What line of work is Jason Burke in? “I’m an insurance man,” he said—without a trace of irony, without a hint of recognition that what he’d just said sounded like a line from a grainy black and white movin’ picture. Burke, in a vast landscape of Charlottesville insurance men, has pulled himself up (or burrowed […]
What line of work is Jason Burke in? “I’m an insurance man,” he said—without a trace of irony, without a hint of recognition that what he’d just said sounded like a line from a grainy black and white movin’ picture. Burke, in a vast landscape of Charlottesville insurance men, has pulled himself up (or burrowed […]
December begins on a classy note with a program of Schumann, Bach and more that features internationally renowned cellist Steven Isserlis. The concerto soloist and chamber musician is one of only two living cellists in the Gramophone Hall of Fame, and in this sonata-centered performance he is joined by Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival co-founder, and accomplished […]
On an 80-degree October afternoon, it was beginning to sound a lot like Christmas at the Charlottesville Senior Center. “Angels We Have Heard on High” flowed into “O Come All Ye Faithful,” followed by “Jingle Bells” and “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” as the Second Wind Band rehearsed for its December 7 holiday concert. […]
Eliot Bronson has been called “a folk singing wunderkind” who “can pull on your heartstrings like nobody’s business.” The Nashville singer-songwriter is touring in support of his latest self-titled album, recorded entirely in analog by acclaimed producer Dave Cobb. Bronson has received a number of esteemed songwriting awards such as first place at the Songwriter […]
Concert pianist Alessio Bax graduated with honors from his Italian hometown’s conservatory at the tender age of 14. He went on to study with some of the world’s most acclaimed classical musicians, played in revered halls around the globe and performed as a chamber musician alongside Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Steven Isserlis, Andrés Díaz and […]
In 1980 a group of children living in a government housing project in Washington, D.C. formed the Junk Yard Band after witnessing the performances of go-go groups in the neighborhood. They used makeshift instruments, banging on pots, pans, hubcaps and buckets and the JYB gained popularity as the go-go scene blew up. The group signed […]
More than once, my father has mentioned a desire to trace our family tree. I only understand this practice in abstract terms though. The closest concrete example I know of such a family tree comes not from any genetic kinship but rather attempts by friends to detail the shared ancestry of musicians in local bands. […]
Avoiding categorization has become a music biz cliché but The Revivalists’ refusal to commit to a single genre has played in the group’s favor. The New Orleans-based rock band has been welcomed by funk, soul and jam band communities with open arms, and the inability to pigeonhole its sound has diversified its fan base while allowing […]
Acoustic folk singer Jessica Lea Mayfield digs in on her third album Make My Head Sing…, with ’90s-era distorted riffs lending a darker tone to her acclaimed, emotionally charged songwriting. The Ohio native (who frequently credits Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl as an influence) takes an intense departure from her plaintive style and hits the grungy […]
Performers are typically talkative. Sure, some are eccentric. And some have bouts of social awkwardness. But for the most part, people willing to get up on stage to entertain others are willing to talk about themselves. Not so Lucas MacFadden, a.k.a. Cut Chemist. The man who first made it big lurking behind the turntables for […]