Event Type: Gala Concert

Event Date: 8-29-09 at 7 pm

Location: Mount Vernon Music Hall

402 Leftwich St. at Yates

Mount Vernon, Texas 75457

Contact: Mark Miller at 903-563-3780 or

visit www.mountvernonmusic.org



Mount Vernon Music invites the public to a gala event Saturday August 29, 2009 at 7:00 pm in Mount Vernon Music Hall, 402 Leftwich St. at Yates. “A Night to Remember: Music, Music, Music!” will celebrate the opening of the 2009-2010 season with the incredible fiddling and singing Quebe Sisters Band, and MVM Players and Friends, serving up an entertaining evening of Western swing, jazz, and “light-to-rowdy” classics. Audience members will also be treated to delicious hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction. Tickets are $25, children under twelve $10, and are available in Mt. Vernon at First National Bank, the Chamber of Commerce, Guaranty Bond Bank, Texas American Bank, Prosperity Bank, or by calling 903-563-3780.

Opportunities for sponsorship for this event are still available at the following levels: Gold donors of $1000 will receive 6 complimentary tickets, silver donors of $500 will receive 4 tickets, bronze donors of $250 will receive 2 tickets. All sponsors will have prominent listing in the program of the evening and all programs of the season.

For information about becoming a sponsor, please call 903-563-3780.

Since their musical journey began in 1998, Grace, Sophia and Hulda Quebe have been covering a lot of ground. In the beginning, the Q's started taking fiddle lessons from Sherry McKenzie (Joey's wife) and later from Joey, learning traditional Texas-style fiddling. From the start, all three sisters demonstrated astonishing talent and determination and a real love of music. Shortly thereafter, the girls began entering fiddle contests and had success early on; winning several State, regional and National fiddle championships.

The Quebes musical repertoire has since grown to include a wide variety of traditional styles, especially western swing, hot jazz and swing standards, western and cowboy songs, vintage country and bluegrass. In addition to their fiddling, the girls enjoy the challenge of singing vintage style 3-part harmony.

A partial list of their favorite bands includes Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, the Sons of the Pioneers, Billy Jack Wills, Spade Cooley, Andy Parker and the Plainsmen, the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, Benny Goodman's various groups, Ray Price and the Cherokee Cowboys, the Mills Brothers, the Boswell Sisters, the Andrews Sisters, the Beatles and Hot Rize.

As for musicians, a partial (very partial!) list includes Ella Fitzgerald, Django Reinhardt, Marty Robbins, Tommy Duncan, Patsy Cline, Faron Young, Merle Haggard, Joaquin Murphy, Alex Brashear, Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant, Jethro Burns and Charlie Christian.

As for fiddlers, a very partial list includes Benny Thomasson, Major Franklin, Orville Burns, Terry Morris, Norman and Vernon Solomon, Jim "Texas Shorty" Chancellor, Eck Robertson, Jimmie Don Bates, Kenny Baker, Svend Asmussen, Stephane Grappelli, Joe Venuti, Tommy Jackson, Louis Tierney, Johnny Gimble, Paul Anastasio, Buddy Spicher and Joey & Sherry McKenzie.

When the girls aren't playing music, some of their other interests include reading, cooking, eating, playing with their dog "Dixie".

Joey McKenzie’s first musical experience began at the age of 11, tuning the instruments his father had around their house - a guitar, a mandolin, a tenor guitar, and a tenor banjo. Around the age of 12, Joey started learning a few chords and licks on each of the instruments and has been playing them ever since. When Joey was 17, he became interested in playing the fiddle after becoming friends with Texas fiddle legend Benny Thomasson. "I went to fiddle contests just playing rhythm guitar, but I wasn't really inspired to play the fiddle. When I got the opportunity to back Benny up in a few contests and hear the way he played, all I could think about was trying to learn to play the fiddle!" It wasn't long before Joey began competing himself and has since won well over 100 fiddle contests and several awards on other stringed instruments. Some of his awards include 3-time World Champion Fiddler, World Series of Fiddling Champion and 5-time Texas State Guitar Champion.

Joey is enjoying his role as guitarist with the Quebe Sisters Band. He has always been fascinated with the great "behind the scenes" rhythm guitar work by players such as Eldon Shamblin, Homer Haynes, Eddie Lang, Karl Farr, Freddie Green and Oscar Moore. Besides playing guitar with the group, Joey also creates the bands musical arrangements and is the Quebe's fiddle and vocal instructor.

Joey and his wife Sherry own and operate McKenzies' Music and Instructional Studio in Mansfield, Texas, where they teach traditional music on a variety of stringed instruments, but specialize in fiddle instruction. He also enjoys restoring and collecting vintage stringed instruments, and says he is still trying to get them in tune.

A native Texan already familiar with Mount Vernon Music audiences from the first-ever MVM event in 2005, Drew Phelps was initiated into the world of music at an early age when his father brought home instruments for him and his twin brother. "I got a bass guitar and David got a guitar" he recalls (brother David is currently a successful jazz guitarist in NYC). In junior high, Drew played tuba with the school band then in high school he discovered rock & roll and blues music which pretty much put an abrupt end to his tuba playing days. After graduating from high school, Drew enrolled in the nationally recognized music program at North Texas State University where he became enamored with the string bass. In addition to earning a Bachelor of Music degree from North Texas State University, he received a full scholarship to attend the School of Fine Arts at the Banff Centre in Canada, as well as a National Endowment for the Arts jazz fellowship to study privately with legendary string bassist Dave Holland.

Drew is known as a versatile musician who is at home whether he is playing jazz and swing standards, western swing, country or old-time music. Drew has performed and recorded with an impressive list of musicians that include the Duke Ellington Orchestra, the Dixie Chicks, Mary Wilson, Sarah Hickman, Bernadette Peters, Jack Ingram, James Clay and Bob Hope (yes, Bob Hope!).

In addition to performing and recording, Drew is in demand as a music instructor, teaching upright bass and music theory. In his spare time, Drew enjoys spending time with his wife Esther and their two boys, who are also accomplished musicians.

Mount Vernon Music is a 501(c)(3) organization formed in 2006 to further the performance of classical and other fine music in rural East Texas. For more information on the mission and concert schedule of Mount Vernon Music, and about historic Mount Vernon Music Hall, please visit www.mountvernonmusic.org .