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Barefoot Truth’s Will Evans and Jay Driscoll featuring Jeff Howard (McLovin’s and Suitcase Radio) with special guests Oakes & Smith with Jeff Howard

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Folk Duo Oakes & Smith Open For Will Evans, Jay Driscoll and Jeff Howard

Join us for an evening featuring the winning combination of Will Evans and Jay Driscoll, the co-founders of Barefoot Truth with special guest Jeff Howard former guitarist and co-founder of The McLovins. The trio Mystic, Connecticut's Barefoot Truth earned spotlight attention on many levels, including an invitation to play at President Obama's pre-debate rally in New York with Bruce Hornsby and Crosby and Nash. The band reached #10 on the iTunes Rock Charts in 2011 with their album Carry Us On before making a split in 2012. Jeff Howard has a history with Barefoot Truth that overlaps his experiences with The McLovins having played with them on numerous occasions so it makes sense for the trio to come together musically. Joining the bill is the harmonious and acoustic mix of folk and pop from Western Mass duo Oakes and Smith. They sing soothing and soulful tunes inspired by nature, love, spirit, art and poetry.

Barefoot Truth - Will Evans and Jay Driscoll

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barefoottruth.com

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Artist Bio

Will Evans:

Will discovered his love of music and singing at an early age. At family gatherings guitars were always unveiled by his uncles and cousins and the music often carried on late into the evenings. By building a makeshift drum set out of pots and pans Will found his place in the rhythm section. It wasn’t until High school that he would actually take a seat behind a real drum set. It was also around this time that he first picked up his fathers beloved guitar. Asked about his start in music, Will explains ” After freshmen year of high school my dad taught me a few chords on his old 1973 martin D 28 acoustic guitar (sort of like the red Ryder BB guns of acoustic guitars) I was hooked. I taught myself the rest, and I’ve held that guitar hostage ever since.

Will Evans has spent the last decade as the primary song writer, and drummer/ front man of the roots rock outfit Barefoot Truth. Four full length albums and several EP’s were recorded with Barefoot Truth, including their latest release “Carry Us On” which debuted at #10 on the Itunes rock chart. Recently Barefoot Truth has decided to take an extended hiatus, which has led Will to a new chapter in his musical journey. Will’s solo project gives him an empty canvas to explore and create a new sound to share with anyone willing to lend an ear. Influences are drawn from a diverse selection of musical genres including hip hop, pop and folk rock artists such as John Butler, Lauren Hill, John Mayer, Bernhoft, and Ray Lamontagne to name a few.

Jay Driscoll:

Despite being advised at the age of 14 against a career in music by his father who assured him that “we don’t have a musical bone in our family”, Jay taught himself how to play the guitar using his computer to learn guitar tablature, ultimately developing compelling guitar licks of his own. Asked how he first became interested in the Weissenborn and Dobro guitars, Jay explained, “During college I would often visit my Uncle Dixie, a Vermont farmer, who used to play the Dobro to the horses. He taught me how to play lap style guitar, which eventually led me to the instrument I play today.”

Jay didn’t stray far from his hometown roots in South Hadley, Massachusetts to attend the University of Massachusetts where he continued to refine his musical skills playing guitar in the stairwell of his dorm and occasionally tossing water balloons out of the 21st floor window of his dorm room. Migrating to the Connecticut shore during summer break however, turned out to be one of the best things Jay has ever done. It was there that he first met Will Evans. The two became fast friends and worked together blending their acoustic music styles.

During the summer of 2004, Jay and Will put together a set of covers and original songs and began performing live as Barefoot Truth, for the first time. For the next three years, they remained an acoustic duo, performing and recording two albums and crafting their own style, while earning their college degrees.

Commenting on Barefoot Truth today, Jay explains, “I can’t overstate how proud and fortunate I feel to be a member of this amazing group of people. Barefoot Truth seems to really bring something special and uniquely positive to the lives of its fans, its friends, to our families and to ourselves as individuals.”

Similar Artists:

Dave Mathews Band, ALO, The Fray, John Butler Trio, Bronze Radio Return, The Civil Wars, The Lone Bellow, Shovels & Rope

Jeff Howard

Jeff Howard is the founding guitarist of the CT jam band trio THE McLOVINS and was a regular guest guitarist for the national band BAREFOOT TRUTH.  Jeff has headlined at Infinity Hall, The Kate, Fairfield Theater Company ,The Calvin theater as well as The Gathering of the Vibes over the last four years. He released three CDs with the McLovins and played guitar on Will Evans’ “Wishin' Well” CD which went to #4 on Billboards Heat Seekers chart. Jeff is presently a student at the University of Rochester and Eastman School of Music. Jeff, Will Evans & Jay Driscoll have been playing together for many years.  Their first collaboration was at Infinity Hall in 2011. They always look forward to returning to this special venue.

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Oakes & Smith

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www.oakesandsmith.net

Oakes and Smith are a musical match made in heaven. The harmonious blend of their voices creates an ethereal sound and unique quality not often heard in today’s popular music. Combining this with soulful songs that they call ‘lyrical and inspirational meditations,’ Oakes and Smith bring forth a sense of wonder, expressing themes of love, creativity, mystery and an appreciation of natural beauty.

Kylee Colvin of The Levity Ball remarked, “Oakes and Smith have the ability to bring a sense of calm and ease to the air...with songs so full of wisdom and true emotions.”

The duo has performed at The Guthrie Center in Great Barrington, MA; the NJ Folk Project in Morristown, NJ; Infinity Music Hall in Norfolk, CT; FloydFest in Floyd, VA; Andrea Clearfield’s Salon in Philadelphia; The Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, MA; and has appeared weekly at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA since March 2014, among many other appearances near their home in Western Massachusetts and beyond.

In 2016, the duo released their fourth collection of songs, Between the Earth and the Sky. Co-produced with Jemal Wade Hines of HuDost, the EP was mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Oz Fritz, mastered by Dale Becker of Becker Mastering, and features a performance by acclaimed vocalist Jon Anderson of Yes.

At the heart of this project are a strong bond of love and a passion to pursue the creative calling. Oakes and Smith hope to inspire listeners and remind them that peace, sincerity and beauty are still very much alive in the world.

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