April 26-28, 2024

2024 Artists

Leon Anderson, Jr

Leon Anderson, Jr., Associate Professor and Director of Jazz Studies, joined the Florida State University faculty in 1998. His musical experience includes that of a classical and jazz percussionist, educator, clinician, and composer. Mr. Anderson earned the B.A. degree in Music Education at Louisiana Tech University and the M.A. degree in Percussion Performance at Southeastern Louisiana University. His mentors have included Ellis Marsalis, Willis Delony, and Victor Goines of the New Orleans jazz scene, as well as the late bassist Ben Tucker. Mr. Anderson currently teaches drum set, jazz ensembles, jazz combo, and jazz history at the FSU College of Music. In 1997 Mr. Anderson was a featured soloist with The Marcus Roberts Trio’s performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl, and he was the selected drummer for the “Great Saxophone Legends” concert at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, featuring Jimmy Heath, David Sanchez, Javon Jackson and Red Holloway. Anderson also has performed with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in roles of drummer and percussionist. Additionally, he has performed with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra with the Ellis Marsalis Trio; National Orchestra de France with the Marcus Roberts Trio conducted by Seiji Ozawa; Umbria Jazz Festival, Perugia Italy; Ingolstadt Jazztage in Ingolstadt Bavaria; Switzerland Jazz Festival in Basel, Switzerland; North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Ascona Jazz Festival in Ascona, Switzerland. He’ll be appearing at Word of South with the multi-instrumentalist Roger Glenn as part of Sunday’s Cuban and Latin Jazz Extravaganza.

Michael Bakan

Tiffany Baker

Scotty Barnhart

Tad Bartlett

Karl Barton

Daniel Bedrosian

The Black Opry Revue

Anna Blalock

Blind Boys of Alabama

Blind Boys of Alabama

The Blind Boys of Alabama are recognized worldwide as living legends of gospel music. Celebrated by The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and The Recording Academy/GRAMMYs with Lifetime Achievement Awards, inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and winners of five GRAMMY® Awards, they have attained the highest levels of achievement in a career that spans over 70 years. The Blind Boys are known for crossing multiple musical boundaries with their remarkable interpretations of everything from traditional gospel favorites to contemporary spiritual material by songwriters such as Eric Clapton, Prince and Tom Waits. They have appeared on recordings with many artists, including Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Aaron Neville, Susan Tedeschi, Ben Harper, Patty Griffin and Taj Mahal. Recently, the group’s decades-long mission of spreading light and love has taken on even deeper context, as they’ve reckoned with the loss of two of their own, Paul Beasley and Benjamin Moore, both longtime members of the Blind Boys tight-knit family. The new album ‘Echoes Of The South’ is released in their honor – as well as for the group’s recently-retired leader Jimmy Carter – and keeps the Blind Boys’ long-held mission statement at its core: “As long as everybody gives all that they have to give and we sing songs that touch the heart, we’ll live on forever.” The Blind Boys of Alabama will perform a musical set at Word of South and also discuss their new book, Spirit of the Century, written with Preston Lauterbach.

Anne Bogel

Sofia Camile

Willi Carlisle

Virginia Chamlee

Kelsey Barnard Clark

Allison Clarke

George Clinton

The Currys

Brought together by family ties and a shared appreciation for folk, rock, and roots music, The Currys are an Americana trio featuring brothers Jimmy and Tommy and cousin Galen Curry. Like many family groups, their songs are anchored by the sort of elastic, entwined harmonies that only seem to exist among kin. On their second record, West of Here, their songwriting chops match those interlocking voices, with all three members contributing songs to an album that deals with the constant search for home. Following their third album, This Side of the Glass (2019), The Currys took the opportunity to explore different avenues of creativity. In 2020 the trio launched a podcast, This Side of the Mic, to showcase songs and share some laughs and insights. The band leveraged their down-time into writing and demoing dozens of new tracks, polishing their production chops and collaborating with fellow creators to expand their sound. The singles they released through 2021, such as pop/R&B track “Man On the Side” and Graceland-inspired “Last Night,” pushed the boundaries of their previous catalog.

In March of 2023 the three Currys were joined by Sebastian Green (drums), Sam Whedon (guitar), and Alex Rees (keys) to begin production on their fourth studio album. Keepers, released in October 2023, represents another step in the band’s evolution, pairing the lush, three-part harmony that marks any Currys project with a more guitar-driven, indie pop aesthetic. The album pays homage to the band’s influences, with tracks evoking Sgt. Pepper’s, Jason Isbell, even dreamy pop-punk. Keepers is an honest next step for a group with an appetite for exploration and a long road ahead.

The Currys will be appearing at this year’s Word of South with the all-female group The Krickets.

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DJ Demp

As a D.C. native, Demp has spent the majority of his life in Tallahassee establishing strong roots and instilling positive impressions in the community. Demp has worked as a DJ since the age of 13 and established himself as an internationally known celebrity DJ. DJ Demp is a member of legendary group Ghostown DJs best known for their classic ’96 record “My Boo.” My Boo peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it released in 1996. In 2016, My Boo became popular again after the “Running Man Challenge” and re-entered the Hot 100 reaching a new peak of No. 27 twenty years after it first released.

DJ DEMP’s fans often refer to him as the “G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) DJ.” He has worked at 107.9 the beat in Valdosta, Georgia, 100.7 the beat and 105.7 and the beat in Tallahassee. He’s also DJ’ed for entertainment giants like Luke, Trick Daddy, Lil Flip, David Banner, Trina, and Juvenile with appearances on Carson Daly and BET 106 & Park. He was also nominated for DJ of the Year by Radio One Dirty Awards. DJ Demp is the first DJ to receive two proclamations from both the former mayor John Marks of Tallahassee as well as current Mayor John E. Dailey, via Demp Week which just celebrated its 25th annual Demp Week milestone in January of 2022. He is the only DJ to have his own week to celebrate his birthday. DEMP WEEK has grown to a week-long party attracting people around the world with events like anti-bullying rallies, celebrity basketball games, bowling, sip and paints, spades tournaments, concerts and more —to a proclaimed “Tallahassee Holiday” earning him humanitarian recognition.

Annie DiRusso

Frank Douglas + Doug Moody

Charles Driebe

Tananarive Due

Kerry James Evans

Melinda Michelle Evans

The Eyrie Artists

The Flaming Lips

Fountain Five Woodwind Quintet

Roger Glenn

Known among his peers as a supremely talented improviser, Roger Glenn has played flute with vibraphonist Cal Tjader, vibes with flautist Herbie Mann, and both flute and vibes with Dizzy Gillespie. He made his recording debut with legendary pianist/composer Mary Lou Williams and contributed to classic albums with Cuban percussion maestro Mongo Santamaria (“Mongo’70” Atlantic Records), pioneering funk/jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd (“Black Byrd” Blue Note Records), Latin jazz star Cal Tjader (Grammy Award-winning “La Onda Va Bien” on Concord Picante Label), and Taj Mahal and The Hula Blues Band “Live from Kauai” winning a Na Hoku Hanohano Award.

Music has marked Glenn’s family for generations. His father, the great trombonist and vibraphonist Tyree Glenn, most notably played with Cab Calloway, Don Redman, Duke Ellington, and the Louis Armstrong All-Stars, including the classic recording “What a Wonderful World” and is present in the historic 1958 photo “A Great Day in Harlem.”

As bandleader, composer, and jazz giant with a unique story to tell. “I’ve always seen myself as a musician rather than a flutist or vibraphonist or saxophonist,” Glenn says. “I treasure and value all the instruments I play. My father always told me to ‘create your own sound.’ Playing 18-plus instruments allows me to express myself, selecting the best instrument for each song I play.”

No one project or recording could possibly capture every facet of this kaleidoscopically creative musician. Glenn’s dazzling multi-instrumental prowess via his abiding passion for Afro-Caribbean (and Afro-Brazilian) rhythms will be showcased at Word of South on Sunday, as part of our Cuban and Latin Jazz Extravaganza.

Jonah Goldberg

Lauren Groff

Mark Hinson

Hotel Fiction

Phil Hubbart

Anne Hull

Michelle Johnson

Jane Kamensky

Kyle Kimbrell

Nancy Klingener

The Krickets

Jacki Levine

Pat MacEnulty

Leon Majcen

Leon Majcen is a musician whose story is one of resilience and determination. He grew up on the Gulf Coast of Florida, the son of Bosnian war refugees who had fled their homeland in search of a better life for their children. From a young age, Leon was drawn to the power of storytelling through music, particularly the work of artists like Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, Bob Dylan, and Guy Clark.

Leon began playing in local bars while still in high school, honing his craft and building a loyal following. After graduating, he decided to pursue his passion for music in New York City, while attending college at New York University and playing shows around town. After a while, Leon came to the realization that the hustle and bustle of the city wasn’t where his heart was at.

He returned home to Florida and took a job at a commercial fishing dock, filleting and packing fish while he planned his next move. And that move was to Nashville, where Leon hoped to make his mark as a singer-songwriter. Since arriving in Nashville, Leon has continued to develop his unique blend of Americana, folk, and country music, drawing on his experiences and his love of the outdoors to craft songs that are both poignant and powerful. With his heartfelt lyrics, soulful voice, and deft guitar work, Leon has built a strong following in Music City and beyond.

He is currently set to release three new singles starting on June 2nd, leading up to a full-length album in the Fall, as well as embark on a tour across the United States, playing shows and searching for the next great fishing spot along the way. He’ll be appearing Sunday at Word of South with the cookbook author and chef Kelsey Barnard Clark.

Leyla McCalla

Sarah McNamara

Katherine Mooney

Sarah Morrison

Abe Partridge

Grant Peeples

Peter and the Wolf

William Peterson

Phabrik

Rachel Porter

Jennifer Portman

Tommy Prine

Tommy Prine’s debut album “This Far South,” out June 23, 2023, was not only a long awaited introduction but a testimony to Prine’s 20’s and the loss, love, and growth that has defined them. Co-produced by close friend and kindred musical spirit, Ruston Kelly, and beloved Nashville engineer and producer, Gena Johnson, the album is rich and dynamic from cathartic jams to nostalgic storytelling.

The son of late songwriting legend, John Prine, Tommy Prine grew up in Nashville surrounded by music, art and writing. As a child, he thought all parents were musicians, as his father “going to work” meant performing shows for adoring fans and writing songs. Tommy learned to play guitar by watching his father play, copying the ways his fingers moved and inadvertently developing his own singular style. Summers in Ireland lent their own inspiration, as did 10 straight years camping at Bonnaroo. Prine’s musical tastes grew to become decidedly eclectic, spanning John Mayer, Outkast, Bon Iver, the Strokes and more.

He still grapples with the passing of his father in April of 2020. “The world lost one of the greatest songwriters of all time, but I lost my dad.” Prine bears the loss of his father and the memories he carries for others on the track, “By The Way.” “The comment I get the most is how much I look like him, and sometimes it makes me feel like I’m a sad reminder to those who loved him.” Prine capped off 2022 with his first solo tour across the United States. He was heavily involved with You Got Gold, an event series in Nashville honoring the life and songs of John Prine, and performed at AmericanaFest as an official showcasing artist. He also debuted two original songs, “Ships in the Harbor” and “Turning Stones.” In 2023, alongside his own runs of headline shows, Prine opened for Tyler Childers on his “Send In The Hounds Tour” in London. He was also named one of Amazon Music’s 2023 Breakthrough Artists to Watch.

The Psycodelics

Pat Puckett

Bobby Ramirez – Pan Con Bistec

Sydney Ellen Rawlings

Chuck Reece

Thomas Reed

Thomas Reed grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, and now lives in Sarasota, Florida. He spent more than three decades teaching medieval and Victorian literature, film, and writing at Dickinson College in Carlisle Pennsylvania.

Reed began writing fiction as a byproduct of his teaching and research. A handful of his literature classes required students to craft stories that filled out aspects of the lives of minor characters in the novels they were studying. Reed joined right in with the workshops, producing what became his first published fiction. Later, while researching a book on Robert Louis Stevenson, he discovered that the Scottish writer’s dark story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde had once been suspected of inspiring Jack the Ripper. Reed’s debut novel, Seeking Hyde (2018), dealt with the origins and unanticipated impact of Stevenson’s masterpiece and was named as a finalist for the Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award for Historical Fiction.

His second novel, Pocketful of Poseys, draws more broadly on his experience growing up in an academic family; his education at Yale, the University of Virginia, and as a Fulbright Fellow at Oxford; years spent living in Rome and Christchurch, N.Z.; circum-global travels with his wife and children, and courageous decisions made by his mother-in-law as she faced her death. He and wife Dottie now split their year between Sarasota, Florida, and Camp Pemigewassett, a summer camp for boys in New Hampshire. He’ll be appearing at Word of South as part of our panel of Florida Book Award fiction and poetry award winners.

Rebecca Renner

Jay Revell

Nathaniel Rich

Rickards High Marching Raider Band

Rising Appalachia

The Road to Now Podcast

Diane Roberts

Robocromp

Ely Rosario

Ginny Myers Sain

Jose Serrano

The Sh-Booms

Katie Skene

Dylan Snowden

Son D’Aqui

South Georgia Ballet

Jessica Stark

Mandy Stringer

Dr. Amanda (Mandy) Stringer has been CEO of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra since 2010. Her achievements include growing the budget 170%, increasing both corporate sponsorships and annual fund donations 200%; widening the TSO’s subscriber base; increasing federal and regional funding through new grants; and instituting many new initiatives and programs. Dr. Stringer is actively engaged in the industry’s association of orchestras, the League of American Orchestras (LAO), and currently serves as Vice-Chair of her constituent group.

In 2016, Mandy was chosen to participate in the LAO’s “Emerging Leaders Program,” a highly competitive program where participants are chosen based on their potential to make significant contributions to their orchestras and to the field as a whole. She is also a graduate of the LAO’s prestigious “Essentials of Orchestra Management” program.

Mandy has been on the music faculties of the University of Oklahoma and Florida State University, and has been involved in the Tallahassee community through managing the Word of South Festival of Literature and Music, acting as a Knight Foundation Creative Communities Institute Catalyst, participating in the Leadership Tallahassee program, membership in the Florida Economic Club, serving on the Leon High School Foundation Board of Trustees, acting as the Leon High Lacrosse Boosters’ Treasurer, and sitting on the Leon County Tourist Development Council. She’ll be appearing at Word of South as part of our Tallahassee Bicentennial panel, to discuss the TSO’s new book, T is for Tallahassee! The ABCs of Our Musical City.

Leon Timbo

Tokyo Extra0rdinaire

Jeff VanderMeer

Daniel Wallace

Tray Wellington

Bill Wharton

Jim White

911

2024 Artists

Born in the Gambia, Kweku Abimbola earned his MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan’s Helen Zell Writers’ Program. He is of Gambian, Ghanaian, Nigerian, and Sierra Leonean descent.

Abimbola’s first full-length poetry collection, Saltwater Demands a Psalm, was published by Graywolf Press in 2023. In 2022, the début collection was selected by Tyehimba Jess to receive the Academy of American Poets’ First Book Award. His work has received the “Indie Next Award” from the Association of American Booksellers. Most recently, Saltwater was awarded the Nossrat Yassini First Book Award, selected by Camille Dungy.

He has worked as a teaching artist for the literary nonprofit Inside Out Literary Arts and lectured in English and Creative Writing at the University of Michigan. Abimbola is presently a Visiting Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of Tampa. He began writing after many nights spent listening to the folktales his grandfather told of life in Gambia and Sierra Leone. His work strives to recreate the intimacy and urgency of West African oral poetry. He’ll be appearing at Word of South as part of our panel of Florida Book Award fiction and poetry winners.

Doug Alderson prefers a kayak to a desk, hugs trees and friends, and loves observing alligators, manatees and other wildlife in their natural environment. Most of his 17 published books focus on the dynamic and quirky nature of his home state of Florida. They include America’s Alligator, Wild Florida Waters, Waters Less Traveled, New Dawn for the Kissimmee River, Encounters with Florida’s Endangered Wildlife and A New Guide to Old Florida Attractions. He has won six first place Royal Palm Literary awards for nonfiction books, three gold medals from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association, and several other state and national writing and photography awards. His latest book, Discovering Florida’s Coast, was the fourth runner up for 2023 book of the year by the Florida Writers Association. Doug will be moderating our panel of Florida Book Award non-fiction winners at this year’s Word of South.

Suzanne Allain is a novelist and screenwriter who lived in New York before returning to her hometown of Tallahassee, Florida, where she lives with her husband. Suzanne adapted her novel Mr. Malcolm’s List into a screenplay and it was made into a movie starring Freida Pinto and Theo James. One critic wrote: “Mr. Malcolm’s List is a delightful blend of modern romantic comedy and Jane Austen-esque nostalgia.” Allain’s most recent novel, The Ladies Rewrite the Rules, is a historical romantic comedy that was inspired by an actual “Batchelor’s Directory” of rich single women published in the 18th century.

Ally Free is a singer/songwriter from Huntsville, Alabama who’s played at venues and bars/restaurants in the surrounding areas of their hometown such as Sidetracks Music Hall, Mars Music Hall, Rhythm on Monroe, Stovehouse, The Princess Theatre in Decatur featuring Robert Cray, to name a few. They’ve also played Panoply Arts Festival and Microwave Dave Day in Huntsville, as well as The Bigfoot Blues Festival in Tennessee, which was headlined by The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band along with many other talented artists, and the prestigious Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island with The Black Opry. Ally Free is also part of said group, The Black Opry, which is a very talented group of artists and industry professionals known as and are based out of Nashville, TN. The City Winery, The Analog at Hutton Hotel, and OmniSound Studios, and The Bluebird Cafe with Julie Williams, Kaitlin Butts, and Angie K.; these are just a few venues in the Nashville area that Ally has performed. They have also participated and performed in a Songwriter’s Showcase at the Johnny Cash farm, which featured opening performances for Mark Alan Cash along with other talented singers/songwriters/musicians. Ally was also a guest at The Wildhorse Saloon with Autumn Nicholas and Julie Williams, also of The Black Opry, for Ty Herndon’s Love and Acceptance Concert which was a red carpet event. Ally will be featured in a solo set at Word of South, and also with the Black Opry musician Leon Timbo.

Michael Bakan is Professor of Ethnomusicology, Head of the World Music Ensembles Program, and Affiliated Faculty in Asian Studies in the College of Music at Florida State University, where he directs the Sekaa Gong Hanuman Agung Balinese Gamelan. He has performed with everyone from George Clinton and the legendary funk band Parliament to John Cage, Pauline Oliveros, Tito Puente, Johnny Rawls, Rudolf Serkin and the Music at Marlboro Festival Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Green Umbrella Players, and several leading gamelan orchestras in Bali, Indonesia. His more than 100 publications include the books Music and Autism: Speaking for Ourselves, World Music: Traditions and Transformations, and Music of Death and New Creation: Experiences in the World of Balinese Gamelan Beleganjur. His recording credits as a drummer and percussionist include A History of the Future with Longineu Parsons and Brian Hall, Medicaid Fraud Dogg with Parliament, Planetary Funk with George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars, and Ashrei with Omnimusica (first ballot entry for best world music album, Grammy Awards, 2015). Dr. Bakan will appear with the multi-instrumentalist Roger Glenn as part of the Cuban and Latin Jazz Extravaganza at this year’s Word of South.

Ms. Baker has spent the last twenty years fostering strategic community initiatives that demonstrate the importance of connecting the past to our future path. Since 2014, she has been appointed by Florida’s Senate President and House Speaker to serve as the Director of the Florida Historic Capitol Museum. Her passion for strengthening communities extends far beyond her professional career. She is an active volunteer both locally and statewide and is a member of the Tallahassee-Leon County Bicentennial Steering Committee. Some of her proudest moments include her participation in the work of the Florida Association of Museums, Knight Creative Communities Institute Community Catalyst Program; Leadership Florida; and Leadership Tallahassee. She’ll be appearing as part of the Tallahassee Bicentennial Panel at this year’s Word of South and discussing the new book Florida’s Historic Capitol Building.

William “Scotty” Barnhart is an American jazz trumpeter. A three-time Grammy winner, he has played since 1993 as a featured soloist with the Count Basie Orchestra, and in September 2013 became its director. He has multiple recordings with pianist Marcus Roberts as well as recordings with Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Ray Charles, and Tito Puente. A solo CD, released with Unity Music, is titled Say It Plain and features Clark Terry, Ellis and Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Roberts, Jamie Davis and Etienne Charles; it achieved number 3 in the Jazz Charts. Also active as an educator and clinician, he is author of The World of Jazz Trumpet – A Comprehensive History and Practical Philosophy (published by Hal Leonard). He is a professor in the College of Music at Florida State University. Scotty will be coordinating this year’s Word of South Cuban and Latin Jazz Extravganza.

Tad Bartlett is a writer based in New Orleans. His essays and other nonfiction have been published by Salvation South, Bitter Southerner, Oxford American, Massachusetts Review, and others, and have received multiple Pushcart nominations and been included among “notable” essays in Best American Essays. Tad’s short stories and a novella have been published by Massachusetts Review, Baltimore Review, the Stockholm Review of Literature, and many others. Tad also is an appellate lawyer who sues oil companies and other corporations for contamination and coastal land-loss. He’ll be appearing at Word of South with the multi-talented artists and musicians Abe Partridge and Jim White.

Karl Barton is Professor of Music at Thomas University and coordinator of Arts for Community at Thomas University (ACTU). He serves on the Board of Trustees as Vice President of Production for the Thomasville Entertainment Foundation concert series and is a frequent guest on the Classical-music, public radio station WFSQ in Tallahassee. He is also President of the Tallahassee Youth Orchestra and believes that the future of the performing arts depends on seeking out and engaging young people through creative programming and outreach. He’ll be narrating Peter and the Wolf Saturday at this year’s Word of South.

Daniel Bedrosian has been the keyboardist for George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic for the past twenty-plus years, making him the longest tenured keyboard player in the live band’s history. In addition to performing with Clinton and company, he has worked or performed with many musical icons such as Snoop Dogg, Chuck D and Flavor Flav, Ice Cube, Shavo Odadjian from System of a Down, Kendrick Lamar, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Erykah Badu, Queen Latifah, Mumford & Sons, RZA, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Sheila E, Wu-Tang Clan, The Roots, MonoNeon, Cory Henry, Robert Glasper, Drake, and many more. He has appeared on 25 Strong: The BET Silver Anniversary Special, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Carson Daly Show, I’m from Rolling Stone, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Monique Show, MTV in several nations, and many more. He’ll be appearing at Word of South in connection with his new biography of P-Funk, entitled The Authorized P-Funk Song Reference: Official Canon of Parliament-Funkadelic, 1956-2023 (which he describes as the “mothership of All Discographies!”) in the musical program “Danny Bedrosian, featuring George Clinton and members of P-Funk.”

Black Opry is a home for Black artists and Black fans of country, blues, folk, and Americana music. Country music has been made by and loved by Black people since it’s conception. For just as long, Black people have been overlooked and disregarded in the genre by fans and executives. Black Opry wants to change that. They invite you to discover, support and enjoy the Black artists that make magic in this space. One of the most valuable aspects of country music is its versatility and diversity in sound. Country, blues, folk, and Americana music often overlap or weave together- these artists explore all of those sounds and intersections. The Black Opry Revue showcases the diversity in sound and stories that Black artists offer to these genres. Black Opry artists Leon Timbo and Ally Free are participating in this year’s Word of South, in solo shows Saturday and then a combined show Sunday afternoon.

Anna Blalock is a 15-year-old singer-songwriter born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida. She’s been singing since she could talk and playing guitar since she was 8 years old. Recently, she has been playing at open mic nights and any other chances she gets! Her dream is to move to Nashville and sing country music. She can’t wait to play for y’all at Word of South!

Anne Bogel is the creator of the blog Modern Mrs Darcy and host of the What Should I Read Next? podcast and the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club. She’s also the author of five nonfiction titles, and has most recently published My Reading Adventures: A Book Journal for Kids. Anne lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband, four children, and a yellow lab named Daisy. Anne will be interviewing the author Lauren Groff at Word of South and taping a segment of her podcast.

Sofia Camille is a bilingual singer/songwriter based in Tallahassee, Florida. With a wide variety of genres ranging from r&b/soul to folk, Sofia Camille has a song for every ear. When she’s not singing or writing music, you can find her drinking Delirium Red, cooking Puerto Rican food for her friends, and defeating her bandmates in pickleball.

Sofia’s music draws inspiration from places she has traveled, people she has met, and stories she has heard. She’ll be appearing at this year’s Word of South with the young adult author Ginny Myers Sain.

Willi Carlisle is a poet and a folk singer for the people, but his extraordinary gift for turning a phrase isn’t about high falutin’ pontificatin’; it’s about looking out for one another and connecting through our shared human condition. Born and raised on the Midwestern plains, Carlisle is a product of the punk to folk music pipeline that’s long fueled frustrated young men looking to resist. After falling for the rich ballads and tunes of the Ozarks, where he now lives, he began examining the full spectrum of American musical history. This insatiable stylistic diversity is obvious in his wildly raucous live performances, where songs range from sardonic trucker-ballads like “Vanlife” to the heartbreaking queer waltz “Life on the Fence,” to an existential talkin’ blues about a panic attack in Walmart’s aisle five. With guitar, fiddle, button-box, banjo, harmonicas, rhythm-bones, and Willi’s booming baritone, this is bonafide populist folk music in the tradition of cowboys, frontier fiddlers, and tall-tale tellers. Carlisle recognizes that the only thing holding us back from greatness is each other. With a quick wit and big sing-alongs, these folksongs bring us a step closer to breaking down our divides.

Virginia Chamlee is a People Magazine writer and the author of the best-selling book, Big Thrift Energy. After sourcing vintage for A-list celebrities and designers for years, she compiled all her tips in her book, which has been featured on NBC News, Architectural Digest, The Washington Post, and was named one of Elle magazine’s 50 Most Stylish Coffee Table Books. She is also an artist with works available at Chairish and Anthropologie and featured in both commercial and residential projects, including the green room at Jimmy Kimmel Live. She’ll be appearing at Word of South with the musicians Frank Douglas and Doug Moody.

Kelsey Barnard Clark is a born and raised Gulf Southerner from Dothan, Alabama. She has developed an impressive resume, including being the fifth woman and first southerner to win the title of Top Chef, and was also voted fan favorite following her season 16 win.

Kelsey got her start in the food industry working for a high-end caterer and catered her first solo wedding at age 15. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, she worked savory & pastry in several Michelin-star restaurants in New York City, including Café Boulud under Gavin Kaysen, and Dovetail under John Fraser. Her signature southern-French cuisine is inspired by family recipes and classic French techniques.

In 2012 Kelsey moved back home to open her catering company, Kelsey Barnard Catering. Today, she runs her catering company and restaurant, KBC, in historic downtown Dothan while also teaching virtual classes, taking her chef talents on the road, and appearing and cooking at events as often as possible.

Her book Southern Grit: 100+ Down-Home Recipes for the Modern Cook, was published in 2021, and she was recently named a semi-finalist for the prestigious James Beard Awards, Best Chef: South. She’ll be appearing at Word of South with the musician Leon Majcen, and certain of her recipes will be prepared by a local chef for the audience.

Allison Clarke is a singer-songwriter based out of Nashville, Tennessee, whose soulful vocals and authentic lyrics have carved a distinct niche in the realm of Contemporary Country and Americana. In 2023, Allison won the iconic Bluebird Café’s “Golden Pick Contest” with her song “What Day Would You Go Back To.” She was also a semi-finalist in the Tennessee Songwriters Week contest organized by the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development. With over one million Spotify streams, Allison’s songs have connected with people throughout the world and have been played in 150 countries. Looking towards the future, Allison is set to release a new six-song EP titled The Place You’re At in early 2024. This eagerly awaited collection promises to be a testament to her growth as an artist, featuring the lead single “Tennessee Sunset.”

Grammy-winner George Clinton, formerly known for his role in the groups Parliament and Funkadelic, revolutionized R&B during the 70’s. Since his first major hit “(I Wanna) Testify,” George Clinton made his mark in the music world for his psychedelic rock and funk band-format, with eccentric costumes and themes inspired by ’60s acid culture and science fiction. Clinton took Funk to new heights by blending the musical elements of Jazz, Rock, Pop, Classical and even Gospel into his productions, eventually developing a unique style called “Pfunk.” He’ll be appearing at Word of South as part of a musical retrospective of his work, seen though the eyes of his longtime keyboardist, Danny Bedrosian.

The Currys will be appearing at this year’s Word of South with the all-female group The Krickets.

Annie DiRusso is a Nashville based indie-rock artist born in NYC, who wears the influence of both of these cities on her sleeve. She blends buzzing garage rock guitars and high-energy performances with a pop-infused flair. The magic she creates in her hooks and melodies is apparent in her previously released singles and debut EP, quickly turning casual listeners into hardcore fans. Followers waited patiently to see Annie’s raucous live show over the pandemic months, and were given the opportunity via her multiple support slots (HAIM, Beabadoobee, Samia) and two headline tours, where she sold out multiple dates. Annie is currently working on her first ever full length project, so watch out for new music from Annie in 2024.

As the founding member and lead Singer/Songwriter for the Fried Turkeys, Tallahassee native Frank Douglas approaches the topics of love, lust, loss, politics and many other common societal themes with an ear for harmony and a head for irony.

His tunes combine influences ranging from folk to blues to country to rock, and his lyrics take inspiration from sources ranging from the absurd, to the ongoing poetry of his 93 year old mother, a lifelong muse. Some songs will make you laugh, and some may make you cry, and some will make you do both at the same time.

Fiddle player Doug Moody has been delighting audiences for decades with some of the country’s best musicians…blues great Popa Chubby, Celtic legend Kevin Mckrell, cosmic country rockers The Steam Donkeys and many others. Doug has toured both nationally and internationally for many years, bringing his unique style and interpretation to the many genres of music he performs. Always looking share his gifts, Doug loves to bond with an audience and create an unforgettable experience! Frank and Doug will be appearing at this year’s Word of South with the author Virginia Chamlee.

Charles Driebe is a personal manager of musical artists. Driebe is the founder and CEO of Blind Ambition Management Ltd, known for managing the Blind Boys of Alabama (since 2000) and other acts. He is also a Grammy-winning record producer, an entertainment attorney, a producer of live performances and concert tours, and a songwriter. He’ll be participating in the discussion at Word of South of the Blind Boys’ new book, Spirit of the Century.

Tananarive Due is an award-winning author who teaches Black Horror and Afrofuturism at UCLA. She is an executive producer on Shudder’s groundbreaking documentary Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror. She and her husband/collaborator, Steven Barnes, wrote “A Small Town” for Season 2 of Jordan Peele’s “The Twilight Zone” on Paramount Plus, and two segments of Shudder’s anthology film Horror Noire. They also co-wrote their upcoming Black Horror graphic novel The Keeper, illustrated by Marco Finnegan. Due and Barnes co-host a podcast, “Lifewriting: Write for Your Life!” A leading voice in Black speculative fiction for more than 20 years, Due has won an American Book Award, an NAACP Image Award, and a British Fantasy Award, and her writing has been included in best-of-the-year anthologies. Her books include Ghost Summer: Stories, My Soul to Keep, and The Good House. She and her late mother, civil rights activist Patricia Stephens Due, co-authored Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights. Her new novel, The Reformatory, is based on events occurring at north Florida’s Dozier School for Boys.

Kerry James Evans is the author of Bangalore (Copper Canyon). The recipient of a 2015 NEA Fellowship and a Walter E. Dakin Fellowship from Sewanee Writers’ Conference, his poems have appeared in Agni, Narrative, New England Review, Ploughshares, and many other journals. He lives in Milledgeville, Georgia, where he teaches in the MFA program at Georgia College & State University and serves as the poetry editor for Arts & Letters. He’ll be appearing at Word of South with the musician Kyle Kimbrell.

Melinda Michelle, a Florida native, was born in Jacksonville, raised in Sanford, and currently calls Tallahassee home. She is a proud alumna of the esteemed HBCU, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Melinda furthered her education by obtaining an MBA with a concentration in Finance and Accounting and is currently pursuing a PhD in Social Psychology. With a decade-long career in accounting and banking, Melinda eventually took a leap of faith to pursue her true calling – writing, teaching, and speaking. As the author of 42 published works, spanning both fiction and nonfiction genres, she has become well-known for her expertise in spiritual warfare. Melinda’s literary contributions have garnered awards and positioned her as a sought-after speaker, having addressed diverse audiences as a panelist, keynote speaker, and conference orator. Her focus on spiritual warfare has resonated with women’s groups, prisons, and churches. She’ll be interviewing the author Tananarive Due at this year’s Word of South.

The Eyrie is Tallahassee Community College’s award-winning student art and literary magazine, which publishes original poetry, prose, art, and photography. The magazine also provides students enrolled in Literary Magazine Production at TCC with the experience of magazine production, from the evaluation of materials to blue-line copy. The Eyrie (the nest of a bird of prey) was founded in 1981 by two students, with the motto of “quality, good taste, and creativity.” The magazine is published annually and distributed free to all college personnel and students, and to the public upon request. For this year’s Word of South, the Eyrie will present readings, art, and photography from select students published in the 2024 edition.

Released in July 2002, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots remains the commercial high-water mark in The Flaming Lips’ wild four-decade journey, giving the GRAMMY® award-winners their first RIAA certified Gold Record. As the eagerly awaited follow-up to 1999’s masterwork, The Soft Bulletin, Yoshimi proved that singer/guitarist Wayne Coyne and multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd had yet another masterpiece in them.

Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots is a sci-fi-themed quasi-concept album that cast The Flaming Lips’ most playful and profound songs to date in a wondrous swirl of ambient electronics, digital beats, and psychedelic splendor. The record yielded the band’s top-streamed track, “Do You Realize??” (a timeless stargazing anthem that, in 2009, was named the Official Rock Song of the band’s native Oklahoma) and also landed the Lips their first-ever Grammy Award® win for the cosmic album-closing instrumental “Approaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon (Utopia Planitia).” The Lips will be showcasing the album in its entirety at this year’s Word of South.

Fountain Five Woodwind Quintet is an award-winning ensemble based in Tallahassee, Florida, and has been actively performing around the Florida panhandle since 2021. In addition to recitals and outreach performances, the group’s members regularly perform with local orchestras and maintain active private teaching studios. Its members are Brenna Wiinanen (flute), Nicholas Kanipe (oboe), Connor Croasmun (clarinet), Josie Whiteis (bassoon), and Tarre Nelson (horn). By blending traditional and contemporary repertoire in their programs, the Fountain Five brings an exciting and engaging musical environment and connects with their audiences at every venue. They are currently the Quintet in Residence for Sinfonia Gulf Coast for the 2023-24 season, and were awarded first place in the ensemble division of the Music International Grand Prix Competition in April of 2023, performing in the Merkin Hall at the Kauffman Center in New York. They’ll be appearing in the Peter and the Wolf production Saturday at this year’s Word of South.

Jonah Goldberg is a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he holds the Asness Chair in Applied Liberty. In 2019 he left National Review magazine after a 21-year stint to cofound The Dispatch, where he is Editor-in-Chief. He has been a weekly columnist for the Los Angeles Times since 2005 and a nationally syndicated columnist since 2000. He hosts the popular podcast The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg.

His syndicated column appears regularly in many of America’s leading newspapers. His first book, Liberal Fascism, was a #1 New York Times and Amazon bestseller and was selected as the #1 history book of 2008 by Amazon readers. His second book, The Tyranny of Clichés, was also an instant bestseller and hailed as perhaps “the best and most fun-to-read primer on the tenets of conservative politics since P. J. O’Rourke’s Parliament of Whores.” He’ll be appearing at Word of South as part of The Road to Now Podcast with history professor Ben Sawyer and Bob Crawford of The Avett Brothers.

Lauren Groff is the award-winning and bestselling author of the celebrated short story collections, Delicate Edible Birds and Florida, a finalist for the National Book Award, as well as five novels- The Monsters of Templeton, shortlisted for the Orange Prize for New Writers, Arcadia, winner of the Medici Book Club Prize, Fates and Furies, a finalist for the National Book Award and Amazon’s pick for Best Book of the Year, Matrix and Vaster Wilds. Groff’s work has appeared in a number of magazines, including The New Yorker, Harper’s, and The Atlantic, and in several of the annual The Best American Short Stories anthologies. She lives in Gainesville, Florida with her husband and two sons.

Columnist Mark Hinson, who is a fifth generation North Floridian, has written for the Tallahassee Democrat and Tallahassee.com, both part of the USA Today Network, for more than 25 years. He has covered the arts and entertainment scene in the Capital City for the same amount of time. Over his long career, Hinson has interviewed and written about such musical figures as Mavis Staples, Philip Glass, George Clinton, Ella Fitzgerald, Renée Fleming, Jim White, Bo Diddley, Sam Moore, Alan Parson, Billy Preston and many more.

He’ll be interviewing the musician, artist and writer Jim White at this year’s Word of South.

Hotel Fiction is an Athens, Georgia-based band comprised of Jade Long and Jessica Thompson. Both women have been playing music for over ten years and began writing, performing, and playing together in January 2019. In August of that year, Hotel Fiction released their debut single “Astronaut Kids,” which received a warm welcome from the indie scene, and went on to amass over 2 million global streams. During quarantine, the two finished recording their debut album Soft Focus, which was released in the fall of 2021. The project was met with praise from Atwood Magazine, Early Rising, A1234, and We Are the Guard, and was placed on Spotify editorial lists Fresh Finds and Fresh Finds Rock, where it spent eight weeks straight. Most recently, Hotel Fiction has supported Beach Fossils, Adam Melchor, flipturn and The Brooke and The Bluff. The band released their EP Enjoy Your Stay on October 28, 2022.

Phillip A. Hubbart served for 19 years as a judge on the Third District Court of Appeal of Florida; 12 years as a public defender in Miami, Florida and Washington, D.C.; and over 30 years as adjunct professor of law in Miami. From 1965-1975, he served as a defense attorney for Freddie Pitts and Wilbert Lee.

He is the author of a major treatise on the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution. Making Sense of Search and Seizure Law: A Fourth Amendment Handbook (Durham, North Carolina: Carolina Academic Press, 2d ed., 2015). He is also the editor and commentator on a collection of his great-great grandfather’s 117 Civil War letters. An Iowa Soldier Writes Home: The Civil War Letters of Private Daniel J. Parvin (Durham, North Carolina: Carolina Academic Press, 2011).

He is currently retired in Miami and is writing a memoir for his son and grandchildren. He and his wife Martha recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

Anne Hull is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who spent nearly two decades as a National Enterprise reporter at the Washington Post. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, and she is a recipient of fellowships at Harvard University and the American Academy in Berlin. She is a fifth-generation Floridian who started her newspaper career at the St. Petersburg Times (now Tampa Bay Times). Her memoir, Through The Groves, is about growing up in rural central Florida, was published in 2023. She’ll be appearing at Word of South with the author Diane Roberts.

Michelle Johnson was born in Tallahassee, raised in Tampa, and graduated from Florida A&M University. She currently works as an elementary school teacher in Tampa and previously taught in China for four years, where she also wrote and directed plays for elementary and middle school students. She’s been singing since childhood and loves old jazz standards, musicals, neo-soul, and Disney Princess solos. She’ll be in conversation with writer Suzanne Allain and performing What Was I Made For? from BARBIE at this year’s Word of South.

Jane Kamensky is President of Monticello/ The Thomas Jefferson Foundation. A leading historian of early America and the United States, she earned her BA (1985) and PhD (1993) in history from Yale University. For thirty years, she worked as a history professor and higher education leader, most recently as Jonathan Trumbull Professor of American History at Harvard University and Pforzheimer Foundation Director of the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America at Harvard Radcliffe Institute. Kamensky is the author or editor of numerous books, including A Revolution in Color: The World of John Singleton Copley (2016), which won four major prizes and was a finalist for several others; and the authoritative Oxford Handbook of the American Revolution, co-edited with the late Edward G. Gray. Her next book, Candida Royalle and the Sexual Revolution, will be published by W.W. Norton in March 2024. A former Commissioner of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Kamensky serves as a Trustee of the Museum of the American Revolution, and as one of the principal investigators on the NEH/ Department of Education-funded initiative, Educating for American Democracy, among many other public history roles. Jane will be in conversation with Jennifer Portman and Katherine Mooney as part of the tribute to the late historian Ed Gray at this year’s Word of South.

From the swinging front-porch blues sound of “Toothache” to the Gram Parsons cosmic country realm of “Lockjaw Fever,” Kyle Kimbrell delivers a musical message for the nervous, glass-half-empty folks with enough room for a hopeful change in perspective. Despite the storms, hypochondria, and paranoid sense of simple things going wrong, Kimbrell still tells us we’ll make it through, little by little. “I’m just counting my blessings being on this walk,” Kimbrell said over the phone while strolling his Birmingham neighborhood. While pensive on the fact that his first full-length was released during a worldwide pandemic, Kyle maintains an energy of delight. “I’m a simple guy, man. If it makes somebody feel something, I can go home happy. I’m putting honest work out there. No bullshit.” From Rust To Real was recorded partially at Dial Back Sound (Water Valley, MS) and Communicating Vessels (Birmingham, AL) and released April 10th, 2020. Kyle will be appearing at Word of South with the poet Kerry James Evans.

Nancy Klingener is the Community Affairs Manager for the Monroe County Public Library – South Florida’s oldest public library, with branches from Key West to Key Largo. She has previously worked as a journalist covering the Keys for WLRN public radio and the Miami Herald, among other outlets. She is President of the Key West Literary Seminar and was program chair for the most recent session, which focused on Florida. She’ll be interviewing the author Rebecca Renner at this year’s Word of South.

The Krickets are an Americana trio from the Gulf Coast whose music is what Paste Magazine calls “a truly stunning, one-of-a-kind sound.” Two-time IMA Song of the Year winner in both Folk and Alt Country categories, the band’s music is genre-bending Americana steeped in their signature folk harmony. New single Pay No Mind produced by Rick Hirsch (Wet Willie, Greg Allman Band) features a fresh soul-rock inspired sound for the band and was released in August 2023. This latest single follows a 2020 self-produced release, These Games, that premiered in American Songwriter Magazine’s Best New Music feature. Prior to that, the band recorded two full length studio albums, Redbird (2018) in Nashville with Sam Ashworth and Spanish Moss Sirens (2016) with Single Lock Records’ Ben Tanner in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Originally coming together to play a breast cancer benefit, the band is passionate about supporting their namesake, TheCricketFund.org, which provides cancer aid to the uninsured. The Krickets will be appearing at this year’s Word of South with The Currys as the opening act Saturday night before Rising Appalachia.

Jacki Levine, a longtime Florida journalist, is editor of the anthology, Once Upon a Time in Florida: Stories of Life in the Land of Promises, published by Florida Humanities through the University Press of Florida, 2023. From 2017 to 2021, Levine was editor of FORUM, the award-winning magazine of Florida Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Prior to that she was managing editor of the Gainesville Sun for 14 years and founding editor of Gainesville Magazine.

Born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Miami Beach, Levine graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder (BS in journalism) and the University of Florida (MAJC) in Mass Communications. She lives in Gainesville, where she is actively involved in many charitable and service organizations. She’ll be appearing at Word of South as part of our panel of non-fiction Florida Book Award winners.

Pat MacEnulty is the author of a historical novel series, crime novels, memoirs, a short story collection, children’s plays, and most recently, the historical coming-of-age novel, Cinnamon Girl (Livingston Press, Sept. 2023). She has a Ph.D. in English from the Florida State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Florida, where she studied creative writing with the late Harry Crews. She currently writes book reviews and features for the Historical Novel Society Review and teaches magazine writing at Florida A&M University. She’ll be hosting the panel of fiction Florida Book Award winners at this year’s Word of South.

Leyla McCalla finds inspiration from her past and present, whether it is her Haitian heritage or her adopted home of New Orleans, she — a bilingual multi-instrumentalist, and alumna of the Grammy award-winning African-American string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops — has risen to produce a distinctive sound that reflects the union of her roots and experience. McCalla’s music is at once earthy, elegant, soulful and witty — it vibrates with three centuries of history, yet also feels strikingly fresh, distinctive and contemporary, sonically blending New Orleans influences and Haitian rhythms, with lyrics sung in English, French and Haitian Creole. McCalla’s widely-acclaimed collaborative project, Songs of Our Native Daughters (Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell), was released via Smithsonian Folkways in 2019. The album pulled influence from past sources to create a reinvented slave narrative, confronting sanitized views about America’s history of slavery, racism, and misogyny from a powerful, modern Black female perspective.

Sarah McNamara is an award-winning historian whose writings examine the histories of Latinxs, women and gender, immigration, and labor in the modern United States. McNamara is author of Ybor City: Crucible of the Latina South (2023) as well as numerous articles and essays in outlets such as South Writ Large, Journal of American Ethnic History, and the Washington Post. In addition to her writing, McNamara believes community engagement is essential to historical work. In 2023, she unveiled the historical marker and mural project that commemorates the 1937 Antifascist Women’s March, a project done in cooperation with the Tampa artist and Cuban American muralist Michelle Sawyer. She is a professor in the Department of History and Core Faculty in Latino & Mexican American Studies at Texas A&M University. McNamara is a native of Tampa, Florida and her family is from Ybor City. She’ll be appearing at Word of South as part of our panel of non-fiction Florida Book Award winners.

Katherine Mooney is the James P. Jones Associate Professor of History at Florida State University, where she focuses on the cultural history of inequality in the United States–how it is imagined and made into political and legal discourse, how it plays out in people’s daily lives. She primarily works on the history of slavery and its legacies. Her book, Race Horse Men, examines the generations of black men who worked with Thoroughbred horses from the colonial period to the 1920s. She is presently at work on two new projects, a biography of one of the first African-American sports heroes, Isaac Murphy, and a project about ideas of gender and how they map onto animals in the United States. She’ll be appearing at Word of South as part of our tribute to the work of the late historian Ed Gray.

Sarah Morrison is a songwriter from North Florida. Her latest album, Attachment Figure, depicts the strangeness of exploring new relationships through the lens of the unreal. Her work meditates on questions of identity, growth, femininity, and her Southern upbringing. Influenced by artists of the Laurel Canyon, 80’s dark wave, and avant-garde jazz, her music takes an experimental approach to the tradition of songwriting.

Abe Partridge is a heralded musician, singer/songwriter, visual artist, and podcaster based in Mobile, Alabama. His 2018 debut, Cotton Fields and Blood For Days, earned him rave reviews, with Tony Paris saying in The Bitter Southerner: “He plays guitar the same way he writes lyrics, bashing the strings with abandon until they are just about to come loose, then beautifully picking the notes until every last word falls into place.” Since the release of his debut, Partridge has toured relentlessly, including several tours of the Netherlands and the U.K. When Partridge is not writing or touring, he is also a highly acclaimed visual artist. He’ll be returning to Word of South to appear with the musician, writer and visual artist Jim White.

Singer-songwriter Grant Peeples, a native of Tallahassee, says he was changed forever at the age of 15 when a friend came over and played three classic Bob Dylan songs. A self-described “tree-hugger who watches NASCAR,” he is known for his axe-sharp socio-political tunes, raucous humor and heart-gigging ballads. He’s the recipient of the Focus Foundation Award for Creative Excellence, which cited the “humor, compassion and wisdom of his songs,” and their “unflinching social insight and cultural acuity.” Grant tours coast-to-coast, and in 2023 released a new record, “A Murder of Songs.” He has a new book of short stories, The Heart Has Memory, out in 2024. It should be fun!

Revel in the classic story and music of Peter and the Wolf by composer Sergei Prokofiev set to a new ballet featuring dancers from the South Georgia Ballet with choreography by Sydney Ellen Rawlings. Musicians of the award-winning Fountain Five Woodwind Quintet will perform the music and be joined by narrator Karl Barton in this program that is sure to delight people of all ages.

William Peterson is a Professor of Music in Jazz Studies and Music Theory/Composition at Florida State University, where he teaches jazz piano, jazz arranging and jazz combo. He holds the M.M. degree from the Eastman School of Music and the B.M. from the University of Cincinnati. He released “Singularity”, a duo recording on Centaur Records with F.S.U. faculty member trombonist Kevin Jones in 2021. He has previously released a trio recording on Summit Records. He has performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Blue Note Jazz club NYC, Paraguay International Jazz Festival and Savannah Music Festival as part of Swing Central. He’ll be appearing at Word of South Sunday as part of the Cuban and Latin Jazz Extravaganza on the Florida Jazz & Blues/Marriott AC Ballroom stage.

Phabrik, the winner of the 2024 FSU College of Music Word of South competition,is a RnB/NeoSoul band that includes powerhouse vocalist Megan Eileen and soulful lyricist Bo Hendrix. This Tallahassee-based band guarantees to give you an electric sound that will keep you coming back for more.

Rachel Basan Porter is the Director of Research and Programming at the Florida Historic Capitol Museum where she is responsible for the strategic development of exhibitions and collections care, as well as special events and projects. Prior to her employment with the Museum, Rachel held multiple roles with the Florida Department of State. In 2008 she became senior archaeologist with the Bureau of Archaeological Research and went on to serve in the Secretary of State’s Office as the lead coordinator for the state’s 500 year anniversary commemoration, Viva Florida 500.

Rachel lived and studied internationally before moving to Tallahassee from London, England, where she is a naturalized citizen. She is also a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and an accomplished writer whose work was featured at the 2018 National Book Fair in Washington, D.C. She is a community advocate and a graduate of Leadership Tallahassee. She’ll be appearing as part of the Bicentennial Panel at this year’s Word of South and discussing the new book Florida’s Historic Capitol Building.

Jennifer Portman is managing editor for national news at USA TODAY. A 30-year daily newspaper journalist, she previously worked as an editor and reporter at the Tallahassee Democrat. She be appearing as part of the tribute to the work of the late historian Ed Gray at this year’s Word of South.

Awarded City Paper’s 2021 Soul/R&B Act of the Year, The Psycodelics’ flavor of Black American music has blended foundations of blues, jazz and disco with fresh funk rock. With a stage presence as multifaceted and emotive as its lineup, the already-potent sound retains even greater magic to make you get up and dance.

Local singer-songwriter Pat Puckett has been writing songs for decades, first with the Casual T’s and later as a solo artist and leader of his eponymous band. It’s not just that he has a poet’s way with words, but that he nestles those words in sterling musical settings so that they grab the ear as well as the heart. Sometimes deliberately rough-hewn, sometimes delicately crafted, Puckett’s songs are always real and, above all, honest.

For more than four decades, virtuoso Cuban-American musician, maestro Bobby Ramirez has been forging his distinctive musical persona forming a perfect harmony between the rhythms of Cuba, jazz, classical music and beyond as a flutist, saxophonist, singer, composer, arranger, bandleader, dancer, historian, educator, speaker, and book author. In addition to his extensive international career as a concert performer, he has more than forty musical recordings from Cuban music, jazz, classical music, cadenzas-style

improvisation (free jazz), he has published over 10 books that highlight music arrangements with a historical theme of the 19th Century for cuban charanga (Frensh) style and string chamber orchestra ennsemble, solo classical music for flute, big band bazz orchestra, including arrangements marching band.

Ramirez is founder and president of JAZZONIAN – Jazz Museum of Florida, and Instituto Folklorico Cubano Americano. He’ll be appearing with the Pan Con Bistec band at Word of South Sunday as part of our Cuban and Latin Jazz Extravaganza.

Sydney Ellen Rawlings danced with South Georgia Ballet for 15 years, graduating in 2017. In addition to South Georgia Ballet, she performed as a THS Red Hot and with the Thomasville City Schools Drama Department. Throughout this time, she attended the Governor’s Honors Program, and summer dance intensives at Florida State University and the University of South Carolina. After high school, she attended Kennesaw State University as a dance major with a focus in Ballet until she began working for Walt Disney World Entertainment. There, she portrayed various Disney characters in shows, parades, meet and greets, and media events. Due to the pandemic, she switched to a career in the film industry, working as an art department coordinator for movies such as Bandit, The System, Accidental Texan, and many more. She is thrilled to continue her passion of choreography and teaching to the next generation of South Georgia Ballet dancers, and is the choreographer for this year’s Peter and the Wolf production.

Chuck Reece and his wife Stacy are the founders of the online magazine Salvation South, and believe that every Southerner sees their home region differently. Their stories are as unique as the South’s people, and Salvation South wants to give every Southerner who has a knack for telling a good story a place to tell theirs. Salvation South also extends into the world of the spoken word. Through their partnership with Georgia Public Broadcasting, they produce the Salvation South Podcast, a weekly series of short commentaries about people and things Southern. In late 2023, that podcast expanded with the addition of Salvation South Deluxe—special half-hour shows that tell deeper stories about Southerners who are reaching across the barriers of culture and color that once divided us. A former editor of the online magazine The Bitter Southerner, Chuck will be moderating the Salvation South stage over the weekend, interviewing some of the artists, and doing a few other interesting things.

Rebecca Renner was born in Gainesville, Florida. She is a contributor to National Geographic. Her other writing has appeared in The New York Times, Outside Magazine, Tin House, The Paris Review, The Guardian, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other publications. She holds an MFA from Stetson University, and was selected in 2024 as the winner of the Ensley Developing Writer Award by the Florida Book Awards. Gator Country is her debut.

Jay Revell is the author of the popular book The Nine Virtues of Golf: Essays, Musings, and Other Contemplations on the Game. His stories, essays, travelogues, and histories have been featured in a wide variety of popular publications including The Golfer’s Journal, McKellar Magazine, Golf.com, and Golf Advisor. Jay has also worked with a number of golf relevant brands such as MacKenzie Golf Bags and Visit Florida. He hosts a weekly golf podcast called Mid-Am Crisis and publishes regular musings on the game via his personal website JayRevell.com.

Beyond golf, Jay owns a boutique public relations firm in Tallahassee, Florida, where he specializes in storytelling for a wide range of client needs. His company, Revell Media, produces content for the golf world and beyond. He’s also authored a book about Tallahassee’s Bicentennial, and will moderate a panel on the Bicentennial at this year’s Word of South.

Nathaniel Rich is the author of Losing Earth, a finalist for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Award and the winner of awards from the Society of Environmental Journalists and the American Institute of Physics. His most recent book, Second Nature, longlisted for the PEN/E.O Wilson, features the story “Dark Waters,” which was adapted into a film starring Mark Ruffalo. Rich is also the author of three novels, including Odds Against Tomorrow (2013), hailed by Rolling Stone as “the first great climate-change novel.” He lives in New Orleans, and will be the featured author at this year’s Sunshine State Biodiversity Group event at Word of South.

The award-winning Rickards High School Marching Raider Band is the premier ensemble of the James S. Rickards Band program. The ensemble serves to establish musicality, discipline, esprit de corps and instill the band’s motto of P.R.I.D.E., and performs at varsity football games, basketball games, pep rallies, parades and other performances. They’ll be kicking off this year’s Word of South with a march through Cascades Park Saturday morning.

Rising Appalachia is an internationally touring Americana and world folk ensemble steeped in the soul of the South. It is the brainchild of Atlanta-raised sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith, rooted in the traditional folk music of their family, storytelling, songcathing, grassroots activism, lyrical prowess, and a multi-instrumental tapestry of their melodic ensemble. The band’s unique sound is shaped by Leah and Chloe’s soulful vocals, simple instrumentation, and seamless harmonies, unique to siblings raised in folk traditions. They are joined by a host of talented musicians who bring their own cultural influences, enriching the blend of folk, world, and urban music that defines the smooth sound of Rising Appalachia. Featuring full-time members David Brown (upright bass, baritone guitar), Duncan Wickle (fiddle, cello), and Biko Casini (drums and world percussion), plus a host of special guests, expect to be swooned into a tapestry of silky sounds. Their event this year at Word of South is co-sponsored by Opening Nights at Florida State University.

One afternoon in 2006, Bob Crawford and Ben Sawyer sat down in a Detroit coffee shop to talk history. Their discussion ended when Bob had to leave to play a show with his band, The Avett Brothers, but the conversation never stopped. In the years that followed, Bob’s band became one of the most celebrated musical groups in the country, and Ben went from graduate student to a professional historian. In 2016, their roads converged again, this time in the basement of Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, where they recorded the first episode of The Road to Now.

Since then, Bob and Ben have spoken with some of today’s great thinkers – from award-winning historians to entertainment legends to prominent politicians – to learn more about how the past shapes the present. They’ve recorded 300 episodes, joined the lineup on SiriusXM’s POTUS 124, and built an incredible base of listeners. They’ll be taping a show at this year’s Word of South, where they’ll be joined by the author and political commentator Jonah Goldberg. You can listen to The Road to Now with Bob Crawford & Ben Sawyer on your favorite podcast player and weekends on SiriusXM 124. Learn more about their show at TheRoadToNow.com

If you are a fan of the FSU Seminoles or a resident of Florida, you know – or should know – about the writings of Tallahassee’s own Diane Roberts. Her book, Tribal, a comic, critical analysis of a Southern intellectual’s love of FSU football and distaste for the excesses that go with it, made several Best of Book lists in 2015, and is being reissued in a 20th anniversary edition by the University Press of Florida. Dr. Roberts is a professor of creative writing at Florida State who received her undergraduate degree at FSU and doctorate at Oxford University in England. The author of four books, she is known for her spot-on interpretations of Southern culture and her sardonic sense of humor. She writes op-ed articles for major newspapers and has been a commentator for NPR and the BBC. She’ll be interviewing the journalist and author Anne Hull at this year’s Word of South.

RoboCromp is the long-running duo of Atlanta saxophonist Jeff Crompton and Tallahassee-based (for now) guitarist Rob Rushin-Knopf. Since 2004, their singular blend of jazz, rock, and folk musics of the world has captivated listeners with a blend of original compositions and works by the likes of Thelonious Monk, Cecil Taylor, Steve Lacy, and more. RoboCromp’s distinct blend of styles and influences is cemented by a musical partnership and friendship that dates to 1988.

RoboCromp does not fit any known genre category. They’ve called it Chamber Fusion, Near Jazz, and Eccentronica, terms that are accurate and devoid of definitional precision.

Elizabeth Rosario, known to everyone as Ely, is a vibrant, intelligent, and incredible force in her community. She holds a Master’s of Business Administration from Colorado State University and a bachelor’s degree in Communications with Business from Florida State University. Ely is the Business Manager at Jackson Properties and has been with the company for almost 20 years. She is also a real estate investor with properties in three different cities in Florida, has taught Entrepreneurship at the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, and was the race director for the Tallahassee Marathon and Half Marathon in 2017 receiving the Director of the Year award. She is part of Leadership Tallahassee Class 35, Leadership Florida Class 39, 25 Women you need to know in 2023 and a Board Member for Choose Tallahassee.

Ely is also an author. She began by being a guest writer at Visit Tallahassee. She writes at Medium.com and has been a contributor author for Tallahassee Women Magazine helping women manage their finances. She’ll be discussing her new book, 100 Things Tallahassee as part of our Bicentennial Panel at this year’s Word of South.

Ginny Myers Sain is the author of Dark and Shallow Lies (2021), Secrets So Deep (2022), and One Last Breath (March 2024), all from Razorbill Books/Penguin Teen. Her debut novel, Dark and Shallow Lies, is a New York Times bestseller, an Indie Bookstore Bestseller, a Barnes & Noble YA Pick of the Month, an Amazon Editor’s Pick, and the 2022 Crystal Kite award winner from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (Texas and Oklahoma Region). It is also a Whippoorwill Book Award winner, which is given to recognize books honestly reflecting the complexity and diversity of rural life. Ginny’s books are available world-wide in eight countries and counting! She’ll be appearing at Word of South with the musician Sofia Camille.

Upright and electric bassist specialized in sultry, Venezuelan infused, jazz music, Jose Serrano currently teaches at FSU as graduate assistant, pursuing his Master’s in Jazz Performance. Raised in Venezuela, he was brought up in the classical scene, playing in orchestras since age 10. By age 16, he was able to move to the U.S., and shortly after he found the love for Jazz, Funk, Soul, Blues, and other American styles. Growing up, he was exposed to music ranging from classical to Brazilian Maracatu, and now he’s able to perform in several groups in a wide virility of genres. He’ll be appearing at Word of South Sunday with multi-instrumentalist Roger Glenn on the Florida Jazz & Blues/Marriott AC Ballroom stage.

Since their 2011 inception, The Sh-Booms have become kind of a thing in their native scene and beyond. Besides being perennial winners of “Best South Act” in the Orlando Weekly’s big annual Best of Orlando issue, they’ve been tapped to share the stage with national names like The Roots, Of Montreal, Talib Kweli, KRS-One, Jacuzzi Boys, Budos Band, Big Freedia, Lee Fiends, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, and The B52’s (whom the band toured with in 2017 and 2018). They’ve been featured on NPR, their music has even made it on TV (CW’s Supergirl) and they’ve played Austin City Limits, Okeechobee Music Festival, SunFest, and Gasparilla Music Festivals.

When powerhouse singer, Brenda Radney, joined in 2015, the band’s course was locked, their date with destiny set. She was signed to Justin Timberlake’s Tennman label, even appearing on his album, The 20/20 Experience, Pt. 2. But after clicking with band leader, Al Ruiz, while recording separately in the same studio, she jumped aboard The Sh-Booms to turn this train into a true locomotive.

Katie Skene is a blues and Americana singer, guitarist and songwriter, based in Ventura, California, and originally from Tallahassee, Florida. Katie received a B.M. in Popular Music Performance from the University of Southern California. Since graduating in 2015, Katie has worked primarily on the West Coast, performing in the Jam-Band & Americana scene and collaborating with many legendary artists and musicians. Her second EP, “Toward the Tide” was released in May 2023. She currently fronts the Katie Skene Band, which will appear at this year’s Word of South. Katie’s other projects include jam-band supergroup California Kind (with John Molo, Pete Sears, Barry Sless & Rob Barraco) and a collaboration with instrumental world-funk music band, TV Broken 3rd Eye Open.

Author Dylan Snowden is a former teacher turned self-made entrepreneur and busy mother of Irish twins, Raleigh (6) and Baker (5). She is an absolute inspiration with boundless energy and a healthy appetite for adventure. When she’s not running, reading, and adventuring with her kiddos, she is on social media and writing to inspire others. You can find her on Instagram @dylanmsnowden.

Son D’ Aqui started in 1999, after its founder, Henry Zayas, noticed that there was a lack of Caribbean Hispanic groups in the Jacksonville area. He got together with Rafael Valentin and Jose Ferreira, who had been longing for the same thing, and formed the group. The band started with sequences (MIDI files) of salsa and merengue that they downloaded from the internet, and their first performance was at the St. Catherines annual bazaar in the year 2000. They began to get popular and expended to local clubs in Jacksonville and Orange Park. When Henry’s daughter Evita joined the group, they went from sequences to a full band and became one of the most popular Latin bands in the Jacksonville area. They’ll be appearing at Word of South Sunday as part of our Cuban and Latin Jazz Extravaganza.

South Georgia Ballet is a regional ballet company founded in 1998. SGB emulates the curriculum and commitment of a pre-professional training program, develops and produces original performing arts productions, and reaches out to a diverse community with education and performing arts enrichment experiences. In an initiative to better serve our community through classes, mini-performances, lectures/demonstrations, MainStage performances, and school workshops, South Georgia Ballet strives to educate and teach underserved populations the breadth of dance and the performing arts. They’ll be appearing in the Peter and the Wolf production at this year’s Word of South.

Jessica Q. Stark is the author of Buffalo Girl (BOA Editions, 2023), winner of a Florida Book Award and a finalist for the 2023 Maya Angelou Book Award, Savage Pageant (Birds, LLC, 2020), and four poetry chapbooks, including INNANET (The Offending Adam, 2021). She is a Poetry Editor for Boston University’s AGNI and is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of North Florida. Her poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in The Nation, Best American Poetry, Pleaides, Sixth Finch, the Southeast Review, Tupelo Quarterly, among other publications. She co-organizes the Dreamboat Reading Series and is a part of the Vietnamese diasporic collective She Who Has No Master(s). She lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and will be part of our panel of Florida Book Award fiction and poetry winners at this year’s Word of South.

Some write music as a creative release. Others feel compelled to perform. For country-soul singer-songwriter Leon Timbo, music is used as a form of growth and healing. Growing up the son of two pastors in Jacksonville, Florida, music was integrated into his life from the very start, as a way to communicate spiritual experience. At sixteen, Timbo began singing and by age twenty, he began playing the guitar and performing in a serious way, inspired by artists Bill Withers, James Taylor and Tim Miner. Timbo’s country sound incorporates equal measures of vintage soul, gospel, folk, R&B and even modern blues making for a unique experience that some have described as ‘transparent soul.’ Timbo is currently on the road supporting his new music and has just finished touring with 2x-Grammy Award-winning bassist, Marcus Miller, during his residency with Blue Note New York, which included two sold-out shows. Timbo will continue touring with Miller along with The Black Opry as well as playing festivals, including American Roots Festival and Newport Folk Festival, throughout the summer. At Word of South he’ll be performing in a solo show Saturday, then joining the artist Ally Free Sunday for a special Black Opry show.

Blending elements of Gospel, Neo-Soul, R&B, and Hip Hop, South Florida native Tokyo.Extra0rdinaire is a recording artist, music producer, songwriter, and audio engineer.

Influenced by the likes of Outkast, Missy Elliott, the Neptunes, and more, her eclectic sound often blends soulful melodic harmonies with vivid storytelling – cultivating a musical expression of positivity and empowerment.

At the age of 8, she began playing the tenor drum in her church’s band, and by the age of 13 had begun journeying into the world of songwriting, music production, and audio engineering. She has since produced, written, and recorded music for herself and other artists – including a personal catalog of over 40+ self-published songs.

Tokyo is the owner and founder of VIIFIGUREVISION (7 Figure Vision), a multi-media edu-tainment and management company that houses departments in music and video production, fashion, and philanthropy. It functions and operates under the 7 founding principles of Faith, Integrity, Discipline, Resilience, Community, Creativity, and Consistency. She’ll be appearing at Word of South with the artist DJ Demp.

Jeff VanderMeer has been profiled by the New York Times, Audubon Magazine, and the Guardian, in large part for his environmentalism and his exploration of the nonhuman world in his fiction. His NYT-bestselling Southern Reach trilogy has been translated into over 35 languages. The first novel, Annihilation, won the Nebula Award and Shirley Jackson Award, and was made into a movie by Paramount in 2018. Other works include Dead Astronauts, Borne (a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award), and The Strange Bird. These novels, set in the Borne universe, are being developed for TV by AMC. His most recent novel, Hummingbird Salamander (MCD/FSG), a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award, interrogates the foundations of our modern world in an environmental context. Called “the weird Thoreau” by The New Yorker, VanderMeer frequently speaks about issues related to climate change and storytelling. His nonfiction about wildlife and nature has appeared in Orion Magazine, Esquire, and the Los Angeles Times, among others. In January of 2023, VanderMeer founded the Sunshine State Biodiversity Group, a nonprofit devoted to rewilding, biodiversity education, and environmental journalism. He lives in Tallahassee, Florida, with his wife Ann, cat Neo, and a yard full of native plants. Jeff will be in conversation with the author Nathaniel Rich at this year’s Word of South.

Daniel Wallace is author of six novels, including Big Fish (1998), Ray in Reverse (2000), The Watermelon King (2003), Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician (2007), The Kings and Queens of Roam (2013), and most recently Extraordinary Adventures (May 2017). His children’s book, published in 2014, and for which he did both the words and the pictures, is called The Cat’s Pajamas, and it is adorable. In 2003 Big Fish was adapted and released as a movie and then in 2013 the book and the movie were mish-mashed together and became a Broadway musical. His novels have been translated into over three-dozen languages. He is also the author of a coloring book, Roadside Attractions, co-authored by his esteemed friend Emily Wallace. A memoir, This Isn’t Going to End Well, was published in April, 2023. He’ll be appearing at Word of South with Salvation South’s Chuck Reece.

Growing up in western North Carolina’s Ashe County, Trajan “Tray” Wellington heard a lot of music — and from the first time he heard the banjo as a young teen, he was, he says, “hooked.” Even before he graduated from East Tennessee State University’s renowned Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country program, Wellington had earned acclaim as the banjo player with Cane Mill Road, performing across the country and winning a 2019 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award while the group took Momentum Band of the Year honors. As he began releasing singles in advance of his full-length debut, Black Banjo, Wellington continued to garner attention, leading banjo workshops at the prestigious Merlefest and Gray Fox festivals; performing on the IBMA’s 2020 World of Bluegrass Main Stage and acting as host for the Momentum Awards ceremony; gaining coverage in publications like No Depression, The Bluegrass Situation and Folk Alley; and appearing on David Holt’s PBS NC series, being interviewed by Rhiannon Giddens for a BBC documentary series and by W. Kamau Bell for his CNN series, United Shades of America. Upon its release in May 2022, Black Banjo earned a glowing review in the Wall Street Journal that concluded: “This is a record that breaks right through subgenre boundaries. If bluegrass is about spotlighting virtuosos, here’s a new one people will be checking in on for some time to come.”

The Sauce Boss is a powerhouse entertainer, mixing his Bluesy slide guitar and soulful voice into an unforgettable high-energy show. His very own hot sauce spices up a big pot of gumbo while he spices up the show with his own original Blues. He has served hundreds of thousands of people for free at his legendary live shows. Sauce Boss mixes media like cornbread in his performance. Hot sauce, blues, chicken, funk, onions and okra, heartfelt songs, peppers and soul, seafood and slide guitar, all go into the gumbo. The aroma wafts through the place. The Sauce Boss stirs up the crowd. The crowd stirs up the pot. It’s a soul-shouting picnic of Rock and Roll brotherhood, and at the end of the show, everyone eats.

Bill Wharton, AKA Sauce Boss, is the guy Jimmy Buffett sang about in his song “I Will Play for Gumbo.” Wharton’s anthem, “Let the Big Dog Eat” is included on Buffett’s “Late Night Menu at the Margaritaville Cafe” album. Albert Castiglia released his cover of the tune, and it hit #1 on blues charts. “Let the Big Dog Eat” has also appeared in the movies “Something Wild” (Jonathan Demme), and the Rock Doc, “Jimmy Carter Rock and Roll President.” This tune and sixteen other works in the documentary earned Wharton “‘Best Original Score” from the Los Angeles Film Awards.

Jim White gets around. When he’s not releasing his own critically acclaimed solo albums, he splits time producing records for other songwriters, exhibiting his visual art in galleries and museums across the U.S. and Europe and publishing award winning fiction.

His sixth solo studio album, the bizarrely titled “Waffles, Triangles & Jesus,” is a mind-bending joy ride of sonic influences featuring a bevy of his hometown Athens’ roots musicians, plus west coast indie darlings Dead Rock West, and rock and roll maverick Holly Golightly.

Prior to “Waffles, Triangles & Jesus,” White released five eclectic, totally uncatagorizable albums plus another six even stranger side projects. Numerous songs from his back catalog have appeared both in film and television, with his Primus-esque Word-Mule being featured in Breaking Bad, and more recently his cautionary rocker Crash Into The Sun appearing in Ray McKinnon’s highly praised Sundance Channel series Rectify. Jim will be appearing on Saturday at Word of South with the musician/artist Abe Partridge and writer Tad Bartlett, and again on Sunday with Tallahassee’s Mark Hinson to discuss Jim’s new memoir, Incidental Contact.

Meet 911, a Tallahassee based band that has established itself as one of North Florida’s most unique music groups, performing original music, mostly written by award winning singer-songwriter Drew Tillman, then “evolved” into the unique songs performed as only 911 can. 911 released 2 albums, a live album, “Live at Bullwinkle’s” recorded and engineered by Fred Chester and a studio album recorded and engineered by Perry Nelson, produced by 911 and John Kurzweg. Besides the original music and recordings, 911 also performs unique renditions of songs by classic rock and folk icons such as Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, John Hyatt, John Prine, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, and countless others.

911 is simple: Drew Tillman, acoustic guitar and vocals; Perry Nelson, drums and vocals; Richard Tengstedt, bass; and Steve Taff, electric guitar. No digital keyboards, no digital drums, no autotuning or other 21^st-century technology. So, all you get is a raw, powerful rock band sound that is familiar but fresh.

Listen and enjoy!