Heather Pierson chatted with Mando Richard about her life as a musician on WRCT’s Whiskey Before Breakfast on Oct. 30, 2019. Some parts of the conversation are very moving, some are charming, and some are funny. It was a fun conversation! Also includes three songs: Singin’, Lines and Spaces, and Motherless Child. Check it out!

Heather Pierson on Whiskey Before Breakfast — 30 Oct 2019.

And then come see Heather with her Acoustic Trio (Heather Pierson, bass player Shawn Nadeau and  multi-instrumentalist Davy Sturtevant) this Saturday Nov 2, 7:30 pm at First Unitarian Church in Shadyside!

$20 advance, songspace.brownpapertickets.com
$25 at the door
$10 discount for students/reduced income.

First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, Shadyside, 605 Morewood Avenue, Pgh., 15213.  All ages; wheelchair accessible.  For more information, 412.621.8008 or uusongspace@gmail.com or uusongspace.com.

A couple of years ago we saw the Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio at a house concert here in the ‘burgh, attracted by the sounds we heard on Heather’s 2015 release Still She Will Fly… We were blown away by the breadth, musicianship, and pure joy of Heather and her crew. Accompanied by super bass player Shawn Nadeau and  multi-instrumentalist Davy Sturtevant (well-known in Western PA), Heather is a superb songwriter and band leader whose music ranges from early 20th century Jazz and Blues, Tin Pan Alley, and Americana.  We had  to bring them to SongSpace!

Hailing from New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Valley, the trio brings very different backgrounds, mad skills, quiet charm, and down-to earth honesty to bear on songs that bring to life the sounds of the streets of New Orleans and the valleys of Appalachia and everywhere in between.  Their recordings (2015’s Still She Will Fly and 2017’s Singin’) and live performances feature Heather’s multi-genre songwriting, their instrumental virtuosity, and stirring three part vocal harmonies.  With a brand-new full-length recording, Lines and Spaces, the Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio are a musical powerhouse!

“Heather is like two  great acts in one, sliding from sweet acoustic Appalachian old-timey vibe with Patty Griffinesque lyrics to brassy New Orleans blues piano with a bone thrown to Bessie Smith.” — DC Bloom | Lone Star Music Magazine

Listen for Heather’s music on WYEP’s An American Sampler with Ken Batista on Sunday evenings, and for an interview with Heather on Wednesday Oct 30 in the 11 o’clock hour on Whiskey Before Breakfast with Mando Richard,on WRCT! 

$20 advance, songspace.brownpapertickets.com
$25 at the door
$10 discount for students/reduced income.

First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, Shadyside, 605 Morewood Avenue, Pgh., 15213.  All ages; wheelchair accessible.  For more information, 412.621.8008 or uusongspace@gmail.com or uusongspace.com.

Thanks to all who came out to hear Ernie Hawkins and Clint Hoover this past Saturday! Here is a taste to remember it by (or see what you missed!):

Hideaway (toward the end of the show, can’t remember if it was an encore):

Cocaine (third encore!):

Here are Ernie Hawkins and Clint Hoover playing Whinin’ Boy on WRCT’s “Whiskey Before Breakfast” midday Wednesday show with host Richard Gordon (click the link to hear the music)!

See yinz tomorrow night, Saturday September 21, 730pm at First Unitarian Church on Morewood and Ellsworth in Shadyside! Feels like there could be a crowd, so get there early!

Advance (cheaper) tix still on sale at songspace.brownpapertickets.com until tomorrow morning…

We just came back from listening to Blues Legend Ernie Hawkins playing “Soul of a Man” with Harmonica Master Clint Hoover on the Saturday Light Brigade on WRCT Pittsburgh!  It was something special, but if you’d like to hear them again before Saturday, tune into Whiskey Before Breakfast (also on WRCT) at 11am on Wednesday, where they’ll play another tune or two before Saturday’s SongSpace show.  And then … come on out to this rare Ernie Hawkins performance with Very Special Guest Clint Hoover on harp!

Ernie’s played concerts, clubs, blues and folk festivals, workshops, colleges, museums, parties, fist fights and millennium celebrations all across the United States, Canada, Japan and Europe for years. He appears on Maria Muldaur’s Grammy and Handy nominated and Indie Award winning album “Richland Woman Blues” and he’s played with blues greats like Son House, Mance Lipscomb, Fred McDowell, Jim Brewer, Rev. Gary Davis and many others. He’s has been featured in SingOUT!, Fingerstyle Guitar, Dirty Linen, Acoustic Guitar, Blues Revue and Vintage Guitar magazines. In addition to “A Prairie Home Companion”, he’s appeared on “Mountain Stage” , “Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour” and XM radio.

“Ernie Hawkins is an important link in the unbroken chain of blues and gospel artists. His guitaristry and love of the style is incomparable. From the Rev. Gary Davis into the future with his own style Ernie is one of the special ones!” — Jorma Kaukonen

From pre-war blues to modern jazz, Clint Hoover has delved deep into the musical possibilities of the harmonica. A professional for over 30 years, Clint has lent his talents to movies, commercials, TV news themes, radio, theater, harmonica instruction books and countless CD projects for other artists. Two of his most notable recordings are the all original acoustic jazz CD Dream of the Serpent Dog (made in collaboration with Bobby E. and Jim Chenoweth) and Take Your Time Mr. Brown by the popular jug band-influenced group, The Sugar Kings (led by the highly respected folk musician Cam Waters). Both CD’s received rave reviews internationally.   Here in Pittsburgh Clint plays with blues quartet Color Blind Willie and Django Reinhardt-flavored trio Sweet Atmosphere, among many others.

“Clint has a style that virtually transcends the instrument.” — Phil Lloyd, American Harmonica Newsmagazine

$15 advance, songspace.brownpapertickets.com
$20 at the door
$5 discount for students/reduced income.

First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, Shadyside, 605 Morewood Avenue, Pgh., 15213.  All ages; wheelchair accessible.  For more information, 412.621.8008 or uusongspace@gmail.com or uusongspace.com.