Molsky's Mountain Drifters, Saturday, January 7

The Jenkins House Concert series is happy to bring in the new year with Bruce Molsky's trio, Molsky's Mountain Drifters, on Saturday, January 7th. This newly formed group will be in NYC to present a showcase for APAP - The Association of Performing Arts Presenters.

Bruce Molsky, “one of America’s premier fiddling talents” (Mother Jones) and Grammy-nominated artist on fiddle, banjo, guitar and voice is delighted to present his new group already on tour in the US. Allison de Groot combines wide ranging virtuosity and passion for old-time music. She loves collaborating and bringing new ideas to old music, and a fresh approach to the trio.  Stash Wyslouch is one of bluegrass’ great young genre-bending pioneers. He got his start as a guitarist in metal bands before immersing himself in roots music as a member of The Deadly Gentlemen. Crossing over from the punk-metal world, Stash brings great sensitivity and real emotion to the trio, plus some superb guitar and vocal chops. We hope you'll join us to hear the collaboration of these three fine players!

http://brucemolsky.com/molsky-s-mountain-drifters
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"Bruce Molsky is one of those great players who 'gets it': has all the links to the past but is happy not to be chained to it" - Mark Knopfler

Please contact Sandilion49@gmail.com for reservations and details. This concert is filling up quickly so please RSVP soon. Note that the start time for this concert is 7:30 and the door opens at 7:00.

This show is sold out as of 12/30/16. See you next time.
Happy New Year 2017

Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem, on Friday, December 16

Wintersong CD release concert!!

Looking for a little light as the days get darker? Come party with Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem as they release WINTERSONG – a Christmas CD that skips the holiday canon and digs up the power and beauty at the roots of this ancient holiday.

Like New Englanders in wintertime, WINTERSONG summons two responses to the dark: reflection and celebration. Hole up and think about your life, then go out and party. The band’s CD release show will feature plenty of both, from danceable, electric guitar- and banjo-driven carols and songs, to hushed Tennyson and Longfellow settings, to fiddle-driven New Year’s shouts from the Georgia Sea Islands and Louisiana. The sum of these parts is a surprising winter journey full of fierce poetry, wild joy and hope for humanity. Hope you can join us. http://www.raniarbo.com/band/

Please contact Sandilion49@gmail.com for reservations and details.

This show is sold out as of 12/3. See you next time!

Sam Reider and Friends on October 29th

Sam Reider is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, NYC. A jazz pianist turned folk musician, Sam has spent the last eight years redefining American roots music on the accordion. His original music draws inspiration from sources ranging from Woody Guthrie to George Gershwin to Ennio Morricone. Sam has been featured on Marian McPartland’s “Piano Jazz” on NPR, the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, toured in seven countries overseas, and appears regularly at Jazz at Lincoln Center and major festivals nationwide.

Sam is co-leader of Brooklyn-based roots band Silver City Bound, which the Huffington Post calls, “Americana at its best.” In 2013 the U.S. Department of State selected Silver City Bound to be cultural ambassadors overseas, and they conducted a six-week tour of China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. In 2016 they went abroad again, this time to Azerbaijan and Istanbul, where they collaborated on a benefit concert with young Syrian, Turkish, Kurdish, Palestinian, and American musicians. Global Citizen’s coverage of the concert is available here.

In addition to his work with Silver City Bound, Sam leads a collective of acoustic musicians based in Brooklyn, NY. He collaborates regularly with swing guitarist Roy Williams, mandolinist Jacob Joliff (Yonder Mountain String Band, Joy Kills Sorrow), violinist Alex Hargreaves (Turtle Island Quartet, Sarah Jarosz Band), bluegrass guitarist Grant Gordy (David Grisman Quintet), and saxophonist Eddie Barbash (Jon Batiste Stay Human Band). Consummate performers and improvisers with conservatory-training, these artists are boldly reshaping the landscape of American acoustic music. You can find them playing weekly in different formats at Rockwood Music Hall, Sunny’s Bar, Barbes, Bar Lunatico, and other venues around New York City.

Sam is committed to having a positive impact on his community. Sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center, Sam does over sixty concerts and workshops each year at public schools around the country. These performances explore the links between American music and social studies themes like freedom, democracy, and civil rights. Sam’s interest in music and social change began when he planned a benefit concert that raised $15,000 for San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention center. The San Francisco Chronicle ran an article on the front page of the entertainment section, “He's got rhythm. And for someone his age, plenty of soul, too.”

Suzy Williams, "LA's Diva Deluxe" on Oct 1

Suzy Williams is a singer-songwriter from Venice, California. She has been declared "LA's Diva Deluxe" by the Los Angeles Weekly, and "the Songbird of Venice" by the Venice Beachhead newspaper. Suzy is known for her "enormously amusing, endearing presence ... with tough, belting authority" (John Rockwell, New York Times) as well as her voice that is “vibrant and lusty ... great gusto and bold emotion" (Nat Hentoff, Cosmopolitan) and her "energy must be seen to be believed ... a natural performer" (Robert Palmer, New York Times).

Rich Jenkins is a consummate pianist and working musician from New York City. He has worked with Suzy at The Sweet Chariot Music Festival on Swan’s Island, Maine for the past18 years. Rich has mastered thousands of songs throughout his career, playing and singing in hotels and other piano rooms across the city, including The St. Regis Hotel, Mario Batali’s Del Posto and his personal favorite, Central Park's Boat House.

We are located on Manhattan's Upper West Side. For more information contact Sandilion49@gmail.com.

Geoff Kaufman on Friday, September 9

Geoff Kaufman, recognized as one of the finer tenors on the folk scene today, has been leading audiences to find truth, humor and beauty in folk music for over thirty years, singing sailor songs at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut, environmental songs on board the Sloop Clearwater in the Hudson River; and in solo performances at coffeehouses throughout the U. S. to festivals in Europe.

One of Geoff's great delights for the last twenty years has been being part of an amazing collection of performers who gather each year in August on Swans Island in Maine for the Sweet Chariot Music and Art Festival. That's where he met Sandy Jenkins, host of this concert series (and her incredibly talented family) as well as two people who loom large in Geoff's latest, brand new recording. One, Eric Kilburn, audio engineer and master mandolin player, said he knew the mics he's use for a “next” album, and the other, NYC bassist Ritt Henn was just too good not to invite to be on the project.

So in celebration of this new CD, Geoff has asked Ritt to join him, as well as his favorite female harmony singer, Alison Kelley (also on the album), for and evening featuring songs from “Restless Waters” as well as other favorites of both the performers and audience.

Please RSVP Sandy at: Sandilion49@gmail.com. As a courtesy please let us know if your plans change so that we can contact anyone on our waiting list. Our concerts are held about once a month on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Jordan Tice and Horse County on Saturday, June 4th

Jordan Tice and Horse County will be making their first appearance at The Jenkins House Concert series on June 4, 2016 - Dominick Leslie on mandolin, Jordan Tice on guitar, and Mike Witcher on dobro. Jordan has appeared here several times with another trio featuring Paul Kowert and Brittany Haas. Dominick also played at our house concert last November with Eddie Barbash. And so we will welcome Mike Witcher as the only true newcomer to our upper west side concert room. Knowing each of their musical backgrounds you can be sure that their collaboration will be unique and stunning to the ear. We encourage you to RSVP soon so that a seat can be set aside for you. Please let us know how many will be in your party and we will send you the directions and details. We are located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Please RSVP to; sandilion49@gmail.com

The Jeremy Kittel Trio on Saturday, April 16th

Jeremy Kittel has earned the reputation as one of the most versatile and dynamic fiddlers of his generation. A fellow New Yorker who resides in Brooklyn these days, this is Jeremy’s third appearance at a Jenkins’ House Concert on the Upper West Side. This time he will appear with an outstanding ensemble of musicians with whom he is collaborating to present his unique compositions. This trio includes: Jeremy Kittel, violin/fiddle – Joshua Pinkham, mandolin – Quinn Bachand, guitar. Be prepared for sophisticated rhythmic interplay, ingenious tonal flexibility and jaw dropping  technique, both from the players as individuals and The Jeremy Kittel Trio as a whole. 

"Jeremy Kittel is at the vanguard of a whole new movement in fiddle music.”  Martin Hayes

“A consummate musician whose style and repertoire sit somewhere between Nashville and Nairn” - Folk World

Please RSVP Sandy at: Sandilion49@gmail.com if you would like to reserve a seat or ask for further information.   

The Murphy Beds on Friday, March 11

On Friday, March 11th, The Murphy Beds (Jefferson Hamer and Eamon O’Leary) will perform traditional and original folk songs with close harmonies and deft instrumental arrangements on bouzouki, guitar, and mandolin. They have performed and collaborated with artists across the folk spectrum including Beth Orton, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Anais Mitchell, and Sam Amidon.

“their great feat turns out to be taking what’s best of the classic Irish folk revival without falling into any of its clichés. The resulting album bears repeated listening from start to finish, with ten beautiful, crystalline songs.” –Huffington Post

Eamon started playing Irish music while growing up in Dublin through his friendship with the Mayock family, traditional musicians from County Mayo. When he moved to New York City in the early 90’s, he immersed himself in the city’s traditional music scene and travelled widely, performing with many of the great players in Irish music. In 2004 he and fiddler Patrick Ourceau released the album Live at Mona’s. Eamon has taught at many traditional music programs in the US and also records and performs original music. His last solo record, Old Clump, was released in 2012.

Jefferson is a guitarist and singer based in Brooklyn, NY. In 2013, in addition to The Murphy Beds, he and songwriter Anais Mitchell released Child Ballads, a collection of new adaptations of English and Scottish folk songs which won a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award. In the Oct. 2013 issue, Acoustic Guitar magazine wrote, “A gifted guitarist and singer, Hamer is able to hit close harmonies… and weave gorgeous instrumental lines.”

Lily Henley on Saturday, February 13

Cross-pollinated fiddler, singer, songwriter Lily Henley, will make her second appearance at a Jenkins House Concert on Saturday, February 13. She grew up with folk and American roots music influences as well as the language and rhythms of Sephardic culture. 

This is why her music is unique and flowing with Old World influences from Tel Aviv to the Celtic Isles. She attended the New England Conservatory which is where she met many of the acoustic players that she appears with on a regular basis, including Duncan Wickel on violin. Stash Wyslouch, bass, will also be joining this stellar duo. Lily's beautiful voice and powerful fiddling bring new heights to the New York Americana scene. 

Please RSVP to Sandilion49@gmail.com for information and details.