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.

First and Third Sundays

The first Sunday of the month will be dedicated to Balkan dances and the third to Israeli.

Cosy Sheridan

Cosy Sheridan first caught the attention of national folk audiences  in 1992 when she won the songwriting contests at both The Kerrville Folk Festival and   The Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

When she released her critically acclaimed CD Quietly Led on Waterbug Records,  The Boston Globe wrote “She is now being called one of the best new singer/songwriters.”

Her concerts are wide-ranging explorations: love songs for adults and practical philosophy for  a complicated world. She has written about the stock market crash of 2008 and fall-out from uranium mining in the  American southwest. She has re-written greek myths: Persephone runs away with Hades the biker. And then there are her signature parodies on aging and women. Her lyrical dexterity is backed by her distinctive percussive guitar style.

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

 Latif Bolat

Latif Bolat, one of the most renowned Turkish musicians in North America , is a native of the Turkish Mediterranean town of Mersin. After receiving his degree in folklore and music at Gazi University in Ankara, Turkey, he taught traditional music throughout the country. He then went on to manage Ankara Halk Tiyatrosu, a musical theater company, which performed traditional musical plays. Mr. Bolat also received additional degrees in Turkish History and Middle East Religion and Politics from Ankara University and an MBA from San Francisco State University.

Latif Bolat will present a concert of Turkish mystic music and poetry. He is one of the most distinguished Turkish musicians outside of Turkey. His concert and conference itinerary has taken him all across America, Canada, Australia, Bulgaria, New Zealand, Indonesia, England and Turkey.  He composed soundtrack music for “Young Indiana Jones” and PBS documentary “Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet.”

Birch Pereira
and the
Gin Joints
afternoon house concert

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, honky-tonks and rock ‘n’ roll joints. With upright bassist and vocalist Birch Pereira at its center, the band features many 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.

The band itself plays in a variety of formats from intimate duo or trio gigs to dance gigs as a larger ensemble and features a revolving cast of professional, Golden Ear nominated, Seattle musicians. Birch Pereira & the Gin Joints released their debut album Dream Man on May 12th and continue to support the release with performances around the West and East Coast.

“The Gin Joints are a new group in town and feature Seattle mainstays Birch Pereira on bass and vocals, Jason Goessl on guitar, Sam Esecson on drums and Kate Voss on Harmonies. On this cover of “Lost Highway,” Pereira sweetly carries the lyrics of loss as Goessl accompanies on lead guitar. The quartet are masters of the early Americana sound. In short, we expect big things from their upcoming record, Dream Man.”    Jake Uitti – The Monarch Review

First and Third Sundays

The first Sunday of the month will be dedicated to Balkan dances and the third to Israeli.

First and Third Sundays

The first Sunday of the month will be dedicated to Balkan dances and the third to Israeli.

WINTERDANCE