Folk Music Society of Huntington DANNY SCHMIDT HOUSE CONCERT

REMEMBER THIS GREAT EVENING

November 7, 2009 David Jacobs-Strain on the same program with Joe Iadanza and His Beautiful Band
David Jacobs-Strain What a great name !!! . . . the Future of the Blues This consummate finger-style and slide guitarist/singer brings an old-school sensibility to a new generation of blues and roots. David Jacobs-Strain plays in the blues tradition but isn't from it. You'll hear echoes of Skip James, Charlie Patton, Tommy Johnson, and a song by Fred McDowell or Robert Johnson in his solo performances — but as a modern roots musician, singer, and songwriter, "I come from the language of the country blues, but it's important not to silence other influences," he says. "His acoustic and electric guitar work is crisp and driven, and his voice can rise to a soulful pitch or fall quietly in sync with a loping beat." — Washington Post David grew up in Eugene, Oregon, in a community that was centered on cultural change and environmentalism. He sees a distinct connection between the principles embodied in his upbringing and the democracy of the blues. "I'm really into hand-made culture and real people making real music. The voice. One guitar. Even at their simplest, the blues have always been a vehicle for expressing your own situation, whether as an individual or a community. There's such power in that." A t twenty-five, Jacobs-Strain is a veteran of the national club and festival circuit. In 2008 he was chosen by Boz Scaggs to be the opener for his tour. Jacobs-Strain has also shared the stage with T-Bone Burnett, Bob Weir, Los Lobos, Lucinda Williams, Taj Mahal, Etta James, Dave Mason, and the Blind Boys of Alabama. His festival credits include the 2009 Riverhead Blues Festival where he shared the stage with Little Toby Walker and they brought down the Vail-Levitt house, Strawberry Music Festival, MerleFest, the Lugano Blues to Bop Festival in Switzerland, the Newport Folk Festival, the Telluride Blues Fest, the Vancouver Folk Festival, and the Montreal Jazz Festival. He's also served as faculty at guitar workshops, most notably at Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch. Upon listening to Jacobs-Strain's latest CD, Liar's Day, you can imagine him inviting his touchstone, American bluesman Taj Mahal, on a musical walkabout. You can imagine them conferring with Salif Keita, Afro-pop songster of Mali; conversing with Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Indian slide guitarist; and even conjuring the spirit of John Lennon while tramping in the Siskiyou Mountains of Oregon. The traces of these musical excursions interweave with the fat sounds of a rock rhythm section. The results cohere into a genre-defying journal of Jacob-Strain's pursuit to honor both the roots of American country blues and the possibilities that grow from them. Liar's Day, his latest album, was produced by his mentor and collaborator, Kenny Passarelli (Otis Taylor, Stephen Stills), who's also featured on the bass. They're joined by Joe Vitale on drums. "I wanted a big, aggressive drum sound — a Neil Young or Tom Petty sound — that still allowed space for the Traugott acoustic and National steel guitars. I got it by working with Joe and Kenny, Joe Walsh's rhythm section in the '70s." We were excited to have Jacobs-Strain rocking the blues in his debut on our Folk Music Society of Huntington stage — to magnify our 41st Anniversary season. Our audience demanded encore after encore. **This was a great opportunity to see the Future of the Blues* live on our stage !!!* Praises by others for his performances:** "David Jacobs-Strain opened with a spectacular set. A thoroughly modern young musician while still being totally at home with the tradition and idiom, his performance was stellar! Add to this his marvelous voice and there you have the new guard coming on strong." — Jorma Kaukonen, Online Diary "His style is so emotional and true, that it may just be a sin." — Michael Allison, Music Dish "David Jacobs-Strain might still be young, but he has a formidable arsenal at his command, with a guitar technique and power that’s second to none…" — Chris Dixon, AMG Review "David Jacobs-Strain ... in combining intelligence and passion with fierce chops is clearing his own path to a powerful musical identity." — Dave Rubin, Guitar One Magazine "It only took David 20 years to become a force of nature." — WYCE-FM Link to David playing Rainbow Junkies on YouTube Listen to David on MySpace or visit his web site: Liars Day album
ON THE SAME PROGRAM WITH
Joe Iadanza and His Beautiful Band Folk-Rock Roots and Americana Joe Iadanza is a storyteller and a sophisticated folkie with a strikingly unusual tenor voice, a foot-stomping Euro-jazz schooled band, and a growing repertoire of smart, witty, warm, and stick-in- your-ear hummable songs. His independently released studio debut, Traveling Salesman spans the genres of folk, rock, roots and Americana, at times harkening back to a bygone era with its European jazz feel. The band features original songs by Iadanza, imbued with what critics have called a “Gatsby-ish” and “distinctly European” jazz feel — delivering music that seems plucked from a bygone time. Joe's soaring poetic vocals and percussive fingerstyle guitar grooves are accented by the musical talents of Carolin Pook (violin), Craig Akin (double bass) and Joe Hertenstein (drums and percussion). Folk harmony trio Gathering Time (Glen Roethel, Hillary Foxsong and Stuart Markus) provide extensive backing vocals, while Beaucoup Blue’s David Mowry plays slide-dobro on one of the album’s tracks. "Take one part James Taylor, add some John Prine, throw in a dollop of Harry Chapin, and you have the voice of Joe Iadanza." — Richard Cuccaro – AcousticLive! With his generous spirit and skilled performances, Iadanza quickly forms a bond with an audience. From 2004 to 2006, Joe toured extensively in the North East as a solo artist playing under the pseudonym Joe Songwriter. His catchy, percussive finger-style grooves and soaring poetic vocals moved him quickly from NYC open mics to full sets in recognized clubs up and down the East Coast. Prior to 2004, Joe took an unanticipated eight-year break from music, only to re-emerge with a more spirit-centered approach to life and a meditative insight which he now uses to better tap into creativity. "Thank Heaven, Joe had an epiphany and returned to music after a long absence. The world is better for his having realized his talent." Indie-music.com This was a spectacular evening. Joe's debut on our Folk Music Society of Huntington stage with His Beautiful Band was an event not to be missed. !!! Praises by others for his performances: "Iadanza, who is no newbie to performing, did an excellent job Saturday night ... one felt the crowd come alive. Singing along with the lyrics and dancing in their chairs, it was evident they were having a great time, and loving the music." — Tinamarie Caputo – Islip Bulletin "... a very distinctive voice and sound (and I mean that in a good way!)." — Betsi Meissner – KXCI Community Radio, AZ – Folk DJ List Joe's "songs are well written ... you have a unique voice, which is a good thing which should be one of the ways to separate you from every other songwriter out there." — Ralph Jaccodine – Manager for Ellis Paul "For just a spare quartet, he wrenches a hell of a lot out of the music ... You’re not likely to catch too many acts like this, a soft-rock oriented venture but with a far more evocative sophistication and plenty of room for an almost Gatsby-ish vibe." — Mark S. Tucker – Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange "It was a special night of music and a wonderful start to the Eclectic Café’s season. You and the band have an intersting, engaging and unique sound and a lot of chemistry on the stage. " — Karen Finkenberg – Eclectic Café Link to Joe Songwriter on YouTube Listen to Joe on MySpace or visit his web site: Traveling Salesman album