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JUNE 2012
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Southern Rail:

Saturday, June 9, 7:30 P.M.
Champagne Reception for the opening of the 2012 Season at 6:45 P.M.

Tix $15 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

Exciting Top-Notch Bluegrass.

Southern Rail's bluegrass music is high-energy exuberant fun, with riveting harmonies, irrepressible humor, and sparkling banjo and mandolin solo work. This talented quartet has been performing since 1978, and is about to release their 12th recording. Their reputation for strong original material, heart-stopping harmonies, and infectious good humor has spread to both coasts. The group's performances range from Folk Festivals to Bluegrass Festivals, from Coffeehouses and Concert Halls to Church services, from Art Institutes to Educational Television. Southern Rail is on the Touring Roster for the New England Foundation For the Arts.

This is the official opening concert of our 2012 Summer Concert Series, and marks our 25th year as a performing arts organization. There will be a champagne reception prior to the performance. Please come and help us celebrate the start of another fantastic summer at the Meetinghouse. Arrive a little early (about 6:30-6:45) and have some refreshments. It's always a great pre-concert party.

           ARTISTS' WEB SITE

 

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Quabbin Valley Pro Musica:

Sunday, June 10, 4:00 P.M.
Tix $15 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

Mozart Choral.

QVPM, the resident chorus of 1794 Meetinghouse, Inc., is directed by Dr. Charles Heffernan, Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He directed the Keene New Hampshire Chorale for more than twenty years.

Leopold Mozart's Missa Brevis in C, KV 115, takes the spotlight for the Sunday, June 10 Quabbin Valley Pro Musica concert at 4 in 1794 Meetinghouse. Charles Heffernan conducts QVPM, the Meetinghouse resident chorus, in a rare offering of the Missa Brevis, originally ascribed to Leopold's son Wolfgang. The program also includes offerings by two choristers, Carolyn Brown Senier's "Speranza" with lyrics by her husband Richard Senier, and Allison Pollitt's "Light of Dedication," with references to passages from Genesis. The program opens with Wolfgang Mozart's "Ave Verum Corpus." Dr. Heffernan has selected music by the late Massachusetts twentieth century composer, Randall Thompson, including an "Alleluia" and four parts of Frostiana, commissioned by the Town of Amherst in 1958 for its 250th anniversary celebration with words from Amherst poet Robert Frost. Judy Johnson of Orange will accompany the 40-member chorus on keyboard, and Mary Carfagna of Petersham will add her cello to the Missa Brevis.

 

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Guy Mendilow & Aubrey Johnson:

Thursday, June 14, 7:30 P.M.
Tix $15 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

One of Boston's most original world-music acts.

Get ready for a musical voyage awash with warm harmonies, intricate textures and spellbinding vocal improvisations. Award winning performers Guy Mendilow and Aubrey Johnson breathe new life into centuries-old Sephardi romanzas and canticas. Epic tales of sailors and love lost to the seas, of fantastic dreams and the intrigue of kings and queens abound in arrangements that crackle and evolve in rich musical storytelling.

Now, for the 2012/13 season only, Israeli-born composer Guy Mendilow (twice voted Boston’s Best World Music Act - Boston Phoenix) and Aubrey Johnson (voice faculty, Berklee College of Music, Boston) break away from theaters, festivals and from their sextet to offer a special duo presentation geared especially for the intimacy of smaller venues.

Sail into a new world of old Ladino music re-imagined by this charismatic duo. Guy and Aubrey bring these songs back to their roots as a music of the streets and of fiestas, alive with adventure and humor and grit.

               ARTIST'S WEB SITE

 
 

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Darlingside:

Saturday, June 16, 7:30 P.M.
Tix $15 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

Darlingside Resides at the Intersection of Rock, Classical, and Folk.

Established in September 2009 as Northampton, MA’s premier “string-rock” quintet, Darlingside has quickly taken hold in New England’s musical imagination.  Playing over 100 shows during their first year of touring, the band has created a seamless, exhilarating sound at the intersection of rock, classical, and folk music.  Their first studio offering, EP 1, has earned high praise for its craftsmanship and originality, and the band’s new material has further expanded their artistic range.

Together only a year, they have already played to packed houses from Portland to D.C., headlining such prestigious venues as The Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, Brooklyn Bowl in NYC and the Paramount Theatre in Rutland, VT. Lush five-part harmonies, classical cello-violin duets and compelling break-beats characterize the band's sound. Darlingside keeps audiences on their toes with exuberant stage presence, spontaneous a cappella, frequent instrument switches, mind-boggling covers and a widely eclectic, cross-genre blend of original material.

A happy place between indie rock and folk, Darlingside's self-titled album comprises powerhouse vocals, dreamy harmonies, dominating cello and violin interjections and good ol' fashion guitar picking. The self-declared "string rock" quintet exudes musical aptitude with an effortless air in six soft, self-reflective and narrative songs, interspersed with jaunty hand-clapping.

Sam Kapala: drums, vocals
Don Mitchell : guitar, vocals
Auyon Mukharji: mandolin, violin, vocals
Harris Paseltiner: cello, guitar, vocals
David Senft: vocals, bass guitar, guitar

   

ARTIST'S WEB SITE     LISTEN TO MORE DARLINGSIDE MUSIC

 

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Rebecca Hartka, Hartka-Hayes Duo:

Sunday, June 17, 4:00 P.M.
Tix $10 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

"Fathers of Classical: Bach, Beethovan & Brahms". 

PROGRAM:
Johann Sebastian Bach:  Sonata no. 1 in G Major for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord BMV 1027
Ludwig van Beethoven:  Sonata in G minor for Cello and Piano, op. 5 no. 2
Johannes Brahms:  Sonata in E minor for Cello and Piano, op. 38
Claude Debussy:  Sonata in D Minor for Cello and Piano, L. no 135

 

Active as a soloist, chamber musician and educator, cellist Dr Rebecca Hartka released her debut CD "Folkfire" in October 2010, receiving critical acclaim as well as radio play on both WFCR and WAMC Performance Place. Her international solo debut in 2007 in Vietnam was reviewed by a local paper as "... no less than magical and eloquent." As comfortable in a café as a concert hall, Hartka has appeared in venues such as the Boston Center for the Arts, the Rockwood music club in New York and Club Passim in Cambridge, MA. She has recently appeared at the Dweck Center for Contemporary Culture in Brooklyn, NY, on the North Quabbin Center for the Arts series, the Exploring the Arts series, the 88 Keys series, and the Jazz and More series. As one of the founding members of the Phoenix Trio, she gave regular concert tours throughout the country from 2006-2009. Hartka has been featured as a guest artist in a concert tour with the Meritage Quartet and has also performed with Serenata Chamber Players, Boston College Contemporary Music Ensemble, Hyperprism, the Fringe Festival, Cape Ann Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Intermountain Opera Company, among others. Hartka earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts and Masters in Music from Boston University College of Fine Arts and her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Oberlin College and Conservatory studying with Peter Rejto, Andor Toth, Michael Reynolds, Rhonda Rider and Leslie Parnas.

Joining the cellist on stage will be internationally known pianist, Gregory Hayes. Hayes has taught piano and harpsichord at Dartmouth College since 1991. He plays harpsichord, piano, and celesta regularly for the Albany Symphony Orchestra, and has also performed with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke's (New York), and Arcadia Players. He has participated often in the New England Bach Festival and Marlboro Music Festival, and on the Mohawk Trail Concerts series. He is longtime music director for the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence (Massachusetts). Mr. Hayes is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Amherst College and the Manhattan School of Music. His teachers have included Ming Tcherepnin, Kenneth Fearn, Dora Zaslavsky, and Raymond Hanson. He lives in Goshen (Massachusetts) and has taught for many summers at Greenwood Music Camp in nearby Cummington.

  ARTIST'S WEB SITE

 

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Tim Eriksen:

Thursday, June 21, 7:30 P.M.
Tix $15 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

Stark Songs and Breakneck Picking… Hardcore Americana.

Tim Eriksen is acclaimed for transforming American tradition with his startling interpretations of old ballads, love songs, shape-note gospel and dance tunes from New England and Southern Appalachia. He combines hair-raising vocals with inventive accompaniment on banjo, fiddle, guitar and bajo sexto - a twelve string Mexican acoustic bass - creating a distinctive hardcore Americana sound that ranges from the bare bones of solo unaccompanied singing, through the stripped-down voice and bajo sexto, to the lush, multi-layered arrangements of northern roots American music.

Eriksen's own compositions, which NetRhythms UK described as "strange and original works," have been featured in films like the Billy Bob Thornton vehicle Chrystal and the upcoming documentary Behold the Earth. Eriksen's other notable work has included extensive contributions to Anthony Minghella's 2004 Oscar-winning film Cold Mountain as well as collaborations ranging from hardcore punk and Bosnian pop to symphony orchestra and the 2010 Grammy-nominated album Across the Divide with Afro-Cuban world-jazz pianist Omar Sosa.

 

              ARTIST'S WEB SITE

 

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Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez:

with special guest; Mitch Chakour

Saturday, June 23, 7:30 P.M.
Tix $15 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

The Queen of Blue-Eyed Rock n' Soul. Incendiary and Eclectic!

The heart of Christine Ohlman has belonged to rock n' roll from just about the moment she could walk and talk. By the time she traveled from Boston to New York on an overnight train to make her first record at the age of 16, writing the "B" side on the way to the studio, she was already a veteran of the local coffeehouse circuit around New Haven, Connecticut. "The first guy who ever signed me flew down from New York City to hear the band; he signed us the same day," she says. "We were in the studio practically before we knew what hit us recording a version of Al Kooper's 'Wake Me, Shake Me.' The next thing we knew, we were on the charts and I was in heaven!"

Christine was a founding member of The Scratch Band, legendary throughout the Northeast for their incendiary and eclectic live shows, and her stark, piano-accompanied version of Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want To Be With You" from their first LP was a turntable hit in the U.K. Beginning in September 1991, a portion of The Scratch Band reunited in the studios of NBC's Saturday Night Live with Christine joining guitarist/vocalist/musical director G.E. Smith and bassist Paul Ossola, both former Scratch Band members, in the SNL band. At one point, the 11-member group, featuring in its repertoire a heavy dose of Christine's favorite music—southern soul—took the stage (joined by Ry Cooder, Steve Cropper and Maceo Parker) as the house band for The Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Awards, a performance that was, in Ohlman's words, "just about the biggest flat-out thrill of my life.

While touring and recording with Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez are the main focus, Ohlman has other all-star concert appearances to her credit, including the Lincoln Center “American Songbook” Series (with Sting and Lou Reed), the 2009 Obama Inaugural Gala, and Celebrate Brooklyn’s Tribute to Bill Withers (with Nona Hendryx and My Morning Jacket’s Jim James). She continues to perform with the SNL Band, appearing with Al Green on the show's 25th Anniversary Special and in the hilarious 2010 commercial parody “Carter n’ Sons Barbeque.” She is a sought-after studio guest vocalist, appearing on Ian Hunter's Shrunken Heads (named one the Top 20 CDs of 2007 by the New York Daily News), Big Al Anderson's Pawn Shop Guitars, and two CDs by esteemed Irish punk group Black 47.

Also appearing on stage with Ohlman & Montez will be Mitch Chakour Mitch has been playing music professionally since he was 15. He has played with BONNIE RAITT, CHUCK BERRY, HOWLIN WOLF, HUBERT SUMLIN, MATT "GUITAR MURPHY, PINETOP PERKINS, HOUND DOG TAYLOR, KOKO TAYLOR, KATE TAYLOR, JAMES TAYLOR, JAMES MONTGOMERY
Mitch spent 6 years as pianist and Musical director for JOE COCKER. Playing on "Wood Stock In Europe" 1979.. "A Luxury You Can Afford" and many World tours.
Recently Mitch has played with DAPHNE RUBIN-VEGA from "Rent", Recorded "Hope" a CD for an event that he performed at with the DALI LAMA in a benefit for The Tibetan Exile.

 

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Glenn Jones:

Sunday, June 24, 4:00 P.M.
Tix $15 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

"The best guitarist you never heard of." —The Boston Globe

Since 1989, Glenn Jones has led Boston’s “avant -garage” instrumental rock band, Cul de Sac, whose musical adventures are documented on nine albums to date, including a soundtrack for cult-director Roger Corman, and collaborations with guitarist John Fahey and former Can vocalist Damo Suzuki.

A 30+-year devotee of the so-called American Primitive school of acoustic steel string guitarists, Glenn Jones has been playing guitar since the age of 14. Jones has performed with and written extensively about the leading lights of the American Primitive guitar style, John Fahey and Robbie Basho.

 

          GLENN'S WEB PAGE     FRONTPORCH PRODUCTIONS

 

 

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Digney Fignus:

Thursday, June 28, 7:30 P.M.
Tix $10 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

A Most Sophisticated Blend of Blues, Folk and Cajun.

Digney Fignus is a Boston based singer/songwriter. His latest CD, Last Planet on the Left further cements Digney's standing as one of the most complete and thought-provoking songwriters gracing the roots/Americana landscape. Lyrically positive and musically as brilliant as ever. "Fig's" songs have more hooks and lures than a fishing tackle box. If his music doesn't get you moving, check your pulse and see if you're still alive!"

Doug Sloan of Metronome Magazine says of Fignus, "Sounding like Randy Newman in his heyday, Digney wrangles up songs that bubble with grooves so infectious, you're going to need a good liniment to work them out."

Digney arrived on the music scene playing guitar and singing in a three-piece Boston punk band called the SPIKES. Scoring on local radio with songs like "Air Raid" and "Summer Vacation." THE SPIKES performed for underground loft shows that eventually led Digney to run one of the first "Punk" night clubs in Boston, ("Streets" voted Boston's #1 nightclub by the Boston Phoenix). Digney's big break came in when he won the MTV basement tapes with his hit song and video The Girl With the Curious Hand.

Digney's shows are high-energy full throttle fun that feature contagious songs that you'll be singing the next day.

 

             ARTIST'S WEB SITE

 

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Samantha Farrell:

Saturday, June 30, 7:30 P.M.
Tix $10 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

Singer/Songwriter with a Liquor-Honey Voice, Deft Guitar Work.

Samantha Farrell is a sparkling young singer-songwriter based out of Boston who combines raw and emotional melodies with poetic lyrics. The daughter of an Irish American father and African American mother, she was born in Boston, and raised on a farm in rural Massachusetts where music was a constant part of the colorful fabric of her life. Influenced early on by old school soul, jazz and R&B as well as the likes of singer-songwriters such as Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, Samantha has fused these different genres into a style all of her own. Self taught on nine of the ten instruments she plays, her music is a rootsy and soulful blend of urgent and catchy melodies, expressive, accessible lyrics and powerful acoustic guitar. Her music has been heard on several major network television shows, as well as numerous independent movies.

Samantha was discovered by Dave Matthews Band founding member and saxophonist LeRoi Moore in Los Angeles CA, where Farrell had been a staple on the singer-songwriter circuit. Moore immediately went in studio with Samantha in the summer of 2008, producing the tracks that would become “Luminous.” Dave Matthews Band also welcomed Samantha to join the roster at the Mile High Music Festival in Denver.

LeRoi Moore died suddenly and unexpectedly in Los Angeles on August 19th, 2008. After Moore’s passing, “Luminous” was finally mixed and mastered according to notes that he had written from his hospital bed.
Upon it's independent release, "Luminous," , shot up the charts and peaked at #8 on the national pop iTunes charts. Farrell's voice and songwriting have impressed scores of new fans world wide, and critics alike; Relix Magazine wrote that her "elegant sophomore effort...showcases her prodigious and undulating vocals that are delivered with rare, swinging passion."

 

    ARTIST'S WEB SITE

 

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JULY 2012

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Judith Gordon:

Sunday, July 1, 4:00 P.M.
Tix $10 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

Classical Piano.

Judith Gordon gave her New York debut recital at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1990. She has performed concertos by Mozart, Saint-Saëns, and Ravel with the Boston Pops Orchestra, and works by Bach,Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Hindemith, Berg, and Boulez with ensembles that include St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra. She has worked with a wide range of living composers, among them Martin Brody, Peter Child, Alan Fletcher, John Harbison, Lee Hyla, Peter Lieberson, and Donald Wheelock, almost all of whom have written works for her. In 1997 she was selected by the Boston Globe as "Musician of the Year." She joined the Smith College music faculty in 2006.

In addition to her Smith and Five College colleagues, Ms. Gordon has collaborated in performance and on recordings with artists including singers Lisa Saffer, Janice Felty, Mary Nessinger, Krista River, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, William Hite, and James Maddalena; cellists Andres Diaz, Rhonda Rider, and Yo-Yo Ma; violists Cynthia Phelps, Marcus Thompson, and Roger Tapping; violinists Rose Mary Harbison and Andrew Kohji Taylor; flutists Fenwick Smith and Adam Kuenzel; Imani Winds, the Jacques Thibaud String Trio, and the Borromeo, Daedalus, and Lydian String Quartets.

 

    

JUDITH'S PAGE/SMITH COLLEGE MUSIC FACULTY    

LISTEN TO JUDITH ON SOUNDCLOUD

 

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Garold Amadon is Gibbon the Troubadour:

Saturday, July 7, 7:30 P.M.
Tix $10 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

A 21st Century Caricature of a 16th Century Minstrel. Powerful 12 String Guitar and Vocals

A seasoned musician-entertainer, GAROLD AMADON accompanies himself on accoustic twelve-string guitar in a powerful vocal performance.  In true troubadour spirit, his pictorial introductions possess a unique edge that shapes each of his lyrical compositions into captivating ballads.

His writing style displays a wide variety of musical influences enhanced by twenty years of performance time developing an entertaining professional attitude.

Amadon hails from Athol, Massachusetts.  Throughout the 70's, the entertainment scene in New England sparked Garold's strong desire to travel and bring his music to college towns and resort areas.  Before leaving the northeast he averaged 150 club dates per year and accumulated over 60 performances in musical theatre in several lead roles with two community theatre groups.

A Garold Amadon performance will swing you from a light jazzy format to heart-felt original versions of 70's folk-rock ballads. He'll set you sailing across the wild briny ocean swells with rich samples of original and traditional seafarin' tunes that are sure to raise many a tankard in stouthearted fashion.

 

      ARTIST'S WEB SITE     LISTEN ON REVERBNATION

 

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Laura Siersema:

Sunday, July 8, 4:00 P.M.
Tix $10 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

Dreamy, Lush, Fiercely Original Folk!

Her dreamy voice is sure to delight the audience as she transforms the folk music of her childhood into new and visionary works.

Laura didn’t know music was her purpose in life until she went away to college—by then the family had moved to Florida. During classes at University of Florida she wrote lyrics on napkins and, in-between classes, stole away to the auditorium to play the piano for hours. She played piano for her nursing class graduation, which felt like the most natural thing in the world for her to be doing.

In fits and starts Laura made it out to open mikes, or sat in at the piano at a local bar. She wrote her first really good song after getting mugged. Standing next to the bar inside a dimly lit Folk City one night, awaiting her turn to play, an epiphany came and lingered for a moment: “This is where I belong.” Music was a low simmering desire that seemed to take forever to establish itself in real life. She bought a piano, gave lessons, accompanied New York Women’s Chorus for a few years… and took her first classical voice lessons with Natalie Burgess.

Appearing with Laura are Billy Klock, drums; and Wim Aver, fretless bass.

 

          ARTIST'S WEB SITE

 

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Pamela Means:

Thursday, July 12, 7:30 P.M.
Tix $10 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

Politically-Provocative, Folk, Jazz, Singer/Songwriter. A Fierce Kamikaze Guitarist!

Pamela Means is an acclaimed musical provocateur, independent, nationally and internationally touring artist whose “mad-guitar-and-vocal skills,” razor wit poetry and irresistible charm have captivated audiences across the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia.

She performs both high energy and politically informed acoustic music in over 150 shows each year at colleges, theaters, clubs, coffeehouses, and festivals. She is a favorite at Black History Month and Women’s Month celebrations, Gay Pride events, and Take Back the Night rallies. With Truth as ammunition, a Pamela Means performance brings the struggle for social justice and human dignity to the forefront of a new generation.

Pamela has shared the stage with artists including Ani DiFranco, Joan Baez, Neil Young, Shawn Colvin, Richie Havens, Patty Larkin, Melissa Ferrick, Violent Femmes, Pete Seeger, Janis Ian, Holly Near and many others.

 

               ARTIST'S WEB SITE

PAMELA MEANS JAZZ PROJECT   |   PAMELA MEANS ACOUSTIC

 

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Vicki Genfan:

Saturday, July 14, 7:30 P.M.
Tix $15 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

Singer/Songwriter, Guitar Superstar.

Every now and then an artist comes along whose music reaches out and touches the soul of all who hear them…virtuoso guitarist, singer and composer Vicki Genfan is among those artists… Drawing from folk, jazz, pop, soul and world music, Vicki is redefining ‘singer/songwriter culture.’ With a mastery of the acoustic guitar that borders on pure alchemy, audiences are mesmerized by the waves of sound Vicki creates with just two hands and her voice. Using 29 alternate tunings and the percussive technique she calls 'slap-tap', you'll find the addition of her pure, expressive vocals that dig deep and stir the heart to be the perfect accompaniment on many of her songs. Vicki writes and beautifully sings her own brand of music and lyrics while putting her unmistakable imprint on familiar tunes like the Beatles’ Norweigian Wood. An evening with Vicki is far more than a concert; stories, warmth and humor come gift wrapped in an unforgettable evening of music that leaves the audience always wanting more.

Vicki has been recognized among the world’s greatest guitarists and musicians, but perhaps Vicki's most celebrated award came in the form of first prize in the 2008 Guitar Player Magazine's 'Guitar Superstar' Competition. Judged by guitar idols, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Elliot Easton, George Lynch and Brendan Smalls, here's what Jim Fusilli of the Wall Street Journal had to say about her win:

"It's a stunning victory, a barrier shattered. Guitar Player is a male-dominated domain -- the only photo of a woman musician at work in the current issue is a microscopic shot of bassist Rachel Haden with her back to the camera. The magazine is often a tribute to speed, power, volume and gear. Ms. Genfan plays an acoustic guitar without effects."

 

              ARTIST'S WEB SITE

 

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Gathering Time:

Sunday, July 15, 4:00 P.M.
Tix $15 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

Stunning Folk Harmonies.

Miraculous three-part vocal blends uplifted by fine, note-perfect acoustic, electric and bass guitar - all this plus light, precise percussion...just the right amount...create the wall of sound and wave of memories we now know as Gathering Time. With a stylistic breadth ranging from the dyed-in-the-wool folk sound of Peter, Paul & Mary to the folk-rock harmonic complexity of Crosby, Stills & Nash, Gathering Time is a trio that's "getting a whole beehive-full of buzz" on the Long Island and national folk scene right now. Undeniably, their original songs reveal the influences of The Byrds, Simon & Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell, The Eagles and many more harmonizing favorites from the golden era of '60s folk-rock and the melodic magic of '70s acoustic rock - and they've been known to delight audiences when they sprinkle in some of those classics among their original songs.

Glen, Hillary & Stuart are fast becoming known for their seamless vocal blend, memorable melodies, meaningful lyrics and easy-going, fun chemistry on stage. Bob McKillop of MaineFolkMusic.com writes, "Gathering Time has perfected two separate but related art forms: three part harmony and having a ball on stage! When they harmonize, some sort of fundamental, cosmic concordance occurs that makes you very happy that you have ears."

 

               ARTIST'S WEB SITE

 

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The Jolly Beggars:

Thursday, July 19, 7:30 P.M.
Tix $10 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

Rich, traditional Celtic Music.

 

The Jolly Beggars bring the rich tradition of Celtic music to audiences all over the North Eastern United States. Made up of students from the Hartt School of Music in West Hartford, CT, their traditional songs and musical arrangements have exposed many music lovers to the joys of Celtic music.They tell traditional stories from Irish folklore and intersperse their musical arrangements with traditional reels and jigs. Characterized by their tight harmonies and use of mandolin, pennywhistle, guitar, bass, bodhran, spoons, and more, The Jolly Beggars have quickly built a solid following and continue to spread their music through New England and the Tri-State area.

The band performs music that is largely Celtic in origin (Irish and Scottish), with some pieces coming from an extension of that music in other cultures.

Jeff DesRosier: Vocals/Mandolin/Guitar
Christopher Vece: Vocals/Whistles
Greg Wilfrid: Vocals/Guitar/Banjo/Mandoli
David Uhl: Vocals/Double Bass
Matt Torcellin: Vocals/Percussion
Chris Jasinski: Vocals/Percussion

 

    ARTIST'S WEB SITE 

 

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Raymond Morin:

Thursday, July 26, 7:30 P.M.
Tix $10 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

Ambitious Acoustic Guitar Playing Original Songs and Bluesy Melodies.

Raymond Morin comprises half of the group Pairdown:
Pairdown is the folk-blues & experimental group co-founded by singer-guitarists David Leicht & Raymond Morin. They've released two albums, the eponymous EP (2006) and Holykyle (2009), both featuring inter-dependent fingerstyle guitar work blended with inventive songwriting. Leicht and Morin usually perform live as a duo, drawing from a repertoire that includes both guitar duets and songs. On occasion, they’re joined by Minette Vaccariello (bass-keyboard) and Matthew Leicht (drums).

Since late 2005, Pairdown has performed on bills with notable acoustic and experimental acts including Brokeback, Jack Rose, Wooden Wand, Red Horse, The Impossible Shapes, Great Lake Swimmers, David Daniell, Milo Jones, D. Charles Speer, The Ditty Bops, Dodo Bird, Luke Doucet, Odawas, and Eleni Mandell, Death Vessel and Micah Blue Smaldone.

In 2006, Leicht & Morin co-organized (along with friend and fellow musician David Bernabo) the Woodlab performance series at ModernFormations Gallery in Pittsburgh. The series' sixteen installments featured an array local and national acoustic and experimental acts. Morin also owns and operates the label Sort Of Records, which has released over twenty albums of “challenging music in limited edition, hand-made packaging… everything from ragtime acoustic guitar music to abrasive out-jazz, jangly pop and post-punk.”

 

       ARTIST'S WEB SITE     LISTEN ON BANDCAMP     LISTEN ON SOUNDCLOUD

 

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Samirah Evans & Her Handsome Devils:

Saturday, July 28, 7:30 P.M.
Champagne Reception to celebrate the close of the 2012 Season at 6:45 P.M.

Tix $15 advance or at the door. BUY TIX

Jazz & Blues Vocalist.

In New Orleans, a city known worldwide for its music, Samirah was one of its most popular jazz & blues vocalists. She first performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1990, and became a regular fixture as either a leader or featured vocalist for fourteen consecutive years. She has toured Europe, Asia, and both North and South America as a headliner, and shared stages with a multitude of legendary artists from B.B. King and James Brown, to New Orleans own Queen of Soul, Irma Thomas.

Samirah's live performance repertoire runs the gamut from raunchy blues to jazz smooth as silk. She has often been compared to Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, and Etta James. Like many jazz and blues artists, Samirah dedicates time to perpetuating indigenous American music. She was a long time participant in the Blues Schoolhouse program sponsored by the International House of Blues Foundation. She also served as a volunteer show host on the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage radio station, WWOZ, for over ten years.

This is the official closing concert of our 2012 Summer Concert Series. There will be a champagne reception prior to the performance. Please come and help us celebrate the completion of another fantastic summer at the Meetinghouse. Arrive a little early (about 6:30-6:45) and have some refreshments. It's always a great pre-concert party. Although our standard summer performance season ends at the end of July, we will be presenting a full series of musical performances throughout the month of August.

    ARTIST'S WEB SITE 

 

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AUGUST 2012
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NORTHERN ROUTES: 4 Adventures in New Music

Progressive, Experimental Music Series. Throughout August

In the month of August, the 1794 Meetinghouse will present the best in adventurous, underground music with performances by artists working across a spectrum of experimental styles, from acoustic fusions of folk and improvisation to electronic textures and soundscapes. The August schedule is presently being developed and will be determined and announced by late spring 2012... so stay tuned.