John Depew with Peter Oviatt & Calvin Bennett
Performing John’s new album, Bell of Hope
Sunday, March 2 | 3pm | Doors at 2pm
Bell of Hope marks a new direction for John Depew
“If you haven’t heard John Depew…do yourself a favor and listen to his music. One of the most inspired discoveries I’ve made listening to new music.” – Ted Gioia, American Jazz Critic & Music Historian, author of The Honest Broker
While playing in bands has always been part of Depew’s life – his father played in a bluegrass band and he picked up the mandolin at an early age – the multi-talented musician has mostly shared solo projects since making music full-time in June of 2022. His eponymous album in 2021 and
Yellow Threads in 2023 showcased Depew’s skill across various stringed instruments and impressive vocals.
John Depew’s third full length album
Bell of Hope
maintains Depew’s thoughtful songwriting and intriguing musicality while taking a step in a new direction. Leaving the strictly solo sound of his previous work behind, Depew has enlisted friends and consummate musicians Peter Oviatt (banjo, banjola, vocals) and Calvin Bennett (upright bass) to create a powerhouse mandolin-banjo-bass trio that masterfully weaves through the margins of bluegrass-adjacency.
Bell of Hope
was released on vinyl and CD December 2, 2024, and all streaming platforms January 8, 2025.
From the opening sounds of “Whale” to the celebratory finish with “Joyful Sound,” the listener is transported through numerous musical motifs and aspects of the human experience. The music frequently references the canon of traditional bluegrass, Depew’s first musical love, while incorporating ideas and sounds from jazz and classical sensibilities. The dynamic range and finesse presented in songs like “Lesson” is refreshing and expands on what can be expected within bluegrass instrumentation.
“Challenging and unpredictable, yet palatable and brilliantly tranquil. Moments of shadowy rage bursting into light. John has given us a another dose of nutrient rich music which both comforts and ignites the core. Text painting of eloquent, land-based lyrics orchestrated by three powerful wizards on 17 strings (5 string banjo?)…” -Sarah Bays, Weda Skirts
A central theme to the album is finding your place, your role, in the world and your community. The title track juxtaposes the heartache of the human world with natural beauty and deep love and asks, “What can one man do in the face of endless heartbreak, but ring the bell of hope, and hope that someone hears it?”
From the new trio album, Bell of Hope –
The album was recorded in Taos, NM at Oviatt’s Moonflower Sounds.
“This trio first formed under a streetlight at the iconic Walnut Valley Festival. I had known Peter for a little while already, since recording the album ‘Yellow Threads’ at his studio, and had already endeavored to enlist him in whatever was to be my next project. Peter and Calvin go way back, having played in the same circles for 20 years or so. Making this record with these two humans as the core trio was one of the most fun and most intense things I’ve done musically to date. What an honor to get to work with people of this caliber…” – John Depew
