Friends today!
CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION: 251.981.2787.