B.G. McPike and Solly Burton

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B.G. McPike and The Haute Club are a Terre Haute, IN based band. McPike also appears as a solo artist, or in duo and trio performances with Mandolinist Solly Burton, Violinist Carolyn Dutton, Bassist Eric Schatz, Drummer John DiCenso, guitarist Dan Sumner, etc.

The Spring/Summer, 2012 format will be spent mainly on the release of McPike & Burton with Irish whislter/Fulbright scholar, Nan McEntire adding much music of the British Isles and Ireland to their sets, and the release of "From Far Beyond the Pond" a CD of Solos (McPike, duos with Burton and McEntire, and trio selections including a cover of The Beatles', "Across the Universe" for guitar and mandolin.

They have played at numerous festivals, and individual members have received many awards. They perform an eclectic mix of Jazz, Blues, Swing, and Classical guitar-based folk and pop - presenting a repertoire of McPike originals, American Songbook Standards, and other Classics.

AWARDS/ACCLAIM/ETC.: 
In May, 2008, B.G. McPike was presented with the 'BRAVO' THE ARTS award by Arts Illiana for Professional Artist of the Year ('07/'08). In March, 2009, McPike and Sumner performed at the Brownsville, TX Guitar Ensemble Festival/Competition where they claimed 'First Prize Professional Duo'. Other members have won prestigious awards as well including Solly Burton's 2007 award as National Mandolin Champion at Winfield, KS' Walnut Valley festival. Burton has also appeared on NPR's From The Top.

On Sept. 3, 2011 McPike and Burton both competed in the Indiana State Fiddling and Picking contests at Princeton, IN where McPike took first place in the Tumbpicking Guitar Contest and Burton took first place in the Flatpicking Guitar Contest. And most recently, on 9/16/2011, Burton became a two-time first-prize winner at Winfield, KS in the Walnut Valley National Mandolin Championships. (His first top prize at Winfield was in 2008 at age 16,)

In November, 2009, McPike performed multiple Pulitzer-Prize winning composer Steve Reich's 'Electric Counterpoint' for guitar and tape at Indiana State University's Contemporary Music Festival. Reich himself, having been present at the concert proclaimed "That was really a fabulous performance!"