Elisabeth von Trapp & The Blue Train to Appear in Cazenovia

Trio of performers will grace the Catherine Cummings Theatre stage on Aug. 27

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Elisabeth von Trapp

CAZENOVIA, NY (08/14/2010)(readMedia)-- Elisabeth von Trapp and The Blue Train are coming to the Catherine Cummings Theatre at Cazenovia College Friday, Aug. 27 at 8 p.m. General admission is $20; seniors and students, $16. Please call 315-655-STAR, or visit www.cazenovia.edu/theatre, for information.

Elisabeth von Trapp & The Blue Train brings together Elisabeth von Trapp, Paul Asbell and Peter Riley, three of Vermont' premiere musicians.

Elisabeth Von Trapp's earliest memories are of the baroque instruments and four part harmonies of the family choir, the legendary Trapp Family Singers, classical symphonies on the turntable, and songs played on the diverse collection of musical instruments in the living room. Inspired by her father's guitar playing and singing, she began taking piano lessons when she was eight.

At sixteen she was playing guitar and traveling the back roads of New England performing with her siblings at weddings, gospel meetings and town halls. Since those formative years, Elisabeth has appeared with orchestras and choirs, taking her music to small opera houses and major performance centers; from the Washington National Cathedral and the Kennedy Center to the Great Hall of New York City's Grand Central Station.

From his early years, playing blues on Chicago's South Side, to his present multi-faceted career based out of northern Vermont, Paul Asbell has played and recorded with Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, Lightnin' Hopkins, Otis Rush, Paul Butterfield, Pops Staples, Donny Hathaway, and numerous others while in his hometown of Chicago, Ill.

Since 1994, Asbell has been reconnecting with his original folk-based roots in enthusiastically received festival shows and solo concerts. His two solo acoustic CD's, "Steel-String Americana" and "Roots and Branches," received numerous rave reviews for its highly individualized twists on blues and jazz.

A founding member of award-winning bluegrass ensemble Breakaway, and the hard-driving rock unit, The XRays, Peter Riley, a master of both acoustic and electric bass, slides seamlessly from Appalachian tragedy to roadhouse. Riley is a true Renaissance man; songwriter and music teacher, nationally recognized birder, piano tuner, Irish tenor and a formidable force on the links as one of Vermont's top amateur golfers, a scratch player any day of the week.

Von Trapp, Asbell and Riley's vocals draw on the talents of three extraordinary singers who all stand out on lead and blend beautifully on three-part harmonies. Their instrumental work promises to be masterful and inventive yet tasteful, nothing lacking or overdone. Whether it's an original tune, a Ralph Stanley nugget, a Lennon-McCartney classic, or an old-time gospel hymn, Elisabeth Von Trapp & The Blue Train delivers ... Acoustic With A Traditional Ring.... Good Music For All.

Cazenovia College, named one of "America's Best Colleges" by US News & World Report, is a small, independent, co-educational, baccalaureate college. Located near Syracuse, N.Y., Cazenovia College offers a comprehensive liberal arts education in an exceptional community environment, with academic and co-curricular programs devoted to developing leaders in their professional fields. For more information, visit www.cazenovia.edu. # # #