Lopezian JC Marean and musician Jan Garrett have known each other since grade school. They shared a love of singing at an early age and in high school they continued to bond over their passion for folk music. JC sang and played guitar with two other classmates. Jan played upright piano and tenor banjo, and formed a girl group who learned Kingston Trio songs and cleverly named themselves “The Queenston Quartet.”
JC calls this time “the formative years.”
In college, the two friends drifted and lost track of one another for the next 40 years. Then in 2005, JC’s old bandmate discovered that Jan had been writing and recording with her husband and musical partner JD Martin. The old classmates decided to reach out to Jan and put on a reunion concert in their hometown of Loveland, Colo.
“We had re-ignited an unquenchable flame of thunderous musical enthusiasm,” said JC.
A few years later when Jan and JD were in the Seattle area, they came to Lopez to lead two days of musical workshops with JC’s a capella singing group “Lopez Sound,” and then shared the bill in a concert at Lopez Center.
Now JD Martin and Jan Garrett are back for another show at Woodmen Hall on Thursday, Aug. 7, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are by donation. JC advises that if you have to choose between making a donation and buying a CD that people should buy a CD to “keep the music going.”
Martin is an acclaimed songwriter of five number one and 10 top ten country and pop hit singles. His songs have been recorded by Reba McEntire, Terri Clark, B.J. Thomas, Peter Cetera, the Oak Ridge Boys and Kathy Mattea. He has won more than 15 American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers awards for excellence in songwriting in Nashville and L.A.
Garrett is a jazz singer who has recorded and toured with John Denver and Steve Martin (when he was still doing stand-up) and appeared on the Tonight Show. Her tune “Tenderly Calling” was recorded by John Denver and the legendary bluegrass band Hot Rize, and has been featured in a PBS “Frontline” documentary.
According to the website, “their primarily piano-based music winds through pop and gospel, jazz, folk, soul and country … but it’s the rich vocal harmonies, lyrical depth, and their comfortably compelling stage presence that define their magnetic appeal. Jan and JD are all about generosity of heart and soul, artfully wrapped up in musical excellence.”
JC describes their music as uplifting and inspirational.
“It helps me to get to see the bigger picture and realize that we are all in this together and helps me to recognize that we need to get along and respect each other,” he said.
For more info, visit http://garrett-martin.com/.
