PERFORMERS
2 0 2 4 O I B F P R O G R A M OKLAHOMA ’ S INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL
Monica Taylor
& Her Red Dirt Ramblers , with her husband Travis Fite
Hailing from different regions of Oklahoma , Monica Taylor of Perkins , OK and Travis Fite from Northeastern Oklahoma , each artist comes to the table with their own unique musical influences . Monica grew up with Southern Gospel and bluegrass from an early age . Travis was surrounded by a variety of musical styles including the blues , jazz and outlaw country .
Taylor was honored this past Spring at the Gypsy Café Music Festival with the Restless Spirits Award signifying a lifetime achievement award in Red Dirt Music and her contributions to the music business . She started the Cimarron Breeze Concert Series in Perkins with artists such as :
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John Cowan , Claire Lynch , John Fullbrights and the Byron Berline Band . Fite was enlisted as the sound engineer for Cimarron Breeze and their relationship blossomed from there . Since that time the two have married and forged a musical union which bridges their diverse styles and talents .
Taylor ’ s latest album is entitled A Red Dirt Ramble : A Tribute to the Pioneers of Red Dirt Music features nearly 50 artists on this compilation of her favorite Red Dirt songs . Volume 2 is due to release in 2025 .
Returning to OIBF with her red dirt ramblers this year , Taylor will be on guitar and vocals ; Tavis Fite on guitar and vocals ; Jeff Gibbons on bass ; Roger Ray on pedal
steel and dobro ; and Jeremy Watkins on fiddle and mandolin . Special appearances at this OIBF performance include Nancy Kamm on fiddle and Thomas Trapp on guitar .
Steelwind
Starting on a front porch in Stillwater , Oklahoma , Blake Parks and Michael Henneberry have been writing and growing together for the past 15 years to create the unique sound of Steelwind . Enlisting , family members , Papa Kenny Parks on bass , and Baby Joel Parks on Banjo , along with long time band member and friend Adam David on dobro and special guest Scott Schmidt on mandolin . Over the years , their tight harmonies and bluegrass instrumentation has become an identifiable staple of their unique style .
In 2016 Steelwind unleashed their album F5 , with the title track aptly named after the strongest tornado . They likened it to the turmoil of relationships and love . Their 2019 album , Blue , brought a more stable version of love with excitement , happiness and the inescapable life affliction of feeling blue .
These youthful musicians create a fun show as they share their original songs and bluegrass favorites with music lovers . Steelwind has opened for Darrel Scott , Tony Rice , The SteelDrivers , and Asleep at the Wheel , to name a few . From playing intimate listening rooms to major festivals , these talented musicians bring a fresh sound to an ever-evolving bluegrass world . Learn more at Steelwindmusic . com . IBF
12 / OKLAHOMA ’ S INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL 2024