"They know good songs and how to add their touch to them..." Johnsmith
Leslie and Steve moved to Rochester from the Boston area where together they ran The Mozaic Room coffeehouse, which ended its eleven-year run in the Spring of 2007. In 2003, they started recording and performing together as a duo. Their music combines their backgrounds in traditional, country and gospel music with their taste for contemporary singer/songwriters. Their performances feature simple but tasteful arrangements of timeless melodies. Steve's guitar is often supplemented by other traditional instruments (mandolin, autoharp, banjo, bass), but the focus is always on thoughtful lyrics and beautiful harmonies.
Join us for an evening of music!
On Friday, July 17 we will be performing in Cheshire, New York at 7:00PM. The concert is being hosted by the Cheshire Community Church (4315 Route 21 South) and the Cheshire Community Action Team. There will be no admission charged but a hat will be passed. We are especially pleased that our friend Allen Hopkins, a very talented multi-instrumentalist, will be sitting in with us for this show. For more information call 585-394-6607.
Leslie & Steve at The Mez
June will be here before you know it, and we are both very excited to be spending the evening of June 20th at the House of Hamez ("The Mez") as part of their monthly Songwriters in the Round series. Yes, it's been awhile since Steve wrote any songs...but we're putting a fresh coat on a few of them and paying homage to other songwriters by covering theirs. Hey, they were all written by somebody, right? We're honored to be sharing the stage with multi-talented host Brian Coughlin and "dyed in the wool folkie" Jim Clare. Hope to see you there!
Golden Link 5th Tuesday Member Showcase Concert
On March 31, 2009 Leslie & Steve were part of the Golden Link Folk Singing Society's 5th Tuesday Member Showcase Concert. Founded in 1971, Golden Link hosts a singalong every Tuesday night, and during months that have five Tuesdays, members have a chance to perform onstage at the 12 Corners Presbyterian Church in Rochester, NY. We had such a great time meeting and singing for everyone! Thank you, Allen Hopkins, for inviting us and also for accompanying us on mandolin. And thank you, members, for the warm welcome! Click here to see photos of the evening.
Leslie Lee & Steve Gretz wish everyone a Happy 2009!
What better way to ring in the new year than to celebrate the release of our latest recording Better Off Someday. On January 24, 2009, we held our official CD release party at The Rose Garden in Mansfield, MA. The Nashville Clippers (The Rose Garden's "house band") opened the night for us. Then we were joined onstage by some of the incredible musicians who contributed to the CD: Seth Connelly (guitar and mandolin), Hatrack Gallagher (harmonica), Matt Leavenworth (fiddle and electric guitar), Peter Tillotson (upright bass), and Don Croad (percussion). Being surrounded by so much talent was truly an awesome experience for us. We were also overjoyed to reconnect with some of our old, New English friends. Thank you, Mac McLanahan, for hosting an evening we will never forget! To see some great photos of the big night (provided by tireless photographer and webmaster Steve Ide), visit our Photos page or watch Videos on YouTube.
Better Off Someday features 15+ songs by some of our favorite songwriters, with instrumental help from an amazing group of musicians. Not only did Seth Connelly return to the helm as producer and engineer on our third collaboration, he also contributed vocals, upright and electric bass, mandolin, banjo, guitars, dobro, autoharp, piano, accordion, and percussion. Additional tracks were provided by the very talented Don Croad (drums), Hatrack Gallagher (harmonica), Matt Leavenworth (fiddle), Billy Novick (whistle), Eric Royer (banjo), and Valerie Thompson (cello). And we were especially honored that Grammy Award-winning guitarist Ed Gerhard played lap steel and Weissenborn guitar on two of the songs. Thank you all for lifting us to a higher musical plain!
Old Time Music Night
For the second consecutive year, we continue to hold our enthusiastically attended Old Time Music Nights on the first Sunday evening of each month. As we make new musical friends in the Rochester area, we hope to include them in these evenings of song. Bring your voices and your instruments, or maybe a plate of brownies. All are welcome!
