The Wood Brothers are back at The Ridgefield Playhouse

        

                    The Wood Brothers are returning to The Ridgefield Playhouse on Friday, May 18, at 8 p.m. with their brand of blues, folk-roots and Bluegrass Country music.  Smoke Ring Halo (Southern Ground) is the duo’s third full-length album where their musical chemistry explodes. The Wood Brothers are musician siblings Chris and Oliver Wood from Boulder, Colorado. Chris is a founding member of Medeski Martin & Wood, and Oliver played second guitar with Tinsley Ellis before forming King Johnson. Drummer Tyler Greenwell rounds out the Wood Brothers trio. Special Guest is Scrapomatic featuring Mike Mattison from the Derek Trucks Band. This event is underwritten by The Tow Family and is part of the Doyle Coffin Architecture Singer/Songwriting Series.

                    Oliver and Chris Wood ended up adapting the blues, folk and roots styles they loved as kids into their own evocative sound and twining their voices in a high‐lonesome harmony blend. Oliver Wood plays guitar and sings; Chris Wood is a classically-trained bass player who is also acclaimed for his harmonica and vocals. The sound on the rousing opener “Mary Anna”, the back‐porch‐funky “Shoofly Pie”, the waltz‐time plaint “Pay Attention” and the gospel‐inflected “Made It Up the Mountain” show off their rich, spacious sound.

                     Oliver formed King Johnson with his buddy Chris Long and toured with that band during the 12 years of its existence. Chris studied bass at the New England Conservatory of Music where he developed his virtuosic skills, studying with jazz luminaries such as Geri Allen and Dave Holland.

               The Wood Brothers’ concerts earned 5-star rave reviews on ticketmaster.com:  “These guys are excellent musicians, and even more brilliant with their lyrics!”, and “Great acoustics and a packed house were two of the three magic layers for one very righteous concert by the Wood Brothers. This three- piece band knows how to lay down a very infectious groove which had the joint rockin'… They are so strong live that you need not be familiar with their music to have a great evening of entertainment.”

                   Before arriving at their ultimate collaboration, the brothers pursued separate projects for some 15 years. With supple assistance from drummer Tyler Greenwell and a fleet of gifted guest players, the Wood Brothers simmer, swing and soar. Oliver’s lived‐in, expressive voice and urgent fretwork bounce off Chris’ propulsive stand‐up bass and ghostly harmonica.

                    2006 saw the release of their first album, Ways Not to Lose, named top pick in folk by Amazon.com’s editors. With their third album Smoke Ring Halo released in 2011, the brothers continue the musical adventure they began in childhood.

                  For tickets ($37), call or visit the box office at The Ridgefield Playhouse, (203) 438-5795. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a not-for-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT; ridgefieldplayhouse.org.