Jan | Feb | March | April | May  | June | Oct | Nov | Dec

To RSVP for any show, click RESERVE SEATS in the the show description.  For general questions, you can email me directly abbiew@froggie.com. Unless noted, concerts start at 7:30 w/ potluck at 6:30 PM. “Suggested donation” is $20-$25 depending on the show. In general ~ pay what you can. All income levels welcome.  [Current Covid Policy]

JAN 2024

*CANCELLED DUE TO ICY CONDITIONS* – Jan 20, 2024 (SAT) ~ Carl Sonny Leyland (Piano) ~ (WATCH) – Carl Sonny Leyland was born & raised on the South Coast of England, growing up close to the city of Southampton. As a child he was drawn to the American music which he heard on LP records his father would play. It was here that he developed an appreciation for Dixieland jazz, the rock & roll of the 1950s & the country music of Jimmie Rodgers & Hank Williams. Whether playing solo or with his trio, or with his quintet The Boogie Woogie Boys, Leyland’s playing displays an infectious spontaneity, providing plenty of surprises for the listener. While he possesses the necessary vocabulary to pay tribute to the greats of old, he refuses to be limit himself to this & prefers to let each performance be an opportunity to say something new. His repertoire spans the Ragtime era to the 1950s & includes a number of self written material.

Jan 31, 2024 (WED) ~  The Bee Eaters – Tashina Clarridge (fiddle), Tristan Clarridge (cello), Simon Chrisman (hammer dulcimer) –  RESERVE SEATS – (Suggested $25-30)

The Bee Eaters bring their unique tapestry of sound – and 18 years of shared rhythm and groove, harmony, and improvisation – to the music of J.S. Bach, arranged for cello, violin, and hammer dulcimer.

The Bee Eaters are 6-time National Fiddle Champion siblings Tristan and Tashina Clarridge with hammer dulcimer wizard Simon Chrisman. Together, they weave a tapestry of sound that is their own, drawing on roots in bluegrass, Celtic, jazz, old-time, and other world music traditions. With Tashina’s delicate fiddle and Tristan’s grounding cello wrapped around Simon’s ethereal dulcimer, they have created a never-before-heard sound in American music. Three instrumental voices, united in their musical exploration. Throughout the past 2 decades, The Bee Eaters have toured and recorded with GRAMMY winning singer-guitarist Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek), legendary fiddler/composer Darol Anger, bluegrass legend Laurie Lewis, Appalachian music master Bruce Molsky, singer Aoife O’Donovan, and dozens of others, all around the world.

“…chamber music’s finely calibrated arrangements with bluegrass’s playful virtuosity and pop music’s melodic resourcefulness.” –The Boston Globe

“The Bee Eaters are the instrumental cream of the brand new string nation.”
–Darol Anger

FEB 2024

Feb 2, 2024 (FRI) ~  Rio Con Brio – SOLD OUT – Join the Waitlist! =>  RESERVE SEATS (Suggested $25-30) ~ Tim Connell (Mandolin) / Mike Burdette (guitar)

Rio Con Brio captivates audiences around the country with their intimate performance of the beautiful and esoteric Brazilian repertoire known as choro, the early 20th Century street music of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Influenced by equal parts Afro-Brazilian rhythms and the contemporary cafe music of Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, choro is both exotic and familiar, evoking in turn the carnival of Rio and the cafés of Paris. Tim and Mike will also perform a few songs from their swing quartet, Stumptown Swing, as well as other favorites from around the world.

Guitarist Mike Burdette and mandolinist Tim Connell exhibit finesse and passion in their playing, while displaying a sincere love of the choro repertoire and connection to their audience. An evening with Rio Con Brio is a delightful tour of European and New World music as experienced by the mandolin and guitar and as told by two soulful, intelligent, modern musicians – a beautiful intersection of Brazilian rhythm, classical technique and jazz improvisation.

Feb 9, 2024 (FRI) ~ Kristen Grainger & TRUE NORTH *SOLD OUT/WAITLIST* – RESERVE SEATS –  Kristen Grainger (vocals), Dan Wetzel (guitar, vocals), Martin Stevens – (mandolin, fiddle, octave mandolin, vocals), and Josh Adkins (bass, vocals) — “True North plays tunes so smooth they bring to mind bluegrass-pop artists like Alison Krauss and Union Station, as well as old country legends like Hank Williams, Sr.”   — Kim Ruehl, music reviewer, No Depression/West Coast Performer  Americana quartet True North is a powerhouse of intelligent, memorable songs, and lush instrumental and vocal performances, with the crazy-good picking and harmonies of a band deeply rooted in traditional folk and bluegrass genres. Fronted by award-winning singer-songwriters Kristen Grainger and Dan Wetzel, True North is rounded out with Pacific Northwest bluegrass superstars Martin Stevens and Josh Adkins.

Feb 10, 2024 (SAT) ~ Stephanie Schneiderman Acoustic Trio – RESERVE SEATS – Stephanie Schneiderman on guitar/keys/vocals + Jenny Conlee on accordion/keys + Keith Brush on upright bass — Stephanie Schneiderman is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most diverse and celebrated singer-songwriters, combining elements of folk, Americana, trip hop, and pop—into a beautifully dark and deeply introspective sound that is as lush as it is intimate, Her acoustic trio features Jenny Conlee (of the Decemberists) on accordion and Keith Brush (of the Blue Cranes) on upright bass who lend their melodic, indie-rock sensibilities to her songs to create a magnetic live performance that old and new fans will revere.

Feb 24, 2024 (SAT) ~ Paper Bellows *SOLD OUT/WAITLIST* – RESERVE SEATS – An accordion quartet comprised of: Courtney Von Drehle (3 Leg Torso), Jetty Swart (internationally known accordionist/singer known under the name Jet Black Pearl), Mike Danner (Trashcan Joe, Saloon Ensemble), and Jenny Conlee (The Decemberists, Black Prairie). Paper Bellows celebrates the many styles of accordion music. Their repertoire includes Argentinian, Turkish and French music, along with original compositions and covers of popular songs. The full sound of 4 accordions is also sometimes augmented by Jetty Swart and Mike Danner’s vocals.

February 28, 2024 (WED) ~ SIMON CHRISMAN & NIC GAREISS – RESERVE SEATS – Simon Chrisman (hammer dulcimer)  & Nic Gareiss (percussive dance, bouzouki, vocals) ,~ Simon Chrisman & Nic Gareiss met in 2007 at a fiddle festival in the Californian redwoods, and have been exploring sound and movement together ever since. Both innovators on their instruments, Nic and Simon bring their unique approaches together for traditional song, percussive dance, instrumental tunes, improvisation and new composition, engaging interlocking rhythms and dynamic textures. Well-known for his work with the groundbreaking new acoustic string band The Bee Eaters, Simon’s music combines “chamber music’s finely calibrated arrangements with bluegrass’s playful virtuosity and pop music’s melodic resourcefulness.” (The Boston Herald) Described as “the human epitome of the unbearable lightness of being” (The Irish Times) and “the most inventive and expressive step dancer on the scene” (The Boston Herald), Nic has performed with many of the luminaries of contemporary traditional music and dance, including The Chieftains, The Gloaming, Darol Anger, Liz Carroll, Bruce Molsky, Alasdair Fraser, and Martin Hayes. Together, Nic and Simon adventure into the world of time and timbre to create a breathtaking evening of song, instrumental music, and percussive dance.

MARCH 2024

MARCH 3, 2024 (SUN) ~ Gerry O’Connor and Don Penzien ~ (Irish) SOLD OUT/WAITLIST* ~ (Suggested $25) ~ RESERVE SEATS – Gerry O’Connor (Fiddle), Don Penzien (Guitar) Gerry O’Connor – A four times winner of The Fiddler of Oriel competition, Gerry has lately adjudicated both it and the Gael Linn’s Siansa and RAAP /RTE sponsored Breakthrough competitions. He was co-founder and first Artistic Director of Ceol Chairlinn, an annual teaching festival in Carlingford , Co Louth. He is also the Traditional Arts coordinator at the newly established Creative-Connexions Irish/ Catalan Arts festival in Sitges, teaches fiddle at the Willie Clancy Summer School and at master-classes throughout Europe. He has been working and playing with Tiarnán Ó Duinnchin and Fintan Vallely in the Compánach project since 2013. While touring and teaching in North America in places such as UCLA and Boston College’s Gaelic Roots series, Gerry also participted in the Master /Apprentice program through the New Jersey Folk Arts Program

With a focus on his local music of Oriel, he is known world-wide as a soloist and as a founder band member of Lá Lugh, Skylark and Oirialla. He has recorded 14 albums with his first solo album Journeyman hailed as a landmark album of Irish fiddle music, and has performed with all of the leading performers of the Irish music world including members of the Chieftains, Boys of the Lough, Planxty, De Dannan and Bothy Band. Gerry has published a book of Cathal McConnell’s songs and is launching a tunebook this week featuring dance music of Oriel recorded at the turn of the 20th century. Gerry is also highly regarded as a violin-maker, music teacher and music producer.

Don Penzien has long been a top-flight performer of Irish traditional music. He frequently is on the road playing concerts and festivals with Gailfean, The Máirtín de Cógáin Project, and Haley Richardsonand he has served as accompanist for numerous other well-known performers (e.g., Gerry O’Connor, Randal Bays, Tim Britton, John Williams, Pat Broaders, Gabe Donohue, Ben Jaber, Tony DeMarco, Billy McComiskey, Sean Clohessy, Bridget Fitzgerald, Kevin Doyle). Widely recognized for his reserved backing style, Don’s dexterous work on DADGAD-tuned guitar provides solid, driving rhythms to traditional tunes as well as perceptive and sensitive accompaniments to songs and airs. Don is a Michigan native with strong roots in Irish culture and an affinity for Irish traditional music. He now resides in NC where he works as Professor at the Wake Forest School of Medicine.

March 21, 2024 (THURS) ~ HANNEKE CASSEL BAND – SOLD OUT/WAITLIST*– RESERVE SEATS (Suggested $25) ~ Hanneke Cassel (fiddle), Tristan Clarridge (cello/vocals), and Christopher Lewis (guitar/vocals)

Effervescent and engaging, Boston-based fiddler Hanneke Cassel’s fiddle music fuses influences from the Isle of Skye and Cape Breton with Americana grooves and musical innovations.  She has performed and traveled across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Hanneke’s music is a blend of the contemporary and traditional, described by the Boston Globe as “exuberant and rhythmic, somehow wild and innocent, delivered with captivating melodic clarity and an irresistible playfulness.”

Multi-instrumentalist, 5 -time Grand National Fiddle Champion, and pioneering cellist, Tristan Clarridge creatively synthesizes traditional folk influences with rhythmic vocabulary from jazz, rock and pop music, and is leading a revolution among adventurous young cellists throughout the USA and beyond. He has toured the world with bluegrass/nu-folk sensation Crooked Still and Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings, as well as Mike Marshall, Bruce Molsky and Cape Breton fiddle phenomenon Natalie MacMaster. Canadian native Christopher Lewis provides the driving guitar sound in the band. A Berklee College of Music alum, Christopher has been involved with album production and performance in the Boston indie rock scene.
 
Together, the Hanneke Cassel Band creates a cutting-edge acoustic sound that retains the integrity and spirit of the Scottish tradition.

April 2024

April 7 (SUN) ~ ROCK RIDGE – RESERVE SEATS – Josie Grant (Guitar,Vocals), Dale Adkins – (Banjo, Guitar, Vocals), Josh Adkins (Mandolin, Vocals), Suzanne Adkins
(Bass, Vocals) – Based in Sisters, Oregon, Rock Ridge specializes in bluesy vocal-based deep-groove bluegrass music with a solid traditional approach. They perform traditional & contemporary bluegrass, featuring original material as well as traditional country duets. Each of the Rock Ridge members is a veteran musician having played in some of the finest bluegrass bands on the west coast. They released their second recorded project, The Flood, in February, 2023.

April 10 (WED) ~ MARGOT MERAH AND KATHYRN CLAIRE – RESERVE SEATS – guitar, fiddle, ukulele, bodhran, harmonica and breathtaking vocal harmonies – Music can bring people together in unexpected ways. That’s certainly the case for Kathryn Claire and Margot Merah. Growing up on opposite sides of the world, you can expect them to never have met. And yet they did, in the fall of 2013, in a small Irish pub in Amsterdam. The musical connection was instant. Their love of songwriting, traditional music, folk and harmony singing not only brought them together: it took them all over the world.

After 2 and a half years apart, the two reunited in the summer of 2022 in the Pacific Northwest for a tour featuring original and traditional songs and instrumentals along with their favorite covers. They began writing together on the road and when they toured again in Europe in March 2023, they decided the time had come to create an album of music together. They released their duo album last summer and toured it through Oregon,Washington and all the way out to Montana! In their live shows and on their recent album, Come Close, Come In, these two multi-instrumentalists feature guitar, fiddle, ukulele, bodhran, harmonica and breathtaking vocal harmonies.

Kathryn Claire is based in Portland, OR. She plays violin, guitar and ukulele, has a crystal clear voice and writes songs that are honest, poetic and profound. She weaves together stories and melodies rooted in her classical and traditional musical background. Each song is imbued with an energy and electricity that you can feel, and she has the ability to move seamlessly between genres. https://kathrynclairemusic.com/

Margot Merah is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. She is a real ‘storyteller’, exactly what the folk tradition is all about. Margot’s music is comforting, hopeful and melancholic. Her songs tell about life, simple and small, with an eye for detail and the bigger picture. She regularly performs as a solo artist, but prefers to collaborate with other musicians in various projects. Her musicality and sense of harmony and rhythm are perfect for this. https://margotmerah3.wixsite.com/margotmerah

April 12 (FRI) ~ THE BACKBURNERS – A new project from Rio Con Brio’s Mike Burdette and Stumptown Swing’s Ben Blechman. – SOLD OUT/WAITLIST* – RESERVE SEATS – Ben Blechman (Violin), Scott Law (Guitar), Mike Burdette (Guitar), Julio Appling (upright bass)

The Backburners are a Portland-based quartet of musical luminaries mashing up the timeless allure of Hot Club Swing and Blue Note jazz into an aesthetic of their own. Fueled by the melodic interplay of fiery violin and electrified archtop guitar gliding atop underpinnings of Django-esque rhythm and sinuous acoustic bass,The Backburners weave all-string arrangements of jazz classics with thoughtful original compositions.

Born from a collective determination to keep the flame of live music going during the tumultuous year of 2020 with concerts and tours cancelled, these guys gathered weekly for outdoor jams by the burn and glow of propane heaters, giving rise to their name. With violin, upright bass and two guitars, The Backburners playfully reimagine jazz classics and introduce form-fitting original pieces with dedication to improvisational freedom and stylistic integrity.

Ben Blechman (violin) – Ben performs with Stumptown Swing and is a veteran of many highly esteemed bands and projects, including the Santa Cruz Symphony, the Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra, the Hot Club of San Francisco, and Taarka.

Scott Law (guitar) – is a seasoned accompanist whose passion for jazz and improvisational music fuels his endeavors. Renowned for his collaborations with Phil Lesh of The Grateful Dead while in residency at the iconic “Terrapin Crossroads” venue in San Rafael, California (2014 to 2022), Law’s musical footprint extends beyond his own solo projects. As a multi-disciplined guitarist, Law effortlessly blends tradition with variation, captivating audiences with soulful melodies and irresistible grooves. (https://www.scottlawmusic.com)

Mike Burdette (guitar) – An early veteran of Abbie’s house concerts, Mike performs with Rio Con Brio and Stumptown Swing.

Julio Appling (upright bass) – Julio Appling’s performing career began as a gospel bassist in junior high, and has since weaved through classical, jazz, Americana, rock, and blues. Past projects include the genre bending, globetrotting Student Loan String Band and the exploratory jazz project Trio Flux. In fifteen years as a Portland-area sideman, his credits include The Portland Cello Project, Never Come Down, The Good Time Travelers, Strange and the Familiars, and Russell Street Jam, Will West and the Friendly Strangers, Kory Quinn, and many others.

April 22, 2024 (MON) – Kalos – RESERVE SEATS – Ryan McKasson (fiddle, viola, vocals), Eric McDonald (guitar, mandolin, lead vocals), Jeremiah McLane (accordion, piano, vocals) ~ traditional and original music. 

Ryan McKasson, Eric McDonald and Jeremiah McLane 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 set the standard for traditional repertoire with an underlying drive and pulse charged with rhythmic electricity, culminating in a swirling level of intensity. An air of mystery and adventure pervades a sound compelling enough to transcend boundaries and appeal to music lovers of all stripes. Devon Leger of Hearth Music says, “This trio really shows how masterful musicians listen and play off each other.” Kalos’ music asks to be shared live, and performance is the band’s heart and forte. Their partnership stretches beyond the music, born of fast friendships formed at the band’s origin and exhibited in their playfulness on stage, with organic banter and good humor to go along with the music. They create an environment of their own design, drawing in listeners without pretense. Despite living active musical lives thousands of miles apart these musicians have committed to working together to forge a new musical path.

April 27 (SAT) ~ CHORO DAS 3 ~ Brazilian Instrumental Music – Corina (flute/ pandeiro), Lia (7 string guitar), Elisa (mandolin/banjo/clarinet/piano) – (Read | WATCH ) – SOLD OUT/But you can get on the WAITLIST* => RESERVE SEATS – Suggested donation $25-30 at the door – Choro das 3 is a trio of three sisters from Sao Paolo, Brazil who are highly regarded as some of the best choro musicians in the world. (Choro is an enormously appealing musical style that originated in Brazil over 100 years ago and is now popular internationally.) In Brazil, Choro das 3 has been featured on national television, played for the president, and played for huge audiences at national festivals. The band toured the US annually from 2013 – 2019, playing concert venues, festivals and universities from coast to coast. They’ve also toured internationally and have released 11 CD’s. They were recently named as finalists for best Choro Group in the Brazilian national Prêmio Profissionais da Música (Music Professionals Award). Elisa, the youngest sister, was named finalist as best female composer as well.

Of the three sisters in the band, (family name Meyer), Corina plays flute and piccolo, Lia plays acoustic 7 string guitar, and Elisa, who writes many of their tunes, plays mandolin, clarinet, banjo, piano and accordion. From the time of the band’s founding, their father, Eduardo, played percussion. Tragically, he died from Covid early in the pandemic. 

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.

MAY 2024

May 11, 2024 (SAT) ~ Jerron Paxton and Dennis Lichtman ~ RESERVE SEATS  (Suggested donation $25-30) ~ (Jerron Paxton – guitar/banjo/more, Dennis Lichtman – clarinet/mandolin/more) (Watch : Live at Cafe Lena | Louis Armstrong’s piano  )

Jerron Paxton – Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton (born January 26, 1989) is an American multi-instrumentalist blues musician and vocalist from Los Angeles. He plays banjo, piano and violin and his musical influences are mainly rooted in the early blues from the 1920s and 30s. Jerron’s family, originally from Louisiana, moved to LA in the 50s where he grew up before moving to New York city in 2007, where he currently resides. With a strong interest in blues and jazz music before World War II, Paxton’s sound is influenced by the likes of Fats Waller and “Blind” Lemon Jefferson. According to Will Friedwald in the Wall Street Journal, Paxton is “virtually the only music-maker of his generation playing guitar, banjo, piano and violin, among other implements to fully assimilate the blues idiom of the 1920s and ’30s, the blues of Bessie Smith and Lonnie Johnson.”

Dennis Lichtman is a multi-instrumentalist (mainly clarinet, fiddle, and mandolin) who is deeply entrenched in early- to mid-1900’s American music, from traditional jazz and swing to bluegrass and western swing. His elegant voice carries through on all his instruments, lending a thread that weaves together the various genres he navigates. He has performed and recorded as a regular member of Ghost Train Orchestra, Pokey LaFarge Band, Nation Beat, Jim Kweskin Band, and many more.

May 13, 2024 (MON) ~ Tony McManus ~ (guitar) ~ Suggested $25-30 ~ RESERVE SEATS  ~ Hailed by John Renbourn as ‘the best Celtic guitarist in the world’ Tony McManus has been listed as one of the 50 transcendental guitarists of all time by Guitar Player Magazine. Conjuring a unique but universal language from that most ubiquitous of instruments, the acoustic guitar, Tony McManus has both extended and transcended the parameters of contemporary Celtic music. Ranked by peers and predecessors alike alongside the guitar world’s all-time greats, his fiendishly dexterous, dazzlingly original playing draws on traditions from the entire Celtic diaspora – Scotland, Ireland, Brittany, Galicia, Asturias, Cape Breton, Quebec – along with still further-ranging flavours, such as jazz and east European music.

May 16, 2024 (THURS) ~ Evie Ladin & Keith Terry ~ RESERVE SEATS  ~ banjo • box • bass • body music • neo-trad kinetic folk ~ Innovative musicians/dancers with a quirky neo-trad soul, Oakland, California-based Evie Ladin & Keith Terry throw down original folk songs and deep interpretations of old songs, with the kinetic thrill of percussive dance.

May 23, 2024 (THURS) ~ Tony Furtado Duo Featuring Luke Price – (Suggested donation $25-30) RESERVE SEATS – (www.tonyfurtado.com) – Tony Furtado (banjo / cello-banjo / slide guitar) , Luke Price (fiddle) – Tony is an evocative and soulful singer, a wide-ranging songwriter and a virtuoso multi-instrumentalist adept on banjo, cello-banjo, slide guitar and baritone ukulele who mixes and matches sounds and styles with the flair of a master chef (he’s also an accomplished sculptor, but that’s another story). All of the music of America is in Tony’s music. Relix hit the nail on the head when writing of Tony: “True talent doesn’t need categories.” Tony will be joined by 5 time National Fiddle Champion Luke Price. In addition Tony will be bringing some of his wonderful sculptures.

JUNE 2024

JUNE 2, 2024 (SUN) ~ Richard Smith (guitar) ~ Suggested $25-30 ~ RESERVE SEATS  ~ (Watch Live1 | Fretboard Journal) – Born in Beckenham in 1971, Internationally acclaimed guitarist Richard Smith is a veteran road dog sometimes referred to as “The hardest working man in the biz.”

With a repertoire that spans from uptempo barn burners to swing standards, Chopin, Bach, Mozart, Scott Joplin, fiddle tunes, pop, 60’s classics to Sousa marches, his solo show is a showcase of guitar virtuosity and versatility.

JUNE 5, 2024 (WED) ~ Leah Wollenberg, Alex Sturbaum, Ida Hoequist ~ RESERVE SEATS  ~ Leah Wollenberg (fiddle), Ida Hoequist (flute), and Alex Sturbaum (guitar) met at Oberlin College ten years ago, and the trio display a musical fluency and verve borne of long friendship coupled with disparate influences. Anchored by Bay Area native Leah Wollenberg’s driving and dancing fiddle, Virginia flutist Ida Hoequist’s smooth-as-glass woodwinds, and the northwest’s own Alex Sturbaum’s powerhouse rhythm guitar, the sound of these three musicians draws inspiration from a wide array of sources; both traditional and contemporary Celtic music, as well as the folk music of England, Sweden, and Newfoundland. With tender waltzes, mighty jigs and reels, and the odd full-throated labor song, Wollenberg, Hoequist, and Sturbaum have created a sound that is both rooted in tradition and firmly of the moment. Don’t miss a chance to hear the three of them together for a concert set! Listen to their music here: https://leahalexida.bandcamp.com/album/chance

JUNE 14, 2024 (FRI) – Trio Quartetto ~ Featuring Gideon Freudmann – cello, Ji Tanzer – percussion, Ralph Huntley – keys, Courtney Von Drehle – accordion ~ RESERVE SEATS  – Trio Quartetto’s fluid sound is fed from the many tributaries of the great river, Music. Flowing over a vast landscape, spilling over the edges into soundscapes, and songscapes. From blues to jazz, rock to art house, from the humorous to the humoresque – Gideon, Ji (Blue Cranes, Swansea), Ralph (LiveWire, Klezmocracy) and Courtney (Three Leg Torso , Klezmocracy ) ~  embrace musical liquidity, melding from one genre to the next, all the while keeping your drink filled and your toe tapping. Come take the plunge and drink deeply from their well of musical revitalization. ( Gideon Freudmann )

JUNE 20, 2024 (THURS) ~ ALEX KEHLER & NICHOLAS WILLIAMS ~ RESERVE SEATS ~ Acoustic music drawing from Scandinavian, Québécois and Celtic roots.
Alex Kehler : fiddle, violin, nyckelharpa, and cittern; Nicholas Williams : wooden flutes, piano accordion, and piano

Alex Kehler and Nicholas Williams share a passion for Scandinavian musical traditions, an impulse to explore new acoustic textures and sonorities, and a tendency of accumulating excessive numbers of instruments. Equally at home playing music music for a hall of dancers, for an intimate audience, or on a large concert stage, they are always happy to share their knowledge, and to invite listeners to come with them on an engaging musical ride.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️ SUMMER BREAK ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

OCT 2024

OCT 1, 2024 (TUES) ~ BLUES IN THE GORGE FACULTY SHOW featuring Pat Donohue, Sam Broussard, Hubby Jenkins, & Mary Flower – (Suggested donation $25 at the door) – *SOLD OUT* => Join the Waitlist! =>  RESERVE SEATS – (Exact address and other details will be emailed to you) ~ Some of the best acoustic blues guitar players and teachers perform an intimate show before the Blues In the Gorge Camp led by artistic director Mary Flower. 

Grammy winning fingerpicker Pat Donohue’s devotion to acoustic guitar has made him an American standard, as he echoes the tones of Robert Johnson, Blind Blake, Merle Travis or Muddy Waters. Chet Atkins called Pat one of the greatest fingerpickers in the world today; Leo Kottke called his playing “haunting.”

A high-wire artist on an open-tuned guitar, Sam Broussard writes and performs unforgettably cinematic songs bound by gorgeous melodies, soaring vocals and dazzling musicianship. Expect out-of-the-ordinary songwriting and hints of rhythms picked up in travels to Africa and the Philippines on Geeks, Broussard’s stunning 15-song debut release. From the lush solo performance of “That’s Us” through the full acoustic production of “Screws, Pins and Bolts,” Geeks tells memorable tales of our neighbors, relationships and, most importantly, moments of decision.

Hubby Jenkins is a talented multi-instrumentalist who endeavors to share his love and knowledge of old-time American music. Born and raised in Brooklyn he delved into his southern roots, following the thread of African American history that wove itself through America’s traditional music forms. As an integral member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and later Rhiannon Giddens band, Hubby has performed at festivals and venues around the world, earning himself both Grammy and Americana award nominations. Today he spreads his knowledge and love of old-time American music through his dynamic solo performances and engaging workshops.

Mary Flower is a renowned guitar instructor, teaching at music camps and festivals, offering lessons online and in person, and frequently crafting articles and tips as a regular contributor to Acoustic Guitar. But she cannot be narrowly defined. Livin’ with the Blues Again showcases her talents as a complete artist, deeply versed in an array of vernacular styles for which she demonstrates an abiding love that underlies her quietly jaw-dropping technique. 

OCT 11, 2024 (FRI) ~ Anne Weiss + David Jacobs-Strain and Bob Beach~ (Suggested donation $20-$30 at the door) – RESERVE SEATS – (Exact address and other details will be emailed to you) ~ 

Anne Weiss is a blues, soul and roots music singer/songwriter, guitarist, and pianist with five albums to her credit. She has studied classical piano, joined a street gang, became a mountaineer, developed a guitar obsession, worked as a political organizer, learned to salsa dance, became addicted to delta blues, sang with a 100-voice gospel choir, and yes, you will hear it all in her music. Anne has shared the stage with everyone from Taj Mahal to Joan Baez.

David Jacob-Strain is a striking slide guitar player and song poet from Eugene, Oregon. His deep love of blues and roots music is evident in every one of the songs he writes. He studied masters like Robert Johnson, Taj Mahal and Jackson Browne, but plays his own sound, his own song, with a virtuosity that is uniquely his.

Bob Beach plays harmonica with calm fierceness. A mouth-harp maestro who swaggers into a solo like The Marlboro Man, then quietly leaves the set while the rest of us wonder what just happened and how such a tiny instrument could possibly sound like that. Bob has been a working professional musician for more than 40 years bringing harmonica, flute, and vocals to a broad scope of genres.

OCT 19, 2024 (SAT) ~ TRUE LIFE TRIO– Riveting vocal harmonies from Eastern Europe, the Americas and beyond – Leslie Bonnett: voice, fiddle, percussion
Briget Boyle: voice, guitar, percussion, Juliana Graffagna: voice, accordion, percussion – RESERVE SEATS (Exact address and other details will be emailed to you)

True Life Trio’s music is all about harmony. The fiery voices of these three women spin and interweave, traveling from Ukrainian village tunes, to Greek polyphony to Louisiana two-steps. Bulgaria to the Bayou. On paper, it’s an unlikely combination but in person, it feels just right.

Like the rugged mountains, tangled love and legends about which they sing, TLT shows are full of stories and passion. Interspersed with gorgeous vocal performances are tales of their travels and song collecting that bring immediacy to each tune and envelop their audiences in a knowing, warm embrace. You don’t have to speak all of the myriad languages in which TLT sings to be transported to other worlds with them–they bring you right along.

OCT 20, 2024 (SUN) ~ FLAGSHIP ROMANCE – RESERVE SEATS – (Exact address and other details will be emailed to you) ~ Flagship Romance is an unforgettable alternative folk duo known for their breathtaking vocal harmonies, inspired songwriting, dynamic live show, and a remarkable on and off-stage chemistry that will leave you with the feeling that you made two new best friends. Married singers-songwriters Shawn Fisher and Jordyn Jackson effortlessly fuse technical precision in their impeccably tight vocal blend with an invigorating sense of emotional abandon in their energetic live persona. Performing each show as if it could be their last, this duo will have you questioning how their larger-than-life sound can come from just two voices and an acoustic guitar. (#569)

NOV 2024

NOV 3, 2024 (SUN) ~ McKasson & Cotter – (Suggested donation $25) at the door – RESERVE SEATS – (Exact address and other details will be emailed to you) ~ Longtime musical partners, Ryan McKasson (viola) and Colin Cotter (Electric Guitar/Vocals) find themselves back in the thick of a creative collaboration spanning many years, bands, gigs, productions, late nights, tours, missed flights, fiddle camps, adventures, time away, and journeys home. “Old Growth Graveyard” is the most recent distillation of their artistic partnership; a compelling curiosity first glimpsed in a late-night fiddle camp jam session among the California redwoods in 2019, OGG gained definition in post-gig hotel room recording sessions later that year when Ryan and Colin were on tour together, eventually coming into focus through a series of immersive creative sessions spread across 2020 and 2021.

A somewhat whimsical diversion for two musicians known best in Celtic and Americana circles for fiddle and acoustic guitar, Old Growth Graveyard features McKasson primarily on viola with Cotter on electric guitar and voice. From the moment that they stumbled across the unique combination of the viola’s throaty richness, the electric guitar’s undeniable edge, and the human voice, the two were smitten and immediately took to the mixology of grafting together the electric and acoustic sonorities with a vengeance. This new chapter in their creative journey takes new and familiar music on quite an adventure, giving two musicians – each established in their musical idioms – plenty of room to play around.

NOV 7, 2024 (THURS) ~ Cécilia – (Québecois) – (Suggested donation $25-$30 at the door) – RESERVE SEATS – (Exact address and other details will be emailed to you) ~ Traditional music that causes a wonderful stir and fills to overflowing every venue – that is Cécilia! Widely recognized as three of Canada’s finest musicians, it is a pleasure to see how much enjoyment Timi Turmel (Accordion), Erin Leahy (Piano), and Louis Schryer (fiddle) find in playing together. While honouring their heritage as Cécilia, their music making has an undeniably fresh and high-spirited sound.

They bring the best of many musical worlds together in their explorations of traditional, Celtic and Quebecois music. Every one of their pieces is skillfully arranged and highlighted with influences from contemporary, classical, jazz and swing styles. Cécilia’s recent debut album Accent is an impressive offering full of vibrant rhythms and melodies, all resonating with a unique warmth and richness of expression.

NOV 10, 2024 (SUN) ~ Lena Jonsson & Ian Carr – (Swedish Folk) – (Suggested donation $25-$30 at the door) – RESERVE SEATS – (Exact address and other details will be emailed to you) ~ This new duo of award winning Swedish fiddler Lena Jonsson and avant folk guitar genius Ian Carr has been on the cards since Ian was lured from England to Sweden by the charms of Swedish folk music.

With a swinging repertoire of solo hits and beautifully arranged trad pearls from the forests of Scandinavia, with Ian’s Celtic drive and Lena`s old timey swing, this duo is ready and raring to go!

Lena Jonsson’s ability to balance a deep knowledge of traditional Swedish folk music with innovative artistic sensibilities, sparkling joy of life and a charisma of a rock-star have made her one Scandinavia’s most visionary musicians. She has created a unique style inspired by traditional Swedish music as well as rock, pop and american old-time and bluegrass traditions.

In April this year, the Lena Jonsson Trio won Artist of the year at the Swedish Folk awards. Their latest album ”Stories from the Outside” won both a Swedish Grammis and the Manifest prize in 2021 and Album of the year by LIRA Music Magazine and song of the year by Swedish radio. Lena Jonsson Trio released their third album ”Elements” in June 2023.

NOV 12, 2024 (TUES) ~ The Murphy Beds – (Suggested donation $25 at the door) – RESERVE SEATS – Eamon O’Leary and Jefferson Hamer (aka The Murphy Beds) present traditional and original folk songs with close harmonies and deft instrumental arrangements on bouzouki, guitar, and mandolin. In 2021 they released their second album, titled “Easy Way Down”, which The Irish Echo called “an incredible collection of songs delivered with grace and ease.” They have toured extensively throughout Europe and North America, with performances at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., Alaska Folk Festival, Milwaukee Irish Festival, WGBH Boston’s Celtic Sojourn, Doolin Folk Festival (Ireland), and Unamplifire Festival (London).

NOV 22, 2024 (FRI) ~ APPALACHIAN HURRICANE RELIEF FUNDRAISER – FEATURING THE HORSENECKS – Gabrielle Macrae – fiddle, guitar, banjo, vocals,  Barry Southern – guitar, banjo, fiddle, vocals – (Suggested donation $30 – All proceeds from this event will be donated to the Appalachian Helene Response Fund – see below for more details. ) – RESERVE SEATS

Communities across the Appalachian mountains in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee are struggling to recover after the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene. Join us in an evening to raise funds to support these communities and help folks put the pieces back together. The evening will feature a concert by the Horsenecks as well as an auction featuring musical experiences, baked goods and artwork.

 

All proceeds from this event will be donated to the Appalachian Helene Response Fund which is working with member partners in the community on intermediate and long-term recovery efforts in affected communities. For guests who are interested in supporting immediate, on the ground response, we encourage donating to mutual aid collectives in the areas feeling the impact of Hurricane Helene, which you can learn about here. We hope that you will give generously and encourage everyone you know to do the same!

 

If you have something you’d like to put up for auction to help us raise more donations, please contact Suzanne Savell at suzsav@me.com .

 

DEC 2024

DEC 5, 2024 (THURS) ~ Ensemble Sangineto – (Italy) – Caterina Sangineto (Vocals / bowed psaltry, flute), Adriano Sangineto (Celtic Harp / Vocals), Jacopo Ventura (Guitar / vocals) – (Suggested donation $25-$30 at the door) – RESERVE SEATS – (Exact address and other details will be emailed to you)

Ensemble Sangineto skillfully blends ancient harmonies and sonorities with modern rhythms on bowed psaltery, Celtic harp, guitar and flute, combined with Caterina’s gorgeously soaring voice and three part stunning harmonies. 

Founded by the Sangineto twins, Caterina and Adriano, whose father is respected Italian luthier Michele Sangineto, they were brought up listening to famous Celtic artists such as Derek Bell of the Chieftains, and Breton harpist and singer Alan Stivell. With the addition of guitarist Jacopo, the musical experiences of the members converge to create fresh and new arrangements of traditional Irish, Scottish, Breton, Italian, and original compositions, that display influences from varied musical genres ranging from classical to folk, Gregorian chant to musicals, from pop to Celtic music.

For this performance, they will be performing music from their “Le Grand Tour” CD, a tribute album to Italian traditional music with fresh interpretations of folk tunes from each of the 20 Italian regions! 

Carnegie Hall’s head artistic director called them “a unique ensemble indeed,” and the band were chosen to be Official International Showcase Performers at the Folk Alliance International Conferences 2024 and 2025, and will be touring next May on the east coast around a Library of Congress concert.

DEC 7, 2024 (SAT) ~ SCOTTISH FISH – SOLD OUT – Join the Waitlist! => RESERVE SEATS – (Suggested donation $25 at the door – Exact address and other details will be emailed to you) ~ Scottish Fish — Ava Montesi (fiddle), Caroline Dressler (fiddle), Giulia Haible (cello, piano), Julia Homa (fiddle, piano), and Maggie MacPhail (fiddle, piano) — present a fresh take on traditional and contemporary Scottish and Cape Breton music. Their lively and unique arrangements are woven together from session music handed down from generations of the tradition’s finest players. They have performed at public and private venues and festivals across the United States and Europe including Boston Celtic Music Festival, Bellingham Celtic Festival, and Festival de Ortigueira. Their music and performances have earned them features on WGBH, KALW, and in American Girl and Folkworld Magazines; attracted the attention of programs such as America’s Got Talent; and secured an international audience of over three hundred thousand followers. In 2017, the group released their debut album, “Splash,” and followed it with “Tidings,” a 5-track holiday EP, in 2019. Their newest record, “Upscale,” produced by pianist and composer Neil Pearlman, was released in October, 2022, marking the band’s ten year anniversary.

The Scottish Fish have been touring a seasonal version of their standard show for five years, which features creative arrangements of familiar carols woven in among traditional, contemporary, and original Celtic tunes. They look forward to bringing this show to the Pacific Northwest for the first time!

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