The world-class musicians in Big Richard initially convened in 2021 for a festival date. The
quartet showed up to the one-off like it had been together for years, bursting with jaw-
dropping virtuosity; playfully irreverent stage banter; stunning four-part harmony vocal
interlace; imaginative arrangements; a refreshingly eclectic repertoire; and a healthy dose of
lady rage.
Quickly things for the Colorado-based, neo-acoustic supergroup morphed into something way
bigger than a one-and-done appearance. The sellout club shows, and the confirmed festival
dates across America drastically changed its members’ lives and, in one case, livelihood—fiddler
Eve Panning left the security of her middle school teaching job to go on the road. Now, Big
Richard is poised to penetrate the Americana music world and beyond. To date, the quartet has
issued 3 singles, the Live from Telluride album, and it has new music on the way.
“You know the satisfaction when you add the missing piece to a puzzle?,” asks cellist Joy
Adams. “That’s the feeling we have—there was a hole for aggressive and empowered females
in this scene. We are filling that with Big Richard.” She continues: “We take what we do
seriously, but we don’t take ourselves seriously.” Bassist and guitarist Emma Rose adds: “This
group is an opportunity to share our full selves—be honest with emotions, showcase our chops
a bit, and break through the wall of what women are expected to be.”
Big Richard features four well-established career musicians who are artists in their own right
outside the group, and remain in-demand side person musicians. The quartet includes platinum
recording artist Bonnie Sims on mandolin (Bonnie & Taylor Sims, Everybody Loves an Outlaw, Bonnie and the Clydes), multi-genre musician Dr. Joy Adams on cello (Nathaniel Rateliff, Darol Anger, Half Pelican, Bruce Hornsby, Bobby McFerrin, Chick Corea, Ben Folds), Emma Rose on bass and guitar (Sound of Honey, Daniel Rodriguez, Whippoorwill, Courtney Hartman), and Eve Panning on fiddle (Lonesome Days, TEDx, Barrage, Hollywood Film Score Orchestra). The four musicians have previously played together in various configurations, but united to rage fiddle tunes and smash the patriarchy in Big Richard.
“There are terrible stereotypes about women. Humor is a powerful tool to address that
because it’s disarming. It helps people accept something they may not fully understand, in
terms of reaching beyond perceived gender lines,” Bonnie says. “Big Richard is about the full
experience of masculine and feminine energy. We present a playground that goes beyond the
binary understanding of gender—we have a lot of big dick energy.”
Big Richard also blurs the lines in genre divides. The musicians siphon from traditional
bluegrass, oldtime, classical, modern bluegrass, country, and pop. The four-piece band
masterfully mashes up genres, often using traditional fiddle tunes as instrumental flights of
fancy between its storyteller original songs. The group also refreshingly reinvents beloved
traditional tunes. Big Richard potently distills the gory murder ballad “The Wind and The Rain”
down to a stark a cappella song with fiddle accompaniment. Its rendition of “The Blackest
Crow” exudes a chamber music quality, but also features stately improvised passages.
Up next, Big Richard is gearing up to record a full-length album featuring contributions from all
its members alongside its singular interpretation of Americana standards. Reflecting on the wild ride the ladies have been on, Emma says: “The most beautiful thing is seeing little kids watching us. I remember being a young girl seeing women play music and thinking they were like superheroes.” Bonnie concludes: “One older woman at a show gave me this long embrace. She was crying as she said ‘you make me feel free.’ I will never forget that moment.”
quartet showed up to the one-off like it had been together for years, bursting with jaw-
dropping virtuosity; playfully irreverent stage banter; stunning four-part harmony vocal
interlace; imaginative arrangements; a refreshingly eclectic repertoire; and a healthy dose of
lady rage.
Quickly things for the Colorado-based, neo-acoustic supergroup morphed into something way
bigger than a one-and-done appearance. The sellout club shows, and the confirmed festival
dates across America drastically changed its members’ lives and, in one case, livelihood—fiddler
Eve Panning left the security of her middle school teaching job to go on the road. Now, Big
Richard is poised to penetrate the Americana music world and beyond. To date, the quartet has
issued 3 singles, the Live from Telluride album, and it has new music on the way.
“You know the satisfaction when you add the missing piece to a puzzle?,” asks cellist Joy
Adams. “That’s the feeling we have—there was a hole for aggressive and empowered females
in this scene. We are filling that with Big Richard.” She continues: “We take what we do
seriously, but we don’t take ourselves seriously.” Bassist and guitarist Emma Rose adds: “This
group is an opportunity to share our full selves—be honest with emotions, showcase our chops
a bit, and break through the wall of what women are expected to be.”
Big Richard features four well-established career musicians who are artists in their own right
outside the group, and remain in-demand side person musicians. The quartet includes platinum
recording artist Bonnie Sims on mandolin (Bonnie & Taylor Sims, Everybody Loves an Outlaw, Bonnie and the Clydes), multi-genre musician Dr. Joy Adams on cello (Nathaniel Rateliff, Darol Anger, Half Pelican, Bruce Hornsby, Bobby McFerrin, Chick Corea, Ben Folds), Emma Rose on bass and guitar (Sound of Honey, Daniel Rodriguez, Whippoorwill, Courtney Hartman), and Eve Panning on fiddle (Lonesome Days, TEDx, Barrage, Hollywood Film Score Orchestra). The four musicians have previously played together in various configurations, but united to rage fiddle tunes and smash the patriarchy in Big Richard.
“There are terrible stereotypes about women. Humor is a powerful tool to address that
because it’s disarming. It helps people accept something they may not fully understand, in
terms of reaching beyond perceived gender lines,” Bonnie says. “Big Richard is about the full
experience of masculine and feminine energy. We present a playground that goes beyond the
binary understanding of gender—we have a lot of big dick energy.”
Big Richard also blurs the lines in genre divides. The musicians siphon from traditional
bluegrass, oldtime, classical, modern bluegrass, country, and pop. The four-piece band
masterfully mashes up genres, often using traditional fiddle tunes as instrumental flights of
fancy between its storyteller original songs. The group also refreshingly reinvents beloved
traditional tunes. Big Richard potently distills the gory murder ballad “The Wind and The Rain”
down to a stark a cappella song with fiddle accompaniment. Its rendition of “The Blackest
Crow” exudes a chamber music quality, but also features stately improvised passages.
Up next, Big Richard is gearing up to record a full-length album featuring contributions from all
its members alongside its singular interpretation of Americana standards. Reflecting on the wild ride the ladies have been on, Emma says: “The most beautiful thing is seeing little kids watching us. I remember being a young girl seeing women play music and thinking they were like superheroes.” Bonnie concludes: “One older woman at a show gave me this long embrace. She was crying as she said ‘you make me feel free.’ I will never forget that moment.”
Bonnie Sims
Mandolin & Guitar Platinum recording artist Bonnie Sims grew up on bluegrass music in Texas, with a professional banjo player for a father and a family band from a young age. She studied commercial music at South Plains College under Joe Carr & Alan Munde (Country Gazette) and double majored in mandolin and singing/yodeling. After graduating she moved to Colorado where she has had over a decade of success in projects with her husband, Taylor: Bonnie & Taylor Sims Band, Everybody Loves An Outlaw, Bonnie & the Clydes. Big Richard has given Bonnie the opportunity to simultaneously return to her roots and defy tradition, two things she enjoys immensely.
Eve Panning
Fiddle Eve Panning has a storied history inspiring crowds and classrooms with music. Eve began studying classically at the Indiana University String Academy when she was six years old. She was also exposed to a rich culture of traditional folk music in the small town where she lived with her family. This community of music provided a springboard for the Panning Family Band -also known as FiddleFire- that became a large part of Eve's life. Performances included the National Fiddle Contest in Weiser, ID, appearances as guest artists with the Grand Rapid's Symphony, and opening for Cris Cagle and Depue Brothers' concerts. The family also performed as the headline band at contradance weekends throughout the midwest.
Eve followed her love for classical music to Hope college, where she graduated summa cum laude with degrees in Violin Performance and Music Education. While at Hope, she won numerous student awards, soloed with the orchestra, presented recitals, performed at a TEDx event, and led student ensembles. Upon graduating in 2015, Eve was invited to join Barrage 8, a high energy classical crossover ensemble based in Calgary. With Barrage 8, Eve completed tours of Europe, the United States, and Canada. Along with opportunities for performing and recording, work with Barrage 8 continued to fuel Eve's passion for education. She served as a Courtesy Faculty Member and Artist in Residence at Florida Gulf Coast University, and led clinics in string programs across the United States. After leaving Barrage 8, Eve travelled to China with the Hollywood Film Music Orchestra to perform at a film festival in Nanjing. In 2018, Eve relocated to Colorado, where she spent five years teaching elementary and middle school orchestra. She built a thriving music department, where she encouraged students to explore multiple genres and provided performance opportunities from busking at markets to playing the national anthem at Coors Field for a Rockies Game. Eve quickly became a sought after fiddle player on the front range. She joined bluegrass band The Lonesome Days, performing extensively throughout Colorado, including at Planet Bluegrass and Red Rocks. They also joined tours opening for the Lil Smokies and Yonder Mountain String Band. In 2021, Eve began playing with string band Big Richard as a founding member. The group quickly gained momentum, selling out theaters and listening rooms, opening for Sam Bush, and booking festivals across the country. While Eve is often busy performing and teaching, she also enjoys hiking and camping with her dog Phoebe, making ceramics, playing banjo and piano, and taking road trips. |
Emma Rose
Upright Bass & Guitar Emma Rose is a vocalist, upright bassist, and songwriter - sought for the magic, synergy, vibrance, and mystery she brings to her solo and collaborative projects. Besides her own band (Sound of Honey), Ms. Rose is a founding father of the all-female acoustic group Big Richard, and regularly lends her talents to Daniel Rodriguez and Whippoorwill - as well as other musical projects. Emma’s music is dark, sweet, and smoky, like port and cigars next to a fire that you will smell on your clothes for days.
Joy Adams
Cello Multi-genre cellist Dr. Joy Adams grew up on a farm north of Spokane, Washington. Equally at home improvising over fiddle tunes or playing a concerto with orchestra, she is also a composer, songwriter, educator, and a prolific recording artist. Recent career highlights include touring with Nathaniel Rateliff, Darol Anger, performing on NPR’s Live From Here with Chris Thile, the Newport Folk Festival, Red Rocks, the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, performing at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival with Bonnie Paine (of Elephant Revival), recording cello for the Emmy award winning soundtrack to Godless on Netflix, as well as on the Grammy and Emmy award winning soundtrack to The Queen's Gambit, the Grammy-nominated jazz album With Love by Jeremy Fox, and the recent albums Red Rocks 2020 (Nathaniel Rateliff), Live From the Swamp (Half Pelican), and This Long Stretch of Gravel (John Lowell).
Joy collects hats, both literally and musically, and has performed with Bruce Hornsby, Barry Manilow, Bobby McFerrin, Chic Corea, Kenny Loggins, Ben Folds, Gloria Estefan, George Benson, Terrence Blanchard, Dave Grusin, Edgar Meyer, Darol Anger, Joshua Bell, Renee Flemming, Kevin Morby, Ley Line, Katy Crutchfield (Waxahatchee), Take 6, Hillsong United, Jonsi & Alex (Sigur Ros), Nathaniel Rateliff and the Nightsweats, the Travelin’ McCourys, Ayla Nereo, Estelle, Jayme Stone, Mark O’Connor, Billy Strings, Sam Bush, Maria Schneider, Dawn Upshaw, and Cyrille Aimee, among others. As a big fan of anything you can do in your pajamas, Joy is naturally at home in the recording studio, and is a sought-after session musician. She has recorded for Pharrell, George Benson, Gloria Estefan, Chic Corea, Nathaniel Rateliff, Terrence Blanchard, Desmond Child, Bobby McFerrin, Chris Boardman, Carlos Rivera, Mark O’Connor, Darol Anger, the Podd Brothers, and a growing list of singer-songwriters, electronic producers, film composers, video game scores, commercials, and sample libraries. Her abilities as an improviser and arranger combined with her professional remote recording studio make Joy an easy collaborator for any recording project. She has made over a dozen concerto appearances with orchestras including the Spokane Symphony, and spent time as a professional baroque cellist, in an opera pit, and as a touring chamber musician, but has steadily slipped into the black hole of the bluegrass world. For two years, Joy toured as a member of Darol Anger and the Furies, and now performs with the all-female super group Big Richard, with the Jayme Stone band, and plays electric cello in the metal bluegrass band Half Pelican. A glutton for punishment, Joy is attempting to play all 36 movements of the Bach Cello Suites on top of 36 “14ers” (mountains over 14,000 feet tall). She has completed 6 so far. She owes everything to her teachers: Kevin Hekmatpanah, Steven Doane, and Ross Harbaugh. After graduating from both the Eastman School of Music and the University of Miami, she finally completed her Doctorate in music in 2016, with a dissertation on the history and evolution of the cello in American fiddle music. Known by her students as "Dr. Meow," she has taught music theory and composition at Naropa University in Boulder, songwriting for the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music program at the University of Miami, and given guest lectures at Eastman, the University of Montana (Bozeman), the University of Colorado (Boulder), the University of Miami. She has previously taught at the Community Arts Program in Miami, as well as at Denver School of the Arts. She has been on the faculty of dozens of fiddle camps from Berklee College of Music to Sandpoint, Idaho, and has taught workshops around the country. Joy makes her home on a dirt road in the mountains above Denver, Colorado, with her husband, fiddler Andy Reiner, and their two cats, Capo and Viola. She’s obsessed with skiing, and in her spare time, she enjoys eating pie and climbing on things. |