Rio in Concert!
at the Ellen Theatre, Bozeman, MT
Helena’s hottest band is making a return trip to Bozeman for a concert at The Ellen Theatre. Rio, featuring masterful guitarist Tim Drackert and up-and-coming vocalist Julia Yates, was a hit on last season’s PBS show 11th and Grant as well as being standouts at Eric Funk’s Ellen Beatle event performing A Taste of Honey and I Love Her. Audiences will be able to enjoy a full night of Rio at The Ellen on Thursday, September 15th. According to Funk, “We’ve had a lot of positive feedback about Tim and Rio. People keep asking me ‘When are they coming back to Bozeman?’ The answer is now.” As an added treat, Funk will be joining the group on piano for some selected numbers.
From fast-paced Bossa Nova to haunting jazz/pop ballads, 25-year-old Yates demonstrates hip, emotionally-nuanced phrasing, with a uniquely dusky and expressive voice. On drums, Dennis Unsworth is known for his sensitive brush work and miraculous ability to make a trap set sound like a small samba drum school. Pete Hand, providing a warm jazz growl on bass, has played with such top-notch performers as Buddy DeFranco, Tommy Newsome, Marian McPartland, Buddy Collette, Herb Ellis and Bud Shank. Combining all this with Drackert's evocative guitar arrangements and melodic compositions makes Rio a proven hit across the state, performing not only in Helena but in Billings and Missoula and now back back to Bozeman.
Open seating tickets to see Rio are only $15.00 and may be purchased at the door, online at www.theellentheatre.com or at The Ellen Theatre box office. Beer and wine will be available in the lobby starting at 6:30 PM with the music slated to begin at 7:30 PM. For more information about the concert or to purchase tickets over the phone, please call The Ellen Theatre at 585-5885.
Originally from Chicagoland, Tim Drackert has been playing jazz guitar and writing original compositions for over three decades. His masterful improvisational style emphasizes melodic structure over sheer speed, frequently resulting in solos as intriguing as the melody itself. Julia Yates started sitting in with his Helena-based trio in 2003 and soon became a full-time member. The group changed its name to Rio ("River") after the city where Bossa Nova was born, and after the rivers that flow through Montana. Rio quickly became known in Helena for Drackert's lyrical guitar lines and Yates's uncanny ability to sing portuguese like a carioca (a Rio native), yet evoke emotions close to home. Jessica Soberg wrote in Helena's Your Times, "Yates's delivery has all the breathy sensuousness of Sade and the clarity and conversational style of Suzanne Vega. You don't have to understand a word of Portuguese to appreciate the unique cadence of the language - lilting, swaying, countering the lively yet understated melodies provided by guitarist Tim Drackert."
Their 2005 self-titled debut album impressed both Brazilians and Montanans alike. Musica Brasileira wrote, "The acoustic instrumentation created for the classic repertoire performed here is captivating. Combined with that, the sultry vocal created by Yates make Rio a mesmerizing album.... [Drackert's] minimalist instrumental approach not only sounds perfect, but it is also a perfect match to Yates's sensuous voice...Rio uses its artistic tools to deliver a satisfying album with enticing performances."
A departure from their Brazilian groove, Rio's next album features artistic arrangements of pop standards such as 'Taste of Honey' and 'Wichita Lineman', in addition to original compositions by Drackert, with lyrics and vocals by Yates. The album promises to be full of sagebrush and foothills. Tim's melodies evoke a western landscape in the evenings: big, expansive, yet hidden too, full of little wild things and unexpected intimacies. Due out this fall, along with Drackert's new solo album of original guitar music.
Rio's first CD is available on iTunes, Amazon, CDbaby.com, Piccolo's Music in Helena, MT (piccolosmusic.com), Rockin' Rudy's in Missoula, MT, Cactus Records in Bozeman, and on Rio's website, riobossanova.com, where you can watch the original 11th & Grant performance. Also, look for Rio and other great Montana groups on 11th & Grant's Christmas Special, coming this December. s
Carnaval at Pine Creek Lodge was a blast. What a warm lively crowd! Robert Spannring was installed at the artists table, where he painted some quite lyrical watercolors of the band. Wow. What a gig-- and what a place! Plus killer feijoada and coconut shrimp. Thanks everyone for a special night.
Watch the full episode. See more 11th and Grant.
Gig alerts, sneak previews, related news. Shoot us an email to sign up. Please specify your area, so we can let you know when we come to your town. New duo album coming soon, featuring Julia Yates and Tim Drackert— Be the first to know!
you can buy it on 
, Amazon, CD Baby, or buy hard copies directly from us (send us an email). You can also buy hard copies at Rockin Rudy's in Missoula and Piccolo's Music in Helena.
, check out some other episodes. Wow. Professional, tasty, creative. This is the real deal— truly the Austin City Limits of Montana. From their first episode with Jeni Fleming to this season's array, they've featured some incredible talent. (We were, naturally, flattered to be asked on the show.) A composer and musician himself, host Eric Funk knows just what makes a band tick. On the set, he'd come over after each take and in a few lines describe to us just what was in our hearts as we played, like some musical clairvoyant. Meanwhile, beyond the bright set lights, Montana PBS's award-winning crew of directors, producers, and sound and video crew buzzed around in the dark, making the whole thing happen, clearly at the top of their game. (Not to brag, but our episode was directed by the Emmy-award winning Michael Ballard.)
, you can catch Rio's episode again on Saturday 2/26 at 10:10pm, and Monday 2/28 at 2:01am (if you're a dedicated night owl). You can also stream it here (above) or at Montana PBS's site. Be sure to check out the Last Chance Dixieland Jazz Band with Don Stone, Rio's trombone player. (Trivia: Don was supposed to play on our episode as well but Delta Airlines intervened. We were really, really, bummed, but we carried on and played our hearts out anyway. Don, who was unspeakably and royally bummed himself, could not enjoy such musical catharsis as he was stuck in an airline terminal. So it goes…)
