Multinstrumentalists Annie Raines and Paul Rishell almost always play their fused blues flavor hooked up to a PA system, but this Halloween, they will go unplugged.
The duo will play at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at The Center For Well Being, 123 Mt. Nittany Road in Lemont, Pa.
"I actually hate having a mic stand in front of me," Raines said. "I don't like there to be something between me and the audience ... I like to get really close--It helps you make a sound, but it cuts down visual communication."
Acoustic Brew Concert Series Vice President Jim Colbert said blues shows are generally the most popular genre hosted by the Acoustic Brew. Blues audiences can be a little boisterous, but this performance is stripped down for an intimate show, Colbert said.
The pair are often compared to guitarist Sonny Terry and harmonica player Brownie McGhee. But the duo doesn't like to restrict themselves to any type of blues music -- they've dipped into many of the branches the genre has. The pairing's styling is influenced by artists like Django Reinhardt, Blonde Boy Fuller and Little Walter, Raines said.
Colbert said the two of them bring a nice mix of contemporary and traditional material.
"Paul is an amazing guitar player, and it's unusual to have a female harmonica player, especially one of Annie's caliber," Colbert said.
Annie Raines and Paul Rishell have been performing together for 17 years, Raines said.
The two styles compliment each other -- Rishell knows more about the acoustic blues style, and Raines is well versed in the Chicago blues style, Raines said.
Raines started playing harmonica when she was 18 years old. Someone gave her a Muddy Waters tape during a time when she lacked creative inspiration.
"My senior year of high school, I was pretty depressed," Raines said. "All my friends had a great appreciation for music or the arts. For so long, I couldn't access my own talent. I discovered it that day."
Colbert is debuting blues artist Phil "Blues Boy" Minissale as the opening act for the duo. He said it's often nice to bring upcoming artists to the Brew that sometimes end up becoming headliners a couple years down the road.
"Any fan of acoustic blues guitar is really going to be in for a treat," Colbert said. "Between Phil, Paul and Annie -- they are all great instrumentalists."
