AG Presents and Mulligans on the Blue are excited to welcome to the Mulligans Music Box:
Slack, Steel and Song: Hawai’i Meets Americana
A double dose of duets and quartet collaboration.
Barry Sless ( Bob Weir and Wolf Bros, David Nelson Band)
Stephen Inglis (Bill Kreutzmann, The Stephen Inglis Project)
Alex Jordan ( Midnight North, Phil Lesh)
Hattie Craven ( Hattie and the Moonhowlers, Joe Craven and The Sometimers)
Barry Sless and Stephen Inglis
After a mutual friend set them up with a duet gig at Peri’s in Fairfax, CA in January 2024, it was clear from the start that the duo had found the right ingredients for a special musical dish. Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar and the Pedal Steel share many deep roots, but are seldom if ever heard together.
Their maiden voyage included traditional Hawaiian songs, Inglis originals, favorites from the Grateful Dead and Dylan songbooks and much more. Both Barry, Stephen and everyone in attendance agreed that the music felt effortless, captivating, vibrant and full. It was clear that this would be the first of many shows to come.
Barry has been making frequent trips to the islands over the past few decades as a member of The David Nelson Band and other acts, which has kindled his love of Hawaiian music. He was a frequent member of Phil Lesh’s touring bands from the early 2000’s and currently tours as a member of Bobby Weir and Wolf Bros, Moonalice, and continues in the 30th year of David Nelson Band.
Born and raised in Honolulu, Stephen plays Grammy-nominated Hawaiian slack key and is equally at home playing improv-rock on the electric guitar. He is the 2021 recipient of the Ki Hōʻalu Legacy Award (Honoring those who perpetuate the art if Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar) giving him his third nod at the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards; Hawaiʻiʻs highest musical honor. One of those is for the duet album with the legendary Dennis Kamakahi; Waimaka Helelei, which is on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Barely out of his teens, Stephen formed a group with legendary Grateful Dead drummer, Bill Kreutzmann.
Hattie Craven & Alex Jordan
A collaborative duo to be reckoned with, Hattie Craven & Alex Jordan bring high energy musicality and a collection of original tunes and twisted covers with a stage presence. A brief meeting at a popular music festival in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada led to a chance reunion years later where, as society began to emerge from the pandemic, the two artists connected over a love of harmony singing.
The daughter of legendary musician and personality Joe Craven, Hattie has been steeped in Americana her whole life, eventually finding a unique approach to the banjo ukulele and learning the guitar, using both as a vehicle for her songwriting and grooving performances to compliment her remarkable and powerful voice. In addition to frequent appearances with her father, Hattie leads “Hattie & and the Moonhowlers” who frequent the Central Valley and festival circuit in California.
Jordan, the son of a high school music teacher, found himself working through the brass section in middle school and high school, focusing on Jazz Trombone before learning guitar at 17. After majoring in classical voice, Jordan joined Bay Area favorites Midnight North and was a staple at Phil Lesh’s Terrapin Crossroads before departing from the band after six years and releasing two solo records, most recently Queen Kerosene on March 8, 2024.
Together, they sing in tight blended harmony with Jordan playing dexterous leads over Craven’s chopping rhythm, and are as likely to move an audience to tears as they are to get them on their feet.