Album Notes

‘Holy Water and Whiskey’ plays acoustic traditional, folk, bluegrass, gospel, cowboy, etc and some select “whiskey” tunes. The group bases it’s selections on solid and straightforward instrumental playing with a special focus on the vocal harmonies found in the songs that they play. The music is centered somewhere between woodstoves and solar energy, between organic food and chocolate chip cookies, and between angels and coal mines. They also enjoy having fun with their audience in the genuine belief that music and laughter are universally healing.
The group consists of Maggie Washburne on bass, Scott Altenbach on guitar, and Bruce Washburne on guitar and banjo. Bruce and Maggie met in a band in Hawaii in 1977, were married, and have been playing music together ever since. In 2003 they started singing with Scott, former hard rock miner and Colorado musician, and the trio has been having a great time with their music ever since.
When not playing the music that they love, Maggie and Scott are both biology professors at UNM and Bruce is coordinator of services for blind veterans in the state of New Mexico. They also commune with the roots of their music as farmers: Scott owns and operates a farm in Albuquerque’s south valley, Bruce and Maggie own and operate a farm in Cuba, NM in the Nacimiento mountains. They all got their start playing and performing during the folk movement of the 60’s and 70’s, and their musical tastes have evolved since then to include many other acoustic styles. Their new CD “Better Late than Never” reflects these varied interests.