An Evening of Blues with Fred Vine and Ernie Lawrence October 27, 2012

It just seemed appropriate to invite an old friend to be the first performer in our new home. Fred has played on our stage more times than any other performer, and there's good reason for that – his crisp fingerpicking and bottleneck slide bring the blues alive. From the Rev. Gary Davis and Robert Johnson to Muddy Waters and Chet Atkins, Fred finds the soul of the blues and makes it sing.

Fred fell in love with the guitar when he first picked it up at age twelve. With the sound of the Beatles in his head, he began teaching himself by ear. Later in his career, Fred studied jazz with renowned Rochester guitartist Dick Longale. He also broadened his knowledge by taking Music Theory at The Hochstein School of Music. You can also find Fred plying the Erie Canal on the Colonial Belle with his popular blues cruises during the summer.

Joining Fred will be his son Alex, who has certainly inherited some of his dad's talent and is becoming a fine musician and songwriter in his own right.
Ernie Lawrence plays the blues the way I like it: without an ounce of pretense. He's his own man, comfortable in his own skin, respectful and knowledgeable about tradition, while giving it a fresh spin with his original songwriting. He's a rock-solid picker with some surprises up his sleeve - he'll slip 'em by you unannounced, so watch him like a hawk!

-Pat Wictor