The Kennedys

There is more than one artist with this name: 1. Last year's Half a Million Miles CD celebrated musicians Pete and Maura Kennedy's first decade of married life and their first 500,000 tour miles as increasingly beloved purveyors of an exuberant blend of folk, rock, country, pop and secular gospel music with philosophical underpinnings. On Songs of the Open Road, The Kennedys forego their self-composed songs of transcendent twang to present new versions of their favorite traveling music written by others that fit their own musical and personal outlook.

1. Last year's Half a Million Miles CD celebrated musicians Pete and Maura Kennedy's first decade of married life and their first 500,000 tour miles as increasingly beloved purveyors of an exuberant blend of folk, rock, country, pop and secular gospel music with philosophical underpinnings. On Songs of the Open Road, The Kennedys forego their self-composed songs of transcendent twang to present new versions of their favorite traveling music written by others that fit their own musical and personal outlook. As confirmed road warriors and performance addicts, The Kennedys have logged well over 1,000 gigs and half a million miles of touring, bringing their songs and spirit to venues ranging from the prestigious Newport, Falcon Ridge and Kate Wolf music festivals to the most intimate house concerts. A fearsome accident on the New Jersey Turnpike last year totaled The Kennedys' third touring van and eventually influenced them to shift their home base from New York's East Village to more laid-back headquarters in Northampton, Mass. They continue to tour constantly, to record (they have three new projects already on tape), to host their ?Dharma Caf?? show on SIRIUS Satellite radio, and to spread their exhilarating, inclusive and meaningful music across a polarized country that needs to hear it now more than ever.

2. "The Kennedys" is also a title referencing the orchestra guided by Nigel Kennedy and Jaz Coleman who put together Concerto versions of some of The Doors' songs and is therefore often mistaken with this group. Anyone scrobbling those tracks will have their numbers end up here.