For those that have read the last two editions of Minkin’s Music, this month follows the trend of yet another great local band releasing a very cool record. Following Brent Kirby and Kate Tucker in this trilogy is a trio called Hey Mavis.
Hey Mavis was formed in 2008 as part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Artist-In-Residence program that the group just completed. The band is lead by vocalist Laurie Michelle Caner on banjo, husband Ed Caner on viola and fiddle, and Sarah Benn on the upright bass and vocals. Some of you may recognize Laurie and Sarah as members of another trio called The Rhondas. Ed is a full-time lecturer in the Department of Physics and the Director of the Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Program (STEP) at Case Western Reserve University. His credits as an author include Fiddling for Classical Stiffs and Fiddling for Classical Kids. Sarah also goes by the nickname “Mavis Peachtree” and that’s how the band coined it’s name.
The rootsy Americana hill country sound of Hey Mavis has just released their debut record Red Wine. The album was produced by Don Dixon, who was behind the controls for many artists, most notably REM. The sweet vocal harmonies of Laurie and Sarah blend with Ed’s viola profunda sound effects to give the trio a big, fat sound on the collection of all original material. Highlights include “Knock Me Off My Feet”, “If I Want To”, “Red Light”, and the title track. Sarah wrote the song “New Seattle” after hearing a NYC cab driver’s response for her hometown of Akron.
For additional show listings, visit www.heymavis.com along with their Myspace and Facebook pages.
