NYCity Slickers

July 19, 2012
by Ken Fitch

NYCITY SLICKERS, one of New York’s most beloved Bluegrass Bands, returned to one its favorite haunts, The Rodeo Bar, for its monthly gig on a hot July evening, and once again claimed and transported its audience for 2 striking Sets.

Dressed with a touch of elegance in black, the celebrated country gal trio would be anything but subdued as they broke out into their repertoire of powerful vocal solos and trios with the stories from the world of Jailhouses, Sugar Daddies, Mama’s Wisdom, the Greyhound Bus, and Jesus always showing up when needed. Early on, in one of their signature tunes, they bring us to their “Mississippi Home” where “Crystal Springs will wash our sins away,” and for the rest of the evening we will be at home with them wherever their journey takes us, and indeed by the end of the evening, some of us will be dancing in the aisles. There was some concern not long ago when this NYC-based ensemble lost one of its lustrous trio singers who was relocating several time zones away, creating gaps in the exuberant harmonies that the group has always delivered in song after song.

Well, the breaking good news is that Kim Harris, the new member of the group, is a truly awesome addition to the trio. She is what used to be called a “pint sized powerhouse,” but there is no mistaking that this stirring talent is a masterful performer. She nails the narratives in her solos with power, attitude and clarity, and blessed with a phenomenal voice that few on Broadway today could match, she grounds each song with palpable authenticity, and then further, she blends kinetically into the trios with a focus and exuberance that pumps up the trio vocals to a new level from which now, it seems, they will never descend.

The clarity of her persona has the unexpected impact of serving to crystallize the identities of the others in the trio by contrast. Abigail Hardin, the youngest of the trio, now seems liberated to become the sassy, spitfire character of her songs that she now claims unequivocally with sharp tongued credibility, attitude, outrage and determination. Her song, “It’s All About Me,” may be bluegrass, but it’s all about now, also. For some time, she has been receiving acclaim as a rising young songwriter, but she has also noticeably stepped up her game as a performer. As she says, “I may be young, but this is my moment now,” and she does claim it, for sure, triumphantly.

Annie Chadwick, who has been known to disarm an audience with just one of her unerring turns of phrase, returns to home ground here, reaffirming yet again her status as reigning Mississippi royalty. With her special radiating warmth in every note, glance and stance, her every step onstage testifies glowingly to a life gloriously lived, but not at all over, and still going strong, vivid as moonbeams on a summer night.

Almost needless to say, when these three remarkable women get together, it all explodes dynamically.

But NYCity Slickers is not just a gal trio with a backup band, but rather, it is a true ensemble, and each member individually and collectively contributes to the richness of the evening, with Faser Hardin, the master arranger for the group, reigning forth on banjo and accordion, Doug Drewes spellbinding us with lyrical unexpected descents on bass, Andrew Baird on guitar demonstrating a plucky engagement both solid and varied, musically and personally, Yan Izquierdo with fiddle playing that is both passionate and evocative, and Greg Utzig performing absolute wizardry on mandolin.

Make no mistake about it: these people know what they are doing. Impeccable musicianship thrives throughout the evening. The singers have training and experience that ranges from Opera to Classic Broadway to Pop, and the classically trained instrumentalists have been at home in Small Clubs, Broadway Orchestra Pits and Symphony Halls.

The wonder of the evening is the truly celebratory disposition of all the elements with an uncommon generosity and respect for each of the performers. Of course, as many have come to expect in this regard, the tone is set by Annie Chadwick, whose charm and vivacity have made her a beloved figure in the NY theatrical community, and here she serves as the hostess for the group and she likewise shines with her warm personal glow.

Throughout the evening, within song after song, there are startling moments when the trio will suddenly open up to focus on instrumental and vocal riffs, interludes, solo turns and gestures that become integral parts of the songs. Thus, for example, when the fiddler suddenly introduces a few phrases from “Sometimes I feel like a Motherless Child,” it startles, but seems so right, and goes directly to the heart.

The unexpected shifts that occur through the musical numbers are most remarkable. Within a rousing toe-tapping number we might find ourselves unexpectedly in a quiet interlude but then flow back just as easily into a rousing up-tempo jam.
- Examiner.com

July 19, 2012
by Ken Fitch

NYCITY SLICKERS, one of New York’s most beloved Bluegrass Bands, returned to one its favorite haunts, The Rodeo Bar, for its monthly gig on a hot July evening, and once again claimed and transported its audience for 2 striking Sets.

Dressed with a touch of elegance in black, the celebrated country gal trio would be anything but subdued as they broke out into their repertoire of powerful vocal solos and trios with the stories from the world of Jailhouses, Sugar Daddies, Mama’s Wisdom, the Greyhound Bus, and Jesus always showing up when needed. Early on, in one of their signature tunes, they bring us to their “Mississippi Home” where “Crystal Springs will wash our sins away,” and for the rest of the evening we will be at home with them wherever their journey takes us, and indeed by the end of the evening, some of us will be dancing in the aisles. There was some concern not long ago when this NYC-based ensemble lost one of its lustrous trio singers who was relocating several time zones away, creating gaps in the exuberant harmonies that the group has always delivered in song after song.

Well, the breaking good news is that Kim Harris, the new member of the group, is a truly awesome addition to the trio. She is what used to be called a “pint sized powerhouse,” but there is no mistaking that this stirring talent is a masterful performer. She nails the narratives in her solos with power, attitude and clarity, and blessed with a phenomenal voice that few on Broadway today could match, she grounds each song with palpable authenticity, and then further, she blends kinetically into the trios with a focus and exuberance that pumps up the trio vocals to a new level from which now, it seems, they will never descend.

The clarity of her persona has the unexpected impact of serving to crystallize the identities of the others in the trio by contrast. Abigail Hardin, the youngest of the trio, now seems liberated to become the sassy, spitfire character of her songs that she now claims unequivocally with sharp tongued credibility, attitude, outrage and determination. Her song, “It’s All About Me,” may be bluegrass, but it’s all about now, also. For some time, she has been receiving acclaim as a rising young songwriter, but she has also noticeably stepped up her game as a performer. As she says, “I may be young, but this is my moment now,” and she does claim it, for sure, triumphantly.

Annie Chadwick, who has been known to disarm an audience with just one of her unerring turns of phrase, returns to home ground here, reaffirming yet again her status as reigning Mississippi royalty. With her special radiating warmth in every note, glance and stance, her every step onstage testifies glowingly to a life gloriously lived, but not at all over, and still going strong, vivid as moonbeams on a summer night.

Almost needless to say, when these three remarkable women get together, it all explodes dynamically.

But NYCity Slickers is not just a gal trio with a backup band, but rather, it is a true ensemble, and each member individually and collectively contributes to the richness of the evening, with Faser Hardin, the master arranger for the group, reigning forth on banjo and accordion, Doug Drewes spellbinding us with lyrical unexpected descents on bass, Andrew Baird on guitar demonstrating a plucky engagement both solid and varied, musically and personally, Yan Izquierdo with fiddle playing that is both passionate and evocative, and Greg Utzig performing absolute wizardry on mandolin.

Make no mistake about it: these people know what they are doing. Impeccable musicianship thrives throughout the evening. The singers have training and experience that ranges from Opera to Classic Broadway to Pop, and the classically trained instrumentalists have been at home in Small Clubs, Broadway Orchestra Pits and Symphony Halls.

The wonder of the evening is the truly celebratory disposition of all the elements with an uncommon generosity and respect for each of the performers. Of course, as many have come to expect in this regard, the tone is set by Annie Chadwick, whose charm and vivacity have made her a beloved figure in the NY theatrical community, and here she serves as the hostess for the group and she likewise shines with her warm personal glow.

Throughout the evening, within song after song, there are startling moments when the trio will suddenly open up to focus on instrumental and vocal riffs, interludes, solo turns and gestures that become integral parts of the songs. Thus, for example, when the fiddler suddenly introduces a few phrases from “Sometimes I feel like a Motherless Child,” it startles, but seems so right, and goes directly to the heart.

The unexpected shifts that occur through the musical numbers are most remarkable. Within a rousing toe-tapping number we might find ourselves unexpectedly in a quiet interlude but then flow back just as easily into a rousing up-tempo jam.
- Examiner.com

February 14, 2013
by Stuart R. Brynien

Looking for some cool new music to listen to while you’re sharing truffles and bon-bons with your Valentine? The NY City Slickers — a local band with a Southern-fried sound that specializes in the blues, traditional bluegrass, and bluegrass pop — has just released a bouncy new version of the Katy Perry hit, “Teenage Dream” … and best of all, if you pre-order the EP that the single appears on — a six-track called “Songs From Home” (officially due out in April) — you can even download ”Teenage Dream” for free!

The City Slickers’ debut CD in 2011, “Layin’ It Down”, won praise from critics and fans alike, and “Songs From Home” includes numbers they performed to sold-out houses when they toured Mississippi last summer.

The NYCity Slickers: an inspired blend of passionate vocals, fancy banjo-pickin’, and some good old-fashioned fiddlin’. Check them out! - Viva Lifestyles

February 14, 2013
by Stuart R. Brynien

Looking for some cool new music to listen to while you’re sharing truffles and bon-bons with your Valentine? The NY City Slickers — a local band with a Southern-fried sound that specializes in the blues, traditional bluegrass, and bluegrass pop — has just released a bouncy new version of the Katy Perry hit, “Teenage Dream” … and best of all, if you pre-order the EP that the single appears on — a six-track called “Songs From Home” (officially due out in April) — you can even download ”Teenage Dream” for free!

The City Slickers’ debut CD in 2011, “Layin’ It Down”, won praise from critics and fans alike, and “Songs From Home” includes numbers they performed to sold-out houses when they toured Mississippi last summer.

The NYCity Slickers: an inspired blend of passionate vocals, fancy banjo-pickin’, and some good old-fashioned fiddlin’. Check them out! - Viva Lifestyles

February 15, 2013
by Laura Kazdan

The NYCity Slickers have been gathering buzz for their live cover of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” as a bluegrass ballad, and they are finally releasing it just in time for Valentine’s Day. The song will come as a free download when you pre-order their Songs From Home EP due out in late April. The cover features lady gang vocals, fiddle picking, and dueling string solos. Abigail Hardin sings with Katy meets Loretta, full-throttle intensity, and she is backed by both her mother and father. What could have easily seemed gimmicky or cloying actually ends up highlighting the sincerity within Perry’s lyrics, and it ends up sounding like the song you hope your crush asks you to dance to at the barn raising.

The NYCity Slickers are a New York born and bred bluegrass band that somehow manages to feel authentic rather than derivative. It could be their (at minimum) seven-person set-up that includes banjos, fiddles, mandolins, and an upright bass. It could be their smart selection of original and classic songs, ranging from Southern stand-bys to out-there bayou b-sides. It could be their live energy and friendly disposition during shows. They’re often cracking dopey jokes in between songs that could only make Katy Perry’s punchline damning boyfriend laugh. Whatever the reason, catching them live feels sort of like wandering into a jam session at some remote Mississippi bar where the whiskey is freely flowing and you half expect someone to pass a washboard your way. The Songs From Home EP was actually recorded while on tour down south this autumn, so expect that atmosphere to carry through. - Go Folk Yourself

February 15, 2013
by Laura Kazdan

The NYCity Slickers have been gathering buzz for their live cover of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” as a bluegrass ballad, and they are finally releasing it just in time for Valentine’s Day. The song will come as a free download when you pre-order their Songs From Home EP due out in late April. The cover features lady gang vocals, fiddle picking, and dueling string solos. Abigail Hardin sings with Katy meets Loretta, full-throttle intensity, and she is backed by both her mother and father. What could have easily seemed gimmicky or cloying actually ends up highlighting the sincerity within Perry’s lyrics, and it ends up sounding like the song you hope your crush asks you to dance to at the barn raising.

The NYCity Slickers are a New York born and bred bluegrass band that somehow manages to feel authentic rather than derivative. It could be their (at minimum) seven-person set-up that includes banjos, fiddles, mandolins, and an upright bass. It could be their smart selection of original and classic songs, ranging from Southern stand-bys to out-there bayou b-sides. It could be their live energy and friendly disposition during shows. They’re often cracking dopey jokes in between songs that could only make Katy Perry’s punchline damning boyfriend laugh. Whatever the reason, catching them live feels sort of like wandering into a jam session at some remote Mississippi bar where the whiskey is freely flowing and you half expect someone to pass a washboard your way. The Songs From Home EP was actually recorded while on tour down south this autumn, so expect that atmosphere to carry through. - Go Folk Yourself

"The singing is fabulous and impassioned, which is what modern day bluegrass could use more of. The arrangements are stellar and the material is strong."

— Tony Trischka, Grammy-Nominated Banjo Legend - Tony Trischka

"The singing is fabulous and impassioned, which is what modern day bluegrass could use more of. The arrangements are stellar and the material is strong."

— Tony Trischka, Grammy-Nominated Banjo Legend - Tony Trischka