Nathan And The Zydeco Cha Chas To Play Missoula Roots Fest

“Roots music " is a broad term and the two headliners for River City Roots Festival this year show how wide it really is.



This year , mandolin player Sam Bush will headline performance Saturday 23 August, Nathan and Zydeco Cha Chas and play Aug. 24. As always, Roots Fest is held in downtown Missoula and is free.

Bush is recognized as one of the founders of the progressive bluegrass style called newgrass.

"He had a band called New Grass Revival, which completely revolutionized bluegrass and Americana music," said Ellen Buchanan, who has booked Roots Music Fest for nine years.

“Sam is amazing live. It's a lot of fun. It's one of the best artists in the business in my opinion," he said.

In addition to his skills on the mandolin, also plays the violin, and has earned a reputation as the "king" of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

In 2009, he won the Lifetime Achievement Award American Music Association. His most recent album "Circles around Me" was No. 3 on the list of American bluegrass.

Bush has collaborated with numerous artists over the years, including Emmylou Harris, Bela Fleck, Lyle Lovett and David Grisman .

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Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Cha , meanwhile , are " the best band in the country doing zydeco music, in my opinion," Buchanan said.

Williams raised Criollo cha chas and were included in the Music Hall of Fame in 2005 Louisiana. Williams was recently honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Association of Music Zydeco. Often plays Jazz Festival New Orleans, and has played the festival in Butte.

Williams has been playing the accordion for more than three decades, and his bandmates as brother Dennis Williams on guitar and his cousin Mark Williams (aka " Chukka ") on the rub board.

Buchanan said they are a high-energy live act that will continue so long as people are dancing.
"And live, you know crank exponentially," he added.

That sparks of energy and is very appealing demographic you look for when soliticiting bands to play the festival.

They want to expose people to music they might otherwise not see and help keep American lives, while stressing the city and culture of Missoula.

The other acts still to be announced. But Buchanan planning a theme every night - bluegrass and newgrass acts on Saturday, and New Orleans funk, R & B and Friday.

Roots Festival attracted over 15,000 people last year.
The two-day festival also features a juried exhibition of art, a four km of competitive fun , fun family festival in Caras Park career and a food court 15 - Ryman Street vendor .

The 2014 event will also include a competition stand -up paddleboard, to be held in the Clark Fork River.