Shari Ulrich first hit the stage as one-third of the infamous Pied Pumkin String Ensemble. The Pumkins — Ulrich, Joe Mock and Rick Scott– ­ embodied joie de vivre and intellectual whimsy and became the foundation of British Columbian music for an entire generation. Die-hard Pumkin fans recall Ulrich’s violin, mandolin, flute, dulcimer, guitar, and saxophone playing, as well as her incomparable voice; ­ a formidable balance to the wacky and unique songwriting and performance personalities of her cohorts.

Songwriting, when you get it right is a divine instrument, and there is no doubt that Vancouver’s Tom Taylor writes songs with considerable power. His voice has a true familiar tone that draws you in with his songs that are both honest and heartfelt. Influenced greatly by Joe Ely and John Hiatt, it is the craft behind writing a song that he truly loves most. “Tom’s writing is the kind of stuff I find myself constantly saying “I wish I’d written that!” says Shari Ulrich. Tom spent most of his musical career playing in the Vancouver cult band, “She Stole My Beer” (SSMB).

Barney Bentall has had a rich career as a songwriter and musician. He grew up in Calgary in the 70s, and after a stint being the owner of a barbed wire fencing company, moved to Vancouver where he played the music scene, married his sweetheart, and had four kids. Ten years later, after some career disappointments, he moved the family to Toronto to try the scene there. The move paid off in spades, and he enjoyed a lot of successes in his time there. However, by 1997, he was ready for a change from the fast pace of touring and putting out albums, so he bought a cattle ranch and learned the life of a rancher. Now, he has the enjoyment of only writing songs “when they {won’t} leave me alone.” His latest album, “Grand Cariboo Opry” is a DVD and CD.