Monday, November 28, 2011

The Brittany Haas and Dan Trueman Band CD Release Concert on Friday, December 9th




What happens when the grittiness of American Old Time fiddle music meets the ethereal sounds of the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle? In this CD release concert, Brittany Haas and Dan Trueman will share tunes that they've made over the last few years while trying to answer this question. Joining Britt and Dan in this performance are cellist Natalie Haas, guitarist Jordan Tice, and bassist Corey DiMario. In the end, this isn't "cross-over" music, in spite of the initial premise; this is simply what happens when two radically different but adventurous musicians come together to see what they can do, no holds barred, and ask their friends to join in.

Please email;Sandilion49@gmail.com, for information and details. This is a private house concert on the Upper West Side of
NYC.

Brittany Haas is a 5-string fiddle player from the Bay Area, currently residing in Nashville. She grew up honing her craft in fiddle camps nationwide and came to her unique sound through the old-time fiddling of Bruce Molsky and the innovative styling of Darol Anger. A prodigious youth, she began touring with Darol's Republic of Strings at the age of 14. She simultaneously studied baboons in the evolutionary biology department of Princeton University and joined seminal chamber-grass band Crooked Still. She has toured with them since, and also performed with Yonder Mountain String Band, Tony Trischka, Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas (her cellist sister), Abigail Washburn and the Waybacks, She played fiddle on Steve Martin's Grammy Award winning CD, "The row" and performed in his band on Letterman and SNL. She released her debut self-titled solo album at 17, produced by Darol Anger and featuring Bruce Molsky, Mike Marshall, Alison Brown and others.

Dan Trueman is a composer and performer, primarily with the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle and the laptop, sometimes together, sometimes not. His ensembles include QQQ, the Princeton Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk, which he co-founded and directs), Trollstilt, post-Post, and interface. He has performed his music with numerous other ensembles, including So Percussion, the Brentano and Daedelus string quartets, and the American Composers Orchestra. As a fiddler, he has performed at folk festivals across the US and in Norway, and he teaches traditional Norwegian fiddle music. Upcoming projects include a laptop-percussion quartet for So Percussion, a record with Old Time fiddler extraordinaire Brittany Haas, and more music for PLOrk and QQQ. Dan has received grants from the Guggenheim and MacArthur Foundations, among others, and he teaches composition at Princeton University.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

John Doyle on November 19


The Jenkins House Concert series is pleased to welcome John Doyle to the Upper West Side while he is on tour of the Northeast. John is one of the most influential and important musicians in Irish music today. He was a founding member of Irish American super-group Solas in the 1990s and recently served as band leader for the Joan Baez band. As a guitarist, he is unparalleled for his harmonic and rhythmic genius. His instrumental prowess contributed to his 2010 GRAMMY nomination for Best Traditional World Music album for his collaboration with fiddler Liz Carroll on Double Play. In recent years Doyle has emerged as an important singer of Irish music as well; his 2010 collaboration, Exiles Return, with Karan Casey won him critical acclaim and solidified his reputation as a world class interpreter of traditional songs.

Please join us on November 19th at 8:00. You can reserve a seat for this performance by emailing Sandilion49@gmail.com for all the details.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

The Tres Amigos on October 22


Quickly becoming a beloved mainstay of the New York folk scene, The Tres Amigos present high-energy original music and forgotten gems in bold, acrobatic performances. Behind those matching mariachi shirts are virtuosic musicians and songwriters, delivering the goods in sunny three-part harmony with all the vibe of your uncle’s old ‘45’s. Every Tres Amigos performance careens from bluegrass to blues, from wild-man jazz to honky-tonk, with a "latin tinge," — a testament to the diverse but interconnected origins of American music. Recent highlights include a 3-night run at The Blue Note in NYC, The Blue Plate Special Radio show in Knoxville TN, the Mountain Meltdown in Olean, NY, Ashkenaz in Berkeley CA, and numerous outreach, education, and college performances across America.

Hailing from the rolling hills of North Carolina, vocalist/guitarist Justin Poindexter is the descendent of a long line of southern storytellers. His songs and guitar pickin’ have been featured in award-winning films and albums, and in hundreds of venues from Georgia roadhouses to Lincoln Center in New York City. Justin is the recipient of numerous grants for his music research and composition, including grants from the Semans’ Art Fund and the Howard Hanson Institute for American Music.

Recently graduated from Columbia Univeristy vocalist/accordionist Sam Reider is to The Tres Amigos what the green chile is to the tamale. An avid scholar of 30's music, his wild and constantly surprising playing has been lighting up stages all across the country. Originally from San Francisco, in 2007 Sam's voice and keyboard stylings were featured on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz on National Public Radio. Since then he has toured extensively with his own band and released two critically acclaimed recordings.

A former resident of Oaxaca, Mexico and an alumnus of the Juilliard School,vocalist/saxophonist/percussionist Eddie Ray Barbash is the virtuosic fuel of The Tres Amigos machine. Winner of numerous awards for saxophone performance, Eddie Ray has performed in festivals all over the world including New Orleans’ Jazz Fest and the Monterey Jazz Festival and worked alongside artists ranging from drummer Chico Hamilton to New Orleans piano giant Dr. John. In his role as percussionist in The Tres Amigos, Eddie wields the Stradivarius of washboards, the Zinc King.

The Tres Amigos are gearing up to release their first radio broadcast. The show, which explores a different American cultural and musical theme each month, will be available first online and then over the good old fashion airwaves.

Please visit http://thetresamigos.bandcamp.com for audio samples.

For information please contact

All seats for this show are now reserved. See you next time.


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

The Bee Eaters Return to West 89th St. on Sept. 23

The Bee Eaters trace their roots back to musical traditions as diverse as bluegrass, Celtic, jazz and old-time. While today’s new breed often produces an amalgamation of sounds and styles based on a distant view, the Bee Eaters were raised embedded in these traditions… raised to mold, meld, shape them and carry them forward, leaving their own indelible marks in the process.

Brother-sister duo Tristan and Tashina Clarridge, long known and lauded by those steeped in the American fiddle tradition are joined by hammer dulcimer wizard Simon Chrisman and mandolin virtuoso Dominick Leslie.

Tashina Clarridge, the 2005 Grand National Fiddle Champion, has toured with Mark O’Connor, Tony Trischka and Laurie Lewis and has performed at Carnegie Hall as a part of MacArthur Fellow/Grammy-winning bassist Edgar Meyer’s Young Artists program. Multi-instrumentalist brother Tristan is an innovative cellist and 5-time Grand National Fiddle Champion. His talents have been sought by Darol Anger, Mike Marshall, Bruce Molsky and Cape Breton fiddle phenomenon Natalie MacMaster. In addition to performing with the Bee Eaters, he tours internationally with Crooked Still.

Hammer dulcimer virtuoso Simon Chrisman brings an unusual style to an instrument that has previously been thought to have limited range and technique. His inventive virtuosic touch and sophisticated rhythmic sensibilities are redefining the instrument and earning the attention of musicians from all over the world. He has performed with Darol Anger and Mike Marshall, opened for Bill Frisell and, at the tender age of 16, was a scholarship guest artist at the prestigious Augusta Heritage Festival.

Though only 21 years old, mandolinist Dominick Leslie has spent every one of those years immersed in bluegrass and acoustic music, and his innovative style and musical curiosity are informed by these deep roots. He has studied with mandolin masters David Grisman, Mike Marshall and Chris Thile, won numerous mandolin championships, and performed in France as a member of Mike Marshall's Young American Mandolin Ensemble. He has toured with Missy Raines, and currently performs with The Deadly Gentlemen and the Grant Gordy Quartet.

Since their formation in 2008 (with original member Wesley Corbett), the Bee Eaters have been on a trajectory of growth, both personal and musical. Their ensemble work has taken on mature, textured and nuanced tones, as their compositions have become more thoughtful and intricate. With Tashina’s delicate fiddle and Tristan’s grounding cello wrapped around Simon’s intricate and ethereal dulcimer and Dominick’s driving mandolin, they have created a never-before-heard sound in American music. No tricks. No pyrotechnics. Four instrumental voices, united in their musical exploration.

Listening to the Bee Eaters is like eavesdropping on a spirited, private conversation. As wonderful as their recorded music is, watching the Bee Eaters in live performance is an exercise in safe danger. They parry and thrust, challenging each other at every moment. Their focus on their music and on each other is tight and complete. Their melodic lines and rhythmic phrases dance (and sometimes roil) over, under and around each other. There is sometimes dissonance but always an ultimate harmony.

With the release of OddFellows Road on Sept. 6, 2011, the Bee Eaters continue to travel the country performing in clubs, concert halls and festivals, evangelists for their new American acoustic sound.

Perhaps Tony Trischka said it best: “Their impressive ensemble work… leaves me breathless. Their music excites, heals and enriches. Listen often."

Please contact Sandy at Sandilion49@gmail.com for information about reserving a seat for this concert.



Thursday, April 21, 2011

Inga Swearingen on Saturday, June 4


Inspired by songs from all over the world with a special nod towards American jazz standards, Inga Swearingen blends her infuences into a beautiful juxtaposition of styles and emotions. Whether putting her personal stamp on a standard or combining the understated grooves of bossa nova with Swedish folk melodies, Inga captivates her audience with her gift of joyful melodic invention.
Please check out her website;www.ingaswearingen.com/

Inga will be joined by Jeff Miley on guitar and Zack Lober on upright bass.

“Melodies unfold like Virginia Woolf’s best sentences, patiently building to an
expected climax before transcending it like a sweet exhalation of air.”
American Songwriter’s March/April 2010 review of Inga Swearingen's First Rain.

If you would like to reserve a seat for this performance, please email Sandy;sandilion49@gmail.com. This is the last house concert of our ninth season. Thank you to all of the hundreds of people in and around the New York City who have supported our concerts over the years. We will be hosting a new series starting in September 2011, so please check back at the end of the summer for the schedule.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Laura Cortese's Acoustic Project on April 16

Laura Cortese's Acoustic Project
featuring Natalie Haas, Brittany Haas and Mariel Vandersteel

“Ambition often follows talent, and Laura Cortese has an embarrassment of both. Her open-armed approach to her art reveals a determination to spread the word about folk music and dance without watering down their distinctiveness.” John Wenzel, Denver Post

Welding the propulsive grace of ancient fiddle styles to disarmingly open-hearted original pop songs, Laura Cortese has emerged among the most intriguing and versatile, musicians in the bountiful New England post-folk scene. At home in any number of traditional styles, her highly-visible work as a supporting musician (on fiddle, vocals, and bass) includes appearances with Uncle Earl, Tao Seeger, Band of Horses, and - as part of Pete Seeger's 90th birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden - Patterson Hood and Michael Franti. Laura will be touring to support the release of her Acoustic Project featuring Natalie Haas, Brittany Haas and Mariel Vandersteel this spring.

Vibrant young cellist Natalie Haas is a seasoned performer, recording artist, and teacher. She has joined master Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser for festival and concert appearances in Scotland, Spain, France, and throughout the U.S., including Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow, Scotland, the Festival Interceltique de Lorient in France, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. "People may be familiar with the gorgeous, melodic cello sound," says Fraser, "but they're surprised to learn that the cello used to comprise the rhythm section in Scottish dance bands. Natalie Haas unleashes textures and deep, powerful rhythms that drive fiddle tunes.

Brittany Haas' repertoire focuses on Appalachian mountain music played on the 5 string fiddle. She is currently a member of the Boston-based alternative bluegrass band, Crooked Still. She graduated from Princeton University in 2009 and was a member of the Princeton University Band. Previously she was a member of Darol Anger's Republic of Strings. Her first CD, Brittany Haas, was released on Ook records in 2004 and includes guest musicians Bruce Molsky, Darol Anger, Todd Sickafoose, Mike Marshall, and her sister, cellist Natalie Haas.

Mariel Vandersteel, a recent graduate of Berklee College of Music, has studied violin in Ireland with a cultural grant, at a folk school in Norway and at fiddle camps across the United States. She also plays Norway's hardingfele and plays with Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers, Laura Cortese, Putnam Smith and is currently working on her solo project.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Dean Stevens, At Last, on Saturday, March 12

For twenty five years Dean Stevens has delighted audiences of all ages throughout the Americas. An exuberant performer of distinctive style and wit, he combines an intricate, self-taught guitar style with a versatile and expressive singing voice. He has established himself as a formidable creator and interpreter of a wide spectrum of songs in English and Spanish. His own material explores a variety of personal and social topics, paints sketches of people and places, celebrates the Earth, and annoys the narrow minded.

Born and raised in Costa Rica, Dean Stevens is a lifelong student of Latin America. He learned Spanish at an early age, and readily absorbed the musical and topical influences of the region. He travels frequently to Central America, and has become known for his humanitarian efforts on behalf of refugees returning to their homes in El Salvador and Guatemala.

Please join us in welcoming our friend, Dean Stevens to New York City. For more infomation or to reserve a seat contact Sandy at Sandilion49@gmail.com


Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Beppe Gambetta on Saturday, February 5



The Jenkins House Concert series is pleased to welcome Beppe Gambetta to the Upper West Side from his new home in the hills of western New Jersey. Born in Genoa, Italy, Beppe has long been a student of traditional American roots music. His flat-picking guitar and vocal style reflect this and other influences which make Beppe a truly unique and sought after concert performer. Please join us on February 5 at 8:00.

RSVP to Sandilion49@gmail.com

Reserved seats sell out quickly so please RSVP as soon as possible and we will respond with the details. Some standing room is available for late reservations. This house concert is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

“Beppe Gambetta is an Artist. He inhabits a vantage point and possesses a world view that sets him apart from the crowded phalanx of merely great pickers. But just as importantly, he has the skills with a flatpick to articulate and bring to us the thoughts and feelings of his soul”
- Kevin Stevenson, Flatpicking Guitar Magazine

“His incredible versatility combined with his charm and engaging stage presence make Beppe’s concerts evenings of high quality music and relaxed entertainment. Over-riding all else, however, is the brilliance of his talent...” - Cornish Guardian

“Few players on the planet could so successfully fuse an unwavering allegiance to tradition with impatient, wide-eyed vision, tongue-in-cheek humor with solemn devotion, and folksy song styles with progressive improvisation as Gambetta...”
- John D’Agostino, Wood & Steel

“This was such exciting, varied, satisfying and just downright musical music that I wanted more, particularly of Gambetta in florid Italianate style...”
- Brian Miller, BBC RADIO Scotland