Seán Gavin & Johnny B Connolly

Seán Gavin, is one of the most highly regarded Irish musicians of his generation. Master uilleann piper and flute player, he is the first and only musician born outside Ireland to win the prestigious Seán Ó Riada Gold Medal. His most recent recording, Music from the Lost Continent, with fiddler Jesse Smith, accompanist John Blake, and bodhran player Johnny “Ringo” McDonagh, was hailed by The Irish Echo as “traditional music at its best!”

He tours regularly with Téada, as well as solo and other projects. Seán was the Musical Director for the PBS program “I Am Ireland”, and for the long-running Atlantic Steps. He has lectured on traditional music at the University of Chicago, St. Andrew’s in Scotland, and many other locations. He is now back in his native Detroit where he continues to play, teach, and promote traditional Irish music. www.SeanGavinMusic.com

Johnny B Connolly is a Dublin-born accordionist whose exquisite playing has become a byword in traditional circles. After signing with Green Linnet Records, Bridgetown was released to universally glowing reviews. “A joy from beginning to end…Connolly’s playing is skillful and exciting,” All Music Guide. “Connolly is clearly a master of the box accordion’s many possibilities.” Bill Compton, Sacramento News & Review

Johnny has taken the rich fluid sound of his box playing around the world with other great artists including Solas, Kevin Burke, Nuala Kennedy, Ged Foley, Tony Furtado, Aidan Brennan, and Casey Neill. He has appeared at many festivals including the Dublin Ohio Irish Festival, North Texas Irish Festival, Austin Celtic Festival and ICONS Festival in Boston.

Friends of many years, Seán and Johnny have a special chemistry. A sure and certain mastery of their instruments, combined with a love of traditional music and wide knowledge of both tunes and players, makes this a very special duo. Prepare to be amazed!

Capacity is limited to 30
any remaining tickets on the day of the show will sell for $30

Meet and socialize at 6 with the concert starting at 7

American Strings Celebrates Women’s History Month

featuring Shannon McNally
with Marilyn Jordan and Fiona Daley

GRAMMY® Nominated Americana Musician Shannon McNally has been called a Zen-like, post-Beat song poet. Those who have followed her nearly 20-year career, know the thing that stands out about McNally is the timelessness and effortlessness of her work. With a long catalog and longer list of peers with whom she has written, recorded, and toured, McNally continues to turn out great music that crosses many genres.  McNally’s music career began on the jam band circuit of the 1990’s with bands like Robert Randolph and Derek Trucks. She writes original music as well as she interprets the songs of others. With a top tier musicality to her craft, a soul stirring voice that immediately grabs one by the heart strings, and a troubadour’s wanderlust, not to mention that she is also an excellent electric guitar player, McNally knows she can serve up a song much like her anti-hero heroes J.J. Cale, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan. Dr. John, and Jim Dickinson.

Our host Bob Santelli will will talk to Shannon about her quiet but steady plodding through the many layers of music business. And while she hasn’t yet been rewarded with massive fame and fortune, that slow burn has become the treasure in and of itself. Perhaps the music industry is finally catching up with her independent spirit. We’ll explore that and more and hear Shannon perform at this special installment of American Strings.  Joining Bob and Shannon in this special evening will be two special guests, from right here at OSU:

Marilyn Jordan is a jamband-inspired singer-songwriter who creates songs like impressionist paintings, from her native rural Oregon. Drawing on themes of home, hiding out, and running like hell, Jordan tells stories of badass adventures through this bittersweet life, with intriguing stories, and a soul-saving sense of humor. An OSU graduate student studying Nanci Griffith’s songwriting, Marilyn is releasing her debut album titled “Both Things Are True,” on March 3.

Fiona Daley is a freshman in the College of Liberal Arts. She was born and raised in a small town in Montana just outside of Yellowstone. Daley has been playing guitar for four years and writing songs for two, but grew up always listening to and playing music. Fiona loves and writes music because of the ability it has to connect people, no matter how different. In sharing pieces of her life through music, she hopes to do just that.

Regarding tickets to this event: A ticket vendor with which Oregon State University contracts is experiencing an outage. This outage could last as long as five to seven days. Our ability to sell tickets online, as well as to take credit card payments in-person, are both impacted.

If you have not yet purchased tickets: Tickets will be available for purchase at the event by cash or check only. Ticket sales will begin one hour prior to the performance. Please note that we anticipate that this performance may sell out. Tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

If you have already purchased tickets: We will have your name on a will call list at the event. We recommend you arrive early for general admission seating.

Brazilian choro music by
Choro na Cozinha (CnC)

Choro is a Brazilian music style whose parents were Portuguese harmonies and African rhythms. In turn and in time, choro gave birth to other Brazilian forms like samba and bossa. Choro tunes are lively and lovely, traditionally played in a small ensemble. In that tradition, CnC is a quartet of 7-string guitar, 10-string bandolim, clarinet, and a hand drum called the pandeiro. We supplement the choro repertoire with songs from related Brazilian styles, sung in Portuguese. The Arts Center is a delightful small venue, the perfect setting for an intimate concert of this very fun music.

Find a sampling of their music at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrcogGWpf6gK3KkqqAGEONQ/videos

American Strings
An Evening with
the Kingston Trio

Join University Director of Popular Music Bob Santelli in a conversation with the legendary folk group: The Kingston Trio. Current members Mike Marvin, Tim Gorelangton and Buddy Woodward, have intrinsic links and experience with the iconic trio’s original members. Mike is the adopted son of founding member Nick Reynolds, who was also his musical mentor; Tim, a close friend since boyhood, is one of the few musicians outside the trio who has recorded with Nick Reynolds; and Buddy has performed with longtime Kingston Trio member George Grove. Together, they recall and will talk with Bob about the original members’ journey as folk music made its extraordinary ascent to the pinnacle of popular culture and the top of the music charts.

Following the interview, the trio will perform such timeless classics as “Where Have All The Flowers Gone?” and “Tom Dooley”.

Only 200 seats!  Take advantage of the presale now at the link above to secure your seats.

Hanneke Cassel
with Tristan Claridge
and Christopher Lewis

Effervescent and engaging, Boston-based fiddler Hanneke Cassel’s fiddle music fuses influences from the Isle of Skye and Cape Breton with Americana grooves and musical innovations. She has performed and traveled across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Hanneke’s music is a blend of the contemporary and traditional, described by the Boston Globe as “exuberant and rhythmic, somehow wild and innocent, delivered with captivating melodic clarity and an irresistible playfulness.”

A benefit for the July 25-28, 2024

Advance ticket sales at Grassroots Books and Music

Dick Hensold
and
Patsy O’Brien

Music born from the age-old traditions of Ireland, Scotland, England and Cape Breton is given new life in the hands of two of its master musicians.
Piper Dick Hensold and guitarist and singer Patsy O’Brien deliver an astonishing evening of songs, tunes and stories that have stood the test of time, and leave both the serious music lover and casual listener wanting more.

Dick and Patsy will offer workshops on Saturday, April 13, at 10am.  More details to follow.

A benefit for theJuly 25-28, 2024

Advance ticket sales at Grassroots Books and Music

Kalos

Kalos is made up of three innovative interpreters and composers of Celtic roots music: Eric McDonald, Ryan McKasson and Jeremiah McLane. They are masters of tradition who purposefully explore the dark corners floating on its edges, delivering an alluring musical complexity full of spontaneity and joyful exuberance. They set the standard for traditional repertoire with an underlying drive and pulse charged with rhythmic electricity and integrity, forging a new musical path that draws on Celtic, Breton, American and other musical traditions on accordion, guitar, fiddle, and vocals. The title of their new album, Headland, which refers to a point where land meets sea, is a fitting analogy for the exploratory space Kalos inhabits — one that calls forth driving, heartfelt music journeying through unknown territory to seek and find its essence – the enduring, resilient experience of the human heart.

Rated: G

Countercurrent

Countercurrent is an acoustic folk music duo based in Olympia, Washington, composed of Alex Sturbaum and Brian Lindsay. They have achieved nationwide acclaim for their high-energy style, which draws on deep traditional roots from Ireland and North America while incorporating new influences to create a sound that is at once unique and timeless. Alex’s driving guitar and gifted songwriting, Brian’s lyrical fiddle and rock-solid foot percussion, and the duo’s lively interplay, tight vocal harmonies, and unstoppable groove make a Countercurrent performance an event unlike any other. Wherever they go, the question remains the same: “How does that much sound come out of just two people?”

For this special fundraiser concert, they will be joined by renowned New England fiddler Cedar Stanistreet for twin fiddle harmonies and driving dance tunes that can’t be beat! Countercurrent has a huge following among Corvallis contra dancers. This house concert provides a rare opportunity to hear the full breadth of their musicianship in an intimate, acoustic setting. 

Tickets will go on sale April 14 at https://www.corvalliscelticfestival.org/upcoming-events/

The location has a capacity of only 40 people, so order early