January 5, 2014: Innovative young instrumental band 4tet
The Woods Hole Folk Music Society's 41st season will continue on Sunday, January 5, 2014 with a performance by the young instrumental band 4tet. The concert takes place at 7:30 PM in Community Hall, 68 Water Street, in Woods Hole. Doors open at 7 PM. Admission is $15 with discounts for members, seniors, youth and children. Community Hall is handicapped accessible; street parking is free after 6 PM. 4tet is a new band made up of four of the most innovative talents on the acoustic music scene, creating new traditional music for five- and ten-string fiddle, guitar, pump organ, piano, and percussive dance. Founding fiddler Brittany Haas of the seminal folk-bluegrass band Crooked Still will be joined by with fiddler Cleek Schrey, guitarist Jordan Tice and step dancer Nic Gareiss. All share an interest in performing traditional music, exploring new compositions, and simultaneously maintaining and critiquing the conventions surrounding folk music today. Following the work of mentors Bruce Molsky, Eleanor Neary, Darol Anger, Mark Schatz and others, 4tet continues the legacy and lineage of traditional music while probing the creative potential of fiddle tunes, traditional song, and percussive dance. Brittany Haas is a fiddler from Northern California who currently lives in Nashville. A Princeton graduate, she is a member of the Boston-based alternative bluegrass band Crooked Still. She has toured internationally with many musicians and groups including Darol Anger's Republic of Strings, Yonder Mountain String Band, banjo legend Tony Trischka, and Scottish fiddlers Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas. She was featured on "The David Letterman Show" and "Saturday Night Live" with Steve Martin's bluegrass band. Her acclaimed solo album, featuring mentors Bruce Molsky and Mike Marshall; she is currently producing a hardanger fiddle collaboration with composer Dan Trueman. Two other active bands contribute to a busy but satisfying musical life for this rising star, described by one reviewer as "a homeless fiddle genius." Cleek Schrey is a fiddler and composer from Virginia, now living in New York City. An exponent of both Celtic and Appalachian string band music and dance, he studied with legendary fiddlers Brendan Mulvihill and Paddy Reynolds, compiling Reynolds' many archival recordings after his death. Mr. Schrey is in demand for a wide array of projects, including a documentary about Irish immigration, a tribute to composer John Cage, and a newly commissioned piece with members of early music groups Sonnambula and Anonymous 4. His 2010 album with fiddler Rhys Jones earned high praise from reviewers, and his band "Bigfoot" took top honors in 2012 at the prestigious Clifftop old time music festival. A member of several bands, he seeks to "combine perspectives in search of new possibilities." Jordan Tice, at 22, has already packed a lot of experience into his soaring career as a guitarist and composer. With family roots in bluegrass, an affinity for classic rock, folk and world music, and intensive jazz and classical studies, his compositions are informed by diverse styles. He has toured the US and Europe with top folk and bluegrass instrumentalists such as Mark Schatz, Frank Wakefield, Darol Anger and Paul Kowert. He has several solo albums and a trio CD on the Patuxent label; his newest release, "Long Story," features compositions that blend bluegrass instruments with wider influences, featuring uniquely creative improvisations. This album was hailed by Bluegrass Unlimited as representing the "hot new string mafia." Step dancer Nic Gareiss calls himself a performer, teacher and researcher examining the human body as a musical instrument. Boston Herald reviewer Daniel Gewertz calls him "the most inventive and expressive step dancer on the scene ... [calling] forth visions of Fred Astaire." His strength and grace coupled with the ability to "play" a melody with his feet are talents that set him apart. He earned an MA in ethnochoreology from the University of Limerick while studying and collaborating with percussive dancers Ira Bernstein, Benoit Bourque, Sandy Silva and Riverdance soloist Colin Dunne. While exploring Irish sean-nós, Cape Breton step, South African gumboot and Spanish Flamenco dance, he kept busy by touring with the Chieftains, Solas, Martin Hayes, Liz Carroll and others. One recent project involved creating percussive dance pieces for the 75th birthday of legendary composer Steve Reich – a "tour de force," says the Irish Times, "with irresistible 'wow' factor." Upcoming performances in Woods Hole include: January 19, Bill Staines; February 16, The Johnson Girls; March 2, Amy Gallatin and Stillwater; March 16, Anne Hills; March 30, Finest Kind; and April 13, The Honey Dewdrops.
The Woods Hole Folk Music Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering enjoyment of folk music in all its forms. Concerts are generally held on the first and third Sunday of each month from October to May. They are made possible by support from its members, season subscribers, volunteers, and performers. More information is available at www.arts-cape.com/whfolkmusic or by calling 508-540-0320.
