Bristol’s Rhythm and Roots Reunion, the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance, and the Bristol Public Library will present Christabel and the Jons as the final artist in the Stateline Jamboree Concert Series on Saturday, April 19, 2008 at 7:30 PM at the Bristol Public Library. Tickets for the show are $10, $8 for students/seniors, and will be available at the door. Enter at meeting room entrance, north side, upper level.
“This has been a very successful series and we plan to continue it next fall,” commented Bill Hartley, Executive Director of the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance. Hartley added that live music will continue on a monthly basis in downtown Bristol with the Border Bash series starting on May 16 and continuing through August. "They call their music "sultry Southern swing" that sounds like "sweet tea on a Sunday afternoon." That's the mood Christabel and the Jons set during their performances. The songs are influenced by jazz, folk and blues from the 1920s to the 1950s, and the band wears vintage costumes invariably purchased in thrift stores.
Christa DeCicco, lead singer and guitarist, first began writing songs and performing as a wee lass at age 5. Her backup band "The Jons" consists of Jon Whitlock on drums, percussion, and backing vocals, Mischa Goldman on upright bass, and Seth Hopper on violin, mandolin, trumpet, and bandoneon.
After much anticipation and hard work, Christabel and the Jons have completed recording their first full-length album titled, "Love and Circumstances." Her first self-titled album, "Christa DeCicco" was released in 2005.
The Stateline Jamboree Concert Series is a monthly series which features live music in historic downtown Bristol the third Saturday of every month through April. The goal of the concert series is to provide live music throughout the year for both members of the community and tourists, as well as showcase performers at the annual Rhythm and Roots Reunion festival. The series features a wide variety of styles, including singer-song writer, Bluegrass, Americana, Folk, eclectic, and Piedmont Blues. The series is funded in part by an Arts Builds Community grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission. For more information about the concert series, visit www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org [1], www.bristolrhythm.com [2], or call (276) 645-0111.
The Birthplace of Country Music Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to telling the story of the living musical heritage of the Appalachian mountains and the cultural traditions that sustain it. Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is an annual music festival held in September to promote and celebrate our musical heritage. The Birthplace of Country Music Alliance and Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion are funded in part by grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the Tennessee Arts Commission. For more information, call (276) 645-0111 or visit online at www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org [3]