The Blue Ribbon Tea Company will be performing Saturday, April 4th at the Lewis Clark Bluegrass Stage, Clarkston, Washington. Next up, April 25th at CREATE Art Center, Newport, Washington (sharing the show with super songwriter and good friend Laddie Ray Melvin). And May 29th and 30th we’ll be at the Valley Bluegrass Festival in Orofino, Idaho. We’re also working on completing our next album! If you are interested in photography, our exhibit runs April 6th through May 8th at the new Fine Arts Building at Spokane Falls Community College. And thanks to Bill’s former student Matt Boyle for our new publicity photos! Matt is carrying on the tradition of shooting and teaching black and white film. Thanks for checking in and following our adventures! We wish you warmth, peace and safety this spring and beyond… Bill & Kathy

As winter creeps on during these troubling times, we send wishes for hope, peace, and safety. We continue our work in music and photography, doing what we can through song and images. “When things get shaky, when things all go wrong, will be stand the testing, will we come out strong…” a line from “Standing in the White Angel Breadline” (by Bill, inspired by a Dorothea Lange photograph). https://blueribbonteacompany.bandcamp.com/track/standing-in-the-white-angel-breadline The card image is “Waiting for Spring” (by Kathy) and will be available free at our next show – The Inland Northwest Bluegrass Music Association’s monthly showcase, February 7th (details in the show dates tab). Peace and warmth, from Bill & Kathy

Time for our only Christmas tune… song by Bill, photography by both. We were happy to be able to dive back into more music and photography in 2025 and looking forward to more in 2026. Our first gig of the new year is January 17th, Three Rivers Folklore Society Concert, followed by the Inland Northwest Bluegrass Music Association showcase February 7th, with more in the works. Our next photo exhibit opens April 6th at Spokane Falls Community College Photo Gallery. We wish all a safe and peaceful holiday season and hope for the year to come! BnK

It has been a busy few months for us with a photo trip to the Southwest (stuffing our little car with big old cameras and cases of film holders), and music work! In prep for upcoming shows, we’re practicing up songs long overdue for attention. We’ve enjoyed playing a few at Victory Music zoom open mics this year. Last night Bill played his “May Day ’71” song which is personal, historical, and timely. Kathy played “Papa’s in the Corn Field” which , according to a listener, has a really old feel in the vein of Clarence Ashley. We’ve also added some new videos to our Youtube Channel. We’d love to hear from you if you’d like to book us for a show, and as always, thanks for checking in! Bill & Kathy

Enjoy “A Sunset Song” by Bill – a perfect porch song to calm your mind during these intense times. We’re adding to our schedule so if you don’t catch us making music on our porch, you can catch us at one of the upcoming shows (details and updates on show tab). May 3rd – Create Arts Center (Newport WA), August 10th – Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival (Medical Lake WA), September 7th – Harrington Opera House (Harrington WA), September 20th – Kelly’s Underground (Spokane, WA). With a wish for peace and pleasant days… Bill & Kathy https://theblueribbonteacompany.com/lyrics/a-sunset-song/

We start this year with a nice surprise – an invitation to perform at the Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival! This delightful festival brings world-class and regional acts to the tall pines at Medical Lake, WA. It takes place August 8-10th (we’re on Sunday). https://www.bluewatersbluegrass.org/ We’re working on other potential gigs and you can keep track on the show tab or on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/blueribbontea. For now, it’s winter, a time for remembering… shadows of friends. Here’s a link to the song and one of Bill’s earliest photos – Delwood Park, Lockport, IL, near where he grew up. Wishing you health and peace in this new year ~ Bill & Kathy https://blueribbonteacompany.bandcamp.com/track/shadows-of-friends-2 .

Saturday and Sunday – November 9th and 10th. Thanks to the festival for highlighting us in the performer spotlight this year! https://www.spokanefolkfestival.org/performers-spotlight-2024.html We play on the Sasquatch stage, Sunday at 12:30. We’ll also play a few songs on the KPBX Spokane Public Radio Live Broadcast promoting the festival. Tune in on Saturday the 9th at 11:20. https://www.spokanepublicradio.org/ It’s a great weekend to celebrate Spokane’s music and culture. Join us!

It’s fall and it’s time! We’re kicking off the Inland Northwest Bluegrass Music Association’s season of showcases on Saturday, October 5th. We’ll be playing some fun old songs, and some of ours, that fit an old time feel well. Next up we’ll be playing at Spokane’s Fall Folk Festival the weekend of November 9th/10th. See the Show dates tab for details about the shows. The photo is courtesy of Rick Singer and was in his Spokane Musicians show at the Chase Gallery in Spokane’s City Hall years ago. Thanks Rick! By the way check out his retrospective show that is up now in the Chase. It’s great! Wishing all a peaceful fall… Bill & Kathy

This year’s plans were thrown off the rails but we’re rolling again and set to play August 31st at the Tumbleweed Festival in Richland, WA. In addition to our BRTC set we’ll be playing Kathy’s song Rolling River at the Jane Titland Memorial Songwriting Contest finalist show. We’ll be helping to kick off the Inland Northwest Bluegrass Music Association season of showcases on October 5th, and we’ll be at Spokane’s Fall Folk Festival on the weekend of November 9th/10th. See Show Dates tab for details and updates. For now, how about a song for summer? It’s another of ours that doesn’t fit neatly into a modern folk box but a favorite among some friends. Listen for free to “At the Dairy Queen”, by Bill… https://blueribbonteacompany.bandcamp.com/track/at-the-dairy-queen

https://blueribbonteacompany.bandcamp.com/track/the-devil-is-beating-his-wife

March 2024: This song was born on a day much like this photo. Standing on the front porch watching a rain shower while the sun was shining, I said “The devil is beating his wife.” Bill replied, “What did you just say???!” He had never heard this old folk saying for a sun shower. He went inside, sat down, and in 20 minutes the song was done. Rich with imagery, I think you will like it. It’s free to listen to on Bandcamp, and if you like it, downloads are just $1. May Spokane’s chilly winds soon subside… Kathy