Jane Voss and Hoyle Osborne (Special Event)

From the corner of New Mexico: A dynamic juxtaposition of tradition and originalityClassic and original American Roots music and ragtime piano.Jane Voss and Hoyle Osborne are a talented musical couple with wide-ranging eclectic tastes, too rarely lured away from their corner of New Mexico. At first glance, Hoyle's lanky frame on the piano stool seems to tower over Jane's horizontal guitar in a way that registers a quick visual caricature, but when they start to play together, the music transcends categories and touches the heart.Singer and songwriter Jane Voss works from a broad palette of American Roots music, moving from old-time country to classic rhythm-and-blues to Celtic-tinged contemporary folk sounds with utter ease and a striking authenticity. Yet her perspective displays a sensibility that is purely of our time. Using direct language, her songs perform a kind of poetic alchemy, transforming grief into triumph. Her large expressive voice can bring forth all the emotion one associates with country music, or compress and focus it like a laser. Some of her songs like "To All My Friends and Far Flung Places" and "The Thing That Makes You Beautiful" have been covered by such other artists as Kate Brislin and Jody Stecher, Dave Van Ronk, and Rosalie SorrelsJane is joined by her long-time partner, pianist extraordinaire Hoyle Osborne, one of the great ragtime pianists of our day. Hoyle has often been found playing classic and original piano rags in the Diamond Belle Saloon in the Colorado mining town of Durango (near their current home in Aztec, N.M.); he has also done a stint as the resident piano player on the Mississippi River paddlewheel steamboat, The Delta Queen. His repertoire ranges from ragtime to boogie-woogie to Harlem stride to Latin American dance tunes. His original pieces have won awards for best new compositions at the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival.Jane Voss & Hoyle Osborne have appeared in concerts and festivals all over North America, and have been featured on several nationally syndicated radio shows, including "All Things Considered," "Fresh Air," and "Mountain Stage." For space information or reservations, or driving or Metro directions, contact Kathie Mack at 301-270-5367. For more information about the performers, contact Charlie Baum at 301-589-6855.