notloB Music to Present Three Concerts Over 10 Days at the Somerville Armory

notloB Music's Fall music series, begun earlier in the Fall with performances by Northumbrian piper Dick Hensold and Scottish national fiddling champion Mari Black,  continues its new venue, the intimate (50 seat) cafe at the Somerville Armory, presenting Roy Williams and the Human Hands (October 24), sibling Scottishfiddle-cello duo Elizabeth and Ben Anderson (October 28) and roots musicians Ben Hunter and Joe Seamons, with very special guests Elijah Wald and Sandrine Sheon (November 3).

The cafe opens at 6pm, arrive early to enjoy a light meal and choose a seat.

notloB Music Presents... Roy Williams and The Human Hands

http://www.roywilliamsplaysmusic.com/
Saturday, October 24, 7:30pm 
Arts at the Armory Cafe
191 Highland Ave, Somerville, Massachusetts 02143

Roy Williams, an American songwriter, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist, writes music with a curious ear and an open mind. From the classic pop tunes heard on the first cassette Roy owned—The Beatles “Live at the BBC in 1963”—to the incomparable instrumental canon of Django Reinhart, Roy’s influences eclipse genre categorization, a trait that is reflected in the adventurous spirit of his own original songs.

After growing up in Clark’s Green, Pennsylvania, in a musical house where Neil Young, Buffalo Springfield, and especially The Beatles were religion, Roy began playing gigs in nearby Scranton and soon moved to New York City to perform gypsy jazz with renowned guitarist Stephane Wrembel. Roy worked with Wrembel for four years and toured throughout Central America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he regularly plays out with his mentors and friends Jim Campilongo, Nick Driscoll, and Alex Hargreaves, and leads his own band.

Roy often performs on piano, mandolin, bass, and has known how to play a G chord on guitar since he can remember. He released his debut solo album, Throwing Punches, in February 2015, which features ten original compositions. Roy is currently at work on two upcoming albums: a compilation of instrumental songs by his group Roy Williams and the Human Hands (featuring Alex Hargreaves and Nick Driscoll), and a solo record of rock n roll tunes.

notloB Music Presents... Elizabeth and Ben Anderson

https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethAndBenAnderson
http://elizabethandbenanderson.bandcamp.com/
Wednesday, October 28, 7:30pm 

Arts at the Armory Cafe
191 Highland Ave, Somerville, Massachusetts 02143

Elizabeth and Ben Anderson, a Scottish fiddle and cello duo, have been gaining an enthusiastic following in the Boston area and throughout New England. Blending Scottish tunes with lively rhythms and innovative harmonies, they create a sound rooted in tradition, inspired by the contemporary, and completely original. On stage, they captivate audiences with their ability to effortlessly communicate musical nuances as only siblings can. In the words of WGBH's Brian O'Donovan, "They have taken the influence of people like Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas and really made their own mark on... traditional music." 

Elizabeth studies at Berklee College of Music and Ben is a student at Westborough High School.

notloB Music Presents... Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons 
http://www.benjoemusic.com/
w/ Elijah Wald & Sandrine Sheon 
Tuesday, November 3, 7:30pm 
Arts at the Armory Cafe
191 Highland Ave, Somerville, Massachusetts 02143

The history of American roots music in the early 20th century could never fit into an encyclopedia. it’s too ramshackle, too rambunctious, too radical. Fiddlers, guitarists, banjo players, and all kinds of folks rambled those early roads, learning from each other, inspiring each other, and pushing the music in new directions. Music constantly switched back and forth across the racial divide, beholden only to the beat and the dance. It’s this fevered period of musical exchange that inspires Northwest roots music duo Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons. The songs on their new album, Take Yo Time, tap into everything from the hokum jug bands of Gus Cannon and the Memphis Sheiks, to country blues masters Reverend Gary Davis, Robert Johnson, and Blind Willie McTell. They also touch on ancient English ballads like House Carpenter, Appalachian murder ballads like the classic Tom Dooley, and the early jazz compositions of Shelton Brooks and Duke Ellington. All of these traditions are tied together in the swirling musical whirlpool of pre-war American music. With a well-rosined fiddle and an old banjo, Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons are tracing these backroads, bringing the songs back to life.

Ben and Joe have been playing together for almost 5 years, the last 3 of which sent them to the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival, learning at the feet of the elders of the acoustic blues tradition. They found an affinity in the many branches that tied into the blues and created this duo as a way to explore these branches. Their musical kinship and sense of joy in interpreting this music is evident and was the basis of an invitation Dom Flemons (formerly of the Carolina Chocolate Drops) to form his band when he went solo. Ben and Joe joined Dom on his recent album, Prospect Hill, and toured the US with him, furthering their knowledge of Anglo and African American music traditions. Rather than thinking of their music as blues, it’s best to situate Ben and Joe (and Dom) as American songsters. A songster traditionally refers to an African-American artist whose repertoire is much broader than the old blues, and spans many of the genres that Ben and Joe Inhabit. Big Bill Broonzy and Mississippi John Hurt are classic examples of songsters. Whatever you want to call it, Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons make American music. They make music that hews to the rough-and-tumble collisions of musical inspirations from the early 20th century; music that paved the way for everything we enjoy today.

These are the third, fourth and fifth concerts notloB is presenting at this venue. As it did at its long-running Loring-Greenough concert series, admission is by free-will donation, $10-20+ suggested.

Food and getting there.

Light fare (sandwiches, wraps, soups), coffee and tea, beer and wine are served.

Arts at the Armory is located at 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. There is free parking in the back lot (44 spaces) and on street.

MBTA: Arts at the Armory is approximately a 15 minute walk from Davis Square which is on the MBTA Red Line. Also served via MBTA RT 88 and RT 90 bus that can be caught either at Lechmere (Green Line) or Davis Square (Red Line). Get off at the Highland Avenue and Lowell Street stop, or from Sullivan Square (Orange Line) by using the MBTA RT 90 bus. Get off at the Highland Avenue and Benton Road stop.
Bicycle: The Armory is four blocks (down Lowell Street) from the Somerville Community Path.
More info athttp://artsatthearmory.org/about/getting-here/get

notloB Music also presents concerts in Cambridge, Arlington and Newton. See its full schedule at https://sites.google.com/site/notlobmusic. Tickets for all concerts are available at http://www.eventbrite.com/o/notlob-music-6730833315. For more information see its Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/notloBParlourConcerts/ - or email notlobreservations@gmail.com (please do not contact the venues).