Thursday, November 12, 2015

Darol Anger and The Furies: On A Winter's Night


Darol Anger and The Furies
w/ The Red Rat Quartet:

On A Winter's Night

Friday, December 4, 8:00pm

Unity Somerville
6 William Street
Somerville, Massachusetts
(5 blocks north of Davis Square)

Darol Anger (5-string fiddle and mandocello) | Emy Phelps (guitar and vocals) | Mairi Chaimbeul (harp and vocals) | Ethan Jodziewicz (bass)

notloB Music's Fall music series continues with a return to a familiar and well-loved space, Unity Somerville, where we presented two dozen concerts between 2009 and 2013. We will celebrate our return with one our favorite ensembles, Darol Anger and The Furies, who we have presented twice, not to mention having worked with Darol on at least five other occasions involving star artists from his galaxy such as Rushad Eggleston, Joe Walsh, Sharon Gilchrist, Maeve Gilchrist and Grant Gordy. We're really looking forward to this one!

Acoustic Music legend Darol Anger joins rising singer-songwriter Emy Phelps in organizing some of the country's best young string musicians in a multigenerational musical experience focusing on the spirit of Midwinter and the turning of the year.
Darol's experience with holiday shows from Windham Hill through Newgrange to Yulegrass, his quirky humor, and his genius for organizing exciting bands will be utilized at full bore. Living in the Boston area, Darol has been a mentor to some of the most exciting and phenomenal young musicians in the world. In the Furies, these powerful presences are brought into synchronization and orbit around Anger’s vision and that unmistakable violin voice. The result is mythical, magical, musical mayhem. Special guests, family and friends will undoubtedly make appearances.

Darol Anger is a legendary and influential fiddle guru, who has spent over four decades reinventing American string music to encompass his explorations of bluegrass, jazz, and all other music. The groups that he founded or co-founded include the David Grisman Quintet, the Turtle Island String Quartet, Psychograss, Montreux, and the Republic of Strings ensemble. His playing and composition overflow with passion, prodigious technique, and generous humor. He has spent his career enlightening and inspiring his fellow musicians, and vice-versa.

Emy Phelps is a standout artist in a large field, a prolific songwriter with a riveting voice which plumbs the deepest emotions. A muscian of note in the Pacific Northwest, she has made a 30 year music career while raising 3 sons and one daughter, achieving degrees in Theatre Arts and Special Education.

Màiri Chaimbeul is a young harpist/composer, born and brought up as a Gaelic speaker on the Isle of Skye in the North-West of Scotland. She has toured throughout the UK and in Europe as well as the USA, including the Celtic Connections Festival, The Edinburgh International Harp Festival, and Zakir Hussain's Pulse of the World Festival, London 2012. She participated in the prestigious Acoustic Music Seminar in Savannah, Georgia, in 2013 & 2014, working with Julian Lage, Mike Marshall, David Grisman, Bela Fleck and Darol Anger. She currently studies at Berklee.

The Furies have added, for these shows, the spectacular young bassist Ethan Jodziewicz, who completed study at Curtis Institute with Edgar Meyer. Ethan is one of the most virtuosic and versatile bassists anywhere, and is now helping to revolutionize the bass' role in American String Music, appearing all over the US with Sierra Hull and the band Mr Sun.

The Red Rat Quartet...
Claire Gohst: violin
James Guy: violin
Choeun Kim: viola
Keizo Yoshioka: cello ...will open!
Be social, share the Facebook event 

Tickets  Premium (first three rows) $20; General admission $15; Early bird seniors and students $10 (qty limited).

Friday, November 6, 2015

SPEND A WEEKEND IN (fiddle) HELL

"Fiddle Hell Massachusetts is a yearly gathering of fiddlers to meet, jam, learn, and have fun. It's both friendly and diverse, crossing all ages and including many traditional fiddle styles. Typically, there are about 1/3 beginners, 1/3 intermediates, and 1/3 advanced players, with many workshop and jam session choices at each level.
The invention of the late, great fiddler Dale Hopkins from Missouri, Fiddle Hell occurs periodically in fun locations worldwide. Prior Fiddle Hells have occurred in the US, the UK, the Netherlands, and Germany. Dale used the term "Fiddle Hell" to refer to the unique sound of many fiddlers playing a tune together. While Dale's two Fiddle Hell gatherings involved performances for the public as well as some informal sharing of tunes and techniques, Dave Reiner extended the concept to make Fiddle Hell Massachusetts more of a fiddle camp for all ages, with scheduled workshops and jam sessions led by a wonderful group of experienced and supportive instructors.
Last year (2014), we had 300+ musicians, mostly fiddlers, at the tenth Massachusetts Fiddle Hell. There is very limited space for musicians other than fiddlers. However, mandolin players, violists, and cellists are welcome! Other instrumentalists, please contact Dave first to ask. We request that any accompanying instruments only play styles and tunes they are familiar with, and ask the fiddlers before joining jam sessions...."
If you are not a fiddler, come for the Saturday night concert and contra dance.


Be sure to drop by the merch room and register for a chance to win a pair of tickets to "Darol Anger and The Furies: On A Winter's Night", Saturday, December 4 at Unity Somerville -https://www.facebook.com/events/720714501363398/


Monday, November 2, 2015

Julian Pinelli, Ethan Setiawan and Noah Harrington @ Somerville Armory, 11/25

Julian Pinelli, Ethan Setiawan and Noah Harrington 
Wednesday, November 25, 7:30pm  (cafe opens at 6:00pm)
Arts at the Armory Cafe
191 Highland Ave, Somerville, Massachusetts 02143
Suggested donation $5-10 (cash)


Don't be a turkey, bring visiting out-of-town family, friends and fiends to Arts at the Armory's cafe and show them some rising Berklee talent!

On Wednesday, November 25 at 7:30pm the notloB Music concert series will team up once again with Arts at the Armory to present a special performance, this time by rising Berklee Colllege of Music students Julian Pinelli, Ethan Setiawan, and Noah Harrington.

Julian Pinelli http://www.julianpinelli.com/ - first began playing violin at age 4, and soon after began playing bluegrass and fiddle tunes with his father. As a young teenager, Julian became serious about music as a career. Since then, discoveries and pursuits have ranged from intense classical studies, to the expressive world of jazz and improvising, as well as many fiddle and folk traditions. The Appalachian music surrounding Julian’s home in Asheville NC has been central to his musical upbringing. In addition to gigging and playing in various bluegrass and folk bands, the most developmental experiences have been the countless hours of jamming and learning from fellow musicians. Julian is currently a 3rd semester student at Berklee College of Music where he studies jazz violin among other styles and skillsets. 

Julian’s passion for music is rooted in its emotional impact, and the power it has to transcend reality and unify people. Overall, Julian strives to be at the forefront of musical innovation and create down-to-earth music that respects existing musical traditions while staying fresh at the cutting edge. 

Ethan Setiawan is a mandolinist from Goshen, Indiana. Before turning 18, he managed to participate in Savannah Music Festival’s Acoustic Music Seminar, was awarded a full ride scholarship to Berklee School of Music, performed on NPR syndicate Prairie Home Companion and won the 2014 National Mandolin Championship. While he started on cello in third grade, he was drawn to the mandolin after getting bored learning ukulele. Soon after, Ethan was traveling around the country going to mandolin and music instructional events such as the Mandolin Symposium, the Swannanoa Gathering and the Berklee 5-Week Summer Performance Program. Though Ethan is currently attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, he took lessons from jazz mandolinist Don Stiernberg through high school. Other artists he’s studied with include Clarice Assad, Bela Fleck, Julian Lage, Daniel Hope, and Mike Marshall. He’s performed with such diverse artists as the Steel Wheels, the Don Stiernberg Trio and Andy Hatfield (2011 International Guitar Champion, 2013 National Mandolin Champion), as well as having taught mandolin at TG School of Music in Goshen, Indiana. 

Noah Harrington is an award-winning acoustic and electric bassist originally from Lexington, MA, currently studying at The Berklee College of Music. He plays a wide range of styles, but fell in love with jazz soon after picking up the bass at the age of 10. He has studied with such luminaries as Julian Lage, Mike Marshall, Dave Holland and (currently) John Lockwood. An experienced bandleader, Noah founded the Scarlett//Harrington big band with fellow Berklee student Dean Scarlett, and frequently performs with a range of small ensembles at dances, weddings, house parties, festivals, and musicals. His musical repertoire encompasses Jazz, Rock, Brazilian, and Acoustic Roots music. 
Noah was named Outstanding Unamplified Bassist at the 2015 “Essentially Ellington Jazz Competition,” leading the competition’s “Overall Most Outstanding Rhythm Section.” He was twice named outstanding soloist at the Charles Mingus High School Jazz competition, and was one of 16 musicians nationwide invited to participate in the 2015 Savannah Acoustic Music Festival workshop. 
His musical influences include Ray Brown, Charlie Haden, Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald. He’s known for creating meaningful and energetic music, while staying in the pocket and focused on the groove. 

This is the sixth concert of the notloB Music’s current season presented at this venue. As we did at our long-running Loring-Greenough concert series, admission is by free-will donation. General admission $5-10+ cash.