Monday, June 30, 2014

Valley Stage Festival, Huntington, VT, 8/9/14

The annual Valley Stage Festival - http://www.valleystage.net/ - brings everything from gospel to country, rock, and bluegrass to the Green Mountains. Today is the last day to buy Valley Stage Early Bird Tickets. Purchase by going tohttp://valleystage.net/concerts-festivals/valley-stage-music-festival/tickets.html.

August 9th, 2014
Blackbird Swale Huntington, VT

The Deadly Gentlemen 
The Defibulators
Hot Flannel
The Crunchy Western Boys
Cricket Blue


Sunday, June 29, 2014

Blue Hat, Yeah! To Inaugurate notloB's New Brookline Home

notloB promises to be lollygagging at festivals during June, July and August, but when it returns in September Blue Hat, Yeah! will kick off the fall season in its new 100 seat Washington Square Brookline venue, located on the "C" green line with plenty of street parking and close to over a dozen restaurants.


The not-for-profit Notlob Parlour Concerts series, now in its seveth year, is seeking neighborhood restaurant partner relationship(s) who would, in exchange for increased business, give concert patrons an incentive in the form of a free appetizer, dessert or percentage off their food tab.

notloB Parlour Concerts presents...
Blue Hat, Yeah!

Bronwyn Keith-Hines, fiddle
Nathaniel Sabat, Bass
Mike Robinson, Guitar
Catherine Bowness, Banjo
Matt Wittler, mandolin
http://www.bluehatyeah.com/
Saturday, September 6, 2014 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM 
Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis*, 1581 Beacon St, Brookline, MA 02446

Minimum suggested donation $12 general public, $10 students.
Reservations are very highly recommended!
http://notlobparlourconcerts.eventbrite.com/
Reservations will be honored until 7:50pm, at which time walk-in's will be admitted on a first-come/first-served, space-available basis.
Don't be left out, RESERVE NOW! 




Blue Hat, Yeah! is a new band on the forefront of the New England bluegrass and progressive acoustic music scene. Their blend of traditional bluegrass and original instrumentals influenced by jazz, bluegrass and old time music makes them a new voice in the bluegrass world. The band's members have attended Berklee College of Music, The New School For Jazz and Contemporary Music and The New Zealand School of Music and each bring a diverse background of traditional music to the group.

"Blue Hat, Yeah! is the name of this ambitious group of fine, young musicians whom are working hard at creating their own brand of Acoustic/Bluegrass music. Hailing from the Boston area and having studied our genre, they are constantly working, honing, and raring to go; showcasing to the world what they have to offer. This is a refreshing, young band with tasteful material, smiles, and a hunger for people to hear and enjoy what they have to offer. Keep your eyes and ears on this aspiring band in the future."
Jesse Brock Mandolin/vocals The Gibson Brothers

Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Fiddle
Bronwyn Keith‐Hynes is a Boston-based musician originally from Charlottesville, Virginia. Accepted on a scholarship to Berklee College of Music at age 16, she graduated in 2013 with a diploma in Violin Performance. Bronwyn is fast gaining recognition for her fiddling in both Irish and Bluegrass circles. Her playing, improvising, and writing is informed by her past five years of intense immersion in the Boston acoustic music scene and time spent studying traditional Irish and Cape Breton music before moving to Boston. Bronwyn performed with Peter Rowan at the 2013 IBMA and has also performed at The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts; The Inter‐Celtic Festival in Lorient, France and Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival. This year she was selected to attend the 2014 Savannah Acoustic Music Seminar, held in April, where she will study with artists such as Julian Lage, Bela Fleck and Mike Marshall. As well as performing with Blue Hat, Yeah! Bronwyn also performs with the Wes Corbett Trio and The Moonlight Ramblers.

Catherine Bowness, Banjo
Since picking up the banjo at age 12, Catherine (BB) Bowness has travelled throughout New Zealand, Australia and the United States playing and teaching bluegrass music. At age 15, she received the Frank Winter memorial award at the Auckland Folk Festival allowing her to travel to the USA, where she won the Uncle Dave Macon banjo contest in Murfreesboro, TN. She was the first banjo player accepted to the New Zealand School of Music, receiving a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance. In 2013, BB was one of just sixteen young musicians selected to attend the Savannah Acoustic Music Seminar, studying with world-class artists such as Julian Lage, Mike Marshall and Darol Anger. Since re-locating to Boston last year she has kept busy recording, performing and teaching in and around Massachusetts.

Nathanial Sabat, Bass
A graduate of the voice program at New York City’s renowned LaGuardia High School, Nate Sabat’s musical roots are in choral singing. However, he started playing bass just before he began at LaGuardia, and, years later, was accepted to the Berklee College of Music as an upright bass principal. There, he has made it a goal to delve into the thriving Boston acoustic music scene, inside and outside of Berklee. To date, he has performed, worked and studied with artists such as Kronos Quartet, The New York Pops, Eugene Friesen and Bruce Molsky. This winter, he was chosen to be one of sixteen young acoustic musicians to attend the Savannah Acoustic Music Seminar in April, and will work with artists such as Bela Fleck, Mike Marshall, and Chris Eldridge. After graduating Berklee, he plans to stay in Boston for a few years to continue to play, record, and compose.

Mike Robinson, Guitar
From the age of six, Mike Robinson has had a guitar in his hands. He was raised in a musical family on a thirty-five foot sailboat that traveled the Caribbean. When he was twelve, Mike and his family moved to Boulder Colorado where he joined his middle school jazz band and began attending bluegrass festivals. At age sixteen he premiered a composition on the first ever CCJA record, "Fourteen Channels" on Tapestry Records. By the time Mike moved to New York City to study at The New School For Jazz and Contemporary Music, he had developed a style of playing and writing that mixed his love of both jazz and bluegrass music. This winter he was accepted to attend the Savannah Music Festival Acoustic Music Seminar, which will be held in April 2014 and where he will be studying with some of the top acoustic musicians in the world. Mike currently lives in New York and is in his third year as a student at the New School. Mike is in high demand as a guitarist and singer in both the jazz and bluegrass music worlds.

Matt Witler, Mandolin
Matt Witler is a Boston based mandolin player. Starting on the fiddle at the age of nine, Matt fell in love with old time and bluegrass music. At the age of 14 he picked up the mandolin and began to study music in earnest. Matt is now in his final semester at the Berklee College of Music. While Matt is rooted in the bluegrass tradition, he has explored and been influenced by Jazz, classical, and pop music. In 2012 Matt won first place in both the mandolin, and flatpick guitar contests at Rockygrass bluegrass festival. Matt is a founding member of the Lonely Heartstring Band, a progressive acoustic band that is quickly gaining acclaim in the bluegrass community.

-------------
*NOTE: Although the concert hall is handicap accessible, BGSP's restrooms are not. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

notloB Parlour Concerts presents 
in their only Boston-area appearance...
THE TANNAHILL WEAVERS 
with FRESH HAGGIS 
Saturday, October 4, 8:00pm
Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis*
1581 Beacon St, Brookline, MA 02446

Suggested donation $15 students, BGSP faculty and staff, $20 general public.
Registration through Eventbrite is REQUIRED
Reservations will be honored until 7:50pm, at which time walk-in's will be admitted on a first-come/first-served, space-available basis.
Don't be left out, RESERVE NOW!


Tannahill Weavers
http://www.tannahillweavers.com/
Roy Gullane, guitar
Phil Smillie, flute, bodhran, vocals
John Martin, fiddle, viola, cello, vocals
Lorne MacDougall, bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes and whistles

The Tannahill Weavers are one of Scotland 's premier traditional bands.  Their diverse repertoire spans the centuries with fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs, and original ballads and lullabies. Their music demonstrates to old and young alike the rich and varied musical heritage of the Celtic people.  These versatile musicians have received worldwide accolades consistently over the years for their exuberant performances and outstanding recording efforts that seemingly can't get better...yet continue to do just that.

The Tannahills have turned their acoustic excitement loose on audiences with an electrifying effect. They have that unique combination of traditional melodies, driving rhythmic accompaniment, and rich vocals that make their performances unforgettable.  As the Winnipeg Free Press noted, "The Tannahill Weavers - properly harnessed - could probably power and entire city for a year on the strength of last night's concert alone.  The music may be old-time Celtic, but the drive and enthusiasm are akin to straight ahead rock and roll."

Born of a session in Paisley, Scotland, and named for the town's historic weaving industry and local poet laureate Robert Tannahill, the group has made an international name for its special brand of Scottish music, blending the beauty of traditional melodies with the power of modern rhythms.  Over the years the Tannies have been trailblazers for Scottish music, and their tight harmonies and powerful, inventive arrangements have won them fans from beyond the folk and Celtic music scenes.

They are firmly established as one of the premier groups on the concert stage.  From reflective ballads to footstomping reels and jigs, the variety and range of the material they perform is matched only by their enthusiasm and lively Celtic spirits.

"An especially eloquent mixture of the old and the new."  New York Times

"Scotland 's Tannahill Weavers play acoustic instruments, but the atmosphere at their shows is electric.  The quintet is as tight and as versatile as any band in the Celtic music revival.  They can summon rock 'n' roll intensity or haunting introspection."  The Boston Globe, Boston MA

"...as close to perfect as it gets in an imperfect world."  Sing Out!

The Tannahill Weavers will be supported by....
Fresh Haggis
https://www.facebook.com/FreshHaggis

Elias Alexander (border pipes, vocals), Eamon Sefton (guitar, vocals), Kathleen Parks (fiddle, vocals).
Fresh Haggis is a dynamic new band formed of some of the finest young up-and-coming musicians on the Boston Celtic-music scene. Composed of border piper/singer Elias Alexander, guitarist/singer Eamon Sefton, and fiddler/singer Kathleen Parks, the group celebrates the continued vibrancy of the Irish and Scottish musical traditions through youthful, passionate arrangements of songs and tunes, including some original compositions within the style. Traditional music at the peak of exuberance!

Share https://www.facebook.com/events/765546860163306/
-------------
*NOTE: Although the concert hall is handicap accessible, BGSP's restrooms are not. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

NO BONES ABOUT IT (Alex Rubin and Catherine (BB) Bowness), Cambridge, 6/11

The series' last concert of the season will be spectacular!

LORD GEOFFREY'S YOUNG GUNS SERIES!
NO BONES ABOUT IT

(Alex Rubin and Catherine (BB) Bowness)

Wednesday, June 11, 8pm
Outpost 186, 186 Hampshire Street (Inman Square), Cambridge
$5 students, $10 all others
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LGPresents
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/lordgeoffreypresents/
Info: lordgeoffreypresents@gmail.com
Facebook event: 
https://www.facebook.com/events/225916130937605


"Together, Alex and BB explore the roots of acoustic music, playing a collection of folk songs, bluegrass tunes, and their own compositions which reflect their wide range of influences, including bluegrass, jazz, old-time and celtic music. Using diverse styles of banjo, guitar, vocals, fiddle and mandolin, they seamlessly blend genres in their arrangements of traditional and original tunes."

About It

At age 17, Alex Rubin turned his interests from classical violin to bluegrass guitar, and has yet to reconsider. As a high-school student in Boston, MA, he quickly formed a band, The Wooden Spoons, and recorded at Hi-n-Dry, the Cambridge recording studio founded by Morphine frontman Mark Sandman. Making use of the vibrant Boston bluegrass scene, Alex studied privately with Berklee professor John McGann as he completed his undergraduate studies at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. He has since moved back to Boston, where he works as a performer and guitar teacher.

Since picking up the banjo at age 12, Catherine (BB) Bowness has travelled throughout New Zealand, Australia and the United States playing and teaching bluegrass music. At age 15, she received the Frank Winter memorial award at the Auckland Folk Festival allowing her to travel to the USA, where she won the Uncle Dave Macon banjo contest in Murfreesboro, TN. She was the first banjo player accepted to the New Zealand School of Music, receiving a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance. In 2013, BB was one of just sixteen young musicians selected to attend the Savannah Acoustic Music Seminar, studying with world-class artists such as Julian Lage, Mike Marshall and Darol Anger. Since re-locating to Boston last year she has kept busy recording, performing and teaching in and around Massachusetts.