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San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins - DETAILS

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Annually on the 4th Sunday of April at the Croatian American Cultural Center of San Francisco.

See SF Festival of the Mandolins for an overview. This page contains detailed descriptions for specific years recovered from archived web pages.

2003

San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins 2003

Sunday, May 4, 2003. Slavonic Cultural Center, 60 Onondaga Ave., SF. Doors open at 12 noon. The workshops and BYO Mandolin orchestra begins at 1:00PM. Admission is $12, children free, bring any member of mandolin family $2 off. Ethnic food & drink will be available from 1PM. Concert at 3:30. Interspersed throughout the day will be dancing in the big hall and jamming in the bar. Featured performers are Silver Strings , The Red Hot Chachkas, Slavonian Traveling Band, and special guest, Skip Gorman, mandolinist and old time cowboy singer, with his Waddie Pals. A schedule of events and more details will be posted closer to the festival date.

Origin of the Festival

It all began with Janice Fournier, a relentless mandolin player from the Slavonian Traveling Band, who decided to expand her musical horizons by joining the Silver Strings and Aurora mandolin ensembles in 1999. Before long it was clear to the rest of us in the Slavonian Traveling Band that Janice had become addicted to the immortal tangos and Italian tarantellas that she played with her newly acquired mandolin communities. Each time we met for the rehearsal, Janice could not help but talk about this truly underground culture that seemed to live in its own time. It was only natural then that John Daley, the bugarija player in the Slavonian Traveling Band, and the Cultural Director of the Slavonic Cultural Center, gave Silver Strings a chance to work their magic in a short performance during the Poklade Festival in the Spring of 2000. To his and everybody's surprise, this performance was an instant success that simply intoxicated the audience. This performance inspired John Daley to organize a larger event that would feature Silver Strings and similar mandolin ensembles with a multicultural twist. The result was the San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins held in the Slavonic Cultural Center on May 6, 2001. The Festival presented seeming incompatible ethnic music traditions by putting an emphasis on their common denominator-the mandolin.

Biographies of the Performers

Skip Gorman has followed Monroe's traditional fiddle-style of mandolin playing for 38 years. As an old-time fiddle player, himself, Skip has captured the essence and beauty of Monroe's playing on the mandolin-having sat with the master on several occasions. "Skip Gorman remains best known in bluegrass circles as perhaps the finest exponent today of the style of mandolin Bill Monroe played with the Monroe Brothers." Art Menius - Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine. Through his music, Skip Gorman brings back to life the workaday world of the cowboys of the American West. Gorman brings to the music a scholar's knowledge of the cowboy's Celtic, Spanish and Afro-American roots as well as the personal experience gained by working as a cowboy on a ranch in Wyoming, along with an exquisite touch as a singer, guitarist, fiddler and mandolinist.

Playing with his old time cowboy band, The Waddie Pals, Skip takes the music from one of the most romanticized periods of American history-the days of the cattle drives and westward expansion-strips away the Hollywood glitz and Nashville affectations, and shows us the beauty of the music as it was sung and played along emigrant trails and in cowcamps over a hundred years ago in the American West.

Gorman has performed on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion, at bluegrass festivals, cowboy gatherings and at folk venues throughout the US and Europe. Documentary filmmaker, Ken Burns, has featured Skip's music in both Lewis and Clark and Baseball. Skip Gorman has released six recordings on the Rounder, Folk Legacy and Marimac labels. He is featured on many others.

Silver Strings is one of the oldest mandolin ensembles in the Bay Area. It was formed in 1936 as an offshoot of the Flotte-Burchen ensemble from San Francisco. Its president Freda Tinibel, and the last founding member, leads the ensemble. Silver Strings performs the traditional semi-classical mandolin repertoire consisting of German character pieces, Spanish marches, and Italian romantic compostions.

The Red Hot Chachkas is a Klezmer band whose music stems from the souls and roots of its musicians. Founded in 1997 by Julie Egger, The Red Hot Chachkas blend Klezmer with jazz, classical and improvisation, creating an exciting, danceable sound. Comprised of multi-talented musicians, performing on violin, mandolin, clarinet, accordion, percussion and bass. Their music is inspriring, emotional and contagious. The Red Hot Chachkas include Julie Egger, Michael Arrow, Tony Phillips, Barbara Speed and Sturart Brotman.

Slavonian Traveling Band. The repertoire and style of the Slavonian Traveling Band from the Bay Area is unique. They blend many Balkan traditions - from Bosnian and Croatian, to Sephardic Jewish, Gypsy, Macedonian and Serbian. In addition, the band brings its own repertoire of original songs influenced by American spiritual, blues and story telling traditions. The band has two CDs released and has played in intercultural festivals and concerts since 1986.

2004

For a bit of R&R from the Great Critter War:

The San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins 2004

Sunday, April 25, 2004. Slavonic Cultural Center, 60 Onondaga Ave., SF. Doors open at 11AM. The BYO Mandolin orchestra begins at 12:00PM. Admission is $15, children free, bring any member of mandolin family $2 off. Ethnic food & drink will be available from 1PM. Interspersed throughout the day will be concerts, workshops, and jamming. The Concerts are scheduled to be at 3PM and 6PM. In addition there will be workshops by the performers from 1-3PM. Everyone is welcome to the BYO Mandolin Orchestra at 12 noon. A detailed schedule and program will be posted in before the Festival.

This year the Festival is expanding to cover the full range of mandolin music available in California. The program includes for the first time the Neapolitan styling of 89-year-old Tony Flores; the phenomenal playing of 11-year-old, Scott Gates; the famed blind mandolinist from Fresno, Kenny Hall; the virtuoso mandolinist and composer from Southern California, Evan Marshall; and the Mexican, roots American, Old-Time, Hawaiian mandolin music of Eric Thompson, Jody Stecher, and Dodge's Sundodgers. Back again after a year's absence will be the Bay Area's largest mandolin orchestra, Aurora.

2008

Festival of the Mandolins Sunday , Apr 13, 2008 • 10:30 AM • $18 Children free

Event Details

Historic gathering of the mandolin orchestras. For the first time ever all 5 of the San Francisco Bay Area mandolin orchestras will be performing on the same program!

Hear the AURORA MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA, GRAVENSTEIN MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA, INSTANT KLEZMER MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA, SAN FRANCISCO MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA, AND SILVER STRINGS MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA. Top it off with a guest appearance by mandolinist extraordinaire, TOM ROZUM, backed up by Home Run Jethro (LAURIE LEWIS, TONY MARCUS & PAUL SHELASKY). Add the BYO MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA (Bring Your Own), all the mandolin workshops and panels, and you have day that cannot be missed.

The performances for the public will commense at 1PM.

Preceding the public performances, the festival opens at 10:30AM with the BYO Mandolin Orchestra (Bring Your Own). Music will be provided. Workshops will begin also at 11:30. There will be a panel of the Bay Area Mandolin orchestra leaders moderated by Chip Curry at 12:15.

Large display of vintage mandolins, mandolas, mandolettos, and other members of the mandolin family by Bear Paw Fiddles.

Food and drink will be available from noon. This year will feature Bulgarian fare prepared by Hristos Kolev.

Schedule

10:30AM BYO Mandolin Orchestra
11:30AM Workshops: Phil Lawrence: Intro to Klezmer Mandolin
Tom Rozum: The mandolin in a Bluegrass Band,
Intro to Solos and playing playing behind the Singer.
12:15PM Panel of Orchestra Leaders: "Mandolin Music:Today & Tomorrow"

Performances
1:00PM Silver Strings Mandolin Orchestra
In the Bar: Mandolins Like Salami
1:45PM Gravenstein Mandolin Orchestra
Historic slides of mandolin orchestras in SF with Sheri Mignano (repeating in afternoon)
2:30PM Tom Rozum with Home Run Jethro
3:00PM Aurora Mandolin Orchestra
3:45PM SF Mandolin Orchestra
4:30PM Tom Rozum with Home Run Jethro
5:00PM Instant Klezmer Mandolin Orchestra
*schedule is subject to change. Be sure to check closer to event.

Performers

Aurora Mandolin Orchestra
The Aurora Mandolin Orchestra was founded in 1970 by mandolin virtuoso, Gino Pellegrini,concertmaster and director until his death in 2006. It has since been conducted and directed by his wife, Josephine Pellegrini, who has successfully preserved Gino's legacy of bringing the vibrancy and passion of the mandolin orchestral repertoire to new audiences throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, at various organizations and festivals. Their greatest achievement was a performance at the San Francisco's opening night at Davies Hall.

The orchestra consists of up to thirty professional and amateur musicians, mandolin, mandola, mandocello, guitar, string bass, accordion, flute and percussion with a varied repertoire. This year marks "Aurora's" 9th appearance in the SF Mandolin Festival with an exciting program which includes Italian music, two popular musical medleys and an opera selection. Bob Rizzetto and Ginnie Hawley, whom Jo has delegated as Assistant conductors, will also be participating.

For more information, please visit the website: www.auroramandolin.com.

Gravenstein Mandolin Orchestra
The only all-mandolin ensemble in the North Bay, the Gravenstein Mandolin Ensemble is named for the delicious apple variety that is farmed in western Sonoma County. The group meets in Sebastopol, the heart of Gravenstein country. Although they have only been together for about a year, the group has already begun to explore the classical mandolin repertoire, Brazilian Choro music, Italian Ballo Liscio, Klezmer music, and more. The ensemble is under the musical direction of Gus Garelick, a member of the popular Italian group, The Hot Frittatas, and a former member of the Berkeley Mandolin Ensemble. Members of the GME include: Rhonda Berney, mandolin, mandola, mandocello; Jan Kahdeman, mandolin, mandola; Gail Sharpsteen, mandocello; Gus Garelick, mandolin; Dan Baron, mandolin, mandola; Marvin Winograd, mandolin; Bob Murnane, mandolin; Ed Hance, mandolin; Johnna Peterson, mandolin; Rich Nosker, mandolin; Bob Bayen, mandolin; Doug Wilcox, guitar; and John Kuntz, guitar.

Instant Klezmer Mandolin Orchestra
The Instant Klezmer Mandolin Orchestra performs annually at the Jewish Music Festival Community Music Day at the JCC East Bay in Berkeley, California. Acclaimed as the most populous group each year, IKMO performed at this event in 2005, 2006, and 2007, as well as at the 2005 San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins. The Orchestra features members of several of the Bay Area's leading klezmer groups, and as well as mandolinists prominent in other genres. The next scheduled performance is at the San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins on Sunday, April 13, 2008. Past participants past present or future: Josh Cohen (conductor, mandolin), David Laub (mandobass), Nick Robinson (mandola), Phil Lawrence (mandolin), David Brown (mandolin), Morey Garelick (mandolin), Gerry Tenney (vocals, mandolin & mandocello), Tony Phillips (founder; mandolin & mandocello), Rob Reich (octave mandolin), Jim Geselbrach (octave mandolin), Olivier Zyngier (mandolin), David Rosenfeld (mandolin), Carole Brown (mandolin), Carol Ginsberg (steel-body mandolin), Vina Cera (mandolin), Avi Avital (special guest, mandolin, 2007), Sarah Bell (mandolin), Catherine Rose Crowther (mandolin), Rodney Freeland (mandolin), Gus Garelick (mandolin), Daniel Hoffman (guest conductor, 2005), Josh Horowitz (mando-tsimbl, 2005), Jess Ivry (cello, 2007), Nicola Swinburne (mandolin), Matthew Vuksinich (mandolin)

San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra
The San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra, conducted by Nicola Swinburne, formed in May, 2005. We are a plucked string orchestra with 15-20 members playing...

Formed in May 2005 as the Noe Valley Plucked String Orchestra, the San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra was originally comprised of mandolin students of our Artistic Director, Nicola Swinburne Bocus, who also conducted the orchestra. We have since doubled in size to 20-25 players, in addition to the professional players who sometimes join us for concerts.

As the orchestra gained ground, our mandolinists were joined by other mandolin and plucked-string players with a background in classical music. Our instrumentation consists of members of the mandolin family, such as the mandolin, mandola, octave mandolin, and mandocello, in addition to guitar, double bass and harp.

In September 2008, Achille Bocus, conductor of the Orchestra a Plettro, Città di Milano, joined our orchestra (and Nicola, in matrimony). Last season Achille played mandolin in the orchestra, and this season he'll be wielding the baton.

Our concertmaster, Sarah Bell, hails from Rhode Island, where she played with the Providence Mandolin Orchestra.

The orchestra has played at some of the best-known local concert venues, including the Capp Street Community Music Center, the Randall Museum, Noe Valley Ministry and Old First Church in San Francisco. The orchestra presented a workshop as part of the San Francisco Folk Festival in June 2006 and in April 2008 played in the San Francisco Mandolin Festival. Past soloists include soprano Marta Johansen, accordionist Sheri Mignano, and lutenist Alex Jenne. Guest conductors include Olga Mandrigina and Martha Rodriguez-Salazar. We're always interested in exploring new opportunities for musical collaboration; if you would like to perform with us or compose for us, please contact Nicola Bocus.

Silver Strings Mandolin Orchestra
Silver Strings is one of the oldest mandolin ensembles in the Bay Area. It was formed in 1936 as an offshoot of the Flotte-Burchen ensemble from San Francisco. Iona Ali leads the ensemble. Silver Strings performs the traditional semi-classical mandolin repertoire consisting of German character pieces, Spanish marches, and Italian romantic compositions.

Tom Rozum
A long-time fixture on the Bay Area music scene, Tom Rozum is best known for his work with Laurie Lewis. Since joining forces with Laurie in 1986, the two have also recorded three critically-acclaimed duet albums. In fact, The Oak and the Laurel, was nominated for a Grammy in 1996 for "Best Traditional Folk" release. Just about anyone who hears their singing would admit there's something special in the their blend, and the players they chose to support them are always first rate.Tom's singing and playing is additionally featured in over a dozen of Laurie's latest albums.

With the release of Jubilee, Tom Rozum stepped into the national spotlight with an auspicious debut solo album —a deft mixture of bluegrass, old time and western swing. Throughout the album, he lends his mandolin, guitar and vocal talent to a great selection of little-known country music gems by Merle Haggard, The Louvin Brothers and Bill Monroe interwoven with contemporary songs by David Olney and Mark Simos, among others. The CD is marked by Tom's eclectic musical influences. "Jubilee" was co-produced by long-time collaborator Laurie Lewis, and features an all-star cast of musicians including Laurie, Darol Anger, Mike Marshall, Herb Pedersen, David Grier, Rob Ickes and Todd Phillips.

Originally from New England, Tom Rozum moved to Berkeley from Arizona, where he played many kinds of traditional and original music with Summerdog and Flying South; and San Diego, where he honed his swing chops with the Rhythm Rascals. Since joining forces with Laurie Lewis in 1986 as part of the original Grant Street Band, Tom's versatility and diverse musical influences come to the fore every night on stage with the band. He primarily plays mandolin, but is also an accomplished fiddle, mandola, and guitar player. His rhythmic approach to mandolin especially punctuates the band's repertoire, adding a verve and excitement to their on-stage shows, and has become a distinctive feature of their performances.

BYO Mandolin Orchestra (Bring Your Own)
This highly popular Orchestra meets every year at the San Francisco Mandolin Festival. Thus far it has assembled 7 times. Music is supplied from easy to a little more difficult. Sometimes there is an conductor. The membership are mandolinists who wish to experience playing in an orchestra in a non pressured way.

2010

Festival of the Mandolins

Sunday , Apr 11, 2010 • 10:30 AM • $15. $12 Adv. Children free

Event Details

Join us for the annual gathering of the mandolins. Five diverse ensembles will be performing on this year's program! Hear the Aurora Mandolin Orchestra, San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra and Mandolini Graziosi, Espacio and Eva Scow, Marla Fibish and Jimmy Crowley, Caleb Klauder and The Foghorn Duo. Add the BYO Mandolin Orchestra, all the mandolin workshops, and you have a day that cannot be missed.

The performances for the public will commense at 1PM. Workshops will begin at 10:30AM. Schedule is posted.

This year will feature Bulgarian fare prepared by Hristos Kolev available from noon. Advance tickets available at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/102284

Featured Artists & Orchestras

Local mandolinist Marla Fibish is joined by Irish Music legend Jimmy Crowley to represent Irish music on the mandolin at this year’s Festival.

Jimmy Crowley has been a central figure in the Irish folk scene since the enthusiastic reception of his debut album, The Boys of Fairhill, in 1977. Thirty years later he is still a sought after performer, loved for his singing, his compositions, and his interpretations of traditional music on many instruments. Among his many recordings, mandolin enthusiasts will love ‘The Coast of Malibar’ which endorses both his love for the sea and his affection for the double-string instruments -- bouzouki, mando-cello, dordán, mandola and mandolin.

Marla Fibish is a San Francisco native and a mainstay of the local Irish music scene. She has been playing Irish music on the mandolin and the mandola since the early ‘80s. She is known for the rhythm and lift of her playing. Currently she performs in the Bay Area based trio Three Mile Stone, with whom she’s just released their debut album.

At the festival, Jimmy & Marla will deliver a variety of Irish tunes and songs featuring the whole mandolin family of instruments.

Caleb Klauder and Stephen "Sammy" Lind began playing music together in 2000 in Portland, Oregon. They have performed traditional American Old-Time music all over the globe with their band the Foghorn Stringband, also with banjo/vocalist Riley Baugus and multi-instrumentalist/ composer Dirk Powell. In 2004, Caleb and Sammy collaborated with world-renowned Irish fiddler Kevin Burke for a concert series held on the Oregon Coast. Sometimes you can catch them on drums and bass with Balfa Toujours.

The Foghorn Duo has been performing weekly since 2003, switching between guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and vocals. Their vocals are simple and honest, with intertwining harmonies similar to the Carter Family and Stanley Brothers. Although their repertoire is mainly traditional, Caleb's stellar original songs and tunes fit right in next to any classic.

Look for their 2009 album Foghorn Duo “Lonesome Song”. You can also hear them on all of the Foghorn Stringband albums and Caleb’s 2008 honky-tonk release “Dangerous Mes and Poisonous Yous”.

Espacio is a group of talented young musicians from central California. Its members (Eva Scow - mandolin, Mike Taylor- guitar, Kevin Hill - bass, and Nathan Guzman- drums/percussion) play a progressive blend of funk, rock, brazilian, and jazz. Their music is both energetic and compelling. Don't miss the chance to see this group perform live.

Eva Scow plays mandolin and violin. She has been playing music since age 3, beginning with the piano. After studying classical music for the first 10 years, she discovered Jazz and Brasilian music and began to play gigs with musicians around the state. Eva traveled to Brasil to study with some of Brasil's premier instrumentalists. Eva has recorded for David Grisman, on his latest CD, 'Tone Poets'. Eva has performed and/or recorded with David Grisman,Mike Marshall,Anthony Wilson,Mark Summer (turtle island string quartet). In 2006, Eva was invited to participate in a workshop in New York City with musicians Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, and Mike Marshall. The workshop culminated in a performance at Carnegie Hall. Eva has currently released her latest CD, a collaboration with guitarist Dusty Brough. This CD is available on CDBaby.com

The Aurora Mandolin Orchestra (AMO), the largest orchestra of its kind in he San Francisco Bay Area continues to perform many concerts to thousands of audiences at festivals and organizations throughout the area. The Artistic Musical Director is Josephine Pellegrini. The orchestra was reorganized in 1970 and will be celebrating its 40th year this year, and this will be its 10th year playing at the SF Mandolin Festival. The Aurora Mandolin Orchestra consists of up to thirty professional and amateur musicians (mandolin, mandola, mandocello, guitar, string bass, accordion, flute and percussion) from various parts of the Bay Area. The uniqueness of this group is its varied repertoire including traditional and semi-classical Italian, Spanish, Russian, specialty ethnic and contemporary orchestral compositions. They have given public performances to thousands of music lovers and are especially proud to have played Davies Hall at San Francisco Symphony’s festive opening night in 1984, the Academy of Sciences at Golden Gate Park, Santa Clara University, and the annual San Francisco Mandolin Festival.

Formed in May 2005 as the Noe Valley Plucked String Orchestra, the San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra was originally comprised of mandolin students of the Artistic Director, Nicola Swinburne Bocus, who also conducted the orchestra. The orchestra has since doubled in size to 20-25 players, in addition to the professional players who sometimes join us for concerts. As the orchestra gained ground, our mandolinists were joined by other mandolin and plucked-string players with a background in classical music. Our instrumentation consists of members of the mandolin family, such as the mandolin, mandola, octave mandolin, and mandocello, in addition to guitar, double bass and harp. In September 2008, Achille Bocus, conductor of the Orchestra a Plettro, Città di Milano, joined the orchestra (and Nicola, in matrimony). Last season Achille played mandolin in the orchestra, and this season he'll be wielding the baton. The concertmaster, Sarah Bell, hails from Rhode Island, where she played with the Providence Mandolin Orchestra.

Schedule

10:30AM BYO Mandolin Orchestra-main hall
11:00AM workshop: Caleb Klauder " Old Time Mandolin Repertoire"
12:00PM Workshops: Jimmy Crowley "Accompanying Songs on the Bouzouki"
12:00PM Workshop: Eva Scow "brasilian jazz: music of Chico Pinheiro"

Performances
1:00PM SF Mandolin Orchestra with Achille Bocus
1:45PM Jimmy Crowley and Marla Fibish
2:30PM Aurora Mandolin Orchestra
3:15PM The Foghorn Duo with Caleb Klauder
4:00PM Espacio with Eva Scow
*schedule is subject to change. Be sure to check closer to event.
*Food available around Noon.

Performers

Aurora Mandolin Orchestra

The Aurora Mandolin Orchestra was founded in 1970 by mandolin virtuoso, Gino Pellegrini,concertmaster and director until his death in 2006. It has since been conducted and directed by his wife, Josephine Pellegrini, who has successfully preserved Gino's legacy of bringing the vibrancy and passion of the mandolin orchestral repertoire to new audiences throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, at various organizations and festivals. Their greatest achievement was a performance at the San Francisco's opening night at Davies Hall.

For more information, please visit the website: www.auroramandolin.com.

San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra

Our concertmaster, Sarah Bell, hails from Rhode Island, where she played with the Providence Mandolin Orchestra.

Eva Scow

Caleb Klauder

Caleb Klauder has been playing mandolin in the traditional styles of old time and bluegrass for over 15 years and performs with the Foghorn Stringband. You can also hear him in a duo with Stephen “Sammy” Lind and he fronts his own country band. Caleb’s style most closely resembles old time fiddle playing. Being a fiddler, singer, guitar player, as well as a mandolinist, he has a well rounded sense of traditional music.

As a teacher Caleb puts focus on the importance of melody and rhythm in support of the fiddle, and the tune in general. The mandolin has many roles and Caleb is aware that there are many approaches one can take to adapt to any given moment.

You can hear Caleb playing on the following albums:
Foghorn Stringband: Rattlesnake Tidalwave, Reap What You Sow, Weiser Sunrise, Boombox Squaredance

Foghorn Duo: Lonesome Song

Dirk Powell: Time Again

Pig Iron: Fill Me Up
Caleb Klauder: Dangerous Mes and Poisonous Yous

Foghorn Duo

Look for their 2009 album Foghorn Duo “Lonesome Song”. You can also hear them on all of the Foghorn Stringband albums and Caleb’s 2008 honky-tonk release “Dangerous Mes and Poisonous Yous”.

Jimmy Crowley

Jimmy Crowley has been a central figure in the Irish folk scene since the enthusiastic reception of his debut album The Boys of Fairhill in 1977. With his band Stokers Lodge their mission was to present the street ballads of Cork city complimented by the ornate folk songs of the rural hinterland of Cork and Kerry in an exciting orchestration of uilleann pipes, concertina, autoharp, harmonium, mandolin, bouzouki and guitar in their native accent. The second album, Camphouse Ballads hurtled the band into the vortex of the folk scene; they were now performing at folk festivals and making tv appearances in Ireland, Britain and America .Both albums were produced by Micheál Ó Dómhnaill of the Bothy Band. Like Chris Twomey of Stokers Lodge, Micheál was a seminal influence in Jimmy’s musical education

Every Jimmy Crowley album after the demise of Stokers Lodge in the middle eighties has been imbued with an excitement and autonomy; has challenged conventions and has been totally different from its predecessor. Some Things Never Change, an eclectic, electric experiment featuring some of the most creative musicians in Ireland: Declan Sinnott, Keith Mc Donald and Christy Moore of Moving Hearts was applauded and voted album of the year by rock critic, Bill Graham. Jimmy’s new band, The Electric Band released a reggae version of the Cork ballad, The Boys of Fairhill which went into the pop charts.

In between recording and writing his own songs, Crowley found time to taste the rich Gaelic hinterland of his native province of Munster learning his profession as a bard and falling in love with the Irish language. The songs he learned in the Irish speaking parts of Munster found a hearth in his first Irish language album, Jimí Mo Mhíle Stór, produced by Dónal Lunny for Gael Linn records. There followed a bitter-sweet amalgam of caustic urban ballads and sentimental parlour songs which Crowley had began to endorse. The album simply called, Jimmy Crowley for K-tel records was produced by Declan Sinnott.

Crowley’s fascination with the theatre and in particular musical drama culminated in his ballad opera, Red Patriots. Set against the backdrop of Mao Tse Tung’s cultural and social policies,it’s the story of an apprentice musician who falls for a revolutionary girl. Actual events such as the mob-incited burning of the Marxist bookshop in Cork city in the early seventies induce fierce realism. The play was well-received and ran successfully at the Triskil Arts Centre in Cork City.

By now Jimmy Crowley had established himself not just as a tradition bearer, ethnographer and Gaelic language enthusiast but also as a stylish songwriter. His song about the sailing ship Asgard, My Love is a Tall Ship, was adopted as an anthem for sailors everywhere and was used in the documentary film on the Tall Ships’ Race made by the National Television service, R.T.É The eponymous album that followed presented all original songs backed by a small string orchestra ,subtle rhythm section and songwriter Dave Murphy’s piano skills. Her Excellency, Mary Robinson was the subject of the quasi-bassanova style skit, Mrs. President which finally proclaimed to those who pigeon-holed Jimmy Crowley as being the “voice of Cork” and nothing else, that there was much more to this man.

Disheartened at the demise of the Irish language and Celtic traditions and the endorsement by the Irish government of cultural globalisation, Crowley began work on his Celtic Utopian novel, Hy Brazil. Its the story of a new resurgence and autonomy set slightly in the future; exhorting Plato’s Rule of the Wise, a poetical, didactic dismissal of everything the Celtic Tiger stands for.

There followed his first live solo album, Uncorked and the establishment of his own record company, Freestate Records. The Coast of Malibar endorsed both his love for the sea and his affection for the double-string instruments like bouzouki, mando-cello, dordán, mandola and mandolin. Jimmy is joined here by an old friend, Tríona Ní Dhómhnaill of the Bothy Band .His new album, Irish Eyes, is a swing-jazz reverential treatment of John Mc Cormack, Bing Crosby and Flanaghan Brothers Irish-American sentimental songs which Crowley feels are part of the legitimate legacy of Irish song. Here he breathes fresh life into old chestnuts like Danny Boy and When Irish Eyes Are Smiling and displays creditable crooning skills.

Almost all of Crowley’s older vinyl albums have now been digitally remastered and Freestate Records present an excellent catalogue of his recorded work. Jimmy now lives in Dunedin, near Clearwater, Florida. -- Damien Brett

Marla Fibish - Irish mandolin

Marla Fibish - mandolin, mandola Marla has been a part of the San Francisco Irish Music scene for the last 20 years. Her reputation as a mandolin player is unique - she is known for playing the music, as it were, from the driver's seat. Her playing is driving and rhythmic, her style is playful, whimsical, and as lyrical as one can be on a tightly strung little box you play with a plectrum. She is also a singer, and uses the warm midrange tones of the mandola as accompaniment to her alto voice. Marla has appeared in many guises over the years, in the duo 'Double Treble' with singer, guitar player and fellow mandolinist Sylvia Herold; for many years with the primarily vocal group 'Out of the Rain'; as the 'tall blonde' in 'The Frontmen' with Rory McNamara and Steven Coyle, and most recently fronting her own group, 'Heart of the Roll'.

2012

Festival of the Mandolins

Sunday , Apr 29, 2012 • 11:30 AM • 11:30AM workshops. 1PM Performances $15 at door, Advance $10, children free

Event Details

Join us for the 12th annual San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins. At 11:30 AM there are workshops. and at 1PM the Performances begin. Five diverse mandolin ensembles perform. Tim Connell of Rio Con Brio will perform Brazilian choro style; ragtime by the Ragtime Skedaddlers; Phil Lawrence Band plays jazz with David and Linda LaFlamme from It's a Beautiful Day; Billy Packard plays Italian and Mexican music, carrying on the tradition of Tony Flores; Aurora Mandolin Orchestra plays classical and popular works for the big orchestra

The San Francisco Festival of Mandolins on Sunday April 29 will include a sneak-preview showing of a half-hour film about the Ger Mandolin Orchestra, a project memorializing the Jewish mandolin orchestra active in Góra Kalwaria, Poland, in the 1920s and 1930s. Avner Yonai, the grandson of one of the few members to survive the war, joined forces with the Jewish Music Festival to organize this musical tribute in 2011. Mike Marshall and the Jewish Music Festival assembled a mandolin orchestra comprised of an outstanding cast of musicians including Avi Avital, Eric Stein, Jeff Warshauer, Tim Connell, Chris Acquavella, Sharon Gilchrist, Brian Oberlin, Dana Rath, Adam Rozkiewicz, and Radim Zenkl. The film features performances in Berkeley and Poland. At the Festival, the film will be presented by Avner Yonai and Tim Connell (who will also perform in his choro duo Rio ConBrio).

Bulgarian food will be prepared by Hristo Kolev. Advance tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com.

11:30AM WORKSHOPS:

11:30 Phil Lawrence + Dennis Pash

12:15 Tim Connell + Billy Packard

1PM CONCERT:

1:00 Ger Mandolin Orchestra Project film

1:45 Aurora (classical)

2:35 Phil Lawrence (jazz)

3:25 Ragtime Skedaddlers

3:40 Billy Packard (Italian and Mexican)

4:25 Tim Connell (Choro)

2013

Festival of the Mandolins

Sunday , Apr 28, 2013 • 11:00 AM • 11:00AM workshops. 1PM Performances $15 at door, Advance $10, children free

Event Details

Join us for the 13th annual San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins. There will be five diverse mandolin performances at the 1PM concert, preceeded by workshops at 11AM. Performers will included; AURORA MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA, CATERINA LICHTENBERG, SHARON GILCHRIST & SCOTT NYGAARD, THE GRAVENSTEIN MANDOLIN ENSEMBLE, and THE TUTTLES & A.J.LEE. Once again the BYOM ORCHESTRA (Bring Your Own Mandolin) will convene. Ethnic Bulgarian food by chef Hristo Kolev.

2014

Festival of the Mandolins

Sunday , Apr 27, 2014 • 11:00 AM • 11AM Workshops 1PM Concert. Tix $20 door, $15 Adv, children free

Event Details

Join us for the 14th annual San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins. There will be four diverse mandolin performances at the 1PM concert, preceeded by workshops at 11AM. Performers will include; AURORA MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA, RADIM ZENKL,SEABRIGHT SERENADERS (Paul Rangell, Emily Abbink, & Irene Herrmann) and the KENNY HALL TRIBUTE BAND (Terry Barrett, Harry & Cindy Liedstrand) Ethnic Bulgarian food by chef Hristo Kolev. Advance tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com

The Aurora Mandolin Orchestra (AMO), the largest orchestra of its kind in the San Francisco Bay Area, will perform for the 14th consecutive year at the SF Mandolin Festival. Gino Pellegrini, a member of the original “Aurora” of the 1930s reformed the group in 1970 as Director and Concert Master. He was the “heart and soul” of the orchestra until his passing in 2006 when his wife, Josephine, assumed leadership as Director/Conductor. His musical legacy prevails under her leadership with more than 30 supportive and dedicated musicians playing mandolin, mandola, mandocello, guitar, string bass, flute, accordion and percussion. They continue to perform many concerts to thousands of audiences throughout the Bay Area offering diverse programs of the mandolin repertoire. Their greatest achievement was their performance in Davies Hall at San Francisco Symphony’s festive opening night. Rehearsals every Wednesday evening in Redwood City welcome new members who read music, with no fees to join, but only the interest in attending rehearsals

Radim Zenkl - mandolin player, composer and instructor. Radim's style features progressive original and eastern European traditional music flavored with string jazz, new age, bluegrass, flamenco, rock, classical and other. The US Mandolin Champion is redefining the mandolin and its role in music by designing new mandolin-family instruments and creating new playing styles. He has invented a masterful technique, the "Zenkl style," in which a single mandolin sounds like two. Besides collaborating with the top musicians of the acoustic music scene, Radim has built up an extensive repertoire for solo mandolin. In the recent years he added a variety of ethnic flutes to his concerts and recordings.

The Seabright Serenaders are Paul Rangell, Emily Abbink, & Irene Herrmann.Their repertoire centers on Italian, Mexican, New Mexican and Caribbean dance tunes and songs from popular and traditional music origins. Their most common instrumental line-up consists of two mandolins and guitar. Paul occasionally plays fiddle, brac, guitar or add vocals to bring texture to a performance.

The *Kenny Hall Tribute Band is Terry Barrett-mandolin, Harry Liedstrand-fiddle, and Cindy Liedstrand-guitar. Terry Barrett is a multi-talented musician playing fiddle, mandolin, and guitar. A protege of Kenny Hall, Terry has a wealth of musical styles and tunes under his belt. Italian, Scandinavian, Old Timey, and Celtic music are all part of his repetoir. Terry has been featured on albums by Kenny Hall and Fresno Spelman and others. Harry Liedstrand became fascinated with traditional country music while living in the central San Joaquin Valley. Inspired by valley musicians like Kenny Hall, Otis Pierce, and Ron Huey, Harry began collecting tunes and immersing himself in Fresno’s rich musical heritage. In 1969 Harry joined the Sweets Mill String Band and began performing music at universities and folk festivals up and down the west coast.

*Kenny Hall was a “fiercely independent old-time musician” who passed last year at 90 years of age. He was an inspiration to generations of revival musicians in California. Born blind on October 14, 1923, in San Jose, California, Kenny Hall became a master mandolinist and fiddler in old-time music styles, drawing inspiration from regional styles throughout U.S. as well as Ireland, Mexico, Latin America, and Europe. His performances wove together tunes, stories and folk songs.

Schedule

WORKSHOPS

11a BYOM Kenny Hall Orchestra

12p Radim Zenkl & Paul Rangell workshops

FOOD

12p Chef Hristo Kolev

CONCERT

1p Aurora Mandolin Orchestra

2p Radim Zenkl

3p Seabright Serenaders - Paul Rangell, Emily Abbink, & Irene Herriman

4p Kenny Hall Tribute Band - Terry Barrett, Harry & Cindy Liedstrand

2015

Festival of the Mandolins

Sunday , Apr 26, 2015 • 11:00 AM • 11AM Workshops 1PM Concert Tix $20, $15 adv, children free

Join us for the 15th annual San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins. There will be diverse mandolin performances at the 1PM concert, preceeded by workshops at 11AM. Performers will include; Aurora Mandolin Orchestra, Ashley Broder, Tom Bekeny and the Missing Man Quartet, Duo Pizzicato w/ Irene Herrman, Paul Kotapish, Ragtime Skedaddlers, Instant Klezmer Mandolin Orchestra w/Yael Schy-dance leader, Bring Your Own Mandolin Orchestra led by Dennis Pash. Bulgarian food by chef Hristo Kolev. Advance tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com

At 11AM join Bring Your Own Mandolin Orchestra featuring classic rags, led by Dennis Pash and Workshops with Ashley Broder, Tom Bekeny.

Performers

Ashley Broder. With her diverse background of classical violin training and love of all fiddle styles, Ashley grew up traveling around the country learning and performing. In 2009 she joined The Syncopaths who released their first studio album together called "FIve Gears". The band captures the energy of a contra dance band, but the subtlety of a performance band using fiddle, piano, mandolin, bodhran and vocals. They perform concert halls, festivals, and dance weekends throughout the US. Today, Ashley keeps a full studio of students and in her off-time, performs in various bands and continues to work on her solo album. Her latest project, Sam ‘n Ash, with accordionist Samantha Harvey incorporates many of her own compositions. Joining Ashley will be Jade Hendrix on stunning vocals and Coso Franklin on groovy bass.

Duo Pizzicato is Martha Hawthorne (guitar and vocals) and Bill Foss (mandolin and vocals). Martha Hawthorne learned to sing Italian songs from her Swiss relatives and more recently during trips to Ticino, the Italian speaking canton of Switzerland. Bill first heard Italian mandolin music from Matteo Casserino while Matteo practiced with Gino DiMichele in Gino’s guitar shop in the late 1970s. Special guest Irene Herrmann (second mandolin) was honored to learn her Italian mandolin repertoire in Santa Cruz from Riccardo Tunzi (from Locarno, Switzerland) and Tony Flores (from Sicily). She 'seconded' on harmony mandolin with both of them during the last years of their lives. She has previously performed at the Mandolin Festival with Tony Flores and Paul Hostetter in 2002 and last year as part of the Seabright Serenaders with Paul Rangell and Emily Abbink.

Instant Klezmer Mandolin Orchestra (IKMO) In the early 20th century, among the many mandolin orchestras playing light classical and popular music in Europe and America were those emphasizing Jewish music. Carrying on this tradition, and named in recognition of its infrequent assembly, spontaneous musical arrangements, genre, instrumentation, and plethora of plinky pluckers, the Instant Klezmer Mandolin Orchestra features members of several of the San Francisco Bay Area's leading klezmer groups, and as well as mandolinists prominent in other genres, celebrity cameos, and innocent bystanders. The group originally formed to play at the San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins in 2005, returning several times, as well as at the Jewish Music Festival of the JCC East Bay in Berkeley, most recently in March 2015. IKMO has about 20 members this year.

The Missing Man Quartet plays an exciting mix of straight ahead jazz that is heavily influenced by the swing music of the ‘30s and by the exciting innovations of bebop and “modern jazz” of the 1940s and ‘50s. The Missing Man Quartet is one of the rare mainstream jazz groups that features electro-acoustic mandolin alongside the more standard instrumentation of guitar, bass, and drums. The band and is comprised of: Craig Griffeath-electric bass, Steve Gallagher--electric guitar. Aaron Hipschman—drum, Tom Bekeny--electro-acoustic mandolin.

Paul Kotapish is known for his inventive rhythmic accompaniment and incisive melody playing on mandolin and guitar with Wake the Dead, Euphonia, Hillbillies from Mars, and with noted fiddlers such as Kevin Burke and Rodney Miller. Paul's background is in dance music, and his playing is rooted in the rural fiddle traditions of Appalachia, Ireland and beyond, but it also embraces pop idioms like rock and country. For four decades Paul has performed on concert stages and in dance halls throughout the United States and Canada, from remote fishing villages in Alaska to Lincoln Center in New York City. Foreign travel has included concert and dance tours in Europe, Great Britain, Latin America and the former Soviet Union – Russia, Georgia and Ukraine. He has performed numerous times on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion and Sedge Thompson’s West Coast Live radio programs. Paul has recorded a dozen albums with his various bands, and has appeared as a guest on dozens more.

The Ragtime Skedaddlers are Dennis Pash on banjo-mandolin, Nick Robinson on mandolin, and Mike Schwartz on guitar. They play rags, cakewalks, marches, waltzes, and latin-tinge pieces from vintage mandolin and guitar sheet music arrangements. Dennis Pash has spent the greater part of his adult life researching string ragtime, and particularly that of the states of Kansas and Missouri. In addition to mandolin, he also plays banjo, guitar, and piano. Dennis is well known to ragtime enthusiasts as the founder of the legendary Etcetera String Band. He is an extraordinarily expressive player. No one is better at bringing out the folk roots that underlie so many ragtime compositions. Nick Robinson plays the second mandolin part which is unique to the published string arrangements. Nick has played a variety of music, including American old time, klezmer, and Indonesian gamelan. Mike Schwartz was born in Brooklyn, NY. He studied with ragtime fingerstyle guitar great Rev. Gary Davis, and learned jazz arranging and theory at the Manhattan School of Music and the New School in New York City. Mike has worked as a studio musician in Los Angeles, and he has written and arranged music for several Bay Area theater groups. Mike performs in many jazz, rock and folk clubs, including the Aurora Mandolin Orchestra. For their appearance at the 2015 SF Festival of the Mandolins, the Skedaddlers will be joined by special guest Billy Packard.

More about the performers:

--- Aurora Mandolin Orchestra http://www.auroramandolin.com/
--- Ashley Broder (& workshop) https://www.facebook.com/ashley.broder.7
--- Tom Bekeny & the Missing Man Quartet http://www.mandolincafe.com/news/publish/mandolins_001574.shtml
--- Duo Pizzicato w/ Irene Herrman http://duopizzicato.com/
--- Paul Kotapish http://www.wakethedead.org/the-band/paul-kotapish/
--- Ragtime Skedaddlers http://ragtimeskedaddlers.bandcamp.com/
--- Instant Klezmer Mandolin Orch, w/ dance leader Yael Schy http://www.tophill.com/ikmo
--- Bring Your Own Mandolin Orchestra featuring classic rags, led by Dennis Pash
--- Workshops with Ashley Broder, Tom Bekeny

2016

Festival of the Mandolins

Sunday , Apr 24, 2016 • 11:00 AM • 11AM Workshops 1PM Concert Tix $20, $15 adv, children free

Join us for the 16th annual San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins. There will be diverse mandolin performances at the 1PM concert, preceeded by workshops at 11AM. Performers include; Grant Gordy and Joe Walsh, Aurora Mandolin Orchestsra, Achille Bocus of the SF Mandolin Orchestra in Mozart Symphony #29, La Familia Pena-Govea, Gravenstein Mandolin Orchestra and the Mandorian Candidates. Bulgarian food by chef Hristo Kolev. Advance tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com

Workshops:

11AM - BYOMO (Bring Your Own Mandolin Orchestra) featuring Achille Bocus teaching his new arrangement of Mozart Symphony #29. BYOMO members can join the performance later in the afternoon.

12PM - 2 additional workshops: Joe Walsh - Bluegrass and Beyond, Miguel Govea - Mexican.

FEATURED PERFORMERS

The music of Grant Gordy and Joe K. Walsh arises from and expands upon the great tradition of guitar and mandolin duets. Drawing heavily from bluegrass and string band music while folding in sounds from influences as varied as Jerry Garcia, Bill Frisell, David Grisman, and Django Reinhardt, their sound is an exciting romp through many acoustic styles, all tied together with their deep improvisatory communication. In addition to touring as a duet, Grant and Joe play with Darol Anger and Ethan Jodziewicz in a band called Mr Sun, and have toured together all over North America and Europe.

Born in Oregon, raised on his father’s roots and blues guitar playing, Brooklyn-based Grant Gordy was drawn to the guitar early on as a means of personal expression and intellectual curiosity. Moving to Colorado as he entered his 20s opened his musical horizons as he began playing innumerable gigs with local musicians in a wide range of different styles. Being asked to assume the guitarists’ role in the fabled David Grisman Quintet, a spot previously held by such guitar notables as Tony Rice, Mark O’Connor, Frank Vignola and Mike Marshall, firmly established Gordy as one of the preeminent young voices on guitar. Just ask his boss, David Grisman, who says Gordy “belongs to the new elite of American acoustic practitioners who are pushing the ever-expanding envelope of a musical frontier.”

Hailed by Nashville’s Music Row Magazine for his “lickety-split mandolin work” and by CBC-Newfoundland as “one of the best mandolinists of his generation”, Portland, Maine-based mandolin player Joe K. Walsh is known for his exceptional tone and taste, and his collaborations with acoustic music luminaries including legendary fiddler Darol Anger, flatpick guitar hero Scott Nygaard, folk legend Jonathan Edwards, and pop/grass darlings Joy Kills Sorrow have taken him all over the musical and figurative map. He’s played with everyone from John Scofield to Bela Fleck to Emmylou Harris, and performed everywhere from festivals to laundromats to Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. After a number of years helping bluegrass super-group the Gibson Brothers rise to the top of the bluegrass world, Joe currently splits his time between a group with Grant Gordy, Darol Anger and Ethan Jodziewicz called Mr Sun and a trio with Brittany Haas and Owen Marshall. An avid educator, Joe is a mandolin instructor at the Berklee College of Music, and teaches at music camps throughout North America.

The Aurora Mandolin Orchestra (AMO), the largest orchestra of its kind in the San Francisco Bay Area, will perform for the 16th consecutive year at the SF Mandolin Festival. Gino Pellegrini, a member of the original “Aurora” of the 1930s reformed the group in 1970 as Director and Concert Master. He was the “heart and soul” of the orchestra until his passing in 2006 when his wife, Josephine, assumed leadership as Director/Conductor. His musical legacy prevails under her leadership with more than 30 supportive and dedicated musicians playing mandolin, mandola, mandocello, guitar, string bass, flute, accordion and percussion. They continue to perform many concerts to thousands of audiences throughout the Bay Area offering diverse programs of the mandolin repertoire. Their greatest achievement was their performance in Davies Hall at San Francisco Symphony’s festive opening night. Rehearsals every Wednesday evening in Redwood City welcome new members who read music, with no fees to join, but only the interest in attending rehearsals.

Achille Bocus conducts The San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra, a plucked string orchestra with 20-25 members, playing instruments of the mandolin family (mandolin, mandola and mandocello), as well as guitar, and double bass. The orchestra formed in May, 2005, and rehearses in San Francisco's Mission district on Sunday afternoons.

La Familia Peña-Govea: Miguel Govea and Susan Peña and their two daughters, Rene and Cecilia, continue a legacy of family music making that encompasses the Chicano/Mexican/American traditions of love songs, rancheras, cumbias and more. Playing will be - Miguel Govea: mandolin, Susan Peña: fiddle, Rene Peña-Govea: button accordion, Cecilia Peña-Govea: guira, trumpet, Sergio Duran: percussion

The Gravenstein Mandolin Ensemble is the only mandolin orchestra in the North Bay, consisting of mandolins, mandolas, mandoccellos, and bass. Under the musical direction of Gus Garelick, the ensemble's eclectic repertoire includes music from George Frederick Handel to Scott Joplin with some musical excursions to Brazil, Italy, Ireland, and Brooklyn along the way. It is a great group with lots of energy!

The Mandorian Candidates toss their hats into the ring in this election year with their first caucus since the period in the late 20th century when, wrote a reviewer in the East Bay Express, "there was a mandolin trio on every corner," and Olivier Zyngier (founding member of Baguette Quartette and Bistro Moustache), Tony Phillips (Red Hot Chachkas), and Jim Geselbracht (the John Lomax of Palau) played tunes from as many countries as possible on mandolins, octave mandolin, and guitar.

BYOMO (Bring Your Own Mandolin Orchestra). This highly popular Orchestra meets every year at the San Francisco Mandolin Festival. Thus far it has assembled 16 times. Music is supplied from easy to a little more difficult. Sometimes there is an conductor. The membership is made up of mandolinists who wish to experience playing in an orchestra in a non pressured way.

2018

San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins 2018

Sunday , Apr 22, 2018 • 12:00 PM • $20, $15 Adv. Children Free

Event Details

Join us for the 18th annual San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins. There will be diverse mandolin performances at the 1PM concert, preceeded by workshops at 12PM.

Featured at the 18th Annual Festival are:

Mandolin Virtuoso EVAN MARSHALL

https://www.evanjmarshall.com/

NOCTAMBULE

Irish and original music featuring mandolinist Marla Fibish

http://www.noctambulemusic.com/

BISTRO MOUSTACHE

Parisian Cafe Music featuring mandolinist Oliver Zyngier

http://www.bistromoustache.com/

AURORA MANDOLIN ORCHESTRA

Conducted by Jo Pellegrini

http://www.auroramandolin.com/