Brittany and Lauren on Friday, February 22

We are thrilled to welcome Brittany Haas back to our house concert series along with fellow musician, Lauren Rioux. These two fiddlers from widely respected bands (Brittany Haas of Crooked Still, and Lauren Rioux from Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings) have joined forces as a duo. They bring their extensive knowledge of Appalachian music and experience of being at the forefront of the contemporary string band scene, as well as the strength and depth of seasoned performers. Their music is steeped in groove, emotion-filled and harmonically progressive. The joy they share on stage as they weave and dance through duets on their instruments and vocals is palpable among audiences.

"There's no one I'd rather listen to play the violin than Brittany Haas – her playing just slays me." -- Matt Glaser

 "A versatile, soulful fiddler and vocalist, ...Lauren is...powered by the Right Stuff: an irresistible sense of fun, and her endearing radiation of the pure joy of making music. " --Darol Anger

Jenkins House Concerts is located in Manhattan's Upper West Side. To reserve a seat(s) for the concert on February 22, please email Sandy Jenkins for details and directions at Sandilion49@gmail.com.

This concert is sold out. Hope to see you next time.

The April Verch Band on January 12, 2013

The April Verch Band will kick off our 2013 concerts on Saturday, January 12. April Verch, doesn’t just perform music, she exudes it. The internationally renowned Canadian fiddler, singer, songwriter and stepdancer has a passion for performing and her goal is to touch the lives of those who are listening at any given moment. “The world is this amazing puzzle that we can’t fully understand and music is the joy that pulls it all together and helps us make sense of it,” says Verch, with a dynamic excitement and confidence that makes you believe her in a heartbeat. 

Dirk Powell, a multi-instrumentalist, who’s worked with Jack White, Joan Baez, Riverdance and the film Cold Mountain, is awed by April’s ability to play any kind of roots music as though it was her native tongue. “She’s so fluent in the language of music that she never needs to imitate,” Powell says. “She hears the heart of it and lets that become part of her core. April’s just got that, man; she’s always speaking the language for real. She is a rare mix of all the technique and super-flashy things, along with the deep soul and tradition that comes from having grown up with the music." 

Verch was born to traditional music, in Canada’s hard-working, hard-dancing Ottawa Valley. She was a local star at four, step dancing with her sister and winning awards at contests. The fact that they were for “Youngest Competitor” didn’t dampen her child-eyed enthusiasm. She became the first woman in history to win both of Canada’s most prestigious fiddle championships, the Grand Masters and Canadian Open; and when Canada hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, she was asked to represent her country’s music at the opening ceremonies. 

Powell also says, “April has an amazing ability to touch people’s hearts, get them having fun, and sharing the whole range of human emotions. She’s a grand master fiddler and a very expressive singer, but what sets her apart is the openness, humor and social fun she got growing up in the music. It's not always easy for professionals to keep that social joy in their music. Even though April is playing at a very high level, she brings that explosive joy with her.” 

That desire to share music is why she’s among the most in-demand performers in roots music today, both with her own crack three-piece band and Bowfire, with whom she occasionally tours. The April Verch Band consists of April at the helm and world-class musicians Clay Ross on guitar and Cody Walters on upright-electric bass and banjo. They have toured across Canada, the United States, the U.K., Europe, Australia and China. Together they have established a reputation as consummate performers with boundless energy on stage that inevitably brings audiences to their feet. 

Jenkins House Concerts is located in Manhattan's Upper West Side. To reserve a seat(s) for April concert on January 12, please email Sandy Jenkins for details and directions at Sandilion49@gmail.com.

Hanneke Cassel, Mike Block and Keith Murphy, Nov. 9

"Exuberant and rhythmic, somehow both wild and innocent, delivered with captivating melodic clarity and an irresistible playfulness," says The Boston Globe about Hanneke Cassel's playing. Such charismatic fiddling has brought Hanneke Cassel many honors and awards. She is the 1997 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, she holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Berklee College of Music, and she has performed and taught across the U.S., Scotland, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, Italy, China, and Austria.

In addition to her solo act, Hanneke has played for the Cathie Ryan Band, and is a member of Boston-based fiddle bands Childsplay and Halali. She has made guest appearances with Cherish the Ladies, Alasdair Fraser, Matt Glaser and the Wayfaring Strangers, Ensemble Galilei, and Joey McIntyre (from New Kids on the Block). Her fiddling has graced the stages of Bostons Symphony Hall (opening for Judy Collins), Mountain Stage, The Plaza Hotel, Lincoln Center, the Boston Hatch Shell, and the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.

Native of Port Orford, Oregon, Hanneke started playing classical violin when she was 8-years old. She met Portland-based fiddler Carol Ann Wheeler when she was 10 at an Texas-style fiddle contest. She soon quit classical, started taking fiddle lessons with Carol Ann, and began competing in contests throughout the Northwest. In 1991, Hanneke entered the Columbia-Pacific Scottish Fiddle Contest in Portland. She won the Jr. contest and went on a year later to capture the U.S. National Scottish Jr. Championship in New Hampshire. With this honor came a scholarship to study on the Isle of Skye, Scotland with the renowned Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser and Cape Breton master Buddy MacMaster.

website:http://www.hannekecassel.com/

Hanneke has asked Mike Block and Keith Murphy to join her in New York on November 9. Please email: Sandilion49@gmail.com for more information.

This concert is sold out as of 10/17/12. Please keep in touch about future concerts.

Keith Murphy and Becky Tracy Duo on Oct. 13th

Becky and Keith are dynamic performers of traditional music from Newfoundland, Quebec, Ireland, France and beyond. Tracy’s fiddling pulses through tasteful arrangements of dance tunes and resonates with beauty on traditional slow airs. Keith’s gentle and expressive singing in English and French is balanced by the drive and power of his guitar playing and foot percussion. Combined, they produce a range and richness of sound that is striking for a duo. Their playing is seamless, the result of years of playing together and touring across the U.S., Canada and in Europe. Their repertoire also includes Keith’s original compositions (many of which are included in the Black Isle Music tune collection). He is a prolific tunesmith with a writing style strongly based on traditional dance music. Keith and Becky were two thirds of the popular Vermont trio, Nightingale and are veterans of several other bands including Childsplay and Assembly (Keith) and Wild Asparagus (Becky). They can be heard on recordings of all these bands and many others. Becky released her first solo recording, Evergreen, in 2001. Keith’s album, Bound For Canaan (traditional songs from Eastern Canada and New England) was released in the summer of 2005 and he has recently rededicated himself to his work as a solo performer.

To reserve a seat for this performance, please email Sandilion49@gmail.com.

The Claire Lynch Band on September 22

We are pleased to announce that The Claire Lynch Band will  open The Jenkins' House Concerts' 10th season on Saturday, September 22. By any measure, these musicians are high on the bluegrass world's A-List, whose accolades include two International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Female Vocalist of the Year awards and two Grammy nominations for Best Bluegrass Album (Claire); the MerleFest Doc Watson Guitar Champion (Matt Wingate); two IBMA Bass Player of the Year awards (Mark Schatz) and an unprecedented triple first-place win at the Winfield Kansas National Flatpicking Championship on guitar, fiddle and mandolin (Bryan McDowell). 

Claire's musical direction dates back to the days of the Front Porch String Band, resulting in a seasoned sound that is simultaneously unpretentious and richly textured. It's a down-home, front porch sensibility—until you realize that it's a rare front porch, indeed, that has ever hosted musicians of this caliber. The band is grounded by bassist Mark Schatz's deft touch and masterful instinct for groove. North Carolina native Bryan McDowell brings gifted chops that reveal a captivating style and a balanced intellect. And Matt Wingate is a remarkably soulful young gun whose mature improvisational musicality is seemingly far beyond his years, making him instantly at home in one of the greatest acoustic bands currently on the scene. 

If you are interested in joining us on September 22, please contact Sandy Jenkins for further information at Sandilion49@gmail.com. This house concert is located on The Upper West of Manhattan.

Banjo Master, Bela Fleck, on June 14th

Thanks to serendipity and our previous concert performer, Rayna Gellert for the recommendation, we were able to host an intimate, last minute concert for banjo master, Bela Fleck, who wanted to try out some arrangements for his solo set at the Clearwater Festival the next weekend. His program included many original compositions, Bach and a tribute to Earl Scruggs. Bela welcomed feedback after each tune and took some questions at the end of his set. He was even graciously good-humored about the banjo jokes. Thanks Bela and we hope you can stop by again. 


Happy Summer everyone. See you next season!

Teresa Tudury returns to NYC on May 19

Returning to our house concert series is Teresa Tudury-songwriter, singer, and "bringer of levity and grace." Teresa's first appearance in 2010 "brought the house down," with her comedic wit and passionate lyrics. You will not want to miss this unique evening. Having played along side of Teresa at the Sweet Chariot Music Festival, we look forward to welcoming her back to New York City during her 2012 East Coast tour.


TERESA TUDURY started writing songs at age 12 and was performing in San Francisco nightclubs by the time she was 15. She has played on and off in the Bay Area for years, and for almost two decades was based in Los Angeles where in addition to music gigs, she wrote comedy and worked as a character actress on stage and screen.

With a deep, sultry voice that magnetizes audiences, and a scathing comedic wit to match, Teresa is a consummate performer who pours out her original songs with power, verve, passion, and disarming humor. Teresa's voice has been described as a cross between Bette Midler and Bonnie Raitt (LA Weekly). Her vocal stylings are perfectly complemented by her bluesy guitar playing.

Throughout her career, Teresa has recorded or performed with such greats as Leonard Cohen, Rickie Lee Jones, Lyle Lovett, Taj Mahal, Leo Kottke and Bonnie Bramlett. Now residing in Sonoma County, Teresa continues to perform and write new material. She recently rereleased her 1992 self-titled solo album, Teresa Tudury, her 2002 CD, River Of Life, and her 2010 release, Such Fine Things. With a steady stream of concerts coming up, Teresa is a gifted artist in her prime. www.teresatudury.net/ 

Please email Sandy at: Sandilion49@gmail.com, for a reserved seat at this Manhattan based house concert.