@The Cedar January: Carolina Chocolate Drops, Haley Bonar, Pieta Brown, D'Gary, Cafe Accordion Orchestra...

Happy New Year from all of us at The Cedar! We're easing into January gently, with just one show this weekend (this Saturday, the New Riverside Ramblers are putting on one of their fabulous, energizing Cajun dances, which make great concert experiences as well), and then a full line-up begins January 12 with perennial local favorites Café Accordion Orchestra (1/12).

A new act for The Cedar, but drawing big crowds on the east coast, Old School Freight Train steam into town (1/17) with a very appealing, accessible but very fresh and interesting sound that blends multiple influences, from bluegrass to Latin to jazz to folk and swing and more!

Taking a similarly creative approach to their music-making are the Orange Mighty Trio (1/19), featuring the fantastic fiddle of Zack Kline (Piper's Crow), and on this special night, they'll be joined for the first time by guitar wild-card Dean Magraw. If you're a fan of Ethel, or Tin Hat, or Darol Anger's Republic of Strings, or Kronos Quartet, then do yourself a favor and catch OMT and be prepared for OMG!

In the middle of the string-band sandwich, The Cedar hosts an evening with two women with great voices and a growing catalog of tight, original rootsy songs: Haley Bonar and Pieta Brown (1/18)! Haley has built a strong local and national audience with her past two albums, and is reportedly working on a third for release sometime later in the year, while Pieta Brown (the daughter of Greg) has won deserved acclaim for her latest release Remember the Sun. She'll be appearing at The Cedar with long-time collaborator--legendary slide guitarist and producer Bo Ramsey.

The Carolina Chocolate Drops gave one of the most lively Cedar shows of 2006, and we're delighted to have them back for not one, but two days (1/20--1/21). This incredibly lively string/jug band will give a public concert at The Cedar on Sunday (1/20), preceded by an afternoon workshop at the brand-new MacPhail Center for Music (2pm), and a very special, non-public 7pm performance at The Cedar on 1/21 (Martin Luther King Jr Day) for Project SUCCESS students. These Cedar community outreach events are supported in part by a Travelers' Arts and Diversity Grant.

Virtuosic guitarist Adrian Legg (1/24) is back for another spell-binding evening of instrumental music--and generous lashings of his very dry, very English wit and storytelling.

Singer, songwriter and poet Diane Jarvi (1/25) has a tremendously diverse new CD out. Called Wild Gardens, the new recording deftly weaves garden themes with humanity and warmth, and stems from musical styles drawn from all over the globe. She'll be joined this evening by some of the Twin Cities top talent: Dan Newton (accordion), Dean Magraw (guitar), Marc Anderson (percussion), Brian Barnes (guitar, mandolin), Clint Hoover (harmonica), Tom Lewis (bass), Ralph Tuttila (jouhikko) and Anna Vasquez (cello).

Don't miss the inaugural night of a fun new series at The Cedar: The 416 Club aims to present established and up-and-coming artists in a relaxed evening showcase where anything can happen and probably will. Musicians have a chance to explore new material, play with different folks, and woo appreciative new audiences. The sound quality will be just as good as you've come to expect from The Cedar, but there will be a bunch of new artists to sample at an inexpensive price. The first 416 Club (1/26) presents DitchLilies Duo (Kari Larson and Lisa Schultz), Jon Rodine, Molly Maher, Jennifer Markey, Steve Kaul & Dave Babb, and the High 48's. Curated by Jon Rodine.

We finish this high quality but remarkably inexpensive month with the only show that is over $20--the International Guitar Night (1/27, $20/$25), which given that it features four outstanding guitarists in one night is really only $5 per guitarist, or less than $1 per string! Madagascan guitarist D'Gary is a must-see at any price, and Clive Carroll (a protege of John Renbourn) has rapidly built up a hushed reputation over his past two Cedar visits as one of the very finest acoustic guitarists around. And if the thought of flamenco guitar gets your blood rushing, then you won't want to miss Miguel de la Bastide.

Here's one more very special event this month for you to consider. It is not at The Cedar, but is from our friends at the Ordway:

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts is proud to present one night with Angélique Kidjo. Her work has garnered her five Grammy nominations, has cross-pollinated the West African traditions of her childhood in Benin with elements of American R&B, funk and jazz, as well as influences from Europe and Latin America. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with a diverse group of international artists like Carlos Santana and Gilberto Gil.
Sunday, January 13, 5:00PM, Tickets only $20
For tickets call 651-224-4222 or visit the Ordway's website

Please do get out and enjoy these musical offerings--the long winter months are the heart of The Cedar season, and what better way to celebrate the season than ensconced in our comfortable listening room listening to amazing music from near at hand and the furthest reaches. More great acts are coming up on February, March and April (see below for a partial listing)!

Please note that as of Jan 11, we will be discontinuing the use of The Podium and Roadrunner Records as ticket agents for Cedar shows. We are grateful for their strong support of The Cedar over the years, and we urge you to continue to stop by and check out their wares. We will continue to have tickets available for purchase at The Cedar (612-338-2674 ext 2 or from Concessions during shows), online at Ticketweb , and at Global Village, Electric Fetus, Irish on Grand and Homestead Pickin' Parlor.

Made a New Year's Resolution to volunteer more in '08, but not done anything about it yet? Come to the Cedar Volunteer Orientation, 7pm Jan 15 at The Cedar. Contact Volunteer Coordinator Jason Koffman (jason.koffman@thecedar.org Tel: 612-338-2674 ext 102) to sign up or for more info. We'll be glad of your help!

Here's the calendar for Jan and Feb, and a few choice shows beyond:
(tickets all shows listed on sale now, except as noted)

Sat 1/5
New Riverside Ramblers Cajun dance/concert
8pm $10 at the door (includes free dance lesson at 7.30pm)

Sat 1/12
Café Accordion Orchestra
8pm $12 advance, $15 day of show

Thurs 1/17
Old School Freight Train
7.30pm $13 advance, $15 day of show Sponsored by 903 and 106.7 KFAI

Fri 1/18
Haley Bonar and Pieta Brown
8pm $10 advance, $12 day of show

Sat 1/19
Orange Mighty Trio with special guest Dean Magraw
8pm $10 advance, $12 day of show

Sun 1/20
Carolina Chocolate Drops Workshop
2pm at the new MacPhail Center for Music

Sun 1/20
Carolina Chocolate Drops
7.30pm $15 advance, $18 day of show Sponsored by 903 and 106.7 KFAI

Mon 1/21 (Martin Luther King Jr Day)
Carolina Chocolate Drops
7pm Project SUCCESS only.

Thur 1/24
Adrian Legg
7.30pm $16 advance, $18 day of show

Fri 1/25
Diane Jarvi and Friends
8pm $14 advance, $16 day of show

Sat 1/26
416 Club presents: DitchLilies Duo, Jon Rodine, Molly Maher, Jennifer Markey, Steve Kaul & Dave Babb, and the High 48's
Curated by Jon Rodine
7.30pm $8 advance, $10 day of show Sponsored by 903 and 106.7 KFAI

Sun 1/27
International Guitar Night featuring D'Gary, Clive Carroll, Brian Gore and Miguel de la Bastide
7.30pm $20 advance, $25 day of show Sponsored by 903 and 106.7 KFAI

Fri 2/1
Happy Apple with James Buckley Trio
8pm $12 advance, $15 day of show

Sat 2/2
Ellis CD release
8pm $13 advance, $15 day of show

Sun 2/3
Catie Curtis
7.30pm $18 day of show, $20 advance

Mon 2/ 4
Tim Finn and Alice Peacock
7.30pm $20 advance, $25 day of show

Sat 2/9
Spaghetti Western String Co. CD release with a live choir and Fat Kid Wednesdays
8pm $12 advance, $15 day of show

Sun 2/10
Monsters of Folk: Dave Alvin, Tim O'Brien and Chris Smither
7.30pm $25 advance, $30 day of show

Mon 2/11
Dean & Britta and Keren Ann
7.30pm $18 advance, $20 day of show Sponsored by 89.3 The Current

Fri 2/15
Carrie Newcomer
8pm $18 advance, $20 day of show Tickets on sale noon Fri Jan 11

Fri 2/22
St Vincent with Foreign Born
8pm $12 Sponsored by 89.3 The Current

Sat 2/23
Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas
8pm $18 advance, $20 day of show

Sun 2/24
Cheryl Wheeler
7.30pm $20 advance, $25 day of show

Fri 2/29
The Brass Kings CD release
8pm TBA On sale soon

Sat 3/8
Slavic Soul Party
8pm $15 advance, $18 day of show Tickets on sale 2pm Fri Jan 11

Thur 4/3
Andy Statman Trio
7.30pm $25 advance, $28 day of show

Sun 4/13
Glen Phillips
8pm $18 advance, $22 day of show Tickets on sale noon Fri Jan 11

Sat 4/19
Blue Boat Records presents Peter Mayer
8pm $21 advance

Thanks for your support during 2007, and here's for a peaceful, more musical 2008! As always, please send this newsletter onto your friends, or subscribe/unsubscribe yourself using the simple tool in the right-hand column of the Cedar homepage.

Brian

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Brian Corner

Publicity Support

Cedar Cultural Center 612-338-2674
416 Cedar Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55454 USA
612-338-1687 (fax)
brian.corner@thecedar.org
<http://www.thecedar.org/>