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| Chicago's Tangleweed Advance to ISC Semifinals The Chicago-based acoustic Americana group Tangleweed has been named as a semi-finalist in this year's International Songwriting Competition. Their song, 'Wrap Yourself', penned by banjoist Ryan Fisher, was picked from a pool of over 15, 000 songs to reach the semmifinals in the AAA/Roots/Americana category. It will compete against 53 other semi-finalists in the category for a spot in the contest finals. The International Songwriting Competition is an annual songwriting contest whose mission is to provide the opportunity for both aspiring and established songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena. ISC is designed to nurture the musical talent of songwriters on all levels, and promote excellence in the art of songwriting. Amateur and professional songwriters and musicians are invited to participate. ISC has the most prestigious panel of judges of all the songwriting contests in the world, offering exposure and the opportunity to have songs heard by the most influential decision-makers in the music industry. Finalists will be announced February 1, 2006. Winners will be announced in March, 2006. Tangleweed is a five-man acoustic Americana group from Chicago. Their first CD is called Just a Spoonful. Tangleweed formed after Ryan Fisher (banjo), Paul Wargaski (upright bass) and Billy Oh fiddle) met on the set of the Jeff-nominated local theatre production The Cotton Patch Gospels. Once the production closed, the trio agreed there was a chemistry that should be explored further, and Tangleweed was born. Kenneth Rainey (mandolin, veteran of Chicago’s Kennett Brothers) was added to the line-up after he and Fisher found a common bond when they were admonished at a local bluegrass jam for attempting a Thelonious Monk tune. Rainey’s neighbor Scott Judd (long-time acoustic guitarist and co-founder of local psych-rock trio Magnetosphere) soon sat in at one of the band’s Sunday evening sets at Metropolis Coffee House, and was added as a permanent member then and there. The band has been sharpening their live sets by playing regularly in Chicago since early summer 2004, and has performed at a myriad of area venues, including the Hideout, Martyr's, the Abbey Pub, the Old Town School of Folk Music, and Navy Pier. If the recent standing ovations are any indication, this band is a welcome breath of fresh air for local lovers of stomping bluegrass, banjo-jazz, and high lonesome harmonies. Tangleweed recently released their debut CD, Just a Spoonful. The recording was executed 100% live, in true field-recording fashion, with Bob Weston at the helm of the two-track tape recorder with vintage microphones and mixer. The record has received airplay in fifteen countries, earning the band enthusiastic new fans around the world. Their ISC semi-finalist song 'Wrap Yourself' is slated for inclusion on their as-yet-untitled second CD, which they are recording presently with engineer Mike Hagler in Chicago. The group will be raising their profile at some large events this summer, including Chicago's Country Fest in early July, the largest free gathering of its kind, as well as other festival dates around the Midwest. Combining high-energy performances with impeccable musicianship and a deep respect for American musical history, Tangleweed is poised to make their mark as a serious presenter of old-time music in a modern, big-city setting. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |