Matthew Hornell at Sharbot Lake Country Inn

Jeff Green | Jan 20, 2016

The Sharbot Lake Country Inn is kicking off another year of dinners and music next Friday, January 29, with a folk/bluegrass show by Newfoundlander Matthew Hornell, accompanied by Nova Scotian Andrew Sneddon.

Hornell began his musical career in the singer/songwriter vein, with the Newfoundland sense of story telling serving him well. However, he moved to Halifax for a few years, and he blames Halifax, as well as Sneddon, for his detour into Bluegrass.

“Once you hear a sound you like, whatever it is, even if it’s the birds singing in the morning, it just kind of takes over,” he told a St. John's newspaper in advance of a tour of the province with Sneddon last summer.

As a duo with Sneddon, a multi-instrumentalist who specializes in the Dobro, there is almost an Appalachian/melancholic feel to the originals and cover tunes that Hornell plays, an influence that plays well off the East Coast traditions that they both wear like old clothing.

These influences lead to the kind of intimate show that fits perfectly for a winter night at the Sharbot Lake County Inn and should make a good start to a season of shows that is planned.

Dinner starts at 6 pm and the show starts at 8pm. It is $50 for the dinner and show and $20 for the show only.

Other shows coming up include 2015 East Coast Music Awards Roots Traditional Recording of the Year winner, Irish Mythen; the Scots, Irish, Cape Breton fusion band The Outside Track; Oh Suzanna; Carlos Junco; the Slocan Ramblers; and more. Later in February, the Feral Five & Friends will be back as well.