Minturn's concert series kicks off Thursday
Billy Franklin brings a wealth of talent from the Big Easy to Minturn Thursday, including Doug Dietrich on bass (Karl Denson, Big Sam's Funky Nation), Michael Jenner on saxophone (Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes), and Gabriel Velasco on drums and percussion (E.O.E).
MINTURN — Step off the beaten path Thursday as Minturn kicks off the first of the 2011 Minturn Concert Series. Concerts will be held at Little Beach Park and Amphitheater, a beautiful setting in the shadow of the Lionshead and on the Eagle River. Bring a picnic dinner and enjoy some great music in an amazing setting. Billy Franklin's NOLA LIVE! kicks off the series.
Billy Franklin (leader of New Orleans' based band E.O.E) has begun to play more and more under his own name over the last few of years.
“It is just a way to branch out,” says Franklin, “to take every opportunity that comes my way and explore different styles and play with more people.”
Franklin's NOLA Live is collection of his favorite musicians from New Orleans and audience members can expect a heavy dose of New Orleans-influenced funk, reggae and world music, in addition to some of the material Franklin has become know for with E.O.E
Franklin has a long history in New Orleans including having been schooled at the nationally acclaimed New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts during high school (other graduates include Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr, and Terrence Blanchard) and then receiving his degree in jazz performance from the University of New Orleans under the direction of Ellis Marsalis. In 2010 he was named “Best Emerging Artist” at the Best of New Orleans Awards. He has also won six Best of New Orleans of Awards with his band E.O.E, which he started in 2004. If the name sounds familiar, it is probably because Franklin has toured over 150,000 miles since hurricane Katrina, both with E.O.E and the Boulder-based group Holden Young Trio, for which he was a founding member. His prolific guitar work and subtle yet poignant vocals are a must see for anyone interested in seeing New Orleans musicianship and songwriting at its best.
Presented by The Minturn Community Fund and town of Minturn, the shows begin at 6 p.m. The concerts are rain or shine. Other free shows in July are local favorites Schwing Daddy on July 14, Boneless-Sloppy Mountain String Band on July 21 and BLT (Brian Loftus, Tony Gulizia and Justin Allison) on July 28. August shows include The Hazel Miller Band, The Congress, The Sessh and The Min'urn Express. The 2011 Minturn Concert Series is the product of a group of local hardworking volunteers. For more information on the series go to www.facebook.com/LittleBeachPark, www.minturncommunityfund.com, or www.minturn.org.
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