Staggers and Jags – Live Music – Americana

G. Stevens is a guitarist, vocalist, mandolinist, and songwriter born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, and has lived in the Holy City for most of his life. He began playing guitar on Christmas Day at age 14, and has steadily honed his skills as a rhythm player and occasional soloist. Having spent high school steeped in guitar-god worship, he enrolled in college and gravitated towards folk, indie rock and Americana music. After earning a degree in journalism, he moved back to Charleston to embark on a career in graphic design while moonlighting as a gigging musician and songwriter. Currently the creative manager at a Charleston-area marketing and publishing firm, he’s meanwhile served a principal member of a number of Charleston area bands, including Shatterdog, The Letter Show, Triangle Bluegrass, Moonlight Ale, and the Atlas Project. He’s released three records, beginning with 2012’s Fisticuffsmanship, called “one of the coolest album titles of the year” by The Charleston City Paper and hailed for its “sweeping harmonies, solid musicianship, and introspective, compelling lyrics.” In 2013, Stevens joined forces with songwriters Daniel Crawford and Becca Bessinger to form folk trio The Letter Show. They released the 5-song Brokenhearted Stumblers EP that year and performed at Floyd Fest in Floyd, VA. Most recently, Stevens released his first solo record, 2016’s Hot Brisket, recorded in Nashville, TN with Grammy-winning producer Joey Crawford. In 2015, Stevens was coerced into picking up the mandolin and joined Charleston-area stringband Triangle Bluegrass. In 2016, he joined Celtic-folk group Moonlight Ale, and went on to join James Anderson’s jazz-infused Atlas Project. A prolific songwriter, Stevens’ music has appeared on South Carolina ETV and promotional material for Feetures Running Socks. Stevens’ design work is prominent throughout local Charleston businesses, and has appeared in Forbes magazine and media outlets all over the world, as well as this website.

James Anderson has been hailed by critics as a violinist “who bucks tradition,” a “world class violinist, improviser, and composer,” and “the most swinging violinist in Colorado.” A Fort Collins, Colorado native and violinist since age five, James is at home in a number of musical arenas including classical, jazz, tango, bluegrass, and rock to name a few. After graduating from high school in 2003, James continued his music studies at the University of Northern Colorado with a violin scholarship. While at UNC, James became an active performer on the Colorado Front Range – performing more that 100 concerts of all types every year – and would become the concertmaster of the various, award-winning UNC orchestras. After graduating with honors, James was accepted to the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England for graduate studies. While in England, James became a regular on the vibrant London jazz scene while studying alongside some of the world’s finest classical performers such as the Belcea String Quartet and the London Symphony Orchestra. James has been featured in concert halls around the globe including London’s Wigmore and Barbican Halls, and the Sala Mozart in Zaragosa, Spain. James has performed with some of world’s greatest fiddlers such as Mark O’Connor, Doug Kershaw, Christian Howes, Alex Hargreaves, and Darol Anger; has performed with tango legends Pablo Ziegler, Hector del Curto, Pedro Giraudo, Gustavo Casanova, Victor Lavallen, Pablo Agri, and Pablo Estigarribia; has collaborated with such artists as Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Marcia Ball, Fyfe Dangerfield, Carolyn Wonderland, Grant Gordy, Bruce Adolphe (aka The Piano Puzzler); has opened for acts including Chaka Khan, Stanton Moore, Ben Taylor, and Railroad Earth; has recorded for both film and television including the soundtrack to the major motion picture “Bernie” starring Jack Black and NBC’s “Smash”; and has been a soloist and chamber musician featured with orchestras and chamber music festivals around the country. His tango ensemble, The Austin Piazzolla Quintet, has been hailed as “one of the country’s foremost tango ensembles,” “sublime,” “tango at it’s best,” and “a phenomenally polished and exciting ensemble.” After seven years on the renown Austin, Texas music scene,  James is now based in Charleston, South Carolina and is an in demand violinist and teacher on the vibrant music scene.