E
lliott Ranney is a Jazz musician and recording artist. His album, An Aging Sailor’s Dream, was released in the Spring of 2001 through Wildstone Media, based in St. Louis, Missouri. The recording was re-released internationally in 2012 through Inpartmaint, LLC, on the Rip Curl Records label, based in Tokyo, Japan. Ranney released his second album of original songs, Bellevue Shuffle, in Autumn of 2013.
Elliott performs finger style classical guitar, backed with his cool mellow vocals. His original music is derived from Bossa, Swing, Ballads and popular Jazz standards. In his live show, Ranney covers all the bases with an energy that is laid back, yet engaging and in the groove. His brand of sound can be described as a Jazz/Acoustic hybrid, with undertones of Latin and Swing. Like a warm soft breeze blowing your troubles out to sea, if only for a little while.
Elliott has shared the stage with Folk Rock icons: Brewer & Shipley, Shawn Phillips, and singer/songwriter, Jonatha Brooke. He is a regular performer at Blue Sky Vineyard, near Carbondale, Illinois.; Peaceful Bend Vineyard in Steelville, Missouri.; and Picassos Coffee House in St. Charles, Missouri. From time to time, Elliott is joined on stage by his wife, Ellen Claire Ranney on vocals his sons Stephen Ranney on upright bass, and Bryan Ranney on mandolin, and his long-time friend and superb Latin percussionist, Patrick Rodriguez.
KC Cafe Radio was pleased to present Elliott Ranney in his very first visit to Kansas City on Saturday, September 13. He performed works from Bellevue Shuffle, as well as An Aging Sailor’s Dream. Our venue for Elliott’s performance was also new to the KC Cafe Radio Concert Series, Saint Garabed Armenian Church in Kansas City. We were pleased to host such an amazing and talented performer in such a unique venue.
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Born in Kansas, singer-songwriter-guitarist Jason Fickel was bitten by the blues as a teenager. He headed South to Mississippi where he apprenticed himself to blues masters James “Son” Thomas and Othar Turner. Next he went North, first to Rhode Island and then to Chicago, where he honed his songwriting craft. He has been called “Elvis Costello wearing Donovan’s boxers” and his tune “Get Your Car Off My Lawn” was featured this year on NPR’s Car Talk. Jason’s killer slide guitar and wry lyrics create a musical experience whose roots are nourished by the powerful versatility of vocalist Ginger Curry. Born in Kentucky and raised in the rich traditions of Southern Baptist gospel music, her voice communicates the wide range of the human experience from barrelhouse blues to soul-stirring ballads. Beyond gospel and blues, she is an established songwriter in the new thought community and still finds time to express her Kentucky roots singing in a down-home bluegrass combo.
Jason & Ginger released their debut album, “Jokerville,” in 2011 and that same year were semi-finalists at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. Recent venues have included Two Way Street Coffee House (Downers Grove, IL), Cherry Ghost Coffeehouse (Washington, IN), Crazy Wisdom Tea Room (Ann Arbor, MI), Players Pub (Bloomington, IN), Second Saturday Coffeehouse (Skokie, IL), Quincy’s Café (South Bend, IN), Bryan Park – Bloomington (IN) Performing Arts Series, Oliver Winery (Bloomington, IN), Folk Alliance Region Midwest (various showcases) and WFHB Firehouse Follies. In 2013 they released their second CD, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Celebrating the Women of the Blues”, a recording project that emerged from their Classic Blues program of storytelling and songs.
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