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High-resolution downloadable images of Edwin McCain, Altan, and Lavay Smith are available on Wolf Trap’s Web site: http://www.wolftrap.org/Media_and_Newsroom/Photos_for_Publication.aspx

Contact: Graham Binder, Manager, Public Relations
(703) 255-1917 or grahamb@wolftrap.org

Vienna, VA—The Barns at Wolf Trap kicks off its 2009 season in exhilarating fashion with three consecutive performances of wildly diverse musical influence from January 7-9. Pop sensation Edwin McCain returns to The Barns after a highly successful 2008 debut performance on Wednesday, January 7, followed by the Celtic powerhouse, Altan, on Thursday, January 8. Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers close the week with a general admission swing dance on Friday, January 9.

Edwin McCain w/special guest Chris Barron
Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 8 p.m.
$25

Edwin McCain

Edwin McCain returns to The Barns at Wolf Trap following a rousing, sold-out performance this past January. Armed with eight albums that showcase a variety of musical influences, including Nobody’s Fault But Mine, his recent all-covers 2008 release which includes such classic soul tracks as “Can I Get a Witness” and a duet of Otis Redding’s “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember,” McCain has endeared himself to the mass public through reflective, poignant, and accessible songs. After breaking into the recording world in 1995, it wasn’t long before his body of work earned him comparisons to that of the Dave Matthews Band, Big Head Todd & The Monsters, and Hootie & The Blowfish. McCain is best known for his 1997 release Misguided Roses, which served as a vehicle for the smash hit ballad, “I’ll Be.”

Chris Barron

Lead singer of the alternative rock group, the Spin Doctors, Grammy nominee Chris Barron catapulted to mainstream success in the mid-’90s with Top Five hits “Two Princes” and “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong,” from the multi-platinum album Pocket Full of Kryptonite. Aside from Barron’s duties as front man and principal songwriter for Spin Doctors, he offers a secondary medium of creative output as a thriving solo artist. Baron released his debut solo effort in 2005, titled Poncho and the Kid, and continues to drive new fans to his shows, all the while re-kindling a collective love for classic and new Spin Doctors tunes.

Altan
Thursday, January 8, 2009 at 8 p.m.
$25

Declared a “sheer powerhouse” in the Celtic world by the Los Angeles Times, Altan arrives at The Barns for an evening of traditional Irish music, inspired by their hometown region of Donegal, Ireland. The first Irish band to be signed to a major label, the sextet is best known for their dynamic live performances, with recent set list selections drawn primarily from their 2005 release, Local Ground, the band’s tenth album after more than 20 years together. Aside from the group’s vibrant repertoire mostly steeped in timeless Irish songs, Barns patrons can look forward to the occasional American standard.

Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers
General Admission Dance
Friday, January 9, 2009 at 8 p.m.
$22

Representing the sole swing band performance of The Barns’ spring season, Lavay Smith’s sultry voice and eight-piece band evokes the classic ’30s and ’40s jazz era, influenced by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Bessie Smith. The band’s unique style is a medley of blues, salsa, jazz, and swing with musicians on a wide range of instruments, including drums, piano, bass, trombone, trumpet, tenor saxophone, and alto saxophone. Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers have released two albums on Smith’s own label, Fat Notes Records. The first release, One Hour Mama (1996), was critically acclaimed in The San Francisco Chronicle, Downbeat, Jazziz, and Blues Revue. Their most recent album, Everybody’s Talkin’ ’Bout Miss Thing! (2000), reached No. 10 on the Billboard jazz chart for 20 straight weeks.

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Tickets can be purchased by calling 1(877) WOLFTRAP; or online at http://www.wolftrap.org/Purchase_Tickets.aspx

For more information, call The Barns at Wolf Trap at (703) 938-2404.