Hosted by the Kiwanis Club
"All That Jazz"
featuring Confusion
Tickets: $5.
Wednesday October 24th
7 pm
Town of Gouverneur Board Meetings
2nd Tuesday of each month - 7 PM
Town Barn, Route 11
Town of Gouverneur Economic Development Meetings
4th Friday of each month
Greater Gouverneur Areas Chamber of Commerce Meetings
Last Thursday of each month - 3:30 at Chamber Office
Gouverneur Museum
Open Wednesday and Saturdays from 1 - 3 PM
(also on days when the “OPEN” flag is out)
Call 287-3193 for individual or group tours
Free admission, free bicentennial coloring books & activity books
Gouverneur Library
For info call: Charlotte Garofalo, 287-0191
Preschool story time: 10 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays
Story time: For ages 5 to 10, 7 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays
Kiwanis Club Meetings
Meetings held the first three Tuesdays of the month
Mullin's Catering
7 - 8 AM
Guests Welcome
Gouverneur Recreation Center
Fitness program: 6:30 to 7:30 pm
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays
Step aerobics, body toning and stretch exercise
On-site supervision, arts & crafts for children attending with parents
Use fairgrounds entrance
For information: 287-0524
HIV Testing & Counseling & STD Clinic:
by Appointment 800-561-6057
Non-instructional drawing sessions
Sponsored by St. Lawrence County Arts Council,
Mondays: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m
Loomis Building, 223 E. Main St.
Artists share ideas and instruct one another as they work
on their projects or collaborations
Bring drawing and painting supplies
Fee: $2. Information: The Arts Council, 265-6860
Gouverneur Senior Club
2nd Tuesday of each month - noon
Gouverneur Recreation Center
Gouverneur Fairgrounds
St. James Outreach Center
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays
159 E. Main St.
Clothing, household and religious goods for sale
Benefits St. James Church's outreach ministries to the poor and needy.
Donations of clean, usable clothing or small household items accepted
Grace Food Pantry 9 - 12 every Thursday
Christian Life Fellowship, Church Street, Gouverneur
Coming to The Edwards Opera House
161 Main St. Edwards, NY
Jay Ungar and Molly Mason with special guests Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand
Jay Ungar & Molly Mason are extraordinary musicians. If you didn't know it before, you sure did after Ken Burns' The Civil War hit the airwaves. Their performance of Jay's haunting composition "shokan Farewell" - the musical hallmark of the PBS series - earned the couple international acclaim. The soundtrack won a Grammy and "Ashokan Farewell" - originally inspired by Jay & Molly's annual fiddle and dance camps - was nominated for an Emmy.
Of course "Ashokan Farewell" is only part of the story.
Since joining forces in the late 1970s, Jay and Molly have become one of the most celebrated duos on the American acoustic music scene. With their comfortable sense of fun and their love of music, they make each concert a musical journey - sometimes spanning two continents and two centuries. Their incomparable warmth and wit - coupled with consummate musicianship - have delighted audiences worldwide.
Listen to the timeless renditions of hard-driving Appalachian, Cajun and Celtic fiddle tunes, stirring Civil War classics, sassy songs from the golden age of swing and country, stunning waltzes, and deeply moving original compositions. It's immediately apparent why Jay and Molly concerts warm the heart, feed the soul, and appeal to all ages. No wonder they continue to receive widespread critical praise.
They've garnered legions of fans through their appearances on Great Performances, A Prairie Home Companion, their own public radio specials, and work on film soundtracks such as Brother's Keeper, Legends of the Fall, and a host of Ken Burns documentaries.
JAY UNGAR & MOLLY MASON are musicians of enormous talent. Their love for music is infectious, and their expertise is superlative. With violin, mandolin, guitar, banjo and piano - not to mention their beautiful vocals - the two delight audiences wherever they go.
On stage, Mason and Ungar complement each other like a finely crafted fiddle and bow. Together they weave a rich postmodern musical magic carpet on which listeners may vicariously glide back in time and experience first-hand the sonorous riches of traditional music. - David S. Rotenstein, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Jay Ungar and Molly Mason play music from the heart which reminds us of the best in all of us.
- Ken Burns, producer of PBS' "The Civil War"
Jay and Molly make music that is simple and overwhelming . . . joyful and full of feeling . . .
an apotheosis of American traditional music. - Garrison Keillor, host and creator "A Prairie Home Companion"
Jay Ungar . . . is almost without peer as a composer of fiddle tunes. [He is] blessed with that rare knack for making his melodies move in ways that stir the listener's longings. - Geoffrey Himes, editorial review for Amazon.com
As composers, virtuosi and folklorists, this duo light up the concert stage and are a sure-fire hit for all music loving audiences. - David Amram, noted American composer, folk singer and jazz musician
~ Andrew & Noah VanNorstrand ~
Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand two of the most exciting and creative new faces on the acoustic music scene today. While still in their teens, they have managed to carve themselves a unique niche in the modern folk arena with stunning ability as both performers and composers. After years of touring, studio work and teaching experience they are both seasoned and mature musicians, but with their energetic stage presences and cutting-edge arrangements Andrew and Noah truly stand out in a crowd.
At the age of eight Andrew started learning fiddle by ear from the late Norma Sweet, a well-known local musician and teacher. Noah started teaching himself fiddle shortly after and soon both boys had begun working on mandolin and guitar as well. Ten years later they have mastered the title of ‘multi-instrumentalists’ by being proficient at more than twenty different string and percussion instruments between them. In 2000 Andrew and Noah formed the Great Bear Trio with their mother Kim on piano. Great Bear since has become one of the hottest contra dance bands on the circuit and has performed for enthusiastic fans at festivals across the country. In 2004 Andrew and Noah appeared on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion as finalists in the nationwide ‘Talent from Twelve to Twenty’ contest. Their music has also been featured on NPR’s Open Mic and The Thistle and Shamrock with Fiona Ritchie.
It’s difficult to pinpoint all of the musical ingredients Andrew and Noah use in their original material. Celtic and Appalachian fiddling traditions are certainly at the top of the list but there’s also Andrew’s appreciation for Scandinavian harmonies and Noah’s background as a world-beat percussionist. Other influences range from old-time Country and Bluegrass to Jazz and Swing; New England contra dance and Cajun/Zydeco to classic Rock, Alternative and Blues. Their focus however, is not on the parts but on the whole. At a time when the music world is suffering from ‘hyper-eclecticism’ Andrew and Noah have developed a multi-genre blend that stands on it’s own. Their heartfelt songwriting and intricate arrangements demonstrate not only what these boys are capable of but also what we can look forward to in years to come.
Andrew and Noah have put out three, self-produced recordings; two with The Great Bear Trio (The Great Bear Trio GBR CD001 and Dancing Again GBR CD003) and a duo project (Driftage GBR CD002). They are currently working on a new duo album. To learn more about our recordings click here .
Besides performing as a duo and with Great Bear, Andrew and Noah also occasionally appear with Jay Ungar & Molly Mason, John Rossbach & Chestnut Grove and Giant Robot Dance.
Their [Andrew & Noah’s] eclectic, multi-tracked arrangements show both considerable technical ability and an ear for orchestration.
Tom Nelligan, Dirty Linen Magazine
This astonishing album [Driftage, GBR CD002] demonstrates a depth of musical understanding seldom found in musicians double or triple their ages.
Rob Weir, SingOut! Magazine
When it comes to just about every form of acoustic folk music imaginable, it's hard to identify anybody better at playing this great stuff than New York State's own Andrew & Noah VanNorstrand. These two brothers are fun, talented, and, above all great showmen!
Bill Knowlton, Bluegrass Ramble, WCNY-FM: Syracuse/Utica/Watertown NY
Your CD [Driftage, GBR CD002] is still my absolute favorite this year - love every note, every tune!
Liz Carroll, Irish Fiddle Extraordinaire
The VanNorstrands plant their feet firmly in the musical traditions of North America, Ireland, and Scandinavia, but their musical imaginations soar, creating melodies and harmonies that are lyrical, exciting, and original. This is music that really makes me sit up and take notice -- and smile.
Susan Conger, performer, composer, and teacher
These folks are going places!
Jay Ungar, performer, composer (Swinging Door Music)
Tickets are $18.00 in advance, $20.00 at the door 7:00 p.m.
Advance tickets are available by mail at P.O. Box 241, Edwards, NY 13635 (SASE appreciated)
and at the following locations:
In Edwards at Wood Family Grocery.
In Gouverneur at The Oswegatchie Coffee Co.
In Canton at The Pear Tree and The Brewer Bookstore.
In Potsdam at Northern Music and Strawberry Fields Music.
The Edwards Opera House is located on the second floor at 161 Main Street, Edwards, NY. The Edwards Arts Council, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization, donations are tax deductible. Info: www.edwardsoperahouse.org or 315-562-8213
Coming to The Edwards Opera House at 7:00 p.m.
The Mammals
The Mammals don't suffer from multiple genre syndrome, they celebrate it, as if gleefully aware that the sound barriers separating old-timey music, vintage pop and contemporary folk are as permeable as cotton." — The Washington Post
"The Mammals play old-time string band music the way Jack Kerouac wrote novels—with an abandon born of a deep understanding of structure and form. Their sound is wild, mirthful, and masterful." — The Boston Globe
Mammals mania ... By Christopher Hislop ... Portsmouth Herald 08-24-06
When your heroes pay you respect, you know you must be doing something right. Prominent folk rocker Dan Bern said he felt as if he were watching legends, after a Mammals performance at a recent festival gig. Bern also happens to be an inspiration of co-founding Mammals member,
and former Durham resident, Michael Merenda, so the words really struck him.
"It's so strange to be walking amongst my heroes backstage, and doing workshops with them," Merenda, 30, says in a recent phone interview from Massachusetts while on tour in support of their latest album, "Departure."
"Gillian Welch, Dan Bern, Hamell on Trial, Utah Philips
"these are all people who I've recently had the pleasure of meeting, and who have made a lasting impression on me both as a fan, and as a
musician." Such success is well deserved by this group of talented and tasteful musicians who have slowly bridged the gap (they now have four albums to their credit) between bluegrass, folk and rock music.
"The Mammals buzz has come to some sort of tangible place where people are singing along with us up front," says Merenda. They've also made it to the pages of the quintessential Americana music
magazine, No Depression, which says, the Mammals "create a collective harmonized howl as thrilling and rocking as any band currently subverting the folk tradition."
The Mammals got its roots as a trio back in 2001. Michael worked at a music shop in Amherst, Mass., where he met customer Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, grandson of folk legend Pete Seeger. The two hit it off, and Michael was invited to a party to which he brought his now fiancée, Ruth Ungar. Ungar's folk lineage is notable as well. She is the daughter of Jay Ungar and Lyn Hardy, both prominent folk musicians. Jay Ungar tours with Molly Mason, Ruth's stepmother, who is also a
big shot on the folk circuit.
At its onset, the trio toured as an old-time string band, carrying only a banjo,
fiddle, and an acoustic guitar in hand, while sharing a traditional, centrally
located microphone.
Nowadays, the Mammals have added amps, electric guitars, upright bass, and drums. Michael Merenda has really honed his songwriting skills and has developed into one of the best intellectual
songwriters of our day with such politically-tinged songs as "The Bush Boys," and "Follow me to Carthage," under his belt. With the core of the group being rounded out by the luminous Chris Merenda (drums) of the Seacoast favorite band, Chewy, and Jacob Silver (bass), the Mammals have been on a tear playing 200 nights a year including a recent high profile tour with Arlo Guthrie "" both backing him up, and as openers.
"We're five times the band we were, now that we've had that experience (with Guthrie)," Merenda says. "Once your band is on that particular (professional) stage, you're forced to rise to the occasion. The water may be deep at first, but once you've learned to swim in it you start to gain more of a respect, and treat every gig as "the big show."
"The Guthrie tour was an apprenticeship of sorts. It was an incredible education, and a great experience," says Ungar.
And the Mammals aren't stopping there. In the upcoming months the band has earned the rights to play alongside both Los Lobos, and Nickel Creek. After these slots, they'll also be moving on to play seven weeks in Australia throughout March and April. For the Mammals, it's got to be a huge pat on the back to be playing bigger and bigger shows, travel far and wide, and to be appreciated by such a diverse group of fans both young and old.
"We've always tried to give the listener something they're not going to hear every day," Merenda says. "We're very aware of pop music, and of writing a good hook. It's that pop aesthetic that's incorporated into our sound that makes us accessible to a wide array of fans. We're sort of doing what Woody Guthrie did. We're taking traditional American tunes, playing them in a cut time, foot stompin' pace; and then we blow the doors off and infiltrate our own ideas."
An instance both Ungar and Merenda touched upon in their separate interviews was at the Middle Earth Music Hall, in Bradford, Vt. The first time they played the venue 30 people showed up. This past time through on Aug. 4, 130 folks showed up to the venue that has a maximum capacity of 115.
"Having that many people show up excited to see us play is very irresistible," Merenda says. "Doing things on your own terms and having people be excited about it and coming along for the ride is
just awesome."
"We were recently at the Champlain Valley Folk Festival, where we played both Saturday, and Sunday night," started Ungar. "What really struck me was the fact that the returning customers,' which were a group of 9 or 10-year-old girls who were up front, with their hands on their chins, were singing right along. You know, kids are picky, so to have them that interested and immersed is saying something, at least to me. I really love performing, and for me it's fun to be a role model for kids. To show them you can best yourself and have a great time is real important." With all the ground they're gaining, and the increasing success they're achieving, the Mammals still remain strikingly humble as people.
"The van still makes more (money) than all of us. But, you know, she's the most important part of the group," says Ungar with a chuckle.
North Country Public Radio is media sponsor for this event. White Pillars Lodging is sponsoring this event.
Tickets are $16.00 in advance and $18.00 on the day of the show.
Tickets available by mail at P.O. Box 241, Edwards, NY 13635 and at the following locations:
In Edwards at Wood Family Grocery.
In Gouverneur at The Oswegatchie Coffee Co.
In Canton at The Pear Tree and The Brewer Bookstore.
In Potsdam at Northern Music and Strawberry Fields Music.
The Edwards Opera House is located on the second floor at 161 Main Street, Edwards, NY. The Edwards Arts Council, Inc.
is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization, donations are tax deductible. Info: www.edwardsoperahouse.org or 315-562-8213
Dessert & Concert
Hosted by the Kiwanis Club
to benefit its community service projects
7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24
Veterans of Foreign Wars, West Main Street
"All That Jazz" old-time big band favorites,
featuring Confusion.
Tickets: $5. Information:287-0271
2nd Tuesday of each month - 7 PM
the acoustic music scene today. While still in their teens, they have managed to carve themselves a unique niche in the modern folk arena with stunning ability as both performers and composers. After years of touring, studio work and teaching experience they are both seasoned and mature musicians, but with their energetic stage presences and cutting-edge arrangements Andrew and Noah truly stand out in a crowd.
The Mammals
The Mammals got its roots as a trio back in 2001. Michael worked at a music shop in Amherst, Mass., where he met customer Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, grandson of folk legend Pete Seeger. The two hit it off, and Michael was invited to a party to which he brought his now fiancée, Ruth Ungar. Ungar's folk lineage is notable as well. She is the daughter of Jay Ungar and Lyn Hardy, both prominent folk musicians. Jay Ungar tours with Molly Mason, Ruth's stepmother, who is also a
big shot on the folk circuit.