 The Claire Lynch Band Will Perform May 2nd Corsair Concert By any measure, Claire Lynch is high on the bluegrass world’s A-List, with accolades that include three International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Female Vocalist of the Year awards, two GRAMMY nominations and a recent win for IBMA Song of the Year for the title track from her latest release "Dear Sister". Claire and her elite band will be showcasing their virtuosity on stage in Tawas City on Saturday evening, May 2nd, as part of the Corsair Concert Series. The 7:30 p.m. concert will take place at the Tawas United Methodist Church Family Center. Calling someone a “singer’s singer” is often an overused and under-deserved cliche. In Claire Lynch’s case, it’s an understatement. She’s well known in the hearts of many of the premier singers of our time. Individually, the women of the legendary trio - Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt - have all called upon Claire to add her crystalline harmonies to their solo projects, as has master singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester. When Patty Loveless recorded her first No. 1, “If My Heart Had Windows,” her harmony singers were Claire and a guy named Vince Gill. A gifted songwriter as well, her songs have been recorded by Patty Loveless, The Seldom Scene, Kathy Mattea, Cherryholmes and many others. Lynch led the acclaimed Alabama-based Front Porch String Band for many years before forming her own Claire Lynch Band. She’s well known as a bluegrass bandleader and her current lineup is her strongest yet, featuring like-minded musicians blending tradition and innovation - two-time IBMA-winning bassist-clawhammer banjo player-dancer-percussionist Mark Schatz, mandolinist-guitarist-vocalist Jarrod Walker and 21-year-old string wizard Bryan McDowell, who at 18, won an unprecedented Triple Crown at Winfield, Kansas - taking first place honors in the flatpicking guitar, mandolin and fiddle contests. “There’s wonderful live chemistry in this band,” she says. “Granted, the show is focused around me, but it speaks volumes of what we create together.” Her bluegrass bona fides include winning numerous International Bluegrass Music Association awards, but she continues expanding her musical vision, incorporating swing, vintage country, old-timey, Celtic and delicate singer-songwriter balladry. In 2012, Claire’s long history at the creative forefront of bluegrass and acoustic music earned her a very rare honor, The United States Artists Fellowship. Presented by the philanthropic organization of the same name, the $50,000 grant is given to only 50 of 300 candidates exclusively invited to apply. Awards are presented annually in eight categories - dance, theater, visual arts, media, literature, crafts, architecture and music. Claire was among seven musicians given the Fellowship that year. Since its founding in 2005, only two other bluegrass or country musicians have been so honored - previous winner, resonator guitarist Rob Ickes and fellow 2012 honoree, banjoist Tony Trischka. (click on the video for a sampler of Claire's songs)  Claire Lynch has a voice like an angel. But a very complicated angel, one fluent in the complete vocabulary of human emotion. She has all the basic tools that make a great singer - impeccable pitch, tone and phrasing - but what truly sets her apart is the way she harnesses her considerable gifts to express the feeling as well as the meaning of a song. And she does it so compellingly, we feel it just as vividly. Claire Lynch's distinctive voice resonates with power and strength, yet retains an engaging innocence and crystalline purity. In 2014, Digital Journal.com listed Claire as “One of the 10 Best Angelic Voices of Our Time”. She shared that honor with such luminaries as Judy Collins, Alison Krauss, Sarah McLachlan, Martina McBride, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. In January 2013, after a long, successful stint with Rounder Records, Claire signed a recording deal with esteemed Nashville roots label Compass Records, called by Billboard Magazine, “...one of the greatest independent labels of the last decade.” She then released the ninth solo recording of her career titled "Dear Sister". By Summer, the album had reached the #1 position on the Roots Music Reports Top 50 Bluegrass Chart seven times and the title track was honored as "Song of the Year" at the 2014 IBMA Awards. The Claire Lynch Band will be performing in Tawas City on May 2nd. Advance tickets ($15) for the concert are available at Nordic Sports in East Tawas. Proceeds from the concert series are used to maintain and operate the Corsair Skiing and Hiking Trails in the Huron National Forest. For advance tickets and further information call (989) 362-2001.  | Return Home | Clothing & Outerwear | Footwear | Cross Country Skiing | Corsair Ski Trail Conditions | Kayaking & Canoeing | Hiking & Backpacking | Tawas Bird & Nature Observation | AuSable River Fly Fishing | Events Schedule | Links | Contact Us | Employment | Claire Lynch Band in Concert | |
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