CONTENTS
1. This Friday -- ANDY IRVINE AND MOZAIK
2. Calvary Cafe Menu for this week's concert
3. Upcoming events: DIXIE HUMMINGBIRDS and SHARON KATZ & THE PEACE TRAIN
4. About Crossroads
5. New -- Donate online!
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1. THIS FRIDAY: ANDY IRVINE AND MOZAIK
Mozaik is Irish music legend Andy Irvine’s newest project. Following a wildly successful Australian tour last year, the crossover supergroup makes its US debut this March and April. The Melbourne Age said of their first public concert: "There was a palpable sense of warmth and camaraderie that, within minutes of the musicians arriving on stage, dissolved the audience’s awe and turned it into sheer participatory pleasure. The irresistible force of the music transformed a series of personal musical statements into a universal expression of vitality and life." Mozaic is destined for greatness: this may be your last chance to see them in such an intimate space!
Andy Irvine has been hailed as a tradition in himself. A multi-talented musician, singer, and songwriter, Andy has maintained his personal integrity and highly individual performing skills from the days of Sweeney’s Men in the mind-sixties, through the massive popular success of Planxty and his subsequent duo with Paul Brady in the seventies, and thence onto pioneering "world music" projects like the hugely influential East Wind album with Davy Spillane and Bill Whelan. Mozaic arose from his dream of assembling a truly international acoustic supergroup of virtuosos capable of playing the full variety of traditional styles for which he is known.
With Tony McManus (Scotland), Bruce Molsky (US), Rens Van Der Zalm (Netherlands), and Nicola Parov (Hungary) Mozaik moves effortlessly from Celtic to Old Timey to Eastern European music, with lavish instrumental arrangements complementing Andy and Bruce’s plaintive vocals. Melodies set to odd-metered East European rhythms are buoyed by the irrepressible lift of the best Irish music. American field hollers sit alongside protest songs and slow airs. The heartfelt sentiment of "My Heart’s Tonight in Ireland" rubs shoulders with the foot-tapping cheer of "Shove the Pig’s Foot a Little Further into the Fire."
Tony McManus has been described as "one of the most accomplished guitarists in Europe." (The Scotsman). Conjuring a unique but universal language from the most ubiquitous of instruments, he has both extended and transcended the parameters of contemporary Celtic music. His fiendishly dexterous, dazzlingly original playing draws on traditions from the entire Celtic diaspora – Scotland, Ireland, Brittany, Galicia, Asturias, Cape Breton, Quebec -- along with jazz and East European music. Long acknowledged for his uncanny ability to transpose the delicate, complex ornamentation characteristic of traditional bagpipe or fiddle tunes and Gaelic songs onto his own six strings, McManus is increasingly being acknowledged as a pioneer figure in bridging the realms of Celtic music and other guitar genres.
One of the most influential fiddlers of his generation, Bruce Molsky is also a remarkable guitarist, banjoist, and singer. His high-spirited music melds the archaic mountain sounds of Appalachia, the power of blues, and the rhythmic intricacies of traditional African music. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune calls him "old-time music’s answer to Ry Cooder – a commanding musician with a voracious appetite for traditional music styles." Darol Anger has dubbed him "The Rembrandt of Appalachian fiddling." Bruce’s musical message is powerful, fun, and highly engaging.
Born in Sofia, Bulgaria and now based in Budapest, Nikola Parov is a first-rate, innovative musician whose latest album, Kilim, placed sixth on the European world music charts. His grandfather, a professional musician, immersed Nikola in the musical traditions of the Balkans at a very early age -- he began playing mandolin at six -- and he began formal instruction in piano and cello after moving to Budapest at the age of ten. After studying regional folklore at university, he became a full-time musician, forming the group Zsaratnok. His virtuoso performances on a staggering array of traditional instruments (including kaval, gadulka, bouzuki, duduk, Bulgarian bagpipes, and gaida) eventually led to fellowships by the Soros Foundation and Budapest Academy of Science to record and document the history, culture, and instruments of Balkan music.
Rens Van Der Zalm, a graduate of the Rotterdam Conservatory, plays piano, mandolin, fiddle, and guitar. In addition to being a member of well-known traditional Dutch bands Fungus and Wolverlei, Rens has become one of the most sought-after session and theater musicians due to his musical versatility and empathy with other musicians.
For more information: http://www.andyirvine.com/mozaik/mozaik.html
For tickets: http://www.crossroads.calvary-center.org/tickets.htm
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2. CALVARY CAFE MENU for March 26
Combination Platter-- $5.00
(includes entree and two sides (vegetarian, three sides), beverage and dessert)
A la carte: Entrée -- $3.50 Sides -- $1.00 each Desserts -- $1.00 each Beverages -- $1.00 each Snacks -- $ .50 each
Entrees:
Turkey Burger, Veggie Burger,Fish , Grilled Chicken (all served as a sandwich or alone and with or without cheese and onions), Grilled Cheese Sandwiches on Rye Bread, Macaroni and Cheese, , Cabbage Soup and Rye Toast, Bagels with Cream Cheese.
Sides: Macaroni and Cheese ,Cabbage, Salad.
Desserts: A variety of Cakes, Pies, and Cookies.
Beverages:
Coffee, (regular and decaf), various Teas (regular and herbal), Hot Chocolate (several kinds), Fruit Punch, Sodas (regular or diet, bottled Spring Water
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3. UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday, April 3, 2004 -- THE DIXIE HUMMINGBIRDS
A pioneering force behind the evolution of the modern gospel quartet sound, THE DIXIE HUMMINGBIRDS are among the longest-lived and most successful groups of their era; renowned for their imaginative arrangements, progressive harmonies and all-around versatility, they earned almost universal recognition as the greatest Southern quartet of their generation.
While they have always remained deeply rooted in the gospel tradition, their influence has made itself known far and wide in American popular music. Perhaps Isaac Hayes has put it most eloquently: "In the beginning, after the word, and before there was rap, hip-hop, disco, punk, funk, metal, soul, Motown, rock-a-billy, before bebop, doo-wop, and the big band swing there was the Dixie Hummingbirds." In the 1940s, for example, they were singing the kind of a cappella harmonies that caught on as doo-wop in the 1950s, and in the 1950s, they added electric guitar to their sound, prefiguring the soul music of the 1960s.
Lead singer Ira Tucker, Sr., who has been with the group since 1938, when he was 13, was especially inspired and inspiring. Musicologist Horace Boyer writes that "not only did he put his voice and vocal technique to use, he also became the model for the 'activity' singer. He ran up and down aisles, jumped from the stage, and spun around without sacrificing one iota of the pure musical sound that he first brought to the quartet. Indeed, he served as the model for many of the rhythm and blues and soul singers from Jackie Wilson and Clyde McPhatter to Bobby Blue Bland and the Temptations."
Advance tickets encouraged. More information (and online sales) at: http://www.crossroads.calvary-center.org/tickets.htm
Friday, April 30, 2004 -- SHARON KATZ AND THE PEACE TRAIN
SHARON KATZ made history in South Africa in 1993 when she formed the country’s first-ever multi-cultural, multi-racial, and multi-lingual performing group. 150 musicians toured the country by train, giving concerts at every stop along their route. As the performers played, sang and danced to promote a peaceful transition to democracy in South Africa, TV and radio crews broadcast all the events to the nation. The first time worldwide audiences saw Katz perform was on CNN in April 1994. By then, a date had been set for South Africa’s first democratic election and she had been commissioned by the Independent Electoral Commission to write songs in many of South Africa’s languages to teach people how to vote for the first time in their lives. In1995, they began to spread their message of peace and reconcilliation around the world as South Africa’s “Cultural Ambassadors.”
Between tours, Katz, a trained music therapist, works to help heal the nation from the wounds of apartheid. She also works in other trouble spots around the world, earning her a reputation for converting “gang members in to band members.” With violence, intolerance and problems in schools becoming a daily concern in America too, Katz has established a second base in Philadelphia, from which she runs workshops and concerts in schools, universities and community centers across the country.
More events to be announced. For updates, see www.crossroads.calvary-center.org
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4. ABOUT CROSSROADS MUSIC
Crossroads events fall into three main groups. Philadelphia Crossroads continues the original Crossroads Music Series, which presented contrasting but related music from two different Philadelphia communities on the second Saturday of each month. Beginning in October, Root and Branch concerts continue the former Cherry Tree Music Co-op's series of concerts by nationally-known touring artists. Finally, the Folklife Center's Nada Brahma (Sanskrit for "The World is Sound") events will present locally-based and national and international touring artists from culturally-specific traditions around the world. In addition, we collaborate with other organizations in producing several free community events at other West Philadelphia locations each year.
All concerts take place at 7:30 pm in the historic Calvary United Methodist Church. Oak paneling, red carpets, and a horseshoe balcony make the room feel more like an intimate theater than a church. Calvary Center is located at 48th Street and Baltimore Avenue. The 34 subway-surface trolley stops at the door, and a free, well-lit, and city-maintained parking lot is located on the block. Dinner and refreshments are available at the concerts and at excellent restaurants nearby.
For advance tickets, directions, or other information:
http://www.crossroads.calvary-center.org 215-729-1028
(We have limited office hours but check voicemail several times a day -- if there is no answer, please leave a message and we’ll call you back).
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5. HOW DO WE PAY FOR THESE EVENTS?
Occasionally, we get asked how we pay for Crossroads concerts. Our largest source of income is ticket sales, but we also receive some funds from program book advertisers, Calvary Center, and individual donations. We inherited what funds the Cherry Tree Music Co-op had left when it closed, and we are actively pursuing grant funding to keep things going once this runs out.
We also gratefully accept individual donations, and even a small amount of money can make a big difference. If each subscriber to our email list contributed only $10 a year, for example, we’d be able to book the entire season in advance, to expand the number of events presented, and to substantially expand our publicity. You can donate online at:
http://www.justgive.org/giving/donate.jsp?charityId=12011&;
Please remember to indicate that your donation is for Crossroads.
Crossroads Music is a program of the Calvary Center for Culture and Community, a non-sectarian nonprofit organization that seeks to restore and increase community use of the historic Calvary Church building. All donations are fully tax-deductible, and 100% of contributions designated for Crossroads Music go directly to that program. Checks should be made payable to Calvary Center and mailed to Crossroads Music, c/o Calvary United Methodist Church, 801 South 48th Street, Philadelphia PA 19143.
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