Beppe Gambetta is a guitar virtuoso, and the Italian roots of the word (skill, excellence) are certainly fitting when talking about him. Born in Italy, Gambetta is recognized the world over as a master innovator of the acoustic guitar. As a boy he heard a band playing on a train and became obsessed with the … Continue reading Beppe Gambetta
Jenna Moynahan-fiddle and vocals Six years have slipped by since we had Scotland's Old Blind Dogs in our series. After years of trying, including an aborted show last year when the U.S. State Department delayed their visas and we had to cancel a show, we have arranged the return of this fine Scottish band that … Continue reading Old Blind Dogs
This show, in Beckman Auditorium, is presented by Caltech Public Events with the Pasadena Folk Music Society as a media partner. Mention the Folk Music Society when ordering or purchasing tickets and you will receive a $5 discount on each one (regular prices are $25, $30, $35, $10 for youth). Caladh Nua is a tightly-knit, vibrant band with … Continue reading Caladh Nua
Steve and Cindy have consistently brought us great music in their every-other-year visits. Steve made a big splash very early in his career when he wrote the song "Darcy Farrow" which was recorded by Ian and Sylvia at the height of their time together. The song—so timeless that it is thought by many to be … Continue reading Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen
John is one of the most requested performers for us, and there are a number of reasons. He is a fine songwriter and songfinder, one of the very best! Consider such original songs as Christmas in the Trenches and Water from Another Time, or songs by others, such as the great alternate birthday song, Tina … Continue reading John McCutcheon
We are very proud to present this fine group of musicians exploring the deep roots music of North America. Jayme Stone is a Canadian banjo innovator, known for his bringing together diverse music, be it Bach or from Africa. His range is tremendous and his knowledge of the music insures that it will be an … Continue reading Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project
(Note: This show was originally scheduled for January 16, 2016.) Don't miss this special pairing! This promises to be an exciting evening of fiddle and pipes! One of Cape Breton's most promising young fiddlers, Andrea Beaton comes by her music honestly. Listen to her play, the power of her bow, the drive and swing of … Continue reading Andrea Beaton and Dick Hensold
It has been over four years since Kevin Burke has played at Caltech, and we're honored and delighted to have the return of this fiddler extraordinaire. In a 30-plus year career, Kevin has played with the Bothy Band, Patrick Street, Open House, the Celtic Fiddle Festival, and in many other combinations. As fine as he … Continue reading Kevin Burke
We welcome back Patrick Ball, who has honored our series by appearing 7 times before, with completely different shows and different musical configurations, combining elements of music, storytelling, theater and literature. Patrick is an extraordinary steel string Celtic harpist and an equally talented storyteller. In an article entitled, An Irish Bard Plucks at Heartstrings the … Continue reading Patrick Ball: Celtic Harp and Story
The Pasadena Folk Music Society moves off the Caltech campus for the first time ever to present a special Sunday morning concert featuring the fine voices and guitar work of Eric Uglum and Bud Bierhaus, also known as the Vintage Martins. Eric and Bud impressed us greatly some years back when they performed at one … Continue reading Sunday Morning Bluegrass Gospel in the Garden!
Dan Frechette, guitar/vocals, and Laurel Thomsen, violin/vocals will be making their Caltech debut at this show. We are happy to be presenting this fine duo who we expect you will be hearing much more about in the future. They prove that musical magic is not only possible, but as described by The Monterey Herald, “a … Continue reading Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen
Born in Spain, raised in Chicago and now living in rural England, Sarah refuses to be pigeonholed, segueing easily from one of her emotive originals into a 1930s Cuban jazz number, a 16th century lute piece or an unexpected contemporary cover. Like its predecessors, her fourth solo CD has drawn international critical acclaim: The Musician … Continue reading Sarah McQuaid
Singer/songwriter Rita Hosking, from Northern California, returns for her second appearance at Caltech. She continues to gain attention for her original songs and her personable style. She was winner of Best Country Album (Vox Pop) in the 2010 Independent Music Awards, winner of the '08 Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Contest at the Sisters Folk Festival, … Continue reading Rita Hosking
An inventive guitarist, now living in Salt Lake City, Chris Proctor has 11 fine albums to his credit. Chris is a musical adventurer whose voice is the acoustic six and the twelve string guitars. His music takes listeners through a fascinating world of moods and textures. His influences include traditional American folk, Celtic, blues and … Continue reading Chris Proctor
Witcher, Recupido & Levitt perform a very satisfying country tinged style of bluegrass music. This band evolved from the Witcher Brothers, who were long one of the mainstays of Southern California bluegrass. Appearances became less frequent as two of the Witcher sons struck out on their own, with young fiddler extraordinaire Gabe Witcher moving east … Continue reading Witcher, Recupido & Levitt
Caltech's Public Events presents a sensational evening of joy, hope, laughter, friendship, and celebration, of life through storytelling, music, song and dance in a night that sparkles with life and a bit of "magic!" Musically, they will feature pipes, flutes, fiddles, button accordion and bodhráns and, of course, plenty of singing! The Irish traditional musicians … Continue reading Caltech Public Events presents An Irish Christmas! Receive a $5 discount if you mention the Folk Music Society when ordering tickets! Saturday, December 17 in Beckman Auditorium (Big Beckman) at 8PM
Brad Colerick has been an important factor for the Los Angeles area songwriters and performers. You might be familiar with his music series in South Pasadena, where he presented, performed with, and learned from many other fine songwriters and musicians as his own world view and voice continuted to evolve. His songwriting is personal, his … Continue reading Brad Colerick
We've got a real Southern band, a Louisiana band, coming to Caltech for this show. They are so big in size (6 members), stature, and anticipated audience size that we're moving over to Ramo Auditorium, a short walk beyond our usual digs in Beckman Institute Auditorium. The Revelers consists of most of the members of … Continue reading The Revelers
We're going to fill up our little stage space with this great young band, based in Lochaber in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, an area as much renowned for its scenic beauty as for its rich musical and cultural heritage. Taking their name from the Gaelic word for kinship, Dàimh (pronounced dive) fused together … Continue reading Dàimh, quintet from Scotland, in Beckman Institute Auditorium (Little Beckman)
Michael is hugely known as the songwriter of The Dutchman, a song recorded early on by Steve Goodman and then performed and recorded by all kinds of great singers since then. If you don't know the song by it's name, maybe the line, "Long ago I used to be a young man, and dear Margaret … Continue reading Michael Smith, extraordinary songwriter, singer, guitarist to appear at Caltech Saturday, March 11
