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Artists

Hosts and Performing Artists:

Patricia Vonne

The lovely and entrancing singer-songwriter, Patricia Vonne, a San Antonio native, hosted and performed at the show. In fact, her song “Texas Burning” provides not only the program’s title, but is also its theme song. Since her band tours internationally, bringing its brand of Latin-flavored Texas rock to fans over the world, she is an experienced Texas Ambassador. One reviewer wrote of her and Guitars and Castanets, her second CD: “With a sultry, blood-red vocal style and dramatic songwriting flair, the strikingly exotic Patricia Vonne combines south-of-the-border mariachi sizzle, southwestern mythology, Texas roots-rock and spaghetti western cinematic sweep on this compelling bilingual effort.” 2007's Firebird, her third release, "is her strongest yet. An unapologetic rocker who can make castanets cry for mercy, Vonne is fiercely proud of her Tex-Mex roots. She unselfconsciously brings her roots and influences together into a solid, organic whole driven by solid rhythm and the jangle of guitars." Already popular in Europe, as Co-Host of Texas Burning, we will showcase her talents across all borders. Sister of movie director, Robert Rodriquez, Patricia has appeared in his movies, Spy Kids and Sin City. A Lone Star Salute to our Troops includes Patricia performing songs in English and Spanish and her sister, Elizabeth wowed the audience with her flamenco dancing. She is one-of-a-kind.

 

Sam Baker

Critically-acclaimed Austin singer-songwriter, Sam Baker, will co-host the program with Ms. Vonne. Few artists, especially in their recording debut, have received comparisons to Townes Van Zandt, John Prine and Ray Wylie Hubbard from so many different music critics, as Sam did for Mercy. He has quickly developed a strong fan-base in Europe. His second release Pretty World debuted at No. 1 on the Euro-Americana Charts and he sold out his concerts in the United Kingdom and appeared on the BBC. "Devastatingly beautiful. That's the best way to describe Pretty World" said Patrick Nichols of ThisisTexasMusic.com. "Sam was seriously injured in a train attacked by Peruvian guerrillas in 1986 and in the years since he worked on recovery, both physical and spiritual. He refined his storytelling, learned to play guitar with his left hand, and, through vocals irreparably altered by the bombing, began to share his wonder at the beautiful complexity of life. His songs are meticulously crafted and there are no wasted syllables; there is no wall of sound. Instead, we simply hear a man with an acoustic guitar and a scraggly voice, backed by occasional guitars, strings, and drums. The music is absorbing, the lyrics moving" said Nichols. During Texas Burning, this story-teller extraordinaire gave an inspiring performance and thoroughly charmed the audience between songs.

Sam and Patricia have the personal warmth, musical integrity and visual presence that will help us attract music lovers to Texas Burning. We are lucky to have two hosts that are so engaging and charismatic and are honored that they are the faces, voices and hearts of Texas Burning.

 

Hosts and Performing Artists:

Shannon McNally

Conceived on July 4th and born on St. Patrick's Day, Shannon McNally is a native of Long Island, NY. After Katrina displaced her from New Orleans, Shannon moved to Oxford, Mississippi. Jukebox Sparrows, her 2002 debut album, inspired Rolling Stone to liken her to "a young Mick Jagger." It also spawned the AAA radio hit Now That I Know, which led to appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Shannon has toured with Willie Nelson, Stevie Nicks and John Mellencamp. In 2007, she teamed up with Texas’ own Charlie Sexton, who produced her 2006 release Geronimo, for Southside Sessions, a CD of duets between the two. In 2008, Shannon has performed and recorded with Dr. John. Her Texas Burning performance showcased her incredible voice and entrancing songwriting.

 

Carolyn Wonderland

A triple threat with her diverse songwriting, soulful vocals, and guitar goddess status, Carolyn Wonderland has toured with Buddy Guy and Johnny Winter, sat-in with String Cheese Incident, Robert Earl Keen and Los Lobos and even jammed with one of her fans, Bob Dylan. Originally from Houston, where she has won Houston Press Awards for “Best Guitarist,” “Vocalist,” “Songwriter,” Blues,” “Release of the Year” and “Musician of the Year,” she now resides in Austin. Her new 2008 release, Miss Understood, has received critical acclaim. Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel, who produced it, says “Carolyn is phenomenal. When I see her on stage, I think of Stevie Ray Vaughan meets Janis Joplin, plus.” In June, Carolyn taped Austin City Limits scheduled for broadcast in November 2008. Her rocking Texas Burning performance showcased her blazing guitar, amazing voice and incredible songs. One of the reasons we call it Texas Burning.

 

Ruthie Foster

If you haven’t yet been introduced to the music of Ruthie Foster, a prodigiously gifted Texas singer and songwriter you’re in for a major epiphany. From with her self-released, 1997 debut, Full Circle, to her 2002 breakthrough, Runaway Soul, to her newly-released fifth album, The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster, she has created a truly “phenomenal” body of work. As a critic said of her new CD “(it) will convert those hungry for some real, hot soul." Ruthie, a Navy veteran, spent four years touring with the U.S. Navy band Pride and then returned to Bryan-College Station in the mid-90’s. She has since toured Europe and Australia, was featured on Austin City Limits and performed at the 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. During Texas Burning her amazing duet with Carolyn, along with her solo performance, simply blew the audience away. The finale of her song Real Love was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the night.

 

Theresa Andersson

Theresa Andersson is a Swedish singer-songwriter based in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has established herself as the city’s favorite female performer over the last 10 years. Singing, playing the guitar and violin, Theresa toured several years with New Orleans’ Anders Osborne and has performed with Dr. John, the Neville Brothers and the Radiators. Her annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival performances are legendary. Theresa’s resume includes appearing and singing the theme song, in the 2005 film, A Love Song For Bobby Long (starring John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson) and covering Neil Young’s Like a Hurricane in 2006’s film New Orleans Music in Exile. Her 2008 release, Hummingbird Go!, features Theresa as a “One-Woman Band”, playing guitar, violin, drums and looping her background vocals. The only Texas Burning artist to perform solo on stage, she stole the audience’s heart with her angelic voice and smile, along with her devilish violin play. Her “Grand Finale” song surely gave some hope to the troops and their families that, as she and the other artists sang, It’s Gonna Be O.K.

 

Sherman Robertson

Guitarist, singer and songwriter Sherman Robertson is a product of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana: he's part zydeco, part swamp blues, part electric blues and part classic rhythm & blues. "I focus on the good time, upbeat blues," he says. Raised in and still living in Houston, Sherman has worked with Paul Simon, playing guitar on his legendary Graceland album, and has played with Albert Collins, B.B. King and Lightnin' Hopkins. Blues Revue magazine said of Sherman: “Some of the best Texas soul-blues anyone could hope for. Potent singing & sizzling guitar-one of the most important artist in blues." The quote also describes Sherman’s sizzling Texas Burning performance. Not only did he have everyone up and dancing, he and his band shined in supporting Ruthie Foster during her set.