Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands

We are extremely pleased to welcome back Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands to our series from Berkeley, California. Laurie is certainly one of the most prominent women of bluegrass today, with her voice, guitar and fiddle, but her songwriting and song interpreting sets her apart from the bluegrass world. She can do a great job on Bill Monroe and Carter family songs, but her originals, from early ones, like Texas Bluebonnets, to recent compositions, like Here Today, prove her to be a substantial songwriter. Fiddler Darol Anger said of her, "Laurie's strength manifests in many ways: her commanding presence on stage combined with an emotional vulnerability, the truths in her lyrics, her physical voice, which transcends gender, her strong commitment to causes and issues in which she deeply believes, which all resonate with a respect for the land, the natural world, and human mercy and justice."

The Right Hands consist of longtime sidekick Tom Rozum, a spectacular mandolinist, singer and guitarist; Southern California's own Patrick Sauber on banjo and vocals; Chad Manning on fiddle; and Susan Gilchrist on upright bass. Their music is a joy to behold.