Bill FrisellRudy RoystonA rare opportunity to hear guitar maven Bill Frisell in the intimate space of The Cedar, accompanied by the incredibly sympathetic playing of Greg Leisz (lap and pedal steel guitar), Rudy Royston (drums), and Tony Scherr (bass).
2 Foot Yard2 Foot Yard-(n.)1. a very small urban garden in which things grow organically, both feeding off of and defying their greater context. 2. a short-changed measurement
2 Foot Yard shatters the boundaries between art song and pop song by merging the visceral power of rock with the intimacy and warmth of chamber music. Violin, cello, voice, and drums combine to create a cacophony of harmonic (im)balance culled from an astonishing array of musical influences, from acoustic punk to the twang of old country love ballads. This trio features Tzadik recording artist Carla Kihlstedt (Tin Hat, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, The Book of Knots) on violin and vocals, Marika Hughes (Charming Hostess, Vienna Teng) on cello and vocals, and Shahzad Ismaily (Marc Ribot, Secret Chiefs 3, Laurie Anderson) on percussion and guitar, and guarantees an off-kilter ride through the worlds of drama and melody. Combining the harmonic breadth of contemporary classical music and the spontaneity of improvisation, their diverse musical backgrounds come together in one cohesive and unique voice as 2 Foot Yard performs genre-breaking instrumentals and vocal miniatures.
Jacky Molard Quartet: Photo by Bryan AakerRoma di Luna: Photo by Karen MoonSince his first appearance at the Minnesota sur Seine Music Festival in 2005 with singer Erik Marchand, violin virtuoso Jacky Molard, together with the Jacky Molard Acoustic Quartet, has been musically questioning assumptions about traditional Celtic Breton music.
Molard has been one of the main instigators of the reshaping of Celtic music in France, willingly combining elements from several folk traditions—Irish, of course, but also Spanish and Central/East European--and also from jazz. Molard also plays with Gwerz, one of the most innovative of the Breton folk bands, and in a duo with jazz violinist Dominique Pifarély. So it is no surprise that Molard’s compositions incorporate subtle touches from this variety of inspirations. In order to work in these diverse directions, the violinist has surrounded himself with musicians immersed in tradition, yet open to other horizons. Sax player Yanick Jory and accordionist Janick Martin both play traditional music as well as contemporary music, gypsy tunes, and jazz. Acoustic bassist Hélène Labarrière brings to Molard’s quartet her wide experience in jazz, from be-bop to free improvisation.
