Bethany & Rufus

Bio

"Stunning." (Goldmine Magazine) "Remarkable." (Jazz Times) "The real deal." (allmusic.com). "Extraordinary... Brilliant" (All About Jazz) ..... BETHANY & RUFUS are all these things... Called "a splash of sunlight between the grey cracks of mediated culture" by the UK Guardian, the cello and voice duo have kept their production spare and focused on the depth of soul in the roots music they inhabit like few others. In their hands, old aching mountain songs, gospel cries of redemption and reckoning, and the deep groove chugging of a freight train holler come alive again with an urgency and energy that have electrified audiences all over the world. Bethany and Rufus first met in 1999 at a friend's late night gig at the Knitting Factory in New York City. The two of them began experimenting with old folk songs as a lark, but quickly realized that the unadorned cello and voice combined with the rooted power of these old chants was a starkly beautiful sound that reached across musical genres and generations. On their critically acclaimed debut CD, 900 Miles (Hyena Records 2007) BETHANY & RUFUS pushed the boundaries of American folk music far into unexpected territory. With a minimum number of voices -- guitar, cello, vocal and some percussion -- the duo created colors and textures that "suggested a world of musics coalescing." (All About Jazz) BETHANY & RUFUS' newest project is a TV show filmed for PBS with Bethany's father, Peter of the legendary folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary. The show, Peter, Bethany & Rufus: The Spirit of Woodstock, grew out of a musical collaboration of Peter, Bethany & Rufus on the CD, "Puff & Other Family Classics" (Salasree Records 2007) which included special guest appearances by Mady Koyate on Malian kora, Bonga Jean-Baptiste on Hatian percussion, and Chuck Campbell of the renowned Campbell Brothers on pedal steel. More than just a concert, THE SPIRIT OF WOODSTOCK is a tribute to a vision of music and spirit and an enchanted collaboration of friends and musicians from all over the world. As one fan wrote, "the incredible melding of worldbeat and folk was simply mindboggling".... and indeed it was. The television show also spotlights Rufus' jaw-dropping solo cello work, for which he well known in New York City. Having played with artists like Aretha Franklin, Odetta, Cheick Tidiane Seck, and Vernon Reid, it is no surprise to that he landed a record deal with Velour Records, who released his solo CD, "Songs for Cello" in early 2008.