With more than a dozen albums and over a thousand shows between them, Ty Greenstein and Ingrid Elizabeth of Mouths of Babes are no strangers to the modern folk music scene. For years, their respective bands Girlyman and Coyote Grace captivated thousands of loyal fans as they crisscrossed the country, rocked festival main stages, and toured with the likes of the Indigo Girls and Dar Williams. Now, as Mouths of Babes, Ty and Ingrid have distilled the very best of the songwriting, humor, and musicianship of their previous groups into a new power duo whose key is contrast. Rarely is a sound or a show as balanced as it is with these two, and the differences in both their songwriting styles and personal presentation makes for an unusually satisfying yin and yang. The Chicago Tribune writes: "They offer unique counterpoints to one another … the laidback Ty, nattily dressed in a tie and crisp suit jacket, has a rich, lovely alto. Ingrid, clad in a sultry pink satin mini-dress, is a sassy chanteuse with a lilting soprano. Trading jokes and sharing elegant harmonies, the two women display an intuitive professional bond." They easily switch off lead vocals and play a wide array of instruments, with Ty on acoustic and electric guitars, banjo, and foot percussion, and Ingrid playing upright bass, ukulele, and cajon. Mouths of Babes perform at 8 p.m. on May 11 at the The Ark, 316 S. Main St in Ann Arbor with a new release, "Brighter in the Dark." Tickets are $15. Call 734-761-1451 or visit http://www.theark.org for more information.
