ABOUT THE ARTIST
Purly Gates is a uniquely creative and entertaining
singer and
multi-instrumentalist who has performed for
folks of all ages nationally
for more than three
decades. After too many years enduring Northeast
winters,
Purly now spends most
of the year in Central Texas, in the Austin
area,
with a summer migration back to
southwestern New Hampshire.
She continues to perform at festivals, clubs,
restaurants, schools,
libraries, camps, private parties and senior facilities.
As a solo act, Purly accompanies her smooth vocals with
guitar, banjo,
ukulele, accordion and harmonica ....... but not
all at the same time!
Her "bag
of tricks" has even more curious and interesting
instrumental
oddities to tickle
ears and please a crowd. When she pulls out that
Limberjack (a small, wooden
dancing puppet), he's a sure fire hit with all
ages!
Purly's repertoire is vast and diverse - filled with
swing tunes from
the 1930's
and 40's, humorous folk and traditional songs, originals,
a touch
of blues and bluegrass ..... and even a few old
cowboy tunes.
Folks
enjoy singing along on familiar tunes, and Purly will get them to
join
in on the
chorus of ones they've never heard before.
She been known to recite cowboy poetry, or tell a tall
tale or two.
And yup - she can even spin the Flat Loop, for
those familiar with
western ways. For the
young folks in the crowd - Purly's got just the
right songs to engage them, too,
and hold
their attention.
Purly was honored in 2004 when the Texas State Library
commissioned
her
to write the theme song for their state-wide
Summer Reading Program.
She has
worked in schools in Micronesia, funded by an
NEA
(National Endowment for the
Arts) grant. Other honors include being
selected as a finalist in the
Kerrville Folk Festival's
"New Folk" songwriting competion, and performing at
DisneyWorld for their Earth Day Celebration.
The duo or trio adds fiddle or other lead instrument
and/or bass,
and
harmony vocals, too. The band also performs
swing tunes and
50's-60's pop music
for dancing. And they conjure up fiddle tunes
for
listening or for square
and contra dancing - the old style of crowd
"mixers".
Purly is equally at home working main stage or playing
background
music,
performing for young children and family audiences, or
entertaining
business
executives or senior citizens. The music is light,
lively or mellow, or
humorous -
but always tasteful and appropriate. From years of
experience, she knows
just what is needed, and when, to make your event a
success.
She is
flexible and easy to work with. Performances can be acoustic or
supplemented with your
PA system or
Purly's; they can also be informal -
such as "strolling
minstrel" - or campfire-style
sing-alongs.
WHAT FOLKS SAY ABOUT PURLY
"Purly has a kind of strength that enables her to hold
an audience
in
the palm of her hand in a manner that seems
effortless and casual."
-Erica Radich,
Grand Monadnock Arts Council, Keene, NH.
"You were wonderful! I love the way you mix old
folksongs and
original
tunes. The different instruments you play and the little bits of
history
you throw in to your act make it unique." - Jane Schaefer,
Texas Book Festival, Austin, TX
"Purly has proven to be a very amiable and capable
artist with a
wide
repertoire and impressive knowledge of the folk
music field.
We ..... are happy to
recommend Purly to community presenters.
Based on our experiences, we
feel she will be well-received wherever she performs."
- Judith Buswell
& Judy Rigmont, NH State Council on the Arts
"Your music was a real crowd-pleaser." - Gail
McWilliam, NH
Dept. of Agriculture,
Entertainment Coordinator for the BIG E (Eastern
States Exposition) NH Pavillion
SONG SAMPLES
Ain't
Misbehavin'
Grandfather'sClock
Ain't She
Sweet
Polly
Wolly Doodle
FEES
Fees will vary depending on how many sets and how many
dates are
booked, and
whether a PA system is needed (audience size/ venue
size). Email
(below) for info.
Travel fees may apply for venues 50+ miles from home
(NH or TX)
Lodging fees may be charged for venues 100+ miles from
home.
BOOKING INFO
Please contact Sound Music at info@purlygates.com
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