Past Shows
BRAINTREE FOLK ARCHIVES~
March 23, 2019 @ All Souls Coffeehouse
Braintree Folk Presents
Grace Morrison
and
CiCi Eberle, opening performer
Grace Morrison
In a world where we are urged to limit descriptions to hashtags and sound bites it is tempting to describe Grace Morrison as simply: singer-songwriter. But she is so much more. She is pop; she is folk; she is roots; she is country. Hear her music and you’ll be hooked. See her live and you’ll be left wanting more. It has been said that her storytelling “can make you cry; it can make you sing.”
With a career that began as a backup singer for rock icons like Eddie Money and Joey Molland (of the band Badfinger), Grace has become a regular on the national festival and touring circuit. She has won a number of prestigious awards including the Grand Prize of the Eventide Arts Songwriting Competition and the Big Break contest where her music video was played on the season finale of American Idol.
Ci Ci Eberle
CiCi Eberle is a performing songwriter from the Boston area. A guitarist since childhood, CiCi is a passionate songwriter and a multi-year veteran of the Rocky Mountain Song School. Since relocating from Colorado to Boston, CiCi has performed extensively in the regional music scene. CiCi's songs are delivered with a clear, powerful and unmistakable voice. Her songs tap into many musical styles and find the humor in scenes drawn from everyday life. Deeper messages of resilience, personal growth and hope leave the listener with more than just a quick chuckle. In 2016, with the support of many talented local musicians, she released her first full length CD, Color of Sunlight.
October 20, 2018 @ All Souls Coffeehouse
The Bagboys - A Western Swing band that had a regular gig at Somerville's The Burren for many years. They perform an eclectic repertoire from bluegrass to contemporary (Wilco covers) and original songs as well. There will be four performers
Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards - performing with two back-up musicians.
"create music that is both original and evocative of a rich tradition. Blending distinctive voices and a wide range of accompaniment (guitar, harmonica, ukulele, clarinet, penny whistle, electric bass), their songs have been well-received by audiences around the eastern United States and Canada since 2010. Transcending the genre of folk Americana, their music echoes inspiration from traditional folk duos and singer/songwriters like Ian & Sylvia, Kate Wolf and Neil Young combining beautiful harmonies and a lyrical intensity, while establishing a unique sound of their own." -- Nick Noble
Catie Curtis headlines on March 10th. Lindsay Straw opens.
Braintree Folk is delighted to bringCatie Curtis to Braintree with Lindsay Straw to open the show.
Catie Curtis is a seasoned performer who brings heart to her lyrics and music. In addition to being a popular headliner at concerts and festivals, her songs have been featured in films and on television. She has performed at Carnegie Hall and the White House, and has been hailed a "folk rock goddess" by The New Yorker. Lindsay Straw has uncovered a treasure trove of traditional folk music that celebrates feminine triumph and inenuity. Together, they promise to give us an exceptional evening of heart-felt music!
Saturday, November 4th, 2017 @ All Souls Coffeehouse
Cold Chocolate - Eric George opens
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Rupert Wates Trio
Tickets available at Brown Paper Tickets:
Rupert Wates was born in London and studied at Oxford University. He has been a full time songwriter since the late 1990s, when he signed a publishing contract with Eaton Music Limited. His contract required him to write material in all kinds of styles and genres, for all kinds of artists. He worked extensively with Jazz vocalist Liz Fletcher, and wrote the album 'Blue Afternoons' (Mainstem, 2002) specially for her voice. Moving in 2001 to Paris, Wates formed his own quartet and began playing live regularly. In fall 2006 he came to the US. He is now based in New York City and Colorado.
Since coming to the US, Wates has won more than 30 songwriting awards
(www.rupertwatesmusic.com/awards).
His music is an eclectic mix of acoustic, melodic art/folk, with flavors of jazz, vaudeville and cabaret. He has released seven solo CDs. They have been very well reviewed in the online press and tracks from them have been played on radio all over the world. Wates' songs have been recorded by other artists in the UK, Canada and the US. In 2015, Nashville-based performer Roxie Rogers independently released Crazy Puzzle, a CD comprising songs from Wates' back catalog, which might fairly be described as a tribute album to his songwriting. Over 20 recordings featuring Wates's songs by other artists were made in 2016, and more are scheduled for 2017 (full list at www.rupertwatesmusic.com/covers).
Rupert Wates was born in London. He signed an exclusive publishing deal with Eaton Music in the late 1990's and has been a full-time songwriter ever since. He moved to the USA in fall 2006. Since 2007
he has won over 30 songwriting awards. Full bio
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2017 Winter Event ~Saturday, February 4, 2017
The DuPont Brothers
Zack and Sam DuPont are a Burlington, VT based indie-folk-americana duo. Since the start of the band in March of 2013, the brothers have toured heavily throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, South and Mid-West in an independent pursuit to get their songs to as many ears as possible. Their travels have opened doors to festival appearances at SXSW & Grand Point North in addition to performances in support of some of their musical heroes including Bahamas, Blake Mills, Sturgill Simpson, Ben Sollee, Langhorne Slim, Chris Eldridge & Julian Lage and Jerry Douglas to name a few. This past year, they have been working on a new studio album with VT producer, Michael Chorney and a hand picked cast of local musicians. Their sophomore full length and first ever vinyl release, A Riddle For You, was released on June 3rd 2016 and is available on all the digital music hubs. Bass player Rob Moore will perform with the brothers on February 4th.
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" The album marks some of the duo's strongest songwriting to date. And thanks to their shared DNA, harmonies intertwine so effortlessly it's sometimes hard to tell who's voice is who's. The result is an album that chills and soothes in equal measure."
-Dan Bolles, Seven Days VT
"The DuPont Brothers have the gift of being both poets and musicians, a rarity these days. It’s always refreshing to hear sibling duos, because you can sense the true bond felt between them. A Riddle For You has a way of really tugging on your heartstrings, having the quality of sounding familiar while at the same time offering a fresh twist on traditional folk music.
-Amy Lieberman, NYS Music
"Beautiful Music."
-Jason Marck, WBEZ CHI
“ Deeply passionate old souls with a new and refreshing take on contemporary folk-pop music.”
- Fay Aiyana Grant, The Mountaineer
“The debut LP from The DuPont Brothers is so pretty it hurts.”
- Maeri Ferguson, The Horn
“ I usually take my time sorting through the submissions of opening acts because I want the audience to enjoy them as much as they enjoy me. I heard three seconds of one of their songs and said, ‘Them! I want them!’ The future is bright for these two.”
- Jerry Douglas
2016 Fall Event -
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Karen Savoca & Pete Heitzman
Acoustic Guitar magazine calls Heitzman “A true virtuoso of groove, with a sly touch that, combined with Savoca's in-the-pocket drumming and spectacularly soulful vocals, gives the duo the impact of a four-piece band.”The Edmonton Journal says, "There's soul in the delicious grooves and phrasing, and soul in the broader sense that floats out of her lyrical vision." "Promise" reached #25 on the Euro/Americana chart."Embracingly beautiful songs that have a beguiling way of changing and reconfiguring themselves like an aural kaleidoscope." - Duluth News Tribune
Matt Borrello opens ~ Matt is a traveling singer and guitarist with a repertoire of traditional folk, classic rock, and contemporary original songs. Matt’s insightful songwriting often blends political and personal themes and his passionate performances have earned him recognition in New England talent showcases and songwriting contests.
Braintree Folk's Third Season
Matt performs his own songs and also offers energetic interpretations of classic folk, rock, and blues from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s.
He has a not-so-secret fondness for Bob Dylan songs and loves spontaneous collaborations with other musicians.
He is comfortable on coffeehouse stages, and is equally at home playing a rowdy bar, intimate house concert, or outdoor festival.
2016 Spring Event - Saturday, March 26, 2016
Headlining ~ The Honey Dewdrops
&
The Bellowshakes ~ Open with
Tribute to the Late Allen Toussaint
The Honey Dewdrops "...songwriting that strives to honor the simplicity of it's forebears."- UTNE MONTHLY READER
"Their talent is such that it's quite possible that a new band recording in the year 2020 might cite the Honey Dewdrops as a prime influence."- BLUEGRASS UNLIMITED MAGAZINE
“The Dewdrops have something unique and oftimes mesmerizing recommending them in their plaintive harmonies, easygoing rhythms, evocative arrangements, well-crafted original songs, and a genuine approach...” — DAVID MCGEE, THE BLUEGRASS SPECIAL
The Bellowshakes open the night with a tribute to the legendary Allen Toussaint. John Sullivan, lead guitarist and founding member of The Bellowshakes, has invited PJ Justice on bass, Dom Micarelli on drums and Dave Becker on piano to join the band on March 26th. John, PJ and Dom, former members of Fat City, a Boston-based rhythm & blues band, were invited to record with Toussaint at Sea-Saint Studios in New Orleans in 1985. Toussaint lost his home, studio and all of his original writings during Hurricane Katrina. A master pianist, Toussaint decided to go on the road and continued to perform around the world until his death last fall. He suffered a heart attack in November 2015 after finishing a concert at the Lara Theater in Madrid, Spain. He was 77. Although not always known by name, Toussaint's songs are immediately recognized when played, including the instrumental "Java", "Working In A Coal Mine" and "Southern Nights" just to name a few.
2016 Winter Event - Saturday, February 6, 2016
Opening "Cricket Blue"
&
Headlining "Los Goutos"
Los Goutos headlines Braintree Folk's winter show. "Los Goutos is a Boston-based Americana band composed of five multi-talented instrumentalists, three of which are singer-songwriters. They present a musical concoction of folk, roots, rock, country, cajun, New Orleans jazz, Latin grooves, and more. Every song tells a story..sometimes a tragedy, sometimes a comedy, and sometimes it's hard to tell the difference!"
THE MUSIC OF Vermont-based folk duo Cricket Blue is inspired by diverse aspects of the American folk tradition: old and current, popular and obscure. Laura Heaberlin and Taylor Smith write songs marked by close-knit harmonies and words about myth, confusion, love, and the ends of the things. Heaberlin’s and Smith’s sometimes mingled, sometimes markedly contrasting imaginations form the bones of Cricket Blue's sound. They count songwriters like Jeff Mangum, Joanna Newsom, Laura Marling, Anaïs Mitchell, and Bob Dylan among their influences.
2015 Fall Event -
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Featuring "COWBOY and LADY"
&
Headlining "THE SILKS"
Tickets available soon: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/
Cowboy & Lady
Tyler-James Kelly and Jess Powers are a Providence-based singing/songwriting duo who perform classic and original country/western, folk, roots and blues. Their musicianship and harmony are simply spellbinding and not to be missed!
"THE SILKS"
Providence based roots-rock/blues trio includes
the incredible guitarist Tyler-James Kelly, bassist Jonas Parmelee and drummer Matthew Donnelly
"One listen to these guys and you’ll remember this music is for the body as well as the mind…...It was all meant to be. Veteran players Parmelee and Donnelly heard Kelly's songwriting and guitar-playing and nearly trampled over the competition to be in a band with him. For the last year, they’ve been blowing the minds of barflies in R.I. The Silks are positioned for national prominence. 'I never wanted to be a solo artist, with a backing band,' says Kelly. 'You can always get pros who can play behind you. But it doesn’t have the organic feel of a band. I don’t know what it is about playing with these cats. But we all totally lock in when we play. It’s not a careerist thing. We got together so we could…. play music together.' " – Peter Gerstenzang is an award-winning humorist and freelance journalist, who has written for The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Esquire and a number of other of publications.
"On barn burning tracks like "Down at the Heel," Kelly plays like a man twice his age and with decades more experience, cycling through the myriad styles of playing that saturate The Silks music with swampy slide guitar, deft and delicately finger-picked country folk and great swaggering waves of English blues and rock 'n roll. Kelly channels dirty delta blues out of what sounds like a rusty tin can on "Mean Old Woman" as easily as the beautiful country blues of "Try All You Want," and along with the incredible dynamics of Parmelee and Donnelly, they bring each fantastic song to barroom stomping grandeur" - Eric Smith, Providence Monthly
Braintree Folk's Second Season
2015 Spring Event - Saturday, March 21, 2015
~ World Folk Night ~
Shared Billing!
Gypsy Nights ~ Eastern European Folk Band
SAMBA de Três ~ Brazilian Jazz Trio
~and featuring~
MARC BERGER ~ Songs of the American West
About "Gypsy Nights"Back by popular demand, Gypsy Nights combines the music of Django and Grappelli with Eastern European Folk songs and American jazz standards: unique, romantic and reminiscent of the gypsy bands who travel the European continent. Chuck Rejto, a talented acoustic guitar player based in Providence R.I. has incorporated his rhythm guitar & unique chromatic harmonica hybrid foot pedal into the heart of Gypsy Nights. Daniel J Pelletier, a multi-talented RI percussionist, utilizes drums, tambourine, spoons, gong, udu, vibraphone, marimba (from the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation), conga, and mallet-kat, and is the 2005 recipient of the Michael Kaman Solo Award. Andy Reich’s love for violin includes several genres, including classical, folk, rock, and most recently gypsy jazz. He has played violin in the Newport based rock group The Skinny Millionaires. In addition to Gypsy Nights, Andy plays violin in the Narragansett Community Symphony Orchestra, and performs both acoustic and electric violin with the RI based rock group Ragged Company.
More: www.chuckrejto.com
"SAMBA de Três" ~ Brazilian Jazz
Alexei Tsiganov - piano
Renato Malavasi - drums
Ebinho Cardoso - bass/vocal
Without a doubt, the Brazilian influences are all over SAMBA de Três when they are performing ~ after all they are Brazilians, or almost all of them. Russian pianist, vibes player, educator, and composer Alexei Tsiganov who studied at the famous St. Petersburg Mussorgsky Music College, Berklee College of Musice and the New England Conservatory of Music, has been in the Unites States since 1992 and devotes his efforts to playing and learning several musical styles from North, Central, and the South Americas including Jazz, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian. It is all there and supported by a truly authentic rhythm section that includes Renato Malavasi, Brazilian from Sao Paulo, drummer and educator, who has been working with Alexei in the most diverse musical situations since 2001. Renato completed his studies at the Conservatory Dr. Carlos de Campos and performed extensively throughout Brazil before coming to Boston in 1997 where he attended and graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2000. Fellow band mate from the Brazilian west side city called Cuiaba, Ebinho Cardoso is the band's bassist, arranger, and singer, who has anchored the rhythms with his 6 string bass and sounds for the past 2 years. Cardoso uses atypical elements of the electric base, exploring the bass as a harmonic accompaniment instrument. He brings precision and refinement with traces of jazz, fused with unmistakeable distinctions of classical and popular Brazilian music. Braintree Folk is so pleased to have our good friend, Renato Malavasi with SAMBA de Três participate in our Spring event.
Braintree Folk's "Second Season" RIDEs into the sunset, we present…..
Marc Berger ~ Songs of the American West
Singer, songwriter and recording artist Marc Berger presents RIDE ~ ten cinematic recordings~ capturing the vastness and romance of the American West, while exploring its deep roots in the American psyche. Berger has performed at South by Southwest and the Kerrville Folk Festival, and has opened shows for Bob Dylan and other national acts. His antinuclear anthem The Last One was quoted in the NY Times, featured on the CBS Evening News, and was a staple of the late Richie Havens concerts. Inspired by Marc's lifelong love affair with the American West, RIDE is the haunting message and beat of "Twister", the soul-shaking challenge of taming a wild horse in "Take it on the Chin", the sexy, mind-blowing, middle-of-nowhere encounter of "Time Waits For Man", as well as seven other stops on this thrilling, dusty tour of the Great American Frontier. Joe Flood will accompany Marc on mandolin and fiddle. Joe is a singer/songwriter who has written with and for many musicians, including the legendary rock group The Band, Blues Traveler, and country singer Laura Cantrell.
“Reads like a love letter to the American West…..brims with pure plucky-folk that the likes of The Civil Wars, The Lumineers, and even Norah Jones are bringing to the forefront of popular music….a sad reminder of simpler times that most modern Americans will never experience nor appreciate…..one part Springsteen and one part Dylan, but with pure charisma that is all Berger”| Jayvee, TRT! The Roundtable.com
RIDE is ALBUM OF THE YEAR - "Without a doubt, the greatest discovery for us in 2012; if not in our entire existence..makes the writers want to write and singers sing…an instant American Classic” - Nanobotrock.com
“Gritty, cinematic tales of the real west...at times stripped bare, at other times dramatic and haunting...an experience like no other album I’ve heard this year.” - MAVERICK, U.K
."….when I caught sight of Monument Valley, petroglyphs, and one of those lone, majestic, red-rock "steamboats" in the liner for RIDE, I thought "Hmmm…I wonder if this cat Marc Berger really caught what's what out in the back country?" As soon as "Nobody Gonna Ride on the Railroads" swam out of the speakers, I smiled and sat back. Yep, he's been there, he knows...Nothing on RIDE is brash, no need to shout and stomp: though there's a couple or three vivacious cuts, this is country folk music wrought by a working philosopher who's missed nothing, kept a lot inside for a time, and captured the land. He knows the hills and he knows the cities and is ready to slowly wind it all back out again…Thus, don't play this at home. Jump in the car and head for somewhere that isn't the city, anywhere nature still holds sway. Do it at night. Then open the doors, all of them, and let the dark satiny sky in. Sit back, relax, and grant the 11 songs license to breathe themselves into your skin, up into the clouds, let 'em wander where they will, and when everything finally goes silent after the fifty-four minutes, you too will know what Marc Berger knows. Welcome to the club." --- Mark S. Tucker, Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
More about Marc Berger: marcbergermusic
Christine Sullivan
Jan 20, 2015
Of interest! May he rest in peace, Richie Havens performs Marc Berger's "The Last One " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVYfNXubynQ
Thank you supporters for another great event!
2015 Winter Event
Saturday, February 7th
Twisted Pine - Headlines
The Bellowshakes - Open
Twisted Pine headlines Braintree Folk's 2015 Winter Event. Twisted Pine a Boston based five-piece bluegrass band whose members all share a common love for the traditional music of Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Jimmy Martin, and the Stanley Brothers. The band is composed of Adam Moore on bass and vocals, Kathleen Parks on fiddle and vocals, Rachel Sumner on guitar and vocals, Dan Bui on mandolin, and Ricky Mier on 5-string banjo. On any given night a Twisted Pine show is a wild, unpredictable affair delivering powerful vocals, foot-stomping rhythms, and hot instrumental pickin'.
The band formed while studying at Berklee College of Music. After realizing the incredible chemistry they had together, the band quickly became immersed in the vibrant Boston bluegrass community. Twisted Pine has performed on festival stages at Joe Val Bluegrass Festival, Down Home Bluegrass Festival at Club Passim, and Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival. They recently won the Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Special's band competition and made the final round of the prestigious 2014 FreshGrass festival's band competition.
In early March 2014, the band recorded their debut EP at Q Division Studios in Somerville, a perfect summation of the band's core musical values: 7 traditional bluegrass standards with emphasis on tight vocal harmony, hard-driving rhythm, and surprising arrangements. Twisted Pine looks forward to sharing its brand of bluegrass head-on to the masses.
To Learn More about Twisted Pine go to: www.twistedpinemusic.com
Also performing:
THE BELLOWSHAKES will join forces for this event with a roots/blues twist, featuring DENNIS BRENNAN of The Dennis Brennan Band on vocals, guitar & harmonica, John Sullivan on guitar, accordion & vocals, and Greg Silva on bass.
DENNIS BRENNAN (of The Dennis Brennan Band)
THE BELLOWSHAKES ~
featuring DENNIS BRENNAN, JOHN SULLIVAN, GREG SILVA
Braintree Folk welcomes back favorite Dennis Brennan, one of the Boston area's leading rock/roots, singer, songwriters, to front "The Bellowshakes" on vocals, guitar and harmonica for a one-time performance. Since Dennis' first high school band, "The Paranoids", opened for The Remains and The Barbarians, Dennis has fronted such well regarded outfits as "The Dirty Rye Band", The West Side Band", "The Martells" and Push Push". In 1992 he formed "The Dennis Brennan Band" and his solo career, quickly releasing two critically acclaimed recordings on Upstart Records, a division of Rounder, "Jack in the Pulpit" and "Iodine in the Wine". In 2000 he released "Rule #1" on ESCA Records which resulted in glowing reviews from The New Yorker, The Chicago Sun Times, The Boston Phoenix as well as other publications nationwide. Boston Globe music reviewer Steve Morse called his 2006 "Engagement"... "a perfect snapshot of Brennan at work….the diversity is stunning as he takes listeners on a journey that comes from the gut." The band has won two NEMO awards for "outstanding roots/rock band". Dennis is busy recording a new CD, expected to be released in 2015. Our favorite quote to date: "Lonesome, ornery and great."--Peter Guralnick, author of Dream Boogie, The Triumph of Sam Cooke, and Last Train to Memphis-The Rise of Elvis Presley.
John Sullivan, guitarist/writer/singer/teacher (and sometime accordionist) has performed live since the age of ten. He started his career in a junior high band The Hotbeats playing local music venues in Newport, as guitarist and vocals with the Boston-based Fat City Blues Band, and most recently plays on occasion under the band name "The Bellowshakes" in different formats as performers are available. He has opened for notable recording artists Ray Charles, James Brown, the Neville Brothers, and has recorded and performed with New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint.
Greg Silva has been performing professionally since the age of fifteen. Greg calls the Boston area his home, performing, teaching, touring, doing session work and recording. Greg plays electric and upright bass, sings and composes. In 2007 Greg was voted "Outstanding Bass Player" by "The Blues Audience". Artists that Greg has performed with include Roomful Of Blues, Eric Burdon, The Memphis Horns, Duke Robillard, Ronnie Earl, James Cotton, James Montgomery and The Motor City Rhythm Kings.
Braintree Singer/Songwriter MARK MacDONALD will perform a song to open the evening and introduce THE BELLOWSHAKES & TWISTED PINE.
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Braintree Folk Fall 2014 Event:
Braintree Folk wants to send a big Thank You to everyone who came out to see
Marina Evans & The Hillary Reynolds Band perform on Saturday, November 8th!
ABOUT MARINA EVANS
Marina Evans combines strong, sultry vocals with unusual melodies and clever, edgy lyrics into a sound entirely her own. Since her start in her hometown of Rockport, Massachusetts, Marina has toured and recorded across the United States, in London, and in Florence, Italy.
From Gloucester Daily Times, February 20, 2014,by Gail McCarthy
Cape Ann musicians are among the singer-songwriters and bands nominated for New England Music Awards, which celebrates and recognizes top performers in the region for their musical achievements.
Rockport’s Marina Evans is nominated for a 2014 New England Music Awards Female Performer of the Year.
The nominating committee consists of journalists from music publications, radio personalities, talent buyers, and record label execs representing all six New England states.
Evans is a rising singer-songwriter, who last year traveled to Tuscany in pursuit of her musical inspiration. She recorded an album in Florence, and has traveled back and forth between Cape Ann and Italy since she studied abroad there in 2008, when she began collaborating with Florentine musicians. Her debut album “Unbound” was released last fall.
“This nomination was a great surprise and an incredible honor. To be included in a group of such talented musicians from all across New England is both encouraging and so inspiring,” said Evans. “I am so grateful to everyone who has worked so hard to make these awards happen. It’s a true testament to the vibrant and unique music scene we have here in New England — and I’m honored to be a part of it.”
Prior to her debut album, she released an EP with music she wrote inspired by Dogtown, the wild center of the Cape Ann island, the history of which dates to Colonial times.
Evans received her undergraduate degree in music theory and composition from Columbia University in 2009, but her music career started years before when she started singing in a jazz duo with her older brother.
HRB members Chris, Jeff, Hillary, Trevor, Connor
ABOUT THE HILLARY REYNOLDS BAND The Hillary Reynolds Band invites listeners into a transcendent folk experience. The quintet charms with campfire congeniality, classic songs, and an astounding soulful and technical grasp of Americana. After four years, the band has risen from coffeehouse darlings to sharing stages with Norah Jones and performing at festivals in front of thousands. In advance of the band’s upcoming album, HRB released a standalone single, “Crossing The Line,” to whet its fans’ appetites. The single and upcoming album mark a new era of widespread exposure for these roots-pop torchbearers.
Over two albums and three stunning videos—HRB’s most recent video, “Crossing The Line,” notched over 90,000 views in its first 2 months—the band has garnered acclaim for blending a diverse cross selection of roots music within a framework of finely crafted songs that feel instantly familiar. The Hillary Reynolds Band is comprised of members from all over the U.S. but coalesced at Berklee College Of Music around a reverence for traditional American music forms. HRB is Hillary Reynolds, lead vocals; Connor Reese, guitar; Trevor Jarvis, cello and backing vocals; Jeff Hale, drums; and Chris Mewhinney, electric and acoustic bass. The Boston-based group has graced the stages of some the most esteemed venues nationwide and performed at Northeast Pennsylvania Bluegrass Festival, Mile of Music Festival in Appleton, WI, the Blue Plate Special on WDVX Knoxville, the EAA AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, and Green Bay's Meyer Theatre and Fox 11 morning show “Good Day Wisconsin.”
The five piece has been blogged about by popular fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss, and featured on the front page of Reddit.com. HRB has performed and been featured on Wisconsin radio stations 91.1 the Ave, WWSP 90, Boston's Berklee Internet Radio Network, 92.5 The River, among many others. Additionally, HRB has won acclaim for its members’ instrumental virtuosity. Primary songwriter Hillary Reynolds has earned endorsements with Lampifier Microphones and Eastman Mandolins, and members of the quintet have worked with such notable artists as Wyclef Jean, Imogen Heap, and The Click Five, and Michael Manring.
HRB is enriched by the vibrancy of its members’ personalities and their expansive creativity. “Trevor's neurotic, Hillary's happy-go-lucky, I'm unnecessarily masculine, Chris is sarcastic and self-deprecating, and Connor's apprehensive,” drummer Jeff Hale says laughing. “But seriously, Trevor's efficient, Hillary's warm and welcoming, I'm low-maintenance, Chris is hilarious, and Connor's just the coolest one of the bunch.” Of the band’s multiple instrumental talents, Connor adds: “Each instrument adds a different flavor, and if someone plays some random thing, we can usually find a way to incorporate it. Because of this, the instrumentation is always evolving—we travel with 10 instruments on the stage and more in the car, like piano, cello, mandolin, acoustic, electric, and pedal steel guitars, ukulele, upright and electric bass, and drum kit. It's quite a family.”
To learn more: http://www.hillaryreynoldsband.com/events.php
Braintree Folk's First Season
Braintree Folk Spring 2014:
Performances by Neptunes Car and Headlining The Dennis Brennan Band
http://neptunescar.com/ Listen to Dennis Brennan Songs
About Dennis Brennan: The Dennis Brennan Band headlines Braintree Folk's last show of our first season! Singer/songwriter Dennis Brennan is a veteran performer, long time friend, and on the top of our list as a "must see" musician in the Boston area! The band includes Billy Beard on drums; Richard Gates on bass and backup vocals; and special guest guitarist, Lyle Brewer. Dennis is a veteran performer, long time friend, and on the top of our list as a "must see" musician in the Boston area! Club Passim recently described Dennis Brennan as one of Boston's leading rock/roots singer/songwriters. "….an institution and a dominant thread in the fabric that makes the folk community so strong in this area. Rock, country, blues, roots, whatever you want to call it, Brennan is constantly evolving it and presents his music with unrivaled passion night after night. His strengths as a songwriter and performer have made him a staple in the town as a name to see…"
About Neptune's Car: Holly Hanson and Steve Hayes are an acoustic duo from Massachusetts and New Hampshire who play original Contemporary Folk music. The duo has become known for their intimate performance style, carefully crafted lyrics, generous harmony singing, and exceptional guitar picking. These two musicians have a comfortable and friendly stage presence that has the audience relaxed and captivated. Holly’s confident, sweet voice caresses her lyrics as Steve’s tasteful guitar licks and back-up vocals add the gilding that puts a shine on their well-polished tunes. — Steve T., The Living Room Coffeehouse, Mason, NH
BRAINTREE GUITARIST & SINGER, MARK MacDONALD, OPENED THE SHOW
Braintree Folk Winter 2014
Check out the photos and videos below from
Braintree Folk's Winter 2014 performance
on Saturday, February 8th
Thank you to the following performers
who made our second show such a success!
John Sullivan
Joel Glassman accompanies Eric Cornetta
Mark MacDonald
http://www.youtube.com/watch Mark MacDonald at Braintree FolkThanks to Braintree guitarist & singer, Mark MacDonald, for opening the show!
Gypsy Nights
Four Bridges with Ed Dutton (guest member)
Russ Hermannsen, Jeremy Place, Rick Ferreira
FOUR BRIDGES~Headliner Saturday, February 8, 2014 Four Bridges is a local Bluegrass band based out of New England. They perform original songs and a lively mix of traditional and cover tunes, and have been working together since 2005. Four Bridges is best described as a hard-driving, harmony-singing, acoustical band. Members performing on Saturday include Jeremy Place on guitar and mandolin,who sings and creates many of Four Bridges' songs; Greg Ferreira, a classically-trained pianist who also loves playing bluegrass music, is quite often "the one hooting and hollering" and inciting the audience; Russ Hermansen, on stand up bass & guitar, a veteran Massachusetts bluegrass performer for twenty years and counting; Ed Dutton guest member on banjo and guitar, will join Four Bridges at Braintree Folk!
Learn More About Four Bridges:
Four Bridges Band http://www.reverbnation.com/rpk/fourbridges
Special guest performance by "Gypsy Nights"
About Gypsy Nights: Joel Glassman is an exciting and versatile swing fiddle player based in Eliot Maine with over 40 years of playing to his credit. Recently, he performed with guitarist Ken Ormes at the Press Room in Portsmouth, NH; with "Jessie and the Honky Tonkers" at the NHCMA Jamboree; and with “Granite Grass” in Hampton Falls NH. Joel has been been a member of Gypsy Nights since 2007. Joel also published an authoritative article on proper violin amplification in the Summer 2001 issue of Old Time Gazette. Chuck Rejto is a talented acoustic guitar player based in Providence RI. A hybrid footpedal system he developed allows Chuck to play chromatic harmonica and guitar simultaneously. As a promoter of small jazz ensembles, Chuck has incorporated his instruments into the heart of the Gypsy Nights Gypsy Jazz Ensemble. Since 2006, Gypsy Nights has performed at festivals, coffeehouses, weddings and corporate events with overwhelming success.
Braintree Folk's First Season ~"Opening Night"
"Session Americana" ~w/ Local Artists Opening
Saturday, November 2, 2013~7:30-10:00 pm
Thanks to everyone from our community and beyond who came out to support our local musicians, Session Americana, and Braintree Folk's first show!
~ Thank You for Supporting Local Music ~
Braintree Folk's opening night at All Souls Parish Hall Coffeehouse exceeded our expectations.
Special Thanks to Boston-based "Session Americana" for a terrific performance!
Session Members:
Jefferson Hamer, Ry Cavanaugh, Dinty Child, Kimon Kirk, Jon Bistline, Billy Beard, Jim Fitting
Learn more about Session Americana at: www.sessionamericana.com/
YouTube video Session Americana sings ~ John Brown
Special Guests Adam Moss & Cilla Bonnie performed with Session Americana on November 2nd
Sincere thanks and appreciation also goes out to our local musicians
John Sullivan, Jane Gilmartin and John G. Sullivan
for opening the show on November 2nd
THANKS ALSO TO EVERYONE WHO THOUGHT TO TAKE A FEW PICTURES AND VIDEOS AND SENT THEM TO US FOR THE ARCHIVES. If you have pictures or videos from the show, please share them with us at braintreefolk@gmail.com
Video of John G Sullivan "1000 Miles" (recorded & shared by Jack Mason)
Pictures shared by Lisa Sylvestro:
Session Americana Nov 2nd at Braintree Folk
All Souls Parish Hall Coffeehouse supporters
Thank you to the All Souls Parish members, Pastor Steve Wilson, Don Swanson, Mary Mitchell and to our many volunteers and friends who donated their ideas, time, energy and support.
Thank You to our November 2nd Donors
for helping to make our first show of our first season a success!
Montilio's, Braintree, MA 781-535-5200
Fratelli's, Quincy, MA 781-682-9500
Open Doors, Braintree, MA 781-843-8224
Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Braintree, MA 781-602-6140
Murray's Pizza, Braintree, MA 781-849-3354
(The band also thanks you!)
For their time, technical expertise, and generosity,
special thanks & gratitude goes out to:
Lori Fassman, IT
Mike Sylvestro, ongoing IT
Peter Herbst, Legal
&
Dom Micarelli, Technical Sound Assistance