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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW One of Oregon's two health insurance co-ops says it will shut down ... Rogue Valley gubernatorial candidate blasts Gov. Brown on climate change ... Historical Society executive director stepping down ... One of Oregon's two health insurance co-ops says it will shut down ... Rogue Valley gubernatorial candidate blasts Gov. Brown on climate change ... Historical Society executive director stepping down ... LIVE MUSIC A Country Cajun Revival comes to the Unitarian Country, Cajun and zydeco roots come together when singer Nell Robinson and lead guitarist Jim Nunally join fiddler Tom Rigney and his band Flambeau for a double bill this weekend at the Unitarian in Ashland. Comment By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 2, 2015 at 9:00 AM Updated Apr 2, 2015 at 4:25 PM By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 2, 2015 at 9:00 AM Updated Apr 2, 2015 at 4:25 PM » Social News Country, Cajun and zydeco roots come together when singer Nell Robinson and lead guitarist Jim Nunally join fiddler Tom Rigney and his band Flambeau for a double bill this weekend at the Unitarian in Ashland. Rigney and his band are favorites at the annual Southern Oregon Music Festival, aka Medford Jazz Festival. Hailing from the San Francisco roots music scene, the fiddler and composer is leading his band — guitarist Danny Caron, pianist Caroline Dahl, electric bassist Steve Parks and drummer Brent Rampone — into its second decade, playing a mix of high-energy Cajun, blues, New Orleans grooves, waltzes, ballads and rock 'n' roll. Also based in the San Francisco Bay Area, country artists Robinson and Nunally write original music in the style of Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Buck Owens, George Jones and others. Nunally's flat-picking guitar licks earned him a win at the Western Open Flat-Picking Championship. Robinson and Nunally will be backed by Pete Grants on pedal steel, who played with Hoyt Axton for a couple of decades. "He brings a lush country sound to the music," Robinson says during a telephone interview. "Then there's Jon Arkin, a young drummer who comes from a jazz tradition. He's familiar with roots music, though. His father played with Bill Monroe. He kicks off 'Folsom Prison Blues' with a blistering beat. It's as though you're hoppin' on a fast train the second he strikes the first down beat." Stand-up bassist Jim Kerwin rounds out the percussion. His acoustic rhythms can be heard on early recordings with Jerry Garcia and David Grisman, Robinson says. "These guys are so hot," she says. "Jim and I share the leads and a lot of tight harmonies. So we have great instrumentals and tightly knit, lush harmonies." Along with the duo's original country, look for covers of songs by Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Country Cajun Revival will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 3, at the Unitarian Fellowship, 87 Fourth St. Tickets cost $20 in advance and can be purchased online at gaiaconcerts.com or Music Coop, 268 E. Main St. Tickets will cost $22 at the door. Call 541-708-0715 for information. Nunally, Robinson and Rigney discovered their music complemented each other's while performing together in March on a sound stage at KVIE Public Television in Sacramento, Calif. "It was for part of a series showcasing 10 different musicians, called 'Music Gone Public,' also with Tom Rigney," Robinson says. "Our music is so compatible with Tom's that he plays fiddle on some of our songs and we sing and play on some of his songs. We're so excited to be playing together at this show in Ashland." Rigney is a prolific composer, recording artist and performer. Keep up with him at www.rigomania.com . Robinson and Nunally released a collection of acoustic songs titled "House & Garden" in 2013. Robinson's "The Rose of No Man's Land," a collection of songs, letters, poetry and stories, was released in November on Compass Records. It is an account of Robinson's family from the American Revolution to the present. It features Kris Kristofferson, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, John Doe, Maxine Hong Kingston and actress Kathy Baker ("Cold Mountain," "Saving Mr. Banks," "The Jane Austen Book Club"). By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 2, 2015 at 9:00 AM Updated Apr 2, 2015 at 4:25 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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