Individually, BTU—Barney Bentall, Tom Taylor and Shari Ulrich—are accomplished, acclaimed, award-winning musicians. Together, they become a powerhouse trio of talent whose music melds folk, roots and acoustic singer songwriter traditions into something warm, intimate and deeply human. Their blend of acoustic guitars, mandolin, fiddle and swoon-worthy three-part harmonies, along with a palpable love of playing together, offers an inspiring close to this year’s Festival.
Barney Bentall, Tom Taylor and Shari Ulrich first played together in November 2007 at a songwriter concert on Bowen Island. Their continued collaboration grew from the undeniable enjoyment for both the artists and their audiences. They soon after released Live at Cates Hill, an eclectic mix of the character, voices and songwriting talents of these three unique artists.
Juggling all their respective projects meant it took until the summer of 2015 to embark on recording a second album, Tightrope Walk, released by Borealis Records. With Shari’s daughter, Julia Graff, and partner, James Perrella, engineering, they set up camp in Barney’s house and created an album, of which all involved were exceedingly proud.
With Barney, Shari and Tom all engaged in active solo careers and recordings, the trio gets together for a run of shows as often as possible, always bringing new tunes to the table to work up as only BTU can.
https://www.bentalltaylorulrich.com/#btu
Barney Bentall and his band The Legendary Hearts recorded and toured extensively in Canada through the late 80s and 90s. In 2000 Barney traded in his rock and roll life for that of a cattle rancher in the Cariboo, deciding that he would only write songs when they wouldn’t leave him alone. “It was an interesting and challenging time that I wouldn’t trade for the world but ultimately the call of music ruled the day.” In 2006, Bentall headed into the studio with long-time friend Jim Cuddy producing and began work on what would become Bentall’s first solo record Gift Horse. Those songs renewed Barney’s love of performing, both in the form of solo acoustic shows and of the Cariboo Express, (which included his son Dustin, Ridley Bent, Geoffrey Kelly and many others). Barney has released 5 solo albums (post Legendary Hearts) including the latest Cosmic Dreamer, and recently released Ranch Writers, an inspiring instrumental collaboration with Geoffrey Kelly and others.
Tom Taylor is best known for his role in the Vancouver cult band She Stole My Beer, where he spent years touring and recording two albums. After the band took a hiatus, Tom embarked on a solo journey, recording two albums, King of July and Running Late, with acclaimed producer Steve Dawson. In 2013, he released Pull Over Here, produced by his longtime friend and fellow Canadian music legend, Barney Bentall.
In addition to his solo work and releases with BTU, Tom’s new band, The Southern Residents, will release their debut album Folk Signals, co-produced with multi-instrumentalist and Juno Award winner Adrian Dolan. The project showcases their unique interpretation of folk and bluegrass.
Tom is also an active member of the Vancouver roots rock band The Radio Grande, known for their album Town and Country and their recent EP Wrapped in Plastic. His wide-ranging collaborations and projects continue to highlight his distinctive voice and songwriting style.
https://www.facebook.com/tomtaylormusic
Shari Ulrich’s finesse on violin, mandolin, flute, piano, sax and dulcimer was first heard in the early 70s with the Pied Pumkin. Her work with the Hometown Band paved the way for her solo career as a touring songwriter. Shari’s work has earned a couple of Junos wins and several nominations; “Songwriter of the Year” at the Canadian Folk Music Awards; and a membership in the BC Music Hall of Fame. She has released 26 albums including her work with the Pumkin, UHF, BTU, and The High Bar Gang (a bluegrass band with Barney—also a two-time Juno nominee and CFMA a winner for Vocal Group of the Year). As well, Shari has also hosted and produced the long-running (28 years) SongBird North songwriter series in Vancouver and performs with Hilary Grist and Jeanne Tolmie in The Luckies. Her skills as a multi-instrumentalist and harmony singer and love of accompanying other artists has led to collaborations that have brought a delightful dimension to her 50 years in music, and BTU is certainly a testament to that.
