A FREE In-Store Concert by San Francisco's STAIRWELL SISTERS

Saturday , April 15, 2006
11:00 am
Location: Elderly Instruments
in-store performance (free)

When both the Old-Time Herald and Sing Out! Magazine offer similar praise for a band--or, for that matter, for a CD or even a single track--we sit up and take notice. When The Stairwell Sisters' first recording was released in 2003, the praise flowed freely from both those bastions of wisdom. Sing Out! picked up on the "glorious harmonies and driving pulse" of The Sisters' rendition of "Banjo Pickin' Girl," while The Old-Time Herald referred to the "five-part vocals and wall of sound approaching rock 'n' roll intensity" the Sisters imparted to the old-time banjo-pickin' favorite.

Neither review stopped there, though. The Sing Out! article concludes, "There is so much more that is good about this CD including Stephanie Prausnitz's haunting cello on 'No Never No' from the pen of Alice Gerrard and Evie Ladin's charming 'Down to the Door' with that great harmony again! The Stairwell Sisters have produced a gem of a recording with a sound that may go a long way to introducing traditional mountain music to a whole new audience. Bravo!"

The Old-Time Herald review made clear reference to The Stairwell Sisters' "vocal prowess with skilled multi-instrumental chops and a hellbent-for-leather attitude," "over-the-top bluesy cello," "outstanding slide guitar playing," and "an unusually exciting level of grit." "Most surprising is the solo fiddle-melodic clogging duet with which Stephanie and Evie open the Sisters' take on 'Hog-Eyed Man,' literally a real screamer." Reviewer Steve Senderoff refers to "one of the tightest banjo-string bass rhythm sections" he has heard.

The Sisters' current U. S. tour celebrates the release of their second CD, Feet All Over the Floor, which offers harmony, hambone, hard-driving old-time tunes, and--for live audiences--buckdancing and Southern Appalachian clogging! We can attest to the terrific talent brought forth by this top-notch quintet: The Stairwell Sisters graced Elderly's Showcase in 2004 at Folk Alliance in San Diego, and the jam-packed audience was wooed and wowed.

The Sisters are Lisa Berman on Dobro, guitar, banjo and vocals; Martha Hawthorne on upright bass and vocals; buckdancer Evie Ladin on banjo and vocals; Stephanie Prausnitz on fiddle, cello and vocals, and Sue Sandlin on guitar, tiple and vocals. They will be performing at The Creole Gallery in Lansing's Old Town on Friday evening, April 14, at 8 pm. Tickets will be available at Elderly.

"The Stairwell Sisters have created a wondrous selection of traditional tunes seething with excitement!" - Bluegrass Unlimited, August 2003

"Brittle, hard-edged, exciting ensemble singing...in which the Sisters rocket into the high lonesome stratosphere" - Old-Time Herald

"...close vocal harmonies, haunting ballads and lock-step square dance grooves with passion and precision" - San Joe Mercury News

"Five foot-stomping females have the rhyme, rhythm and resophonic to rattle your cage and satisfy your soul" - Bluegrass by the Bay

"...a rootin'-tootin' nuevo-bluegrass guintet who blend obscure songs, Carter Family obsessiveness and uptempo originals" - Santa Fe Reporter

Check out recordings we carry featuring The Stairwell Sisters