Music

Music Hunter & Music in the Mountains presents Lulo Reinhardt & Bart Stenhouse, swing by Wentworth Falls School of Arts on Thursday July 13th.

With the sale of the iconic Blues venue in Katoomba, Hotel Blue, the local music community has been on the edge of their drum-stools wondering what might happen next - thankfully the news is good.

Christopher Cannell has started up a venture called 'Music in the Mountains' which will continue to book Friday and Saturday nights at the Hotel, and now we also watch in anticipation as he eyes off other spaces. Not only that, he's teamed up with the Music Hunter herself, Meg Benson to collaborate on occasion.

Meg says "Previously, Hotel Blue (Felton Woods) had primarily been a place for the tourists. It was Chris' open mind, and co-operative approach that I first appreciated, and now that he has a few years experience in the hosting of live entertainment, he has well and truly caught the music bug!"

"He's a great example to other hotel and guest house proprietors in opening their eyes to the economic viability of sustaining the arts in an establishment – more people booked into the accommodation and restaurant and frequented the bar than ever before, and people came back more than once because of the music and arts vibe," she says.

Chris tells us: "Meg Benson approached me and said that maybe we should collaborate every now and then - well, I thought that was such a good idea I pitched a performance with Lulo Reinhardt in July at her on the spot. Clearly, the stars were all aligned as Meg had been wondering whether Lulo was coming through Australia sometime soon just a week earlier."

Chris's new enterprise Music in the Mountains will collaborate with Music Hunter a couple of times per year. "It's fun to collaborate, it's easier to deliver and it's less risky," Meg says.

Photo by Lona Logan