MAY 9th NEWPORT TO NASHVILLE PRESENTS
GRACE MORRISON, GARY FARIAS AND RACHEL MARIE
On May 9, 2019 Newport to Nashville presents a Listening Room concert showcase featuring local songwriters Grace Morrison, Gary Farias and Rachel Marie performing acoustic songs in an intimate setting at the Newport Playhouse & Cabaret Restaurant.
The Newport to Nashville concerts offers a specialty menu as well as a full-service bar for your enjoyment. Doors open at 6:00 pm and the music starts at 7:00 pm. There is no cover for the March 14 event, and a $10 food or drink minimum. More information online at www.newporttonashville.com.
GRACE MORRISON (Wareham, MA)
In a world where we are urged to limit descriptions to hashtags and sound bites it is tempting to describe Grace Morrison as simply: singer-songwriter. But she is so much more. She is pop; she is folk; she is roots; she is country. Hear her music and you’ll be hooked. See her live and you’ll be left wanting more. It has been said that her storytelling “can make you cry; it can make you sing.”
With a career that began as a backup singer for rock icons like Eddie Money and Badfinger’s Joey Molland, Grace has become a regular on the national festival and touring circuit. She has won a number of prestigious awards including the Grand Prize of the New England Songwriting Competition and the Big Break contest where her music video was played on the season finale of American Idol. gracemorrison.com
GARY FARIAS (Tiverton, RI)
Gary grew up with in a house where both parents were musicians. Starting at age 11 he learned his craft on his mother’s 1947 00-18 Martin guitar. His dad, a country steel guitar player, always had other musicians coming through the house. Over the years, Gary gleaned a chord here, a scale there, and eventually became an accomplished musician.
He played his way through college in various country music bands and eventually started his own group with his brother Kevin and hometown friends Joe LePage and Bobby Tavares called Alive n’ Pickin’. Over the years Alive n’ Pickin’ shared the stage with John Hartford, Jon Pousette-Dart band, Crystal Gayle, John Hall, Jesse Winchester, among others. After that group disbanded, Gary continued playing in in trios and duos, becoming more interested in a more acoustic sound.
In 2001, Gary suffered a a near fatal ruptured aneurysm in his ascending aorta. Although the prognosis was grim, Gary survived and continued to work on his music throughout his recovery. His fist post-illness recording was a Christmas music album called Songs From A Rebuilt Heart, dedicated to the people that helped him through his recovery. He has gone on to a successful solo career, concentrating on showcasing his finger-style picking and solo vocals. He has opened for Iris Dement and Cheryl Wheeler as well as headlining clubs and coffee houses throughout New England. In 2008 he co-wrote a CD with his wife Sue called Is There Still Room For Me. www.reverbnation.com/garyfarias
RACHEL MARIE (Boston, MA)
Boston-based and Pennsylvania-raised, Rachel has played at local folk venues me&thee, Club Passim, the Burren and Godfrey Daniels in PA. Over her career Rachel has shared the stage with Cheryl Wheeler, Antje Duvekot, Michelle Lewis, Grace Morrison and the Kennedys. Rachel’s latest full-length album, False Foundations, was released in 2018. Her single “Looking for Light” was featured on an officially curated Spotify playlist the week of its release.
Rachel Marie follows in a tradition of unapologetically forthright women folksingers, with songs that hearken to “overstuffed lines of Tori Amos, philosophical turn of Indigo Girls, and lilting vocals like Joni Mitchell.” The social awareness of folk meets the introspection of the singer-songwriter tradition with a moderate dose of snark. Rachel takes a straightforward and honest approach to songwriting in an effort to foster genuine human connection and encourage empathy through music. Passion for using the power of her voice to shed light on injustice gives rise to poignant poetic statements on subjects from heartbreak and death to police brutality and immigration. An endearingly quirky stage presence as honest as her songs keeps audiences charmed. rachelmarie.com
Newport to Nashville – Newport’s First Listening Room
A monthly evening of music showcasing songwriters performing their own songs.