JPR Live Sessions

Brothers Phil and Aaron Reed didn't begin playing music together until, as young adults, they moved to Southern Oregon from the Midwest. They now have five albums and are among the most sought after performers (as a band and solo) in the region.

Joined by Brianna Murphy on fiddle and TJ Eilers on upright bass, they are getting ready to hit the studio for an album due out later this year.

Hear them play three brand new tunes and talk about music, family, running and, beer - they have collaborated with Weekend Beer Company in Grants Pass for a new Brothers Reed-inspired session IPA.

JPR Live Sessions are engineered by Jon Griffin of Luna Zen Studios.

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers became friends and music collaborators in high school. As the Indigo Girls, they've been making music for well over 30 years. They are the subject of a documentary It's Only Life After All, that will be in theaters late this year. Their classic, Closer to Fine was just used in the hit movie Barbie.

The latest Amy Ray solo album (her 10th) If It All Goes South came out in 2022. It was produced by veteran sound engineer Brian Speiser (Indigo Girls, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Brandi Carlile, The Might Be Giants) with musical contributions from Alison Brown, Allison Russell, Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Gabe Dixon, Phil Cook, and I'm With Her - Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan and Sara Watkins.

Hear Amy Ray and her band play 3 songs from If It All Goes South and talk about her career in this JPR Live Session hosted by Dave Jackson.

Credits:

• Engineered by Jon Griffin of Luna Zen Studios
• Photos by Noah Bran Linsday and Jon Griffin
• Special thanks to Alan Adleman for loaning us his drum kit

Arran Fagan grew up in Medford and began performing original music as a teen.

Now in Portland he balances his life as a high school zoology teacher with a career in music.

He includes fellow Portland teacher/folk musican/JPR Live Session alumnus, Jeffrey Martin among his friends and mentors. His latest release is last year's There Is More Light.

His background includes working in abroad teaching English as a second language and managing a college radio station.

Arran Fagan is performing at Elder Apothecary in Ashland on December 9. For more information check out his website. Opening the show is singer/songwriter Claire Conway.

In this JPR Live Session hosted by Dave Jackson, hear him talk about his life and career and perform live in the JPR Steve Nelson Performance Studio.

With a background in old-time music, Vivian Leva grew up in the Southeast. Riley Calcagno is from Seattle but grew up interested in roots and Americana.

The duo met at music camp in the Pacific Northwest.

NPR's Slingshot named the duo one of 2022's artists to watch.

Americana Highway said of their new release Imaginary People, "There’s a warm camaraderie between the two that shines through & is evident in their material."

The Bluegrass Situation said, "Their new album, is a masterful blend that weaves together their shared reverence for traditional Appalachian music alongside indie-folk, pop-leaning adornments."

In this live session they talk about their history, the making of Imaginary People and play three new songs from the JPR Steve Nelson Performance Studio.

Maria Schafer went to college with the intention of getting into nursing. She also continued to study music. When the time came for a career choice, she chose music. She toured as the "girl singer" with the Glen Miller Orchestra singing arrangements originally written for Ella Fitzgerald.

She's now putting her own spin on traditional tunes and writing and composing originals along with guitarist Shane Savala.

Hear her talk about her background and play some tunes with her band in this JPR Live Session.

Find more information about Maria Schafer here. Follow her on Instagram @mariaschafermusic

JPR Live Sessions are engineered by Jon Griffin of Luna Zen Studios.

Originally from the far corners of the US, Wild Honey Trio members Cyrise, Peia and Megan were drawn together in Ashland by way of their love of folk music spanning the globe.

The (mostly) Ashland based group visited the JPR Steve Nelson performance studio ahead of a few regional performances to share stories of their background and the tale of how they met.

The trio explains their love of storytelling in many languages and through the lens of various cultures and traditions. They wax poetic on the power of sharing this special heritage with fellow musicians and audiences alike, and hear gorgeous adaptations of traditional songs from Hungary, Appalachia, and Ireland

Born in Port Orford, Oregon, Hanneke Cassel now lives in Boston. She studied at Berklee School of Music. In addition to her recording catalog, she teaches fiddle in various music camps including one run by her husband, cellist Mike Block who among other things tours with Silk Road Ensemble. As a producer, she produced Hop High - an early release by Crooked Still featuring Aoife O'Donovan.

She is flanked by guitarist Keith Murphy, who also just released a new album - Bright as Amber and cellist/fiddler Tristan Clarridge who just took first place at the 2023 Grand Master Fiddler Championship in Nashville and plays in the NoCal folk ensemble, Bee Eaters.

Hanneke Cassels latest release, Infinite Brightness was inspired by events both global and personal arising from and during the COVID crisis.

This session was hosted by Dave Jackson and engineered by Jon Griffin of Luna Zen productions.

Glitterfox founding members - Solange Igoa and Andrea Walker met at a party at Andrea's house in Long Beach, California. Right away they knew they should make music together. They lived together in a van for a couple of years as "feral musicians" traveling, playing gigs and busking. Eleven years later, they're married, living in Portland, and playing with a full band - with the mustachioed Eric Stalker on bass and Blaine "Rocket Fuel" Heinonen on drums - managed and mentored by Chris Funk of the Decemberists.

They play indie-folk with rock and Americana sensibilities and sing songs about struggles with an eye towards finding the silver lining.

In 2022, Willamette Weekly named them one of Portland's best bands.

They spoke with Danielle Kelly and played 3 live songs including a brand new single - TV - due out on October 25th. They're performing October 13th at The Hivve in Grants Pass. Find tickets and more information here.

This JPR Live Session was engineered by Jon Griffin of Luna Zen productions.

From Asheville, North Carolina, Seth Walker and his trio (featuring Reese Williams on bass and backing vocals and Mark Raudabaugh on drums) joined us for this JPR Live Session.

They came by while traveling the west coast with performances at the Redding Roots Revival festival in California and The Sisters Folk Festival in Sisters, Oregon.

With a musically inclined upbringing, Seth Walker ditched the cello in college and got into guitar. With influences from some of the greats - T. Bone Walker, Lightnin' Hopkins and BB King, Walker has been honing his craft for decades and has 10+ albums under his belt. His sound, based in the blues with jazzy undertones, takes roots and soul to new territory. He frequently cowrites with the legendary Gary Nicholson and has worked in the studio with Jano Rix of the Wood Brothers on several albums.

Hear him talk about all of that and play a couple tunes from his 2022 album I Hope I Know and one from the 2016 record Gotta Get Back.

This JPR Live Session was produced by Jon Griffin of Luna Zen Studios. Thanks also to Alan Adleman for the use of his drum kit for this performance.

Jessica Fichot is French and Chinese. She was born in New York and grew up outside of France. She went to school at Berklee School of Music. Her music, a blend of 1940s Chinese swing, international folk and gypsy jazz reflects her background.

In this live session she gives us a quick preview of the accordion and toy piano and talks about her work as an audio engineer and composer of music for video games - and hear them perform live in this JPR Live Session.