Hello again, fellow 'Catters!

It's kinda starting to feel like spring around here, what's-his-face Pete notwithstanding. So, here are the upcoming Spring concerts at Dusty Strings! As always, you can call 206/866-634-1662 or stop by the shop (3406 Fremont Ave. N, Seattle) for tickets. (Children under 12 are half-price.)

Danny Barnes
Saturday, March 28. 7:30 p.m. $18
In his new project Folktronics, banjo pioneer and composer Danny Barnes illustrates the art of fearless creativity by forging a rare union between folk and technology. Barnes found early inspiration among his parents' classic country records, watching banjoist Stringbean perform with Bill Monroe in his native Texas – and in the punk rock clubs where he staked his claim as a young musician, determined to take the banjo to places it had never been. Now, Barnes has earned wide acclaim as one of the most influential musicians in modern American music. He tours nationally with revered bandleaders like Tim O'Brien and Robert Earl Keen and appears with everyone from the Yonder Mountain String Band to the Dave Matthews Band. Whether trading lessons with Bill Frisell, cutting a record for punk icon Jello Biafra, or composing orchestral scores for feature films, Barnes' work is underscored by an ethic of humility subject to the laws of ever-present creativity.


Laura Zaerr & Mick Doherty
Saturday, April 11, 7:30 p.m., $18
Laura Zaerr pursues a dual interest in Celtic and classical music, and teaches harp and Celtic Ensemble at the University of Oregon. Laura has produced several solo CDs featuring original compositions and arrangements as well as recording collaboratively with musical groups including The Oregon Renaissance Band, Village Green and most recently Trilogy. Her original and innovative harp arrangements meld together a rich heritage of classical technique with the buoyancy and charm of Celtic styling.

Thirty years as a hammer dulcimer player have taken Mick Doherty around the world. Now in Portland, Oregon, he performs with the Trail Band, a 7-piece string and brass band specializing in shows best summed up as "history through music," and with his wife, shadow puppeteer Deb Chase, in the award-winning Oregon Shadow Theatre. In Mick's concerts you'll hear old-time hoedowns, country rags, waltzes, and polkas, plus Mexican, Greek, Israeli, Peruvian, Celtic, and Korean melodies.


Dan Crary
Friday, April 17, 7:30 p.m. $20
A pioneer and a master of the guitar, Dan Crary is a flatpicking stylist with an international reputation for innovation, taste and brilliance. His exploration of the steel-string guitar helped transform what had always been an instrument of accompaniment into one with a leading role, capable of fluent, expressive melodies and a variety of textures. A long and distinguished recording career has brought Dan Crary acclaim as a versatile performer able to range from Mozart to Anglo-American fiddle tunes to moody, evocative original compositions. Dan's performances blend traditional material from a variety of American sources with original compositions, vocals with instrumental showcases, all woven together with stories and observations that share his experience and insights with the audience. His ability to connect both musically and personally has brought him success not only in North America but throughout the world.


Laurence Juber
Saturday, April 18, 7:30 p.m. $20
Following three years as lead guitarist with Paul McCartney and Wings, Laurence Juber embarked on a career as a solo artist, composer and arranger, and soon developed a reputation as a world-class guitar virtuoso. He is a two-time Grammy®-winner - first for Best Rock Instrumental for the track "Rockestra" from the Wings album Back To The Egg, then for his solo guitar arrangement of "The Pink Panther Theme" on the Best Pop Instrumental album Henry Mancini - Pink Guitar. As the San Francisco Chronicle notes, "He gloriously articulates the melodies and never succumbs to show-off playing. But the notes spin out of the songs with such finesse and musical agility, it's hard to believe he has only 10 fingers and six strings." Juber's latest CD, Pop Goes Guitar, is a collection of creative arrangements of familiar love songs, and matches an accompanying book of sheet music.


5th Annual Dusty Strings Clawhammer Banjo Weekend, May 1-3, 2009
For the fifth consecutive year, Dusty Strings presents four outstanding clawhammer banjoists and teachers—Bob Carlin, Chris Coole, Cathy Barton Para, and Dave Para—for a weekend full of banjo workshops, opportunities for private lessons, a Saturday night concert (May 2nd, 7:30 p.m., $18), and plenty of time to meet and jam with other banjoists of all levels. Workshops will cover a broad range of topics for beginning through advanced players. Once again we’ll feature a sequence of classes specifically for anyone who wants to start playing clawhammer banjo from the very beginning. Full details should be up on our website soon.

We hope to see you soon!

Cheers,

Molly