BRUNSWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL
eNews November 2009

2010 CONCERT PROGRAM: A PREVIEW
2010 Brunswick Music Festival (11-21 march) has again confirmed a top line up of international and Australian folk and roots artists. The international line up is truly as diverse and outstanding as we've ever had the pleasure to present. Now confirmed from the United States are Uncle Earl, John McCutcheon, Chris Smither, Truckstop Honeymoon, Eilen Jewell Band and The Whitetop Mountaineers; Canada is represented by Genticorum; from Scotland Eddi Reader, Emily Smith, Dougie Maclean; from just over the border the extraordinary Vin Garbutt, from Ireland Mairtin O'Connor Trio (with Cathal Hayden and Seamie O'Dowd), Paddy Keenan; from Athens we welcome back Brunswick favourites Apodimi Compania; and in a first for Brunswick, from Israel George Sam'an (oud and fiddle) Ensemble, traditional Arabic music and song from Galilee. And there are a few more in the pipeline.....

The Australian line up is promising to be just as diverse and challenging.
Archie Roach will perform songs from the early part of his career, songs from 1988, recorded by ABC Music Deli in that year and recently released by ABC Records. Read what Archie says about this period in his life and the songs reflecting such- http://www.myspace.com/archieroach We'll be squeezing those fantastic Pigram Brothers onto the Brunswick Town hall stage again, while the East Brunswick Club and Penny Black (ex Don't Tell Tom) will host excellent local Brunswick acts who will be out in force featured among Melbourne's best roots acts. Hot Bluegrass and old time country, Americana, blues and swing will be featured strongly, representing the huge recent increase in interest in these styles of music among Melbourne musicians and audiences.

So its all up again, the booking office will open on Monday 1st February, and if you receive this newsletter you will be first to see the program and book early on our web site at http://www.brunswickmusicfestival.com.au Please encourage your friends and neighbours to sign up for the newsletter.

Here's a short run down of some items coming up that I feel may be of interest to you.


Australian World Music Expo
In November Melbourne hosts the second Australasian World Music Expo, 19 -22 November 2009.
Check out the web site, it is a wonderful event with many stunning concerts and shows all open to the public.
http://www.awme.com.au

Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder, one of my favourite guitar players, musician, writer and musicologist is on a rare Australian tour, with Nick Lowe on bass and son of Ry Joachim Cooder on percussion. They play at the Palais Theatre on 28/29 November, but you'll be lucky to get tickets.

Nano Stern and the Folkoholics
Nano Stern, who was such a success at the 2009 Brunswick Festival, is touring again in December/January. He forms a madcap duo called Folkoholics with a hot accordion player and crazy puppeteer Matija Solce from Slovenia. The Folkaholics will be supported by Nano Stern in a solo capacity.
They're performing one show in Melbourne at The East Brunswick Club on Wednesday 13 January.
Here's the Myspace sites, the Folkoholics site has two wonderful video clips (and nothing much else).
http:// www.myspace.com/folkoholics
http://www.myspace.com/fernandostern





Look forward to seeign you all at the 2010 Brunswick Music Festival

John McAuslan, Festival Director

2010 PERFORMERS: A PREVIEW Here is a preview of some of our 2010 Festival international guests.
	CHRIS SMITHER On this his fourth tour of Australia he'll be bringing a brand new recording 'Time Stands Still' to add to his 9 previous brilliant offerings. His songs are among the most intelligent, thoughtful, literary and uplifting of his genre, and his guitar playing is simply inspiring. "His ability to take the emotion at the heart of a song, make it transparent and pass it on to the listener is unmatched. Smither's rich, deep, emotion-charged voice and his exquisite guitar playing imbues these simple thoughts with a profundity forged out of genuine passion." Sydney Morning Herald. [ http://smither.com/ ]
	EMILY SMITH Emily Smith has firmly established herself as a leading light in the Scottish folk scene. Since winning the 2002 ‘BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award’ she has released three critically acclaimed albums, toured extensively with her band on the international folk circuit and is recognised not only as one of Scotland’s finest interpreters of traditional song but also as a talented songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In 2009 Emily is touring UK as sole support to the fabulous Richard Thompson. She will be touring Australia and New Zealand with Jamie McClennan a brilliant multi-instrumentalist who has been a long time member of Emily's touring band. [ http://www.emilysmith.org/ ]
	THE WHITETOP MOUNTAINEERS For fans of American old time mountain music (and roots music lovers alike), the Whitetop Mountaineers are a live act not to be missed. From Virginia, USA, Martha Spencer and Jackson Cunningham return to Australia by popular demand. At the 2008/09 Woodford Folk Festival, unknown and unheralded, the duo stunned and delighted audiences with their performance of American mountain music and song and dance – they are the ‘real deal’. Both musicians are skilled multi-instrumentalists – Jackson plays guitar, mandolin and clawhammer banjo, while Martha plays fiddle, guitar and banjo. They are both strong vocal performers and their close harmonies are indicative of the old time and bluegrass traditions from which they draw their repertoire. [ http://www.whitetopmountaineers.com/fr_index.cfm ]
	APODIMI COMPANIA Originally formed at Melbourne University in the mid eighties, Apodimi Compania has proved to be the most durable and exciting in the Greek diaspora. Based in Athens since the mid nineties, the Apodimi returns to Brunswick for the 2010 Brunswick Music Festival: the band's 'home' festival. Apodimi Compania as always, combine top class musicianship with an obvious love and passion for their material, and will perform the music from their new recording in addition to selections from a huge repertoire of Rebetika, Demotika, music from the Greek Islands and the Asia minor coast. [ http://www.freewebs.com/apodimi/ ]
	UNCLE EARL Uncle Earl (or the g'Earls) is an all-star, all-female, old-time string band, with songs ranging from high-energy fiddle tunes and dance numbers to haunting, ancient ballads. The five members of Uncle Earl write and perform original songs in old-time styles, utilising mandolin, guitar, claw-hammer banjo, harmonica, old-time fiddle and bass. Named in honor of the band members' mutual appreciation for Earl Scruggs and Steve Earle, Uncle Earl formed in 2000. Uncle Earl's latest CD, Waterloo, Tennessee, draws its sounds from the roots of string-band music, incorporating sounds from Scotch-Irish ballads and Celtic fiddle tunes. The disc, produced by Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, is one of the best old-time albums to come out in recent years. [ http://www.uncleearl.net/ ]
	JOHN McCUTCHEON John McCutcheon is one of America’s most respected and loved folksingers. As an instrumentalist he is a master of a dozen different traditional instruments, most notably the rare and beautiful hammer dulcimer. No less a figure than Johnny Cash called him, “the most impressive instrumentalist I’ve ever heard. His twenty-seven recordings have garnered every imaginable honour including an almost unprecedented five consecutive Grammy nominations. It is in live performance that John feels most at home. It is what has brought his music into the lives and homes of one of the broadest audiences any folk musician has ever enjoyed. Whether in print, on record, or on stage, few people communicate with the versatility, charm, wit or pure talent of John McCutcheon. [ http://folkmusic.com/homepage/ ]
	TRUCKSTOP HONEYMOON Katie Euliss learned guitar, piano and bucket bass in the streets of New Orleans. She scammed enough money from tourists to buy Lucky Strikes and smoked oysters for six years. Then she met Mike West. Part entertainer, part snake oils salesman, Mike lived by pickin' banjo and selling cds that he claimed were a curative for hangovers and small mindedness. Together they began a perpetual tour of North America, Europe and Australia. They spent their wedding night in the Tiger Truck Stop, somewhere between Lafayette and the Atchafalya Swamp. Truckstop Honeymoon was born. They play banjos and wash tubs. They sing about adultery and oil refineries. It's break-neck breakdowns or heart-break waltzes. Like a Dodge with a burnt out clutch, their music has two speeds and no reverse. [ http://www.mikewest.net/truckstop_honeymoon/ ]
	GENTICORUM Genticorum has become one of the most soughtafter proponents of Québécois musical culture, having performed and toured in over 15 countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania. Firmly rooted in the soil of their native land, the energetic and original traditional ‘power trio’ also incorporates the dynamism of today’s North American and European folk cultures in their music. They weave precise and intricate fiddle and flute work, gorgeous vocal harmonies, energetic foot percussion and guitar and bass accompaniment into a big and jubilant musical feast. Their distinctive sound, sense of humour and stage presence make them a supreme crowd pleaser. [ http://www.genticorum.com/ ]
	EDDI READER Born into a working class Glasgow family, Eddi Reader traveled the well trodden road south to London and eventual fame with the highly popular band Fairground Attraction. Her vocal abilities quickly transcended the norm for factory, big studio pop as she moved on to a solo career. She has effortlessly developed into one of popular music's most thrilling and affecting performers. Whilst the perfection of her technique is widely acknowledged, what sets Reader apart is the depth and quality of the emotional performance; her ability not only to move the listener but to connect her experience to that of her audience. [ http://www.eddireader.co.uk/ ]
	DOUGIE MacLEAN Dougie MacLean is one of Scotland's most successful, respected and popular musicians. Singer-Songwriter, Composer and 'magical' Performer, he is also a fine guitarist and fiddle player. From his home base in Butterstone near Dunkeld in the beautiful Tay Valley in Perthshire Scotland, MacLean tours the world with his unique blend of lyrical, 'roots based' songwriting and instrumental composition. His moving song Caledonia and melody The Gael (used in The Last of the Mohicans) have been recorded by hundreds of artists and enjoyed by millions worldwide. [ http://www.dougiemaclean.com/ ]
	VIN GARBUTT Powerful, hugely moving, warm, humane, inspired, funny and gut wrenchingly honest. These are just some of the superlatives used to describe Vin's performance this year. This international, award winning, singer songwriter is about to embark on his 40th year on the road. He is for ever in demand and his shows are continually sell outs, so get your tickets early! Several years ago Vin was voted Britain's best live performer, a coveted award indeed, and years later he's still a force to be reckoned with, still pulling no punches and still pulling crowds wherever he plays around the world. [ http://www.vingarbutt.com/ ]
	MAIRTIN O'CONNOR TRIO Mairtin O’Connor (Accordion), Cathal Hayden (Fiddle, Banjo), Seamie O'Dowd (Guitar, Vocals) first performed live together at a gig in Sligo town organised in memory of Dervish soundman Fin Corrigan. The rapport with each other and the audience was immediate and since then, the three have successfully played gigs in Ireland, Britain, mainland Europe and Australia. They have just released a long awaited album entitled 'Crossroads' that has already received critical acclaim. The Irish Echo in New York has placed it in their top three Irish CD releases. The album captures the live essence of three musicians that have built both a personal and professional rapport with each other as well as with an ever increasing audience. [ http://www.myspace.com/mairtinoconnorband ]
	PADDY KEENAN Generally acknowledged as the most accomplished uilleann piper performing today, Paddy is certainly one of the most brilliant musicians of his generation. He can rightfully claim his place alongside such open-style legends as pipers John Cash and Johnny Doran. Paddy Keenan was born in Trim, Co. Meath, to John Keenan, Sr. of Westmeath and the former Mary Bravender of Co. Cavan. The Keenans were a Travelling family steeped in traditional music; both Paddy's father and grandfather were uilleann pipers. He was a founding member of The Bothy Band: one of the most influential bands of the 1970s. His virtuosity on the pipes combined with the ferocity of his playing made him, in the opinion of many, its driving force. [ http://www.paddykeenan.com/ ]
	MIKE COOPER presents QUE VIVA MEXICO 2010 is the 200th anniversary of Mexican independence and the 100th anniversary of the Mexican revolution. To celebrate this fact, Mike Cooper will be presenting the silent film QUE VIVA MEXICO by the Russian director Sergei Einststein. The basis of Mike's live score is a composition that he wrote in the early ninties as part of a compilation CD on the French label NATO records dedicated to comic books published by Spiro Magazines and Les Edition Dupuis. Que Viva Mexico is a gigantic tableau of Mexican life, and a startling portrayal of the interaction between the ancient Mayan civilisation and the Spanish conquistadores and the modernising mythology of the Mexican Revolution. [ Click here to view the movie trailer ]