Calendar
Submit calendar info to:
calendar@corvallisfolklore.org
THIS CONCERT HAS BEEN CANCELED
With a voice “like butter” and a repertoire of original, folk-soul inspired songs, Juliet Strong touches audiences with her depth of sound, musicality, poetic imagery and eclectic style. Juliet’s energetic sound is underscored by rhythm piano, counter melodies, vocalise, and ukulele. The result is a unique and infectiously uplifting musical experience.
Juliet has a background in folk, classical and jazz piano and voice. Her performance style incorporates her classical training and theatrical background, as well as her upbringing among a tightly knit community of folk musicians, dancers, poets, and performers from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has drawn inspiration from her exposure to musical styles of all types, including Balkan, Turkish, Flamenco, Americana, English Country Dance, Indian and Brazilian. Her love of jazz, bebop, soul, funk and R&B have also influenced her original work. She has showcased her diverse training and background in theatrical collaborations, writing projects, live music performances, tours, and a discography of self-released recorded work. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Our own inimitable Mark Bielman will accompany her on bass. I hope you will join us for what will surely be another fine show Juliet and Mark…
Nashville based singer/songwriter Jenn Grinels will make her first Corvallis appearance on Wednesday, July 8th beginning at 8 pm at the Troubadour Music Center (521 SW 2nd Street in Corvallis). Joining her will be Corvallis native Birch Pereira on upright bass. Originally playing cello in the Corvallis Youth Symphony, he went on to major in Jazz Studies, Bass Performance at UW and plays professionally with many groups in Seattle.
This year, Grinels recently completed a 20 concert tour of Europe that took her to 7 countries and was entirely fan organized. Jenn Grinels captivates audiences everywhere with her powerful, supremely polished vocals. “I found myself utterly captivated…Whether Grinels was quietly purring into the microphone or seriously belting out a tune, the audience was hanging on every note and lapping up every well-crafted phrase. Grinels has the rare gift of being a well-rounded performer who engages the audience fully and openly, sharing the performer as much as the performance. And her performance – was nothing short of amazing.” – Kenneth Fish, San Francisco Examiner, Napa City Winery.
Watch her on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jgrinels
There can’t be many Swedish folk groups with a street named after them in America, a tribute some citizens of Bloomington, Indiana, have conferred upon the extraordinarily accomplished trio Väsen.
Väsen is a Swedish “folk revival” band that has been playing together for over 25 years and has been dubbed “the best band in the world” by music critics and listeners alike. Although inspired by, and firmly rooted in traditional Swedish folk music, Väsen adds to the genre with distinct harmonies and rhythms. The band features Olov Johansson on nyckelharpa, the national instrument of Sweden, Mikael Marin on 5-string viola, and Roger Tallroth on 12-string guitar (tuned A-D-A-D-A-D). Väsen in Swedish has multiple meanings: spirit, noise, a living being, and essence, being the most prominent.
Watch them on A Prairie Home Companion, or at the Celtic Colours International Festival.
Guitar and banjo player Larry Unger and fiddler Audrey Knuth are a Boston based traditional duo who play exhilarating tunes with driving rhythms. Their concerts feature American and Celtic tunes with elements of other traditions including swing and blues. They also draw from Larry’s catalog of original fiddle tunes, which have been featured in several of Ken Burns’ documentaries. Declared a “guitar genius” by Sing Out Magazine, Larry Unger joins fiddler Audrey Knuth in creating a stirring musical experience.
Larry Unger has been a full-time musician since 1984 and has presented a diverse range of musical performances across the United States, Europe, and Scandinavia.
Hailing from Honolulu, Audrey moved to Boston in 2008 to attend Berklee College of Music and to explore the thriving New England folk scene. After graduating, Audrey has made a name for herself in the music community, namely as a dance fiddler and audio engineer.
Please join us for another great summer evening concert on Saturday, August 22 at 7 pm.
Multiple Grammy-nominee John McCutcheon charms audiences with “story telling that has the richness of fine literature” (Washington Post) and his mastery of a stage full of folk instruments is simply amazing. He plays guitar, fiddle, autoharp, banjo, jaw harp, (hambone if we are lucky) and is best known for his hammered dulcimer playing. A John McCutcheon concert is always energizing, fun, uplifting, community building, and his audiences leave with a renewed sense of hope for humanity. “This notion of telling stories of ordinary people who have done great things, and carrying those stories from one place to another, of telling people ‘this is where I’ve been, these are the stories I can bring you,’ is the heart of what I do,” McCutcheon sums up. “That’s my goal. If you can recognize yourself in my songs, then I’ve done my job.” He lives in Georgia but keeps moving, toward wherever he senses there’s still a story yet to be told.
His 30 recordings have gathered many honors including 7 Grammy nominations. His most recent honors the centenary of Joe Hill’s death on November 19th, 1915. John McCutcheon brings Joe Hill’s music to a whole new audience. With fresh arrangements, stunning musicianship, and released on a palette that makes these songs feel as though they were written today rather than a century ago, there is a life and vitality that is both rare and refreshing. In honor of Woody Guthrie’s 100th birthday John recorded THIS LAND: Woody Guthrie’s America. He assembled an all-star cast of songs and musicians to honor America’s most enduring folksong writer: Willie Nelson, Tommy Emmanuel, Kathy Mattea, Tim O’Brien, Stuart Duncan, Tom Chapin, Tom Paxton, Maria Muldaur and more. McCutcheon offers fresh new arrangements and exciting new interpretations of many of Woody’s most well-known songs. He has so much material we never know what he might perform, and of course he gives the audience a chance to request their favorites so plan ahead!
But it is in live performance that John feels most at home. It is what has brought his music into the lives and homes of one of the broadest audiences any folk musician has ever enjoyed. People of every generation and background seem to feel at home in a concert hall when John McCutcheon takes the stage, with what critics describe as “little feats of magic,” “breathtaking in their ease and grace…,” and “like a conversation with an illuminating old friend.”
So if you want to laugh, cry, be inspired, and feel like you are a part of a big community, then don’t miss this concert. More information about John McCutcheon his website is at www.folkmusic.com For info or to volunteer, call Chere Pereira 541-753-9224.
Whether in print, on record, or on stage, few people communicate with the versatility, charm, wit or pure talent of John McCutcheon.
yOya
alex pfender – vOcals, guitar
noah dietterich – keybOards, vOcals
ian meltzer – percussiOn
yOya is the project of longtime songwriting partners Alex Pfender and Noah Dietterich. Natives of Corvallis, and friends since the fifth grade, Pfender and Dietterich grew up to the sound of rain in the fir trees and ‘Graceland’ on cassette. When the duo moved to California to study music they found themselves absorbing the electronic sounds of the LA scene. What emerged was yOya’s unique mix of folk-hearted songs, intricate vocal harmony, gritty synths, and electronic beats. The LA Weekly describes yOya as “one of LA’s top 3 Live Bands”. For the upcoming Corvallis show, yOya will spotlight the folk that lies at the core of their songs, presenting an acoustic show in the intimate setting of the Arts Center.
Combining classic folk songwriting with contemporary electronic beats, yOya’s latest single “The Heartwood” evokes “a cabin high in grassy hills or a rooftop overlooking a gleaming city,” according to Consequence of Sound. The trio has recently shared stages with Bleachers, Moses Sumney, Avi Buffalo and many others. Learn more at their website: yoyatheband.com.
Todalo Shakers
The Todalo Shakers play vintage jug band party blues and old time rags & stomps which sound like they are lifted right out of 1928 in Memphis, Tennessee or Dallas, Texas. The band features lots of harmony singing, making for a rich palette of vocal blends and a great feeling of camaraderie; the exuberance and fondness that the musicians feel for their material and for each other is unmistakable.
Eric & Suzy Thompson have long been known for their bluesy string band music. The other Todalo Shakers include Mendocino’s Frannie Leopold, who plays guitar, has toured and recorded with New Mexico’s Jeanie McLerie as the Delta Sisters, and with Hank Bradley and Cathie Whitesides as the Balkan Kafe Orchestra. Bruce “W.B.” Reid, who makes his home in Seattle, Washington, spent some of his formative years during his early twenties hanging out in San Diego with bluesman Sam Chatmon, of the legendary string band the Mississippi Sheiks. Bruce has toured and recorded with the Tallboys (Seattle’s hottest oldtime string band), with oldtime fiddler Lee Stripling, with the Carolina Jug Stompers and with his wife, Bonnie Zahnow. The most recent addition to the band is Seattle bassist Matt Weiner who boasts a long resume including stints with the Asylum Street Spankers and Hot Club of Cowtown.
What exactly is a “Todalo”? First of all, it’s pronounced “TOE-dah-low.” It’s closely related to “diddy-wah-diddy”, and crops up occasionally in obscure old blues songs: “I’m satisfied, satisfied, my todalo shaker by my side” is a line from the Memphis Jug Band classic “You May Leave, But This Will Bring You Back” and references to “todalo” turn up in songs by Mississippi John Hurt, Eubie Blake, and Bessie Smith.
Sharon and Dave Thormahlen
Sharon and Dave have been making beautiful music together in Corvallis for decades. They perform traditional and new music written by Sharon, mostly on instruments made by Dave.
Gathering at 6:30
Music at 7:00
Please bring a snack or drink to share.
Concert has been CANCELLED
Jim Malcolm has been forced home for family health reasons and had to cancel the rest of his west coast tour.
The concert producer will be in the Majestic Theatre lobby from 6:30pm to 8:00 pm on Thursday, Feb 4, 2016. Bring your tickets purchased at Grass Roots and exchange them for a refund. Ticket Tomato tickets are being refunded through Ticket Tomato and you should get a notification.
FMI: Richard Thies 541 753-8307
Jim Malcolm
Live from Scotland
He’s Scotland’s Songwriter of the Year in 2004 and three-times nominated for Scots Singer of the Year. Jim Malcolm’s concerts are like a musical tour through Scotland’s landscape and history, with humor his constant companion. Jim Malcolm performs award-winning original songs, traditional ballads and the works of Robert Burns, with guitar and harmonicas. His harmonica work is pretty hot. Jim likes to do a 50 seat venue so he can do it without a sound system. He has a great voice for that and has sold out here before, so I recommend getting tickets early.
Here is what others say:
“Jim Malcolm’s voice has the complex individuality of an aged single-malt whisky.” Boston Globe
“One of the finest talents to have emerged through the Scottish folk scene in years” The independent
“One of those pure warm Scottish folk voices one never tires of listening to.” Dirty Linen
Review by Michael Moll of Folkworld of Jim Malcolm’s 2014 CD “The Corncrake”
The popular Scottish singer/songwriter tackles on this album almost entirely traditional songs (with only one exception). This is the second “traditional” album by Jim Malcom, after last year’s “Still” – while all previous 10 solo albums were very much focussed on Jim’s own material. Many of the songs are seldomly heard, while some are better known. The album has a very relaxed flair featuring Jim’s wonderful warm voice, guitar and harmonica, as well as guests Pete Clark (fiddle, Mark Duff (whistles, bodhran), Scoter Muse (banjo), Dave Watt (keyboards and melodica) and Jim’s wife Susie adding vocal harmonies. The cover of the album is a beautiful watercolour painting of a corncrake by wildlife artist David Bennett.
Jim has also just released a 2015 CD: “ Live in Perth”: “This is a rewarding selection of old and modern Scottish folk song, recorded live with no studio jiggery pokery, in front of a lively audience of fans, friends and family. “
Prepare for the
Republican Candidates’ Debate
with the musical political insight of
Roy Zimmerman
Roy Zimmerman is a satirical songwriter in the Tom Lehrer/Phil Ochs tradition with a great gift for clever and funny lyrics that really rhyme and an incredibly entertaining banter between his song
“You’re brilliant. Just brilliant!” — Terry Jones, Monty Python
Tom Lehrer himself says, “I congratulate Roy Zimmerman on reintroducing literacy to comedy songs. And the rhymes actually rhyme, they don’t just ‘rhyne.'”
Joni Mitchell says, “Roy’s lyrics move beyond poetry and achieve perfection.”
He spent the Comedy Boom years of the Eighties doing stand-up in San Francisco, sharing stages with George Carlin, Bill Maher, Kate Clinton, Dennis Miller and many others. He wrote all the material for his funny folk music quartet The Foremen, recording two albums for Warner/Reprise Records. He’s done several shows with The Pixies’ Frank Black, swapping songs in a solo acoustic setting.
“Roy Zimmerman simultaneously inspires me and makes me laugh my ass off,” says comedian/author Paul Krassner.
Zimmerman tours almost constantly, taking his funny songs about fracking, creationism, marijuana laws, government shutdown, same-sex marriage, guns, taxes and abstinence across the country, often playing in some of the least Progressive places in America for the most Progressive people there. “I get accused of preaching to the converted,” he says, “but I don’t think of it that way. I think of it as entertaining the troops.”
In thirteen albums over twenty years, Roy has brought the sting of satire to the struggle for Peace and Social Justice. His songs have been heard on HBO and Showtime. He has recorded for Warner/Reprise Records. He’s been profiled on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Zimmerman’s YouTube videos have amassed over seven million views, and he’s a featured blogger for the Huffington Post.
Sing Out! Magazine writes, “Zimmerman is a guy on the left skewering folks on the right with rapier-sharp lyrics … underneath the caustic satire is a man who is surprisingly optimistic.”
MUSIC by Notorious and The Nettles
CALLERS: Cis Hinkle and Lindsey Dono
For more information and to register go to
https://www.eugenefolklore.org/CascadeContras
Claudia Schmidt
house concert
More than 4 decades as a touring professional have found Michigan native Claudia Schmidt traversing North America as well as Europe in venues ranging from intimate clubs to 4,000 seat theatres, and festival stages in front of 25,000 rapt listeners.
She has recorded nineteen albums of mostly original songs, exploring folk, blues, and jazz idioms featuring her acclaimed 12-string guitar and mountain dulcimer playing.
A house concert is an excellent place to hear and meet great musicians in a very intimate setting.
Edwin Huizinga & William Coulter
2016 Fire & Grace Tour
Virtuoso Violin meets Celtic Guitar. Canadian-born violinist Edwin Huizinga has established himself as one of North America’s most versatile violinists. Grammy award winning guitarist William Coulter has been performing and recording tradition and classical music for over 25 years. This duo makes music that will take you on a journey into the universal Fire & Grace that connects the elements of classical, folk, and contemporary musical traditions from around the world. The journey will take your mind and your heart from a Prelude by Bach, to an Irish reel, from a tango by Piazzolla, to a Spanish love song, from Winter by Vivaldi, to a Balkan dance tune. Expressive and compelling melodies, fiery and graceful rhythms, and imaginative arrangements unite this diverse music. The virtuosity and charm of this duo will transport you, entertain you, and leave you spellbound. They will be joined by old-timey and bluegrass fiddler Annie Staninec.
The Highwater Stringband formed in Corvallis in late 1976 by a group of like-minded musicians who had recently arrived there from points over the horizon. They discovered in one another a passion for the acoustic music of earlier times, notably classic country, bluegrass, western swing, and fiddle tunes of the American South. Joining forces seemed like a good idea, and soon the band was getting calls for gigs at barn dances, road houses, coffee joints, folklore society concerts, and bluegrass festivals.
Highwater rode the flood tide for about two years, leaving in its wake a large repertoire of songs and tunes that the band is now dipping into for a series of 40-year reunion concerts. You can look forward to these geezers polishing up old gems and making them new again: Cyd Smith, guitar; Paul Kotapish, mandolin; Clyde Curley, fiddle; Jeff Hino, banjo and Dobro; and DeLynn Anderson, bass player in the original band, who will sing and old standard or two. (Seattle bass player Cary Black joins us for this tour.) It will be an evening of nostalgia for these old friends–and for those who fondly recall the days of the notorious folk scare of the ’70s, when everything old became new again.
These were all major participants in the Corvallis Folklore Society in the beginning, almost 40 years ago, and they’re getting together for the first time in Corvallis since who-knows-when to launch their 40-Year Reunion tour here with us. They’re also excellent musicians. This is something you don’t want to miss!
A house concert is an excellent place to hear and meet great musicians in a very intimate setting.
Birch Pereira
&
The Gin Joints
Born out of a love of the early years of swing, country and rock ‘n ‘roll, Birch Pereira & the Gin Joints is a band whose sound transports you to the time of speakeasies, honkey tonks and rock ‘n’ roll joints. With upright bassist and vocalist Birch Pereira at its center, the band features Jason Goessl on acoustic guitar and Adrian Van Batenburg on drums, some of Seattle’s most skilled and versatile musicians who share the love of the American song traditions and a desire to offer a fresh angle on them.
This concert celebrates their debut album release, and there will be space in the hall for swing dancing.