Rob Lutes (co-production with Orillia Folk Society)

Take Note! Music House, address given upon reservation, Orillia, ON

OFS House Concerts Presents One of our FridayFolk favourites, Rob Lutes Friday, January 20, 2012 8:00 pm

The Orillia Folk Society kicks off 2012 with a house concert by one of our FridayFolk favourites, Kerrville New Folk winner Rob Lutes. This intimate gathering takes place on Friday, January 20 at 8:00 p.m., at the Take Note! Music House (directions given upon reservation) Tickets are $15, and may be reserved by e-mailing takenote@takenotepromotion.com or calling 705-259-0157. Doors open at 7:30 pm, BYOB if you so desire. A world-class songwriter and performer, Rob Lutes presents haunting roots at its finest. Rob recently won a Porcupine Award for “Great Canadian Song” on CIUT’s Back to the Sugar Camp for his song Cold Canadian Road – incidentally, the name of this tour! For full details, including concert poster and artist links, please visit http://orilliafolk.ca/ofs/house.html.

Rob Lutes (www.roblutes.com)

“If anybody embodied the beauty and honesty of roots music, it's Rob Lutes. His set was a naked flame set to torch the place.” – Maverick (UK) “A gem. Among the best in a crowded roots field.” – Toronto Star Rob Lutes is the real deal. The soulful singer-songwriter from Montreal with the ever-growing collection of literate, moving meditations on life and love is receiving increasing praise on the international roots scene both for his impassioned live performances and his stunning songs. A former Kerrville New Folk winner with four acclaimed CDs, the latest two out on Rounder Europe, Lutes's ability to encapsulate universal ideas and questions, even the subtle ones, coupled with his gritty, heartfelt delivery and world-class performance chops, have invited comparisons with several legends in the roots genre from John Hiatt to Fred Eaglesmith. “He will soon be counted amongst the ranks of the best in the industry, a rare talent that keeps getting better with each project released” says Hello Darlin’ Productions promoter Matt Large. Heaven magazine writer Kees van Wee calls him “one of the most impressive new Americana artists of the decade.” Greg Quill of the Toronto Star deemed Lutes’ 2007 studio effort “Ride the Shadows” “a brilliantly understated gem distinguished by a warm and raspy voice, honest and eloquent lyrics, and evocative acoustic guitar work…among the best of the year's roots/blues crop.” The Ottawa Citizen named the CD “one of the Top Ten in Canada for 2007”. Following on the success of that work, which also took him on tour across Europe and Canada, Lutes recorded his much-awaited fourth CD with noted Boston-area producer David Goodrich (Chris Smither, Peter Mulvey). The result of that collaboration, “Truth & Fiction”, was released in November 2008 and in December hit #4 on the EuroAmericana Chart. The Montreal Gazette has called it “his most compelling CD yet.” His recent CD, “Live”, in duo with Rob MacDonald, captures one of Canada’s finest acoustic acts, blending Lutes’s powerful acoustic fingerstyle and soulful, husky baritone with MacDonald’s virtuoso resophonic guitar accompaniment. It features striking duo versions of 10 Lutes originals, along with four covers from the blues and R&B canon. “With works like this, Lutes should be getting a warm reception on “this cold Canadian road,” to quote the man himself. A formidable songwriter.” Penguin Eggs

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Contact Information: Alyssa Wright music@orilliafolk.ca