Musical trio Peter Wilson, Joe Craven, and John Girton. Photo courtesy of Peter Wilson

NEVADA CITY, CA (MPG) - The trio of Joe Craven, John Girton & Peter Wilson share the evening with the duo of Paul Emery & Eli Rush on Friday, January 26 at the historic Nevada Theatre. 

Following the early-pandemic lockdown, perennial solo act Peter Wilson found opportunities to perform on patios, sidewalks and parking lots.  Those shows, to crowds hungry for live music, quickly evolved into spontaneous ensembles featuring some of acoustic music's premier players.  Wilson says, "Touring musicians had no gigs and were going crazy at home.  I was able to offer friends a chance to get out and play."  Multi-instrumentalist Joe Craven (David Grisman Quintet, Sometimers) and guitarist John Girton (Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks) found themselves playing with Wilson regularly around Northern California and Nevada. 

While the trio is new, all three musicians have known each other for decades. Girton and Craven performed and recorded together in the 1980s and '90s. Wilson and Girton have performed as a duo for nearly 40 years.  As a trio, they have a long list of common material to draw from. 

Joe Craven is a well-known sight at acoustic music festivals and, for many years, was violinist and percussionist for the David Grisman Quintet. Craven lists some of his influences being Jimi Hendrix, dumpster diving, Hermeto Pascoal, thrift stores, Frank Zappa, educator and aesthetician John Dewey, beachcombing, Carl Stalling, Eddie Palmieri, field recordings, Tiny Moore, Los Pleneros De Viente Uno, Darol Anger and The Horseflies.

John Girton is renowned for his work as lead guitarist with the group Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks. John recorded 3 albums with the group, and also wrote and arranged material for them. He was also featured as guitarist, saxophonist, clarinetist, and occasional mandolinist with the popular vocalist, Maria Muldaur. His own group, the “Girtones” played a blend of jazz, swing and blues sometimes including singer Maria Muldaur as a member.

Award-winning singer/songwriter/guitarist Peter Wilson has toured and performed since 1978 in coffeehouses, colleges, trains and nightclubs across the US and Canada. He’s a member of the Deadbeats – a long running tip-of-the-hat to the music and songs of the Grateful Dead. He’s a founding member of Paul Emery’s 1000 Kisses Deep – The Songs of Leonard Cohen.

Opening the show will be impresario Paul Emery with his long-time accompanist Eli Rush. Emery is a founding member of Backwoods Jazz with Anni McCann and Tom Schmidt. He is creator of 1000 Kisses Deep – The Songs of Leonard Cohen, which has performed around Northern California to sell-out crowds. Paul is also a founding member of the Foothills Flyers duo with Ray Mann and the ground-breaking Greater Carmichael String Band. His production company, Paul Emery Presents, has been an essential part of Nevada County’s vibrant music scene for decades.

Paul Emery and Eli Rush performing together. Photo courtesy of Peter Wilson

Eli Rush has traveled to remote parts of the planet and paddled over 2,000 miles of rivers in wilderness areas across the world as a guide and photographer. When he’s not paddling the in the Amazon or Yukon, Eli is often found accompanying guitarists and other wildlife on harmonica.

WHO: Paul Emery Presents

WHAT: John Girton, Joe Craven & Peter Wilson with Paul Emery & Eli Rush

WHEN: Friday, January 26, 7:30PM

WHERE: Nevada Theatre 

401 Broad Street, Nevada City, CA

TICKETS: $30 premium reserved seating, $20 general admission. Tickets can be purchased at https://paulemerymusic.com/john-girton-joe-craven-peter-wilson-with-paul-emery-eli-rush/.