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Fusing celtic
tunes with jazz, rock, even calypso
The Syncopaths
have created a vibrant,
new California Celtic sound. Ryan McKasson on fiddle Jeff Spero on keyboard Christa Burch on bodhran and vocals Bill Flores on mandolin and banjo |
| Also from California, Susan Michaels has been calling contras, squares, and family dances for 16 years and has toured extensively throughout the western United States and Canada. |
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The Contraptions are an inventive, energetic contra dance band from the
Philadelphia area. Chloe Maher (piano), Nora Smith (fiddle), Bill
Quern (mandolin, banjo, and more), and Rick Mohr (fiddle) like to
create exciting dance music as often as possible. The Contraptions
have played in Greenwich, CT; Chatham, Princeton, and Lambertville, NJ;
Bethlehem, Elverson, and Glenside, PA; and Baltimore, MD. Playing
together since June 2006, the band members draw on backgrounds in
old-time, Irish, New England, and French Canadian music to create a
diverse repertoire of great music. Caller Dan Black says, "The band
has great energy; your fun with each other was transmitted to the
floor." Caller Scott Higgs says, "The dances were fun, and you guys
sounded great!"
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Joseph Pimentel is a New England native now settled in Houston, Texas.
As a popular caller at dance events throughout the country, he draws on
a broad repertoire of contra, English country, and community dances. His
calling combines clear teaching, discriminating taste in dances, and
respect for tradition. He is the author of numerous popular contra
dances that have also found their way around the country. He has been an
active dance organizer in Ann Arbor, MI, and Columbus, OH, and is on the
national board of the Country Dance and Song Society.
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