Brian Holland & The Ragabonds

Brian Holland has been a ragtime festival favorite for the past 30 years and a jazz festival stalwart for the last dozen, but he didn’t find himself in a full-sized traditional jazz band of sympathetic players until 2023. When he became part of a new band called the Sierra Stompers, he found nirvana. The horns were hot; the rhythm section locked in like siblings separated at birth. So excited was he about this backline that he invited them to record some rags in the spirit of Wally Rose and Co.

Joining him is “The California Sunshine Girl,” Katie Cavera, a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist from southern California who simultaneously lights up every performance while strumming banjo in flawless time. Hailing from Seattle and widely regarded as the best tubist in the business, Paul Hagglund eschews always playing the same bass lines as Brian does, instead laying down a lilting foundation that frees Brian to add exciting left-hand runs. Drummer / washboardist / vocalist Gareth Price (also from SoCal) combines his youthful excitement for jazz with his vast knowledge of styles old and new to the musical table, with scintillating results. This quartet always strives to introduce ragtime – oftentimes familiar, sometimes startling, always fun! – to fans old and new.