South Austin Song Circles: Ray Prim, Dan Dyer, Roger Blevins Jr & Tom Meny
Imagine Ben Harper and Ray Lamontagne heading over to Abbey Road in a cadillac convertible to pick up John Lennon and Paul McCartney so they can catch the tail end of The Reverend Al Green's sermon....that's Ray Prim
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Soul-folk singer-songwriter & multi-instrumentalist, raised in East TX on Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder & Merle Haggard. Dan Dyer’s voice and live show intensity are raw and hot, yet soulful and sensitive, drawing from a wealth of classic soul, blues, folk, and R&B legends. His songs are dynamic, melodic, and intelligently seductive, and range from gospel-tinged ballads to classic strummed folk tales.
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As the frontman and songwriter for the band Mingo Fishtrap, Roger Blevins Jr. has shared his songs with music lovers across the globe. Championing the cause for soulful Americana, he has soaked up the flavors, stories and landscapes of the group’s travels. A Mississippi native who has settled in Texas, Blevins comes by music honestly, following in the footsteps of his Louisiana bassist father and a grandmother who taught him hymns sitting side by side on the organ bench. After attending the University of North Texas’ prestigious College of Music and forming Mingo Fishtrap in a cramped campus dorm room, it wasn’t long before Austin became home base and the band was out on the road. Mingo’s critically-acclaimed release, On Time, landed them on the Americana charts as one of the 100 most played albums of the year. “[Blevins] evokes all the great soul shouters but replicates none of them and, like the old masters, knows how to lift a good melody, not overtake it.” (Something Else)
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Award winning songwriter Tom Meny currently calls Buda, TX home. Stationed near the live music mecca of Austin, it can be difficult to stand out in a vast sea of great musicians. But Tom Meny is a voice apart from the rest. With influences ranging from Glen Hansard to John Mayer, Tom uses non-standard guitar tuning, a soulful voice, memorable melodies and direct lyrics that set himself apart and connect with his audiences. Among his accolades are numerous songwriting awards including winning efforts at the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival's New Folk Competition (2015), the Wildflower Arts and Music Festival's Performing Songwriter Competition (2017), The Recording Conservatory of Austin's Singer Songwriter Competition (2013), and many others. Meny has performed for audiences around the country including recent tours through Texas, North Carolina and New England, and has played legendary venues such as Austin's Cactus Cafe, The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, The Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and Lincoln Center in New York City. Tom Meny has appeared on albums by Billy Crockett, Ray Prim, and Laura Marie.
