Santa Rosa, Ca. (July 2, 2007) - The Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa presents John Hiatt and Shawn Colvin, July 27 at 8pm. The two distinctive singer-songwriters will perform on the same stage on the same night, with each presenting a full solo acoustic set!

John Hiatt evokes such legends as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Elvis with his whiskey-soaked vocals and rowdy guitar-fueled blues-rock. His songs are distinctive for the subtle blend of humor and pathos and the unpredictable yet instantly memorable melodies. From Blues, to rock, to country, this musician can do it all. With great songs such as "Have a Little Faith in Me" and "Slow Turning," he has won countless industry awards, and been nominated for eleven Grammy Awards. Hiatt, who has been a performer and songwriter for over three decades, has a unique style of music, bringing together rock, acoustic, folk, new wave, and Mississippi Delta blues. A longtime favorite of the critics, Hiatt captured the commercial appeal that lived up to his critical reputation in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Hiatt's breakthrough came in the late 1980s with a record called Bring the Family, on which he was backed up by Nick Lowe, Ry Cooder and ace session drummer Jim Keltner. The record was a critical smash as well as a commercial hit. Since then Hiatt has become a major concert attraction. He remains revered by songwriters, and his material is covered often, most recently with the Eric Clapton/B.B. King collaboration on Hiatt''s "Riding With the King."

Shawn Colvin is one of the bright spots of the so-called "new folk movement" that began in the late '80s. And though she grew out of the somewhat limited "woman with a guitar" school, she has managed to keep the form fresh with a diverse approach, avoiding the cliched sentiments and all-too-often formulaic arrangements that have plagued the genre. Colvin is one of those rare performers, like Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, or her youthful idol Joni Mitchell, who has been able to grow up alongside her audience and mature into her role as singer and songwriter. Although she was rewarded with a Best Contemporary Folk Grammy for her 1989 debut disc, Steady On, Colvin didn't reach a broad mainstream audience until eight years later, when her story of a housewife's fiery revenge, "Sunny Came Home," became an unlikely top ten pop single fifteen months after the album it was taken from, A Few Small Repairs, was released. Since then, Colvin has evolved dramatically.  From turning 40, getting married to having a child -- the Grammy winning singer/songwriter has a lot more to sing about these days and has garnered acclaim for her deep lyrics and exquisite music. Now a three-time Grammy winner Colvin is considered one of contemporary folk's finest talents.

Wells Fargo Center for the Arts presents John Hiatt and Shawn Colvin in a solo acoustic evening, July 27 at 8pm. Tickets ($35, $60) are available a the Box Office at 50 Mark West Springs Road in Santa Rosa, by phone at 707-546-3600, and online at www.wellsfargocenterarts.com .

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