Two fine songwriters with deep roots in American music, Mayne Smith and Johnny Harper are compelling singers whose contrasting styles complement each other in intriguing ways in this exciting new group. Mayne's adventurous dobro solos and acoustic rhythm guitar parts and Johnny's tasty fills and burning electric guitar solos add spice to the musical mix. Supporting the two tonight is rock-solid bass player Markie Sanders, whose voice fills out the group's rich three-part harmonies.

Mayne and Johnny, off-and-on musical collaborators since the early 1980s, share decades of experience in a wide range of roots musical styles. Mayne's background in bluegrass and honky-tonk country is evident in his sound, but he is also a tough, authoritative blues player and singer. Johnny's years of playing Southern R&B, blues, gospel, and roots-rock styles are enhanced by his lifelong involvement in traditional folk music. In the new group, these influences mix in surprising ways, adding up to a fresh, provocative, and thoroughly enjoyable journey through the many overlapping languages of American music.

Storyteller-in-song and multi-instrumentalist par excellence, Ray Bierl fiddles, strums, and sings his way through a nifty collection of songs in a variety of classic American styles, from rockabilly to old-time, from bluegrass to Tinpan Alley, with accompaniment by musical compadres including pianist Charlie Hancock and the inimitable Markie Sanders.

Perhaps best known to Freightgoers for his work with the eclectic Bay Area contradance bands, Hillbillies From Mars and Swing Farm, Ray is also a longtime folksinger with a impressively broad repertoire. Tonight, it is Ray's command of the song that takes the spotlight, alluringly described by Tom Waits in his liner notes for Ray's CD Any Place I Hang My Hat: "No one knows how to weave you into a song quite like Ray Bierl. The music on this record is down home elegant. You can hear the highway in his voice. From road dust to Stardust and every town in between."