Next Stage

The Smack Dabs and Rhythm Future Quartet at Next Stage in the New Year

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents a double bill of good-time swing blues music from the 1930s from The Smack Dabs, and Gypsy jazz from Rhythm Future Quartet, on Saturday, January 11 at 7:30 pm at Next Stage

The Smack Dabs specialize in good-time Swing Blues music from the 1930s, featuring the songs of Tampa Red, Big Bill Broonzy, The Harlem Hamfats, and many others. This delightful and timeless genre features a rich variety of musical styles, ranging from mournful blues to joyful celebrations, setting the stage for incredible solo and group improvisations and delighting audiences and dancers alike.

They are proud to feature some of Boston’s most compelling improvising musicians in their lineup, bringing a fresh and unique sound to each performance. The core band includes Mark Earley on guitar, vocals, and kazoo; David Sparr on piano; Jim Gray on upright bass Mark Berney on cornet; Kit Buckley on saxophone and clarinet; and Jon Kraus on washboard.

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents Dominican Jazz Guitarist Yasser Tejeda, on May 25

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents Dominican jazz guitarist Yasser Tejeda, on Saturday, May 25 at 6:00 pm at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Road, in Putney.

“This Bandwagon Series, we’re excited to have a lot more Latin-influenced artists like Yasser Tajeda,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Yasser was one of the headliners at this years’ GlobalFest at Lincoln Center, and when I saw his virtuosity on the guitar, his expression, and the joy he brought to the music of the Dominican Republic, I knew he’d be a great fit for our programming.”

Yasser Tejeda is an award-winning Dominican composer, guitarist, vocalist, and producer. According to Billboard, Yasser is giving traditional folkloric music a new spin with jazz, rock, and Caribbean rhythms in “a frenzied celebration of ancestral union.” At the same time, Juan Luis Guerra, the most influential Dominican artist in the world, praised his mission, calling it a “marvelous example of what’s happening with Dominican music.” Yasser hopes to incite an awakening while inspiring new generations to explore, promote and uplift their roots.

Tejeda has released three commercial albums, La Madrugá (2023), Kijombo (2019), and Mezclansa (2009), with his group Palotré, while also surprising his followers with an acoustic EP called Interior in 2021. Mezclansa was dubbed one of the “100 essential recordings of Dominican music” by the Dominican National Association of Art Writers (Acroarte). His second album Kijombo received six awards from Dominican Republic’s Premios Indie, including Best Album. La Madrugá, which is Tejeda’s latest offering, features his latest collaboration with Vicente García, “En El Naranjo”, as well as the singles “Tu Ere’ Bonita” and “Todo Va a Marchar”.

Hanneke Cassel Band featuring Keith Murphy and Jenna Moynihan, plus Yann Falquet to Perform at Next Stage in May

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present Hanneke Cassel Band featuring Keith Murphy and Jenna Moynihan, plus Yann Falquet, at Next Stage on Thursday, May 16 at 7:00 pm.

Effervescent and engaging, Boston-based fiddler Hanneke Cassel’s fiddle music fuses influences from the Isle of Skye and Cape Breton with Americana grooves and musical innovations. She has performed and traveled across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Hanneke’s music is a blend of the contemporary and traditional, described by the Boston Globe as “exuberant and rhythmic, somehow wild and innocent, delivered with captivating melodic clarity and an irresistible playfulness.”

The Hanneke Cassel Band features Jenna Moynihan on 5-string fiddle/vocals and Keith Murphy on guitar/vocals. Jenna Moynihan is regarded as one of the best in the new generation of fiddle players. Versatile and inventive, her fiddling style draws strongly from the Scottish tradition, but is in no way bound by it. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Jenna performs as part of a duo with cutting edge harpist Mairi Chaimbeul and is the regular fiddler for the Seamus Egan Project. Newfoundland-born guitarist Keith Murphy began absorbing his native musical languages – folk songs, ballads and dance music – from an early age. A proficient multi-instrumentalist, he has long applied considerable energy to the rhythmic side of music, becoming a valued band member and highly sought-after sideman on guitar, mandolin and foot percussion.

Duo Andalus featuring LALA Tamar at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents an intimate encounter of voice and strings, sounds and cultures, with Duo Andalus, featuring LALA Tamar, at Next Stage on Sunday, April 28 at 7:00 pm.

“Take a trip through the Mediterranean – Flamenco, Ladino, Moroccan, Jewish, Arabic – merging together with Duo Andalus. Lala Tamar’s vocal virtuosity blends with Ofer Ronen’s flamenco guitar style and oud,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “We love the journey music brings us on, and for this show, we may ask audiences to bring a passport.”

Ordinary Elephant and Early Risers at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present an evening of acoustic folk music from far and near by Louisiana-based Ordinary Elephant and Putney-based Early Risers at Next Stage on Friday, April 12 at 7:30 pm.

Mesmerizing folk duo Ordinary Elephant has spent the better part of the last decade on a never-ending tour that’s earned Crystal and Pete Damore widespread critical acclaim and made fans of luminaries like Tom Paxton and Mary Gauthier. In 2017, the couple took home the International Folk Music Award for Artist of the Year on the strength of their breakout album “Before I Go,” and two years later, they returned with the similarly lauded “Honest,” which the Associated Press hailed as “one of the best Americana albums of the year.”

Rob Flax’s Boom Chick Trio to Perform at Next Stage on 4/6

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents eclectic jazz combo Boom Chic Trio on Saturday, April 6 at 7:30 pm. Equal parts hot swing, snarky songwriting, and lyrical storytelling, this energetic trio of virtuoso violin, guitar, and bass plus three part harmony vocals will transport you to a speakeasy somewhere in the back of a bar. You might not be able to sit still in your seat, and you’ll have a smile on your face most of the show!

“BOOM CHICK! What a name to express the hot jazz trio that are masters of their craft,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “We’re excited to introduce these musicians to our community because they cross some interesting lines between traditional sounds while making it feel exciting and new.”

Next Stage Arts Presents Cuban Quintet Espirales Project

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents Cuban quintet Espirales Project on Friday, March 29th at 7:30 pm, at Next Stage Arts, located at 15 Kimball Hill, Putney, VT. Tickets are $20 in advance / $25 at the door / $10 livestream. Next Stage will provide a beer, wine, and cocktail cash bar. Advance tickets are available at nextstagearts.org. For information, call 802-387-0102 or visit nextstagearts.org.

Newly emerging on the Cuban music scene in 2023, the Espirales Project brings together five top graduates of Cuba’s Instituto Superior de Arte performing across several genres—Cuban, jazz, world, and chamber music. Tania Haase, Olivia Rodríguez, Alejandro Aguiar, Jesús Estrada and Rodrigo García have led or contributed nationally and internationally to projects across all these styles, performing at Cuba’s International Jazz Plaza Festival and the Habana Clásica concert music festival. They are also teachers who have designed a development program on Cuban music and culture.

The Gaslight Tinkers at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present roots and world music quintet The Gaslight Tinkers at Next Stage on Friday, March 22 at 7:30 pm. Blending African, Caribbean, Funk, Reggae, and Latin grooves with traditional fiddle music, the quintet creates the genre-bending future of the music of the past.

The Gaslight Tinkers’ mix of global rhythms creates a joyous world beat sound around a core of traditional New England old time and celtic fiddle music, merging boundless positive energy with melody and song. Drawing from their extensive musical backgrounds in traditional folk, Caribbean, old time, Celtic, and rock, I-Shea, Clara, Garrett, Elie, and Peter craft a sound that brings world traditions together.

Next Stage Arts Presents Vermont Premier of Works From Grammy-Nominated Album by Tasha Warren & Dave Eggar

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents the Vermont premier of works from Tasha Warren & Dave Eggar’s Grammy-Nominated album “Ourself, Behind Ourself Concealed,” on Sunday, March 17th, at 7:00 pm. The performance will be held at Next Stage Arts, located at 15 Kimball Hill, Putney, VT. Tickets are $20 in advance / $25 at the door / $10 livestream. Next Stage will provide a beer, wine, and cocktail cash bar. Advance tickets are available at nextstagearts.org. For information, call 802-387-0102 or visit nextstagearts.org.

Introducing to the Vermont area, for the very first time, the music from their Grammy-nominated record “Ourself, Behind Ourself Concealed,” classical virtuosos Tasha Warren (clarinet and bass clarinet) and Dave Eggar (cello) invite the audience on a captivating musical odyssey through the realms of classical, jazz, tango, and beyond. Joining forces with the duo is the exceptional Martha Redbone, who brings her distinctive blend of folk, gospel, and blues, accompanied by the masterful guitar virtuoso Phil Faconti. Together, they create an unforgettable evening, weaving an immersive tapestry of musical storytelling that promises to be a unique and enriching experience.

Soaring: An Evening of Circus and Song Takes Center Stage at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Next Stage Arts is thrilled to present “Soaring: An Evening of Circus and Song” featuring soprano-aerialist Elizabeth Wohl, pianist Ivan Tan, and special guest artists on Saturday, March 16th at 4:00 and 7:30 pm. The performances will be held at Next Stage Arts, located at 15 Kimball Hill, Putney, VT.

Prepare to be enchanted as Elizabeth Wohl, a professional classically-trained opera singer, combines her vocal prowess with breathtaking aerial acrobatics. Wohl, known for her innovative interpretations of classical music, will perform a repertoire that includes works by Mozart, Gounod, Bizet, and Vermont composer Gwyneth Walker, accompanied by the skilled pianist Ivan Tan.

Le Patin Libre Returns to Brattleboro with Threshold

by hahrenholz | Entertainment

Next Stage Arts presents Montreal-based contemporary ice skating company Le Patin Libre, performing their work Threshold at the Nelson Withington Skating Facility on Friday, February 16 at 6:00 and 8:00 pm. Le Patin Libre performed to a sold-out audience at the rink last winter. A second show has been added this year to accommodate what is sure to be an enthusiastic response to the company’s return.

A contemporary reinvention of the show on ice, Le Patin Libre company is once again sharpening its blades for a new frozen opus. Dazzlement assured.

Le Patin Libre, whose members are all highly trained skaters, caused a sensation in 2014 with Vertical Influences, a revolutionary display of contemporary dance on ice. “We take full advantage of what makes skating a unique and legitimate art form: the glide”, explains Alexandre Hamel. “The glide allows the disconnection of the body’s displacement in space from its physical movement.” A Le Patin Libre performance is an adrenalin-laced experience. “We use that rush to fuel our choreographic poetry.” The same artistic team—skaters Pascale Jodoin, Jasmin Boivin, Taylor Dilley, Samory Ba and Alexandre Hamel, joined by dramaturge Ruth Little—brings us another gravity-defying show. “Dancers and acrobats have to walk, run, flip, leap, and so on. We, on the other hand, can zoom around without moving a muscle!”

Genticorum, with Special Guests Seamus Egan and Lissa Schneckenburger at Next Stage Arts on 2/10

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present Québécois trad trio Genticorum, with special guests Seamus Egan and Lissa Schneckenburger, at Next Stage Arts on Saturday, February 10th, at 7:30 PM.

Genticorum is among the most distinctive voices of Québécois traditional music.

In French, to describe the chemistry between people, you say they have atomes crochus — literally, that their atoms are interlaced. There’s no better way to talk about Genticorum. The trio’s connection is magnetic. In the filigree of their arrangements, seamlessly melding fiddle, flute, accordion, guitar, foot percussion, and voices, there’s always an organic spark: at its root, this is social music, and audiences can’t help but feel the pleasure these three musicians get from playing together.

George Lernis Quintet at Next Stage Arts

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents world-recognized percussionist George Lernis and his quintet, performing the music from his latest album “Between Two Worlds” at Next Stage on Saturday, January 27 at 7:30 pm.

The name of the album was inspired by the 15th century Turkish mystic Hacı Bayram Veli’s poem “Between Two Worlds” and depicts Lernis’s journey as an immigrant originally from Nicosia, Cyprus who eventually moved to the U.S. The music showcases Lernis’s bi-musicality, blending Jazz and Middle Eastern music in a tasteful and respectful manner to both of these rich musical traditions. Lernis’s quintet features a stellar group of musicians including the wonderful Turkish vocalist, Heiraza AKA Burcu Gülec, Swedish born bassist Bruno Råberg, American trumpeter Emiel De Jaegher, and Turkish piano, oud, and ney player Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol.

The Rasa String Quartet at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents Boston-based Rasa String Quartet at Next Stage on Saturday, December 9 at 7:30 pm.

The Rasa String Quartet celebrates the art of strumming and works inspired by strummed instruments, for string quartet! This program pairs old masterworks from Beethoven, Debussy, and Turina alongside newly celebrated classics from Jessie Montgomery and Caroline Shaw:

Program:
Claude Debussy: String Quartet in G Minor, II. Assez vif et bien rythmé
Jessie Montgomery: Strum
Caroline Shaw: Valencia
Joaquín Turina: The Bullfighter’s Prayer
L.V. Beethoven: String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat Major, Op. 74 “Harp”

Argentinian Duo Lerner and Moguilevsky To Perform at Next Stage 12/2

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents Argentinian duo César Lerner and Marcello Moguilevsky’s unique musical fusion of klezmer, tango, jazz, and South American folk music at Next Stage on Saturday, December 2 at 7:30 pm.

“Lerner & Moguilevsky are masters of their craft, threading various cultural ideas together into something new and exciting,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Bringing an artist to Putney from Argentina is an exciting opportunity. The thought that we’re bringing artists from around the world to our region feels positive for our community.”

Kat Wright and Brett Hughes Holiday Show at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Music

PUTNEY – Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present singer/songwriters Kat Wright and Brett Hughes with their quartet performing songs of the season at Next Stage on Friday, December 1 at 7:30 pm.

Kat Wright and Brett Hughes, two of Vermont’s most beloved songbirds, join forces once again this December for their 10th annual Vermont holiday tour. The show, a true Christmas gift featuring Tyler Bolles (Swale, Rough Francis) on upright bass and multi-instrumentalist Will Seeders (Carling & Will, Caitlin Canty), offers songs of holiday heartbreak and holiday cheer. It is bejeweled with storytelling, originals, and beloved classics alike. It’s guaranteed to warm your heart, pique your nostalgia, and create a loving container for those good ol’ holiday blues that we all know so well.

The Clements Brothers and Geneviève Racette at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present an evening of contemporary folk music with The Clements Brothers and Geneviève Racette at Next Stage on Friday, November 3 at 7:30 pm.

Québécois folk-pop singer/songwriter Geneviève Racette captivates listeners with her gentle, yet compelling, emotional resonance. Through her vulnerable lyricism and ethereal vocals, Geneviève has emerged as a rising star in both French and English-speaking Canadian music scenes. She is currently on her fifth US tour, collaborating with artists such as The Bros. Landreth, Abbie Thomas, and Halley Neal.

Since the release of her first EP in 2014, Genevieve has steadily gained recognition across Canada and the US, winning a Canadian Folk Music Award and earning glowing reviews from major outlets including Rolling Stone, Exclaim!, CBC, Women of Americana, Americana Music Association, and Sirius XM. Her latest CD “Satellite” is a collection of honest stories of self-discovery and reflection through the cycle of love which evoke moments of love, heartbreak, healing, forgiveness, and ultimately falling in love again.

Next Stage Arts Presents Double Bill Featuring Walter Parks & The Unlawful Assembly and Big Lazy

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts presents a double bill featuring the reimagined historic spirituals and hymns of Walter Parks & The Unlawful Assembly, and the “guitar noir”/”crime jazz” of Big Lazy, on Friday, October 27 at 7:30 pm at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, in Putney.

The Unlawful Assembly reimagines and tributes historic spirituals and hymns which universally inspire, empower and unite. Leader/guitarist/singer Walter Parks, longtime sideman to Woodstock legend Richie Havens, is joined by featured artists drummer/producer Steven Williams, and Ada Dyer, who’s currently touring worldwide with Bruce Springsteen, on vocals.

In one live-concert experience The Unlawful Assembly entertains and informs while successfully melding roots music of divergent origins. The soundtrack to American black history – old-school spirituals, gospel, blues, and prison work chants intertwine with swamp hollers, shaped-note hymns and Appalachian reels of white homesteader origin.

Antje Duvekot and Pete Bernhard at Next Stage

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present an evening of contemporary folk music with Antje Duvekot and Pete Bernhard at Next Stage on Sunday, October 22 at 7:00 pm.

Antje Duvekot is a German-born, American-raised singer/songwriter whose songs have been critically praised for their hard-won wisdom, dark-eyed realism, and street-smart romanticism. Her bicultural upbringing and relative newness to English have helped shape her unique way with a song, giving her a startlingly original poetic palette. They are the keys to the powerful, even revolutionary, empathy that informs everything she writes. She has won some of the top songwriting awards including the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, the Kerrville Folk Festival Best New Folk Award, and the Boston Music Award for Outstanding Folk Act.

Since the release of her debut studio CD “Big Dream Boulevard,” which was voted #1 Folk Release of 2006 by the Boston Globe and was named to the Top 10 Releases of the Year by National Public Radio’s Folk Alley, Antje has been touring extensively, criss-crossing the US and Europe. She is a compelling live performer and has played at major festivals, including Newport, Mountain Stage, Philadelphia, Falcon Ridge, Great Waters, and Kerrville. This fall, Antje celebrates the September 15th release of her fifth album “New Wild West.”

Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series – Burlington Taiko

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents a concert of traditional Japanese taiko drumming with Burlington Taiko, on Saturday, October 21 at 3:00 pm at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Rd, in Putney.

For more than thirty years, Burlington Taiko has educated New England communities about Japanese culture and entertained them with traditional Taiko drumming.

Honored three times by the International Taiko community, the group has been invited to perform in Japan. With hundreds of performances under their belt, they’ve performed for an estimated half a million people.