Before smart phones and personal computers, before the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Jim Kweskin Jug Band became the original Americana band, playing everything from classic blues to hillbilly country, ragtime, jazz, and rock and roll, perfectly capturing the 1960s mix of exuberant anarchy and heartfelt sincerity. Their unique blend of youthful energy and antiquarian expertise, tight musicianship and loose camaraderie took them from the Newport Folk Festival, where they were reliable crowd favorites, to multiple appearances on national television, where they baffled Johnny Carson by handing him a kazoo and inviting him to jam and once managed to convince Bette Davis to join them on washboard.Other folk-blues revivalists were nostalgic, but the Kweskin gang were revolutionary hipsters. “It was just a pure love of music and a real community feeling,” says Maria Muldaur. That community centered around Jim, a formidable ragtime blues guitarist with a gift for good-time jazz. He pulled together a mismatched bunch of talented individuals: Geoff Muldaur singing blues with eerie soul and playing guitar, mandolin, and washboard, Maria Muldaur playing fiddle, kazoo, and tambourine and singing like a cross between a hillbilly lass and an old sexy blueswoman. Other band members included the banjo virtuoso Bill Keith and fiddler Richard Greene, both alumni of Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys. Joining those stalwarts tonight will be jug band young ’uns Sam Bevan on bass and Cindy Cashdollar on Dobro and steel guitar.Fifty years down the road, the original members of the JKJB have separately kept making music in myriad configurations, but the Jug Band is where they started and there’s a special magic when they come back together. The rock critic Ed Ward once listed the most important bands of the early 1960s as the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Byrds, and the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, adding: “I'm not kidding.” Anyone who knows the Jug Band knows their eminent place in the annals of American music. The Kweskin gang made the jug band style of the 1920s sound fresher than ever. As Jim said, “We don’t sound like anybody ever sounded before. What we are doing is taking old styles and building new things out of them. We’re ourselves all the time.” This will be a once in a lifetime experience so come on out to the Freight and join these musical legends as they make jug band magic one more time!Location: Freight & Salvage CoffeehouseAddress: 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704Date: Saturday, July 6, and Sunday, July 7, 2013Showtime: 8:00 p.m. (doors open at 7:00 pm)Tickets: $38.50 advance / $40.50 at doorTel.: 510-644-2020Website: http://www.thefreight.orgTickets: http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/271427
The preeminent cowboy musician of the last half century gallops into the Freight to present his “Lone Cowboy Show.” Michael Martin Murphey was the original Cosmic Cowboy back in the 1970s when, along with folks like Jerry Jeff Walker and Willie Nelson, he helped launch the music scene in Austin, Texas into the stratosphere. He was one of the original country rockers with hits like “Geronimo’s Cadillac,” “Alleys of Austin,” and his biggest seller, “Wildfire.” He’s also had a long love affair with bluegrass, dating back to his time as lead vocalist in the Earl Scruggs Band. Many bluegrass greats have performed on his 32 albums, including Ricky Skaggs, John McEuen, Jerry Douglas, Mark O’Connor, Rob Ickes, and Rhonda Vincent. His songwriting has gone far beyond any single genre. His songs have been recorded by Cher, Lyle Lovett, Kenny Rogers, John Denver, Hoyt Axton, Roger Miller, Bobbie Gentry, Michael Nesmith, and the Monkees.Michael grew up in Dallas, Texas, spent a great deal of time in on his grandfather’s ranch, and is still involved in ranching in Colorado. In 1990, he released the album Cowboy Songs, featuring new versions of cowboy classics like “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” “The Old Chisholm Trail,” “Spanish is the Loving Tongue,” “The Streets of Laredo,” and “Happy Trails,” as well as his own song, “Cowboy Logic.” The Chicago Tribune called it “not only one of the finest albums of the year but also one of the finest of the last decade. Its 22 riveting cuts represent a labor of not only love but also scholarship; it raises a cult musical genre to the level of mainstream art.” The “Lone Cowboy Show” presents Michael and his music, plain and simple. “I’m a songwriter first,” he says. “A good song shouldn't’ need a lot of production and bells and whistles. The format of this show is fun for me because I get to share these songs exactly the way they were written.”July 9th marked the release of "Red River Drifter" Michael Martin Murphy's latest CD. "Red River Drifter" is a departure from his previous albums which addressed cowboy themes and were bluegrass tinged. In his newest CD the themes of love are explored, encompassing the vagaries of romantic love, love between friends and family and the love of God's green earth. The song-craft on these tracks is complex, multi-layered and demonstrates some of the most beautiful melodies Michael Martin Murphy has ever written. His beautiful tenor voice has become more husky and appealing with age that speaks of a lifetime of experience. Michael will incorporate these new songs into his “Lone Cowboy Show” performance at the Freight.Location: Freight & Salvage CoffeehouseAddress: 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704Date: Sunday, August 4, 2013Showtime: 8:00 p.m. (doors open at 7:00 pm)Tickets: $36.50 advance / $38.50 at doorTel.: 510-644-2020Website: http://www.thefreight.orgTickets: http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/267293
San Francisco veteran singer-songwriter Maurice Tani and Freight & Salvage in Berkeley announce a double CD release show on SUNDAY AUGUST 18 at 8:00pm. This show celebrates the simultaneous release of Tani's fourth and fifth albums: a new studio album, “Blue Line”, and “Two Stroke”, an album of acoustic duos and trios with bassist Mike Anderson and a variety of others. Maurice’s August 18th special performance at Freight & Salvage will be primarily acoustic, featuring material from the two new CDs as well as the previous three. The set will begin with bassist Mike Anderson but joining in at various points will be English songstress Pam Brandon, jazz pianist Randy Craig and Ken Owen on the drums.Sunday, August 18 Doors 7:00p Concert 8:00pFreight & Salvage2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA510 644 2020http://thefreight.org$16.50 advance/ $18.50 door.Advance tickets available online or from the Freight & Salvage Box OfficeOr online from ticketflyhttp://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/323347
Award-winning Americana/Folk duo Misner & Smith will play a special CD Release show at the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse in Berkeley on Friday, October 11th, 2013 at 8:00 pm. Known for their stunning live performances, Misner & Smith have been winning over fans with top-notch songwriting, musicianship, and extraordinary vocal harmonies. They spent last year touring the U.S. and England and have just finished recording their fourth album, Seven Hour Storm, produced by Jeff Kazor (The Crooked Jades, Richard Buckner), and engineered by Bruce Kaphan (American Music Club, David Byrne, The Black Crowes) due out in October. This follows the release of three previous albums, Live at the Freight & Salvage (2010), Poor Player (2008), and their debutHalfway Home (2004), which includes the West Coast Songwriter’s Best Song of 2007, “Madeline (Paradise Cracked)”. --Location: Freight & Salvage CoffeehouseAddress: 2020 Addison St., Berkeley 94704Date: Friday, October 11, 2013Showtime: 8:00 p.m. (doors open at 7:00 p.m.)Tickets: $20.50-$22.50Telephone: 510-644-2020Website: http://www.thefreight.orgTickets: http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/273045
A benefit concert for Bread & Roses featuring performances by Marco Benevento & Friends, with Reed Mathis and Cochrane McMillan from Tea Leaf Green; and Megan Slankard with The Novelists. Tickets include an Anchor Steam draft beer, with raffle prize packages including gift certificates to the best Mission restaurants, bars, and stores; tickets to shows at some of the best music venues in San Francisco; and a private tour of the Anchor Brewing Company for 10 people.-- When: December 1, 2013, 8PMWho:
- Bread & Roses, a nonprofit that brings the joy of live music to children and adults in hospitals, nursing homes, shelters, prisons, and treatment facilities
- Marco Benevento, jazz pianist and indie rock musician who tours nationally including appearances at Carnegie Hall, Newport Jazz Festival and Bonnaroo
- Megan Slankard, award-winning San Francisco acoustic folk-rock singer-songwriter appearing with The Novelists, an acclaimed acoustic pop folk group that tours nationally and has recently appeared at the Strawberry Music Festival and Cowboys Stadium
- DJ Britt Govea, Bay Area favorite known for his extensive collection of vinyl will be spinning select tunes and tipping his musical hat to Mimi Farina, founder of Bread & Roses
Where: The Chapel, San Francisco’s hot new venue in the Mission District
Berkeley's pioneering listener-supported radio station, KPFA, presents its annual Grateful Dead fund-raising marathon on Saturday, February 8, 2014 from 9:00 am to 1:00 am. Host David Gans promises a bounty of unreleased and previously-unheard music by the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, and related artists. There will be a live performance (musicians TBA) from the KPFA studio.
David Gans is a well-known expert in Grateful Dead music. He has produced a nationally-syndicated radio program, The Grateful Dead Hour, since the mid-'80s, and he has been a programming consultant and on-air host on SiriusXM's Grateful Dead Channel since its inception in 2007. He has published three books on the subject and is at work on a fourth, and he has produced several important boxed sets and compilations of Dead-related music. He has hosted a weekly program (known as "Dead to the World" since 1995) on KPFA since 1990. "I did my first Grateful Dead fund-raiser at KPFA in 1986," Gans recalls. "I think the first few were four hours or so, but somewhere along the line we decided that this musical world – and this generous audience – merited a whole day. And if you're gonna do 12 hours, you might as well do 16!
Gans is a KPFA listener as well as a KPFA programmer: "I listen to Letters and Politics, Visionary Activist, America's Back 40, and many more," he notes. He has served on KPFA's local station board for several years, and is active in station governance. "I am as passionate about the importance of community radio as I am about the music I play in my two unsupervised hours of air time. I see this annual marathon as a gift of service to both the station and to the listening community, and I am deeply thankful to the Dead organization and the Garcia family for the opportunity to broadcast unreleased music from their archives."
In the weeks leading up to the 2014 marathon, as in 2013, Gans will auction photos and other desirable objects via the Facebook page of his weekly program Dead to the World. "Several of our community's finest photographers have donated prints of their favorite photos, and I've got some other interesting items lined up, too," says Gans. "I'm going to offer up one of my own laminated backstage passes – all for the benefit of KPFA."
Oakland's Barlovento Chocolates will once again offer a truffle-making session in the auction. "Last year this prize was won by Jim LeBrecht of Berkeley Sound Artists," says Gans, "and I got to spend the day with Jim and chocolatier Peter Brydon creating and manufacturing delicious treats!"
The San Francisco Chronicle ran a feature article by Carolyn Jones on the morning of the 2011 marathon: http://tinyurl.com/aqyenfz
KPFA is the nation's first listener-sponsored, non-commercial radio station, founded by the Pacifica Foundation in 1949. From the station's Facebook page:
"Founded in 1949 by Lewis Hill, a pacifist, poet, and journalist, KPFA was the first community supported radio station in the USA. KPFA broadcasts on 94.1 FM and KPFB 89.3 FM, Berkeley, and KFCF 88.1 FM, Fresno, California. Our signal reaches one third of the state, utilizing 59,000 watts.
"Much of our programming is local, original and eclectic, with a well-produced mix of news and in depth public affairs, an ongoing drama, literature and performance series, interviews, and reviews. Our music ranges from folk to hip hop, Bach to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. We travel the region to broadcast live music, demonstrations, and cultural events. The majority of our staff are unpaid community volunteers donating their time and energy to bring you our programming."
Learn more about the History of KPFA http://www.kpfa.org/history
To donate to KPFA (which you can do any time), visit https://secure.kpfa.org/support/
Berkeley's pioneering listener-supported radio station, KPFA, presents its annual Grateful Dead fund-raising marathon on Saturday, January 31, 2015 from 9:00 am to 1:00 am. Host David Gans and co-host Tim Lynch promise a bounty of unreleased music from the Grateful Dead archive, highlights of live performances that have happened on Dead to the World over the past years, and live in-studio musical surprises (musicians TBA) from the KPFA Performance Studio. Just imagine sixteen hours of non-stop musical fun!!
David Gans is celebrating 30 years in radio broadcasting! His first radio program was broadcast live February 18th, 1985 on The KFOG Deadhead Hour. For the past 30 years, David has produced radio programs that deliver insightful, intriguing and compelling interviews and musical selections that confirm him as a well-known expert in Grateful Dead history and culture. He has produced a nationally-syndicated radio program, The Grateful Dead Hour, since the mid-'80s, and he has been a programming consultant and on-air host on SiriusXM's Grateful Dead Channel since its inception in 2007. He has published three books on the subject and has produced several important boxed sets and compilations of Dead-related music. He has hosted a weekly program (known as Dead to the World since 1995) on KPFA since 1990.
Gans is a KPFA listener as well as a KPFA programmer. He has served on KPFA's Local Station Board for several years and is active in station governance. "I am as passionate about the importance of community radio as I am about the music I play in my two unsupervised hours of air time. I see this annual marathon as a gift of service to both the station and to the listening community, and I am deeply thankful to the Dead organization and the Garcia family for the opportunity to broadcast unreleased music from their archives."
In the weeks leading up to the 2015 marathon, as in 2014, Gans will auction desirable Grateful Dead memorabilia via the Facebook page of his weekly program Dead to the World (https://www.facebook.com/dttw.kpfa). The auction items will be announced shortly in an upcoming press release.
The Grateful Dead Hour and Dead to the World radio host David Gans announces that auction items for the 29th annual KPFA Grateful Dead Marathon are now at the starting gate! Auction items may be viewed at: http://cloudsurfing.gdhour.com/archives/tag/kpfamarathon2015
There will be awesome artifacts such as a collectible Jerry Garcia bobblehead, rare black & white pictures of the Dead by well known music photographers Jim Marshall, Bob Minkin and Bruce Polonsky and three laminated backstage passes from Gans' personal collection including one from the 1991 Grateful Dead Summer tour and many other surprises! Attached is a press release in a word doc format giving details of the auction and jpegs of Scott "Papa" Lindsey's newest GDM T-shirt design.
Please contact me regarding the possibility of feature stories/interviews, articles, in-studio radio interviews with David Gans regarding The Dead musical archives, history and available auction items for this year's marathon.
Freight & Salvage presents veteran singer-songwriter Maurice Tani on Saturday, May 30th at 8 pm at the Freight & Salvage Coffee House in Berkeley. Tani is known for his wry-to-romantic songwriting, agile guitar style and expressive singing.
Saturday, May 30
Doors 7:00 pm Concert 8:00pm
Freight & Salvage
2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA
510 644 2020
http://thefreight.org/
$17 advance/$19 at the door.
Advance tickets available from the Freight & Salvage Box Office or online from ticketfly
https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/776755
FREIGHT & SALVAGE SHOW DETAILS:
Maurice’s May 2nd special performance at Freight & Salvage will be primarily acoustic, featuring material from his six albums plus new original songs and some re-imagined classics. The set will begin with Tani and bassist Mike Anderson performing selections from their recently released (and critically acclaimed album of acoustic material, “Two Stroke”. Then , as the evening progresses, they will be joined at various points by English songstress Pam Brandon, jazz pianist Randy Craig, violinist Steve Kallai and Ken Owen on the drums.
Tani's shows at Freight & Salvage are always engaging performances featuring his smart blend of alternately dark, humorous and romantic, story-driven songwriting, his haunting, intimate vocal style and a band capable of following him down the many divergent paths he takes. The roots are in country and folk, but his taste is very broad, so expect a variety of unexpected spices and clever twists throughout.
ARTIST DETAILS:
Maurice Tani is a veteran singer-songwriter and band leader of the California Americana scene. He has released six critically-acclaimed albums of original material over the past dozen years. His most recent include two released simultaneously: a studio album, “Blue Line”, “Two Stroke”, an album of acoustic duos and trios with bassist Mike Anderson and a variety of others performers, and “TWANG” a collection of previously-released original honky honk songs and his trademark “Trailer Park Operettas”.
In numerology, 5 is symbolic of dynamic change and energy. The newly formed Nell Robinson and Jim Nunally Band can certainly attest to that! On Saturday, April 30th at 7:00 p.m., the NRJN Band will release their new 5 for $5 advance promo album, celebrate Nell Robinson’s 55th Birthday in a newly opened venue, The Back Room and that all adds up to MAGIC!
This band brings five genre-busting artists together to bring joyful music infused with folk, bluegrass, americana, roots, swing, jazz, and the blues. Alt-Roots, Folkbilly, whatever you call it...it's original! Featuring Pete Grant on pedal steel, Jim Kerwin on bass fiddle and Jon Arkin on percussion. This is truly an all-star band.
Location: The Back Room
Address: 1984 Bonita, Berkeley CA 94704
Date: Saturday, April 30, 2016
Showtime: 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15.00-Advance $20.00-Door
Reservations: nell@
Website: http://backroommusic.
About The Back Room
The Back Room is a newly opened music venue (mid-April) in downtown Berkeley, that recreates the cozy ambience of the original Freight & Salvage. Brick walls, a high vaulted wooden ceiling, and a Steinway grand on stage all contribute to an intimate performing space. Comfortably seating about 100 people The Back Room provides great acoustics that will showcase musicians with respect and appreciation. The venue welcomes all acoustically based genres, including jazz, blues, folk, bluegrass, Americana, and more. It is an all-ages venue.
Band Bios:
Nell Robinson has been described as a “modern day Patsy Cline” and “one of the freshest voices in roots music.” Her side-projects, from the poignancy of Soldier Stories to the whimsy of The Henriettas, further attest to the breadth and ambition of the youthful musical passions she let flower. Robinson’s 2014 release “The Rose of No-Man’s Land became a PBS Special with it’s own episode in the Music Gone Public series. The album, produced by Joe Henry, featured Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Kris Kristofferson, John Doe and Maxine Hong Kingston. “Music is the ultimate communication tool and Nell’s songs, performance and album moved the WoodSongs audience deeply! A fine person and a fine artist, ’nuff said.”- Michael Johnathon, Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour.
Jim Nunally is a San Francisco Bay Area-native, a musician, composer, record producer, and teacher. As a guitarist and vocalist with the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience for over 13 years, Jim joins master American guitarists Doc Watson and Tony Rice as one of the finest interpreters and performers of bluegrass and traditional music. He is a recipient of two Grammy and IBMA Awards and is a two-time Western Open Flatpicking Guitar champion. His work is featured on soundtracks for The Beverly Hillbillies Movie, Snoopy’s Reunion, The Sims, Streets of SimCity and more. His third-generation traditional music roots began in Arkansas with his guitar-playing grandfather who taught Jim’s father, who in turn taught Jim. This pedigree contributes to his unmistakably traditional sound.
Pete Grant’s resume looks like a who’s who of music! He started playing banjo, guitar, and dobro in the early sixties in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sharing musical adventures with his friends Jerry Garcia, Jorma Kaukonen, Pat Simmons, and others, he has performed solo, in duos, and his own groups. The Grateful Dead album Aoxomoxoa was his first studio recording, from there he went on to become one of the most sought after steel players on the West Coast. Touring in Japan with Guy Clark, he played on Clark’s second release, Texas Cookin’. Grant is a two-time nominee for Best Steel Guitarist by the Academy of Country Music.
Jim Kerwin is considered simply one of the best string bass players in the country. He has played with David Grisman for over 30 years and is featured on all of Grisman’s Jerry Garcia recordings, all of which boast a unique acoustic setting, encompassing a myriad of musical genres. A San Francisco State University graduate with a performance degree in solo double bass, he spent several years touring Europe with an avant-garde jazz trio led by vibist Larry Blackshere. He has performed with bluegrass greats Red Allen and Del McCoury and has played at Carnegie Hall with Stephane Grappelli and YoYo Ma. Kerwin is featured on numerous recordings – including six Grammy nominees – from big band and bluegrass to jazz and latin.
Jon Arkin is a versatile, gifted drummer/percussionist who is known for his performances & recorded work in a wide variety of musical contexts. In addition to leading his own groups, he has performed with jazz greats such as Lee Konitz, Gene Perla, and Ira Sullivan, with singer-songwriters including Stew and Meklit Hadero, Afrobeat bands Albino and Soji Odukogbe, a multitude of collaborators in the experimental music world, and countless other artists. He has just released an album of original experimental jazz with the Schimscheimer Family Trio entitled “Broken Home”, and has developed a unique repertoire as a solo electro-acoustic percussionist. Could his bluegrass groove have come from his father? Steve Arkin played banjo with Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys!
Maurice Tani marks the release of his seventh album, “The White Water”, a collection of six new originals and four reimagined selections from other writers as diverse as Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia and Burt Bachrach & Hal David. Maurice’s May 13th performance at Freight & Salvage will be primarily acoustic, featuring material from his previous six albums and debuting new material from this latest release. The evening begins with Tani and bassist Mike Anderson and as the evening progresses, they will be joined at various points by English songstress Pam Brandon, jazz pianist Randy Craig, and Ken Owen on the drums.
Tani's shows at Freight & Salvage are always engaging performances featuring his smart blend of alternately dark, humorous and romantic, story-driven songwriting, his haunting, intimate vocal style and a band capable of following him down the many divergent paths he takes. The roots are in country, rock and folk, but his taste is very broad, so expect a variety of unexpected spices and clever twists throughout.
Friday, May 13
Doors 7:00pm Concert 8:00pm
Freight & Salvage
2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
510 644 2020
http://thefreight.org
$17 advance / $19 door / Misc discounts available
https://www.ticketfly.com/
In numerology, 5 is symbolic of dynamic change and energy. Think 5 genre-busting artists, releasing 5 new songs for $5 on Sunday, August 7th - 8:00 p.m. at the Back Room in Berkeley. The NRJN Band will release “East” their second EP in a series of four. “West,” the first of the series, was released in April 2016. Forthcoming releases this year will be “North” and “South." The music was recorded live at the Big Room in Chico for PBS' Music Gone Public series. When placed together, the back covers of the four albums form one piece of art. “East” is now available with 5 new songs for $5!
Jim Nunally says of the new album: "Many of our original songs are inspired by great stories. EAST features songs inspired by favorite novels, The Cat’s Table (Michael Oondatje), The Summer Book (Tove Jannson), Snow Hunters (Paul Yoon)."
Nell's love of great stories started young: "My Uncle Allen took me and my sisters to the Birmingham library every Friday. And every Friday we arrived, each of us, with a stack of books that carried one on top of the other in our arms towered over our heads. We girls were avid readers, hungry readers." (Read more on her blog at nellrobinsonmusic.com/love-
This band brings five genre-busting artists together to bring joyful music infused with folk, bluegrass, americana, roots, swing, jazz, and the blues. Alt-Roots, Folkbilly, whatever you call it...it's original! Featuring Pete Grant on pedal steel, Jim Kerwin on bass fiddle and Jon Arkin on percussion. This is truly an all-star band.
Promo Link from 2016 second season PBS Series “Music Gone Public": https://www.youtube.
“…gorgeously harmonizing duo, Nell Robinson and Jim Nunally, roots musicians whose songs blur the boundaries of country, folk, and bluegrass, have come up with something novel to keep their fans’ attention and perhaps rope in some new ones. In April, the released a five-song EP. In June, they’ll release another five-songs, and then five more in August and again in September.”– DERK RICHARDSON, Peghead Nation, KPFA
"Personally penned tales such as “Complicated” and “Home’s Where I Long To Be” highlighted everyone’s seasoned abilities, their ability to change between the styles of Buck Owens, The Beatles, Johnny Cash and Doc Watson on a dime was even more impressive."– ANDY ARGYRAKIS, Chicago Concert Reviews
Location: The Back Room
Address: 1984 Bonita, Berkeley CA 94704
Date: Sunday, August 7, 2016
Showtime: 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15 advance
Not many musicians get to realize their early dreams, but in recording “Spinoza’s Dream,” singer/songwriter Dave Nachmanoff has fulfilled several at once. A huge fan of Al Stewart as a teen, Nachmanoff has assembled most of the musicians who played on some of Stewart’s iconic albums in the 70s to back him up here. A former philosophy instructor, he has created a “concept album” with each track connected to a particular philosopher. The album was recorded in Wales by Grammy award winning producer and engineer Martin Levan last summer. With a few excellent special guests, this will be a largely solo acoustic show, featuring Dave on both guitar and piano.
Spinoza’s Dream Video: https://youtu.be/Uyl8zkTZfyM
“Singer-songwriter albums with philosophical themes set alarm bells off in my head, so I confess I approached this one with a bit of trepidation. But Nachmanoff approaches those themes with humor and subtlety, generally opting for communication rather than for showing off how smart he is. He also has an impressive stylistic range, jumping from quietly sprightly folk-pop to Tin Pan Alley jazziness to bluesy rock and back again in the space of the first four tracks. And here’s a fun pop history nugget: the session players on this album are the same guys who played on Al Stewart’s 1976 hit “Year of the Cat.”.”– CD Hotlist
"It isn’t often a concept album based around the theme of classic philosophers comes along. However, that’s the case with this new release from Al Stewart’s guitarist, Dave Nachmanoff, Spinoza’s Dream. Nachmanoff has a Ph.D in philosophy and here he has melded his two worlds and passions to create this interesting song cycle...an interesting and different gathering of songs. Sophisticated but never pretentious or ponderous. A very fine (or actually refined) effort" – ROB ROSS, Popdose.com
Location: Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse
Address: 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley CA 94704
Date: Sunday, August 14, 2016
Showtime: 1:00 p.m.
Tickets: $20 in advance, $22 at the door
Tix Link: https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1220049?utm_medium=bks
Wendy Burch Steel and Redwood play a unique cross-section of genres incorporating all the good and sweet aspects of bluegrass, folk, old-time, country bluegrass and blues. Bluegrass icon Laurie Lewis produced, played and sang on Wendy’s debut CD, Open Wings, which received rave reviews nationally and internationally in Americana and Bluegrass publications. Wendy is an award-winning songwriter and singer, known for her deft angelic voice and spiritually touching original material. She has been a nominee for Female Vocalist of the Year for the past three years by the Northern California Bluegrass Society.
Her band members include some of the best Bluegrass and Americana players and singers in California and beyond: Butch Waller, (mandolin and vocals), is known locally and nationally for his innovative and tradition-based approach to his instrument. Butch was one of the first to play bluegrass music in Northern California, and founded his own band, High Country, in 1968. A gifted songwriter, Butch has penned several tunes that are found in the repertoire of Wendy Burch Steel and Redwood. Glenn Dauphin, (guitar and vocals), has been performing with Bluegrass bands in the Bay Area for the past 30 years. He was named Northern California Bluegrass Society’s Guitar Player of the Year in 2014. He also plays bass and guitar with California’s two longest running bands, High Country and Sidesaddle and Company. Allegra Thompson, (bass and vocals), is known both for the power and clarity of her singing and for providing a rock-steady rhythm bed on upright bass.
And listen to one of our performances here: Wendy Burch Steel & Redwood - "Beau Fleuve”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaZNeU0I22c
Tickets are $15 and are available at the door. Doors open at 7pm. You may reserve seats in advance by emailing [email protected] and using "Tickets" in your Subject Line. Please indicate the number of seats you will need in the body of the email.
Kathy Evans is a beloved Albany kindergarten teacher who has taught for more than twenty years at Cornell Elementary School. Kathy’s two children, Jesse (28) and Corey (24) grew up in the Albany school system and Kathy’s husband Bill is a well known Bay Area Bluegrass musician, teacher, writer and booking agent.
For the last 18 months, Kathy has been treated for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Her daughter, Corey Evans has been the primary caregiver for her mother from the first bone marrow transplant in October 2015 through the second transplant in April, up until three weeks ago. In order to do this Corey had taken time off playing drums with her three bands VEXX, G.L.O.S.S. and Urochromes. Ben Ratliff of the NY Times rated VEXX as his #1 Choice for Best Concert Performances of 2015. Corey's hardcore punk band G.L.O.S.S. released a critically acclaimed CD (by Ben Ratliff of the NY Times ) titled “Trans Day of Revenge” in June 2016. Bill Evans has “switched out” roles with his daughter as Kathy’s primary caregiver. Bill stated it was time for his daughter "to get back out on the road with her three bands!”
Friday, September 2, 2016
7:00 p.m. concert
Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse
2020 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94704
510-644-2020
Website: www.thefreight.org
Tickets: $30-adv/$32 at door
Tickets: https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1240941?utm_medium=bks
Link to concert info and to donate to the Evans Family Fund: http://thefreight.org/bill-and-kathy-evans-family-benefit
For an up-close-and-personal encounter with some of today’s most exciting Appalachian musicians, the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention presents triple-bill concerts and square dances, a string band contest with fifteen bands, master classes and plenty of informal jamming from Sept. 21-25 at venues all over Berkeley.
Friday Sept. 23 marks the Bay Area debut of Prairie Home Companion favorites Jesse Milnes and Emily Miller, headlining a triple bill at the Freight & Salvage. Also appearing: the Gallus Brothers (juggling, ragtime and blues) and the Hurricane Ridgerunners (reunion of beloved Northwest string band). Jesse and Emily also host an open jam session at Ashkenaz on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 8 pm, and give a harmony singing workshop at the Freight on Sun. Sept. 25.
Jesse Milnes and Emily Miller, who live in rural West Virginia, have been immersed in Appalachian tradition since they were toddlers. “We played a lot of music around the house when I was a kid,” Emily says. “The whole social scene during my childhood revolved around music too.” Her parents being traveling journalists, Emily’s family found themselves living and playing music in Chicago, Toronto, Hong Kong and Vermont. “I got hooked on playing at a pretty young age.” Emily has since become known as one of the best young traditional roots musicians, appearing as a solo artist on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion. Jesse was raised in a rural music community in West Virginia. “I spent a lot of time going to square dances and old time music festivals with my parents when I was a kid. It seemed like every adult I knew played music, so I always imagined I would play music someday.” Jesse and Emily helped form the Sweetback Sisters in 2006. After signing to the Signature Sounds label, touring the world, and producing three full-length albums and two EPs with the band, Jesse and Emily began performing as a duo. Their masterful vocal harmonies, Jesse’s unique fingerstyle guitar, Emily’s driving rhythm guitar and both their powerful fiddles combine to create old-time music that somehow manages to sound old and new at the same time. Their sound is not retro or vintage, but it clearly is a link in an unbroken chain of centuries-old Appalachian tradition.
More information: http://www.
Fri. Sept. 23 at 8:00 pm
Concert at Freight & Salvage
2020 Addison, Berkeley
Jesse Milnes & Emily Miller; Hurricane Ridgerunners; the Gallus Brothers
Tickets: $20 in advance, $22 at the door. All ages welcome
More info: http://thefreight.org/botmc-9-
Berkeley Old Time Music Convention complete schedule: http://www.
Freight & Salvage phone: 510-644-2020
Joining founders Jeff Kazor and Lisa Berman and long-time member Erik Pearson (composer of the Crooked Jades tune featured by Sean Penn in his 2007 film “Into The Wild”) will be important former members of what some now call the Crooked Jades collective. Playing bass will be Megan Adie who is back in San Francisco after a decade of living and playing 17th and 18th century double bass in Europe. A key member of the Crooked Jades evolution, touring and recording with the Jades for several years, Megan’s iconic (arco) bass can be heard on the band’s acclaimed album “Worlds on Fire.” Playing mandolin will be Bill Foss, an integral player on the band’s award-winning PBS documentary soundtrack "Seven Sisters a Kentucky Portrait “. Also, featured will be Tom Lucas, long time Jade contributor who championed the minstrel banjo into the Jade lexicon. Plus, more special guests TBA.
The Crooked Jades, called the finest string band in America by The Boston Herald, continue their mission to re-imagine old-time music for a modern age, pushing boundaries and blurring categories with their fiery, soulful performances. Innovative and fearless, constantly evolving and passionate, they bring their driving dance tunes and haunting ballads to rock clubs, festivals, traditional folk venues and concert halls across America and Europe.
Known for their rare and obscure repertoire, beautiful original compositions, inspired arrangements and eclectic, often vintage instrumentation, The Crooked Jades began with band leader/founder Jeff Kazor’s vision to revive the dark and hypnotic sounds of pre-radio music. With this old-time foundation, the band has created the unique Crooked Jades sound by exploring the roots of Americana and interweaving the diverse musical influences of Europe and Africa.
Filtering these old-world sounds with universal and ancient themes through a post-9/11 lens, they seek to make sense of the future, reaffirming the importance of connecting to our roots in a time of intense digital connection. Writes Bluegrass Unlimited, “Chords in unexpected places, out of this world harmonies, and some of the most powerfully-arranged material I’ve ever encountered.”
Friday, June 9, 2017 8:00 p.m.
Crooked Jades, Earl Brothers Tix: $18-$22
Tix Link: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2943917
SF LIVE ARTS @ CYPRIAN’S
St. Cyprian’s Church, 2097 Turk St (near Masonic)
(415)454-5238
Website: http://sflivearts.org
The Neighborhood Concert Hall
Little Village Foundation, the non-profit record label focused on bringing the hidden veins of roots music in America to the masses, presents a sampler of the folk, blues, jazz, gospel and ethnic flavors that make LVF’s the most diverse catalog around.
This evening brings seven LVF artists together for an evening of music and spoken word reflecting the diverse make up of the label’s roster and mission -backed up by the powerful Greaseland All-Stars featuring LVF founder Jim Pugh (B.B. King, Etta James, John Lee Hooker, Robert Cray, Boz Skaggs, Syl Johnson and Van Morrison) and Greaseland Studios award-winning producer/engineer Kid Andersen. LVF Artists featured:
AIREENE ESPIRITU
SOULFUL FOLK SONGSTRESS: Aireene is a ukulele-playing singer/songwriter who weaves Latin/African rhythms, folk, bluegrass pickings and inspirations from gospel music - a mix of stompin', swayin', and timeless Americana. On her LVF release, “Back Where I Belong”, what began as a rather wild dream turned out to be a wonderful work of art, with Espiritu applying her strong, emotion dripping alto pipes to seven songs that had been recorded by R&B legend Sugar Pie DeSanto. "Strong emotion-dripping alto pipes" —Lee Hildebrand, Living Blues Magazine
AKI KUMAR
BOLLYWOOD FILM MUSIC-CHICAGO BLUES MASH-UP: “Mumbai, India, and Chicago, Illinois, are half a world apart geographically. Musically, the lively soundtracks of Mumbai’s Bollywood film industry and the blues of Chicago might even seem planets apart. Somehow, though, Mumbai-bred, San Jose, California–based vocalist and harmonica virtuoso Aki Kumar has combined the two disparate genres in an unforced musical fusion never before attempted and has pulled it off with breathtaking aplomb.” —Lee Hildebrand, Living Blues Magazine
CHRIS CAIN
JAZZ-TINGED BLUES-SOAKED MASTER SINGER-GUITARIST: San Jose, CA-based Memphis style guitarist and singer Chris Cain was born into the blues. His father, a truck driver by trade and blues guitarist himself, took a young Cain to see many greats including B.B. King, Count Basie, and others. When Cain burst onto the blues scene in 1987 with his award-winning debut album, he soon found himself sharing the stage and trading licks with a few of the legends he’d seen as a kid, including Albert King and Albert Collins.
Like many Little Village Foundation albums, Cain recorded his self-titled new album at Kid Anderson’s Greaseland Studios in San Jose, CA. The epicenter of the blues and R&B recording scene here in the Bay Area, Greaseland is responsible for the resurgence of San Jose as a true mecca for 21st century blues music. Cain’s new album marks his 12th release and the latest chapter in a storied career led by his powerfully deep vocals and unforgettable guitar work.
HOWELL DEVINE
SEXY SHACK SHAKING SOUTHERN MUSIC: “…a real King Biscuit Time vibe in sound, groove, and attitude. Joshua Howell, the band’s guitarist and harmonica player, plays wicked harp loosely in the Rice Miller tradition, with traces of Jaybird Coleman and Little Walter… emotive, straight blues, with sharp and superb guitar sliding & picking… they are wild, juxtaposing interesting syncopations and jazz beats. Drummer Pete Devine and contrabassist Joe Kyle Jr. are in their own dynamic creative realm, approaching the rhythm in a free, almost avant-garde way—a contrast that gives the ensemble an idiosyncratic edge… apparently, nobody showed the rhythm section the playbook.”~ Frank Mathias, Living Blues
MAURICE TANI
CALIFORNOGRAPHIC SINGER-SONGWRITER: Known for his wry-to-romantic songwriting and self-proclaimed “Supercalifornographic” Americana music, veteran Bay Area artist Maurice Tani churns out memorable musical narratives about life on the left coast. The songs highlight broken hearts, moving away to exotic places to escape romantic demons, and dark stories of fictional characters. His music is California country rock rooted (he says) in the traditional Bakersfield style of music, but the gate has obviously been left open and Tani has been left free to wander a landscape furnished with the sounds of jazz, blues, and narrative folk music. Robert Sproul, in No Depression Magazine, says, “I was actually blown away. Maurice Tani writes songs that sound at once familiar, ethereal and beautiful. …a songwriter’s songwriter with reoccurring themes and his own life experiences, a mournful world critics to date have rushed to categorize as ‘country music.’”
THE SONS OF THE SOUL REVIVERS
HIGH ENERGY GOSPEL QUARTET SINGING: Vallejo-based gospel sensations The Sons Of The Soul Revivers is led by Walter Morgan Jr., and his two brothers Dwayne and James Morgan. Formed in the 1970s to continue the vocal quartet tradition that the brothers’ father, Walter Sr., and his brothers started with the original Soul Revivers in the 1960s. "Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco is one of the world’s best and, most appropriately, this year they kicked off the Festival’s main stage on Sunday morning by taking everyone to church with The Sons of Soul Revivers. They had a tight band, great harmonies and easily the best stage show and most uplifting vibe of the entire festival of over 100 performers. Catch them if you can." -Mike Kappus Rosebud Agency
XÓCHITL MORALES
PASSIONATE SPOKEN WORD: 17-year-old Central Valley high school student Xochitl Morales is a rising voice amongst the California spoken word scene after her poetry went viral with Buzzfeed’s Pero Like Facebook page spotlighting her piece “Latin-Americans: The Children with a Dark Past.” Xochitl has performed for Governor Jerry Brown, and her works have been recognized by NBC News and Huffington Post.
Xochitl is the assistant director and trumpet player of Mariachi Juvenil Mestizo. Her father is ex-Mariachi Los Camperos member Juan Morales who leads Mariachi Mestizo, mixed-gender youth mariachi orchestra that released the critically-acclaimed Te Doy La Libertad on LVF in 2016.
On her new LVF release, Descansos, Xóchitl explores her Central Valley life where her Mexican roots blend with and strain against mainstream American culture. Love of family, friends, stories of pesticide poisoning and inequality in the prosperous farming communities merge in her riveting, heart-wrenching poems.
ABOUT LITTLE VILLAGE FOUNDATION
Little Village Foundation is a non-profit cultural producer and record label that searches out, discovers, records and produces music that otherwise would not be heard beyond the artist’s family and community. Little Village supports the dreams of artists from non-traditional backgrounds. Many of these artists make music just as a part of telling their community stories. Through some detective work and the help of an extensive network from his extensive performing career, Executive Director Jim Pugh learns of great music happening in communities throughout the country, music that has deep roots in American popular and roots traditions. He then offers to record their music at no expense to the artist at all. Usually this is the very first time the artist has been recorded. Not only is there no expense to the artist, Little Village Foundation owns zero intellectual property for the music and sets up all retail accounts for the sales of CDs in the artists’ names. This happens with generous public donations and grants.
Friday, January 19, 2018
Doors: 7pm; Music: 8pm
Freight and Salvage,
2020 Addison, Berkeley
https://www.thefreight.org/event/1579131-cavalcade-stars-aireene-berkeley/
$18 adv / $22 door (plus fees)
Bay Area musicians Jim Nunally and Nell Robinson proudly launch Banjo Boy Coffee in partnership with Deering Banjo Company. Four Exciting & Distinctive Coffees: UKULELE, FOUR STRING, FIVE STRING and SIX STRING BLEND
Join us for a performance, official launch and coffee tasting at the California Jazz Conservatory on Saturday, January 13th, 2018. Tastings begin at 7:15pm followed by a performance by the Nell & Jim Band at 8:00 p.m. Free Banjo Boy Coffee all evening long!
Banjo Boy Coffee has teamed up with Deering Banjo Company to create four exciting coffees named after types of banjos designed by Deering. Just as each instrument has its distinctive sound, so do the coffees have their own personality.
Banjo Boy Coffee came about when flat-picking guitar champion Jim Nunally was spending long hours on the road with master banjo player and coffee roaster Nick Hornbuckle, both coffee lovers always in search of the right cup of joe while on tour. After Deering gave Jim a six-string banjo to play while on tour with Tony Trischka 2 years ago, the banjo and the coffee really started to percolate. Jim came up with the idea of creating Banjo Boy Coffee and this launch is the culmination of years of thought and finding the right beans and roaster to work with.
Jim and his partner Nell Robinson love Celebese coffee from Indonesia. That flavor is the foundation of the Six-String Blend, it has nutty, warm spice notes, like cinnamon or cardamom with a hint of black pepper. Its sweetness, as with most Indonesian coffees, is closely related to the body of the coffee. The after-taste coats the palate on the finish and is smooth and soft. Overall this roast has deep dark rich and smooth high tones.
Banjo Boy Coffee offers:
UKULELE BLEND
This light roast blend has the classic Kona flavor profile, taste the air and smell the sea 'round the islands, bright overtones with hues of honey.
FOUR STRING BLEND
This medium roast of single origin beans from Africa has uncanny blueberry overtones, it‘s got the taste to match the tempo and tone for your favorite tune, be it ragtime, swing, folk or Irish.
FIVE STRING BLEND
A medium roasted coffee. In the tonal spectrum this blend has the pickup often desired to get you up to tempo and rolling along, its rich blend of nutty, woody character, is a great way start the day—wake up the taste buds and the fingers for rolling bluegrass.
SIX STRING BLEND
This dark roast blend of beans from Indonesia and Africa has sweet, cherry and chocolate overtones—rich, smooth, finger-pickin' smooth tone.
About the Nell Robinson & Jim Nunally Band
Nell & Jim Band, the Bay Area-based all-star band, released "Baby Let's Take the Long Way Home" in April 2017, reaching #14 on the Billboard charts. Full of original music at the intersection of bluegrass, country, folk and Americana, singer-songwriters Nell Robinson & Jim Nunally show a broad range of musicality. Their live performances are featured in two seasons of the PBS television series Music Gone Public.
Nell & Jim Band bring masterful two and three part harmonies, banjo, guitar, flute, bass fiddle, percussion and accordion/keyboards. Already working on a new album, 2018 tour dates will feature brand new material and the all-star Nell & Jim band: bass fiddle player Jim Kerwin (David Grisman, Jerry Garcia), percussionist Jon Arkin (Lee Konitz, Gene Perla) and special guest Rob Reich (Tin Hat, Gaucho). Nell Robinson has been described as a “modern day Patsy Cline” and “one of the freshest voices in roots music.” Jim Nunally is a San Francisco Bay Area-native, a musician, composer, record producer, and teacher. He is also a recipient of two Grammy and IBMA Awards and is a two-time Western Open Flatpicking Guitar champion. Nell Robinson and Jim Nunally have appeared at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, Kate Wolf Music Festival, Strawberry Music Festival and on Prairie Home Companion.
Vocalist Kyra Gordon with Pianist and arranger Larry Steelman bring hypnotic and far-out arrangements of two iconic singers: Janis Ian and Janis Joplin. In “Loving Janis” the stylistic interpretations of both Janis Joplin and Janis Ian will encompass jazz, rock and folk arrangements of the iconic performers. Epic song classics including “At Seventeen”; “Jesse”; “Piece of My Heart”; “Bobby McGee” and others will be joyfully sung in a heartfelt tribute by singer-songwriter Kyra Gordon.
The idea of creating the "Loving Janis” tribute show evolved from an inspirational event Kyra experienced at age 17. While living in Los Angeles she was asked to audition for the role of Janis Joplin in a film project titled “Piece of My Heart” for Paramount Pictures. The project was scrapped and Kyra did not get the part, but carried the script around wondering “what if I were to do something based on Janis?” Kyra did indeed do a more “jazz tinged” tribute to Janis Joplin titled “Turtle Blues” in April 2017. Later in the year Kyra wanted to create the Janis tribute with a more “yin and yang” approach and contrast the work of Joplin with that of folk singer-songwriter Janis Ian.
When asked what she admired and found important about each Janis, Kyra replied; “For me, Janis Joplin was all about her charisma as a performer and the trance [of the performance]. Janis Ian tells stories about life and the human experience.”
Kyra elaborated on the connection she felt to both Janis’. “I felt a real connection and kinship to Janis Joplin as a young woman. She wasn’t the norm but Joplin’s attitude became ‘I don’t fit and I’m going all the way with it.’ Kyra expressed similar feelings, having lived on her own at a young age, and feeling like she “never fit anyone’s vision of what was beautiful or appropriate”.
Kyra reflected that she felt drawn to Janis Ian because she “chose to dedicate her life to being a songwriter and a master of her craft.” “Her lyrics are poetry. They conjure such vivid imagery.” Kyra observed that although many of Ian’s better-known songs were crafted in the 1960s and 1970s, “Her songs are definitely of their time, but are timeless and feel as relevant today as ever.” A few years ago Kyra sent a video clip of her performance of Ian’s song “Ruby” to Janis Ian through her website, who responded back with a note of encouragement commenting, “That is a hard song to sing and you sang it bravely.”
A large Mandala tapestry on the back wall, a shrine to Joplin, and an authentic liquid-projection light-show by the pioneering Kitty Crowe of “Fantasy World Lights” will help to set the ambiance of the “Loving Janis” stage.
Audience members from the “Boomers” to the “Millennial” generations alike will relate to “Loving Janis”. Songs from a time before that are just as relevant today celebrating two strong, quintessential female musicians!
Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center
1317 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley CA 94702 (510) 525-5054
Friday, March 23, 2018, 8:00 p.m. (Doors @ 7:30pm)($17-20)
Website: http://www.ashkenaz.com
This show is the closing night of Askenaz's 50th Anniversary celebration of Woodstock!
Ashkenaz is closing its Woodstock celebration with an exclusive preview of an original one-woman musical theatrical production that showcases the enduring legacy of the Woodstock generation. Through the music of Janis Joplin, Janis Ian, and her own, Kyra brings us on on her extraordinary life journey inspired by the sex, drugs, and rock and roll legacy of Joplin, and the insightful brilliance of Janis Ian. She weaves the music and life stories of all three into an inspiring story that reminds us all that the rock and roll life endures.
Kyra Gordon is a jazz & blues vocalist known for her soulful tone and captivating stage-presence. Originally from Oakland, CA, Gordon's mischievous and searching spirit comes through both in her songwriting and in her witty stage banter. She is accompanied on stage by pianist Larry Steelman, a composer and musician who has worked with such artists as Johnny Mathis, Natalie Cole, Mick Jagger and Dizzy Gillespie. Direction and Dramaturgy of “Loving Janis”was done by Jayne Wenger.
Kyra mused that the “Loving Janis” show is "a travelogue, a love letter, and a deeper look into the psyche of a young woman’s artistic path." Featuring the music of Janis Joplin and Janis Ian, Gordon takes us on a musical voyage from early girlhood to adulthood. Using the stories and music of her sheros, as well as her own compositions and unconventional life story, the play weaves a narrative about seeking empowerment and what it means to be an artist.
Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center
1317 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley CA 94702 (510) 525-5054
Sunday, August 18, 2019, 8:00-11:00 p.m. (Doors @ 7:30pm)($15-18)
Website: http://www.ashkenaz.com
Notable nonprofit record label Little Village's grassroots work of bringing undiscovered artistic gems into the spotlight has been lauded by mainstream news outlets including CNN, Forbes and Billboard among others. Today the label launches a unique and eclectic CD of curated Bach chorales titled 4 Bari x Bach. The four harmonic elements produced on each of the twenty-one tracks (average length is about 90 seconds) is performed by Grammy award-winning baritone saxophonist, Aaron Lington.
Aaron Lington normally leads a busy life as a music professor and Coordinator of Jazz Studies at San Jose State, composer, arranger, session musician and family man, but like so many in the performing arts, things slowed down for him during the pandemic. To keep his skills on the baritone saxophone sharp during this time, Aaron would begin his daily practice routine by warming up with a Bach chorale. He stated “It was fun and a great excuse to keep my fingers nimble.”
Aaron enjoyed it so much that every ten days he selected a new Bach chorale that appealed to him to perform. 4 Bari x Bach's tracks are the result of expert “nimble fingers”. Lington points out that the numerous chorales attributed to Bach often descended from preexisting melodies. He interpreted those melodies with his “unique and personalized harmonic sense”and took simple melodies and “harmonized them in a brilliant way”.
Over the course of 2020, Aaron curated twenty-one of his favorite Bach chorales and created this surprising collection by recording all four melodic lines on the baritone saxophone for each track. He enthused “If you pull them apart the listener can hear each melody”.
Aaron intimated that the purpose of 4 Bari x Bach was to let the listener enjoy just two or three tracks at a time. This allows them to enjoy “a small morsel of what can be beautiful” and to receive a sorely needed “spiritual boost”.
Aaron hopes that listeners of the CD will be able to enjoy a “brief bit of beauty” that will help lift their spirits and soul during these difficult times.
About Little Village
Little Village is different. A non-profit, donor supported record label that has been lauded by mainstream media outlets such as CNN, Forbes and Billboard. LV Executive Director and Grammy-Award winning keyboardist Jim Pugh searches out, records and produces a wide and diverse range of work that otherwise would not be heard, supporting artists from non-traditional and non-commercial backgrounds. It's a simple formula. Little Village covers all the costs. LV's artists maintain all rights and receive 100% of the proceeds from sales. It's different. 4 Bari x Bach available for purchase on 6/19/21, please visit: http://littlevillagefoundation.com
