"Songs of Separation" wins Best Album at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards

Congratulations to Hannah Read - notloB Music concert #34, Folk Arts Quartet, April 11, 2009 - on winning the Best Album of 2017 for Songs of Separation at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2017!! 
#R2FolkAwards

In her own words, "Songs of Separation" won Best Album at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in London on Wednesday night! What an incredible honour. Thank you to everyone who voted and supported us over the last year - so happy! X"

JULIE METCALF and Mariel Vandersteel

notloB Parlour Concerts is pleased to welcome back to the intimate Loring-Greenough House two of its alumna, JULIE METCALF (formerly of the Folk Arts Quartet, now with the Paper Star Trio, making her second notloB appearance) and MARIEL VANDERSTEEL (of Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers, her third notloB appearance).

Time	Saturday, December 4 · 8:00pm - 10:30pm
Location	Loring-Greenough House 12 South Street Jamaica Plain, MA
	Suggested donation $12 at the door; $10 if reservation is made at least 24 hours in advance and to Loring-Greenough museum members + $1 preservation fee that goes to the museum Doors 7:30, Concert 8:00 Reservations: notlobreservations at gmail dot com Artist's websites: http://www.myspace.com/juliemetcalf http://marielvandersteel.com/Mariel_Vandersteel ... Official website: http://sites.google.com/site/notlobmusic ~ notloB Folk Concerts is pleased to welcome back two alumna, Julie Metcalf (from the Folk Arts Quartet) and Mariel Vandersteel (from Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers). Fiddler JULIE METCALF began as a classical violinist in Worcester, MA. Coming from a family of musicians, she was encouraged to make music from an early age; Julie picked up the violin for the first time when she was 4 years old and has been playing ever since. When she was twelve, Julie discovered fiddle music and jazz through PBS and country radio, and began learning Celtic tunes on her own. Julie studied classical violin at Boston University's College of Fine Arts. Recently, she has immersed herself in the study of both traditional folk and contemporary styles of music, including Celtic, Appalachian, bluegrass, jazz, and Latin music. She is a graduate of Berklee College of Music with a degree in Violin Performance. Julie plays viola in the Paper Star Trio, formerly the Folk Arts Quartet. The Paper Star Trio is a grooving chamber-folk string ensemble that plays contemporary arrangements of world fiddle music. She can also be spotted playing violin with Mariachi Palenque. MARIEL VANDERSTEEL ~ Inspired by her summers spent studying traditional music in Ireland and across the united states, Mariel decided to study music in norway after graduating from Berklee. She is studying the hardingfele and Norwegian folk music at høgskolen i telemark rauland. While in Norway, she has performed at outdoor festivals and in the local elementary school where she taught children about American folk music. Mariel has taught at alasdair fraser's sierra fiddle camp, has been an assistant teacher at fiddlekids, a San Francisco Bay Area fiddle camp for children, and has shared the stage with Alasdair Fraser, Laura Risk, Hanneke Cassel, Natalie Haas, Tristan and Tashina Clarridge, Nic Gareiss, André Brunet, and Philip Bailey of Earth Wind and Fire. She currently lives in Norway and will return to Boston in 2010 where she will teach the fiddle and hardingfele and perform with Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers and the Paper Star Trio. Coffee, tea and pastries will be available. notloB Folk Concerts are volunteer run and not for profit. All interested in volunteering are encouraged to send an email to notlobreservations at gmail dot com Reservations ~ notlobreservations@gmail.com Website ~ http://sites.google.com/site/notlobmusic Facebook ~ http://www.facebook.com/pages/notloB-Folk-Concerts/118395891509908 Mail list ~ http://groups.google.com/group/notlobmusic

notloB Folk Concerts presents the FOLK ARTS QUARTET

notloB Folk Concerts

 presents

The Folk Arts Quartet

notloB Folk Concerts is thrilled to present for the second time FOLK ARTS QUARTET.  Since their last notloB appearance at the Park Avenue Church in Arlington, FAQ "“hibernated” while Liz accepted a Fulbright grant to pursue a year-long study and research program at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance (University of Limerick, Ireland). Meanwhile, others of the founding members also pursued other musical projects.  In summer 2010, FAQ returns to the scene with a new lineup—welcoming Jenna Moynihan and Lea Kirstein—and tours in New England, New York, Philadelphia, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia."

notloB Folk Concerts presents the Folk Arts Quartet

at the Unity Church of God, Davis Square, Somerville
    
Somerville, MA ~ Under the structural guise of a string quartet, the Folk Arts Quartet breaks musical molds by fusing the worlds of folk and chamber music to produce a cross-over genre they call “ChamberGrass.” With contemporary arrangements, they perform their own tunes alongside traditional Celtic & folk tunes on Friday, August 13, 2010 @ 8:00 p.m. The concert will take place at The Unity Church of God, 6 William St., Somerville, MA. Suggested minimum donation is $12 at the door; $10 if reservation is made at least 24 hours in advance and to UCG members; $10 students (with ID) and seniors; $5 children under 13. Email notlobreservations@gmail.com for reservations, or go to http://sites.google.com/site/notlobmusic/  for more information.


Folk Arts Quartet (FAQ) fuses the worlds of folk and chamber music in a wild amalgam they call “ChamberGrass.” With firm roots in Celtic and American fiddle styles, FAQ enlivens traditional tunes and new compositions through innovative arrangements, recordings, and performances.

“It’s not uncommon for a modern string quartet to play some crossover material,” remarks cellist Liz Davis Maxfield, “but what we’re doing is different. We aren’t a classical quartet playing ‘an arrangement of a folk tune.’ We are fundamentally folk musicians, who know the traditions and styles, but we also happen to have extensive technical training and chamber music experience.”

The founding members of Folk Arts Quartet met in 2008 while studying at Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA), piloting their groovy, contemporary arrangements in Boston’s fertile folk music scene. At Berklee, FAQ had the honor of being mentored by some of today’s best contemporary string players, including Eugene Friesen, Mads Tolling, and John McGann. FAQ’s sound quickly grew in popularity as the quartet performed for audiences at venues such as Club Passim and WGBH’s St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn.

“Evidently passionate and extremely tight, it was an absolute delight to see them perform,” wrote Anja McCloskey, writer for Wears the Trousers Magazine.

Scots Trad Music Award winner and FAQ mentor, Natalie Haas, said “The Folk Arts Quartet is comprised of four incredibly talented young [musicians], each bringing her own unique style of fiddling to this group, which is the first of its kind in the Celtic genre. They are taking the string world by storm with their zesty arrangements of both traditional and original tunes, blending the raw, folksy sounds of a string band with the sophistication and grace of a classical string quartet.”

In March 2009, FAQ released its debut, self-titled album prior to spending the summer touring throughout the U.S. and Canada. In response to FAQ’s performance on the main stage of the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, the Festival’s musical director touted FAQ as one of her “favorite bands to watch this year.” (Cover Lay Down, 8/09)

In late 2009, FAQ “hibernated” while Liz accepted a Fulbright grant to pursue a year-long study and research program at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance (University of Limerick, Ireland). Meanwhile, the other founding members pursued independent musical projects.

In summer 2010, FAQ returns to the scene with a new lineup—welcoming Jenna Moynihan and Lea Kirstein—and tours in New England, New York, Philadelphia, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia.

Instrumentation
Liz Davis Maxfield - Cello
Ivonne Hernandez - Fiddle
Jenna Moynihan - Fiddle
Lea Kirstein - Viola

Discography
Folk Arts Quartet (2009)

Links

http://www.folkartsquartet.com

MySpace

“In this era of pop-driven acoustic music, notloB is keeping the folk tradition alive.” ~ Jack Hardy

notloB Folk Concerts (Somerville and Jamaica Plain) are volunteer run and not for profit.
Mailing list~ http://groups.google.com/group/notlobmusic
Facebook~ http://www.facebook.com/pages/notloB-Folk-Concerts/118395891509908
Website~ http://sites.google.com/site/notlobmusic

-----

Correction.  In the original post I wrote that FAQ was a Falcon Ridge "most wanted" artist, they were not, rather they were selected as a main stage artist with no prior appearance history.

Broken Blossoms & Folk Arts Quartet, Arlington, 4/11

notloB Concerts is proud to present BROKEN BLOSSOMS & FOLK ARTS QUARTET at the Park Avenue Congregational Church, 50 Paul Revere Road, Arlington Heights, MA 02476 just off Mass Ave.) on Saturday, April 11 at 8:00 pm (doors 7:45).

Suggested minimum donation is $15.00 at the door & $10 for seniors and students with ID. Regular patron admission is $12.50 if a reservation to notlobreservations@comcast.net is made at least 24 hours prior to the concert. Advance tickets are available at Music Emporium, located at 165 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington, MA 02420.

notloB Concerts is new to Arlington but has been producing quality acoustic folk/roots/Celtic/blues/bluegrass concerts in Boston and the surrounding area for more than two years. Their concerts are 100% volunteer run and not for profit. After production expenses, all patron donations go to the artists.

This is the first of three stringband/Celtic/folk concerts Notlob will be producing at this venue during the months of April and May, the others being

• On May 9, Joy Kills Sorrow (newgrass) & The Boston Boys (bluegrass)

• On May 23, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival 2008 "Most Wanted" winners Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers (Scandanavian folk) & Abi Tapia (contemporary singer/songwriter).
  

See the website for information about concerts in June and beyond.

BROKEN BLOSSOMS

The beauty of Broken Blossoms is that they are both new and familiar, rooted in tradition, yet rejuvenated by unique arrangements—a happy convergence of traditional bluegrass, gospel, country blues, and folk-pop.

Broken Blossoms is the unification of a group of highly recognizable performers in Boston's celebrated folk-music circuit—its members gathered by gifted songwriter and guitarist, Andy Cambria, in support of one the area's most prominent singer-songwriters, Jenee Halstead, who released a solo LP (The River Grace) in 2008.

Halstead performed regularly with Cambria, mandolin player David Goldenberg, bassist/hammered dulcimer wizard Simon Chrisman and banjo player Charles Rose, throughout 2008. The group recruited friend and fiddle virtuoso, Kimber Ludiker, just before the year drew to a close and recorded a four-song EP in January 2009. Tracked live in one day at the Unity Church of God in Somerville, MA, the eponymous debut offers up three original songs penned by Cambria and Halstead alongside the band's arrangement of the spiritual, "Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning."

Although the members of the band have impressive personal resumes, with performances on such legendary stages as Grey Fox, Wintergrass, The Birchmere, The Grand Master Fiddle Championship, Falcon Ridge and Club Passim to their credit, it is their strength and style as a unit that's made an instant impact on Boston's roots-music scene. Talent buyer, Geoff Bartley, operator of Boston's bluegrass Mecca, The Cantab Lounge, describes them thusly: "Every time I hear this band, they're tighter, deeper and more poised. The sultry vocals and refined songwriting, steeped in traditional roots and bluegrass, vault the group into another category. Look out—these folks could become well-known very fast."

The EP, Broken Blossoms, was released March 23, 2009.

FOLK ARTS QUARTET

The Folk Arts Quartet (FAQ) combines folk styles from the fiddle world with the arts heritage of the classical string quartet. The result is a new hybrid genre, "ChamberGrass." As the four young women of FAQ pioneer this style they are gaining recognition for their musicianship and innovation.

The members of the Folk Arts Quartet…

Liz Davis Maxfield, Cello

Julie Metcalf, Viola

Ivonne Hernandez, Violin

Hannah Read, Violin

…met while studying at the Berklee College of Music. Although they were classically trained, they all have extensive experience in folk styles. Hailing from Scotland, Canada, and the United States, they each have distinct musical styles. The FAQ has had the honor of being mentored by some of the best contemporary string players around, including Matt Glaser, Natalie Haas, Eugene Friesen, John McGann.

The Folk Arts Quartet arranges traditional tunes and original compositions using an array of techniques and ideas—some they've learned from Classical string quartet pieces, others from folk bands, and others they've invented on their own. With the addition of the occasional beautiful song or energetic step dance, their groovy, contemporary style nods to their many influences and breathes new life into folk and chamber music.

The Folk Arts Quartet has performed in legendary Boston music venues including Club Passim in Cambridge, Massachusetts; the Boston Celtic Music Festival; and the Berklee Performance center. The FAQ has been highlighted by Berklee College of Music as a representative ensemble of the College and its string department for feature performances around the world.

The Folk Arts Quartet has stormed onto the global folk scene, receiving rave reviews wherever they perform. From their unique look to their fresh take on folk and chamber music this is a group not to miss!

ARTIST WEBSITES:

http://www.brokenblossomsband.com/

www.myspace.com/brokenblossomsband

www.myspace.com/folkartsquartet

http://folkartsquartet.com

Park Avenue Congregational Church, UCC

50 Paul Revere Road, Arlington, Massachusetts

By car: From Route 2, take the Park Avenue exit (Exit 58), and turn north into Arlington on Park Avenue. Continue to the top of the hill, past the water tower on the right, and down the long, steep hill just until you see the traffic lights at the intersection of Park Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue. The church is on the left, one block south of Massachusetts Avenue at the intersection of Park Avenue and Paul Revere Road.

By bus: MBTA

Parking: Ample on-street parking is available on Park and Massachusetts Avenues.

Have dinner before the concert at Jade Garden Chinese Restaurant, 1360 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington. 781-648-8882

Show proof of admission (your email reservation confirmation or ticket stub) for 10% your food bill.

Thak you for supporting live music.

-notloB Music
http://www.reverbnation.com/notlob

Cover Lay Down covers Notlob

Joshua Farber has a nice shout-out in this morning's edition of "Cover Lay Down".

Those living in the Boston area would be well advised to keep an eye on the Notlob concert series, which is featuring many folks from this scene this year: Hannah Read will perform with the Folk Arts Quartet on April 11; both Emma Beaton and the Boston Boys, which feature some of the Berklee Bluegrass crowd, will appear on May 9.

Read the entire article here in a larger piece about local musicians (and Notlob alumna Kristin Andreassen, Ruthy Merenda, Aoife O'Donovan, Hanah Read, Emma Beaton and Eilen Jewell), as well as a call out of David Massengill, also a Notlobber.