BROOKTONDALE NY (near Ithaca) - Laura Cortese w/ Mariel Vandersteel at the Canaan Institute - Wed May 8th - Fiddle workshop at 5:00 pm followed by a House Concert at 7:00 pm followed by a jam session. Workshop alone $20-, Concert alone $15-, both together $25- RSVP to mike@cinst.org to reserve your space in any of these. http://www.thisislauracortese.com/ and http://www.marielvandersteel.com/

Workshop - Bow, Grooves and Arrangement
Bow techniques, Grooves, Chords and Arrangements for fiddles, violas and cellos. Make your bow work for YOU not the other way around. This class is the foundation for learning jamming and arrangement techniques as a fiddler. We’ll adapt the workshop to accommodate all skill levels; talk to Mike when you RSVP mike@cinst.org

Directions http://canaaninstitute.org/mn/mus_jamcann.html

Facebook event https://www.facebook.com/events/509851765743287/

Laura Cortese BIO - scroll past photo
http://www.thisislauracortese.com/

Laura Cortese to Release New Album “Into the Dark” April 23
Full East Coast, West Coast Record Release Tours; Midwest Support Dates

“Ambition often follows talent, and Laura Cortese has an embarrassment of both. Her open-armed approach to her art reveals a determination to spread the word about folk music without watering down its distinctiveness.” - John Wenzel, Denver Post

Fiddle player and folk-pop singer-songwriter Laura Cortese takes to the road this April and May in support of her forthcoming full-length release, “Into the Dark” (street date April 23, 2013). American Songwriter describes the title track, which the publication premiered, as a “fiddle-drenched, Americana gem.” The rest of the record follows suit as all ten tracks feature Cortese’s stunning vocals backed by lush string arrangements on both her original, dark folk songs and a few carefully curated covers.

Cortese grew up in San Francisco and moved to Boston to study violin at Berklee College of Music. She has since immersed herself in the city’s vibrant indie music scene and enjoyed a busy sideman career, which has included appearances with Band of Horses at Carnegie Hall, Pete Seeger at Newport Folk Festival, and Patterson Hood and Michael Franti for Seeger’s ninetieth birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden. She performs frequently with Jocie Adams of the Low Anthem and can be heard on Adams’s upcoming album.

The finest moments on Into the Dark occur when Cortese spins out a metaphor as fluidly as she plays. She wrote the album’s first song, “For Catherine,” about an incident in her hometown in which a young woman was sexually assaulted by a group of high school boys. “For Catherine” bends and shifts as if through an alcoholic haze, playing on the dual meanings of “brandy” as both a libation and a woman’s name. As the song nears its mournful conclusion, the strings soar and the drum strikes a doleful beat. But Cortese always has the last word. When the cacophony subsides, her voice rings out alone. More http://www.thisislauracortese.com/

Mariel Vandersteel BIO - scroll past photo
http://www.marielvandersteel.com/

Somewhere between the fjords of Norway and mountains of the Blue Ridge, the fiddle-playing of Mariel Vandersteel intones the strains of elevation, clarity and tremendous feeling. It is uncanny that she hails from a very different set of mountains: those of northern California. Mariel came of age musically nurtured by the Bay Area’s rich revivalist traditional music scene, receiving a cultural grant to venture to the traditional music archives in Dublin, Ireland, and attending Boston’s Berklee College of Music for violin performance. After graduating, Mariel moved to Norway to study Hardingfele, the country’s national instrument at Hogskolen i Telemark folk music school. Returning to Boston in 2009, Mariel continued to work with acoustic-roots conjurers Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers, exploring musical connections between Scandinavia and the United States.

On her new record, Mariel aims to bridge old and new worlds, organically melding the sounds, ornaments and accents of the fiddle communities in which she has delved; Boston and Norway, Ireland and California. In making the record, the goal was to give an aural snapshot of the textures of those communities. Collaborating with the Boston-area’s finest acoustic musicians, including producer/composer Jordan Tice, Scottish harpist Maeve Gilchrist, Tristan Clarridge, Samson Grisman, Dominick Leslie and Duncan Wickel, Mariel’s new music incorporates lush instrumental dialogues, playful timbral exchanges between fiddle and hardanger, and evocative interpretations of old-world melodies. The record endeavors to capture the incredible energy and ingenuity of the musical community Mariel has surrounded herself with: warmly inviting the listener to the fjord, the Sierra or the living room.

Along with her solo project, Mariel tours nationally and internationally with Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers, Laura Cortese’s Acoustic Project and a duo with Emma Beaton. More http://www.marielvandersteel.com/

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BROOKTONDALE NY (near ITHACA) - Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand - Sat Mar 16th House Concert & Workshop - Spend the whole day at the Canaan Institute or take it in “a la carte”. Details and suggested contributions listed here: Contra Musicians’ workshop 2:00-4:30 pm $20, Potluck dinner 5:00-6:30 pm bring something to share, House Concert 7:00-9:30 pm $15, Music Jam after the concert - bring your instrument, or $25 for the whole day. This takes place at a private residence, please email Mike for reservations and directions mike@cinst.org. Telephone 607-539-6153. The Canaan Institute: www.cinst.org

Here is a video clip from the March 16 concert … they played this song spontaneously from a request by an audience member.

CONCERT DETAIL - The VanNorstrands have been bringing their brand of high-energy alternative folk music to concert halls, festival stages, and dance floors across North America for more than a decade, but this concert is a return to the brothers’ musical roots. They began their musical careers learning old-time fiddle tunes, but soon became proficient on an astonishing variety of instruments; guitar, banjo, bouzouki, bongos, mandolin, bodhran, and even didgeridoo. Recently they’ve branched out into an edgier, more improvisational style including jazz, rock and world-beat percussion.  Their stunning abilities as both performers and composers, combined with energetic, heartfelt performances, have built a large and loyal following. This show presents a special opportunity to hear these remarkable musicians in a cozy, close-up setting.

RSVP mike@cinst.org to reserve your place! Let us know what part of the day you want to participate in.  This will be an all day event.  Spend the whole day at the Institute or take it in “a la carte”.  Details and suggested contributions listed here:

Contra Musicians’ workshop 2:00-4:30 pm - $20 alone
Potluck dinner 5:00-6:30 pm - bring something to share
House Concert 7:00-9:30 pm - $15 alone
Music Jam after the concert - bring your instrument
$25 donation covers the whole day

DIRECTIONS to this event http://canaaninstitute.org/mn/mus_jamcann.html
Facebook event https://www.facebook.com/events/143069282522156/

WORKSHOP DETAIL - Here is a mini-summary of possible workshop topics: great for contra dance musicians!

Crowd Control: rhythm, dynamics and communication
Bigger on the Inside: tune deconstruction and arrangements
The Perfect Fit: working with callers, matching tunes with dances
Between the Sheets: improvisation and finding the soul of a tune

More about Noah and Andrew VanNorstrand:

www.andrewandnoah.com
www.facebook.com/andrewandnoahband
www.sonicbids.com/andrewandnoah

PHOTO - Noah on the left, Andrew on the right

Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand are two of the most exciting and creative musicians on the folk music scene today. This special show will be a rare, all acoustic performance by the duo, featuring a finely crafted blend of old-time country songs, mountain fiddle tunes, swing, and bluegrass, as well as some originals. The intimate setting of the Canaan Institute is the perfect venue for this kind of concert.

The VanNorstrands have been bringing their brand of high-energy alternative folk music to concert halls, festival stages, and dance floors across North America for more than a decade, but this concert is a return to the brothers’ musical roots. They began their musical careers learning old-time fiddle tunes, but soon became proficient on an astonishing variety of instruments; guitar, banjo, bouzouki, bongos, mandolin, bodhran, and even didgeridoo. Recently they’ve branched out into an edgier, more improvisational style including jazz, rock and world-beat percussion.  Their stunning abilities as both performers and composers, combined with energetic, heartfelt performances, have built a large and loyal following. This show presents a special opportunity to hear these remarkable musicians in a cozy, close-up setting.

Andrew & Noah are DIY musicians with some hard-earned credentials. They’ve been featured performers at the Lake Eden Arts Festival in NC, Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival and Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in NY, KVMR Celtic Festival in CA, Suwannee Springfest in FL, Midpoint Music Festival in OH and many others. They’ve toured extensively, often playing for contra dances as The Great Bear Trio with their mom Kim on piano. They’ve taught at various music camps including Ashokan Fiddle & Dance, CDSS Pinewoods and the Augusta Heritage Center. Andrew is also the program coordinator for the annual Ashokan Guitar Camp. They performed live on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” when they were in their teens. They maintain their own independent label (Great Bear Records) and produce an annual music and dance festival in Oswego, NY called The Groove.

Andrew and Noah are a true brother duo in the line of the Stanleys, the Louvins and the Everlys. Their finely-honed vocal harmonies bespeak over two decades of common musical experience, but it’s their differences that make them truly dynamic. Both brothers started out playing fiddle at age eight. Andrew was always drawn to bluegrass, swing, old-time country and cowboy songs, which eventually led him to take up the guitar and banjo. Noah, on the other hand, dug deeper into Celtic, Appalachian and contemporary acoustic roots music; branching out on the mandolin, tenor guitar, didgeridoo, drums and percussion. They recorded several albums in their teens of all original material and in 2004 they appeared on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. Now in their twenties, the brothers continue to write, record and tour all over North America with several bands including The Great Bear Trio, Giant Robot Dance and of course, the Andrew & Noah Band. They maintain their own independent label (Great Bear Records) and produce an annual music and dance festival in Oswego, NY called The Groove.

Press quotes:

“Their material is original, yet sounds timeless, demonstrating a depth of musical understanding seldom found in musicians double or triple their ages.” – Rob Weir, Sing Out!

“These folks are going places!” – Jay Ungar, performer, composer

“Their eclectic arrangements show both considerable technical ability and an ear for orchestration.” – Tom Nelligan, Dirty Linen Magazine

“These two brothers are fun, talented, and above all, great showmen!” – Bill Knowlton, Bluegrass Ramble, WCNY-FM

ANDREW & NOAH BAND
www.andrewandnoah.com
www.facebook.com/andrewandnoahband
www.sonicbids.com/andrewandnoah

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BROOKTONDALE NY - Long Time Courting - Workshop for musicians (instrumental and vocals) Sunday July 29th 2012 2:00-4:30 pm $20- at The Canaan Institute. RSVP to Mike to reserve a seat and for detailed directions mike@cinst.org

Long Time Courting will be performing for WVBR’s Bound for Glory radio show later that same evening.

Facebook event https://www.facebook.com/events/402306366486460/

Band website http://www.longtimecourting.com/home.html

Workshop details:

In this workshop, Long Time Courting will work with instrumentalists and vocalists to explore ensemble playing and arrangement of traditional music. Long Time Courting will teach a song/tune and use that piece as a springboard for creative exploration, diving into the different aspects of arrangement that can craft a song or tune set into a unique musical experience for the players and their audience.

We will explore groove and harmonic options that can add that extra bit of excitement to a tune set. In order to bring out the narrative structure of a song, we’ll demonstrate and experiment with the usage of harmony vocals and instrumental breaks. By looking at aspects of arrangement such as orchestration, form and harmony/melody, we’ll show participants ways in which they can shape their traditional repertoire into a unique sound that is both personal and well grounded in the tradition that they are drawing from.

This is a hands-on workshop, so participants should bring their instruments. While Long Time Courting specializes in voice, guitar, fiddle, whistle, accordion and cello, all instruments are welcome. Like instruments will be grouped together for some small “sectional” work and larger full ensemble playing will be done as well.

Long Time Courting: Bio (scroll down)

PHOTO from L to R: Valerie, Sarah, Liz, Shannon.

Take four individually accomplished traditional musicians and singers with fresh attitudes. Combine them, and you have the rich, soaring four-part vocal arrangements and high energy dance tunes that are Long Time Courting. Bringing together the talents of Sarah Blair on fiddle/vocals, Liz Simmons on guitar/vocals, Shannon Heaton on flute/vocals, and Valerie Thompson on cello/vocals, this Boston-based band shares a love of traditional Irish, Scottish and American folk music as well as contemporary material. They bring elements of these various genres to their repertoire in a way that is seamlessly innovative, inventively arranged, and skillfully rendered.

Meet Long Time Courting:

Sarah Blair “Sarah Blair is simply a great fiddler. Her combination of grit and control makes for music with drive, lift, and a compelling earthiness.” -Fiddler Magazine.

Sarah began playing Irish fiddle in Providence, Rhode Island’s thriving traditional Irish music scene. She honed her playing as a sought-after session leader in Boston and in the world of American contra dancing. With her band The Sevens and with other ensembles, Sarah has played at festivals, concerts, and dance weeks from Alaska to Quebec to Florida. Her most unusual gig was filling in for fiddler Liz Carroll for a portion of The Eagles’ singer Don Henley’s 2000 tour. In 2001, the Sevens were featured on NPR in an interview with Noah Adams. She is included in “Handy with the Stick: Fiddler Magazine’s Best of Irish fiddling,” a forthcoming book profiling top Irish fiddlers by Brendan Taaffe.

Liz Simmons “A honey-voiced singer. . .Simmons sings with winsome ease and genuine feeling.” -Dirty Linen Magazine

Liz grew up listening to her mother sing traditional songs from Ireland, Scotland, England and Appalachia, as well as the New Orleans brass music her father plays. Since then, she has developed a unique vocal and guitar style that incorporates the sounds of traditional and contemporary music. She is the lead singer of Annalivia, a string-band that fuses Celtic and Americana musical styles. Among her other performing credits are North Cregg, The Sevens, and The John Whelan Band. Her singing will be featured in the soon-to-be-released film “Time and Charges”, written and directed by Grammy and Emmy award winner Ernest Thompson.

Shannon Heaton “Shannon’s voice is the sun: remarkably light yet powerful, reminiscent of the 10,000 Maniacs’ Mary Ramsey…

Shannon’s flawless flute playing adds another layer of lightness…” -Molly Snyder, OnMilwaukee.com??Shannon is a veteran performer, having toured nationally with her husband, guitarist Matt Heaton, for over ten years. She developed her love of folk and traditional music early on, having lived in music-rich Nigeria and Thailand. It was in Chicago, IL that she discovered the local Irish music community and began learning tunes at Comhaltas and pub sessions. Since then, her keen melodic and arranging sensibilities, discerning ear, and exquisite Irish flute style has been featured with numerous Boston area ensembles.

Valerie Thompson “One of the most interesting female low end musicians isn’t technically a bass player. She is electric and acoustic cello player, Valerie Thompson.”-Bill Copeland - CTRL ALT Music

Kansas City native, Valerie grew up a classical cellist in a household filled with the music of Bach, The Beatles, The Chieftains and the blues. Entranced by dance music in her teens, she supplemented her formal studies by participating in summer folk festivals. She graduated with honors from the Berklee College of Music and is currently pursuing a masters in music in Contemporary Improvisation at New England Conservatory. She has toured nationally and internationally with musical projects as diverse as Fluttr Effect (world infused progressive rock band,) Laura Cortese’s Acoustic Project (acoustic folk pop,) and Goli (songdriven chamber duo.) Not just an engaged performer, Valerie is an active teacher and recording session musician in the Boston area and her original music has scored independent films and plays.
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HUNTINGDON PA  — Musicians of all ages, instruments and skill levels are invited to attend Folk College 2012, where they’ll have the opportunity to learn from locally and nationally-known folk musicians in a fun and friendly environment.

The event will be held May 25-27 at Juniata College in Huntingdon PA (near State College and Penn State) and will feature workshops, concerts, jam sessions and more, culminating in a student concert where participants can show off the skills they learned throughout the weekend. Workshops range from beginner to advanced and cover genres including blues, old time and world music.

The Folk College 2012 musical staff include:

• Atwater-Donnelly: Atwater-Donnelly performs a unique and thrilling blend of traditional American and Celtic folk music and dance, along with original songs and poetry. The highly praised husband-wife duo blends gorgeous vocals with an astonishing array of instruments including the mountain dulcimer, old-time banjo, tin whistle, guitar, limberjack, mandolin, harmonica, feet and more.
• Four Shillings Short: Four Shillings Short is part of the creative fusion that is happening in World Music today.  Blending Celtic, East Indian and American Folk music with Medieval, Renaissance and original compositions, the international duo have carved out a musical identity all their own.
• Simple Gifts: Three women plus twelve instruments equals one good time when Simple Gifts takes the stage. Drawing on an impressive variety of ethnic folk styles, th award-winning trio of Linda LIttleton, Karen Hirschon and Rachel Hall play everything from lively Irish jigs and down-home American reels to hard-driving Klezmer frailachs and haunting Gypsy melodies, spicing the mix with the distinctive rhythms of Balkan dance music, the lush sounds of Scandinavian twin fiddling, and original compositions written in a traditional style.

• The Horse Flies: A longtime favorite of critics and fans, The Horse Flies blend Americana roots with indie rock, ethnic percussion, creative songwriting, and a fierce, percolating groove. With a love of both the traditional and the modern, The Flies have consistently explored the intersection of the two to create a musical world all their own.
• The Twilite Broadcasters: The Twilite Broadcasters are the missing link between vintage country, old time, early bluegrass and rockabilly. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, the band creates traditional American music directly inspired by the likes of the Louvin Brothers and Bill Monroe.
• Tomás Lozano and Polly Ferber: Barcelona born Tomás Lozano’s music incarnates his mix of cultural roots; a history of conquest and resistance masterfully expressed through his smooth voice, the vibrant fingerwork on his guitar and the soothing droning of his hurdy-gurdy. He will be joined by Polly Ferber, a percussionist, music educator, performer, and recording artist who specializes in hand percussion from the Middle East, the Balkans, Spanish Andalusia, and North Africa.

The weekend will also feature teacher training for the Mark O’Connor method of fiddle playing. This intensive workshop is designed for music teachers interested in learning O’Connor’s unique method of fiddle instruction.

Folk College is hosted by Simple Gifts nd sponsored by the Huntingdon County PA Arts Council. Those who register before April 1 can take advantage of a $200 “early bird” pricing; the cost is $235 after April 1. Meals and lodging in Juniata College residence halls are also available for additional fees.

Folk College 2012 will be held May 25-27 at Juniata College in Huntingdon PA. For more information, visit folkcollege.com or contact the Huntingdon County Arts Council at 814-643-6220.

BLUES GUITAR WORKSHOP

2:30-4:30 pm

Ground-floor Commons Room,

Flora Rose House,

Cornell’s West Campus Dorm Complex

CONCERT

7:30 pm, 165 McGraw Hall,

Cornell Arts Quad,

with Jun-Kyo Seo (Jumba) opening

As a youth, Andy Cohen was nurtured on piano, cornet, and Dixieland jazz records, but when, at age 16, he met Rev. Gary Davis, “his course was set.” He got himself to the “source” to learn directly from the old musicians. His many blues friends and profound influences also include Lead Belly, Big Bill Broonzy, Jim Kweskin’s Jug Band, Skip James, Washington Phillips, John Hurt, and Brownie McGee. Andy Cohen’s mission, over 50 years of making music, is to preserve and carry forward the style and spirit of these masters. He gladly mentors younger musicians who want to play authentic blues. Raised in Massachusetts, he’s really “a Southern boy at heart” who lives in Memphis when he isn’t on the road with his big Washburn and sweet dolceola. He lays down mean and fiery blues from Memphis and beyond, playful ragtime, and soul-felt spirituals and gospel. He’s a virtuoso on guitar and his singing is joyful and unrestrained. Andy Cohen is widely considered one of the finest living performers of African American blues from the Southeast, 1900-1950. A grand raconteur, he can expound with authority, fervor, and energetic humor on blues, the dolceola, and any number of musicological and anthropological topics. He’s a born teacher and self-described “guitar-picking fool.”

The concert starts early, with Cornell sophomore Jun-Kyo Seo (Jumba), president of the Cornell Folk Song Society, opening at 7:30 pm. He’ll show his mettle with blues and ragtime tunes in the style of southern blues guitarists from the early half of the twentieth century. His passion for the genres makes for mighty fine playing. It’s been 8 years since Andy did a gig for Cornell Folk Song Society, so you don’t want to miss him, or the chance to hear some solid young talent.

Concert tickets: Ithaca Guitar Works, GreenStar, Autumn Leaves Bookstore, Bound for Glory, and online at www.cornellfolksong.org/. $15 advance/$17 door; $3 rebate for members, seniors, teens; children 12 & under free. Cornell students $10/$12. Info: 607-279-2027 or website.

WORKSHOP (2:30-4:30 pm): Old pro Andy Cohen will give instruction in blues guitar in the Commons Room of Flora Rose House, West Campus Dorms, Cornell. This workshop is not to be missed by those who want to hone their chops while having a rollicking and mind-stretching good time. Here’s Andy’s description: “I call it ‘Cohen’s Law’, which is really the explicated consequences of striking the root of the chord with your thumb on the one beat. I will walk the guitarists through five pieces: Come Let Us March, Louis Collins, Freight Train, Rev. Davis’s Candyman, and Rev. Davis’s Buck Dance, progressively tricking the picking thumb into doing more and more, within the thumb-on-the-root-on-the-one framework.”

Limited to 12 participants, so pre-register, if possible, to reserve a spot (E-mail Jumba <js2276@cornell.edu> or Margaret <mbs19@cornell.edu>). Payment at the door is acceptable (students $10/non-students $25). There’s a discount price for attending both workshop and concert: students $15/ others $35.

– Margaret Shepard

BROOKTONDALE NY - Music Jam Event at the Canaan Institute (Mike and Raylene’s workshop) with mountain dulcimer musician extraordinaire Bing Futch! Wednesday November 9th 5-10 pm Bing will teach a Mountain dulcimer workshop from 5-7 pm cost is $25. This will be followed by the regular MUSIC JAM at the usual time 7:00-10pm the music jam is FREE. The music jam is also open to ALL instruments! It is OK to come to only the dulcimer workshop OR only the music jam (or both of course). RSVP to mike@cinst.org to reserve a seat at the workshop and for directions.

Some of you may have seen Bing at Old Songs this year. More about this fabulous musician: With roots in both African and Seminole Indian tribes, Bing Futch’s window on America is a unique landscape of music, words and imagery. He began playing Appalachian mountain dulcimer at Knott’s Berry Farm theme park in 1986, working at a Ghost Town shop for Bud & Donna Ford.

That same year, Futch founded techno-punk band Crazed Bunnyz, a trio that grew popular in the international underground college radio scene and has remained a fan favorite long after disbanding in 1988. Since then, he has enjoyed a diverse and prolific solo career, composing dozens of scores for film, theater, themed attractions and television.

After working closely with producers of the hit NBC series “Quantum Leap” while shooting his first documentary in 1992, Futch left his California hometown of Los Angeles in 1993 to pursue production opportunities in central Florida where he set up a multimedia company called J.O.B. Entertainment Inc. Some of his early projects include the travelogue “Disney Overload”, a reality series called “Toastin’”, serving as musical director and composing an original score for the Stage Left Theater production of “Jungle Book: The Musical” and writing/performing portions of the soundtrack for The Castle of Miracles at Give Kids The World Village in Kissimmee, Florida.

In 1999, Mohave was born. The award-winning Americana band has performed in a variety of venues including multiple shows at The House Of Blues at Walt Disney World, Hard Rock Live Orlando, The Bamboo Room, Freebird Live, The Orlando Fringe Festival, The Central Florida Fair and they’ve also opened for national acts Molly Hatchet, Subject To Change, St. Somewhere and The Crests.

As a solo performer, Bing’s high-energy, crowd pleasing shows and unique approach to the mountain dulcimer combined have made him a much-sought national act from California to Connecticut. Named 2006 “Songwriter of the Year” by the Songwriters Showcases of America (with a 2007 “Song of the Year” award for “Crazy Feels Like”), Bing has become a regularly featured artist at festivals, house concerts, Irish and British pubs and other venues across the country. He’s opened for Grammy-award nominated artists Sam & Ruby, bluesman Scott Ainslie, singer/songwriter Larry Mangum, shared the stage with Zydeco king Chubby Carrier, Tom Constanten (The Grateful Dead), national fingerstyle guitar champion Michael Chapdelaine, produced numerous recordings and has published several songbooks.

Alongside his performing career, Bing has become a popular instructor of the mountain dulcimer and Native American flute and his video podcast, “Dulcimerica”, has been seen and downloaded by over half a million unique viewers.

Along with the music and video, Bing is also an accomplished podcaster, published writer and roller-coaster fan whose music columns in Jam, Ink-19 and Connections Magazine have been a Florida scene staple for over ten years. He and his wife Jae live in Orlando, so close to Walt Disney World that you can see the fireworks from their interstate exit. — bio by Dean Rezzen

Bing Futch’s Website http://www.darkstudios.com
Canaan Institute Website http://www.canaaninstitute.org

Saturday, April 16, noon to 11 pm
Boynton Middle School, 1601 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca

As fern fiddleheads push their way through winter-squashed litter and tardy snow, dancers and musicians will also unfurl in 11 hours of nonstop contra, English country, squares, waltzes, instrumental workshops, and jamming. Fabulous New England-based band Elixir, with Ethan Hazzard-Watkins on fiddle, Anna Patton on clarinet and vocals, Jesse Hazzard-Watkins on trumpet and flugelhorn, Owen Morrison on guitar and foot percussion, and multi-talented caller-trombonist-vocalist Nils Fredland, will ignite the crowd with the brassiest contra dances around. It’s a happy fusion–with finesse–of big-band, traditional Celtic and French Canadian, Dixieland jazz, swing, reggae, and rock. The tone ranges from raucous to serene; always creative and impossible for dancers to resist! Nils Fredland is an inventive, wildly popular and gifted caller who wowed the crowd at the 2007 Fiddlehead Frolic with fun, interwoven dances never before seen in Ithaca. Nils and Elixir will also do some singing squares learned from grand master Ralph Sweet, will provide flowing tunes for English country dances taught by Pamela Goddard, and will lead an instrumental workshop. Energy to spare!

Ithaca’s own O’Shanigans (in high demand throughout the region), with Tim Ball on soulful fiddle, Michael Ludgate on mandolin, and Phil Robinson on guitar, will offer more contras (called by Katy Heine), waltz sessions, and a contra medley. http://canaaninstitute.org/oshanigans.html

Mad Goat String Band (Peter Fraissinet on fiddle and banjo, Joe Hayward on banjo, Tom Ruscitti on mandolin and hammered dulcimer, Marianne Marsh and Nancy Spero on [double] bass) will play for an old-time square dance with Nancy Spero calling. Informal jam marathons will occur afternoon and evening (no charge for those who come just to jam).

If high spirits and sublime, hot music are not fuel enough, there will be sandwiches/light lunch and a waltz jam at noon and a community potluck supper at 6:15 pm. There’s also a silent auction (with wonderful donated goods and services). Whether it’s your fingers or feet that are flying, you’ll find hours of delight in spring-celebratory company at the Fiddlehead Frolic, hosted by Hands Four Dancers of Ithaca.

Prices vary by session (afternoon, evening, all-day); discount for HFDI members. Full schedule and details at http://www.hands4dancers.org/frolic/2011/index.html or call 607-539-3174. Out-of-towners who need a place to stay should contact Susan Arnsten-Russell at 607-277-0770 or sarnsten@gmail.com. Newcomers are welcome; each dance is taught, there a just a few basic steps, and the dance community is friendly and happy to help beginners. You don’t need to bring a partner, but you will need clean, soft-soled shoes (to protect the floor). Hands Four Dancers is a community-run, all-volunteer nonprofit dedicated to promoting great dances in the region, and the Frolic is our home-grown festival, guaranteed to induce euphoria!

RSVP ON FACEBOOK! See who else is coming!! https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=140384776025805

—Margaret Shepard

Ken Kolodner

Saturday, 12 March

Hammered dulcimer workshops:

10 am to noon and

1-3 pm

Old-time fiddle workshop:

3:30-5:30 pm

JAM Performance space,

Cornell’s North Campus

Ken Kolodner Workshops March 12

An astonishing virtuoso, recognized as one of the world’s masters of hammered dulcimer, Ken Kolodner’s also a hot old-time fiddler and mbira player. You’ll find him regularly on the NPR airwaves, performing with Chris Norman and Robin Bullock (as Helicon), with Laura Risk as Greenfire, keeping contra dancers up to speed, teaching with passion, and playing solo or with other fine musicians such as Doc Watson, Kevin Burke, Allison Krauss, Jay Ungar, John McCutcheon, Bryan Bowers, Jean Ritchie, and his son Brad (an Ithaca College student), who plays a mean and melodic clawhammer banjo and banjola. 

Ken Kolodner is in high demand for workshops and lessons; in addition to CDs, he’s created tunebooks and instructional materials that span his 25 years as an influential musician and teacher.  Folowing the three workshops, he and Brad will perform in concert for the Cornell Folk Song Society, 8 pm in 165 McGraw Hall, Cornell Arts Quad. Concert details in separate article on this BLOG.

10 am-12 pm: Hammered dulcimer workshop for advanced beginners and above: topics will include techniques and ideas for arranging and for playing accompaniment. Written music will be provided (including examples of full arrangements), but I recommend bringing a recording device. Designed to hit all levels of players.     

1-3 pm: Continue hammered dulcimer workshop but possibly at a faster pace, depending on the composition of the group.

3:30-5:30 pm: Old-time fiddle workshop for advanced beginners and above: the focus will be on systems of bowing to include 3-1 bowing, ghost bows, bow rocking, left hand techniques (unisons, slides, chords, etc.) and much more.

$30 for one session; $50 for two sessions; students $20. Please register in advance by contacting Ken directly at kenkolodner@aol.com  or 410-746-8387.

Workshop location for workshop:  JAM (Just About Music) Performance Space, Cornell’s North Campus, Ithaca, NY.  JAM (aka Low-rise #9) is on Program House Drive off of Jessup Road, which runs between Pleasant Grove Rd. and Triphammer Rd. For unloading dulcimers, you can drive right up to the P-space, which resembles a cement box on the side of a brick dorm. But do not park here; a ticket is almost guaranteed! There is free legal parking in several nearby lots: off Cradit Farm Drive, at Robert Purcell Union, or in the “A” lot. We can direct you once you’ve unloaded your instrument. 

Cancellation policy: In the event of really bad weather, contact Ken to find out if the workshop is on. Full refunds will be provided if the workshop is cancelled.

ITHACA NY — Saturday Oct 16th 2010 — Nightingale instrumental workshop for musicians on Oct 16th 2010 from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm at the Canaan Rd music workspace. It will be open to all instruments, intermediate level and up. $25- each participant. Nightingale is Jeremiah McLane (accordion, piano), Keith Murphy (voice, guitar, mandolin, piano, foot percussion), and Becky Tracy (fiddle). RSVP’s are requested as the number of participants is limited. Email Mike at michael@canaaninstitute.org to reserve a seat and obtain directions. Facebook event http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=150393128323810 FULL STORY and MUSICIANS BIOGRAPHIES below and here http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=3557#3557

Quote from the band: “Workshop title: Arranging traditional songs and instrumentals — Nightingale will teach about the various kinds of musical elements that go into our arrangements; how we choose them, how we combine them and how we create a sense of coherence and shape in our pieces. We’ll show the progression of an arrangement by playing the core of a piece in its most basic form, then gradually adding the elements that form the completed piece. The we’ll take a tune suggested by the group and put it through the same ‘arranging mill’. This is a workshop designed for participants to play so please bring instruments. If time permits we’ll also look at arranging medleys for contra dancing. We’ll talk about creating distinctive dance medleys that have a specific theme or shape, and demonstrate rhythmic and textural techniques that produce a distinctive mood. We’ll also discuss programming these kinds of arrangements in an evening of dancing.”

These super talented musicians will be in Ithaca to play for a double header contra dance later that afternoon into evening. http://hands4dancers.org/future/ They are also performing a house concert on campus Sunday at a student co-op as part of Cornell Folk Song Society http://www.cornellfolksong.org/events/index.html

Nightingale is Jeremiah McLane (accordion, piano), Keith Murphy (voice, guitar, mandolin, piano, foot percussion), and Becky Tracy (fiddle). Band website http://www.nightingalevt.org/index.html

More about Nightingale …

Nightingale was formed in 1993 by Jeremiah McLane (accordion, piano), Keith Murphy (voice, guitar, mandolin, piano, foot percussion), and Becky Tracy (fiddle). The nightingale bird is a poetic figure that appears in traditional songs from many places including parts of Northern Europe, Canada and the United States. So the nightingale was an appropriate emblem for a band commited to drawing inspiration from a wide musical territory that includes Ireland, France, Scandinavia, Newfoundland and Quebec.

McLane, Murphy and Tracy were all established players in the traditional New England contra dance scene when they met and Nightingale quickly became a highly sought after New England dance band. But from its inception, Nightingale explored music outside the bounds of New England contra dance and could never be pigeon holed as simply a dance band. Songs of Quebec and Newfoundland were a staple of their repertoire and in their concerts they stretched the format of traditional dance music. Still, their experience as dance musicians generated an obsession with rhythmic integrity and the sustaining pulse that is the essence of dance music. The listener could never miss the underlying drive of much of Nightingale’s music.

The band’s first recording, The Coming Dawn was made in 1994, barely a year after the band’s formation. It was produced by Pete Sutherland and it captured the fresh, raw energy of the band as well as establishing Nightingale’s sophistication as players and arrangers of an eclectic mix of traditional music.

Less than two years later, the band took on a more ambitious recording project - Sometimes When the Moon is High, produced by Grey Larsen. The album was recorded in Joliette Quebec at the (just newly finished) studio of La Bottine Souriante pianist, Denis Frechette. More musically complex and more tightly arranged, this album won the band cudos from a wider audience.

Throughout this period, Nightingale travelled extensively playing concerts and dance events around the U.S. and also in Canada, the U.K., France and Denmark.

But eventually, after six years of intensive touring, the band needed a break, some rejuvenation and time to consider the group’s next phase. In 1999 the band began a nine month sabatical during which all three players explored other musical projects. In 2000, Nightingale reconvened and began reworking its repertoire, drawing more extensively on original compositions from band members Jeremiah McLane and Keith Murphy.These compositions frequently synthesize elements of the band’s traditional repertoire with subtle references to contemporary music. With this new repertoire, the group’s sound and energy also evolved, once again proving the creative resourcefulness of the band.

This work culminated in Nightingale’s most recent recording - Three , released in June 2004. The CD was produced by Denis Frechette and recorded in Brattleboro, VT. It reflects Nightingale’s past while also breaking new ground.

Nightingale has performed on CBC radio in Canada and was recently chosen for the Meet the Composer series in Saranac, New York. The band continues to perform at festivals, performing arts centers, folk clubs, and major dance events everywhere.

Jeremiah McLane

http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/JeremiahMcLane
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/JeremiahMcLaneandRuthieDornfel
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/Nightingale
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/LeBonVent
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/TheClayfootStrutters

The music of composer, accordionist, and pianist Jeremiah McLane is a unique blend of Franco-American, Celtic, jazz, and roots influenced music that is at once exuberant and introspective, tender and passionate. He places familiar sounds in unusual settings, and combines a gift of improvisation with a keen appreciation for the power of melody.
The early years

I was raised in a large family with deep connections to the state of New Hampshire (my great-grandfather was governor from 1905-1907) and to traditional music (there was contra dancing in my father’s family home in Manchester for over 75 years). In our family we listened to many different kinds of music: Edith Piaf, Ragtime, Harry Belafonte, The Beatles, Eric Satie, Jimi Hendrix, Bach, Beethoven, etc. My mother played piano, and my father sang. Songs and music making were a regular feature of family gatherings. I started on clarinet when I was nine and then switched to piano at eleven. I had classical lessons but also learned to play boogie-woogie and blues from my older siblings.
Influences

Jeremiah McLane Early on I was influenced by the music of Memphis Slim, Roosevelt Sykes, and other blues artists. As a teenager I was introduced to the music of Miles Davis, Les McCann, Bill Evans, Bud Powell, John Coltrane, and other jazz greats. I went to Oberlin Conservatory where I studied classical and jazz piano, then transferred to the Cornish Institute in Seattle and studied with Gary Peacock. I also studied Indonesian Gamelan, West African drumming, and the music of minimalist composers Steve Reich and Philip Glass.

In 1980 I started studying Celtic music and began playing the accordion. My major influences at that time were the Bothy Band and Dedanann. I started playing in Celtic bands and studied with Chicago accordionist Jimmy Keane and Cape Breton pianist Doug McPhee. In the early 1990s I helped start two bands with strong traditional New England roots: The Clayfoot Strutters and Nightingale, both of which are active today. Nightingale has recorded three CDs and tours regularly throughout the US. In 2003 I formed Le Bon Vent, a sextet specializing in Breton and French music.
Learning and teaching

In 2001 I attended the New England Conservatory of Music and got a Master’s of Music in Contemporary Improvisation. In 2005 I started the Floating Bridge Music School, where I teach traditional and contemporary music. I am a faculty member at the State University of New York in Plattsburgh, NY, and also teach at various summer music camps including Ashokan Fiddle & Dance, Augusta Heritage Arts Center and Centrum’s American Festival of Fiddle Tunes.
Recording projects

Since 1990, I have recorded 9 CDs: three with Nightingale, one each with the Clayfoot Strutters, Ruthie Dornfeld and Le Bon Vent, and three solo CDs. My second solo recording, Smile When You’re Ready, was nominated by National Public Radio in their “favorite picks” of 1996. Hummingbird, with Ruthie Dornfeld, received the French music magazine “Trad Mag” Bravo award for 2003, as did Le Bon Vent’s Goodnight Marc Chagall in 2006. I have composed music for theatre and film, including Sam Shepard’s “A Lie Of The Mind”, and been awarded the Ontario Center For The Performing Arts “Meet The Composer” Award, and the Vermont Council On The Arts “Creation Of New Work” grant.

Jeremiah McLane solo recordings and performances:

Accordionist/pianist Jeremiah performs a unique blend of Franco-America, Celtic and Jazz influenced music featuring his own compositions as well as arrangements of traditional pieces. His music is at once exuberant and introspective, tender and passionate. He places familiar sounds in unusual settings, and combines his unique gift of improvisation with a keen appreciation for the power of a simple melody. He has appeared at numerous festivals in the U.S. and in Europe including the Royal Festival Hall in London, England, the Picolo Spoleto Festival, the St. Chartiers Festival (France), and the Philadelphia Folk Festival. He has composed music for theatre and film, including Sam Shepard’s “A Lie of the Mind”, and received numerous grants and awards including the Ontario Center for the Performing Arts Meet the Composer Award, and the Vermont Council on the Arts Creation of New Work Grant. National Public Radio selected his second solo recording, Smile When You’re Ready, in their “favorite picks” of 1996. His fifth release, Hummingbird, received the French music magazine “Trad Mag” BRAVO award for 2003. Jeremiah teaches world music, accordion and piano at the State University of New York in Plattsburgh.

Jeremiah McLane as part of Nightingale

CD - Nightingale: Three/Trois Over the past decade the three superb musicians who make up Nightingale, Becky Tracy (fiddle), Jeremiah McLane (piano, accordion), and Keith Murphy (guitar, mandolin, foot percussion, vocals), have charmed audiences with their vibrant and imaginative explorations of musical traditions that carry listeners across New England to Quebec, Newfoundland, Ireland, France, and beyond.

Hailed in Sing Out! Magazine for their “impeccable playing… danceable and exciting, with a reflective approach to the music”, Nightingale has fashioned a fresh and distinctive sound that is innovative while rooted in Celtic and Northern European folk traditions. From a Newfoundland ballad to a blazing set of Irish reels, from a rollicking Quebecois chanson-a-repondre to a lilting bourree from Central France, their song and tune arrangements find the perfect balance between tradition and innovation.

Keith Murphy

Newfoundland-born KEITH MURPHY began absorbing his native musical languages - folksongs, ballads and dance music - from an early age. A proficient multi-instrumentalist, he has long applied much of his considerable energy to the rhythmic side, becoming a valued band member (NIGHTINGALE, ASSEMBLY) and sought-after sideman on guitar, mandolin and foot percussion. At the same time, Murphy’s natural and lyrical singing and piano playing add a complementary dimension to his music, a thoughtful, well-crafted and ever-respectful take on tradition.

Now residing in Southern Vermont, Keith has variously called Ottawa and Toronto home. Irish ceilidhs, Scottish balls, Quebecois sets and American contras - dance accompaniment was and continues to be much of his career path.His many musical encounters with top players in many styles saw him develop both a harmonic sensitivity and the propulsive right hand that has become his signature sound. His distinctive guitar playing in the popular DADGAD tuning, alternating with a driving chordal mandolin style, and often underlined by his unerring French-Canadian style footwork has accompanied such noted players as Liz Carroll, Martin O’Connor, Winifred Horan, Oliver Schroer and more in the studio and on stage throughout North America and Europe.

Three recordings by Murphy’s long-running trio NIGHTINGALE were the first to showcase his vocal abilities, which show the influence of his Maritime forbears along with his passion for - and bilingual facility with - Irish and Quebecois traditional singers and songs. Keith’s gentle and expressive tenor voice recalls balladeer Paul Brady and his style a good bit of chantey-masters A.L Lloyd and Lou Killen, but his “ownership” of the songs he carefully chooses to sing is unquestioned. A skillful band arranger schooled in the decades-long folk revival, Murphy brings all of these many talents to the plate for his first vocally-oriented solo outing, “Bound for Canaan”released in 2005.

Becky Tracy

Becky Tracy has dance music in her blood. Her grandparents were active in the dance scene around Boston in the 1930’s and were involved in the early years of NEFFA (New England Folk Festival Association) - still an important institution in the New England dance scene. Becky’s parents met through dancing and were leaders of community dances for many years.

Becky herself began playing for contra dancing in Maine, bending her early classical training to the demands of dance music. Later, she studied Irish fiddling styles with Brendan Mulvihill and Eugene O’Donnel and French Canadian fiddling with Lisa Ornstein. All these elements combined to give Becky her distinctive clarity of tone, a rhythmic attack owing much to French Canadian playing and the melodic quality of Irish music. Her sound is unmistakable.

She has been a defining presence in some of the most popular and innovative contra dance bands to come out of New England, being the fiddler for both Wild Asparagus and Nightingale. Becky is featured on recordings by both these groups. She has performed for dance events and concerts in about 40 states across the US, as well as Canada and Europe and is a popular fiddle teacher at summer music camps.

Check out her solo recording, Evergreen from 2001.

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Saturday, Oct. 2, 1:30-4:30 pm
Hollis Cornell Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall, Cornell Arts Quad
Sponsored by the Cornell Folk Song Society

Brendan Taaffe, of Brattleboro, VT, has a remarkable ability to bring cohesiveness and joyful music-making to diverse groups of all ages. He has led vocal workshops in Western and Eastern Europe, Canada, and the U.S., and is the founder and director of Turtle Dove Harmony, a non-profit arts organization focused on developing community through song by bringing together outstanding teachers and participants from different traditions and nations. A skilled singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer/arranger, and teacher, Brendan has performed with Northern Harmony, Village Harmony, and numerous contra dance bands, most recently Magic Foot. He holds a Master’s in music performance from the Irish World Music Centre, University of Limerick. In recent years, he has delighted in working with children, year-round in public schools and in music camps, residencies, and performances. The Oct. 2 workshop is designed for adults and teens and is open to the general public; singing is everyone’s birthright.

Brendan’s vocal workshop will explore multi-part harmony in traditional American and African songs: early gospel, Appalachian ballads, shape note hymns, shaker songs, Brendan’s own compositions, and Makwayera singing from Zimbabwe. No experience is necessary—all of the pieces will be taught first by ear, then with sheet music. Background at www.brendantaaffe.com

For more info. or to register, contact Margaret Shepard (mbs19@cornell.edu). [She has taken several of Brendan's vocal workshops and can heartily recommend them!]

Workshop cost is $25; some financial aid may be available. Payment at the door is fine, but please pre-register so we know how many to expect

Instrumental workshop with David Surette & Jeremiah McLane

Sunday July 11th 2010 — David Surette (guitar & mandolin) & Jeremiah McLane (accordion & piano) for a French & Breton music workshop on Sunday July 11th 2010 from 2:30-4:30 pm at Canaan Road music workshop. They will teach together focusing on melodies and accompaniment from Brittany and Central France. It’ll be open to all instruments, intermediate level and up. Workshop fee $20- RSVP’s are requested as number of participants is limited. Email Mike at michael@canaaninstitute.org to reserve a seat. FULL STORY and MUSICIANS BIOGRAPHIES HERE: http://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusic/viewtopic.php?p=3260#3260

About David Surette & Jeremiah McLane

Accordionist Jeremiah McLane and guitarist David Surette perform a unique blend of Franco-America and New England music that is exuberant and introspective, tender and passionate. They place familiar sounds in unusual settings, and combine a unique gift of improvisation with a keen appreciation for the power of a simple melody. Their repertoire features dance tunes from New England, The British Isles, France and Quebec as well as original compositions.

David Surette David Surette is highly regarded for his work on the guitar, mandolin, and bouzouki, in a wide variety of settings. As a soloist, he is nationally known as a top player of Celtic fingerstyle guitar. He is folk music co-ordinator at the Concord (NH) Community Music School, and has authored a book of Celtic fingerstyle guitar arrangements for Mel Bay Publications. He performs regularly with his wife, singer Susie Burke.

Jeremiah has composed music for theatre and film, received numerous grants and awards (including the Ontario Center for the Performing Arts, and the Vermont Council on the Arts). National Public Radio selected his second solo recording, Smile When You’re Ready, in their “favorite picks” of 1996. His fifth release, Hummingbird, received the French music magazine “Trad Mag” BRAVO award for 2003. He teaches world music, accordion and piano at the State University of New York in Plattsburgh, NY. He performs regularly with Nightingale, Le Bon Vent, and The Clayfoot Strutters.

David Surette

One of New England’s finest guitarists, David Surette has been quietly generating a growing following for his work as a soloist. His solo albums “Back Roads” and “Trip to Kemper” have helped to establish him as a top player and arranger of Celtic fingerstyle guitar, yet his diverse repertoire also includes original compositions, blues and ragtime, traditional American roots music, and folk music from a variety of traditions, all played with finesse, taste, and virtuosity. He is equally at home on the mandolin and bouzouki, and is well-known as a top-notch accompanist in New England’s contra dance and Celtic music circles, and is also in demand as a studio musician and sideman. He has performed throughout the country at festivals, concerts, coffeehouses and contra dances, and in 1999 toured in Brittany, France. Since 1988 Surette has enjoyed an inspired musical partnership with singer Susie Burke, with whom he has just released a duo recording, “Sometimes in the Evening”. He also plays regularly with fiddler Rodney Miller, with whom he performed at the 1999 Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife, and wth whom he has released two recordings. In addition to performing and recording, Surette maintains an active teaching schedule, and is head of the folk department at the Concord (NH) Community Music School. He has also taught at numerous summer music camps, including Augusta Heritage Festival (WV), Swannanoa Gathering (NC), Summer Acoustic Music Week (NH), and Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddle School (CA). He was awarded an NEA travel grant in 1994 to study the traditional music of Brittany, and has written a book of Celtic guitar arrangements for Mel Bay Publications.

“Surette has distinguished himself among North American Celtic guitarists by his use of Breton and French materials…His technique is impeccable, and his touch and phrasing are immediately recognizable.” Acoustic Guitar

“A brilliant soloist, in the acoustic celtic fingerstyle genre…” Trad Magazine (France)

“New Hampshire guitarist extraordinaire…he plays with a rare combination of exuberance and articulation.” Scott Alarik folk music critic, Boston Globe

Jeremiah McLane

The music of composer, accordionist, and pianist Jeremiah McLane is a unique blend of Franco-American, Celtic, jazz, and roots influenced music that is at once exuberant and introspective, tender and passionate. He places familiar sounds in unusual settings, and combines a gift of improvisation with a keen appreciation for the power of melody.
The early years

I was raised in a large family with deep connections to the state of New Hampshire (my great-grandfather was governor from 1905-1907) and to traditional music (there was contra dancing in my father’s family home in Manchester for over 75 years). In our family we listened to many different kinds of music: Edith Piaf, Ragtime, Harry Belafonte, The Beatles, Eric Satie, Jimi Hendrix, Bach, Beethoven, etc. My mother played piano, and my father sang. Songs and music making were a regular feature of family gatherings. I started on clarinet when I was nine and then switched to piano at eleven. I had classical lessons but also learned to play boogie-woogie and blues from my older siblings.
Influences

Jeremiah McLane Early on I was influenced by the music of Memphis Slim, Roosevelt Sykes, and other blues artists. As a teenager I was introduced to the music of Miles Davis, Les McCann, Bill Evans, Bud Powell, John Coltrane, and other jazz greats. I went to Oberlin Conservatory where I studied classical and jazz piano, then transferred to the Cornish Institute in Seattle and studied with Gary Peacock. I also studied Indonesian Gamelan, West African drumming, and the music of minimalist composers Steve Reich and Philip Glass.

In 1980 I started studying Celtic music and began playing the accordion. My major influences at that time were the Bothy Band and Dedanann. I started playing in Celtic bands and studied with Chicago accordionist Jimmy Keane and Cape Breton pianist Doug McPhee. In the early 1990s I helped start two bands with strong traditional New England roots: The Clayfoot Strutters and Nightingale, both of which are active today. Nightingale has recorded three CDs and tours regularly throughout the US. In 2003 I formed Le Bon Vent, a sextet specializing in Breton and French music.
Learning and teaching

In 2001 I attended the New England Conservatory of Music and got a Master’s of Music in Contemporary Improvisation. In 2005 I started the Floating Bridge Music School, where I teach traditional and contemporary music. I am a faculty member at the State University of New York in Plattsburgh, NY, and also teach at various summer music camps including Ashokan Fiddle & Dance, Augusta Heritage Arts Center and Centrum’s American Festival of Fiddle Tunes.
Recording projects

Since 1990, I have recorded 9 CDs: three with Nightingale, one each with the Clayfoot Strutters, Ruthie Dornfeld and Le Bon Vent, and three solo CDs. My second solo recording, Smile When You’re Ready, was nominated by National Public Radio in their “favorite picks” of 1996. Hummingbird, with Ruthie Dornfeld, received the French music magazine “Trad Mag” Bravo award for 2003, as did Le Bon Vent’s Goodnight Marc Chagall in 2006. I have composed music for theatre and film, including Sam Shepard’s “A Lie Of The Mind”, and been awarded the Ontario Center For The Performing Arts “Meet The Composer” Award, and the Vermont Council On The Arts “Creation Of New Work” grant.

Jeremiah McLane solo recordings and performances:

Accordionist/pianist Jeremiah performs a unique blend of Franco-America, Celtic and Jazz influenced music featuring his own compositions as well as arrangements of traditional pieces. His music is at once exuberant and introspective, tender and passionate. He places familiar sounds in unusual settings, and combines his unique gift of improvisation with a keen appreciation for the power of a simple melody. He has appeared at numerous festivals in the U.S. and in Europe including the Royal Festival Hall in London, England, the Picolo Spoleto Festival, the St. Chartiers Festival (France), and the Philadelphia Folk Festival. He has composed music for theatre and film, including Sam Shepard’s “A Lie of the Mind”, and received numerous grants and awards including the Ontario Center for the Performing Arts Meet the Composer Award, and the Vermont Council on the Arts Creation of New Work Grant. National Public Radio selected his second solo recording, Smile When You’re Ready, in their “favorite picks” of 1996. His fifth release, Hummingbird, received the French music magazine “Trad Mag” BRAVO award for 2003. Jeremiah teaches world music, accordion and piano at the State University of New York in Plattsburgh.

Jeremiah McLane as part of Nightingale

CD - Nightingale: Three/Trois Over the past decade the three superb musicians who make up Nightingale, Becky Tracy (fiddle), Jeremiah McLane (piano, accordion), and Keith Murphy (guitar, mandolin, foot percussion, vocals), have charmed audiences with their vibrant and imaginative explorations of musical traditions that carry listeners across New England to Quebec, Newfoundland, Ireland, France, and beyond.

Hailed in Sing Out! Magazine for their “impeccable playing… danceable and exciting, with a reflective approach to the music”, Nightingale has fashioned a fresh and distinctive sound that is innovative while rooted in Celtic and Northern European folk traditions. From a Newfoundland ballad to a blazing set of Irish reels, from a rollicking Quebecois chanson-a-repondre to a lilting bourree from Central France, their song and tune arrangements find the perfect balance between tradition and innovation.

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