Blues and rock act have previously played in Ashland and around the globe
By Steven Mitchell for Ashland.news
Rebecca Roudman, a classically-trained musician, never thought she would be fronting the blues and rock group Dirty Cello, set to play the Cedarwood Barn in Talent at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 25.
Classical music was never her first love, but blues and rock have been. After stints with the Santa Rosa and Oakland Symphonies, she said she started playing the blues and rock on her cello with her husband on guitar. From there, she said, Dirty Cello was formed. Over the years, the band has toured the world, from Iceland to the Middle East, Roudman said.
She added that the band has a special connection to Ashland. The group played a “Green Show” early in their career during the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The Green Shows are outdoor pre-shows at the Courtyard Stage in the center of the OSF campus, intended to excite and entertain the crowds during the festival.
“We have very fond memories of that area,” she said.
Roudman added that during the pandemic, the band played socially-distanced outdoor concerts at the Bayberry Inn, an Ashland bed and breakfast. She said those shows sold out every time.
Roudman said she counts guitar virtuosos Jimi Hendrix and Guns N’ Roses lead guitarist Slash among her biggest musical influences.
“Basically anybody who can shred is who I really admire,” she said.
Roudman said a Dirty Cello show has something for those who like to sit and listen and those who like to get up and dance. She said the group avoids set lists and that every show is different, combining covers and original music.
She said the group plays to the audience they’re performing for. In the past, she noted Ashland audiences have always been the types of audiences that like to dance.
“So, we are all about the groove. That is not a problem for us,” Roudman said. “That’s why we’re looking forward to going back.”
Tickets for the Sunday show can purchased online or at the door at the Cedarwood Barn, at 7912 Wagner Creek Road in Talent.
Reach freelance reporter Steven Mitchell at [email protected]
