2023 Fete de la Musique Musicians

An inspiring display of passion, creativity, and fierce chops, multi-instrumentalist Tiffany Christopher has been electrifying stages around the country – energizing crowds with her innate power and finesse. TC engages her audience with physicality, off-the-cuff humor, and a high impact performance; her work ranges from folk-rock and alternative-americana to hip hop and rhythm and blues.

Stages lit up include: Arise Music Festival, WinterWondergrass, Tuscon Folk Festival, NAMM, Campout For The Cause, Wakarusa, Hotel Cafe in LA, Uptown Theater in KC and many more. With notes of early Jagger and the roots of Brandi Carlile, TC’s energy takes her audience to a place that’s edgy, hilarious and just plain mind-blowing.

Christopher has been chosen to support such acts as Brandi Carlile
, Ani DiFranco, Martin Sexton, Tim Reynolds, Michael Franti, Regina Spektor, Todd Snider and Jethro Tull. She's been fortunate to share the stage with the Indigo Girls
, The Shook Twins, Daniel Rodriguez, Vince Hermann of Leftover Salmon, Bridget Law formerly of Elephant Revival, Lindsay Lou, Lez Zeppelin and many more.

Peach Street Revival is a 4-piece female-dominated rock band from Grand Junction, Colorado. Classic rock, blues,
and punk inspire the band’s original sound. The band members are Gonzales (vocals/harmonica), Sofia Benham
(drums/vocals), Jordan Will (bass/piano/vocals), and Cooper Bradley Shull (guitar). The band gives a rockin’
performance of their original songs and covers some of the greats; Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones,
Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Rush, Queen, and the like!

Traditional Mariachi Music

Soul Acoust-i-funk Musician Harmonica technician from the
Rocky Mountains

Great music should do three things- connect you to the past, inspire you to envision the future, and find you wholly in the present moment. Roma Ransom does all three. Their repertoire includes old-time traditional ballads like Shady Grove and St.James Infirmary as well as sounds from European cultures, mainly that of Romania (hence the duo's name) yet the music of Roma Ransom is distinctly their own. The sultry sweetness of Grace Easley on vocals paired with the couples' vast instrumental array combine to form a style that can fit the mood for any setting. The couple was trained classically from an early age, (Grace on violin/viola, Gordon on guitar) making them an excellent choice for weddings and banquets in addition to their usual venues, namely restaurants, coffee shops and pubs.

Playing music about life, love, joy and pain, Old Man Polly started playing music in a garage on Moffat street five years ago. Old Man Polly is made up of Polly, the vocalist, and Dave the rhythm guitar player, and Pat Ormond the lead guitar player/sometimes vocalist. With a wide variety in musical influences OMP draws their songs from the artists and musical styles they all love. With little regard for the style, age, or genre, OMP focuses on both contemporary and traditional music. Some influences include;  Fleetwood Mac, Amy Winehouse, Neil Young, and Tracy Chapman.  Polly, Pat, and Dave are thrilled to play for you today to share what unites us all, music. 

Vocal synesthisia ; color and sound in a collision of space & time. 
Ethereal, electro-sensual, intentional, she paints the spirit world in poetry and experimental Dali soundscapes

Vocalist of Loki Moon & Hello Dollface
Founder of iAM MUSIC 

Coral Skye has been singing since she was five, performing onstage at Magic Circle Theatre, and always wanted to be able to create and play music. A senior in High School, only seventeen, she reached that first goal bringing you her first recordings. She has since progressed with her pop acoustisoul style of music, recording videos posted to Youtube and giving goosebumps with her voice all over the Western slope. Many musicians that have inspired her are Jennifer Hudson, The Wooten brothers, Stevie Nicks, Martin Sexton, amongst many musicians in various genres. 

BLUES, FUNK, JAZZ VOCALIST AND GUITARISTA legend in the making, Kipori Woods is a Blues, Funk and Jazz Master vocalist and guitarist from New Orleans. Schooled under the direction of Ellis Marsalis, this fledgling 'blues man from down south' has won OffBeat Magazine's Best New Blues Artist the past two years running. Kipori has also been nominated for a Big Easy Award as well as Best Song by the Offbeat Awards.With his second album the man they call 'Baby Wolf' takes his fans on a musical trek, telling his story, from 'The Day I Started playing the Blues' to the 'Hard Times' and his aspirations for a 'Big Black Cadillac'.Kipori Woods is a young blues guitarist rich with the wisdom of ages. Early in his promising career, Kipori shows the maturity and control of a seasoned veteran and has the guitar chops to match.Kipori perfected his high-energy performance in numerous New Orleans nightclubs. His soaring set with Davell Crawford at the 1999 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage remains the talk of the town. Kipori has also toured extensively throughout the U. S. and Europe. He has shared the stage with notables such as The Neville Brothers, Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis, Kermit Ruffins, Trombone Shorty, Dr. John as well as toured with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band for almost two years.In 1998, Kipori's self-produced debut CD, "Blues Man From Down South," garnered enthusiatic support from local and national reviewers. The CD Sizzled with kipori's clever urban blues and featured a rich texture that included hints of New Orleans funk, soul swamp groove and jazz. However, 'The Baby Wolf' has matured, giving him a sound of his own and labeling him as one of the Big Easy's premiere blues performers. 

Doug and Heather say, "We like to leave the category of music we fall into for someone else to say..."throw down your heart" and "serve the song" are sentiments that we keep in mind when we bring our voices, guitars, and the upright bass to bare on a good story.....a heartfelt ballad...a fun romp... if we can find a harmony and figure out a way to play it, anything is fair game. we love to share live music with our friends both old and new...

Stefan grew up just outside of New York City on an artist's community in Rockland County, NY with his world renowned Medieval and Renaissance musician parents who both taught and performed across the globe. He and his three brothers were raised in music and music has been, and remains, integral to his life and being.

Stefan graduated Magna Cum Laude from the prestigious Berkee College of Music in Boston and has performed with rock, rhythm and blues, funk, disco, club date, doo wop and jazz bands. His own unique jazz-bluesy style incorporates many of these genres with influences from Hendrix, Clapton, Larry Carlton, Robben Ford, Wes Montgomery and Charlie Parker. His youngest son, in fact, is named Wes.

Currently performing on the West Slope of Colorado and beyond with two bands playing Disco and Afro Cuban Music, Stefan can also be seen performing Jazz Standards on his “Fat Bodied” mellow toned jazz guitar. A chef and musician, Stefan believes that food and music are the creative world wonders that bring people together.

Alto and Tenor Saxophonist Yasuo "Yaz" Ishikawa is dedicated to delivering the best straight-ahead jazz performances for studio recordings and live events.

Having studied jazz saxophone and theory under Denver jazz legend George Keith for more than 10 years, Yaz began performing in the Denver area in 2004. Conducted by jazz pianist extraordinaire Justin Adams at the Broadway School of Music in Denver, Yaz performed with a few different ensembles around the Denver area. 

He recorded his first CD, The G.K. Story, featuring original tunes by himself and George Keith and a performance by The SoBo Four jazz quartet in June 2013. His second CD of his and Keith's originals, Resurrection, was also recorded with The SoBo Four and released in October 2015.

Chai Colorado spent his youth in the remote village of Lake City, Colorado
where sweeping mountain scapes and endless valleys & peaks helped craft his unique acoustic folk style and sound.
After his youth, travelling over 14 years through 40+ countries further inspired the musical journey that is still happening to this day. 
Chai has been inspired by many artists along the way and brings a unique relaxing vibe through his music and a touch of rhythm from mountains and distant lands.

David Nunn is a local guitarist with deep roots in the blues-rock genre. Do you like The Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton, SRV, ZZ Top? You’ll like David. He performs from a list of over 900 songs, so no set is ever the same. An experienced player, he has his 10,000 hours in, many times over.

Sweet T & Lady V, a lively duo originating from Grand Junction, is excited to bring their unique blend to beautiful Ridgway. Combining the sounds of their guitar and mandolin along with honeyed harmonies, Sweet T & Lady V is a band that will surely elevate any event.

Karen Mercer is a Colorado based singer/songwriter. She grew up in a large singing Irish Catholic family. 

After touring with her all girl band "GOTTA BE GIRLS" for 20 years she stepped out on her own in 2014 to write - sing and perform more of her own music. 

She has played far and wide....from Colorado to Philadelphia to Nashville to Tucson to Dallas and Mexico and Ireland! 

She loves to travel with her music and perform for small intimate audiences to share the stories behind the songs!

Jim Pettengill and John Ast met at a dinner at the Ouray, Colorado Elks Lodge several years ago and discovered that they both played saxophone.  Since that time, both have played regularly with the Montrose community concert band and Saxophone Ensemble and the Lake City Stinger concert band.  Jim also plays with Alive in the Woods, a local classic rock, blues and country band, and has played with jazz and country bands in New Mexico prior to retirement.  John has also played with the Sun City Arizona concert band.
Jim and John also began arranging and playing duets to prerecorded background tracks, forming the Two Tenors to play for nonprofits and private parties such as dinners and birthdays.  They play a wide variety of music from the ‘50s through the ‘90s.  Although two tenor saxes feature in many of their songs, both players also have soprano, alto and baritone horns, so their performances feature a variety of saxes.  They have played for the Ouray County Historical Society, Ouray Elks lodge, Ouray County Chorus concerts and private parties at venues including the Beaumont Hotel, Wright Opera House, Sherbino Theater, and the Ouray County 4H Center.

Fun music with Kevin McCarthy & Kenny Mihelich! They play jazz music for the soul…simple as that!

Hello World. 
We are Gratisfaction.
To begin, Thank you! Thank you all eternally! 

Gratisfaction is a 4 piece, Alt rock, post-rock ensemble based out of beautiful Colorado. The band was formed in late 2022 and members include Shaheed S.(Vocals), Tyler K.(Bass), Taylor M.(Guitar), and Jordan S.(Drums). Everyone has extremely eclectic musical backgrounds and tastes. The variety of our setlists speaks to our wide range of influences. We take inspiration from everything around us. Although we enjoy rubbing our funk on songs that we love to play, we love composing original tunes even more!  Influences in no specific order; The Joy Formidable, Fleetwood Mac, Styx, Rush, Bob Marley, Periphery, The Used, The Contortionist, Dirty Heads, GreenDay, Jinjer, Prince, Rage Against the Machine, Foo Fighters, Eminem, Weezer, Dance Gavin Dance, Van Halen, 311.

  We have lots of titles, as we are dads, husbands, newlyweds, musicians, and friends. But, first and foremost we are human beings. We understand this is true of all of you as well! 
 
  Gratisfaction is not just the name of our band, it is a state of being. It is OUR STATE OF BEING. We wanted our personalities to be the name that binds us together.
1.Grateful. Grateful for every moment. We are grateful to wake up, surrounded by beauty. Not just because of where we live, but also because of who we surround ourselves with. Grateful because our families do this with us. Grateful for every struggle, mistake, and future mistakes. 
2. Satisfied. We are full of satisfaction! Satisfaction is the "fulfillment of one's wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure derived from this''. Let it be known that; this is a fulfillment of our wishes and dreams, we meet each other's expectations and needs, and great pleasure is derived from every part of this!
It is our vision and mission to spread peace, love, and positivity everywhere we go!
We are filled with Gratisfaction to know all of you!
 

"CONTACT HIGH" is the newest local Ridgway band that will energize audiences with songs no other group is doing.  Kate and Kashka sing with powerful emotionally-charged voices while DJ, a multi talented musician, lays out riffs on his guitar, and Diane funnels the rhythm on electric bass guitar.  The result is increased endorphins in listeners, maybe even getting a Contact High!

Kate's soul first got "lit" at the age of 3 1/2 when she created the show "Rise & Shine Sleepy Joe" and charged the adults so she could send money to the missionaries in Africa. Little did she know how relevant that song would still be today.  Since then she's worked as dancer, singer and actress all over the world and now here in the town she loves, Ridgway. You may have seen her in Sherbino Night Live, All My Sons, Godspell and Vagina Monologues. Today, she hopes to share a Contact High with all the beautiful people in Ridgway.  

Kashka got her first Contact High at the age of 4 with Rainbows in the Sky; birds were flying high! She realized then that God had created everything just so she could sing these happy happy songs of joy... to you!  And can she sing with emotion and energy !!

Diane started playing guitar with bands in high school then college, with political and social movements of the times inspiring her.  After retiring from the C.C. Schools, she switched to electric bass guitar.  What inspires her is that music is the language of people, defining cultures and uniting mankind.  Plato said that “music...gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything”.

DJ has played various instruments, like guitar, bass, being a percussionist, since he was a child. He's presently writing songs and collaborating with other local musicians for a new sound and experience.  His rhythm guitar and lead riffs provides part of steady rhythmic pulse and supplies the harmonic impulse to songs, carrying them to a full dynamism. 

Ninah Hunter recently returned to singing and playing guitar for audiences after a 40-year hiatus.  She has performed the last couple of summers in Ridgway for First Fridays at different venues and last year’s Noel Night.  You may have also seen her in a couple of musical plays in Ridgway, including Shrek! and Godspell.  Music is still mostly a happy hobby for her, although she is serious about improving her musical skills and expanding her repertoire which extends from pop, soft rock, folk, to jazz, standards, and blues.  She’ll be performing a set for this year’s Fête de La Musique in front of her house.

Born and raised in Colorado, Alex began taking piano lessons at age five.  He currently studies with Katy Kristoffersen and enjoys playing classical and ragtime music.  He recently played with the Valley Youth Orchestra, and has participated in the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music’s summer Jazz Academy. He has also been asked to play piano for numerous local events, including for church, introductory background music for the local school’s Music Performance nights, and Ridgway’s Noel Night; and was invited to play trumpet with the High School Band and Pep Band.  He hopes to eventually study music and engineering and looks forward to seeing where music might take him.  When not busy practicing, you will find him running, learning to fly fish, studying drones, or playing video games with friends and family.

Jake Garduno vocals,guitar,and harmonica,Tom Decker vocals,guitar,and dobro and brother Mike Decker on mandolin..they play cover songs but with their own stylings of country,bluegrass and in between.