Chet Baker Tribute Saturday, May 11th, 2013
A musical homage to the “Cool jazz” legend
Chet’s song lyrics take on new meaning when viewed in light of his charmed and doomed life. The show will examine his life and legacy through music and lyrics.
A Tribute to Chet Baker features five of the area’s top jazz musicians performing an evening of Baker’s signature songs including the timeless My Funny Valentine, There Will Never Be Another You and his famous Let’s Get Lost.
AZTEC TWO-STEP Saturday, June 8, 2013
Known for their acoustic guitar riffs and easygoing harmonies, 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of Aztec Two-Step. Rex Fowler and Neal Shulman continue to impress audiences with intelligent songwriting, dazzling acoustic lead guitar, and inspiring harmonies, and remain one of acoustic music’s most popular and enduring acts.
RUNA
The distinctive sound of the Philadelphia-based Celtic trio Runa features highly inventive and rhythmic guitar work interwoven with energetic hand drumming. Add to this songs with beautiful harmonies and a flair for story-telling in their lyrics, their music extends beyond folk traditions to World, Jazz, and Pop sounds.
“There is truly a mystical quality to their playing. They create a lyrical sound that is at once unique as well as seamless.” – Lori Lander Murphy, Irish Philadelphia
RUNA draws on the diverse musical backgrounds of its band members and offers a contemporary and refreshing approach to traditional and more recently composed Celtic material. Through their repertoire of both highly energetic and graceful, acoustic melodies, along with their fusion of music from Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and the United States, this vocal and instrumental ensemble gives its arrangements of traditional songs and tunes a fresh sound.
Members of RUNA have played with Solas, Riverdance, Slide, Clannad, Fiddlers’ Bid, Moya Brennan, Eileen Ivers, Hazel O’Conner, Full Frontal Folk, Keith & Kristyn Getty, Barcó, and the Guy Mendilow Band.
RUNA consists of vocalist, Shannon Lambert-Ryan of Philadelphia, Dublin-born guitarist, Fionán de Barra, Cheryl Prashker of Canada on percussion, and Tomoko Omura of Japan on the fiddle. The band often performs with world-renowned, guest musicians, including Dave Curley (Slide) on Mandolin & vocals and with Isaac Alderson on the uilleann pipes, flutes, and whistles.
The band won several awards at the 2010 Montgomery Buck Music Awards, including Best Entertaining Band, Best Folk Artist, Best Female Vocalist, and Best Album – “Jealousy”. Jim Allford of PA Music Scene writes, “The band is going to be reckoned with and I really feel they are Grammy bound within time.”