ABOUT THE SHOW

What do you get when you combine an infamous dulcimer player with a rising jazz star, old school groove with Broadway chops? Forty years apart in age, veteran folk artist and brilliant young keyboard ace join forces in an inter-generational alchemy of roots, blues and jazz. Rick Scott and Nico Rhodes blur all boundaries. In a word, they cook!  In 2017 veteran musician Rick Scott sat down with young keyboard ace Nico Rhodes to see what would happen  when an elder folkie joined forces with a classically trained prodigy. The result blurs: ROOTS & GROOVES is an inter-generational smorgasbord of roots, blues and humour garnished with mischief and joie de vivre. Forty years apart in age, Rick and Nico have played a hundred concerts to ovations and released a ROOTS & GROOVES CD of 12 songs recorded live from the floor in a single day. Of playing music with Nico, Rick says, “Not since Pied Pumkin have I experienced such unfettered creativity.” 

ROOTS & GROOVES is a multi–genre conversation across generations, combining Appalachian mountain dulcimer, piano, vocals and humour in a lively alchemy of musical mastery, mischief and merriment.  The Duncan Showroom says, “Rick and Nico hit it out of the park on so many levels. ROOTS & GROOVES re-invents ten!” 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Rick Scott | Singer, songwriter and raconteur, in 2019 Rick Scott was inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame. Since pioneering Rogue Folk with Pied Pumkin in the 70s, he has performed in 11 countries and released 18 recordings honoured with three Juno nominations and Vancouver Island, Western Canadian and Canadian Folk Music Awards.  Rick’s song Angels Do, inspired by his granddaughter with Down Syndrome, became an anthem for the special needs community. His educational concert My Symphony, written with Valley Hennell and orchestrated by Nico Rhodes for 50 musicians and 40 voice choir, introduced 10,000 children to the Vancouver Island Symphony. An ardent craftsman, between shows Rick is in his workshop building dulcimers and lamellaphones.  

Nico Rhodes | This collaboration has been decades in the making. At age 8 Nico wrote Rick a fan letter and at age 23 he orchestrated Rick’s music for symphony. Equally proficient on keyboards and woodwinds, he’s in constant demand across Canada as a theatrical arranger and musical director, when not playing jazz with his own trio or touring the ‘Full Circle’ duo with renowned chanteuse Joelle Rabu. Age 8 he wrote Rick a fan letter (Rick wrote back) and age 23 he orchestrated Rick’s music for symphony. At 34 he is  in constant demand as an arranger and musical director with over 40 stage shows to his credit. He teaches piano, performs The Art of Ragtime solo concert, plays with several jazz trios, directs several choirs, and tours as a duo with his mother, internationally renowned chanteuse Joelle Rabu.  This summer they will be featured at the World Esperanto Congress in Montreal. Small wonder that in 2019 Nico was honoured with the City of Nanaimo Emerging Cultural Leader Award!   
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SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE!

Adults: $35 | Seniors: $32 | Students: $16