Laurie Lewis to Release New Album in Tribute to Bill Monroe

BLUEGRASS FIDDLER-VOCALIST
LAURIE LEWIS
TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM OCTOBER 18

Her New Album, SKIPPIN’ AND FLYIN,’
a ‘Lively ... Deep’ Personal Tribute to Father of Bluegrass

Austin, TX — Bay Area fiddler extraordinaire Laurie Lewis, called a “bluegrass/folk star” by the San Francisco Chronicle, will release her latest album, a heartfelt tribute to Bill Monroe, SKIPPIN’ AND FLYIN’ (Spruce and Maple Music), on October 18.

Lewis, twice named IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year and a GRAMMY Award winner and nominee, is also a singer, songwriter, bandleader, guitarist, bass player and record producer. It all comes together on SKIPPIN’ AND FLYIN,’ which mixes Lewis’ originals and songs from the bluegrass repertoire and contemporary writers and features her expressive vocals; instrumentation by award-winning, legendary and longtime players; and special guest vocalists such as Linda Ronstadt.

“I realize, looking back, that my path as a musician and songwriter, and my whole approach to making music, were influenced in various ways by what I found in Bill Monroe’s music,” says Lewis.

SKIPPIN’ AND FLYIN’ brings together a fine mix of songs by Monroe himself, Jimmie Rodgers, Maybelle Carter, Del McCoury and other writers and new tunes written and/or arranged by Lewis — each perfectly suited for a Monroe tribute.

Lewis’ album release show is set for November 26, at Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, California.

On September 28, she and longtime musical partner Tom Rozum will be hosting World of Bluegrass attendees at the Nashville Convention Center for mentoring sessions on harmony singing. http://worldofbluegrass.org/node/247

Her upcoming tour behind SKIPPIN’ AND FLYIN’ includes stops at festivals and venues in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, New York, Massachusetts, Oregon and across California.

Laurie Lewis’s Upcoming Performances include:
Sept. 24, Fortune-Williams Festival, Staunton, Va.
Sept. 25, Cataloochee Ranch, near Maggie Valley, N.C.
Sept. 30, Three Sisters Bluegrass Festival, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Oct. 2, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, San Francisco
Oct. 9, Santa Barbara Old-Time Fiddlers Convention, Santa Barbara, Calif.
Oct. 15, Bluegrass Benefits Mount Diablo Music Education Foundation, Concord, Calif.
Oct. 22, FAR-West “Best of the West” Awards, Eugene, Ore.
Oct. 29, Bluegrass for the Moke, Mokelumne Hill, Calif.
Nov. 17, Hampshire College, Amherst, Mass.
Nov. 18, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Nov. 19, Museum of Our National Heritage, Lexington, Mass.
Nov. 26, CD Release Show, Freight & Salvage, Berkeley, Calif.
Dec. 3, Monterey Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival, Monterey, Calif.

For more information, visit http://www.mcguckinpr.com and www.laurielewis.com

Media Contact: Heidi Labensart, McGuckin Entertainment PR, 512.478.0578; heidi@mcguckinpr.com