We’re just a week and a day away from the debut of Celtic Fiddle Festival at Caltech with the Pasadena Folk Music Society in a rare FRIDAY show on February 13 at 8:00 p.m. in Beckman Institute Auditorium (Little Beckman) on the Caltech campus. This supergroup of three amazing fiddlers and one incredible guitarist is sure to present a hugely satisfying evening of both high energy and sweet, gorgeous music. The Irish Times wrote, “Mesmerizing…Celtic Fiddle Festival ratchets up the temperature as they ricochet from magnificent Québecois tunes to Breton marches to the Irish tradition.” Listen and watch the fun they had less than a year ago in Fairfield, Iowa with Music for a Found Harmonium.
During Celtic Fiddle Festival shows, in addition to the wonderful group tunes, the audience always gets a chance to hear each of the four members do a solo, or out-front selection. You can see and hear examples of their solo virtuosity in the following YouTube clips. Kevin does a medley of what he calls, “miserable jigs” (not the delight and sprite we associate with jigs, but nevertheless intensely gratifying). See and hear the amazing footwork, not to mention the terrific fiddling, of Andre’ Brunet, with a little help on guitar, on a collection of tunes. Get a sampling of Christian Lemaitre’s beautifully expressive playing (following a one minute introduction in French!) on Feuntenn ar gwazek . Finally, hear the wonderful guitar work of Nicolas Quemener on a medley of pieces, beginning with an original tune, followed by a Scottish tune. You’re are in for some incredible music if you come to this show!
Tickets for this show are selling very well, so the word is out. They are $20 for adults and $5 for Caltech students and children, and can be obtained by calling the Caltech Ticket Office at (626) 395-4652 Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You can also order online until Wednesday, February 11. We’ll let you know where we are on tickets next week, but we may not have a lot to sell on the night of the concert, and you should plan to come early if you want to buy tickets at the door.
Our next show features Socks in the Frying Pan, a young Irish group, consisting of two brothers, Shane and Fiachra Hayes, on accordion and fiddle/banjo accompanied by Aodán Coyne on guitar and vocals, on Saturday, February 28. We’re very excited about being part of their first U.S. tour. Hear them sing the song Bonny Light Horseman at Whelan’s in Dublin…fine singing indeed! Find out more about them on their website. You might want to buy tickets for both shows at the same time (same ticket price as Celtic Fiddle Festival), and save a few bucks on handling if you order on the phone. You can also buy tickets online .
Roz Larman of Folk Scene (KPFK, 90.7 FM) is still recovering from from medical problems, but the show aired a wonderful tape of Howard Larman interviewing and hosting the music of the late bluegrass/old time wonderman, John Hartford. You can hear it on the KPFK archives for another week (look for the Sunday, February 1st 6:00-8:00 p.m. time slot). You’ll hear John talk about his music and sing some of his songs, such as “Tall Buildings.” If you are unfamiliar with John Hartford, master of fiddle, banjo, guitar, and more, you can see and hear him do this song on YouTube to get an idea of what he does. If you like the Folk Scene show, consider supporting them during the fund drive 6:00- 8:00 PM on Sunday night to help keep it on the air.
Also during KPFK’s fund drive, Uncle Ruthie, who has had a children’s show, Halfway Down the Stairs, for people of ALL ages on Saturday mornings will be reading from her memoir, Fifty-Five Years and Holding, about her 55 years at the station. If you haven’t heard her show, you’ve been missing a lot of wonderful stories and, yes, some great folk music. Listen in between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. Saturday, February 7 for this very special show. You may want to call in and support this show as well. If you miss it on the radio, you should be able to hear it on the KPFK archives as well.
Finally, next week, on February 12, the Conscientious Projector film series will feature a free screening of Free the Mind, a film about the restorative and healing powers of meditation, yoga, and mindfulness in the treatment of childhood trauma, ADHD and PTSD. The film will be shown shown at 7:00 p.m. at the Armory Center for the Arts, 145 N. Raymond Avenue in Old Pasadena, a block from the Memorial Park Gold Line station. See the Conscientious Projector website for more information.