Grammy award-winning producer Dave Way has worked with Sheryl Crow, Shakira and the Spice Girls among others.
So it’s not often that one of his protogés appears at a small pub in York – yet Nashville-based roots duo Jeni And Billy will be at the Black Swan, Peasholme Green on June 17.
They will be promoting their album Picnic In The Sky, produced by Dave Way in Los Angeles.
“It does seem a bit of a jump from Posh and Sporty to Jeni and Billy – but Dave is actually a huge fan of bluegrass and folk music,” said guitar and banjo player Billy Kemp.
“We were put in touch through a friend and when he heard what we do he signed us to his own Waystation label.
“It’s great to think that though Dave has worked with everybody, good old-time acoustic music is what he really, really wants.”
Among the cream of LA session players backing up the duo on the record are Craig Eastman on fiddle, slide guitar and mandolin.
Meanwhile percussion virtuoso Denny Weston plays feet, shovel and tin pan – making him possibly the only man to have a kit even more low-fi than Wild Zucchini Bill from York’s very own King Courgette.
Billy said: “We first played with the Courgette boys three years ago and were blown away by this bizarre Yorkshire hillbilly playing bones and a pre-war suitcase.
“They’ve joined us for every tour since and we have so much fun. I once asked the band if it would be the ultimate compliment to throw tomatoes at them and they said, sure, just as long as you take ’em out of the tins first.”
- Jeni And Billy plus King Courgette are at the Black Swan Inn, Peaseholme Green, York on Tuesday, June 17, from 8pm
- Admission is £5 on the door, or in advance from the Little Apple Bookshop 01904 676103