March 23, 2007

Each spring the Me&Thee coffeehouse is lucky enough to have Boston Globe folk music columnist Scott Alarik (a musician himself) present one or two of his favorite new folk acts. This year Scott is presenting Jaded Mandolin, a hot teenage band, and a beloved voice of suburban Boston folk, Barbara Kessler.

Me&Thee audiences love these evenings with Scott. Alarik has written about the folk music community for many years. He is the author of an extraordinary collection of articles, Deep Community: Adventures in the Modern Folk Underground. As well as being one of the finest folk music journalists, Alarik has been a singer-songwriter for many years. He was a regular performer on public radio’s “A Prairie Home Companion.” Host Garrison Keillor said of him, “I have rarely seen an audience in such a good mood as when he’s just been there.” Alarik will be celebrating the release of his newest CD, “All That is True,” at this Me&Thee show.

Barbara Kessler

Thanks to Scott, multiple music award winner Barbara Kessler is making a rare appearance on stage. Kessler has been on a self-imposed musical sabbatical to raise her children and tend to all things domestic, including renovating her home in suburban Boston. A Long Island, NY native, Barbara Kessler discovered the Boston music scene in the late ‘80’s while working for the summer on Cape Cod. She took her first originals to Boston-area open mikes, which quickly led to her first bookings. Encouraged by the enthusiastic response and national airplay the songs received, Kessler recorded her first CD, “Stranger to This Land,” and starting playing coffeehouses and colleges around the country.

She recorded her follow-up studio album with Jerry Marotta producing after he heard her band one night in New York. A fan of Marotta’s drumming and percussion with Peter Gabriel (and countless other artists), Kessler jumped at the chance to record her songs with world-class musicians along with her own backing band. The resulting CD, “Notion,” furthered her reputation with critics and audiences and yielded the haunting title track. Her third CD, “Barbara Kessler,” perfectly captures her voice and energy and talent for performance. Kessler’s latest production is a benefit compilation CD featuring singer-songwriter moms called “Hope: Mothers Helping Mothers”that includes Tish Hinojosa, Sara Hickman, Suzzy Roche, Lori McKenna, Eliza Gilkyson, and others.

Alarik has also chosen Jaded Mandolin as his special guests this year. Comprised of talented teens devoted to traditional American folk music and bluegrass originals, this band has tremendous energy, rich vocal harmonies and raging fiddle and mandolin solos. What Jaded Mandolin does is play old time in a brand new way. There’s always an interesting twist. Sean Staples, one of the best Boston area mandolin players says, “Jaded Mandolin brings an infectious youthful energy and enthusiasm to their music, though there is an obvious respect for the history of the songs. Seeing them, I feel like the future of the tradition is in good hands.”

Jaded Mandolin

The quartet formed in March of 2005, and since then the band has been making a name for themselves in the Boston folk scene. Members Eric McDonald, Michael Vitale, Adrian Rigopulos, and Molly Pinto-Madigan play and sing traditional material, as well as original songs, with energy and joy. With a number of songs under their belt, they plunged forward, interpreting bluegrass their own way. The achievements they’ve made already are impressive. Armed with a six song homemade demo, they spread their music all over Massachusetts, playing for whoever they can whenever they can, and have gained a musical maturity few teenagers can boast of. Live, they are both electrifying and soulful, with an impressive repertoire of music that will leave you with a smile on your face and a warm feeling in your heart.

 

 

[Scott Alarik is] the complete folk entertainer. . . a rich-voiced balladeer and songwriter. . . and a droll comic between songs. Daniel Gewertz, The Boston Herald

Barbara Kessler is beloved in Boston with good reason: she writes great literate and original songs that she possesses completely. Sing Out! Magazine

Jaded Mandolin has developed a recognizable musical style of their own in a relatively short time. They do a terrific job of respecting their traditional material without embalming it. P. J. Shapiro