Restless as a Willow

Long ago, Iowa City native Dave Moore got a harmonica for Christmas. It turned out to be his ticket to a life in music. He's had other jobs - fruit picker, plumber's assistant, lumberyard worker, oil-rig worker - but music is his calling. For decades, he has garnered fans with his singing, songwriting, button accordion, guitar, and harmonica. He made his first album, Juke Joints and Cantinas, after he won a folk festival singing contest; the prize was 12 hours in a recording studio. His other recordings include Breaking Down to 3 (Red House).

Nicholas Roth is an Associate Professor of Piano at Drake University in Des Moines. As a kid, he was interested in drums and trumpet, but he began studying piano at 12. And before he was out of his teens, he was receiving critical acclaim for his appearances. He has performed as soloist with major orchestras and has been featured in recitals and festivals worldwide. Among his recordings is Edvard Grieg's Complete Lyric Pieces. It is on the Blue Griffin label.

Originally from Anoka, Minnesota, actor and singer Kate Beahen earned a degree in music theater from Florida State University, spent a few years in New York, and is now based in Minneapolis. In the Twin Cities, she has appeared in productions at the Guthrie Theater, Theater Latte Da, the Ordway Center, and more. Kate also directs and teaches youth workshops across the state.

The Guy's All-Star Shoe Band is led by A Prairie Home Companion music director Richard Dworsky. A masterful keyboard player, composer and improviser in any style, he writes all the script themes and underscores, and he has accompanied guests from James Taylor to Renee Fleming. His latest CD is So Near and Dear to Me. Chet Atkins called Pat Donohue (guitar) one of the greatest fingerpickers in the world today. And he writes songs too - recorded by Suzy Bogguss, Kenny Rogers, and others. Nobody's Fault (Bluesky Records) is the most recent of Pat's 10 albums. Gary Raynor (bass) has performed with the Count Basie band, Sammy Davis Jr. - with whom he toured for several years - and the Minnesota Klezmer Band. He teaches jazz bass at the McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul. Peter Johnson (percussion) has played klezmer music with Doc Severinsen and jazz with Dave Brubeck. He was a drummer for The Manhattan Transfer and for Gene Pitney. He has toured the world, but he always comes back to home base: Saint Paul. When Richard Kriehn turned 10, his mom bought him a mandolin; at 19, he'd won the Buck White International Mandolin Contest. He went on to play with the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble and bluegrass group 1946. On the classical side, he has performed with numerous orchestras and was principal second violin for the Washington/Idaho Symphony.