Live Sound 101 at the Earlville Opera House

Not sure how all those wires connect to a soundboard, or the difference between an amp or pre- amp?  Or now that you’ve got a system together, do you know how you can fight feedback with EQ and mic placement?  Instructor Steve Blais will teach the basics of setting up, sound checking, and mixing for live musical performances – and you’ll have lots of hands-on experience! This Saturday, August 3 from noon to 3pm

“Back in the day” Steven Blais was songwriter/rhythm guitarist/vocalist for Ithaca funk-punk-reggae-rockabilly band Identity Crisis. These days, having caught Cajun accordion fever and being surrounded by great traditional and acoustic music, Steven is currently accordionist and vocalist for the Tumbleweed Gumbo Band. Somewhere along in there he picked up some acoustical theory through his architectural practice.

Steve Blais takes a break from mixing sound at a Hamilton Arts in the Park concert.

Ever since being recruited as “sound guy” for the Earlville Opera House in 2003, he has had to quit whining about other people’s sound jobs and put up or shut up on his own! He has successfully set up and mixed for such diverse acts as Byrds leader Roger McGuinn, Texas new wave polka maniacs Brave Combo, Irish-American vocalist Cathie Ryan, jazz songwriter and piano legend Mose Allison, and Cajun band the Lost Bayou Ramblers. Steven has also done some outdoor work with PCD’s Music Mix and the Hamilton Village Series.

Thirty years of listening to a huge range of music in juke joints, at outdoor festivals, and in fine concert halls; combined with his own recent, intensive, and successful learning curve, make Steven an ideal person to show you the basics with the Earlville Opera House as a learning laboratory!

Basics of live sound reinforcement with affordable equipment, hands on. Learn:

• What components make up a sound system
• How to connect the components
• How to mic or hook up acoustic instruments, electric instruments, voices and drums
• Mic selection and placement
• How to avoid feedback most of the time
• Advancing shows and musician diplomacy

Tuition just $25, no equipment needed.

Please call 315-691-3550 or e-mail email the office to sign up. Two people are signed up so far.

Moving Mountains with Folk Star Dar Williams at EOH

Hendrik Hertzberg of the The New Yorker has described Williams as “one of America’s very best singer-songwriters.”

“When people come together and sing, mountains can be moved.” Folk-star Dar Williams carries on folk in the tradition of moving mountains at the Earlville Opera House on Saturday, August 3^rd at 8 pm.  Dar Williams will be performing as a duo with her keyboardist.  WSKG generously sponsors the performance.

“Today, Dar Williams is the torchbearer for a set of musical sensibilities that have deep roots in America’s history of dissent-from the abolition songs of the 19th century and the labor anthems of the early and mid-20th to the folk revival of the 1960s. Williams’ songs have the feeling of an exhilarant and intellectual coffee shop conversation among friends.” (Madeline Ostrander, YES! Magazine)

“Williams claims to draw much inspiration from her home community. Her love of the folk scene stems from her admiration of its integrity toward honesty and real emotion, and a creative freedom not found in more popular music genres. She loves trying to use traditional methods to express the realities and foibles of contemporary life.” (Sandra Brennan, Allmusic.com)

Her performance at the Earlville Opera House promises interesting conversation as well. “Perhaps even more than her insightful, poetic lyrics and melodic vocals, Dar is well-known for her between-song banter. On this night, her commentary covered everything from wondering aloud about the American attachment to fashion and gentrification, to her Kathie Lee Gifford impression and witty commentary.” (Kim Ruehl, About.com Guide – Folk Music)

Williams made her proper debut in 1993 with the independent Honesty Room to considerable critical acclaim for both her beautiful soprano voice and her lovely, intriguing songs. The following year she signed to Razor & Tie Records, where she has published 11 more CDs to date

Join Dar Williams for an evening of music, intelligence and inspiration on Saturday, August 3rd! Admission is $27 and $25 for EOH members and students are discounted to $22. Premium seating in the first 4 rows is an added $5. The EOH Theater is wheelchair-accessible with a ramp and a lift.

During your visit, take advantage of the exhibits in the three EOH Art Galleries, the Artisan’s Gift Shop featuring New York artists and the EOH Arts Café! Delicious refreshments will be available before the show and during intermission, including hot and cold drinks. For more information, or to reserve your seats, call 315-691-3550 or order online atwww.earlvilleoperahouse.com. The Opera House is located at 18 East Main Street, in Earlville, NY.

EOH events are made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and through the generosity of EOH members.

SAMPLE TUNES from Dar Williams:

I Am the One Who Will Remember Everything

ARE YOU OUT THERE? (on SIRIUS radio)

As Cool As I Am

(“As Cool As I Am” by Dar Williams is a celebration of the strength of women and a powerful response to recent legislative and personal attacks.

“Every state and every party, both men and women have found creative, resilient ways to say YES to a society that values it’s women (including their reproductive systems),” says Dar. “Recently, we needed to underscore this positive force in our country, so here goes!”)

*You may want to check out the interview with Dar Williams: http://bit.ly/136Duo7 Madeline Ostrander, YES! Magazine – very well written!

Country Music Star Suzy Bogguss at EOH

Suzy Bogguss fronts her band with her amazing vocals at the Earlville Opera House this Saturday, July 27th at 8pm. The evening promises to be exceptional in the almost perfect acoustics of the historic hall.

The historic Earlville Opera House welcomes country music star, Suzy Bogguss to its main stage on Saturday, July 27^th at 8 pm.  Susan Kay “Suzy” Bogguss has earned multiple awards for her amazing voice.  In the 1980s and 90s, Suzy Bogguss released one platinum and three gold albums and charted six top ten singles, winning the Academy of Country Music’s award for Top New Female Vocalist and the Country Music Association’s Horizon Award.  She started her own record label.  Most recently she’s released American Folk Songbook.  The performance is generously sponsored by the Syracuse New Times

Hit songs like “Aces,” “Drive South,” “Someday Soon,” “Outbound Plane” and “Letting Go“ (link to songs) took Bogguss to the top of the country music charts. Along the way she won raves from critics and peers including winning a GRAMMY in 2005 for Traditional Folk Album, the Country Music Association’s Horizon Award in 1992 and CMA Album of the Year Award in 1994.

Her most recent work has received excellent reviews with Pop Matters weighing in that the American Folk Songbook is a “warm and beautiful record; highly recommended.” Daryl Addison in his GAC Album review described the project’s significance:  “On her 13th studio album, American Folk Songbook, Grammy and CMA-award winning singer Suzy Bogguss takes a journey into the vaults of American music. With a pristine voice that is both technically savvy and emotionally charged, Suzy works with stripped down arrangements to add a modern touch to classic Americana.

“Stemming from the idea that American heritage music was being lost on today’s children, Suzy set her mind to capturing traditional folk, bluegrass and Americana songs for a new generation…American Folk Songbook is an enthralling 17-song collection that succeeds in preserving many pieces of our storied musical history.”

Suzy Bogguss You Tubes

Suzy Bogguss had a revelation on stage with Garrison Keillor in 2008. Everyone loves to sing along on “Red River Valley” – except the children who somehow don’t know the song. Folk songs are the scrapbook of the American experience, but as music education fades from our public schools, she worried; these beautiful melodies are in danger of being overlooked. She resolved to record these timeless songs in an updated but reverent way – so that everyone can sing along on “Red River Valley.” The project turned into The American Folk Songbook!

Don’t miss the angelic vocals of Suzy Bogguss at the Earlville Opera House that she delivers “with a burning intensity” on Saturday, July 27^th!  Admission is $30 and $27 for EOH members and students are discounted to $25.  Premium seating in the first 4 rows is an added $5. The EOH Theater is wheelchair-accessible with a ramp and a lift.  During your visit, take advantage of the exhibits in the three EOH Art Galleries, the Artisan’s Gift Shop featuring New York artists and the EOH Arts Café!  Delicious refreshments will be available before the show and during intermission, including hot and cold drinks.

For more information, or to reserve your seats, call 315-691-3550 or order online at www.earlvilleoperahouse.com.  The Opera House is located at 18 East Main Street, in Earlville, NY.

EOH events are made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and through the generosity of EOH members.

Guy Davis: Turn a Kid on to the Blues!

Turn a kid on to the blues…Guy Davis is a master!

Schools out!  Time for fun!  The Earlville Awesome House presents Guy Davis, a blues man who’s ready to enlighten young people with the vibrant storytelling kind-of-music that’s deeply rooted in American culture with two free Earlville Awesome House events on Friday, July 26^th at 11 am and 7pm.  The Colgate Inn generously sponsors Guy Davis.

Guy Davis is a musician, composer, director, actor and writer – but most importantly Guy Davis is a blues man. He is a fabulous artist to introduce your family to the blues!  Over the years, Guy has been nominated for nine W.C. Handy awards including ‘Best Traditional Blues Album,’ ‘Best Blues Song,’ and ‘Best Acoustic Blues Artist.’ In 2004 NPR chose his album, Legacy, as one of the Best CDs of the Year.

“Like the best early blues men, Guy Davis is, at heart, a storyteller. A master at setting intimate, richly nuanced tales to stomping acoustic blues backing, often with folky accompaniment from mandolin, banjo, and accordion, he helped revitalize the state of country blues in the 1990s with a string of critically acclaimed albums for Red House Records.” –Blues Revue

Dedicated to reviving the long tradition of acoustic blues, Guy blends his knowledge of the great blues masters and African American Stories into his original songs. “His sound is so deeply drenched in lost black traditions that you feel his songs must predate him. But no, they don’t. He created them.” The Village Voice

Guy Davis grew up hearing stories about the South from his parents and grandparents, which became the material for his songs and stories later in life. Many may remember his famous parents, actors Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee.  Don’t miss these family style performances with this master of the blues! The 11 am and 7pm performances are Free Earlville Awesome House events for youth and families and a fun way to introduce them to the blues! 

Like the best early blues men, Guy Davis is, at heart, a storyteller….

“Like the best early bluesmen, Guy Davis is, at heart, a storyteller. A master at setting intimate, richly nuanced tales to stomping acoustic blues backing, often with folky accompaniment from mandolin, banjo, and accordion, he helped revitalize the state of country blues in the 1990s with a string of critically acclaimed albums for Red House Records.” –Blues Revue

Dedicated to reviving the long tradition of acoustic blues, Guy blends his knowledge of the great blues masters and African American Stories into his original songs. “His sound is so deeply drenched in lost black traditions that you feel his songs must predate him. But no, they don’t. He created them.” The Village Voice

Take a listen!

Rolling in my Sweet Baby’s Arms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poPRsV8jOWE

The Chocolate Man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl6TSiHJUbI

Railroad Story http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdtXiTFC-e4

Candy Man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WThLyWt9QJw

Sweetheart Like You http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwfkn6sQWRo

Over the years, Guy has been nominated for nine W.C. Handy awards including ‘Best Traditional Blues Album,’ ‘Best Blues Song,’ and ‘Best Acoustic Blues Artist.’ In 2004 NPR chose his album, Legacy, as one of the Best CDs of the Year.

Don’t miss an evening with this master of the blues! A Free Earlville Awesome House event for youth and families to introduce them to the blues!

The morning performance is about 50 minutes and will be done in time for lunch or a picnic.

The evening performance is two 45 sets with an intermission (really young children can come to the first set and still be home by bedtime).  Don’t forget to visit the East and West Galleries and our Arts Café! The café is always open before the performance and during intermission, and serves delicious desserts, refreshing summer drink classics, as well as hot coffee/tea.

Children who come a half hour early to either of these shows can get a press pass and become a Roving Reporter for after the show.  Before the show, they get a chance to talk to a real reporter to find out what it’s really like. The EOH Theater is wheelchair-accessible with a ramp and a lift.  For more information, or to reserve your seats, call 315-691-3550. Please let us know the number of youth/adults in your party and your county of residence when you place your ticket order.

HOW TO GET YOUR TICKETS:  These free events are ticketed so please reserve ahead.  Any unreserved tickets will be available at the door. For more information, or to reserve your seats, call 315-691-3550 or email the office. Please let us know the number of youth/adults in your party and your county of residence when you place your ticket order.

This performance is supported in part by a grant though the NYS Office of Children and Family Services through the Madison County Youth Bureau.

EOH events are made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and through the generosity of EOH members.

The Maybelles at Hamilton Arts in the Park

More about Jan Bell and the Maybelles from this reviewer ” A seamless album of true beauty. To argue over whether this sort of music is country or folk is to miss the point: these haunting acoustic arrangements may be new, but they call to a time before the distinction made sense, when all the world was folkways, and they evoke the best of that history.” Cover Lay Down

The Hamilton Concerts in the Park continue this Thursday, July 25^th at 7 pm with the Americana sounds of The Maybelles!  Opening at 6:30 pm is our featured youth artist and Indie songstress, Lauren Mettler originally from Sherburne, NY.  The evening will feature sign language interpretation by Aurora of Central New York.

The MAYBELLES are a harmony driven band based in Brooklyn and comprised of guitar, fiddle and upright bass. JAN BELL fronts the band and writes much of their music.  She hails from coal mining country in Yorkshire, England. She came to NYC as a student teacher; fell in love with the folk festival realm and life on the American road. Today, she teaches songwriting classes at Jalopy Theater, Brooklyn, NY and has won several Awards in that sphere. Bell’s music mines the Appalachian/Celtic/Old time country sound.  Festival highlights include Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival NY; The International Bluegrass Music Awards (IBMA); and the Ozark Folk Festival (AR).  The 12th Annual Independent Music Awards announces her CD ‘Dream of the Miner’s Child’ is a nominee for BEST CONCEPT ALBUM.  More about the Maybelles at http://janbellmusic.com/the_maybelles.html

Hear the Maybelles’ on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YochaFgWZAY

Indie Songstress Lauren Mettler opens the evening at 6:30 pm! Hamilton Village green on NYS Route 12B (if rain, Barge Canal Coffee House on Lebanon St a block away)

LAUREN METTLER’S voice, nuanced and beguiling, captivates her listeners as she leads them through epic romantic ballads, comedic anecdotes, and poignant anthems. A versatile indie songstress, her repertoire displays shades of the blues, world music, and is sprinkled with sweet little ditties reminiscent of favorite jazz classics.  More about Lauren: http://laurenmettler.bandcamp.com/

Hear Lauren on You Tube On My Knees

Hear Lauren on You Tube Sacred Ground

The Hamilton Concerts in the Park will continue on August 1^st with Woodshed Prophets with Country-rock or “Power Twang” with Anna Judge of Oneida opening at 6:30 pm, Tom Townsley and the Back Sliders will bring the blues on August 8^th with Mikey Dufresne of Utica opening at 6:30 pm. On August 15th, Cincinnati Creek shares a deep tradition of bluegrass music with Liz Friedel opening the evening with a Fiddle Styles: From Louisiana to Nova Scotia workshop.  Steve Blais’ll accompany her on accordion.

The Hamilton Village Music Series runs every Thursday until August 15^th. The concerts in the series begin at 6:30 pm on the Hamilton Village Green. Rain Location is the Barge Canal Coffee House. No tickets necessary for this free event. Bring a blanket or lawn chair!

Hamilton Arts in the Park is presented by the Village of Hamilton and co-presented by the Earlville Opera House. The Village of Hamilton is grateful for funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by CNY Arts.  For more in depth information about the artists or the Village Series visit our event calendar on the EOH website at www.earlvilleoperahouse.com or call us at (315) 691- 3550.

Notes on awards for the Maybelles:

*Independent Music Awards WINNER Alt. Country Album of the year 2008. People’s Choice Award

Other notes:

***Sign Language Interpreter – Contact Maggie Russell of Aurora of Central New York in Syracuse, NY.  The Hamilton Arts series has history of maintaining outreach to deaf audiences for two performances a year. See more about Aurora’s services at http://www.auroraofcny.org

*Lyrics will be available to accompany sign language interpretation for the Maybelles.

Kim Simmonds on Canvas: Legendary Guitarist to Show Paintings

“Painting is a lot like playing guitar solos,” said Kim. “For me, it has to be full of emotion so that you can communicate something of your feelings, through your motif, to the onlooker.

Kim Simmonds is primarily known as one of the architects of the 1960s’ British Blues music explosion and one of the greatest guitar players of all time.  Less known is the fact that Simmonds also paints, a medium that allows him to combine his deep knowledge of and love for guitars with the challenge of expressing those qualities in a way other than through music.  His solo album “Out of the Blue,” released in August 2008, features one of his first guitar paintings on the cover.

Although his focus has been on guitars, he also paints abstracts, still life, and landscapes.   “Painting is a lot like playing guitar solos,” said Kim.  “For me, it has to be full of emotion so that you can communicate something of your feelings, through your motif, to the onlooker.  I also enjoy the challenges painting brings and the fact that you will never reach the point where you think you know it all.”

Born in Newbridge, Wales, in 1947, his family moved to London when Simmonds was 10.  As a guitar prodigy, he found immediate success as a professional musician at the age of 17.  The rest, as they say, is history.  He now spends his time performing on the road, and when at home he paints daily.  Completely self taught as both a musician and a painter, Simmonds uses his imagination and what he knows intimately as muses.  His work is emotional and entertaining, and richly satisfying over time.

Simmonds uses brushes and a palette knife to apply paint to canvas as well as anything else on hand – paper towels, rags, etc.  He paints quickly, driven by emotion rather than technique, striving for a finished work that is pleasing, playful, and unpretentious.  “To this point I have painted for myself and as an emotional outlet …  Of course, my biggest inspiration is the fact that I will be dead in thirty years; time is short.”

Kim Simmonds organizes his paintings to show at the Earlville Opera House!

Simmonds’ paintings will be on exhibit in the Arts Café Gallery from July 20 to September 21.  A “meet the artist” reception will be held on Saturday, July 20, at 6:30 pm, after which Simmonds and Savoy Brown will perform in the main theater at 8 pm.  Tickets to the performance are on sale at www.earlvilleoperahouse.com.

EOH is located at 18 East Main Street in Earlville.  Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday, 10 am – 5 pm and Saturdays 12-3 pm.  For more information, call 315-691-3550.

Kim Simmonds has generously donated a painting in support of the EOH Galleries.  To purchase a raffle ticket, please contact EOH: 315-691-3550 or email the office.  Raffle tickets are $5 each, 3 for $10 and 7 for $20.

Kim Simmonds: “Blue Guitar”
Acrylic on canvas
30″ x 40″

From Washington State to New Jersey: Fabulous Art Quilts

Beginning on Saturday, July 13, the Earlville Opera House Arts Center will open its galleries with the amazing fiber art of six nationally- and internationally-exhibited, award-winning quilters:  Erika Carter (Renton, WA), Kevan Lunney (East Brunswick, NJ), K. Velis Turan (Earlton, NY), Pat Pauly (Rochester, NY), Marcia Eygabroat (Canandaigua, NY), and Erin Wilson (Brooklyn, NY).  All six women are multi-talented with diverse backgrounds from dance to fashion design. 

See the amazing work of six contemporary quilt artists exploring the cutting edge of quilt art.

Carter has authored a book on quilting art and has shown her work in Sweden, Germany, Japan, Iceland, and Peru.  At age 9, Lunney first began sewing and by high school she was making all her own clothes.  Her quilts have been exhibited in France, Africa, and Russia.  Velis Turan’s quilts involve silk screening, fabric painting, and photo transfers.  Pauly teaches workshops and is a frequent consultant for designing and curating textile exhibitions throughout the US.  Eygabroat uses digital photography and fabric “puzzle pieces” to create architectural details rarely seen in fabric.  Wilson earned a BFA at Juilliard, performed for 8 years, and then turned to fabric.  She now exhibits her quilts nationally (with an upcoming show in Japan this November) and does extensive custom sewing for the interior design industry.

Erika Carter is an award-winning art quilter whose evocative wall quilts have been exhibited throughout the United States and in Sweden, Germany, and Japan.

This beautiful contemporary quilt artwork will be on exhibit at EOH from July 13 through August 3 in the East Gallery with the Celebration of Regional Quilts Show that runs the same dates featuring the wealth of quilt talent in central New York in the West Gallery.

A community reception for the Quilts is on Saturday, July 20, will be held from 12 – 3 pm, with ICE CREAM (as long as it lasts) and KidsART Activities as part of Earlville Community Days – here is a full schedule of Earlville Days Events. 

At the Opera House, we are making this gallery reception fun for the whole family!  KidsART Activities during the reception at the EOH will include the Special Effects Make Up workshop from 12:30-1:30 (please sign up – maximum 10):  Learn how to become your favorite animal! Learn TV and Movie character basics: tiger, butterfly, cat dog, snake, Spiderman, Skull, Flowers & more.

Then from 1:30 to 3pm Face painting designs! KIds choose from designs/ painted by Make Up Artist Caleigh Tuttle. (Just come in – no need to sign up)

Both are free events at the Earlville Awesome House for 7/20 Earlville Community Days as part of the 7/20 Quilt Art Openings from 12-3pm.

The EOH galleries are located at 18 East Main Street in Earlville, and gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday (10 am – 5 pm) and Saturdays (Noon – 3 pm).  For more information, call 315-691-3550 or go online at www.earlvilleoperahouse.com.  

Workshop for Kids at EOH: Galumpha Gang

T Galumpha is teaching a brand new workshop at the Earlville Opera House!

Combining stunning acrobatics, striking visual effects, physical comedy and inventive choreography, Galumpha brings to life a world of imagination, beauty, muscle and merriment at the Earlville Opera House!

See them in a free sneak preview on the Village Green in Hamilton this Thursday, July 18 at 7pm!  (If rain , they will perform at the Palace Theater on 22 Utica St.)

The three performers create a sensory feast of images ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime, drawn together into a seamless whole, consistently bringing audiences to their feet. Galumpha is a triumphant mix of art and entertainment, offering world-class, award winning choreography.

The Galumpha Gang is a new workshop for Kids from August 5 to August 9. The Galumpha Gang will open the upcoming performance of Galumpha on August 9 at 7pm.

For the first time ever, EOH is excited to offer a Galumpha Gang workshop – a week long intensive session in acrobatic dance, collaborative choreography and more!. Three teaching artists will be working with students combining poetry, music, tumbling, acrobatics, and interpretive dance in a program called Galumpha Gang.  Students will plan, practice, and perform a program combining exercise and arts.  The students write poetry, translate it into body language, and then choreograph and memorize a routine to be performed on the last day of the workshop.  They will also help design and create their own costumes.

This weeklong intensive workshop will run from Monday, August 5, through Friday, August 9.  Sessions are from 9am to 3 pm Monday-Thursday, and 2-6 pm on Friday, with a full performance at 7 pm on Friday.  Registration is limited to 20 students. Tuition is $255 ($230 for EOH members); Early Birds save $25 if you register by July 20 at 5 pm.  Designed for ages 7 -13. Limited tuition scholarships available, you must call 315-691-3550 for info, here’s a link to a request form.  Galumpha Gang workshop registrations are accepted through Friday, August 2.

Formed in 2002 by Andy Horowitz and Greg O’Brien, Galumpha delivers a fast-paced, athletic brand of movement, distinctive for its ingenuity.  Galumpha performances have been seen The Late Show with David Letterman, TNN,  MTV, Showtime, A & E, Just for Laughs in Montreal, and by over one billion television viewers around the globe. They are soon to embark on their first tour of China.

Galumpha brings a full performance for youth and families on Friday, August 9th at 7pm. Tickets will be $10, $8 members and $5 for youth and students.

Registration forms can be found on the EOH website under Art Events and Performances/Arts Education Events (www.earlvilleoperahouse.com).  For more information, call 315-691-3550.

Galumpha is part of the New York State Presenters Network Presenter-Artist Partnership Project with support from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

Savoy Brown Fighting the Blues with the Blues at EOH

Savoy Brown plays the blues at the historic Earlville Opera House!

In tough times, the Blues have continually been a national resource for fighting our troubles with creativity, humor and good times.  One band that is fighting the blues with the blues this summer is Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown, when they return to the historic Opera House main stage on Saturday, July 20^th at 8 pm.  

Kim Simmonds, founder of the legendary British Blues band, Savoy Brown, ranks among the all-time greatest guitar players.  This special show will feature the band with stand up bass instead of electric to bring that fantastic sound into the incredible acoustics of the 1892 hall!  Kim Simmonds & Savoy Brown is generously sponsored by WAER-FM.

“One of the earliest of British blues bands, Savoy Brown, with founder guitarist Kim Simmonds at the helm, helped launch the 1967 UK blues boom movement that brought blues music back to the USA invigorating the style forever. In the process, the band became part of the framework that launched the rock and roll music of the 1970’s. Their influence now stretches into modern rock as we know it today.”

Kim Simmonds has had a life long love affair with the guitar. (painting by Simmonds)

The multi-talented Kim Simmonds is a painter and will also exhibit his paintings at the Earlville Opera House Arts Café Gallery in “Kim Simmonds on Canvas” from July 20 to September 21.  Simmonds: “Painting is another way for me to improvise…another way for me to channel my artistic energy other than through the guitar.”  A Meet and Greet with Kim Simmonds will be from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm on the evening of the performance.  Simmonds is donating a painting to be raffled in support of the EOH Galleries.

Fight the blues this summer with a rocking good time with Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown on Saturday, July 20^th!  Admission is $25 and $23 for EOH members and students are discounted to $20.  Premium seating in the first 4 rows is an added $5. The EOH Theater is wheelchair-accessible with a ramp and a lift.  During your visit, take advantage of the exhibits in the three EOH Art Galleries, the Artisan’s Gift Shop featuring New York artists and the EOH Arts Café!  Delicious refreshments will be available before the show and during intermission, including hot and cold drinks.  For more information, or to reserve your seats, call 315-691-3550 or order online at www.earlvilleoperahouse.com.  The Opera House is located at 18 East Main Street, in Earlville, NY.

EOH events are made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and through the generosity of EOH members.

Jesse Lege and Joel Savoy – Fiery, Cajun Music

Kelli Jones Savoy joins Jesse Lege and Joel Savoy, putting the Country back in Cajun music…digging into the deep roots of the genre to find beautiful, rare songs, and the rousing dance hall sound of the honky-tonks of Louisiana and East Texas.

The Earlville Opera House main stage presents the fiery, soulful Cajun music of Jesse Lege and Joel Savoy on Friday, July 19 at 8 pm.  The penetrating soulful singing of Jesse Lege and his fiery accordion is matched by the poetry of Joel Savoy’s fiddling. They are a combustible combination.  Kelli Jones-Savoy joins them with equally compelling vocals, fiddle and guitar.

Fiddler Joel Savoy has been a driving force in the Cajun renaissance of the new millennium. Founder of the multi-GRAMMY-nominated label Valcour Records and the acclaimed Red Stick Ramblers, Savoy is equally at home playing the old twin-fiddling of Cajun masters like Dennis McGee, as he is playing swing or honky tonk.

Kelli Jones-Savoy is the lovely and highly talented wife of Joel Savoy and daughter of Carl Jones. She combines old time and Cajun fiddle with extensive touring, dancing, singing and teaching experience.

Jesse Lége is one of the most admired Cajun accordionists and vocalists from Southwest Louisiana. Beginning with Cajun accordion at age 16, Jesse has been playing traditional Cajun music for over 35 years. He has garnered numerous Cajun French Music Association awards, known as the “Cajun Grammys”: Traditional Band of the Year, Accordion Player of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Band of the Year, and for “Memoires Dans Mon Coeur,” Song of the Year. He was recently inducted into the Cajun Music Hall of Fame, and he’s written songs that have become standards in the traditional repertoire.

“Jessie sings in the traditional high pitched, emotional style reminiscent of the late Iry LeJeune and plays the accordion with equal power and conviction..” -Arhoolie Records

“Lége’s soaring voice resonates with … piercing, yet beautiful heartache . . . [he] possesses one of the truly great voices in contemporary Cajun music. Listeners who do not experience frissons hearing him sing …had better check their pulse.” -LSUE Office of Public Relations

Jesse Lege and Joel Savoy have partnered on a number of projects including Cajun Country Revival “putting the Country back in Cajun music.”  In their debut release, Jesse Lége, Joel Savoy & The Cajun Country Revival dug into the deep roots of Cajun music, looking not only for beautiful, rare songs, but also for a commonality between the rural dance halls of Louisiana and the honky-tonks of East Texas. As Cajuns poured out of the South in the 1930s and 40s looking for work on Gulf Coast oil rigs, Texas honky-tonk became a newfound passion. It’s no coincidence that Hank Williams’ mega-hit “Jambalaya” was based on the Cajun song “Grand Texas,” a sad ballad about leaving a loved one to go to Texas.  Led by elder Cajun musician, Jesse Lege, the Cajun Country Revival also features Cajun fiddle wunderkind Joel Savoy…”

The first release of the project The Right Combination drew this review:  “…these tracks are a reminder of what a powerhouse performer Lége really is, not only in his barreling rides but also in his emotive, gut-wrenching vocals (“Debut Dans La Porte”). He’s a throwback to an era that has long since vanished and probably is the ultimate deciding factor of why this Cajun-country concept works so well. For Cajun and old-time country music aficionados alike, The Right Combination is an instant underground classic.” Driftwood Magazine on WordPress

Fiddler Joel Savoy has been a driving force in the Cajun renaissance of the new millennium. Founder of the multi-GRAMMY-nominated label Valcour Records and the acclaimed Red Stick Ramblers, Savoy is equally at home playing the old twin-fiddling of Cajun masters like Dennis McGee, as he is playing swing or honky tonk.

Savoy has a new project this spring with Honky Tonk Merry-Go-Round …”Musically compelling from first note to last, Honky Tonk Merry-Go-Round is a swinging, upbeat confection that reminds us we can pay our respects to time-honored American roots music while also having one heckuva lot of fun.” Offbeat.com

Don’t miss the red-hot Cajun experience of Jesse Lege and Joel Savoy playing at the Earlville Opera House on Friday, July 19^th. General admission is $18 and $16 for EOH members and students are discounted to $13.  Premium seating in the first 4 rows is an added $5. The EOH Theater is wheelchair-accessible with a ramp and a lift.

During your visit, take advantage of the exhibits in the three EOH Art Galleries, the Artisan’s Gift Shop featuring New York artists and the EOH Arts Café!  Delicious refreshments will be available before the show and during intermission, including hot and cold drinks.  For more information, or to reserve your seats, call 315-691-3550 or order online at www.earlvilleoperahouse.com.  The Opera House is located at 18 East Main Street, in Earlville, NY.

More about these artists

http://www.jesseandjoel.com/JesseandJoel/Home.html artist website

http://www.jesseandjoel.com/JesseandJoel/Music.html music link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAR3PXDTzUA in the Cajun Country Revival features Jesse on accordion and vocals and Joel on fiddle