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…

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.

Sterling Abernathy and Wilhelmina

Karen Savoca pours her heart into a song the way a great actor throws herself into a role. Her songs draw you into a world of humor and compassion, shared with grace and ease, as though you’ve been invited to her table for supper. Born in northern NJ, the daughter of a big band singer, Karen’s baby diary reads “20 months, knows 6 songs.” At the age of eight she asked for piano lessons, and at thirteen began composing on a guitar she bought with saved birthday money. She attended Syracuse University, where she studied music and elementary education.

Pete Heitzman, a Syracuse native, was playing in clubs at the age of fifteen. He carved out a reputation as an ace guitarist capable of playing many styles, touring across the country with a variety of bands. He met Savoca during a return trip to his home town, invited out by friends to hear a new singer. They jammed the night away, and he joined her group the next day.

In that band they forged their unique style, performing original songs to a packed house every Monday just off campus. Those Monday nights became a seven year long tradition where K & P reveled in patrons’ enthusiastic dancing and improvised call and response routines. Years later, that chemistry would spark an enchanted scene at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival when 10,000 people spontaneously removed their shoes and waved them over their heads.

Acoustic Guitar magazine calls Heitzman “A true virtuoso of groove, with a sly touch that, combined with Savoca’s in-the-pocket drumming and spectacularly soulful vocals, gives the duo the impact of a four-piece band.”

Shari Ulrich is a two time Juno Award winner, and member the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame.  Shari was first known for her multi-instrumentalist skills with the Pied Pumkin and on as the voice of the Hometown Band.  Her latest release “Everywhere I Go” (Borealis Records) – engineered and produced by her daughter Julia Graff, is Shari’s 8th solo album.

Karen and Pete toured extensively with Greg Brown, who said of her, “If she were a Native American, her name would be Sings Like Two Birds.”

The duo have released eight CDs on their own Alcove Records label, the latest of which is “Promise”, recorded in their 19th century church studio nestled deep in the hills of upstate NY. The Edmonton Journal says, “There’s soul in the delicious grooves and phrasing, and soul in the broader sense that floats out of her lyrical vision.” “Promise” reached #25 on the Euro/Americana chart.

“Embracingly beautiful songs that have a beguiling way of changing and reconfiguring themselves like an aural kaleidoscope.” – Duluth News Tribune

Winners of seven SAMMY Awards. Notable appearances include The Today Show, A Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage, Big Top Chautauqua, The Vancouver, Edmonton, Ottawa, Falcon Ridge, Kate Wolf, Stan Rogers & Winnipeg Folk Festivals, and many more.They are also independent record producers who have scored several feature films and documentaries.

Dana and Susan Robinson

Songs and Tales of the American Landscape Rockin’ Southern Oldtime Music
From Asheville, North Carolina

From performing at Carnegie Hall to being featured in Ken Burn’s PBS documentaries, such as “The National Parks,” and “The Dust Bowl,” Dana and Susan have been playing their trademark brand of “new-time, old-time music” for nearly twenty years.

From Asheville, North Carolina, in the heart of the southern Appalachian Mountains, Dana and Susan Robinson bring to the stage an exciting blend of original songs of the American landscape. With Dana on guitar and fiddle, Susan’s clawhammer banjo playing and harmony singing, their music is the sound and feel of bedrock America.

The genius of a Dana and Susan Robinson performance lies in their ability to capture the imagination of their audience, evoking a transformative experience that touches on the deepest humanity. They can make the audience howl with laughter or hush with poignant reflection as they take them on a journey across America and convey the mystery and wonder of the places they visit.

Dana and Susan Robinson’s newest CD American Hornpipe has been described as, “…a melting pot of Appalachian, British, and African influences, full of earthy grooves, elegant melodies, stories of heroes, ne’er do-well’s, and cautionary tales.”

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Dana relocated to New England where he discovered both a thriving songwriters scene and the deep well of traditional mountain music. In the early 1980’s, Dana settled in northern Vermont and built a house “off the grid” (no electricity and phone) on 30 acres near the Canadian border. There he founded a popular bakery, café and folk music venue. Dana launched into full-time touring after the release of his 1994 debut CD, Elemental Lullabye, and after receiving a request to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City for Putumayo’s Shelter benefit project.

Perennial favorite Chuck Pyle will be in town on Friday May 15 to do a house concert at the Pereira’s. The show starts at 8 PM and admission is $18 for CFS members and $20 for nonmembers. Admired as a sly humorist and an innovative guitarist, Chuck Pyle has performed for the Colorado Legislature, on Austin City Limits, and at Bill Gates’ home. He’s had his songs recorded by John Denver, Chris LeDoux, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band & Jerry Jeff Walker. He sees what’s best about America, writing songs about love lost & love found, forgetful cowboys, heroic highway patrolmen, and brain stems gone “critical”.

He is an accomplished guitarist with a warm and welcoming voice. He has performed in Corvallis many times and his concerts are really entertaining- with great stories and songs that make you laugh, keep you thinking, and many that make you want to get on your horse and ride the open range.

Pyle’s latest CD, COVER STORIES, is a collection of tunes by some lesser-known songwriters – like Pete & Lou Berryman, Walt Wilkins, Lynn Miles and Hayes Carll – whose work has been admired by other songwriters for years. These are 12 well-crafted songs beautifully rendered in 12 great performances by Chuck Pyle with his innovative Chuck Pyle Finger-Style, accompanied by side-kick, Gordon Burt on fiddle, and Don Richmond on steel guitar, dobro & mandolin.

“Chuck Pyle’s songs, playing and singing are transporting. If you’re looking for top-flight alt-country-inflected contemporary folk… this is it.”    – Sing Out!

“Pyle was one of my favorite songwriter discoveries of this year. Every song lover in town should make it a point to seek out this man’s music.”  – Music Row Magazine

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

Lily Henley and Duncan Wickel

Lily Henley is a soulful singer, driving fiddler, and innovative songwriter breaking out of the box with influences ranging from homegrown Americana to the haunting melodies of the Mediterranean and the Middle-East. She’s performing as a duo with multi-instrumental phenom Duncan Wickel, who has captivated critics and fellow musicians alike with his creativity, authenticity and the chameleon-like ease with which he blends and changes styles on fiddle, cello, and bozouki. With a repertoire combining ear-catching vocal melodies, grooving fiddle tunes, and raw lyrics drawn from Ladino, Hebrew, Celtic and American folk songs, Lily & Duncan  have delighted audiences across the US, and have performed alongside many great musicians including John Doyle, Tim O’Brien, Rushad Eggleston and the Foghorn Stringband. Together they offer music lovers a tantalizing palate of familiar and refreshingly new sounds.

These folks are potent musician so don’t miss this one!  It’s going to be an enjoyable evening.  We do anticipate selling out so please reserve soon if you wish to join us…

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…

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.

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.

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.

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.

WB Reid & Bonnie Zahnow

WB & Bonnie present a wide range of musical traditions: old-time country songs and fiddle tunes, string blues music and rags from Mississippi and Memphis, early tin pan alley songs, and a Mexican song or two. Both play fiddle and guitar, and WB also plays both 5- and 6-string banjo. Sweet harmonies on songs ranging from poignant to humorous, twin-fiddling, foot-tapping tunes and slow waltzes, all make for an entertaining evening of music.
Based in Seattle, they perform and teach annually at a number of festivals including Lark Camp, Fiddle Tunes, and the Berkeley, Portland, and Olympia old-time music gatherings. Their third CD, “Ryestraw,” released in May, 2016, is getting great notices across the country.
Together they played for 10 years in a trio with the ledendary Lee Stripling, and currently play in several other bands. WB was the fiddler for the Tallboys for four years. He also plays regularly with the Todalo Shakers and the Rhythm Rollers, and as a jazz duo with Mark Graham.

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

John Reischman
& the Pine Siskins

John Reischman – Mandolin, Mandola
Eli West – guitar, bouzouki, vocals
Trent Freeman – fiddle
Patrick Metzger  – bass

The Pine Siskins is a new group John Reischman assembled to perform the music from his recent solo CD, “Walk Along John”. The all-instrumental recording includes nine new John Reischman originals, a few hand-picked traditional tunes, and a remake of the very first tune John wrote.

John Reischman is one of the premier mandolinists of his generation. He’s a master instrumentalist capable of swinging between re-inventions of traditional old-time tunes, deconstructions from the bluegrass repertoire, and compelling original tunes, many of which have become standards. He’s also a powerful bandleader, touring his band the Jaybirds all over Canada and the United States. But most of all, he’s an understated visionary, the kind of master craftsman whose music is virtuosic without ever being flashy and who is renowned for his impeccable taste and tone as an artist. John Reischman embodies the true spirit of acoustic music in the 21st century.

Eli West is one half of the highly acclaimed Northwest duo Cahalen Morrison & Eli West. He is an adventurous soloist equally adept at playing fiddle tunes and slow ballads. His rhythm playing features unusual and sophisticated chord voicings that strongly support the melody. Also adept at bouzouki, mandolin, and clawhammer banjo, he finds his musical identity in collaboration, and has created music in the Northwest with John Reischman, Tony Furtado, and many others.

Trent Freeman can play everything from groove based old- time tunes to melodically intricate modern Jazz. He excels at playing back up to the other soloists, incorporating lush double stops and a propulsive rhythmic chop. 

The recipient of numerous awards, he has a broad range of experience and is a well-respected and sought after session musician.  Trent’s Rock Paper Scissors album, an all original endeavor, won him the 2012 Canadian Folk Music award.  Trent has toured and recorded with many bands and artists such as the Wailin Jennys, Jessie Farrell, The Griffins, Wyclef Jean, The Fretless and countless others.  

Patrick Metzger’s Bass playing exhibits a robust tone and solid groove coupled with a fine melodic sense. A fixture of the Vancouver roots music scene, Patrick is at home playing a wide range of styles from jazz and rock to folk, bluegrass and old time. He performs regularly with a wide range of artists from the Western Swing of Petunia and the Vipers and jazz pianistBruno Hubert to the haunting folk-noir group The Abramson Singers. 

Potluck munchies at the break, BYOB.  Parking is limited, please bike or carpool if possible.

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