Ann Granger and Larry Rice teamed up in 2019 after their fortuitous Match.com meeting and became The Two Peas in a pandemic pod soon after (you’ll hear that story in an original song by Larry and his daughter Lea). Always in danger of bursting into a song or a parody, the Two Peas began performing together in 2021 playing farmers markets, private parties, and of course, the Folk Club.
Ann, a lifelong folkie began playing Peter, Paul & Mary songs on ukulele as a child. Her public performance career started and ended when she played autoharp for an outdoor PTA ceremony and a bird flew over and pooped on her head. Thinking this could be a sign from God, Ann left the autoharp, bird droppings, and performing behind. She soon learned guitar, then mountain dulcimer while studying Folklore and Ethnomusicology in college. Following in the footsteps of Alan Lomax and Cecil Sharpe she focused on the traditional music of the British Isles and Appalachia, collecting and researching music in Scotland, England, Appalachia, and the Adirondack Mountains. A longtime member of the Folk Club, Ann has been mostly on the listening side in recent years. Her last showcase was with Dumb Muscle and the Divas in 2012.
Born the same year as Pat Benatar (1953), music has been a big part of Larry’s life. He started playing bass in a band with his brother Steve and still best friend Dave when he was 12. He learned guitar and banjo before he went to college. Bored during his last semester senior year, he helped found the band Flatbush, singing and playing bass and fiddle from 1974-1981. Regional success brought two top ten singles on Cleveland’s WMMS, and opening act gigs for New Riders, Little Feat, and others. Flatbush is in the History of Rock in Cleveland exhibit at the R&R HOF. In 2007, Larry started teaching music and playing with his adult daughters Lea and Shannon as The Big Cheese Band at a Ron Goad event. He teaches six different things with strings. Fifteen years and 3 LP’s, an EP, and a single later, Lea and Larry still have fun writing and playing music. TBCB has had 3 songs chart, “Life on the River” (#1 AAA 2015), “The Christmas Crocodile” (#17 AC 2015), and “Everything” (#15 Relix Jam Bands 2022).