Gabrielle Louise and David Rynhart, a Denver-based duo featuring original songs in the Americana/folk/roots idioms, will present a show at Hard Rock Cafe in Empire on Jan. 16. The multi-instrumentalists and songwriters toggle between genres and instruments to craft an eclectic show, rich with vocal harmonies ranging from smoky jazz to old-time folk. The storytellers perform their songs on two guitars, a mandolin, a traditional Irish flute, a peppy ukulele and one sultry piano.

Louise has been making her mark on the acoustic scene with award-winning songs and astonishing vocals. After graduating from Boston's Berklee College of music, Louise has released three records, toured nationally and abroad, and is a two-time John Lennon Songwriting Contest Finalist. Louise's third record, “Cigarettes for Sentiments,” is a character-driven album laced with social commentary and coated in honey vocals. On the heels of Louise's 2007 EP “Around in Circles” and 2006's “Journey,” “Cigarettes” captures the sights, sounds, and smells of American life through a vagabond soul wise beyond her years.

Rynhart writes songs that draw from an eclectic musical experience. He has performed classical piano, traditional Irish music, gypsy jazz, Americana and rock ‘n’ roll in bands and solo throughout the U.S. and Europe. In the summer of 2008, he recorded a live album of original songs (and one set of Irish reels) called “A Simple Life.” He then toured Europe with The Voice and The Verse (Maverick Press) and played five sold-out shows in the Prague Fringe Festival. In November he returned to Europe for a seven-country tour with award-winning Irish songwriter Niall Connolly. He is currently recording a new album and writing a play based on the life of Vincent Van Gogh.

Louise and Rynhart, like many other socially conscious musicians, have made a commitment to peace and the environment through music. The duo are committed to lowering their carbon footprint during their touring. They have outfitted their tour van to run on vegetable oil, gathering usable grease for fuel across the country. Gabrielle has released a new single, "Save the Arkansas," that seeks to bring awareness to a dire environmental situation that is threatening the health and safety of the Arkansas River Watershed. Her version of "Peaceful Solution" was recently featured on Willie Nelson's Peace Reseach Institute website.

The duo are spreading their grassroots fan base by finding those who enjoy genre-elasticity, thoughtful lyrical music, and the occasional Leonard Cohen cover. The songsters will bring their homegrown mix of roots, jazz and folk to The Hard Rock Cafe at 7 p.m. Jan. 16. Visit www.gabrielle-louise.com or www.myspace.com/davidrynhart for a full schedule, lineup and details.