Queens of Western Swing

wo of the leading lights of western swing and hot string-jazz join forces for an evening of unforgettable music and fun. Cindy Cashdollar, known to millions for her frequent appearances on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion, is a steel guitar and Dobro player par excellence. A celebrated alumna of Asleep at the Wheel, she’s performed and recorded with Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, the Dixie Chicks, Levon Helm, and Van Morrison and has won five Grammy Awards along the way.

The gifted fiddler and vocalist Elana James (formerly Fremerman) cofounded the beloved Hot Club of Cowtown with guitarist Whit Smith. A student of the great 20th-century jazz violinists Stuff Smith, Joe Venuti, and Stéphane Grappelli, as well as western-swing legends Bob Wills and Johnny Gimble, James brings a freshness and originality to her sound that’s kept younger listeners in thrall. Bob Dylan also took notice. She’s performed with Dylan and his band on three recent tours. And Willie Nelson had this to say about James: “A beautiful voice, a fantastic musician, with the heart and soul of an angel.”

Cindy Cashdollar and Elana James will perform together throughout the evening, along with Whit Smith on guitar and Jake Erwin on bass.

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