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Hillbillies from Mars
Sept 20 2008 3pm
Celtic & American Tradional Fiddle
The Hillbillies From Mars have been rocking the contradance scene in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1982. They combine their love and dedication to Celtic and American traditional fiddle music with a healthy dose of their own "folk roots" of rock 'n' roll, swing, Latin and African beats, forging a new tradition of dance music
Drawing from Appalachian, Canadian, Celtic, and European repertoire,
their trademark sound features powerful fiddling interwoven with mandolin,
flute, accordion, and bagpipes, all with rock-solid polyrhythmic backup.
Individually, the Hillbillies have studied the traditional music of many
cultures, and they bring together these influences, along with their own
roots of contemporary American music, to perform music that is as soulful
as it is unique. Their concerts include songs, stories, and always a few
surprises.
"This band could probably get dead people to dance."
- Danny Carnahan, Roots & Rhythm
"I don't think there is a band quite like the 'Billies in this country,
nay, in the world. ... The Hillbillies impart their sense of fun with
music and the music is eminently danceable."
- Kerry Blech, The Old Time Herald
"They generated more energy on the dance floor in five minutes than most
bands can produce in a whole evening. It was astounding."
- Kiran Wagle, dancer
The Hillbillies are:
Ray Bierl: fiddle, guitar
Kevin Carr: fiddle, bagpipes, accordion
Paul Kotapish: mandolin, guitar
Daniel Steinberg: piano, flute, banjo
Hillbillies from Mars
Amy X Neuburg
Mid-Oct 18, 8pm
Unique blend of cabaret, classical and rock
"Amy is an emerging star reminiscent of Laurie Anderson, Meredith Monk, Björk and Kate Bush, but with a 4-octave classically-trained voice. A cross-over artist defying definition, Amy twists multiple musical styles together into something all her own -- from cabaret and hard rock to classical. Her wildly inventive lyrics range from the poignant to the absurd, touching on social and political issues in surprisingly personal ways... all intertwined with samples, loops and layers galore. With her unique performance style and riveting stage presence, Amy was a crowd-wower at last year's Other Minds Festival 9 at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco."
Neuburg is a new kind of composer... a wonder of sampling, overdubbing, electronic manipulation of live sound and computer-driven beat patterns. Add this to this the fact that she is a fabulous singer with exhilarating originality. Emotionally, her music is as complex as real life.
"Wow! That was the one simple word that best described the one-woman musical hurricane that was Amy X Neuburg last night... If diversity, creativity, and flat-out ability were all crimes, Neuburg would have been locked up years ago. Her music should be played to children who express an interest in music as a lesson in what is possible... Sometimes high art like this can disappear into itself. Not so with Neuburg. Otago Daily Times, New Zealand, October 2004
Four CD's, including "Residue"
Amy X Neuburg
Amy X on My Space
Oscar Reynolds & Karumanta
Saturday Nov 8 8pm
Bolivian folk & fusion, Black Bolivan/Peruvian
With a music career spanning four decades, Bolivian-born Oscar Reynolds leads the critically-acclaimed San Francisco ensemble Karumanta, described by the East Bay Express as "the current favorite of fans in a field already overrun with excellent musicians, representing the purest traditional sound." Formed in 1991, the ensemble’s repertoire and top-notch performance is an eclectic combination of Bolivian folk, Bolivian fusion, and the new Black Bolivian/ Black Peruvian music project, which unites the Black rhythms of Bolivia and Peru with Andean music traditions of the Quechua and Aymara Indians.
With past performances throughout South America, Europe, and the United States with various sold-out shows in up to 2,000 seat venues. Their music has been featured in the movie Follow Me Home, NPR’s Morning Edition, and KGO radio’s program The Best Music You’ve Never Heard, among over 850 NPR and PRI stations and syndicated programs across the United States and abroad.
The ensemble boasts master musicians with rich and diverse accomplishments in their traditional fields. Oscar is an accomplished Bolivian pan flute master and composer recognized for his unparalleled coordination and dexterity in playing the bamboo flutes and guitar simultaneously. Frank Zeccola of the San Francisco Observer says, “Any flute player would marvel at the tight control over each note Reynolds displays while packing a stream of emotions into his complex scale runs, but to see him do that and play the guitar is quite impressive.” Afro-Peruvian drummer Lalo Izquierdo lends just the right punctuations with polyphonic rhythms and dynamic effects on the cajón (box drum) and other indigenous percussive instruments as varied and innovative as dried seeds and a wooden piggy bank. Also joining Karumanta is José Luis Reynolds with lightning fast finger-picking on the charango, an Andean adaptation of the guitar with five double-strings.
Oscar Reynolds (Bolivia)
antara, zampoñas, quena, quenacho, guitar, compositions, arrangements,
musical direction; Lalo Izquierdo (Perú)
cajón, cajita, donkey jaw, percussive dance; José Luis Reynolds (Bolivia)
charango
8 CD's
Oscar Reynolds & Karumanta
Leftover Dreams
Sat Feb 14, 8pm
Standards (and not-so-standards) of the Great American Songbook
Patrice Haan & Tony Marcus form the core of the group, Leftover Dreams, sometimes performing as a duo but often bolstered by Jeff Sanford on various reeds. Marcus, a longtime regular on the Bay Area music scene, is perhaps best known for his work with R. Crumb & the Cheap Suit Serenaders and Cats & Jammers. He toured Japan in April 2004 with Geoff Muldaur, on whose most recent CD he also performs. Musically, Leftover Dreams performs standards (and not-so-standards) of the Great American Songbook combined with witty and imaginative vocal arrangements featuring Patrice Haan's sultry and seductive voice. Marcus plays guitar and sings as well, and the combination creates an intriguing mix of moody ballads, jumping swingers and unabashedly romantic love songs. Added to the brew are the occasional quirky originals, which spring from the same tradition but take a left turn somewhere.
The vocal harmonies and sparse but memorable accompaniment have drawn praise from such as Richard Hadlock, author of Jazz Masters of the 20s and host of the radio show The Annals of Jazz, who says " Singers Patrice Haan and Tony Marcus (also an ace guitarist) do something unusual: they treat often neglected popular songs with respect, restraint and unerring good taste ". Recently the group was featured on NPRs All Songs Considered, where its rendition of Teach Me Tonight won the weekly listeners poll.
While the music was every bit what we had hoped for, there was just so much more to the performance. The chemistry between you two made for one of the most romantic musical experiences we have ever encountered.
—Roger & Donna Brinton, Redwood City
Two CD's
Leftover Dreams
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