Good Music Makes Good Neighbors

 

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  WHO'S WHO in MONTAGUE?

(alphabetical by last name or band name)

 

 

Butterfly Swing Band

 

Butterfly Swing Band plays exuberant, swinging, jazzy grooves.  They draw from the masters -- Ellington and Basie -- as well as contemporary artists like Diana Krall and Nellie McKay.  Bring your dancing shoes!   Montague Common Hall, set 6

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Mark Fraser & Matthew Duncan

 

Mark Fraser is a founding member of the Adaskin String Trio and the Executive Artistic Director of Mohawk Trail Concerts. He also performs frequently as a soloist and in recital.  Matthew plays piano and writes music for any ensemble willing to play his pieces. He is grateful that Mark indulges his compositional whims and his affection for the music of Paul Hindemith.  First Congregational Church, set 3

 

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Chris Devine & James Heflin

 

These former bandmates from Metropolitan Swing Quartet offer a stew that is three parts Django, one part Memphis -- jazz manouche with a Southern accent. James Heflin (guitar, vocals) has played Celtic music, original rock with ’90s Valley band Mud Prophets, and jazz manouche with several Valley groups. Chris Devine (violin, ?) is a Valley stalwart, playing many instruments in many settings with dazzling style. Among his many projects from classical to Celtic, you’ll currently find him fronting Jethro Tull tribute Minstrels in the Gallery. Conservatory-trained as a violinist, as an all-around session musician he has appeared on hundreds of releases in many different styles of music, including classical, jazz, rock, pop, country, and ethnic. Chris toured for some years in Blackmore’s Night as a featured soloist beside legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple. Porch, set 1

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Rose Jackson & Rebecca Rose Weiss

 

Enjoy the harmonies of New England fiddle tunes.  Barn, set 3

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The Klines

 

Carrie and Michael Kline perform folk songs from the Appalachians and the West Virginia coal mines with beautiful harmonies and a unique guitar style.  They are accompanied by Joe Blumenthal on bass.  Montague Common Hall, set 2

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Montague Marching Band

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Loud, raucous, and full of fun, the Montague Marching Band is dedicated to spreading joyful music to the people of Western Massachusetts and beyond. Inspired by the Honk Festival and New Orleans style "Second Line" street bands, the band plays a lively variety of world music and funky tunes.   On the common, between sets 1 & 2 and between sets 2 & 3

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Le Chéile

 

Le Chéile is a fun-loving bunch of misfit musicians who play traditional Irish music in the Pioneer Valley area. They focus on “pure drop” tunes, and are bound to get you smiling and get your toe tapping with lively jigs, reels, horn pipes and songs.  Come to listen or come to LEARN how to dance!  Montague Common Hall, set 4

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Louise Mosrie

 

“Louise Mosrie may well be the brightest young folk-oriented artist to emerge from Nashville in many a year” - Rich Warren

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"Mosrie’s compositions are thoughtful, refined creations. Given repeated listening, they will penetrate your consciousness. Spend your time thus, you’ll also be hooked.” - AW  Porch, set 6

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Myrtle St. Klezmer

 

Led by clarinetist, Jason Ditzian, Myrtle Street Klezmer is an ecstatic exploration into the past, present & future of klezmer music.  Porch, set 5

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Nectar

 

Nectar is an intimate quartet weaving together music of the Americas using bass, hand drums, guitar and vocals. Their styles include, but are not limited to latin jazz, bossa nova and samba, bomba, and interpretations of modern jazz and pop standards in a latin style.  Pergola, set 2

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North St. Collective

 

North St. Collective fuses jazz, funk, groove, and hip-hop into a smooth concoction that's brimming with surprises and improvisation. Imagine Monk mashed up with Medeski-Martin-Wood, freedom jazz dance mixed up with footprints, Booker-T vibes with the Greyboy All-stars, and maybe even a touch of Q-Tip and Dr Dre.  Ben Woodard on basses and vocals, Ben Letcher on drums, Ron Geida on guitar, Patrick Garland on keys, and Loren Feinstein on saxes. Porch, set 4

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Stephen Katz

 

Stephen Katz sings and plays mostly original compositions on cello. His groove-driven music is made possible by a strumming approach he calls “Flying Pizzicato.” The results are contrapuntal, multi-voiced textures that have been described as appearing both easy and impossible at the same time.  First Congregational Church, set 6

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Michael Nix & Gloria Matlock (with the children of Twice as Smart)

 

Michael Nix performs on Banjar, classical guitar, banjo, lute, and mandolin, throughout the United States and Asia; has recorded for the PBS series "American Experience", several independent documentaries, numerous CD projects; and his compositions are performed internationally. His music has been heard "Weekend Edition", and other NPR programs.

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Michael Nix plays on the seven string Banjar, an instrument he has designed, which combines elements of the classical five string banjo and the classical guitar. The Banjar's seven high tension nylon strings sound somewhat like a cross between the banjo and guitar or lute. Nix combines lyrical expression with an insatiable musical curiosity to forge an intriguing performance style incorporating various styles and textures drawn from classical guitar and banjo, jazz, blues, folk. His repertoire includes original compositions, jazz, ragtime, Irish and folk music, Renaissance and Baroque lute dances, and pieces from the classical banjo and classical guitar canon.  Pergola, set 4

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Renaissance Jukebox

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Renaissance Jukebox will perform 17th-century lute songs in juxtaposition with modern songs from multiple singer- songwriter genres.  Think of Elizabethan and Jacobean courtly composers finding common ground with Jason Isbell, Phoebe Bridgers, The Everly Brothers, Cat Stevens, Sandy Denny, and Hozier.  The result is a lively and varied program full of wit and emotional resonance. Members are: Donnie Cotter (voice), Meg Pash (lute, voice, viol), Chris Stetson (lute, mandolin), McKay Perry (violin) and Liam Birkerts (bass viol).   First Congregational Church, set 5

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Victor Signore & Nat Baldwin

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Victor Signore (saxophones) and Nat Baldwin (double bass) have been collaborating for the past year as a duo, developing a dynamic language across a range of stylistic tendencies within the context of free improvisation.   Barn, set 5

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Vimana

 

Vimana is an instrumental jazz-rock trio that plays original compositions that weave tight grooves with improvisational passages in a way that reflect this historical era we are experiencing together. They are: Brian Rodrigues, bass; Bruce Todd, drums; Leo Hwang, guitar.  Porch, set 2

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Nate Watson

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Nate Watson's friends told him not to use the phrase "Budget Suitcase Junket" in his bio, but they didn't offer a more accurate alternative. Somewhere between the styles of Iron & Wine and your dad's favorite classics, the songs from his sophomore album Valley We Became People pay tribute to his home and the friends he made there.  Pergola, set 1

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The Rebeccas & Friends  

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Rebecca and Becky will be leading the contradance band and instruction. 

 

Rebecca Rose Weiss has played for contra dances around the country and recorded on a variety of albums.  She eagerly learns from elder musicians about community music and the old days and tunes, notably as mentee of David Kaynor, legendary New England dance caller and musician.  

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Becky Hollingsworth’s first encounter with a piano was in an unused, unheated room in her grandparents’ farmhouse, where she would attempt to plunk out tunes on an old upright, undeterred by missing key tops, stuck keys, and keys that didn’t sound at all.  A quarter-century or so later, she discovered the exhilaration of contra dancing, which re-introduced her to the joys of banging on a piano, particularly when someone else is doing the hard work of playing the melody.  

Montague Common Hall, pre-fest (11:30)

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Zay-Tunes

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Zay-Tunes is a group of local musicians who get together to perform traditional and popular songs of the Arabic people.  They are Bob Davis, oud; Nazira Bashour, vocals; Amanda Turk, percussion; Sharon Arslanian, ney; Amy Cullen, violin; Joe Blumenthal, bass.   Montague Common Hall, set 3

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