The Winter Wind Committee is pleased to announce the initial lineup for the 14th season of Winter Wind Concerts in the intimate listening room atmosphere of The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave.. The artists listed below will be coming from across the United States to share their outstanding talents with Winter Wind audiences. Additional information and concert tickets are available at www.normandepot.org.
Sept. 29, Jeff Black, 7:00 pm, $20.
Jeff Black's songs have earned Grammy recognition, radio chart-topping stats and numerous BMI awards. Although flying below the radar as a performer himself, he has been recognized by NPR as a musical pioneer in the digital age. Black has forged a reputation as a true folk troubadour entertaining audiences globally for over three decades. A master songwriter and performer in the tradition of the great storytellers, his passionate, soul driven live performances of songs from his vast catalog are not to be missed. Boston's WUMB listeners voted Jeff Black as one of the top 100 most important Folk artists of the last 25 years.
Oct. 20, Smokey & The Mirror, 7:00 pm, $20
Smokey & The Mirror is husband & wife duo Bryan and Bernice Hembree. Based out of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Smokey & The Mirror have toured nationally/internationally over the past decade. They tour most often as a duo, but also play many shows as a four-piece band. Whatever the configuration, the interplay of their two unique voices coupled with engaging, accessible songs, form the foundation of Smokey & The Mirror. It is obvious that they truly treasure what they do, exuding a sense of positive energy right out to the audience.
Nov. 10, Slaid Cleaves, 7:00 pm, $30
Slaid Cleaves' songwriting has never been more potent than on his new album Ghost on the Car Radio, released in June. It is his first release since 2013's Still Fighting the War, which was praised as "one of the year's best albums" by American Songwriter and "carefully crafted...songs about the struggles of the heart in hard times" by the Wall Street Journal. The New York Daily News called his music "a treasure hidden in plain sight," while the Austin Chronicle declared, "there are few contemporaries that compare. He's become a master craftsman.” Described as "terse, clear and heartfelt" (NPR Fresh Air), Cleaves’ songs speak to timeless truths.
Nov.17, Susan Gibson, 7:30 pm, $20
Susan Gibson’s naturally buoyant melodies and warmly reassuring, conversational singing and writing voice light up any song, room, or mood. Her refreshingly clear-eyed perspectives on matters of life, love, work, and loss illuminate a spirit-charging current of resiliency. She's had that in her all along, from her days in the beloved Amarillo, Texas-based Amerciana band the Groobees back in the ’90s and from the get-go of her solo career in 2003. It was all there at the very beginning, when in college she wrote "Wide Open Spaces" which (with a little help from the Dixie Chicks) became one of the biggest country songs of all time. Come hear for yourself!
Nov. 24, Radoslav Lorkovic, 7:30 pm, $20
Drawing from a multitude of influences ranging from elegant classical and jazz styles to the rawest, most basic blues, country and soul, Radoslav Lorković has taken on an unusually broad musical spectrum and refined it into his distinctive piano and accordion style. His tenure on the R&B and folk circuits has culminated in five critically acclaimed solo recordings and numerous appearances on the recordings of, and performances with, many well known artists. His thirty year touring career has led him from the taverns of the upper Mississippi River to the castles of Italy...and to Woody Fest and again to The Depot.
Dec. 15, Nobody’s Girl, 7:00 pm, $20
Nobody’s Girl is a new trio formed by award-winning songwriters Betty Soo, Grace Pettis and Rebecca Loebe. Luscious harmony singers, effortless instrumentalists, seasoned touring artists – they recognized what each can accomplish individually could be made all the stronger by collaboration. The harmonies are thrilling. The songs are powerful and spare. The stage presence confident and assured. Now, the spark has been set, the fire lit and their individual and collective fans are eating it up.
Feb. 23, Chely Wright, 7:00 pm, $25
Richell Rene "Chely" Wright is an American country music singer and activist. On the strength of her 1994 debut album, the Academy of Country Music (ACM) named her Top New Female Vocalist in 1995. By 2010, Wright's seven albums and 19 singles had sold over 1,500,000 copies and 10,000,000 digital impressions in the United States, charted more than fifteen singles on the country charts, and earned a gold album certification. This year, a new EP, titled “Revival” was released in May, and in August Wright made her return to the Grand Ole Opry. Now she is coming to The Depot!
The Depot is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to create and present excellent and innovative fine arts programs for the enrichment and education of the community. For additional information about Winter Wind Concerts, Summer Breeze Concerts in Lions Park, The Depot Gallery, Poetry Readings, Artist Workshops, Drama productions and other programs at The Depot, visit www.normandepot.org or phone 405 307-9320.
Winter Wind Concerts are made possible, in part, by The City of Norman, grants from the Norman Arts Council and Oklahoma Arts Council, and individual and corporate sponsors.