Daimh, Gaelic Supergroup and unchallenged champion, play straight in the eye Highland music and are based around West Lochaber and the Isle of Skye.

Formed around the turn of the century and taking the name from the Gaelic word for kinship Daimh (pronounced Dive) have taken their contemporary take of Highland and Gaelic music to over 20 countries, setting audiences alight from Moscow to San Francisco.

With a reputation as giants of the Bagpipes and Fiddle, Angus Mackenzie and Gabe McVarish lead the melodic powerhouse with fellow founder member Ross Martin underpinning the groove on the Guitar. The Band is joined by new guy Murdo Yogi Cameron on Mandola and Accordion to complete the instrumental line up.

The Gothard Sisters

The Gothard Sisters are a dynamic group of three sisters, whose impressive array of talents have set them apart as one of the most refreshing and compelling acts in Celtic music today.

The sisters’ unpredictable and theatrical flair brings a youthful splash to the time-honored tradition of Celtic folk music, bridging the gap between modern Pop and Folk-Rock with a sunny, optimistic style that has been described as “beautifully-arranged, melodic-minded Celtic Folk-Pop.”

Hitting the streets of their hometown – Edmonds, Washington – in 2006, The Gothard Sisters first began playing together as a violin trio busking for tips at the local farmer’s market, working their way onto stages at local fairs and festivals. Audiences responded with enthusiasm, and over 1,000 performances later the band recently performed at the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., completed several national concert tours of the United States, regularly perform as guest entertainers on Disney Cruise Line in Europe and South America and are well-known musicians on the national Celtic festival circuit.

In December 2016 The Gothard Sisters charted on Billboard’s World Music Chart with their latest Christmas album, Falling Snow, alongside notable Irish music phenomena Celtic Woman and Celtic Thunder.

Windborne

Vocal virtuosity rooted in folk music and cultures from around the world. Their dynamic concert programs include songs from Corsica, the Republic of Georgia, Bulgaria, Quebec, and Basque country, as well as traditional and original American folk music. They believe deeply in the power of music to change hearts. See more about them here.

Optional potluck at 6PM.

Go to https://lisalynne.com/cedarhouse-concerts/ for location details.

A house concert is an excellent place to hear and meet great musicians in a very intimate setting.

MOLLY’S REVENGE

4PM show – sold out
7PM – seats available

Yes you read that right. In our house!
These guys will rock your socks with their smokin trio of Scottish and Irish Music. This trio is big time. They play at the top folk festivals and performing arts events in the USA, and prestigious events in Scotland, Australia and China.  Their arrangments traditional Celtic jigs and reels bring these dance tunes up to date with a driving, hard-edged accent that always leaves audiences shouting for more.  www.mollysrevenge.com

Go to https://lisalynne.com/cedarhouse-concerts/ for location details.

A house concert is an excellent place to hear and meet great musicians in a very intimate setting.

The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc

is a fiddle trio from Norway, Sweden and the Shetland Islands that have wowed audiences worldwide by their gripping and unique blend of fiddle music. Their show in Corvallis last year stunned the crowd, so much so, that they immediately agreed to return this year. NFB is comprised of Olav Luksengård Mjelva (Norway), Anders Hall (Sweden) and Kevin Henderson (Shetland Islands), each a master of their respective traditions. Their sound has been described as “unique, meaningful, intense and invigorating” with clever use of harmony, rhythm, riffs & bass lines. Their humor and personalities also make for a truly fun evening.

Pre-show social hour at 6:30 with live Scandi music in the lobby by Vänta Bara with special guest, Amy Håkansson

Vӓnta Bara, translated from Swedish as “Just Wait” is a trio with Lori Prime on fiddle and nyckelharpa, Kim Majors on fiddle and Maralyn Belgique on cello. Collectively, they have played various forms of traditional and folk-dance music for over two decades. Amy Håkansson grew up in a family blue grass band, but her love for the nyckelharpa led to a year-long study at the prestigious Eric Sahlstrom Institute in Sweden. She studied under Väsen’s Olov Johansson who invited her to perform with the group on both nyckelharpa and banjo! Their love of traditional folk music has brought them together to play dance tunes for Norske Runddansere at the cultural center, Nordia House, in Portland. They are excited to share their music in Corvallis for a social hour in the lobby of the Majestic Theatre where snacks, wine, sodas and 2 Towns Cider are available.

Gerry O’Connor
with Richard Mandel

(and afternoon workshops – see below)

From Dundalk, County Louth, Gerry O’Connor has played and recorded with such highly regarded groups as Lá Lúgh (Eithne Ní Uallacháin, Sony Music) and Skylark. Gerry has toured and recorded with members of all the legendary groups including Planxty, Bothy Band and others.  Lá Lugh’s album “Brighid’s Kiss” was voted Album of the Year 1996 by readers of the Irish Music Magazine. His solo album “Journeyman” was counted in the top five Albums of the year 2004 by the Irish Times.

Richard Mandel (guitar, tenor banjo, bouzouki) fell into the well of Irish music in the mid-‘90s and was soon driving every session he could get into.  As a first-call accompanist, Richard has performed and toured with legendary Irish musicians including Gerry O’Connor, Paddy Keenan, Jimmy Keane, Mick Maloney, Paddy O’Brien, Tony DeMarco and many others.  Richard plays in the trio Three Mile Stone with mandolinist Marla Fibish and fiddler Erin Shrader. Three Mile Stone released its debut CD, produced by John Doyle, in March 2010 and has received rave reviews.  In addition to Three Mile Stone, Richard can be heard on Christa Burch’s CD “Love of the Land”, Radim Zenkl’s, “Restless Joy”, and Tipsy House’s CD, “Sets in the City.”

[P]owerful guitar work, whether taking the form of a high-energy rhythmic input or a more intricate embellishment. —David Kidman, Living Tradition Magazine

Richard’s guitar playing is a perfect support and backdrop for Marla’s and Erin’s tune conversations. It never draws attention to itself except by its excellence and appropriateness. And he can play the snot out of the tenor banjo, too! —Roger Landes (Irish bouzouki master and Zoukfest founder)

[A] lightning right hand and spot on chord choices. He is also a precise and powerful tenor banjo player.—Kevin Carr, FolkWorks

Advance Tickets (at Grassroots Books, 227 SW 2nd St.) are recommended  as space is limited.

Afternoon Workshops on May 17 !  ($7/$5 CFS members)

2pm:  DADGAD Guitar Accompaniment w/ Richard Mandel
4pm:  Irish Tunes for all Instruments w/ Gerry O’Connor 

A Celtic Evening
James Wilson
with
Dave and Sharon
Thormahlen

James Wilson was a English as a Second Language teacher at the Benton Center for awhile, now lives in Portland. He is getting together with Corvallis musicians Sharon and Dave Thormahlen to present an evening of Celtic tunes (“which we will deviate from a bit with some Latin and originals”).

Sharon and Dave have been performing all sort of music, from swing (in the Swing Beans) through children’s music to British (Celtic, Beatles, etc.) and more for many years.  They always put on a good show.

An evening house concert with
Birch Pereira
and the Gin Joints
from Seattle

Born out of a love of the early years of swing, americana and rock ‘n ‘roll, Birch Pereira & the Gin Joints is a band whose sound transports you to the time of speakeasies, honky-tonks and roadhouses. With upright bassist and vocalist Birch Pereira at its center, the band features skilled and versatile musicians who share the love of the American song traditions and a desire to offer a fresh angle on them.

Check out all the fun videos at   https://www.theginjointsband.com

If you’ve seen them before, then don’t miss this opportunity to hear the continuing evolution of their repertoire and skills.

The band’s debut album, Dream Man, was released independently and received the Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Award for “Northwest Jazz Recording of the Year” in 2016. Their second album “Western Soul” was released in March 2018 and features western-tinged jazz and soul originals along with reinterpretations of old blues, swing and early rock’n’roll. Fans, critics and deejays have delighted in Birch Pereira’s “old soul,” tenor voice, the group’s new, stripped-down arrangements of musical gems from the past and Pereira’s ever growing repertoire of original, yet period-evoking material. Frank Gutch Jr, of No Depression described the new album thusly: “I love this album. I love the sound of it. I love the feel of it. I love the idea of it.”

One of the fun aspects of the Gin Joints is that, depending on availability, Birch can draw from a large pool of highly talented Seattle musicians, who all love playing this music.   Joining Birch this time are Adrian Van Batenburg on drums/percussion (returning again to Corvallis) and fine Seattle guitarist Colin Higgins (see below).

PERSONNEL
After playing cello in the Corvallis Youth Symphony, Birch Pereira got his BA in Jazz Studies (bass performance) from the University of Washington in 2005.   Since then he has become well-known in Seattle as a highly versatile bass player, band leader, composer, producer/engineer and teacher.  With the formation of the Gin Joints he moved out front as vocalist, arranger, composer and bass player — and hasn’t looked back since.

Adrian Van Batenburg got his BA in Jazz Studies (drumming/percussion) from University of North Texas in 2002.  He has been gigging, recording, touring and teaching since moving to Seattle that year.

Colin Higgins studied jazz guitar performance at North Texas University and University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. He graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Music degree from University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.  Colin moved to Seattle in the fall of 1997. He’s performed in a wide range of musical settings, from jazz to classic rock, with many great Seattle musicians.

A house concert is a great way to hear music in an intimate setting and get to know the performers up close and personal.

To reserve a space and get directions,   email to peartree15@comcast.net
(or, if an email won’t work, call 541-753-9224).

RUNA

“Best of all, RUNA sounds like no one else!” – Travis Rogers, Jr., Music Life & Times

Quickly gaining recognition as one of Irish music’s new “super-groups,” RUNA has been en- chanting audiences by pushing the boundaries of Irish folk music into the Americana and roots music formats since their formation in 2008. Interweaving the haunting melodies and exuberant tunes of Ireland and Scotland with the lush harmonies and intoxicating rhythms of jazz, bluegrass, flamenco and blues, they offer a thrilling and redefining take on traditional music.

The group has been honored internationally, winning Top Group and Top Traditional Group in the Irish Music Awards and four Independent Music Awards including Best Live Album, Best World/Traditional Song and Best Bluegrass Song.

“Timeless and flawless…” – Jim Allford, PA Music Scene

RUNA consists of vocalist and step-dancer, Shannon Lambert-Ryan of Philadelphia, Dublin-born guitarist, Fionán de Barra, Cheryl Prashker of Canada on percussion, Zach White of St. Louis on guitar, vocals and mandolin, and Maggie White of Kentucky on the fiddle and Mandolin.

RUNA recently released their fifth album, “RUNA: LIVE”, which was recorded at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, MD on Thursday, March 17th, 2016. Receiving lavish praise on both sides of the Atlantic, the album has been hailed as “an incredible masterpiece” – Marcene Bronson, The Celtic Crier

Seeking to preserve and continue a traditional culture in a modern age, RUNA creates the backbone of its signature roots sound from the musical and geographical diversity of its individually established band members. Their strive for excellence and creativity blazes a trail for the future of folk music, earning them the reputation as one of the most innovative Irish folk groups of this generation.

“Genuine and with endless innovation…” – John O’Brien, Jr., Ohio Irish American News

The Fire

• Rebecca Lomnicky on Scottish fiddle,
• David Brewer on Highland pipes and whistles,
• Adam Hendey on guitar & bazouki

The Fire is a high energy pure-drop Scottish music band, with world class fiddling in combination with bagpipes, guitar, bodhran, whistle, and bouzouki. The group includes, International Scottish Fiddle Champion Rebecca Lomnicky, multi-instrumentalist David Brewer of the popular Celtic band Molly’s Revenge, and Adam Hendey on guitar and bouzouki.  Members of the trio have each spent copious amounts of time delving into the traditions of their respective instruments, with Rebecca and David having additionally lived and studied in both Edinburgh and the highlands of Scotland. Together, The Fire performs captivating Scottish music which bridges the gap between the fiddle and bagpipe music of Scotland—two worlds united, into a heartfelt and rousing musical experience. Between their entertaining and informative stage banter, vast array of instrument combinations and extensive repertoire, including everything from soaring slow airs to intricately arranged dance tunes, these charismatic performers will leave you on your feet with your hands together. The Fire has headlined at Celtic festivals such as The Pleasanton Scottish Highland Games, The Utah Scottish Association Highland Games, The Portland Highland Games, The Sedona Celtic Harvest Festival, The Northwest Folklife Festival, The Oregon Scottish Festival, The Yachats Celtic Music Festival, The Monterey Scottish Games and Celtic Festival, and has performed at a variety of venues throughout the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland.

The Fire is currently based out of Santa Cruz, California, and has recorded two albums together. (Rebecca is from Corvallis)

The Real Sarahs

With organic harmonies that enchant and uplift the spirit, The Real Sarahs share their special gift of vocal synergy. This trio of women, who are all named Sarah, create magic with voices in harmony, acoustic instruments and the energetic connection between artists and audience. With a breadth of influences, you are likely to hear threads of folk, jazz, blues, and country music running through their songs. Singing from the stories of their own life journeys and experiences, their original music is honest, evocative and heartfelt.

A house concert is a great way to hear music in an intimate setting and get to know the performers up close and personal.

Scott Cook

A roots balladeer with a rare personal warmth, Canada’s Scott Cook has managed to distil the stories collected over eleven years touring across Canada, the USA, Europe, Asia, Australia and elsewhere into straight-talking, keenly observant verse. Road-worn, painfully honest, and deeply human, his tunes weave threads of folk, roots, blues, soul and country over spacious fingerstyle guitar and clawhammer banjo arrangements. His fourth release, One More Time Around, was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award, and its opening track “Pass It Along” won the Folk and Acoustic category in the 2013 UK Songwriting Contest, with UK magazine Maverick Country naming him “one of Canada’s most inspiring and imaginative storytellers”. In 2015 he put together a seven-piece honky-tonk band for his fifth studio album, Scott Cook and the Long Weekends Go Long, and in 2017 he released his sixth album Further Down the Line, earning his second Canadian Folk Music Award nomination, for English Songwriter of the Year. The album is packaged in a 132-page softcover book offering a look back, in words and pictures, on his last decade of near-incessant rambling. Cook is one of the hardest-working DIY troubadours on the road today, averaging over 150 shows and a dozen festivals every year since 2007. All the hard miles notwithstanding, he still believes that songs can change your life, and your life can change the world.

“Scott Cook has distilled his travels down into songs powered by a sharp eye for imagery, a healthy dose of humanity, and that unforgettable voice, that at the same time intones the rigors of the road and the most comfortable couch you have ever slept on.” -David Francey, 3x Juno-winning songwriter

“As good a modern folkie as we have these days. A voice perfect for the genre. An understanding beyond the norm.” –No Depression

“He sings his heart and soul, and in doing so lets light flood into your own… A good eye for imagery, a gentle human touch, a wry sense of humour, a whole lot of integrity, a warm, rugged voice and a bunch of memorable lines… Truly one of Woody Guthrie’s children.” –RnR Magazine

A house concert is an excellent way to enjoy music in an intimate environment and get to know the musician.

Rushad Eggleston

For those not in the know, Rushad is the cellist from another planet. He’s a legend, clown, goblin, cello-shredder, acrobat, wild “jazz” vocalist, bundle of laughs, inventor of bluegrass cello, Grammy Nominee, time traveler, creator of worlds, Pentecostal dancer, proprietor of igwarfnees, president of Norwegian Ostrich Society, winner of some contest in 1725.

Rushad is truly a musical genius and he spends a lot of time exploring boundaries.  While it may seem like he’s from another planet, he comes down to earth and plays at places like Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center.  He was the first string player awarded a full scholarship to the Berklee college of music, and while still there he became their first active student ever to be nominated for a Grammy award.  If you have never seen Rushad, now is your chance to witness greatness.

Note: Larger, more comfortable space and room for everyone, come one, come all!  No reservations necessary, bring your friends and family and pay at the door!  Please enter through the glass doors on 8th or from the parking lot on 9th.  We’ll still have a potluck snack break at intermission, but please don’t bring alcohol (church regulation).  This is kid friendly and encouraged, Rushad is inspirational.    Cash preferred  (checks made to Rushad Eggleston if you must)

Heron Valley

Heron Valley are an energetic, young traditional band from Scotland who have serious enthusiasm for the music they play. Their roots lie in Scottish and Irish traditional music, while taking influence from various Folk, Country and Bluegrass styles. The five-piece, energy fuelled group comprises piper/guitarist/whistle player Euan McNab, banjo player/drummer Nick Hamilton, pianist Arlene Mackechnie, guitarist/vocalist Abigail Pryde and bassist Callum Cronin.

Since their inception in 2014, Heron Valley have always ensured that they are conveying the highest amount of energy they have to every crowd they play to, ensuring that people who come to see them live have a fantastic experience. In 2015, they set themselves the challenge of releasing a music video and a debut single, to allow people to clearly see their intentions. This began with their set of tunes, Pressed for Time, and their original idea of filming out on open water on a yacht. The storyline took the band from performing out on this moving boat, to their journey to and performance at a gig. The idea of this was to convey to their audience the enjoyment people have when they come to see them live. This was extremely well received and racked up 85K views, with people all over the world purchasing the single. A year later, they released their second single ‘Home’ along with an extremely diverse music video. This time, they set off at 4AM to climb up Beinn an Lochainn, a hill in the west coast of Scotland. The video sees this journey from bottom to top and shows them playing on cliff edges in the area they all grew up. This gathered an incredible 173K views, and was shared over 2,000 times.

Due to this success, Heron Valley then quickly made a massive impact on the folk scene in Scotland, and 2016 seen them on their tour of 11 Festival stages over the UK, while 2017 seen them on a tour of over 20 festivals around the UK and Europe. Johnny Walley at Folk Music Radio was ‘particularly impressed by the structure of their set, building up the energy incrementally in a series of waves, taking the audience along with them every step of the way.’ With the unbelievable reaction they received at these gigs, and the demand for more recordings of their music, Heron Valley released their debut album, Roam, in May 2017. This has been extremely well received by the public, and has been the focus of their gigs during their 2017 Summer tour. This features 8 brand new tracks of self-penned songs and lively sets of tunes.

Alasdair Fraser
&
Natalie Haas

cutting-edge fiddle and cello explorations of Scottish and global music

” … you would think they’d been playing together for centuries. While his fiddle dances, her cello throbs darkly or plucks puckishly. Then [Haas] opens her cello’s throat, joining Fraser in soaring sustains, windswept refrains, and sudden, jazzy explosions. Their sound is as urbane as a Manhattan midnight, and as wild as a Clackmannan winter.”        — Boston Globe

“As many gigs as they must have played together over the past decade or so, there remains a striking spontaneity about Fraser and Haas’s music-making. He has tonal variation and attack to spare, but what makes them so consistently absorbing is the responsiveness each shows to the other. Haas is more than a cellist: she’s the rhythm section who uses the percussive chip’n’chop of her bowing and the double bass-like pulse of her pizzicato playing to great effect. The accompanist’s role moves so fluently between them, building tension all the while, and then they’ll slip into unison and it’s like floodgates opening. ”
— The Herald

“Fraser, one of the most respected of all exponents of the Scots fiddle, would look long and hard to find a more appropriate cellist as a partner…A positive joy.”
— The Scotsman

The musical partnership between consummate performer Alasdair Fraser, “the Michael Jordan of Scottish fiddling”, and brilliant Californian cellist Natalie Haas spans the full spectrum between intimate chamber music and ecstatic dance energy. Over the last 18 years of creating a buzz at festivals and concert halls across the world, they have truly set the standard for fiddle and cello in traditional music. They continue to thrill audiences internationally with their virtuosic playing, their near-telepathic understanding and the joyful spontaneity and sheer physical presence of their music.

Fraser has a concert and recording career spanning over 30 years, with a long list of awards, accolades, radio and television credits, and feature performances on top movie soundtracks (Last of the Mohicans, Titanic, etc.). In 2011, he was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. Haas, a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, is one of the most sought after cellists in traditional music today. She has performed and recorded with a who’s who of the fiddle world including Mark O’Connor, Natalie MacMaster, Irish supergroups Solas and Altan, Liz Carroll, Dirk Powell, Brittany Haas, Darol Anger, Jeremy Kittel, Hanneke Cassel, Laura Cortese, and many more.

This seemingly unlikely pairing of fiddle and cello is the fulfillment of a long-standing musical dream for Fraser. His search eventually led him to find a cellist who could help return the cello to its historical role at the rhythmic heart of Scottish dance music, where it stood for hundreds of years before being relegated to the orchestra. The duo’s debut recording, Fire & Grace, won the coveted the Scots Trad Music “Album of the Year” award, the Scottish equivalent of a Grammy. Since its release, the two have gone on to record four more critically acclaimed albums that blend a profound understanding of the Scottish tradition with cutting-edge string explorations. In additional to performing, they both have motivated generations of string players through their teaching at fiddle camps across the globe.