Here are Ernie Hawkins and Clint Hoover playing Whinin’ Boy on WRCT’s “Whiskey Before Breakfast” midday Wednesday show with host Richard Gordon (click the link to hear the music)!
See yinz tomorrow night, Saturday September 21, 730pm at First Unitarian Church on Morewood and Ellsworth in Shadyside! Feels like there could be a crowd, so get there early!
Advance (cheaper) tix still on sale at songspace.brownpapertickets.com until tomorrow morning…
We just came back from listening to Blues Legend Ernie Hawkins playing “Soul of a Man” with Harmonica Master Clint Hoover on the Saturday Light Brigade on WRCT Pittsburgh! It was something special, but if you’d like to hear them again before Saturday, tune into Whiskey Before Breakfast (also on WRCT) at 11am on Wednesday, where they’ll play another tune or two before Saturday’s SongSpace show. And then … come on out to this rare Ernie Hawkins performance with Very Special Guest Clint Hoover on harp!
Ernie’s played concerts, clubs, blues and folk festivals, workshops, colleges, museums, parties, fist fights and millennium celebrations all across the United States, Canada, Japan and Europe for years. He appears on Maria Muldaur’s Grammy and Handy nominated and Indie Award winning album “Richland Woman Blues” and he’s played with blues greats like Son House, Mance Lipscomb, Fred McDowell, Jim Brewer, Rev. Gary Davis and many others. He’s has been featured in SingOUT!, Fingerstyle Guitar, Dirty Linen, Acoustic Guitar, Blues Revue and Vintage Guitar magazines. In addition to “A Prairie Home Companion”, he’s appeared on “Mountain Stage” , “Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour” and XM radio.
“Ernie Hawkins is an important link in the unbroken chain of blues and gospel artists. His guitaristry and love of the style is incomparable. From the Rev. Gary Davis into the future with his own style Ernie is one of the special ones!” — Jorma Kaukonen
From pre-war blues to modern jazz, Clint Hoover has delved deep into the musical possibilities of the harmonica. A professional for over 30 years, Clint has lent his talents to movies, commercials, TV news themes, radio, theater, harmonica instruction books and countless CD projects for other artists. Two of his most notable recordings are the all original acoustic jazz CD Dream of the Serpent Dog (made in collaboration with Bobby E. and Jim Chenoweth) and Take Your Time Mr. Brown by the popular jug band-influenced group, The Sugar Kings (led by the highly respected folk musician Cam Waters). Both CD’s received rave reviews internationally. Here in Pittsburgh Clint plays with blues quartet Color Blind Willie and Django Reinhardt-flavored trio Sweet Atmosphere, among many others.
“Clint has a style that virtually transcends the instrument.” — Phil Lloyd, American Harmonica Newsmagazine
$15 advance, songspace.brownpapertickets.com
$20 at the door
$5 discount for students/reduced income.
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, Shadyside, 605 Morewood Avenue, Pgh., 15213. All ages; wheelchair accessible. For more information, 412.621.8008 or uusongspace@gmail.com or uusongspace.com.
Season Tickets to the 2019-2020 Season On Sale Now through September 21 at songspace.brownpapertickets.com! We’ll make sure you have a seat for every performance:
Saturday Sep 21, 2019: Ernie Hawkins – Blues Legend
“From the Rev. Gary Davis into the future with his own style Ernie is one of the special ones!” — Jorma Kaukonen
Saturday Nov 2, 2019: The Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio – Joy, Honesty and Heart
“… from sweet acoustic Appalachian … to brassy New Orleans blues piano, with a bone thrown to Bessie Smith.” — DC Bloom | Lone Star Music Magazine
Saturday Jan 11, 2020: The Afro-Yaqui Music Collective – Here to Disturb the Peace
“… merges indigenous musics with jazz, funk, and hip-hop. The results are thrilling, head-bob-worthy, and deep.” — David Bernado | Recital
Friday Apr 3, 2020: The Early Mays – Entwined, Entrancing Harmonies
“.The warmth emanating from every song and tune is proof that the collaboration is a labour of love. … instrumentalism and harmony singing to make the heart soar.” — Isabel Boothby | UK Old Time News
Saturday May 2, 2020: Joe Crookston – Beauty in a Broken World
“This is not reviewers hype… this guy is flat out good” — Rodger Nichols | The Dalles Oregon Chronicle
We’re thrilled to welcome Blues Legend Ernie Hawkins back to the SongSpace stage!
Ernest Leroy Hawkins was born in Pittsburgh PA in 1947. In the ’50’s he had a paper route, a beagle and a Roy Rodgers harmonica (which he still has somewhere). He first learned country guitar, mandolin, banjo and bones from a guy named Pete who worked on his Uncle’s farm. Ernie was already playing blues as a teenager when he heard a fellow passing through town play Reverend Gary Davis’ “Let Us Get Together”, and he was hooked! Somewhere along the way he earned a PhD in phenomenological psychology, but since the 1980’s he’s devoted himself to ragtime, the country blues, and players like Davis, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Blake, Willie Johnson, Skip James, John Hurt, Leadbelly…
Ernie’s played all across the United States, Canada, Japan and Europe for years, at every stop in the road from “A Prairie Home Companion” to Antone’s to the Madrid Jazz Festival. He appears on Maria Muldaur’s Grammy and Handy nominated and Indie Award winning album “Richland Woman Blues” and he’s played with blues greats such as Son House, Mance Lipscomb, Fred McDowell, Jim Brewer, Rev. Gary Davis and many others. He’s has been featured in SingOUT!, Fingerstyle Guitar, Dirty Linen, Acoustic Guitar, Blues Revue and Vintage Guitar magazines. In addition to “A Prairie Home Companion”, he’s appeared on “Mountain Stage” , “Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour” and XM radio.
“Ernie Hawkins is an important link in the unbroken chain of blues and gospel artists. His guitaristry and love of the style is incomparable. From the Rev. Gary Davis into the future with his own style Ernie is one of the special ones!” — Jorma Kaukonen
Ernie Hawkins
Saturday September 21, 2019
7:30pm
$15 advance, songspace.brownpapertickets.com
$20 at the door
$5 discount for students/reduced income.
First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, Shadyside, 605 Morewood Avenue, Pgh., 15213. All ages; wheelchair accessible. For more information, 412.621.8008 or uusongspace@gmail.com or uusongspace.com.
We can’t wait to get underway!
What a great show we had with The Black Feathers and Guy Russo!! YOU are what make SongSpace possible, and we, and the artists, are so grateful that you support live music! More pictures from the show will be appearing on our Facebook page soon!
We are busy cooking up a great 2019-2020 season but we wanted to let you know what’s still happening in our space this spring! Here it all is:
Friday March 22, 8:00pm: SongSpace’s January performers, Buffalo Rose, clearly had a blast in our sanctuary space… They’re returning on Friday March 22 to release their new single, Rocketship! This will be a full show, with the Buffalo Rose gang joined by Madeline Rae & the Daisy Chain.
Doors at 8pm, BYOB!
Wednesday April 10, 7:30pm: Red Tail Ring at SongSpace Gallery. We’re thrilled to welcome this phenomenal neo-trad duo to our intimate Undercroft Gallery space. Red Tail Ring has performed all over the United States — at The Ark, Club Passim, Caffe Lena, the Indiana Fiddlers Gathering, Wheatland Music Festival, and Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival — and traveled over seas to play in the UK, Denmark, Germany, Finland, and Sweden. They’ll just be getting back from Australia for our show! Details here; $15 admission at the door.
Friday April 12, 7:30pm: Our friends with the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh are preparing their Season Finale concert this April! Performing compositions of Bela Bartok & Jeffrey Nytch, with violinist Ann Moskal, it is bound to be a wonderful concert! Details here; $10 students, $25 general admission.
Saturday May 4, 7:30pm: Emma’s Revolution at SongSpace! We are so lucky to host the dynamic, award-winning, activist duo of Pat Humphries & Sandy O, whose songs have been sung for the Dalai Lama, praised by Pete Seeger, and covered by Holly Near. With beautiful harmonies and genre-defying eclecticism, Emma’s Revolution delivers the energy and strength of their convictions, in an uprising of truth and hope for these tumultuous times. This is a Pittsburgh event! $20 advance, $25 at the door, $5 discount for students/reduced income. Details and Tickets.
Saturday March 30, 7:30pm: And finally, not in our space, but our sister church Sunnyhill Unitarian Church of the South Hills is hosting Christopher Mark Jones, Heather Kropf, Ben Shannon and Brad Yoder “in the round” on Saturday March 30, in their Sunnyhill Live! Concert series. Bound to be great!
The Black Feathers – Ray Hughes and Sian Chandler – are not an Irish band, but they were recognized by Irish World as “ridiculously talented musicians… soaring vocal harmonies along with their disarming sense of humour.” They’re coming to Pittsburgh and SongSpace this Saturday March 9, at 7:30pm.
Pittsburgh favorite Guy Russo is opening. Those who crave a fresh and philosophical take on the soul-quenching lyricism that drives modern folk music are welcome to join Guy’s community, order a rye whiskey, and stick around to tap a toe or two.
Grab a ticket now, and come on out Saturday night for inspiring music and warm friendship, and help chase the March snows away! It’s what Irish World calls “traditional music at its finest”!
$15 Advance / $20 at the door
$5 discount for students / limited income
songspace.brownpapertickets.com
Saturday March 9. Doors 7:00pm, Show 7:30pm, at First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, Shadyside, 605 Morewood Avenue, Pgh., 15213. All ages; wheelchair accessible. For more information, 412.621.8008 or uusongspace@gmail.com
Guy Russo, well-known in Pittsburgh for his work in the duo Broken Fences, is opening for the Black Feathers on March 9. You can find his new EP on bandcamp. This is going to be a great show! Get your tickets now, at songspace.brownpapertickets.com!
Happy New Year to everyone! We have a heck of a lineup for Spring 2019 for you! Check this out (as always, full details at uusongspace.com):
Friday January 11, 7:30pm: A SongSpace, Joy Ike, and Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh Collaboration! The Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh plays the music of Joy Ike (with Joy, Jason and Ryan of course!). Mendelssohn and Higdon will also be on offer. Details and Tickets.
Saturday January 26, 7:30pm: Buffalo Rose at SongSpace. Blues, bluegrass, folk, harmonies, and just damned fun. Details and Tickets.
Saturday February 2, 5:00pm: World Music Festival! This isn’t one of ours but we couldn’t resist telling you about it! Organized by Matthew Tembo, Alba Flamenca and First Unitarian’s Kris Rust. Details and Tickets.
Wednesday February 13, 7:30pm: Danika Holmes with Jeb Hart at SongSpace Gallery. As far as an ‘acoustic duo’ can get from two stools, lightly strummed guitars, and “life done me wrong”, Danika & the Jeb are dynamic, uplifting, and fun, with soulful music woven from artful writing and powerful musical phrasing. Details here; admission at the door.
Saturday March 9, 7:30pm: The Black Feathers at SongSpace. Americana, Folk, and Acoustic Indie Rock sensibilities coexist comfortably in the music of English duo the Black Feathers. Details and Tickets.
Wednesday April 11, 7:30pm: Red Tail Ring at SongSpace Gallery. We’re thrilled to welcome this phenomenal neo-trad duo to our intimate Undercroft Gallery space in April! Details here; admission at the door.
Saturday May 4, 7:30pm: Emma’s Revolution at SongSpace! We are so lucky to host the dynamic, award-winning, activist duo of Pat Humphries & Sandy O, who have sung for the Dalai Lama, been praised by Pete Seeger, and covered by Holly Near. Details and Tickets.
We’re excited to announce that Joe Bray will be joining the Honey Dewdrops, opening their Nov 3 show at SongSpace!!
Advance Tickets: $15 + svc fee
(at brownpapertickets.com)
At the Door: $20
Student/Reduced Inc $5 less.
Saturday Nov 3. Doors 7:00pm, Show 7:30pm, at First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, Shadyside, 605 Morewood Avenue, Pgh., 15213. All ages; wheelchair accessible. For more information,
Looking forward to seeing you there!