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I’m really looking forward to teaching at the Mike Block String Camp this summer! Enrollment is already half-full, so visit http://www.mikeblockstringcamp.com/ today if you’re interested. Here are the instructors for 2012:
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Zach Brock - heralded as “the great bright hope for jazz violin”, Zach has a virtuosic and emotive voice that embraces many influences. |
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Hanneke Cassel - U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, and a leading creative voice in Celtic music, The Boston Globe described her as “Exuberant and rhythmic, somehow both wild and innocent.” |
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Joe Craven – the “Musical Madman” will make music out of any object, strings or not! Long-time member of the legendary David Grisman Quintet, he has also performed with Stephane Grapelli and Jerry Garcia. |
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Rushad Eggleston - The Sneth Goblin is a Grammy-nominated cellist fluent in many folk genres, and the inventor of some of his own. If you want your mind blown, check out his power-rock trio, Tornado Rider, in which he also "sings" and "dances". |
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Brittany Haas – Fiddle player in the wildly popular Crooked Still, an Alternative-Bluegrass band based in Boston, Brittany also plays Appalachian mountain music better than it was ever meant to be played. |
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Jefferson Hamer - Offering vocal, guitar, and mandolin classes, Jefferson is a folk-rocker if there ever was one. In addition to developing his own personal songwriting, he is deeply rooted in the traditional song of America and the British Isles. |
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Victor Lin – a versatile Jazz pianist, violinist, and bassist, this musical prodigy received a Doctorate in Jazz Education at Columbia University, where he still teaches. |
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Lauren Rioux - Past President of Maine ASTA, and ground-breaking teacher combining Classical Music and Old-time fiddle styles, she also tours with the Republic of Strings. |
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Mike Block –Multi-genre cellist, composer, educator, and Juilliard graduate who has toured regularly with Yo-Yo Ma, Mark O’Connor, and Darol Anger. |
Anais and I spent a few days in Nashville last week with producer Gary Paczosa. We recorded seven of our Child ballads live in the studio. The session went great and we can’t wait to mix and release the record. For those interested, the songs we recorded are:
- Sir Patrick Spens
- Willie’s Lady
- Willie of Winsbury
- Geordie
- Tam Lin
- Riddles Wisely Expounded
- Clyde Waters
Here’s a shot of us singing the ballads last Fall, taken at Mike and Ruthy’s Folk City at the Cornelia St. Cafe by Gordon Nash.
THE BROOKLYN BALLAD THEATRE PRESENTS: WILLIE’S LADIES
JALOPY – RED HOOK, BROOKLYN, NY – DEC. 2, 2011 – 9:00 PM
buy advance tickets to performance here:
http://jalopy.biz/store/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=135
On Friday, December 2nd, the Brooklyn Ballad Theatre makes its debut performance at Jalopy in Red Hook, Brooklyn, presenting an hour-long musical revue on the life and ladies of Willie, ubiquitous leading man of the traditional ballads of the British Isles. This show will feature an original script based on new adaptations of folk songs, and an extended cast of New York musicians swapping vocal, instrumental, and acting duties. Expect tales of lust, witchcraft, mistaken identity, virgin birth, Oedipal drama, florid Arcadian pastorals, and more. Music will include traditional folk, western saloon, bluegrass, jazz, rock, and show tunes. Costumes and props will be made from God-knows-what. See you there!
Starring Matt Diffee, Jefferson Hamer, Betsy Plum, Stephanie Coleman, Erik Deutsch, Hannah Read, Ben Davis, Maeve Gilchrist, Kristin Andreassen, Rachel Ries, Justin Keller, Sara Heaton, Liz Hanley, Cleek Schrey, Jake Tilove, Dawn Landes, Sean Hutchinson, Adrian Perez and more!
The best news of the day is: I get to see Richard Thompson play tonight. Amy Correia asked me to help her out with some lead guitar and backing vocals for her opening set. If you haven’t heard Amy’s powerful voice and songs, give her a listen: http://amycorreia.com
There’s still tickets available for tonight’s concert in Westchester, NY:
http://tickets.tarrytownmusichall.org/
 My friends in Joy Kills Sorrow have a new record out called “This Unknown Science”. I’m listening to it now and enjoying it immensely. I get that extra special feeling because I wrote track 3 “Wouldn’t Have Noticed” with their bass player and full-time professional badass, Bridget Kearney. You can hear some tracks and download the album from Signature Sounds here:
http://www.signaturesounds.com/album/unknown-science
ANAIS MITCHELL & JEFFERSON HAMER ~ BALLADS
Anais Mitchell (RBR recording artist whose latest folk opera Hadestown was the UK’s best-reviewed album of 2010) & Jefferson Hamer (Brooklyn-based songwriter, accompanist, and traditional player) come together to arrange bold new versions of the old British and Scottish “Child” Ballads (those collected by Professor Francis James Child at the end of the 19th century). These are timeless stories of passion, deceit, violence and the supernatural, lovingly arranged for clarity, poetry, and the American ear. Melodies too are re-imagined and delivered in close harmony accompanied by two acoustic guitars. Anais & Jefferson’s collaborative debut release is slated for 2012.
upcoming Anais Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer “Ballads” shows:
I’m excited to return to my hometown of Lancaster, MA on Sunday, October 2, for a concert at the historic Bulfinch church. My mom was the organist there for years. According to my dad:
Your family Signed the Book, we occupied pew 18, your brother was baptized there, I was member of the Church Standing Committee and was named by the Board of Selectmen to the Lancaster Historical Commission. I ran the grill at the Horse Shed Fair, I procured the chicken for the chicken salad at the Strawberry Festival. Your step-mother sang the in the Lancaster Choral Society and church choir for eleven years.
here’s a repost from the Bulfinch Fund website:
Join Us for an Amazing Concert by Nationally Recognized Musicians Jefferson Hamer, (Lancaster’s native son on guitar), Tashina Clarridge (fiddle) and Maeve Gilchrist (harp). 
Sunday, October 2nd, 7 pm
First Church of Lancaster (The Bulfinch Church) 725 Main St. Lancaster MA. 01523
Tickets $15
email Info@TheBulfinchFund.org to order or buy now using Paypal (you don’t need to have a PayPal account just a credit card)l.
Parking available off of Harvard St. (behind the Library).
This event sponsored by Skinner Inc. & Dunn & Co.
RSVP to this event on Facebook
Eamon O’Leary and I just got back from Iceland, following a great week of music, travel, and Brennivin. It was serious fun- rounding up sheep in Akureyri, exploring the barren, geothermic countryside, mispronouncing everything e.g. “Takk fyrir kakkalakka” (thanks for the cockroach), and partying with the Icelanders and their expatriate dwellers-among. Ask the question “How’d you come to Iceland”, and you’ll likely get the answer “I met an Icelandic woman.” Biggest thanks go to Phil Roughton who brought us out, housed us, drove us around, introduced us to all his wonderful friends, and set us up with a Murphy Beds concert at Cafe Rosenberg in Reykjavik. The bluegrass boys from Iceland’s own Illgresi came down and helped out with some gear and played a few lively numbers with us at the end of our set. Here’s a link to the blog Reykjavik.com:
http://www.reykjavik.com/reykjaviks-music-scene-murphy-beds/
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Hey friends,
It’s good to be back home in Brooklyn after two great months of touring and teaching across California, Alaska, and Nova Scotia. I haven’t sent a mailing to my list since last spring, and I wanted to touch base and let you know about some interesting events coming up.
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Anais Mitchell and I are nearly finished with our new collection of songs adapted from Francis James Child’s English and Scottish Popular Ballads. This project has been almost two years in the making, and we’re excited to perform the material at our Child Ballads shows in New York, Massachusetts, and Colorado, including a September Brooklyn show at Sycamore and an October show in Northampton, MA at the Calvin Theater with Crooked Still. I’m also looking forward to once again performing in Anais’ Hadestown opera, singing the role of Orpheus (as sung on the record by Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon) in Colorado Sings Hadestown, along with my good Colorado friends Reed Foehl (Hades), KC Groves (Persephone), and Paper Bird (The Fates). Look for Colorado Sings Hadestown in the Rocky Mountain State this October.
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In June I had the pleasure of spending a week on picturesque Lake Winnipesaukee, NH, teaching songs and guitar at the first ever Miles of Music Camp. I’m proud of my friends, camp founders Laura Cortese and Kristin Andreassen, for making the camp such a sucess. Miles of Music puts a balanced emphasis on songwriting, creativity, and instrumental technique, giving both professional and part-time musicians practical knowledge they can use every day of their lives. Next year is sure to fill up fast, so mark your calendars for June 9-15, 2012, and visit the camp website here.
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In July I teamed up with fiddler extraordinaire Tashina Clarridge for a run of acoustic duo concerts in Alaska. Despite a lingering head cold and the insomnia brought on by 21 hours of steady daylight, we had an incredible time! Special thanks go to Kate Hamre who is spreading the bluegrass gospel to the next generation of Alaska musicians at her Bluegrass Camps for Kids. Tashina and I are touring again In September, this time in the Northeast with her band The Bee Eaters, featuring her brother Tristan Clarridge on cello, and Simon Chrisman on hammered dulcimer. The Bee Eaters perform breathtaking, instrumental chamber-grass compositions with stunning virtuosity. I’m very much looking forward to adding vocals to the mix! I’ll be collaborating with them and playing an opening set each night.
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In early August I enjoyed some cool Maritime weather teaching and performing at Nova Scotia’s Boxwood Festival, a weeklong series of concerts and classes that feature both traditional and classical music. Eamon O’Leary and I closed out the festival with a duo vocal concert featuring mandolin, guitar, and bouzouki, and we performed arrangements of traditional songs from the upcoming Murphy Beds album. We were fortunate to be joined on a few songs by flute and pipe virtuoso Sylvain Barou, percussionist Nick Halley, and Boxwood founder and flute master Chris Norman.
 photo by Tom Dube This month I’m playing mandolin, guitar, and singing with Cambridge, MA acoustic collective Session Americana. We’ve got shows in New York, Massachusetts, and a Maine tour featuring the great singer and songwriter Kris Delmhorst. Session Americana just released a new live album, and a live version of my song Seed and a Feather is available as a bonus track from their website. I’ll be playing with them throughout the northeast this fall, so check my concert schedule page for updates.
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In solo news, I’ll be playing new songs of mine and some traditional folk on the last two Tuesdays in August at Pete’s Candy Store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. On August 23 I’ll be joined by harp virtuoso Maeve Gilchrist. Maeve, Tashina, and I will be returning to my hometown of Lancaster, MA for a trio concert at the historic Bulfinch Church on October 2!
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 I’m adding new shows all the time, so check my website for the latest concert schedule. Of course, if you haven’t already picked up a copy of my 7″ vinyl release This Ragged World We Spanned, or my electric duo album with Laura Cortese Two Amps One Microphone, you can order either one online from Bandcamp. I’ve also got a Twitter feed you should definitely follow, and Facebook Music Page you can “like” if you’re into that sort of thing. .
That’s enough for now. If I think of anything else, I’ll send you a telegram. Here’s the full concert schedule as it stands:
~jefferson
Upcoming shows
| 08/18/11 |
Cambridge, MA |
Lizard Lounge |
Laura Cortese Band (featuring Jefferson Hamer, Billy Beard, and Kimon Kirk), The Bandana Splits, Hannah Read |
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| 08/23/11 |
Brooklyn, NY |
Pete’s Candy Store |
Jefferson Hamer and Maeve Gilchrist |
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| 08/24/11 |
New York, NY |
Cornelia Street Cafe |
Mike and Ruthy’s Folk City – Laura Cortese and Jefferson Hamer |
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| 08/25/11 |
New York, NY |
Cornelia Street Cafe |
Mike and Ruthy’s Folk City – Child Ballads by Anais Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer |
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| 08/26/11 |
Ellsworth, ME |
Grand Theater |
Session Americana and Kris Delmhorst |
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| 08/27/11 |
Brownfield, ME |
Stone Mountain Arts Center |
Session Americana and Kris Delmhorst |
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| 08/30/11 |
Brooklyn, NY |
Pete’s Candy Store |
Jefferson Hamer |
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| 09/14/11 |
Brooklyn, NY |
Sycamore |
Duos: Child Ballads by Anais Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer, BBGUN with Bridget Kearney and Ben Davis, and Cleek Schrey and Stephanie Coleman |
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| 09/22/11 |
Vineyard Haven, MA |
Katharine Cornell Theater |
The Bee Eaters with Jefferson Hamer (Bee Eaters CD Release Tour) |
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| 09/24/11 |
Cumberland, RI |
Blackstone River Theater |
The Bee Eaters with Jefferson Hamer (Bee Eaters CD Release Tour) |
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| 09/25/11 |
Cambridge, MA |
Club Passim |
The Bee Eaters with Jefferson Hamer (Bee Eaters CD Release Tour) |
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| 10/07/11 |
Syracuse, New York |
Folkus Project |
Child Ballads by Anais Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer |
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| 10/08/11 |
Northampton, MA |
Calvin Theater |
Child Ballads by Anais Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer – Opening for Crooked Still’s 10-year Anniversary Concert |
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| 10/13/11 |
Durango, CO |
Ft. Lewis College Community Concert Hall |
Anais Mitchell presents Colorado Sings Hadestown! – with Jefferson Hamer, Reed Foehl, KC Groves, Paper Bird (Esme Patterson, Sarah Anderson, Genny Patterson), plus Michael Chorney and the Hadestown Orchestra |
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| 10/14/11 |
Carbondale, CO |
Third Street Performing Arts Center |
Anais Mitchell presents Colorado Sings Hadestown! – with Jefferson Hamer, Reed Foehl, KC Groves, Paper Bird (Esme Patterson, Sarah Anderson, Genny Patterson), plus Michael Chorney and the Hadestown Orchestra |
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| 10/15/11 |
Denver, CO |
L2 Arts & Culture Center |
Anais Mitchell presents Colorado Sings Hadestown! – with Jefferson Hamer, Reed Foehl, KC Groves, Paper Bird (Esme Patterson, Sarah Anderson, Genny Patterson), plus Michael Chorney and the Hadestown Orchestra |
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I’m headed to Alaska this weekend with fiddler Tashina Clarridge. I’ve never been to the state before, so of course I’m very excited. We’re playing some clubs, a beautiful outdoor animal preserve, a house concert, a coffee shop, and we’ll be teaching for a few days at the Bluegrass Camps for Kids, located in Seward. Please help us spread the word, because this is uncharted territory for us!
Alaska Tour - Jefferson Hamer and Tashina Clarridge
July 17 – Palmer – Musk Ox Farm, 25th Anniversary Celebration, presented by Whistling Swan Productions
July 18 – Anchorage – Humpy’s (TBD)
July 19 – Seward – Resurrect Art Coffeehouse
July 20-22 – Teaching http://www.bluegrasscampsforkids.com/
July 23 – Anchorage – Tap Root (with Kate Hamre)
July 24 – Seldovia – Seldovia Rowing Club – Call Susan Mumma 907-234-7614 for reservations
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