The chill of February will be disrupted by some bone-warming fiddle playing next Friday night inside Park Theater.
Ricky j Taylor and the Live Roots Ensemble are scheduled to bring their blend of folk and bluegrass music to McMinnville in a show featuring regional fiddle legends Jim and Inge Wood.
The performance is set for Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.
“I’m intentionally seeking performances in old theaters like this one because I like the atmosphere of places that foster an appreciation of the arts,” said Taylor, who founded the band in 2013. “It will be almost like a museum of instruments on stage because everyone in the band has an affinity for handmade and in some cases one-of-a-kind instruments.”
Five-time Tennessee fiddle champion Jim Wood is one of the band anchors. His friendship with Taylor dates back decades to when the two used to meet at fiddle competitions. When Taylor needed a first-rate fiddle player to complete some of his songs, Jim was a natural fit.
“He’s a brilliant musician and consummate professional,” said Taylor of Wood. “When he heard what I was doing, he was absolutely on board.”
The band’s on-stage presence is bolstered by Hillary Bevels Klug, a national champion buck dancer. She will dance during a few of the band’s songs.
Ricky j Taylor and the Live Roots Ensemble has one CD entitled “A Journey to Here.” Taylor describes the band as sincere and hard-working and says it’s producing culturally relevant music for this area.
“The songs are personal, yet universal,” said Taylor. “They deal with matters of the heart and the human condition and it’s all done through highly articulate lyrics and musical arrangements.”
Taylor has toured with Claire Lynch, a two-time International Bluegrass Music Association female vocalist of the year. Jim Wood is founder of the Tennessee Fiddle Ensemble, and three members of that group are with the Live Roots Ensemble.
Taylor says the show will include about 80 percent original music with about 20 percent comprised of beloved bluegrass staples sure to bring a smile to your heart.