Berkeley Old Time Music SPRING FLING
May 15 and 16, 2010

Sun. May 16 from 11:00 am to 6 pm:  CONCERTS, WORKSHOPS, JAMMING, ETC at the Freight (2020 Addison St, Berkeley) - admission FREE - schedule below

Sun. May 16 at 8 pm:  CONCERT at the Freight (2020 Addison St, Berkeley) with Kate Brislin & Jody Stecher and the Canote Brothers (Greg & Jere) , admission $14.50 in advance, $15.50 at the door

  NEW: Download a printable schedule here!

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SATURDAY NIGHT MAY 15th SQUARE DANCE at ASHKENAZ -- feauring two great bands: the Canote Brothers (Greg & Jere) (pictured left), with Brendan Doyle, AND Puncheon Floor ( pictured right) plus two terrific callers: Evie Ladin and Jordan Ruyle. Evie is a mover and shaker who plays in the Stairwell Sisters, with Crosspulse, and with her own band. Two fiddle-and-banjo bands pumping out music that makes you want to get up and dance, plus callers who love to introduce the uninitiated to the fun of a square dance party, with the emphasis on “party”!! No dancing experience is needed, the callers will teach all dances from scratch and will call the moves all the way through. No need to bring a partner, although you can if you want. And same sex partners fit in fine. All ages are welcome. Doors open at 7:30 and the dance will start at 8:00. Ashkenaz is located at 1317 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley -- just south of Gilman Street. Free parking across the street in the REI lot. Beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks are available for purchase. 

The Canote Brothers, identical twins from Seattle, have been playing for square dances for more years than they can remember, including Dare To Be Square, Lady of the Lake, Camp Wannadance, Pinewoods, Fiddle Tunes, etc. etc. Greg and Jere will be joined by Brendan Doyle (banjo), who has played in many prize winning bands at Clifftop and BOTMC and has recorded with the Canote Brothers, Mark Simos and others. Puncheon Floor is Maxine Gerber (banjo), Paul Harnik (fiddle) and Karen Celia Heil (guitar.) Paul, a paleantologist by trade, moved to the Bay Area last summer. He played in the prize-winning band in last year's BOTMC String Band Contest, and once played fiddle in downtown Chicago for the city's exhibition/competition to redesign public recycling receptacles. Karen Celia Heil is well known to Bay Area old time music fans as a member of the Knuckle Knockers and the Creole Belles. Maxine Gerber has recorded with the Canote Brothers, Mark Simos, Ray Bierl and Suzy's Floozies. She and Brendan spent many summers visiting some of old-time music's elder statesmen, including Melvin Wine, Ernie Carpenter and Lotus Dickey. Puncheon Floor says that their stringband music is "strong enough to drive nails and lonesome enough to break hearts!"

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SUNDAY MAY 16th --  FREE EVENTS at the Freight -- here's the SCHEDULE (subject to change)

In the CONCERT HALL:

11:00 am to noon: FAMILY DANCE with caller Evie Ladin and music by the Mt Diablo Family Band -- all ages welcome! Dances will be geared towards families and kids, with some that even a babe in arms can do! You don't need to bring a partner, and no previous experience is necessary, Evie will teach all the moves.

Noon til 12:30pm:  Extraterrestrial appearance by the Spoonoplians - this will directly follow the family dance, your kids won't want to miss it and neither will you! I cannot explain the Spoonoplians; please check them out on Youtube: Spoonoplians on YouTube

12:30pm to 1:00 -- break while the chairs get put back so that the concert sets can begin

1:00 to 6:00 --- CONCERT SETS:

1:00 --- Crooked Jades Trio:  nouveau old time music by Jades founders Jeff Kazor & Lisa Berman, with Erik Pearson - composer of the Jades tune featured by Sean Penn in his 2007 film "Into the Wild" - and special guest Genessa Kealoha on bass. The Crooked Jades create an original modern sound with their striking arrangements of old time tunes mixed with haunting original compositions, played on an eclectic (not electric!) array of vintage instruments.

1:45 -- Ray Bierl: Ray has been performing music from a cross the broad American landscape for well on to five decades. He's a musical storyteller, who draws on a wide range of genres and styles -- cowboy ballads, Appalachian fiddle tunes, and more -- delivering a travelogue not just of places, but of time, human emotions and imagination. He's also an accomplished and engaging fiddler, and has performed for 25 years with the well-known Hillbillies from Mars.

2:30-- Willy Claflin: Willy brings an extensive repertoire of Scottish ballads and a love for rubber squeaky toys to performances that range from personal experience to personal nonsense. With an astute eye for the real as well as the absurd, Willy closely observes the vagaries of growing up and then takes a left turn into wild parody. Warning: performances may contain music and silliness.

3:15 -- Hadassah Gospel Hour: Old-time three-part harmonies and foot-stomping fiddle tunes from Evie Ladin, Suzy Thompson, and Allegra Yellin. A rare performance by these three powerhouse women! Evie Ladin is well-known as a great singer, dancer and banjo player, with the Stairwell Sisters, Crosspulse, and recently released her first solo album, featuring her original music. Suzy Thompson has been playing fiddle and singing up a storm in the Bay Area (and beyond) for decades, starting in the 1970s with Any Old Time and recently with the Texas Sheiks and in her duo with Eric.  Allegra Yellin plays in the prize-winning Squirrelly String Band,and sings contemporary music with the Florid Ians.

4:00 -- Ragtime Skedaddlers: The Ragtime Skedaddlers (Dave Krinkel, Nick Robinson and Dennis Pash) explore the long tradition of ragtime music played on stringed instruments, with twin mandolin rags, cakewalks, two-steps, marches and waltzes from late 19th and early 20th century America. They were a hit at last year's BOTMC String Band Contest!

4:45 -- Alex Sharps: teenage multi-instrumentalist and singer Alex Sharps had the itch to play old-time music in the summer of 2008, at the age of fifteen. He got his first fiddle and was playing tunes on it within just a few hours! Primarily self-taught, he draws inspiration from old-time musicians such as Bruce Molsky and Brad Leftwich. Alex loves history and participates in Civic War reenactments several times a year, serving as a private in the 7th West Virginia Infantry. A "pastor's kid", he's very involved in the ministry with his parents, singing and playing during the Sunday morning worship service. In addition to all the stringed instruments in his photo, he also plays piano, tin whistle, drums and percussion! For his set, Alex will be joined by Evie Ladin, David Brown, and Barbara LaRae.

5:30 --  Alan Senauke & Eric Thompson: Growing up in New York and California respectively, master guitarists Alan Senauke and Eric Thompson have each been playing old-time music since their early teens. As close friends for thirty years  and partners in Blue Flame Stringband, Bluegrass Intentions, the Aux Cajunals, and other informal aggregations, they continue to delve into old-time music of various types including Appalachian, Greek, Irish, blues, etc.

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UPSTAIRS:  Workshops! 

If you're interested in leading a workshop, jam session, demo, etc that is related to old time music, send an email to SpringFlingWorkshop(AT)BerkeleyOldTimeMusic.org.

1pm - Stringband Blues Jam - Suzy Thompson
1pm - A History of Percussive Dance (Demo) - Evie Ladin
1pm - Sing me a story: ballads and story-songs - Willie Claflin
2pm - Slow Jam - Allegra Yellin
2pm - Bluegrass and Oldtime crossover tunes - Dane Miller
3pm - Cajun Jam - Midnite Ramblers
3pm - Shades of Clyde - bring your sunglasses (fiddle) - Karen Celia Heil
3pm - Oldtime Diatonic Harmonica Workshop and Jam  (Intermediate and Advanced) - David Munsch
4pm - A Dozen Ways to Work a Flatpick (Guitar) - Ray Bierl
4pm - 4-part Harmony Singing - 2 Traditional American Songs - Lauren Carley

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SUNDAY MAY 16th -- at 8:00 pm at the Freight  -- CONCERT featuring Jody Stecher & Kate Brislin, and  the Canote Brothers (Greg & Jere) .  Admission is $14.50 in advance, $15.50 at the door.  Advance tickets available at the Freight box office or online at the Freight website

Jody Stecher & Kate Brislin -- a rare performance by this three-time Grammy nominated duo. Jody and Kate have an uncanny ability to crystalize the spiritual essence of an old song, while making it their own. The focus is on their vocal harmonies, along with Jody's brilliantly inventive instrumental forays on fiddle, mandolin, banjo and guitar, anchored by Kate's empathic rhythm guitar and sparkling clawhammer banjo. They are in the process of making a new CD (their first in 10 years!) which we hope will be ready in time for the Spring Fling.

The Canote Brothers (Greg & Jere): Identical twin brothers Greg and Jere (who live in Seattle) have been taking advantage of their genetics for as long as they can remember:as Christmas elves tap dancing their way around the wishing well in the first grade, to their thirteen-year stint as the affable side-kicks on NPR's Sandy Bradley's Potluck. From fiddle tunes and country songs to novelty numbers, these twins perform with spirit, humor, and sterling musicianship - and with a friendly approach that invites you into their genetically matched world for a little while. They also share a well-honed ear for quirky songs that have the ring of cockeyed classics!