Bands

Kalos

Ryan McKasson, Eric McDonald and Jeremiah McLane are masters of tradition who purposefully explore the dark corners floating on its edges. Their individual artistry is enhanced when together. In short, the sum creates a greater whole. The result is an alluring complexity, full of spontaneous musicality. Pulling from parallel strands of influence, they set the standard for traditional repertoire with an underlying drive and pulse charged with rhythmic electricity, culminating in a swirling level of intensity. An air of mystery and adventure pervades a sound compelling enough to transcend boundaries and appeal to music lovers of all stripes. The music of Kalos asks to be shared live, and performance is the band’s heart and forte. Their partnership stretches beyond the music, born of fast friendships formed at the band’s origin and exhibited in their playfulness on stage, with organic banter and good humor to go along with the music. They create an environment of their own design, drawing in listeners without pretense. Despite living active musical lives thousands of miles apart these musicians have committed to working together to forge a new musical path.

Triton

Hailing from Vermont and Québec, Triton offer music rooted in the traditional dance repertoire of Northwestern Europe. Jeremiah McLane, Tim Cummings and Alex Kehler are, respectively, masters of the accordion, the bellows-blown bagpipes, and the nyckelharpa. Together, they create a beguiling and orchestral blend which utterly subverts the common stereotypes of their Old World instruments. Their repertoire includes bourrées from central France, triple-time hornpipes from the Scottish Borders, the Swedish slängpolska, the Breton hanter dro, and compelling originals reflecting these influences. Unified by their zeal and musical craftsmanship, their performances are also punctuated with engaging commentary on the music and instruments.


Wheezer and Squeezer

Wheezer & Squeezer are Jeremiah McLane and Tim Cummings, a Vermont-based accordion and bagpipe duo who share music deeply rooted in the traditional dance repertoire of Northern Europe and North America.  Jeremiah (piano & accordion) and Tim (various pipes & whistles), play a repertoire that includes French bourrées, Breton hanter dros, Scottish reels, and original tunes reflecting North American influences.  This rare combination of Old World instruments also delivers music whose branches extend across the Atlantic to Northern New England and the Canadian Maritimes

Cassotto Duo

Casotto Duo is Annemieke McLane, a classical pianist from the Netherlands, and Jeremiah McLane, an accordionist from Vermont with a background in folk and jazz. The husband-and-wife duo performs classical works by European and South American composers, blending the earthy spirit of folk traditions and the technical skill of classical arrangements to create something that is unique and solely their own. Their program includes compositions by Astor Piazzolla, Edvard Grieg, Francis Poulenc, and Alan Hovhaness. Maurice Ravel, Anton Dvorak and Astor Piazzolla.

(Photo Credit – Tim Calabro)

Postcards from France

Crisscrossing France from Auvergne to Provence, Brittany to Paris and beyond, Postcards from France bring together a rich blend of Impressionism, folk roots, and a touch of jazz. Along the way, they share Occitan folk songs that inspired Joseph Canteloube’s Chants D’Auvergne, paired with works of Gabriel Faure, Caesar Frank, Cecile Chaminade, French folk songs, dance tunes, Django Reinhardt, Edith Piaf and more…

Le Bon Vent

Le Bon Vent, the good wind, is a celebration of the music of France and the lands touched by French culture. When this wind blows, a song in Medieval French dialect might mingle with a New England dance tune, a rootsy Mazurka from the Limousin region may be accompanied by instruments from North Africa and the Middle East, or a set of pieces from the Court of Louis the XIV could find their way into a jazzy Parisian Waltz. With an ear for improvisation and experimentation, the music of Le Bon Vent is both traditional and contemporary, described by Radio Espace Musique of Montreal as “a fresh spring breeze that pleasantly ruffles our feathers.” The members of the group, all celebrated musicians in folk, classical, and jazz idioms, come from across the United States to bring their collective breath to this ensemble. Formed in 2003 by acclaimed Vermont accordionist Jeremiah McLane, Le Bon Vent has received grants from the Vermont Arts Council and has presented concerts at The Flynn Space in Burlington, Vermont, The Intercultural Institute of Boston, The Blackstone River Theater in Rhode Island, and featured at the Maison de la Culture in Montreal, Quebec, a concert broadcast live across Canada on Canadian Public Radio.

Allos Musica

Founded in 2006 by clarinetist James Falzone, the quartet also features accordion, oud, voice, and percussion. The group explores the intersection of divergent streams of contemporary classical, jazz, as well as traditional music from the Middle East and Europe. For more info: click here

The Clayfoot Strutters

The Clayfoot Strutters are a self-styled “New England-based Contradance Jam Band” who specialize in fusing the modes and melodies of traditional American immigrant music, progressive pop and modal jazz harmonies with hot dance-floor grooves from the Latin, Swing, Afropop and Zydeco/Cajun worlds. As composers and songwriters they actively contribute new repertoire to this emerging style. Featured are core members fiddler, songwriter, and producer Pete Sutherland, Jeremiah McLane on accordion and keyboards, and drummer, vocalist and guitarist Lee Blackwell. Special guests often include: Peter Davis, who plays clarinet, sax, piano, and guitar, bassist Harry Aceto, and banjo and flute player Mark Roberts.

Nightingale

Although nightingale no longer performs together, over the past 18 years the three superb musicians who make up Nightingale, Becky Tracy (fiddle), Jeremiah McLane (piano, accordion), and Keith Murphy (guitar, mandolin, foot percussion, vocals), have charmed audiences with their vibrant and imaginative explorations of musical traditions that carry listeners across New England to Quebec, Newfoundland, Ireland, France, and beyond. Hailed in Sing Out! Magazine for their “impeccable playing… danceable and exciting, with a reflective approach to the music”, Nightingale has fashioned a fresh and distinctive sound that is innovative while rooted in Celtic and Northern European folk traditions. From a Newfoundland ballad to a blazing set of Irish reels, from a rollicking Quebecois chanson-a-repondre to a lilting bourree from Central France, their song and tune arrangements find the perfect balance between tradition and innovation. Visit Nightingale’s website…

Jeremiah McLane Trio

Jeremiah McLane (accordion) of Nightingale, is joined by Owen Marshall (guitar and bouzouki) of The Press Gang, and Corey DiMario (bass and tenor guitar) of Crooked Still. All three musicians are masters of their respective instruments, and together they play tunes from France and the British Isles as well as original compositions by Jeremiah McLane. The trio plays music that us alternately driving, haunting, melancholic and up-lifting. Jeremiah McLane (accordion and piano) has a background in jazz, Celtic, Québécois, French and other roots influenced music. He is a founding member of both The Clayfoot Strutters and Nightingale, two bands that have helped shape the sound of traditional New England roots music. He received National Public Radio’s “favorite picks” award for his second solo recording, Smile When You’re Ready, and French music magazine Trad Mag’s  “BRAVO” award for his fifth release, Hummingbird. Owen Marshall (guitar and bouzouki) is a founding member of Irish trio The Press Gang, and has accompanied many of traditional Celtic music’s top performers including Liz Carroll, Darol Anger, John Doyle, Andrea Beaton, Jerry Holland,  and Aoife Clancy. His music has appeared on NPR’s “Thistle and Shamrock,” and BBC television. Corey DiMario (bass) is a founding member of the string band sensation Crooked Still, and also performs extensively with New England fiddler and singer Lissa Schneckenburger. Corey is one of the most sought after accompanists in the acoustic music scene, having performed at major festivals and concert venues across North America, Europe and Australia.

David Surette & Jeremiah McLane

Accordionist Jeremiah McLane and guitarist David Surette perform a unique blend of Franco-America and New England music that is exuberant and introspective, tender and passionate. They place familiar sounds in unusual settings, and combine a unique gift of improvisation with a keen appreciation for the power of a simple melody. Their repertoire features dance tunes from New England, The British Isles, France and Quebec as well as original compositions. David Surette is highly regarded for his work on the guitar, mandolin, and bouzouki, in a wide variety of settings. As a soloist, he is nationally known as a top player of Celtic fingerstyle guitar. He is folk music co-ordinator at the Concord (NH) Community Music School, and has authored a book of Celtic fingerstyle guitar arrangements for Mel Bay Publications. He performs regularly with his wife, singer Susie Burke. Jeremiah has composed music for theatre and film, received numerous grants and awards (including the Ontario Center for the Performing Arts, and the Vermont Council on the Arts). National Public Radio selected his second solo recording, Smile When You’re Ready, in their “favorite picks” of 1996. His fifth release, Hummingbird, received the French music magazine “Trad Mag” BRAVO award for 2003. He teaches world music, accordion and piano at the State University of New York in Plattsburgh, NY. He performs regularly with Nightingale, Le Bon Vent, and The Clayfoot Strutters. David Surette and Susie Burke website