Innovative Celtic Americana Duo Flower & McLaren Celebrate 24 Years of a Joyful Musical M

Bay Area music legends, Robin Flower and Libby McLaren will perform selections from their extended catalog of original songs and tunes from their 24 year musical marriage. Joining them in the celebration will be electric bass player, Jan Martinelli (Wild Mango, Blazing Redheads); Danny Carnahan (Wake the Dead) on fiddle, bouzouki, guitar and singing; and Peter Maund on percussion for an evening of original tightly arranged, driving, rich Celtic-Americana music.

Multi instrumentalist, songwriter, and performer Robin Flower came to this unlikely duo after many years as the creative founder and driving force of the Robin Flower Band which toured across the United States and Canada time and time again, playing major folk venues and festivals. Robin's music was influenced from her mother's traditional Kentucky roots as well as the rock, folk and later swing of America. She moved seamlessly through these musics, picking up stylistic nuances while playing mandolin, fiddle, and guitar, recording 4 albums for Flying Fish records. New Acoustic Music? Bluewave? Folkgrass? Whatever it was, her recordings and live performances, topical and quirky songwriting ("There are way too many love songs in the world.") and driving instrumentals garnered accolades from Frets Magazine, the VillageVoice, The Boston Globe, Bluegrass Unlimited, Canada's Globe and Mail, and a myriad of other publications. Robin toured in the back up band for the legendary duo Hazel and Alice (Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerard)and legendary guitar player, Elizabeth Cotten.

Libby McLaren grew up listening to swing and jazz as well as her father's Dixieland banjo playing while learning to play the piano. Her singing style developed while singing with the popular California-based jazz fusion band, Night Flyte. The band was signed in New York by GRP Records. After Night Flyte, Libby was busy with a career as an in-demand back-up singer in New York City. She co-wrote the #1Billboard Disco hit, For the Same Man, which is currently experiencing renewed popularity in dance clubs throughout Europe. Five years before her return to California, Libby became an integral member of the three-sister folk super-group, The Roches, as the keyboard player and 4th singer. With her return to the San Francisco Bay Area, Libby became the pianist and singer with the celebrated Ronnie Gilbert of The Weavers. She has also recorded with Nobel Peace Prize nominee singer-activist Holly Near.

And then came an unusual and compelling opportunity: Team up with Bay Area innovator Robin Flower! The compelling musical result has been a fresh, original and transformational approach to the world of Folk, Ethnic, Celtic and Americana genres. Together they have recorded four albums; two of which "Steelhead in the Riffles" and "Twenty Years-Twenty Rivers " have had extensive National and International airplay. Combining inventive instrumental prowess on piano, fiddle, accordion, mandolin, and guitar and the intertwining of richly textured vocal harmonics Flower and McLaren have created a unique brand of Folk Fusion.

Join Flower and McLaren in rejoicing 24 years of an adventurous musical collaboration! Witness Libby's prowess on accordion as she scat/vocalizes fiddle tunes and Robin's skillful sizzling of fiddle, mandolin and guitar strings. You will find yourself in the musical company of two of Celtic Americana’s most vastly creative and accomplished artists. Flower and McLaren continue to find their collective voice through their love of song and tune writing, traditional Irish instrumental music and staying close to their early musical roots. Come for the music, come for the joy, come for the community!