Naomi & Rick perform a tasteful blend of Naomi’s original songs and Rick’s original tunes along with a variety of traditional songs and covers.
Naomi Sommers is a talented singer-songwriter, guitar, banjo, mandolin, and flute player. Over the years Naomi has sung and played on more than 20 records and has recorded three albums under her own name, as well as one with the slow-grass duo Gray Sky Girls. Naomi’s album, “Gentle As The Sun”, was recorded in Nashville and produced by the acclaimed musician/producer Jim Rooney (John Prine, Iris Dement, Nanci Griffith, Bonnie Raitt). Gentle As the Sun is a testament to Naomi’s years of devotion to the craft of songwriting and a moving expression of contemporary bluegrass roots music. Naomi performs solo, with the Sommers-Rosenthal Band (her family band), with Lisa Bastioni and is releasing a new EP of original songs with Jefferson Hamer.
Rick Manning plays fiddle and mandolin and has performed with Paris Texas, the Falling Waters Trio (Grietzer-Hodgson-Manning), the Contradictions and Cornerstone in the Ithaca and Finger Lakes area. Rick has recorded five CD’s – three in Nashville with Cornerstone in the 1990’s and most recently two with the Falling Waters Trio. He is also the founder and director of both the Winter Village and Falling Waters Music Camps, both held during January at La Tourelle in Ithaca, NY.