A quartet of women from Asheville, NC that conjure the sweet and sultry sounds of the southern Appalachian mountains they call home in their robust vocal harmonies and original songs. Within their seamless and unique sound, claw-hammer and folk style banjo playing meets the melodic finger-picking of two acoustic guitars, with the throaty voice of old-time fiddle wailing over-top. Above all of these are the soaring, poetic three-part harmonies sung from three beautiful and distinct female voices for which the Mamas have gained regional notoriety. The result is a roots-pure and undeniably moving musical experience with hints of Appalachian old time, classic folk, the blues, a touch of country, a bit of swing, and is entirely these Mamas' own.The foundation of this musical group is Jane Kramer Edens, Molly Rose Reed, and Eleanor Underhill, three singer-songwriters whose musical journey began while attending Warren Wilson College in the Swannanoa River Valley. In March of 2003, they each were to perform individual sets of their original music in a women's music showcase. One week prior, in what was supposed to be a playful, one-time collaboration as a finale for the show, their voices and instruments meshed for the first time, echoing up a cold dormitory stairwell, and stopping passers by. Now more than three years later with Anna Baumann-Smith on fiddle, and occasionally the "Mamas' Boys" ;) Sean Lallouz on upright bass and Gary Oliver on snare, they have achieved a gracefully powerful sound in their extensive repertoire of original songs and creative arrangement of old favorites.With the release of their self-published, debut album, 'gathering', The Barrel House Mamas have cultivated a rich musical garden, the harvest of which only seems to be growing sweeter.
