Arts Council to Sponsor June Coffee House This Saturday

The Ashe County Arts Council is pleased to sponsor the Coffee House Talent Night this Saturday, June 14.  Coffee House has become an Arts Council tradition and an audience favorite.  It offers a unique opportunity for local and regional performers to showcase their talents in an intimate and relaxed setting.

The June Coffee House will have a fun and family-friendly atmosphere with the toe-tapping music of Lisa Baldwin and Dave Haney. This duo plays acoustic music that includes original songs, bluegrass, country, traditional folk and contemporary singer-songwriters. They have been playing together for seventeen years and have played locally for the Mountainhome Music concert series, Concerts on the Lawn in Boone, the Heritage Festival in Wilkesboro and for Gallery Crawl here in West Jefferson.  Lisa plays guitar and keyboard, sings lead and harmony and writes the duos original material. Dave plays guitar, mandolin and harmonica and sings lead and harmony.

The classical duo of Kay Borkowski and Michael Bell will feature flute and piano. Kay is a well-known musician in Watauga County and has played with ensembles in the Mariam Cannon Hayes School of Music.  Kay is an accomplished flutist and has performed with the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble during An Appalachian Summer Festival. Michael has played music in Ashe County for many years. He is an accomplished pianist and performs regularly with the ensemble Harmonia Baroque. Michael is the accompanist for the Ashe Choral Society and the musical director for the Ashe County Little Theater’s production of the Music Man. The duo will perform classical selections from different eras for Coffee House.

A one-a-kind contemporary mountain folk music group from Wilkes County, Anna Lankford and Deeper Roots will be joining the Coffee House. This group blends the pure mountain sound with modern life. With Anna on vocals, Rick Gaughan on bass and Rick Brockner on harmonica, guitar and dulcimer, Deeper Roots creates a new sound inside the traditional mountain music world.

The four ladies of the Steel Magnolias will share the Mistress of Ceremonies job. Maureen Blackburn, Rebecca Burgess, Judy Dancy, Barbara Miller will entertain with their own special brand of barbershop, do-wop style and more.

The fun starts 7:30 in the Hensley Fellowship Hall of the West Jefferson Methodist Church. Come and bring your friends, sample delicious desserts and enjoy quality entertainment. Tickets are $8 adults and $5 students and are available at the door. For more information please call 336-846-ARTS.