PERFORMERS

  Our Special Guest  this year, Ms. Carolyn Martin. She is just, without a doubt, the best female vocalist in, not just Western Swing, but music!!! She is one of the great performers.

 The Gimbles, Dick (the Dad) and Emily (the Daughter), will be playing at the Black's BBQ and Smitty's BBQ stages on Saturday. You gotta check out these folks and their band!!! 

 This is Ms. Hailey Sandoz. She plays a mean fiddle and sings very well. She will join Kristyn Harris at the festival and will play with the Hall of Fame Band at The PEARL on Sunday, and maybe more. Watch for her. Very talented. 

Billy Mata and the Texas Tradition play at the Courthouse Stage Saturday afternoon and you need to be there!!  Great dance music and always a fine show!

Carolyn always has a great band, and this year is not different.   Her band will be featured at this years Official Festival Dance on Saturday evening.  Don't want to miss this.  Plan on feeling like you need to dance!

 Georgia Parker and Cedar Fever will be playing at The PEARL, Lockhart's favorite bar. This gal can sing, and the way she plays guitar reminds you of Eldon Shamblin.  

This is a photo from the Gathering a few years ago.  We're hoping to see Al and Billy do a duet sometimes during the Festival.

 Kristyn Harris will be making her first appearance at the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame Show on Friday night.   This gal sings and plays guitar with a lot of style! 

 This fellow has to be one of the best drummers in Texas. Keeps a steady beat, Pretty much always does what he is supposed to do. If you have John you know you have half the rhythm section covered. A real pro. Sings pretty good also. HOF Inductee John Chandler. 

 Some of the three part harmony in the SSR. Ricky Turpin, Lonnie Atkinson, and Al Dressen as they sing harmony on Lily Dale.  That's Larry Eisenberg moving on the bass fiddle.   Larry, by the way, is one of the hidden jewels of Western Swing when it comes to bass fiddlers and rhythm sections!!

 Piano and fiddle man, HOF Inductee Danny Levin, Whoa, he can blow you away on both instruments. Plays with so much dynamic energy. Understands Western Swing and sings a great WS song also. We can all learn a lot from Danny.
Hey, that's Mark Kazanoff on sax, and Ronnie Stewart on rhythm guitar!  

 Known for his blues licks, Kaz plays sax with the best of them, including Western Swing. Plays fine, hot solos and has a great ear for playing parts. Another Austin pro. You're lucky if you have Kaz in the band. He cares about the bands overall sound. 

 Ms. Kristyn Harris will be joining Carolyn Martin's Western Swing Band at the Dance Saturday evening. There is talk that Kristyn and Carolyn and Al will sing America 

 HOF Inductee and fiddler Howard Kalish. Howard has played with most folks in Texas it seems. He can sing a good song, and plays fine fiddle. He's also a real pro and people feel lucky to have him in the band. He adds positive energy, always. 

 Louise Rowe and the Texan Playboys. Louise was the only female instrumentalist in the Texas Playboys, ever!!! She played bass fiddle and guitar, and also was a vocalist in the band. Bob Wills liked the way she sang harmony and she was given a job playing instruments and singing lead on some songs, and a harmony part whenever one was called for. What a privilege it is to have Louise Rowe and the Texan Playboys here in Lockhart! 

 HOF Inductee Neal Clausnitzer, drummer and vocalist. Neal knew when to play brushes and when to play sticks. He played many styles of music but shined in western swing. Dependable band member and a good man. Understands Western Swing.
 

 Paul Glasse, a former HOF Inductee, makes his 31st appearance at this event. He's really a great fellow that plays the mandolin like he was meant to play it. He and Al have many positive, fun and wonderful memories of making Western Swing music since 1882 

That ol' Piano Pounder Floyd Domino will be making at least a couple of appearances at the Festival, one Friday night and another Saturday afternoon.  This guy knows Western swing and his playing helps to mold the song into something special.   Don't miss Floyd's fabulous  piano playing and his style and his smile. He'll make you feel good for at least a couple of weeks!!  

 Al Dressen's Super Swing Revue, also known as the BBQ Playboys when they are near BBQ!! The band has been playing Western Swing style since 1982 and includes steel, twin fiddles, sax, guitar, piano, bass fiddle, drums, sometimes a mandolin, 5 different vocalists, and good ol' 3 part harmonies.  They take serious their effort of playing the Texas Playboy style of Western Swing.  Al is proud of the band's sound and the friendship within. Nuff said!  

 Joining the show on Friday evening, Tony Harrison is worth the price of a ticket himself. Not only does he sing like you want to hear more, but he dresses and combs his hair very stylishly!! I know he'll be singing Sugar Moon. 

 HOF Inductee Lonnie Atkinson. This man has been around the block a time or two when it comes to playing guitar. He has experience playing about any style, but his favorite is Western Swing. He not only does things on guitar that makes the audience happy, but the band does a lot of smiling too. He 's a fine vocalist and likes playing parts and WS rhythm guitar. He should carry a card that says "Have guitar, will travel". Remember Paladin?  

Want to hear the steel guitar played like it was meant to be played?  Check out Denny Mathis.  He'll lay it down for you

Emily Gimble will join her Dad , Dick Gimble and band for two special sets Saturday at Smitty's Market and Black's BBQ.  This would be a great thing to check out!!!

HOF Inductee Al Dressen. He enjoys seeing people dance and loves making Western Swing music. And, those two things go together. 

The Rollfast Ramblers. Just as Ft. Worth's Milton Brown and His Musical Brownies drew from many Texas regional genres to create the music known as Western Swing in the early 30's, the Rollfast Ramblers use the same influences. Old Time Fiddle, Dixieland Jazz, Polka, Conjunto, Honky Tonk, Country, and Blues are used to create their one of a kind sound.