Philippa, Jan, Hilary.
Original old timey country with three part harmony, banjo, fiddle and guitar. The Maybelles started out in an Ozark Mountain town, and have since had major stints busking in New Orleans; playing New York City Folk Festivals, listening rooms and subway stations. Now based in Brooklyn recent highlights include Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival NY; The International Bluegrass Music Awards (IBMA); The Hudson River County Fair; The Ozark Folk Festival; and The Dumbo Arts Festival alongside fellow Charisma artists The WIYOS, The Luminescent Orchestrii and Will Scott.
The Maybelles play rare pearls from the deep well of tradition on both sides of the pond, and are often described as having an Appalachian/Celtic sound. Live show, album reviews, and feature interviews can be seen in Americana UK; The Village Voice; The Nashville Scene; and The Sunday Times, London UK.
2010 Sees the release of 'Hello Stranger' recorded Live at Jalopy Theater in Brooklyn, NYC and featuring Jan Bell (guitar); Hilary Hawke (banjo); Philippa Thompson (fiddle, spoons and saw! Hilary has been a Maybelle since 2006, when they opened for Wanda Jackson in NYC; and joined them on The Roots and Branches Stage at The International Bluegrass Music Awards (IBMA) in Nashville. Philippa has played with Jan Bell since 2007, and joined the Maybelles in 2009. As a multi-instrumentalist she brings fiddle, accordion, percussion and you can catch her playing the saw on a tune or two!
The Maybelles play NYC regularly, and tour the USA, UK and Europe.
"Up tempo soulful country" Time Out NY
"The Real Deal!" Now Toronto at NXNE
"Of all the music The Be Good Tanyas gave me, my favourite is The Maybelles" Charlie Gillett, BBC London
Photographer: Brian Geltner
Beginning in The Ozarks...
The Maybelles began when itinerant Nebraskan Melissa Carper met Yorkshire lass Jan Bell during the Ozark Folk Festival in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. They soon traveled up to The Walnut Valley Folk Festival in Winfield, Kansas. Mike West heard them there, and invited them to New Orleans to record an album at his Ninth Ward Pickin' Parlor. There they made 'Songs for My Baby' which the Village Voice described as 'Beautiful, Celtic, Appalachian tinged folk.'
They stayed on to play regularly in New Orleans, where the album was well reviewed in Offbeat Magazine, and went into rotation on WWOZ. Two years later, New Orleans City Life Magazine would feature The Maybelles on the cover of their Top 10 Annual Music Issue.
Summer took them up to Jan's adopted hometown New York City, where they teamed up with Texas tornado fiddle player Katy Rose. They soon built a loyal following in NYC playing The Living Room, The Rodeo Bar, River to River Festival, Hudson River County Fair, Gotta’ Have Park Festival and the dumbo Art Festival. In Winter, The Maybelles went south again to play the streets of New Orleans; and with Mike West as producer - recorded their second album 'White Trash Jenny'. It made Chuck Eddy's (Senior Editor) Top Ten Folk Albums, Village Voice 2005 and received critical acclaim in Performing Songwriter.
The Maybelles have had the honor of opening for several living legends. In New York City they brought Wanda Jackson to town and opened the show for her.
Last year, they played the Pre-Show for Odetta at The 60th Annual Ozark Folk Festival in Eureka Springs, AR.
In 2008, the Maybelles were selected to play an official showcase at the Annual North American/International Folk Alliance Convention in Memphis, TN and they were also invited to play The Roots and Branches Stage at The International Bluegrass Music Awards (IBMA) in Nashville, Tennessee.
Their latest album Leavin' Town has received rave reviews and Edd Hurt wrote a feature article, interviewing The Maybelles at IBMA for The Nashville Scene.
Jan Bell - Guitar/Singer/Songwriter
hails from coal mining country in Yorkshire, England, trained in English Literature, Theater, writing and radio.
She came to NYC as a student teacher; fell in love with the folk festival realm, and later teamed up with Melissa Carper on the streets of New Orleans.
"Her melodies are rich and meaty...really fine songs...completely won me over"MT for SING OUT!
"When the Be Good Tanya's first started out, the sound they were aiming for was probably something like this...Wonderful, chiller, thriller of an album." 4 Stars - Critics Choice NXNE, Tim Perlich, NOW Toronto.
"A mighty fine album. Simple, well sung songs, the way it should be."
Americana UK.
"Dreamy, beautifully modulated, and exquisitely arranged folk country blues."
3rd Coast Music.
Jan is an award winning songwriter, earning first place in New Orleans city wide contest 2005, and New Jersey Folk Festival 2007.
Her recent album - Produced by Samantha Parton of The Be Good Tanyas - with her Brooklyn Band The Cheap Dates won The People's Choice Award in the Independent Music Awards, for Best Alt. Country Album of the year 2008.
What they're sayin':
If you're looking to describe the music of The Maybelles - here's what they're saying:
"We just love the Maybelles -- memorable songs, great spirit, lovely and lilting harmonies -- plus they're just plain fun! It's great to hear them re-inventing a whole new kind of old-time music."
Marian Leighton Levy & Ken Irwin/Founders Rounder Records
I love bands that are willing to explore new territory. I love the instrumental combination, the old-time real country feel, the close harmonies and the sprightly fiddle playing. I think you all are onto something big.
Dave Higgs - Nashville Public Radio - Bluegrass Breakdown
The Maybelles are a talented trio of young women. Sweet old time harmony vocals and a dynamic string band sound...energetic, hauntingly beautiful, humorous...'Leavin' Town' is a lovely collection SING OUT!
Of all the music given to me by the Be Good Tanyas - my favourite is The Maybelles.
Charlie Gillett, BBC Radio London.
Leavin' Town is a brilliant record....isn't strictly bluegrass, but the reworking of old-time country and jug-band blues is remarkably nuanced.
Edd Hurt feature - The Nashville Scene
A triumph for equal opportunity bluegrassers, never once sinks into mere bluegrass reverence!
Village Voice - Feature 'Not just Bluegrass' by Mikael Wood (Nickel Creek, The Duhks, and The Maybelles.)
Gloriously sensual harmonies, with expert and authentic instrumentality and solid songs. Their style is "mountain music"--Appalachian--with a good bit of bluegrass flavor. Michael Terry, Uncle Calvin's Coffee House, Dallas Texas.
