Calendar

Brothers Andrew and Noah Van Norstrand have played for contra dances for more than a decade. Yes, they started touring before graduating high school. They’re both “married old men” in their 20s now, but still enjoy touring with their mom, Kim Yerton, playing for dances from coast to coast. This trio visits us all the way from New York. Dancing to their music will definitely be worth your while!
Caller George Marshall returns to Portland with these fine musicians.

Band: Laura Light, Dave Bartley and Jeff Spero (all from Seattle).

Caller: Eric Black.

~Potluck at 6 pm. Hosts: Josiah & Xan, 1615 SE Bethel St, Corvallis. Phone: 541-231-1895. Directions from downtown Corvallis: Drive south on SW 4th St, which continues as SW 3rd ST (Hwy 99). Turn left onto Crystal Lake Drive. Drive less than 1/2 a mile then turn right onto SE Bethel St; (fifth house on left).

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

Hass Kowert Tice Trio

Together, Haas, Kowert, and Tice have produced a body of work containing flights of improvisation and interesting compositional turns all grounded by memorable melodies and driving rhythms. The group’s adventurous spirit and desire to show the audience something new is never at the expense of the most intrinsically rewarding elements of music such as the beauty of a well crafted melody or the dance-inspiring energy of a great groove.

Hass Kowert Tice Trio is:

• Fiddler Brittany Haas, known for her work with Crooked Still and Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings
• Bassist Paul Kowert who plays with the Punch Brothers and David Rawlings Machine/ Gillian Welch
• Virtuosic guitarist Jordan Tice who performs regularly with Tony Trischka

It’s gonna be a great concert!  We expect it will sell out so let us know right away if you plan to come so we can reserve you a ticket.

PS: since so many have asked.  You’re welcome to bring either snacks or beverage to share (or not) and nothing is expected…

Band: Full Moon: Gordy Euler — fiddle; Dave Hamlin — fiddle, mandolin; Janet Ghoulston — concertina, banjo; Fran Slefer — fiddle, button accordion, piano

Caller: Kat diFoxfire Wilson

~ No Potluck tonight.

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

Treehouse playing

Becky Dorsey (fiddle), Benjamin Young (banjo, whistle), and Rachael Young (piano) bring a mix of Irish, Quebecois, and New England style, and put it together with Pacific Northwest flair. Becky has played for dances throughout Vermont, New Jersey, Arizona, and California, and previously played with Amazon Creek in Eugene. Ben and Rachael come from the Irish traditional session background, having played with many groups across Canada and throughout Washington, Oregon, and California.

William Watson calling

William Watson, a resident of Eugene, OR, danced his first contra in 1989 and began calling in Texas in 1992. Having called numerous contra events in cities coast-to-coast, William’s extensive experience and soothing voice project a calm confidence. His vigilant and thoughtful dance programming ensures a variety of figures, transitions, and sequences to entertain and support new dancers while offering the occasional challenge for the more advanced. His calling proficiency and sensitivities ensure everyone has a good time.

Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

~Potluck: 6 p.m. Host: Diane Arney, 770 SW Lookout Drive; 541-753-0762.

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

Eric & Suzy have devoted their lives to the pursuit of weird and obscure old-time American music – warped fiddle tunes in odd tunings, cinematic ballads, country blues songs that contain mysterious metaphors, early Cajun music with incomprehensible French lyrics and backwards chords. Using fiddle, mandolin, guitars, Cajun accordion, banjo (and the occasional odd instrument such as the ten-stringed cuatro) they bring these early 20th century sounds right into the present day.

Eric’s flatpicking on guitar and mandolin is exceptional for its purity of tone, speed, and soulfulness; Suzy is a powerful singer, an award-winning fiddler and Cajun accordion player who has apprenticed with older generation Louisiana Cajun musicians under an NEA Fellowship. Founding members of many influential roots music groups including the Black Mountain Boys, Any Old Time, the Klezmorim, and the California Cajun Orchestra, Eric and Suzy have also worked with Maria Muldaur, David Grisman, Peter Rowan, Jim Kweskin, Geoff Muldaur, Jerry Garcia, Darol Anger, Laurie Lewis, the Savoy Doucet Cajun Trio, and many other fine musicians.

Zephyr playing

Zephyr is a quartet of seasoned contradance musicians, with Ellen Hansen on fiddle, Todd Silverstein on whistle/sax/bouzouki, Bo Leyden on banjo/mandolin, and Dave Goldman on keyboard. Their music has strong roots in the Celtic, Appalachian, Scandinavian, and Klezmer traditions. But what draws them together is the infectious energy they put out on the dance floor, just like the West Wind they’re named after. In various configurations, these musicians have played from Oregon to Massachusetts, from Alaska to Virginia, and from China to Ireland and Sweden.

Woody Lane calling

A caller for more than 25 years, Woody Lane from Roseburg is known for his smooth contras, fast squares, and superb programming. His teaching style is clear and concise. Also an accomplished clogger, he often accompanies the band as a foot percussionist, raising the energy level on the dance floor to wonderful heights. Woody has brought his exciting brand of calling to dances from Alaska to Boston to Florida, and he has a growing reputation throughout the country.

Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

~ Potluck at 6 p.m.  Host: Dan McKenzie, 2920 NW Mulkey Ave; 541-501-6184. Directions: From Harrison Blvd, west bound: Turn right (north) onto NW 29^th St. After crossing Grant (passing First Alternative Co-op North store), take the second left at NW Mulkey. Second house on the left.

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

An evening of Moroccan, Yemenite and Hebrew devotional music
featuring the soulful Yemenite singer Maya Haddi.
With David Reihs on percussion.
and special guest dancer, Jane Archer

Yuval Ron is an internationally renowned World Music artist, composer, educator, peace activist and record producer. Among his many honors, he composed the songs and score for the Oscar winning film West Bank Story in 2007, was the featured artist in the Gala Concert for the Dalai Lama’s initiative Seeds of Compassion in the Seattle Opera Hall in 2008, has collaborated with the Sufi leader Pir Zia Inayat Khan since 2006 and was the musical producer of master-musician Omar Faruk Tekbilek’s albums ONE and ONE Truth. He received commissions for original music scores from the Getty Center, Japan-America Theater and LAX International Airport and provided numerous scores for TV and films including the PBS/Nova special, Breaking the Maya Code, Proteus, Oliver Twist, The Spiral Staircase, Golda’s Balcony and Dance of the Maize God. Yuval Ron is a noted lecturer and has been invited to speak at numerous schools including: Yale, John Hopkins University, UCLA, Middlebury College, MIT, Berklee College of Music, University of Chicago. Yuval Ron has been on the faculty of Esalen Institute since 2009, is an affiliated artist with the Center for Jewish Culture and Creativity, and a “Guiding Voice” for Seven Pillars – House of Wisdom. His awards include the Los Angeles Treasures Award and prestigious grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, American Composers Forum, California Council for the Humanities and the Rockefeller Foundation. He is the author of the book Divine Attunement: Music as a Path to Wisdom published by Oracle Institute Press.

Peter Mayer writes songs for a small planet—songs about interconnectedness and the human journey; about the beauty and the mystery of the world. Whimsical, humorous, and profound, his music breaks the boundaries of “folk”, and transcends to a realm beyond the everyday love song, to a place of wonder at the very fact of life itself.  Peter has gradually gained a dedicated, word-of-mouth following, playing shows from Minnesota to Texas, New England to California. He has nine CDs to his credit, and has sold over 70 thousand of them independently.

A Special Free Contra Dance

cosponsored by the OSU Swing & Blues Club and CFS

with

The Nettles playing

Noah Grunzweig calling

Please bring your friends and lets show the OSU campus a great dance. Feel free to bring light refreshments or food to share if desired.

Wild Hair

Popular foursome Wild Hair stirs up contra dance floors with addictively propulsive fiddle tunes from several traditions, including home-grown. Swingy fiddler Betsy Branch, multi-instrumentalist Todd Silverstein (pennywhistle, bouzouki, sax), percussive guitarist Jeff Kerssen-Griep and syncopacious pianist Mark Douglass sync up a harmonious, giddy-hot ensemble sound that’s feisty and grooved, creatively graceful, ferocious, and funfunfun, with contagious good humor tailored to your feet. You can sample tracks from their CD “Buzz Cuts” at CDBaby.com.

Susan Downs calling

Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

No potluck tonight

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.

 CFS annual Corvallis Contra Weekend

is sold-out

 The closing dance Sunday evening is open to the public

Latter Day Lizards

Joyride

Susan Michaels
Steve Zakon-Anderson

Ralph Penunuri
Folksinger

Played in Marin County bands Fairfax Street Choir (Gospel Rock), Happy Valley (Progressive Folk); and in Corvallis, Oregon, played in Two Hits & a Ms. (Orig. Roots & Swing), Bon Ton Roulet (Cajun-Zydeco) and Inner Strength Gospel Quartet (Black Congregational style covers — Blind Boys of Alabama, Dixie Hummingbirds, etc…).

Played in front of thousands at UC Berkeley Amphitheater, San Francisco Cow Palace & Golden Gate Park Festivals. Played for just a handful too. Most memorable was SF Cow Palace with Fairfax Street Choir, opening for Crosby-Stills-Nash & Young.

Currently write, play, sit in with friends and host a monthly vocal jam in Corvallis, OR.

A special public dance capping the CFS Contra Weekend. Teaching starts at 7:00, with the dance proper at 7:30 (that’s a bit early)

Latter Day Lizards

Joyride

Susan Michaels
Steve Zakon-Anderson

Beginners lesson starts at 7:00pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 7:30pm

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

Hands4

Since 2004, Hands4 has delivered its high-energy music to dance halls throughout the Pacific Northwest, and in Texas during a February, 2006, tour. Combining seldom-heard traditional tunes with originals by band members and other musicians, Hands4 has created a unique blend of music that is definitely not your usual contra tunes.

With their carefully-constructed tune sets featuring mostly original music, their diverse instrumentation, and their well-crafted harmonies and arrangements, Hands4 brings a fresh flavor and excitement to the dance hall wherever they play.

Laurel Thomas calling

Laurel Thomas started calling contra dances at Portland’s open mike night in 2008. Since then, she has called for the regular dances in Portland, Eugene, Corvallis, Bend, Vancouver, Olympia and Tacoma. She has also called at Salem’s Camp Westwind. Dancers appreciate her clear teaching, articulate calling and her ability to choose fun, lively dances that have good flow. “In a mixed crowd my goal for the evening is not only to call dances that are accessible to beginners yet still fun for more experienced dancers, but also to make sure that there is an element of challenge built into the program that allows newcomers to increase their skills.”

Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm

Each dance is taught.  No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)

Potluck: There is usually a pre-dance potluck

First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.