NEWS

Recently I began a sabbatical leave from my volunteer position as Mad Horse Theatre Company's Executive Director. The decision to do so was made primarily because I want to focus more time and effort on music, especially my own. Not long after my Mad Horse duties wound down Jay York asked if I’d like to put on a house concert. I quickly accepted his invitation.

With dozens of paper scraps covered with short chord sequences and more than a few mini-disk recordings of melodies I wanted to hear fully arranged, Jay's invitation gave me an excellent reason to do more than just keep noodling around. Most of these pieces feature the baritone and banjo ukuleles. I'll also be playing my acoustic and electric mountain dulcimers. Much of the material is an extension of my compositional work for theatrical productions.

So, on Saturday, August 20 I will be presenting a program of mostly new music in a house concert in Portland. The event will be hosted by Jay at his home and photography studio located at 58 Wilmot St. in “the last church on the left”. The music begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are at the door for a suggested donation of $10. You can get in touch with me for reservations or more details. My contact information, including email link, is at the top of the page.

The concert gives me the chance to bring together, for the first time, an exceptionally talented group of musicians to help me perform a program of mostly new, mostly original, material by yours truly, including a few World Premier Performances. (Doesn't that sound way classier than saying, 'Me and my pick-up band will play some new tunes?') Allow me to introduce ...

August Ensemble

Gerhard Graml was the first musician I contacted for this project. Graml is an Austrian bassist who married a Mainer. The couple lived in Maine for a number of years before returning to Europe. During that time he and I, along with the percussionist Shamou, performed together as the GBS Trio. I wanted to know if and when he might next be in the United States. In a fortunate coincidence he was already booking a series of appearances in New England during the summer and enthusiastically signed on for the August Ensemble. His sonorous acoustic jazz bass will ground the music.

Ken Lovelett is a drummer and percussionist from Mt. Tremper, NY. He owns and operates Sonart Recording Studio and the Sonart Gallery. The gallery features Ken's’s sound sculptures and unique patented instruments. We've been performing and recording together for nearly forty years and have forged a deep musical rapport. As a drummer/percussionist Lovelett is as inventive and melodic as he is rhythmically supple and adept. With my rhythm section secured, I moved on to the rest of the instrumentation and musicians I hoped would be part of the August Ensemble.

Nancy 3 Hoffman is an exceptionally talented accordion player with an engaging personality known for her deft work with the Casco Bay Tummlers, the renowned klezmer group, and with The Maine Squeeze. She is also the Founder of The Umbrella Cover Museum located on Peaks Island. Anyone who can create a museum devoted to the beauty and mystery of an everyday object like an umbrella cover is my kind of gal! As the percussionist and fretted strings player in The Maine Squeeze, an otherwise all accordion band, I know that Nancy 3 has wide musical interests and talents. One composition I plan to perform features a key accordion part. Despite her own busy summer performance schedule, she also signed on for the August Ensemble house concert.

Photo by Deanne Herman

Steve Gruverman and I have not previously performed together. He plays clarinet and other reeds with the a number of ensembles including The Casco Bay Tummlers, Zhok Therapy, the Shavarsh Kef Ensemble, and Okbari. These groups explore innovative approaches to Middle Eastern, Balkan, Turkish, Armenian, Greek, and Jewish musics, blending traditional material with elements of American jazz, blues, and improvisation. After I sent Steve a demo recording and discussed what type of program I want to present, Steve enthusiastically agreed to participate in the August Ensemble.

Vincent Pasternak has performed and recorded with Lovelett and me for more decades than I care to admit. We've each made music in many different styles, genres, and contexts. He is based in Providence and is a multi-instrumentalist who moves easily from one instrument or style to another as the situation demands. The list of Vincent's musical connections, associations and accomplishments is eclectic and ever growing. For the August Ensemble house concert he will primarily contribute violin and guitar. The almost telepathic connection he shares with Ken and me assures that the August Ensemble’s improvisational passages will soar.