Artist Information Biography STEPHANIE BETTMAN & LUKE HALPIN “That Stephanie Bettman has reached a level comparable to others like Emmylou Harris, Joan Baez and Alison Krauss so quickly it’s a bit uncanny.” –Country Jukebox “Bettman jams it up like few others as she leads an ensemble with great imagination.” – Maverick Magazine, UK One thing’s for sure, if Stephanie Bettman is in the line up, you are in for an unforgettable performance that will have you hooked from the first fiddle line to the last sweet harmony.  A triple threat, Stephanie Bettman is an accomplished singer, moving effortlessly from her up-tempo bluegrass originals (featuring her fiery fiddling), to a soothing honey-sweet ballad, to a gutsy bluesy belt like such crowd pleasers as “Maybe Baby” or “Déjà vu”.  She’s a masterful fiddler, combining elements of bluegrass and jazz to create her own unique style.  And she writes with wit and wisdom, exploring the many facets of the human heart; sometimes sad, sometimes sassy, but always spellbinding.  Her debut CD “Get Close To Me” has received national radio play and reached the top ten in the Folk DJ chart, as well as one of her tracks making it to #6.  DJ Eddie O’Strange in Lower Hutt, New Zealand writes: “How can such a classy performer go wrong with quality moments channeling Emmylou? My album of the week ... without question.” Stephanie tours with her extremely talented band mate, Luke Halpin.  Together the two of them have been regulars at one of LA’s best listening rooms, The Coffee Gallery Backstage, as well as the Bluegrass Association of Southern California’s monthly concert series, the California Traditional Music Society’s concert series, and BASC’s annual Taste Of Folk Festival.  A former theater actress and trapeze artist, Stephanie is also a mulit-talented artist.  She has performed in plays, musicals, and operas from Los Angeles to New York, with many stops in between.  (Not to mention a few Circuses along the way.)  But luckily for us she has decided to pour all of her creative impulses into her music, and her efforts are greatly appreciated. *Grand Prize Winners in the 2008 So Cal Live Acoustic Music Competition. *Winners in the 2007 Topanga Banjo / Fiddle contest.  *Folk Works Top Ten Los Angeles based female singer-songwriters of 2008. *Music Connection’s Top Twenty-Five New Music Critiques of 2008. *Featured performers on the nationally syndicated “Folkscene” radio show hosted by Roz Larman, who calls her “a great singer – songwriter” and predicts that Stephanie Bettman is “gonna be a big star”. * Featured performers at the 2007 Sedona Bluegrass Festival, where buzz on the street labeled her "the next Alison Krauss". For more information visit: www.stephaniebettman.com, www.myspace.com/stephaniebettman Instrumentation Stephanie Bettman - Lead vocals and fiddle Luke Halpin - Guitar, mando, fiddle and vocals Discography Appetizers - EP Stephanie Bettman featuring Luke Halpin - duo EP Get Close To Me - Full length Several tracks are getting radio airplay on Folk DJ radio. Will be charting in March. Links http://www.stephaniebettman.com