The Fire In The Kitchen Concerts is more than just great music, it’s also a workshop series and home to the Skunk Misery Ramblers fiddle club. Regulars to the concerts have seen the likes of The Duhks, Crooked Still, Solas, Grada, John Jorgenson, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, and many more world-famous roots music performers.
The workshops have been hosted by some pretty amazing talent, also, with the likes of Hanneke Cassel, Brittany Haas, Vishten, Jay Ungar, Claire Lynch, and Bearfoot all teaching us some of the real tricks of their techniques that made them the world-travelers they are today.
The Skunk Misery Ramblers is our own fiddle club, meeting every other Sunday late afternoon, and it’s a low-key affair, especially suited to those wanting to learn tunes and to play in a group. It’s open to all ages and abilities, but we do sort of “aim-for-the-middle” so beginners are encouraged to try to catch on. We’ll provide a little instruction in the art of learning songs by ear, but it’s more for fun.
For information on any shows, or for any of the workshops or fiddle club, please email us at workdog@mindspring.com or call 203-668-3735.
For reservations to any shows, please email us at workdog@mindspring.com or call 203-668-3735. Thanks!
Reservations are not necessary at all, and we always make room for last minute walk-ins. The furthest you can possibly sit from the “stage” is all of 50 feet. It’s the most intimate venue in the state.
ON TO THE SCHEDULE
There may be a spring pick-up concert in April or May, we just have to see if our schedule aligns with a a couple of folks we’re trying to get down to the church. In the meantime, here are a couple of confirmed dates:
OCTOBER 19 (Saturday) 7:00 PM
JOHN JORGENSON QUINTET SNOW DATE!!
The great snow re-schedule date! I won’t say any more, don’t want to jinx it. It is still hurricane season, after all….
adults $25, kids, $5.00
And then, November 9……MATUTO
Dangerous looking guys you say? Only in a wacky and fun way. They’re pretty unique, combing the great Brazilian rhythms that drove Dizzie Gillespie to some of his greatest work with some Nawlins soul and a bit of Appalachia thrown in. Fronted by our good friend Clay Ross (been to the church a few times supporting his friends) it’s now his turn to show what he loves to do. Get ready to dance until you melt.
Emerging Artists Series
A subset of our regular concerts, we try to locate some of the best young talent out there just looking for a jump-start. Past artists have been Jason Anick, Brittany Haas and Lauren Rioux, Ari and Mia Friedman, the VanNorstrand Brothers, Giveway, Grada, etc.
One we’re trying to get a date for right now whom I really like is Mariel Vandersteel, who has one of the best debut CD’s I’ve ever heard. It’s so good it verges on chamber music, save for the Hardanger fiddle Mariel plays, which actually raises chamber to a whole new level. Think that sounds silly? Don’t forget all that great Baroque music was intended for dances (Bach’s solo violin Partitas are all based on country dance rhythms that were popular in the day) and there’s a VERY direct link between Baroque chamber music and the Scottish fiddle music we hear today. Anyway, get Mariel’s new cd called Hickory.
I’m also liking Phoebe Hunt, the former fiddler for the Belleville Outfit, quite a bit. I’ll get some links up real soon…
Up and coming Mariel Vandersteel, available here soon!
