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With special guests - percussionist Marc Anderson & bassist Enrique Toussaint
After four years of touring the U.S. Ryman is back home to release her fifth CD, Earthbound,
featuring 14 original songs, ranging from her unique contemporary folk ballads to traditional, country gospel & bluegrass. The CD also features Peter Ostroushko’s mandolin and fiddle, Adam Granger’s flat picking, Prudence Johnson’s vocal harmonies and Dirk Freymuth’s electric guitar. Percussionist Marc Anderson & bassist Enrique Toussaint also grace the album and will be accompanying Barb at Sunday’s concert. A lyricist of exceptional depth and perception, Ryman’s new songs traverse the Earth, the heart, mysteries of God, politics, women, love, disillusionment, joy, and the whimsical.
As is Ryman’s trademark, you can expect to be moved. “A heart-on-sleeve triumph” proclaimed the Minneapolis Star Tribune when her 1995 CD, Lay me Open, was released; “strong vocalist, talented composer” said Dirty Linen. Ryman has been nominated for nine Minnesota Music Awards over the years including, Songwriter of The Year, Recording of The Year, Song of The Year, and Female Vocalist. In 2002, the American Composer Forum awarded her the McKnight Composer Fellowship. Ryman tours the U.S. performing in concert series, folk festivals, colleges, house concerts, and radio shows. Her songs have aired on folk programs across the U.S. Europe, Australia and beyond.
Always attracted to music, Barb started composing when she could play her first two chords and feel two conflicting emotions simultaneously. Inspired by the late 60’s folk revolution, she was playing the coffeehouses in high school and college, but succumbed to societal pressures to get a “real job”. Upon graduating, her music went into the closet for nearly 20 years! Then after marriage, children, and a successful career as a speech pathologist, she pulled her guitar out of the closet and started composing. Friends encouraged her to perform a song at the Fine Line Music Café. Little did she know this was a nationally endorsed competition being judged by major publishers, record people and agents in the Midwest, With that debut performance she found herself a finalist and was encouraged to pursue her music seriously. She started playing out on weekends, opening for people like Cheryl Wheeler, Robin & Linda Williams, and Les Sampou. While balancing parental and career responsibilities, she managed to record four CDs, and tour regionally. In 2002 she received the break she needed with the McKnight award. She quit her speech therapy career and has been touring the national folk and singer-songwriter circuit ever since.
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