Eau Claire Ragtime Festival Performers

St. Louis Stompers (Missouri)

KFUO FM, Classic 99's Tom Sudholt describes the Stompers as "red hot and razor sharp!"  Following the band's 2002 appearance at the Lakeside Dixiefest in Clear Lake, Iowa, festival director Rich Dean wrote "this powerful group performs early arrangements in the...style of the original bands.  They are excellent musicians, both as soloists and as an ensemble.  They were a great hit at last year's festival...."  Wayne Arihood, director of LaCrosse, Wisconsin's Great River Jazz Fest, wrote "with...multi-talented musicians, this group has been burning up the festival circuit.  From traditional jazz tunes to swing, the Stompers attack each with vigor and gusto.  Musically tight, technically astounding, laced with humor, and always entertaining, they will have you calling for more.  Luckily, they have more!" Also see www.stlouisstompers.com. 

Brian Holland (Texas)

Brian Holland has rapidly become one of the most lauded performers of ragtime and stride piano in America. Constantly developing new and exciting styles of performance, Brian continues to enthrall audiences by combining impressively dexterous pyrotechnics with a very laid-back approach. The result is remarkable accuracy and flair with seemingly little or no effort.

Beginning his musical existence at the age of three, Brian grew up living a "Ragtime Life." His grandparents raised him to love all kinds of music, but particularly styles from the turn of the century (last century, that is). Blessed with perfect pitch and an aptitude for improvisation, he quickly learned his way around an organ keyboard and had a repertoire of old standards that would shock most professionals - all before the age of six! It was then that he turned his attention to the piano. However, during twelve years of intense classical studies, Brian decided that it wasn’t a concert stage he wanted to perform on, but the ragtime stage. Since then he has performed all across the US, first on majestic pipe organs in pizza parlors, and then on the uprights and concert grands at ragtime concerts and festivals.

Brian has the distinction of being a World Old-time Piano Playing Champion (1997-'99) of a competition sponsored by the Old-time Music Preservation Association (OMPA), winning his third title at only twenty-seven years of age. He is currently the youngest three-time (and therefore "retired") champion of this event, held since 1975.

Most recently, Brian has expanded his horizons in ensemble jazz music, forming the Holland Rhythm Company and B-Square Entertainment. Coming along for the ride are fellow musicians and friends Mike Schwimmer, Bud Dresser, Chris Quaile, Bill Mason, Theresa Allen and Paul Scavarda. With the ability to morph from a piano & tuba/flugabone duo (as B-Square with Bud Dresser) to a full traditional Dixieland jazz band, Holland Entertainment is making waves in the jazz world as a provider of fun, entertaining, energetic music! Brian is so popular, this is his third appearance as a headliner at the Eau Claire Ragtime Festival. Also see http://www.hollandentertainment.com/

Mimi Blais (Canada)

Pianist Mimi Blais from Montreal, Québec, Canada received several nicknames during her career: The female Victor Borge, The Céline Dion of the keyboard, The French Canadian Liberacette… but the one she’s proud to wear since 1990 is: The New Queen Of Ragtime.

After completing her classical training at the Quebec Conservatory of Music and McGill University in Montreal, Mimi left the beaten path to discover Music with a capital “M”. Her career has been guided by passion and whim where classical, folk, jazz, modern, blues, tango, and ragtime all blend together. Mimi’s passion for ragtime music has led her to travel across the United States and Canada, and it has even taken her to Belgium and Hungary where she received one standing ovation after another.

Because of ragtime music, Mimi was invited to perform for the Olympic Celebration Arts Ashore ’96 in Savannah, Georgia and was acting and playing the piano in Heliotrope at “Le Théâtre du Rideau Vert” and in Le Diner Farfelu part I and II at the Cabaret of the Casino of Montreal.

Mimi wrote two one-woman shows where she demonstrates her many-faceted talents: Once upon a time, ragtime, which shows the importance of ragtime music in the evolution of the American culture, and An afternoon with Jean-Baptiste Lafrenière.

As a musical performer, composer, arranger, writer, comedian and singer whose imagination knows no bounds, Mimi Blais is in high demand because of her tremendous talent and joyful personality. Also see http://www.mimiblais.com/.