2017 Concerts —-> Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec
THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN A SUCCESS!
To RSVP for a concert or to ask questions, you can use this FORM or you can also email me directly abbiew@froggie.com. Unless noted, concerts start at 7:30 w/ potluck at 6:30 PM. “Suggested donation” is $15-$25 depending on the show. In general ~ pay what you can. All income levels welcome.
Jan 2017
Jan 16, 2017 (Mon) Janie Rothfield Old Time Trio — RESERVE SEATS – The Janie Rothfield Trio (on tour from Philadelphia) is led by award winning old time fiddler, banjo player, tune maker and recording artist, Janie Rothfield. Janie brings with her two of old time musics finest musicians and singers, Pete Peterson and Kellie Allen. These three have played together for almost 20 years, and pull from a deep repertoire of old time songs (with tight harmonies) and hot tunes from the Appalachian South, plus the newly written music composed by Janie. (Visit : http://www.janerothfield.com/)
Jan 27, 2017 (Fri) –Dan Crary, Bill Evans, & Martin Stevens – RESERVE SEATS – (Dan Crary, Bill Evans and Martin Stevens will perform pieces from Dan and Bill’s many recordings along with their re-workings of traditional bluegrass favorites and songs from contemporary writers. ~ ( Visit : http://dancrary.com | http://www.
Jan 28, 2017 (Sat) – Seffarine – RESERVE SEATS– Seffarine is a duo formed by Moroccan singer Lamiae Naki and oud player/flamenco guitarist Nat Hulskamp. Their repertoire varies from classical Arabic and Andalusian music to original compositions influenced by the music of widely varying cultures, such as Spanish flamenco, classical Persian music, and American jazz. Seffarine takes its name from the ancient metalworking square in Lamiae’s home city of Fes, Morocco. Her family is well known in the Seffarine as master metalworkers continuing the tradition today. The square dates back to the 9th century and is famous for the complex rhythms that can be heard from the blacksmiths’ hammers. (Visit : www.seffarine.com)
Feb 2017
Feb 3, 2017 (Fri) – Lisa Ornstein & Dan Compton — Lisa Ornstein (fiddle) & Dan Compton (guitar) – RESERVE SEATS – Music of Ireland, Quebec, Appalachia, and beyond – (Visit : www.ornsteincompton.com)
Feb 8, 2017 (Wed) – The Press Gang (Irish Trad) – RESERVE SEATS— Alden Robinson: Fiddle, Christian Stevens: Accordion & Concertina, Owen Marshall: Guitar, Bouzouki & Harmonium, Hanz Araki: flutes — The Press Gang perform the instrumental dance music of Ireland on fiddle, accordion, and guitar. Based in Portland, Maine, these three musicians have become popular over the past four years for their skillful playing and deep understanding of the music, and for their humorous stage presence. (Visit : www.pressgangmusic.com)
Feb 9, 2017 (Thurs) – Eric Vloeimans & Wil Holshouser (Netherlands/Brooklyn , Trumpet/Accordion) – “Acoustic chamber jazz with world music influences” – RESERVE SEATS —
Trumpeter Eric Vloeimans has been active in a wide variety of ensembles over the years: his acoustic ‘chamber/jazz’ ‘Fugimundi’ trio; an electric project, Gatecrash, which has earned a reputation as one of Europe’s top cross-over bands between jazz and pop, and Oliver’s Cinema, a folk-influenced trio with accordion and cello. These groups perform a wide range of highly original music and have toured throughout Europe, Asia and the USA.
Will Holshouser has performed all over the world as an accordionist, improviser and composer, exploring the areas between jazz, folk and experimental music. Highlights have included touring and recording with jazz violinist Regina Carter, Amsterdam-based improvisers Han Bennink & Michael Moore, modern klezmer clarinetist David Krakauer, and pop visionaries Antony and the Johnsons, as well as with his own groups, Musette Explosion & The Will Holshouser Trio.
Visit: www.ericvloeimans.nl | www.willholshouser.com | Watch : Eric Vloeimans on YouTube: Oliver’s Cinema project | Will Holshouser Musette Explosion, Will Holshouser Trio
Feb 15, 2017 (Wed) – MEREDITH AXELROD – RESERVE SEATS – Vocals, guitar. Early twentieth century music, whether it be Ragtime, Music Hall, Pop Standard, Boogie Woogie, Tin Pan Alley, String band, Jazz, Country, Blues or even Jug Band music. Ms. Axelrod learned to sing and play by listening to how folks did it a century ago – through the medium of cylinders, 78-rpm records, and from sheet music. “Meredith Axelrod sings and plays guitar as if she really returned to the pre-mic days. We’re not talking revisionist copy of so and so from way back when; we’re talking as if we plucked an original out of the era and time-traveled…” – JL Stiles (http://www.meredithaxelrod.com)
Feb 17, 2017 (Fri) – SPRYGG – CD Release Concert ~ RESERVE SEATS – Nina Lane, Fran Slefer, Bryan Owens, & Dan Compton ~ Folk Music from Ireland, Appalachia, France, Sweden, England, the Balkans, New Zealand, & more on mandocello, button accordion, fiddle, guitars,
mandolin, five-string and tenor banjos, and clarinet. (https://www.facebook.com/sprygg.band/)
Feb 18, 2017 (Sat) – True North – RESERVE SEATS –
(Kristen Grainger, vocals, ukulele, Dan Wetzel, guitar, mandolin, ukulele, vocals, Dale Adkins, guitar, banjo, ukulele, vocals, Suzanne Pearce, upright bass, vocals) Hailing from Oregon’s beautiful Willamette valley, Americana-bluegrass quartet True North combines traditional bluegrass instrumentation with fat harmonies and folk-edged songwriting for a distinctive sound that is fresh, warm and memorable. Fronted by vocalist and award-winning singer-songwriters Kristen Grainger and Dan Wetzel, True North is rounded out with two well-known Northwest bluegrass superstars Dale Adkins and Suzanne Pearce Adkins. (Visit : www.truenorthband.com)
Feb 22, 2017 (WED) – MOLLY TUTTLE BAND – RESERVE SEATS – Molly Tuttle (guitar/vocals), Wes Corbett (banjo), Joe Walsh (mandolin), Hasse Ciaccio (upright bass).
A virtuoso multi-instrumentalist and award winning songwriter with a distinctive voice, Molly has turned the heads of even the most seasoned industry professionals. She began performing on stage when she was 11, and recorded her first album, The Old Apple Tree, at age 13. Since then, she’s appeared on A Prairie Home Companion and at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, was featured on the cover of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine, won first place in the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Competition at Merlefest, and, last May, graduated from the Berklee College of Music, which she attended on a Hazel Dickens Memorial Scholarship. Her lovely voice, impeccable guitar playing, and sensitive song writing make her a star on the rise. She has already received more than two million YouTube views and has recently released two EP’s with The Goodbye Girls and as a duo with John Mailander. She now makes her home in Nashville and spends time touring, writing and recording. (Visit : http://www.mollytuttlemusic.com/)
Feb 24, 2017 (FRI) – McKasson & McDonald – RESERVE SEATS – Ryan McKasson (fiddle) and Eric McDonald (guitar / vocals) ~ traditional and original music.
Ryan McKasson and Eric McDonald are masters of tradition who purposefully explore the dark corners floating on its edges. Their individual artistry is enhanced when together. In short, the sum creates a greater whole. The result is an alluring complexity, full of spontaneous musicality. Pulling from parallel strands of influence, they create a swirling level of intensity that traverses darkness, light, and everywhere in between. An air of mystery pervades a sound compelling enough to transcend boundaries and appeal to music lovers of all stripes.
Devon Leger of Hearth Music says, “This duo really shows how two masterful musicians listen and play off each other.” Despite both living active musical lives thousands of miles apart these two musicians have committed to working together to forge a new musical path.
(Visit : https://www.facebook.com/pg/mckassonandmcdonald/ | www.ryanmckasson.com )
Feb 28, 2017 (Tues) – ANDRÉ BRUNET (SOLO) – Traditional Québécois Fiddle ~ (Note : Suggested $20-$25) ~ RESERVE SEATS – André’s passion for traditional Québécois music and irresistible performances are rooted in his desire to communicate the soul of a historical and prestigious tradition. Among many accolades, Andre was awarded “Canadian Grand Master” At the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Competition in August 2008 and participated at the opening Ceremonies of the XXIe Olympic Winter Games 2010 in Vancouver. He has also been a member of La Bottine Souriante & The Celtic Fiddle Festival. Currently touring full time with De Temps Antan, André also runs a summer fiddle camp in Quebec with friends Éric Beaudry and Stéphanie Lépine (Camp de Violon Traditionnel Québécois de Lanaudière) dedicated to learning and developing the fiddle repertoire of traditional québécois music. (Visit : www.andrebrunet.com)
Mar 2017
Mar 1, 2017 (Wed) – Paper Wings – RESERVE SEATS – Paper Wings is a new old-fashioned acoustic duo featuring Emily Mann (banjo) & Wilhelmina (fiddle/guitar/vocals). These two young artists have been deeply immersed in the West Coast music scene for most of their lives. Now they are joining forces to create music that’s based on their shared love of tradition, old beauty, and the compelling need for new and original sounds. Their duo features classic vocal harmonies over a rotating cast of fiddles, guitar, and banjo. Between the two of them they have had the pleasure of performing with Aoife O’donovan, Darol Anger, Sean Watkins, Darrell Scott, Laurie Lewis, Tim O’Brien, Mike Marshall, Kai Welch, John Reishman, and Rushad Eggleston. Their debut album is set to release in February 2017 followed by a west coast CD release tour. Their music is fine and supple, rough and ready, innovative and timeless. (Visit : www.paperwingsmusic.com)
Mar 10, 2017 (Fri) – STUMPTOWN SWING – RESERVE SEATS – Tim Connell (mandolin) and Mike Burdette (guitar), Keith Brush (upright bass) [Stolen Sweets, Pete Krebs Trio, Blue Cranes], Ben Blechman (violin).
Stumptown Swing takes audiences back to 1920’s Paris, when gypsies with guitars, violins and upright basses made the leap from French musette to American “hot jazz” and kept Parisians floating on their feet to this evocative new sound.
Tim Connell (mandolin) and Mike Burdette (guitar) of Rio Con Brio formed the group after nearly a decade of playing pick-up swing gigs with Portland’s best acoustic musicians. They snapped up the hottest upright player in town, Keith Brush (Stolen Sweets, Pete Krebs Trio, Blue Cranes) and are proud to feature their long-time friend and collaborator, the absolutely pyrotechnic violinist, Ben Blechman. Stumptown Swing performs a set of hot, cool and sultry classics, all resting on a bed of pure swinging groove, featuring gorgeous acoustic instruments played with intelligence and passion by four masters of the craft. (Visit : http://www.stumptownswing.com/)
April 2017
April 2, 2017 (SUN) – The Kathy Kallick Band – RESERVE SEATS – http://kathykallick.com/ – Kathy Kallick is one of the best songwriters in bluegrass and acoustic music, always coming up with interesting, sometimes playful, always sure-handed songs [featuring] conversational yet evocative lyrics and solid bluegrass sensibilities. The Kathy Kallick Band is a wonderful combination of youth and experience. All are strong musicians and they create a distinctive band sound. – Chris Stuart, Sing Out!
Annie Staninec (fiddle, vocals) – 2015 winner of the IBMA Momentum Award (Instrumentalist of the Year), has released a solo album, toured and recorded with Town Mountain and a Cajun band, spent last year as a member of Rod Stewart’s band;
Tom Bekeny (mandolin, vocals) – has been playing and singing with Kathy since 1996; plays even more traditional ‘grass (with High Country and Bangers & Grass) as well as jazz (featuring selections from his solo album, Jazzolin);
Greg Booth (dobro, banjo, vocals) – learned banjo from Bill Emerson, veteran of several legendary Alaskan bands, won RockyGrass dobro competition, star of YouTube (akslider), ResoMania, and ResoSummit, will have a solo album next year.
Cary Black (acoustic bass, vocals) – taught at Evergreen State College, has performed and recorded with an incredible range of musicians, including the Kingston Trio, Ernestine Anderson, Boys of the Lough, Petula Clark, Bob Brozman, Rose Maddox, …
April 4, 2017 (TUES) – The Lasses & Kathryn Claire – RESERVE SEATS – Acclaimed three part harmonies and engaging performances on guitar, fiddle and bohdran featuring an evening of stories and original & traditional songs straight from the heart.
Portland, OR based musician, Kathryn Claire, met Margot Merah and Sophie Janna (Amsterdam based folk-duo, The Lasses) at a singing session in Amsterdam in 2013. Sharing a love for harmony singing and story-telling through music, they soon realized that together they could deliver both heartfelt ballads and foot-stomping songs with equal measures of joy and musicality. After playing several concerts together in The Netherlands and Germany in 2014, Kathryn offered to help bring The Lasses to the Pacific Northwest for their first US tour in the Spring of 2015. It was a huge success and the three realized they had begun not only a strong musical collaboration, but also a network of touring between the US and Europe. The following fall The Lasses booked a tour of concerts in churches and folk venues across The Netherlands. By 2016, the Pacific Northwest tour and the European tour had established fans not only for the co-bill of The Lasses and Kathryn Claire but for the music they created as a trio. After being asked frequently when they were going to make an album together, they decided to finish their European tour in 2016 with a sold out live album recording at De Parel van Zuilen” in Utrecht. The result is a deeply personal and heartfelt album featuring original and traditional songs.
April 7, 2017 (FRI) – Thompsonia – RESERVE SEATS – Eric Thompson (mandolin, guitar, vocals), Suzy Thompson (fiddle, vocals), Allegra Thompson (upright bass, vocals) ~ Dave Alvin says: “Thompsonia sounds like Hazel and Alice had joined forces with Memphis Minnie and recorded with Sam Phillips at Sun Studio.” Thompsonia combines Eric & Suzy Thompson’s deep devotion to southern roots music with daughter Allegra’s fresh perspective, creating feel-good music that richochets between the rowdy and the sentimental, with an abundance of groove and a bit of a quirky edge. Suzy and Allegra’s genetically-matched vocals (dubbed “The Everly Sisters sound” by Geoff Muldaur) are featured, along with stellar lead playing from Eric on mandolin and guitar. In addition to the Cajun, blues and old-time music for which Eric and Suzy have long been acclaimed, the trio also performs witty originals alongside obscurities in styles ranging from rockabilly to hokum to Americana.
April 9, 2017 (SUN) – 3 Fiddlers – 3 Traditions (Danish, American, and Native American) – RESERVE SEATS – Kristian Bugge, Ruthie Dornfeld, Jamie Fox ~ Bugge (Denmark) is widely considered a master of traditional Danish music while Dornfeld (Oregon) is regarded as an expert of old-time American songs, as well as styles ranging from Celtic to Scandinavian folk. Fox (Montana) is one of the most well-known young players of Métis fiddle music which is rooted in the interchange of Celtic, French and Native American music cultures. You’ll hear the fiddle in its purest form, unaccompanied, as they each perform a solo set and share stories about the music. Together, they play in duets and trios, using only fiddles for accompaniment. Also featured will be a few tunes on the 5-string medieval fiddle (“vielle”). Most of the music is traditional, but they have a few distinctive originals to add to the mix as well. ( www.3fiddlers3traditions.com | www.soundcloud.com/3fiddlers | www.ruthiedornfeld.com www.kristianbugge.com )
April 12, 2017 (WED) – Rachel Sermanni ~ (Scotland / Folk Noir Balladeer) – RESERVE SEATS – “Minimal, Murky, Magnificent” — MOJO Magazine / “One of Britain’s most promising Folk Artists” — THE OBSERVER . The music of Scotland’s Folk-Noir Balladeer, Rachel Sermanni, has the flesh of Folk but, if you were to cut the skin, you’d find it pumped with contemporary, genre blended blood. ( https://rachelsermanni.net/ | https://soundcloud.com/rachelsermanni )
April 14, 2017 (FRI) – The Good Time Travelers – RESERVE SEATS – ( thegoodtimetravelers.com ) – A high voice, smoky and soulful; a low voice, rich with bravado. Pete Kartsounes and Michael Kirkpatrick come together as The Good Time Travelers. United by a passion for performing, this songwriting and pickin’ duo presents original songs about ‘the journey.’ It’s a simple endeavor: a guitar, a mandolin and two microphones-traveling light, this band fills up your heart, but barely fills a Subaru. Both gentlemen have been leading bands around the west for some time and found each other at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado. At their first campground session, it became clear to all who witnessed the magic of these two troubadours that this was more than just another Town Park jam. In fact, Michael won the prestigious Telluride Troubadour Competition in 2014 and Pete had taken an honorable first runner up in 2011 and 2013.
April 21, 2017 (FRI) – Evie Ladin & Keith Terry – (neo-trad kinetic folk duo
banjo • bass • body music • box) – RESERVE SEATS – Tenacious, innovative string musicians/dancers with a quirky neo-trad heart, Evie Ladin & Keith Terry throw down soulful folk songs with an unusual live show. While their third release, the 2016 Jump the Fire brought a feature in the San Francisco Chronicle, it’s the effusive audience response that keeps them touring around the world. Evie Ladin & Keith Terry lead a double life, between the Trad/Folk Circuit and the International Body Music Scene. It’s the intermingling of music and dance, adventurous visual rhythms, with clever lyrics and mature arrangements, that make the DUO show so potent, the performance experience a stand-out. Think Rhiannon Giddens with less publicity and you will not be far wrong. – fRoots
April 28, 2017 (Fri) – Claudia Schmidt – RESERVE SEATS – Claudia Schmidt has been perfecting her craft of performing for almost four decades. It is a quirky and wonderful hodge-podge (her word!) of music, poetry, story, laughter. drama, and celebrating the moment. Work in clubs, theaters, festivals, TV, radio has added depth and dimension, and since she has always included her original work along with very personal versions of the work of others, what you get is a unique look at the world from someone who says what she sees with clarity, humor, and wonder. The San Francisco Bay Guardian said: Schmidt’s shows are a lot like falling in love. You never know what’s going to happen next, chances are it’s going to be wonderful, every moment is burned into your memory and you know you’ll never be the same again.” More succinctly, Garrison Keiilor said “when Claudia sings a song, it stays sung”
May 2017
May 6, 2017 (Sat) – JOE KYE – (www.joekye.com) – JOE KYE. Also featuring upright bassist Frank Irwin (Inky Shadows, Social Pariahs) and a String Quartet from ARCO-PDX (Zach Banks, Viet Block, Mike Hsu, Amanda Lawrence). Born in Korea and raised in Seattle, singer/composer/violinist-looper Joe Kye has drawn rave reviews since launching his music career in 2013, “discharging world[s] of emotion” with his lush string loops and eclectic style (Guitar World).
May 13, 2017 (Sat) – THE BRONNIE GRIFFIN BAND featuring Preston Howard & Cary Novotny – RESERVE SEATS ~ Bronnie Griffin (fiddle), Preston Howard (Uilleann pipes), Cary Novotny (guitar) ~ “Bronnie Griffin is a contemporary fiddler steeped in the rich Irish tradition. A prize winning student of the legendary Kevin Burke, Bronnie learned her Irish from the best. With a classical training tempered by a sojourn in Bluegrass and Old Time playing she broadened her already considerable abilities after she went to the well of the tradition, and spent over ten years in Ireland busking and listening to the great tune keepers and lore masters. She returned and played around the U.S., sharing the stage with Gerry O’Beirne, Johnny B. Connolly, Nancy Conescu, John Williams and Kevin Burke, among others. Today she lives in the musically rich and diverse city of Portland, Oregon, where Celtic music flourishes, enriched by the vibrant and eclectic world scene, all of which is reflected in Bronnie’s lively playing. With one stellar album under her belt, and another forthcoming, Bronnie Griffin brings a strong bow, melodic lift, and sheer joy to the world of traditional music.” –Ruby Hoy
May 17, 2017 (Wed) – THE SYLVIA HEROLD ENSEMBLE ~ Vintage Songs and a Voice That Sparkles with Ron Peters: lead guitar Chuck Ervin: bass. RESERVE SEATS ~ Bay Area singer, guitarist, and song sleuth Sylvia Herold mines the motherlode of American jazz and popular song from the 1930s through the 1960s. Songs of wit and romance by composers Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, George Gershwin, and Harold Arlen are lovingly rendered in a voice the San Francisco Examiner calls “mesmerizing.” Herold was a member of the swing vocal trio Cats & Jammers and The Hot Club of San Francisco. Currently, she tours and records with Wake the Dead, The Lonestar Retrobates and The Sylvia Herold Ensemble. She has appeared on more than 25 albums, including five solo recordings. Herold is a resident teacher at the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse in Berkeley, Calif., and teaches guitar and voice at adult music camps across the U.S.
Jazz guitarist Ron Peters is known for his sensitive and melodic solos. An alumnus of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, he has worked with The Manhattan Transfer, Chevy Chase, Debby Boone, The Don Ellis Orchestra, and Pearl Django.
Chuck Ervin is an in-demand bassist in the Bay Area’s vibrant jazz and acoustic-music scenes. He teaches upright bass at The Freight & Salvage in Berkeley.
May 20, 2017 (Sat) – Elias Alexander & The Bywater Band – RESERVE SEATS – Contemporary Celtic music is a living, breathing art form, and Elias Alexander and The Bywater Band are on the forefront of creativity within it. Coming straight from the thriving Boston music community, their unique version of Scottish traditional music, infused with their own compositions, improvisation, and tones of American roots music, is something truly special. With their passionate performances and blazing tight virtuosity, they remind us of why traditional music continues to be relevant across continents and generations.
Elias has performed at major festivals, including Celtic Connections (Glasgow, Scotland), KVMR Celtic Festival, Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, Outside the Box Boston, Austin Celtic Festival, Boston Celtic Music Festival, and many more. He’s worked with greats such as Alasdair Fraser, Gillebrìde MacMillan, and Carlos Nuñez. His debut album with the Bywater Band is currently receiving radio play all over the United States.
May 23, 2017 (TUES) – The Bee Eaters Present – Shasta String Summit on Tour – RESERVE SEATS – The Bee Eaters lead an intergenerational acoustic journey, offering a taste of the musical community that gathers around the Shasta Music Summit. Featuring banjo virtuoso, composer, Ph.D ethnomusicologist Ben Krakauer, Grand National Fiddle Champions Tristan & Tashina Clarridge, hammer dulcimer wizard Simon Chrisman (The Bee Eaters), powerhouse vocalist and bluegrass guitarist Daisy Kerr (age 12), jazz phenomenon CJ Neary (10), inventive bluegrass fiddler Miles Quale (13), mandolin groove master Teo Quale (11), articulate folk cellist Aerie Walker (14), adept songwriters and bluegrass multi-instrumentalists Lela Miatke (16) & Rainy Miatke (14), and more. (Visit the tour website for video & audio clips!)
May 25, 2017 (Thurs) – Casey Neill & Johnny Connolly – Accordion driven Irish dance music, traditional and original songs – RESERVE SEATS – JOHNNY CONNOLLY (Irish button accordion) & CASEY NEILL (guitar/vocals) present an evening of Celtic music and songs. Back in 2003, they embarked on a cross country tour performing at Planet Bluegrass’ Festival of the Mabon, The Cincinnati Celtic Festival, and cut a swath across the midwest. Ever since, Casey & Johnny have made a habit of performing a show or three a year when their schedules allow.
May 29, 2017 (Mon) – Brazilian Violin Trio ~ Ted Falcon (mandolin/violin), Andrew Finn Magill (violin), Nando Duarte (guitar) – www.tedfalcon.com / www.andrewfinnmagill.com, www.nandoduarte.net – RESERVE SEATS
June 7, 2017 (Wed) – Rushad Eggleston – Cello Bandit (WATCH – Who is this guy?) – RESERVE SEATS – Rushad Eggleston (“Rushadicus”) is a revolutionary cellist, composer, poet-philosopher, and entertainer whose unforgettable performances captivate and inspire all generations and types. With an intimate knowledge of classical music, jazz, and bluegrass under his fingers, coupled with an infamously infectious sense of rhythm, Rushad is a whole futuristic wonder-band expressed through just one person. Using his cello (and occasionally a guitar) as the steering wheel, Rushadicus will take you on a rocket-fueled melodic journey through space and time, and from the ridiculous to the sublime. (http://www.rushad.net/)
June 9, 2017 (Fri) – Sandy Cressman’s “Homenagem Brasileira Trio” featuring Jasnam Daya Singh (piano) & Jeff Cressman (trombone) – (VISIT : www.cressmanmusic.com) ~ RESERVE SEATS
June 13, 2017 (Tues) – Katie McNally (fiddle), Elias Alexander (border pipes / vocals), Neil Pearlman (piano) ~ Traditional Scottish music, vocals, dance –RESERVE SEATS – Hailing from extreme corners of the US, Katie McNally, Neil Pearlman, and Elias Alexander are three of the brightest young voices in Scottish music today. Their new collaboration draws deeply on the Gaelic music of West-Coast Scotland and Cape Breton, weaving an unprecedented synergy of Gaelic song melodies, percussive step dance, and the ground-breaking instrumental creativity all three are known for. – (www.katiemcnally.com | www.neilpearlman.com | www.eliasalexander.com)
June 15, 2017 (Thurs) – The Slocan Ramblers – Frank Evans: Banjo, Adrian Gross: Mandolin, Darryl Poulsen: Guitar, Alastair Whitehead: Bass –RESERVE SEATS – “This Canadian quartet captures the breadth and depth of bluegrass that bands in the chilly North aspire to. […] If you’ve grown tired of the same old sounds, here’s a band who reinvents a genre that’s growing through many changes of late.” – Bluegrass Unlimited
The Slocan Ramblers are Canada’s young bluegrass band to watch. Rooted in the tradition, fearlessly creative, and possessing a bold, dynamic sound, The Slocans (2015 Edmonton Folk Fest Emerging Artist Award recipients), have quickly become a leading light of Canada’s roots music scene, built on their reputation for energetic live shows, impeccable musicianship and their uncanny ability to convert anyone within earshot into a lifelong fan.
June 20, 2017 (Tues) – The Piedmont Melody Makers (Alice Gerrard,
Jim Watson, Chris Brashear, Cliff Hale) – RESERVE SEATS – play old-time, country and bluegrass music and make no apologies for it. They take their name from the Piedmont region of eastern North Carolina, where three-quarters of the band now reside. One-quarter of the band is a known vagabond. Do you remember Charlie Poole? Well, the Piedmont Melody Makers come from the same musical tree.
June 29, 2017 (Thurs) – JESSE LÉGE AND JOEL SAVOY – Cajun – RESERVE SEATS – www.jesselege.com | www.joelsavoy.com | www.jesseandjoel.com
Jesse Lége is the real deal. Growing up in a rural, pre-electricity home in Gueydan, Louisiana, Jesse spoke Cajun French and learned music from relatives, neighbors, and the family’s much-loved battery-powered radio. Today he is one of the most admired Cajun accordionists and vocalists in the world. He has won numerous CFMA (Cajun French Music Association) awards: Traditional Band of the Year, Accordion Player of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Band of the Year, and Song of the Year, and in 1998 he was inducted into the Cajun Music Hall of Fame.
Sharing the stage with Jesse for the last 15 years is two-time CFMA “Fiddler of the Year” Joel Savoy. Since his early teens Joel has been a leader of a group of folks in southwest Louisiana dedicated to honoring, preserving and living the legacy that is Cajun culture by instigating and supporting traditional music and events such as the Courir de Mardi Gras and boucheries. He’s worked or played with just about every musician out of Southwest Louisiana and a few other folks too, like John Fogerty, Linda Ronstadt, T-Bone Burnett, and Steve Earle. From his home studio in Eunice, Louisiana, home of Valcour Records, he’s received nine GRAMMY nominations to date and in 2012 he won a GRAMMY for his work as a producer and engineer with The Band Courtbouillon.
July 10 (MON) 2017 – John Carty & Special Guest (IRISH) – RESERVE SEATS – (John Carty – fiddle, banjo, tenor guitar) – http://www.johncartymusic.com/ – READ – John Carty is one of Ireland’s finest traditional musicians having been awarded the Irish Television station, TG4’s Traditional Musician of the Year in 2003. Born in London, fiddle and banjo player Carty has established himself among the elite in Irish traditional music and as a staunch supporter of its preservation. He developed his love for fiddle, banjo, and flute, all of which he has mastered,through his multi-instrumentalist father who was a member of the Glenside Ceili Band in London in the 1960’s. John will be joined by a very special guest.
Sept 7 (Thurs) 2017 – Johnny Connolly & Eamon McElholm (IRISH / Singer-Songwriter) – RESERVE SEATS – Johnny Connolly (Irish Button Accordion) (touring with SOLAS for the past few years) & Eamon McElholm – Guitarist & Vocalist – with SOLAS join forces for an unforgettable night of music. (Watch : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1ypJ9ONG-U | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrglsA7Ojbc)
Sept 8 (Fri) 2017 – UNCLE BONSAI – Arni Adler (vocals), Patrice O’Neill (vocals), and Andrew Rashtin (guitar/vocals) – RESERVE SEATS – Original, contemporary folk/pop music – “A folk-pop trio from Seattle, performs funny original songs whose exquisite musical detail and subtle needling wit attain a level of craft not often seen in pop” – NY Times. (www.unclebonsai.com)
Sept 11 (Mon) 2017 – THE KRISTIN ANDREASSEN TRIO – Kristin Andreassen: guitar, vocals, percussive dance, Shane Leonard: drums, banjo, vocals, Jon Neufeld: guitar, vocals – RESERVE SEATS – The Kristin Andreassen Trio combines award-winning songwriting and percussive dance in performances that have been heralded “inventive” by the New Yorker and “haunting” by NPR’s Folk Alley. Since coming of age with two of America’s most beloved traditional music ensembles, Kristin has turned her deep knowledge of timeless roots music into a knack for creating original songs with that kind of staying power. Her new project, a trio featuring Shane Leonard on percussion and banjo and guitar player (Jon Neufeld from the Black Prairie), is a powerhouse of sound featuring top notch harmonies and rhythmic arrangements. (http://www.kristinandreassen.com)
Sept 16 (Sat) 2017 – Tim Connell & Eric Skye – (Tim Connell – Mandolin / Eric Skye Guitar) – RESERVE SEATS – Pacific Northwest acoustic artists Eric Skye and Tim Connell team up for a unique and unexpected take on the traditional American fiddle-tune canon. – NY Times. (www.timeconnellmusic.com | www.ericskye.com)
Sept 21 (Thurs) 2017 – PIERRE BENSUSAN – Added Show! – (World renowned French-Algerian acoustic guitarist, singer & composer) – http://www.pierrebensusan.com) – (Please reserve seats via PIERRE’S Website Online)
Sept 22 (Fri) 2017 – SOLD OUT – PIERRE BENSUSAN – (World renowned French-Algerian acoustic guitarist, singer & composer) – http://www.pierrebensusan.com) – (Please reserve seats via PIERRE’S Website Online) – Described by the L.A. Times as “one of the most unique and brilliant acoustic guitar veterans in the world music scene today”, Pierre’s name became synonymous with contemporary acoustic guitar genius, long before the terms New Age, New Acoustic Music or World Music were invented. He has the ability to make a single guitar sound like an entire band as he brings the audience on a mesmerizing musical journey. And yet, Bensusan is more than what any musician or music lover expects from a guitarist. He is a composer as well as a bilingual and a brave improvisational vocalist, melding whistles and resonant low notes with something like his own scat technique.
There is a sense of something both playful and serious in his work, an unparalleled sense of freedom in his compositions and his improvisations. His “manner” of playing defies classification – crossing world, classical, jazz, traditional, folk and more. None can be isolated as simply “Brazilian”, “Arabic” or “French”; rather, they represent our world in its current state, a world sharing itself, fusing cultures together in ways we have never experienced. A great ambassador of peace. Not to be missed!
Sept 29 (Fri) 2017 – ANNETTE LOWMAN TRIO w/ TIM CONNELL – (Annette Lowman (Jazz Vocalist/Storyteller), Tim Acott (upright bass), Dan Haley (guitar), Tim Connell (Mandolin) – RESERVE SEATS – An internationally recognized jazz vocalist, Annette Lowman lived in Europe for 17 years, Paris for 12 of them. She has had the pleasure of performing and/or recording with numerous distinguished jazz musicians including Archie Shepp, Horace Parlen, Stanley Turrentine, Ray Bryant, Clark Terry, Mark Thompson, Bobby Few, Major Holley, Rodney Jones, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Dick Oatts, Boyan Zulfikarpasic, George Vukan, and The Claude Bolling Big Band to name a few. LISTEN | WATCH (http://www.annette-lowman.com/)
Oct 5 (THURS) 2017 – MAC (Ryan McKasson, Elias Alexander, Colin Cotter) – Contemporary Celtic-American Folk Trio – RESERVE SEATS – MAC is, at its core, part of the natural progression of Celtic music as it has worked away into the American consciousness. RyanMcKasson (fiddle), Elias Alexander (bagpipes/vox), and Colin Cotter (guitar/vox) are all three well-versed in the Celtic music tradition, and the music that they write and perform as the contemporary Celtic-American folk trio, MAC, is steeped heavily in this timeless tradition while also calling upon influences ranging from rock to classical. MAC’s performances reveal fiery personas tempered with artistry, finesse, and virtuosity as they draw from a deep well of innovative original music and lush arrangements of traditional songs and tunes.
Oct 15 (Sun) 2017 – SARAH POTENZA (+ Ian Crossman – electric bass) – RESERVE SEATS – bluesy, R&B, funk, & southern soul-singing rock & roller – Watch ( The Mountain | Monster ) | READ – “The Rhode Island native may have gotten her start on The Voice, but the roots rock and R&B of Monster proves she has way more depth than any superficial reality-TV show. The title track is an unflinchingly honest and vulnerable look at body shaming – and acceptance – with Potenza wearing her plus-size like a badass badge of honor. ” – Rolling Stone
Oct 18 (Wed) 2017 – *SHOW #400* – SOLD OUT – MOLSKY’S MOUNTAIN DRIFTERS – Bruce Molsky (Fiddle/Banjo/Guitar/Vocals), Allison de Groot (Clawhammer Banjo) and Stash Wyslouch (Guitar / Vocals) — (Suggested $20-25 Donation at the door)
Grammy nominated and Visiting Scholar at Berklee College of Music, Bruce Molsky, “one of America’s premier fiddling talents” (Mother Jones) presents his new group and self-titled debut album “Molsky’s Mountain Drifters” featuring two of the best next gen trad players, Allison de Groot (The Goodbye Girls) and Stash Wyslouch (Deadly Gentlemen).
Allison de Groot is known for her great clawhammer banjo technique, exquisite tone, timing, and taste. She has deep roots in the old time tradition and yet she’s fearless when it comes to breaking new ground.
Stash Wyslouch is one of bluegrass’s great young genre-bending pioneers. Coming over from the punk-metal world, Stash brings great sensitivity and real emotion to the trio, plus superb guitar and vocal chops.
These striking musicians have come together for a new sound within the traditional music genre through their audacious approach. “I was looking for a new voice,” says Molsky, “a new avenue of expression using old time mountain music as the jumping-off point, but not being constrained by hard core traditionalism. Allison and Stash are showing me the way, just where the music is headed, in directions I never would have imagined when I started my own journey into the mountains a long time ago.”
Oct 19 (Thurs) 2017 – CHORO DAS TRES – Brazilian Choro – Corina (flute), Lia (7 string guitar) and Elisa (mandolin), and their father Eduardo (pandeiro) – Choro das 3 plays, “. . . some of the most inspired and inspiring music . . . the highest level of musicianship and presentation . . . the highest quality of Brazilian Choro music that can be heard any place today.” – Mike Marshall
Jazz guitarist and recording engineer George Petit, says, “(…) I was shocked and amazed to hear their expertise; they are far beyond their years . . . they have honed their music and their craft to perfection. Added to this, the musicians in the group are generous, respectful professionals that exemplify what is ‘good’ about art, culture and music (…)”(www.chorodas3.com.br (Watch)
Oct 23 (Mon) 2017 – MOLLY’S REVENGE – David Brewer: Highland bagpipes, border pipes, uillean pipes, whistles, bodhran. John Weed: Fiddle. Stuart Mason: Guitar, mandola. Molly’s Revenge is a dynamic, acoustic Celtic band known for its unique and infectious enthusiasm. The classic combination of bagpipes, whistle, and fiddle, with a backdrop of guitar, mandola, and bodhran guarantees an enjoyable experience for all fans of Scottish and Irish music. Molly’s Revenge has performed at many of the top folk festivals and performing arts events in the USA, and prestigious events in Scotland, Australia and China. Their arrangements of traditional Celtic jigs and reels bring these dance tunes up to date with a driving, hard-edged accent that always leaves audiences shouting for more. – Please visit -> (http://www.mollysrevenge.com)
Oct 25 (Wed) 2017 Jeremy Kittel Trio – Award-winning fiddler and violinist Jeremy Kittel (violin/fiddle), Joshua Pinkham (mandolin), Quinn Bachand (guitar) leads an exceptional band with musical roots spanning the globe. With the drive of Celtic fiddling, spontaneity of jazz, soul of the blues and intricacies of chamber music, the Jeremy Kittel Trio captivates and energizes audiences. (VISIT : http://jeremykittel.com/2015/10/jeremy-kittel-trio/ | WATCH : Big Fiddle on Prairie Home Companion )
Oct 27 (Fri) 2017 Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards – Laura Cortese (vocals), Valerie Thompson (cello), Jenna Moynihan (fiddle), and Zoe Guigueno (bass) & Secret guests. (http://www.thisislauracortese.com/) Cutting her teeth as a sideman in Boston’s roots music scene, Laura Cortese forged a unique path through a pool rich in talent (due to a large population of Berklee School of Music graduates like herself) including stints as an instrumentalist with Band of Horses, Pete Seeger, Rose Cousins, Jocie Adams (of the Low Anthem), and Uncle Earl. Her Compass Records debut, CALIFORNIA CALLING, is the next step in her career as a front woman and bandleader – she & the Dance Cards break new ground with a bold and elegant new album, based in the lyrical rituals of folk music but exploring new territories of rhythm and sonics. With the support of Sam Kassirer, album producer of folk-pop favorites like Lake Street Dive and Joy Kills Sorrow, they’ve created something that’s simultaneously rowdy, delicate and cinematic. This is post-folk that seriously rocks. (WATCH : The Low Hum )
Nov 3 (FRI) 2017 – STUART FUCHS – Award-winning guitarist & ukulele master (stufuchs.com/) – RESERVE SEATS – Stuart Fuchs, will delight and amaze you with a concert of dazzling instrumentals and uplifting soulful songs. Stuart’s jaw-dropping ukulele virtuosity, world influenced guitar styles and singing has wowed audiences on four continents and greatly expands the possibilities of the humble four stringed uke. With instrumental music & song, Stuart performs a heartwarming array of styles – from Gyspy swing to Brazilian choro & samba, Celtic styles and original songs. “You haven’t heard the ukulele until you’ve heard Stu play the ukulele – from Brazilian choro to jazz to his own soulful original songs”. -Marion Jacobson, ethnomusicologist and writer for The Atlantic.
Nov 5 (SUN) 2017 – ARI & MIA – RESERVE SEATS – Cello/Violin/Vocals – “Strikingly beautiful, distinctive and exhilarating, with expressive vocals that will find a way into hearts and minds” (No Depression), Ari & Mia reference the styles of Southern and Northeastern fiddle music and the early American songbook to create a realm where their own compositions cross paths with older traditions.
Their stylish and sophisticated music honors the sounds of Appalachian cottages, rural dance floors, and urban concert halls. Combine this with their innovative approach to songwriting and the result is a captivating sound. https:// www.ariandmiamusic.com/
Nov 11 (SAT) 2017 – MICK McAULEY – RESERVE SEATS – Mick Mcauley is an Irish musician, composer and songwriter, his music rooted firmly in the tradition, and in his homeland of County Kilkenny. From his work as a long-time member of SOLAS, to playing for STING in his Broadway Production “The Last Ship”, he has established a reputation for excellence. His solo performance continues to push the musical boundaries of the tradition, bringing Irish music to a wider and more diverse audience around the world.
A fine singer and multi-instrumentalist known for his brilliance on the button accordion, he is no less at home on guitar, melodeon, concertina, and whistles. Mick’s solo concerts are a perfect blending of songs that engage the mind and heart, and tunes that evoke the enchantment that is Ireland. www.mickmcauley.com VIDEO
Dec 6 (WED) 2017 – BRIDGE CITY FOUR – a new, Portland-based multi-stylistic string quartet focusing on jazz and other crossover genres. [ RESERVE SEATS ] – Bridge City Four was founded by cellist Avery Waite and includes three members of the Oregon Symphony, violinists Greg Ewer and Sam Park , and violist Kim Mai Nguyen. Performing the music of Brubeck, Ellington, Garner and also original works by contemporary artists like Turtle Island String Quartet, Bridge City Four hopes to reinvigorate the string quartet medium through innovative cross-genre explorations and inventive programming. The evening will also include a medley of arrangements from the great American song book, ragtime and swing jazz classics. Come hear the string quartet as you’ve never heard it before!
Dec 15 (FRI) 2017 – Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms – RESERVE SEATS — https://calebklauder.com/about – Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms form a powerful vocally-driven duo whose sound is lifted by Caleb’s distinctive and lyrical mandolin playing, (he even picks up the fiddle from time to time) and driven by Reeb’s unwavering guitar playing. They perform original songs and tunes as well as their favorite old gems from traditional and country repertoires. Both originally hail from Washington State: Caleb from Orcas Island, and Reeb from the Waterville Plateau. They met at the Weiser National Old Time Fiddle Contest, and after singing a few songs together, knew that they had to keep doing just that. They tour regionally and internationally bringing a pure and honest sound to both the Foghorn Stringband and the Caleb Klauder Band. Your ears will be ready for the timeless music that these two deliver, rooted in the essence of American roots while bestowing a few new chestnuts to the canon. They have been featured on NPR Music, A Prairie Home Companion, and their albums get played on radio stations around the globe.
Dec 17 (SUN) 2017 – ELI WEST + SMALL TOWN THERAPY – RESERVE SEATS –
Eli West is a Seattle-based acoustic musician. His recent debut solo album, The Both, has him taking the lead on electric and acoustic guitars, banjo, and pedal steel, whilst remaining a thoughtful collaborator – here with some of his close friends and personal heroes, like jazz great Bill Frisell, new Americana discovery Dori Freeman, and Anna & Elizabeth.Well-known for his work with Norwegian fiddler Olav Mjelva, Cahalen Morrison, Jayme Stone and more, the singer and multi-instrumentalist oozes understated talent. (WATCH | VISIT)
Small Town Therapy is a collaboration between multi-instrumentalists Adam Roszkiewicz (mandolin) and Leif Karlstrom (fiddle) . The duo plays instrumental string music that balances composition and improvisation, inspired by the New Acoustic Music made popular by artists such a Darol Anger, David Grisman, Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer. Adam and Leif are members of the band Front Country, nominated for 2017 Emerging Artist of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. Adam is also a member of the Grammy-nominated Modern Mandolin Quartet, and the Ger Mandolin Orchestra led by Mike Marshall. (WATCH | VISIT)