Wolf Trap Presents Lovett, Carpenter et al., 8/17

Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts presents a diverse week of folk, jazz, Motown, celtic, and country-blues, August 17th-22nd.

An Evening with Lyle Lovett and his Large Band
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.
$42 in-house; $25 lawn

GRAMMY Award-winning artist Lyle Lovett returns to Wolf Trap for what has become a semi-annual celebration of eclectic country and blues. Lovett has become a familiar face at Wolf Trap, having performed at the Filene Center stage 18 of the past 23 years. Lovett's most recent album, Natural Forces, continues the exceptional career that spans 13 albums and has garnered four GRAMMY Awards. Loved by fans for his earnest Signature Sound, Lovett continually surpasses expectations with his skillful instrumentation and unique vocal qualities. Paste magazine praises, "Lyle Lovett is the ultimate AAA artist in a 10-gallon hat: Not quite country, not exactly blues, and definitely not jazz...Lovett has coupled his witty wordplay with an eclectic grab bag of musical adornment." Additionally, he has appeared in four Robert Altman films and provided the soundtrack for Altman's 2000 film Dr. T and The Woman.

Al Jarreau & The George Duke Trio
Special Guest Marcus Miller
Tutu Revisited
The Music of MiLes Davis
With Featured Guest Artist Christian Scott
Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at 8 p.m.
$42 in-house; $25 lawn

Seven-time GRAMMY Award-winning jazz vocalist Al Jarreau returns to Wolf Trap for the first time since 2005. Jarreau has been charming audiences since the '60s with his classic jazz vocals. After earning a masters in psychology with a subsequent career as a social worker, Jarreau realized his true passion for music. He has not looked back since, continuing to record hit after hit as a successful crossover jazz artist. His most recent album is a compilation of Christmas songs in his classic jazz style.

Reuniting with Al Jarreau is renowned jazz pianist George Duke and his longtime trio. This partnership dates back to the 1960s when Jarreau and Duke performed together at the Half Note Club in San Francisco as the house band. Duke has an impressive list of collaborators including well-known artists Frank Zappa, Jean-Luc Ponty, Stanley Clarke, and Barry Manilow. His most recent album, In a Mellow Tone, is a showcase of "straightforward small combo jazz," and spent five weeks on the Jazz Albums chart, peaking at No. 9. All Music Guide describes album as "relaxed, but never soporific, mood music."

Virtuoso jazz bassist and producer Marcus Miller joins Al Jarreau and the George Duke Trio for a night of worldly jazz, featuring a performance of one the most critically acclaimed jazz recordings in history, the Marcus Miller-written and MiLes Davis-produced album Tutu. Recorded more than 20 years ago, Miller will breathe new life into this project with "Tutu Revisited", along with featured artist, Christian Scott. Miller's inclination to wear many hats-from composer, to musician, to interpreter-has made him an exceptionally prolific artist.

GRAMMY-nominated jazz trumPeter Christian Scott makes his debut on the Filene Center stage. After years of hard work and schooling, Scott has positioned himself as one of his generation's great contributors to jazz. In March he released the album Yesterday You Said Today. Jazz is not his sole interest-he has also collaborated with hip-hop giants Mos Def and X-Clan. Scott is keenly aware of jazz music's role in addressing social issues, and appreciates artists who "captivate people in a way that reference[s] their own humanity."

Mary Chapin Carpenter
With Special Guest Eliza Gilkyson
Thursday, August 19, 2010 at 8 p.m.
$42 in-house; $25 lawn

"Hometown girl" Mary Chapin Carpenter returns to Wolf Trap for the first time since 2005. Carpenter is no stranger to Wolf Trap-she lived in the Washington, D.C. area starting at age 12 and has performed on the Filene Center stage 16 times. Carpenter's 2010 performance marks the first time she has performed at Wolf Trap following her recovery from a serious medical issue that necessitated significant rest. She used the time wisely however, emerging from the illness with her most recent album, The Age of Miracles. Carpenter has built a large fan base through her interesting combinations of country, blues, folk, and rock 'n' roll supported by introspective and political themes. Her career started in 1987 with the release of Hometown Girl, after which she went on to earn five GRAMMY awards. Additionally, she was honored with the esteemed Americana Association's Spirit of Americana Free Speech in Music Award, which honors individuals who use their music to promote free speech.

Returning to Wolf Trap for the first time since 1998 is GRAMMY-nominated Eliza Gilkyson. Daughter of famous songwriter Terry Gilkyson, her music is a blend of country and folk styles, with songs that focus on social criticism. Her most recent album, Beautiful World, was praised by the Austin Chronicle as "stylistically adventurous...political in all the right ways."

The Irish Tenors
Finbar Wright, Anthony Kearns & Ronan Tynan
Friday, August 20, 2010 at 8 p.m.
Tickets Range $22-$52

The Irish Tenors arrive at Wolf Trap reunited with Ronan Tynan for the first Filene Center appearance since 2004. As a part of a special reunion tour, the lineup of Finbar Wright, Anthony Kearns, and Ronan Tynan reemerge with their signature harmony of traditional and modern Irish music. The luck of the Irish is legendary, as is the music of this trio. Since their debut on PBS, the trio has released seven bestselling albums that topped the Billboardcharts. Their most recent album, Sacred, is a compilation of sacred Irish music close to the trio's hearts. The Washington Post gushed about the Tenor's last performance at Wolf Trap: "plenty were smiling-some tearing up-by the evening's end."

The Temptations and The Four Tops
Saturday, August 21, 2010 at 8 p.m.
$38 in-house; $22 lawn
The Temptations

GRAMMY Award-winning Motown group The Temptations brings harmony to the Wolf Trap stage for an evening of classic hits. Known for Motown mainstays "My Girl" and "The Way You Do the Things You Do," The Temptations have used their slick vocal harmonies and choreography to become one of the most commercially successful groups in history. In their first decade they charted 16 Top 10 hits and observed a similar trend throughout the '80s and '90s. The Temptations were the first Motown group to win a GRAMMY, and have earned a total of four during their career. As a testament to their work ethic and continued popularity, The Temptations released Still Here in April 2010. Of the new album, Soul Tracks states that The Temptations "bring it again vocally in a way that younger acts should take note of, and make a subtle but emphatic declaration...that they are ‘still here.'"

Legendary Motown group The Four Tops comes to Wolf Trap to perform as part of a co-bill with The Temptations. This classic group burst onto the scene with "Baby I Need Your Loving" in 1964, the first of 30 chart appearances over the next eight years. The Four Tops have withstood the test of time, celebrating more than 40 years as a unit in 1997 without a single personnel change. The Tops have remainEd Strong, continuing to record commercially successful albums time after time. Their most recent album, From the Heart, is a star-studded live album showcasing many of their classic hits.

An Evening with Great Big Sea
Sunday, August 22, 2010 at 8 p.m.
$35 in-house; $25 lawn

Celtic-rooted rockers Great Big Sea return to Wolf Trap with their creative, spirited folk-rock inspired by their native Canadian soil. The group formed more than 15 years ago when members of three separate rock bands united in an impromptu jam session. The group members have successfully created a one-of-a-kind Celtic-rock sound that fuses traditional Newfoundland instruments and music with their own original folk-rock. The July release of their 10th album, Safe Upon the Shore, has already met many accolades. It currently appears on six different Billboard charts, and peaked at the No. 2 position on the Canadian Albums chart. All Music Guide raves about Great Big Sea, stating that their "vibrancy and energy...are simply intoxicating."

Tickets can be purchased by calling 1 (877) WOLFTRAP; or online at www.wolftrap.org.