Folk music brings alive history and traditions. We welcome Bill Staines for his annual visit to the Our Times Coffeehouse. Since our founding in 1990, Bill has performed each year and his visits have become a tradition for us. Join us, welcoming in the New Year and celebrating 25 years of music, history and traditions.
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Suggested Donations:
Adults: $15
Children under 12: $6 (very young children are free)
Tickets on sale at the door.
Sorry, no pre-sales are available.
“Thrill of improvising makes Sultans a thrill to experience… gripping suspense for both the audience and the musicians Superb!” – Roger Levesque, Edmonton Journal
Sultans of String
The Songwriting, The Sounds, The Magic. Chris McKhool (violin) and Kevin Laliberté (guitar), the songwriters behind the music, take you on a musical journey around the world!
McKhool met Laliberté just as the guitarist was coming off the road from touring around the world with Jesse Cook and cross Canada with The Chieftains. When McKhool (who has performed with Jesse Cook, Pavlo, Club Django) first heard guitarist Laliberté’s rumba rhythm their musical mind-meld created Sultans of String’s sound – the intimate and playful relationship between the violin and the flamenco guitar. Acoustic strings meet with electronic wizardry to create layers and depth of sound, creating soundscapes that seem impossible to be coming from just two people.
Larger than the sum of its parts, this dynamic duo take you on a journey to hear the horses of Sable Island, underwater to hear the calls of Luna the Whale, and on the silk road through Spain and the Middle East, through the Gypsy-jazz cafés of Eastern Europe, and then back to Canada for a trip to the majestic Arctic.
“Kevin and Chris are two extremely talented and creative musicians. Each of them have an extensive background in various traditions and numerous musical accomplishments to their credit. Their own compositions are … exciting and highly original. They are musicians and songwriters of the highest calibre!” – Ken Whiteley, Producer
“Virtuoso playing…. An exuberant and infectious sound… Powerful and moving… The Sultans are simply an awesome musical group!” – Mike Hill, Artistic Director, Mariposa Folk Festival
“An organic mix of rumba, Gypsy, jazz, Middle Eastern and Spanish flavours – they all mix together beautifully… brilliantly executed!” – Errol Nazareth, CBC Radio One
“I remember the shiver up my spine on hearing the calls of Luna- the west coast killer whale searching for his pod- amazingly recreated on Chris’ electric violin. Haunting, moving and not to be missed!” – Charles McFarland- Artistic Producer, Centrepointe Theatre
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Suggested Donations:
Adults: $15
Children under 12: $6 (very young children are free)
Tickets on sale at the door.
Sorry, no pre-sales are available.
Heather Pierson: is an award-winning pianist, multi-genre singer/songwriter, arranger, bandleader, and performer. From New Orleans-style jazz and blues to rousing Americana and poignant folk narratives, Heather’s live performances move seamlessly and effortlessly from one style to the next, and a growing catalog of wildly divergent CD releases reflects her boundless creativity. She is now finishing up work on her eighth studio recording, Motherless Child, a collection of inspired originals and renditions of blues and jazz standards that promises to be her best release to date. In bringing a Dr.-John-meets-Dave-Brubeck sensibility to songs like “The Gumbo’s Too Hot” and embodying the very meaning of heartache in her Nina Simone infused renditions of classics like “I Loves You, Porgy” and the stunning title track, Heather’s formidable talents as a vocalist, pianist, songwriter, arranger, and bandleader are on full display. Motherless Child is scheduled for a late 2014 release.
Cathy Kreger
Cathy Kreger:“Her voice could make a bulldog break his leash to hug a hound!” says one fanatic fan. Armed with only an acoustic guitar and a voice as clear as cool water, Cathy Kreger delivers more pure music per minute than a bevy of roadhouse rockers. Her irresistible voice and guitar has earned her a place on stage with world-class acts, including: Bonnie Raitt, David Bromberg, The Band, Patty Larkin, Maria Muldaur, Taj Mahal and Aztec Two-Step.
For over 20 years, this girl and her guitar have been touring throughout the Northeast performing in small theaters, bars, churches, colleges and homes, gathering a devoted following. Her musical style is a unique combination of adult contemporary and old blues, with an alternative folk flair. Noel Paul Stookey (of Peter, Paul and Mary) once said “No doubt about it. She has a great voice and really has her act together.
Her original songs of true-life stories will pierce your heart, evoking tears and laughter along the way. Kreger turns folk, rock, blues, and pop influences into a lyrical and melodic style that is as passionate as it is polished. She has released four CDs to date. Her latest CD release Pure Imagination has garnered rave reviews, securing her a place in the singer-songwriter/acoustic arena.
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Suggested Donations:
Adults: $15
Children under 12: $6 (very young children are free)
Tickets on sale at the door.
Sorry, no pre-sales are available.
Hallmarks of their music include expansive three-part harmonies, consummate musicianship and a deft yet soulful lyrical perspective. Harpeth Rising’s roots run deep – from their varied ancestry across Eastern Europe to the musical hotbed of the Mid-South they now call home, they weave together ancient and modern ideas, expressing themselves through the common thread of all peoples: Folk Music.
Born from the desire to write and create original music, Harpeth Rising began on a cross-country road trip. After spending a summer jamming at campsites and attending bluegrass festivals, Jordana Greenberg (violin) and Rebecca Reed-Lunn (banjo) decided to keep the adventure alive. They started writing songs and playing out 4 to 5 nights a week, developing their sound and honing their chops. But it was with the addition of Maria Di Meglio (cello) that Harpeth Rising truly found its sound. Despite the presence of only three string instruments on stage, the three women produce a profusion of sound generally created by a much larger ensemble. Di Meglio transitions fluidly between providing the bass line and taking the melodic lead, while Reed-Lunn’s highly original style of claw hammer banjo–learned mainly by watching YouTube–is both surprisingly lyrical and intensely driving. Greenberg takes on the role of concert violinist and accompanist with equal facility, and ensures that a lead guitar is never missed.
Their live performances are high-energy kinetic events in which both their abilities and their passion for performance are obvious. Harpeth Rising can create a listening room from a rowdy bar crowd, and can inspire even the weariest of audiences. After only a few months as a band, they embarked on a self-booked tour of England, which included a performance with The Bath Philharmonia. They were invited to perform at The Cambridge Folk Festival the following summer, and have since played folk festivals across England and the United States. Building their fan base in the tradition of all wandering minstrels – passionately and by word-of-mouth – they now perform to sold-out audiences internationally. They have released four albums in as many years –Harpeth Rising (2010), Dead Man’s Hand (2011), The End of the World (2012), a collaboration with master wordsmith David Greenberg, father of Jordana, and their brand new project, Tales From Jackson Bridge, which released October 1, 2013.
