The Nelson Odeon is known for offering such excellent musical talent to the Central New York area, that we are becoming quite spoiled!
The line-up is no exception!
MARCH 23 - FRANK SOLIVAN & THE DIRTY KITCHEN
With chops so hot, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen were named IBMA’s 2016 Instrumental Group of the Year for the second time, with a third nomination in 2017. Their critically acclaimed album Cold Spell earned a 2015 GRAMMY nomination for Best Bluegrass Album of the Year, yet the accolades don’t end there.
Solivan, with banjoist Mike Munford, 2013 IBMA Banjo Player of the Year, award-winning guitarist Chris Luquette and bassist Jeremy Middleton, simmer a progressive bluegrass stew of infinite instrumental, vocal and songwriting skills soon to be featured once again on a new album coming 2018.
Since leaving the cold climes of Alaska for the bluegrass hotbed of Washington, D.C., Frank Solivan has built a reputation as a monster mandolinist — and become a major festival attraction with his band, Dirty Kitchen. Their respect and deep understanding of the tradition collides, live on stage, with jazz virtuosity creating an unforgettable, compelling performance.
APRIL 6 - THE DEAD WINTER CARPENTERS
Hailing from North Lake Tahoe, Calif., Americana band Dead Winter Carpenters has built a reputation for pouring their heart and soul into each performance. In just a few years, they have positioned themselves, wrote Portland Metronome, “at the forefront of a youthful generation trying to redefine what string music is and what it can do.” Reminiscent of genre-benders like Jack White, Chris Thile, and Sam Bush, Dead Winter Carpenters harmoniously blends refined musical ability with a scarcely restrained tendency to let it all hang out. The result is a controlled burn, a riveting sound, and a connection with fans that sells out shows and has the band sharing stages with the likes of Jason Isbell, Greensky Bluegrass, and Hard Working Americans. Members include Jesse Dunn (acoustic and electric guitars, vocals), Jenni Charles (fiddle, vocals), Dave Lockhart (upright and electric bass, vocals), Nick Swimley (lead telecaster guitar, vocals), and Brendan Smith (drums, vocals). Dead Winter Carpenters is a band with the ambition, talent, and authenticity. Look for them to continue to delight – and invite – fans from many music camps.
APRIL 13 - THE STORYTELLERS TOUR
Charley Orlando is the essence of heart in music. Having released 16 albums Charley continues to paint outside the lines of convention. In his 25 plus year career he has been added to the Grammy entry ballot a total of 28 times and played over 3,000 shows in North America.
The current sound Charley has created is called "Organica Groove" which builds on his groundbreaking sound of "Acid Folk" from his early days on the road. This music comes from the heart and combines an acoustic approach with modern technology by using Ableton Live (computer program) as a platform to build and explore his songs. His songwriting is in the realm of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Ryan Adams, and Jeff Tweedy but at the same time nothing like any of them. There are artists who ride waves and artists whom part the sea creating a new sound. Charley has been parting the sea his whole career and this music is no exception.
Chris Merkley has performed over a thousand shows from the streets of Paris to venues throughout Europe and across the United States. He has released nine albums with a variety of groups which include songwriting duo Merkley & Morgan, acoustic American roots rock band The Crooners, and the swampy blues rock trio of Digger Jones.
In addition to an extensive career of recording and touring, Merkley has composed and produced an extensive catalog of original music for TV and has songs featured in several independent films. In 2008, he created a number of original compositions for HBO's critically acclaimed series, 'Generation Kill' and has since collaborated with Free Man Music and fellow Old Boy artists to compose custom original music for Cinemax, HBO Latino, and Max Latino.
Merkley is currently performing solo, as well as with Merkley & Morgan, The Crooners, and Digger Jones in the New York area.
Mike Powell left the Town of Champion in 2001 and went on to Syracuse University where, in four years, he became the most decorated college lacrosse player in the history of the sport. After college, despite being the number one draft pick in both professional lacrosse leagues, Mike declined the offers to play professionally and instead packed up his guitar and hit the road to play music in coffee shops and folk houses all over the American west. He is an open-chested free spirit and an absolute prolific writer with over 200 songs already in his arsenal.
His words are honest and his performances are captivating, intimate, and interactive. His powerful silky voice is oozing with blue eyed soul. He somehow blends folk with soul and country to create a sound that is as unique as his personality.
APRIL 14TH - RYTHM FUTURE QUARTET
Rhythm Future Quartet has a straightforward agenda: to keep the spirit of Gypsy jazz alive and expanding in today’s musical universe. The virtuosic foursome, named for a Django Reinhardt tune, offers up a newly minted sound, influenced by the classic Hot Club of France, yet wholly contemporary. Led by violinist Jason Anick and guitarist Olli Soikkeli, the quartet performs dynamic and lyrical arrangements of both Gypsy jazz standards and original compositions that draw upon diverse international rhythms and musical idioms. With Max O’Rourke on second guitar and Greg Loughman on bass, Rhythm Future is dedicated to expanding the boundaries of a vital musical genre. Where the band’s self-titled debut album re-visited classic jazz and Gypsy jazz favorites, Travels, the quartet’s current release, concentrates on group originals that make captivating use of musical sources from outside the conventional Gypsy jazz terrain. Travels reflects both the accumulated knowledge garnered from the groups world wide touring as well as the international influences that inspired new rhythmic and harmonic possibilities within their compositions and arrangements. Garnering critical acclaim, Travels was picked as one of the Best Jazz Albums of 2016 by All About Jazz and the Huffington Post. Jason Anick, an award-winning composer and one of the youngest professors at the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston, has shared the stage with an array of artists including Grammy award winning guitarist John Jorgenson, Stevie Wonder, The Jim Kweskin Jug Band, and Tommy Emmanuel. Olli Soikkeli (coined “the Finnish boy wonder”) recently made the move from Scandinavia to New York City, where he quickly became a top call guitarist in the bustling Brooklyn jazz scene. He has performed alongside rising star Cyrille Aimee, world-renowned Gypsy guitarist Stochelo Rosenberg, Bucky Pizzarelli, and many others. Max O’Rourke was the winner of the 2015 Saga Award from DjangoFest Northwest, and at 21 has already toured/recorded with many of the top American Gypsy Jazz musicians including John Jorgenson and Gonzalo Bergara. Greg Loughman is a top call bassist in Boston and has been heard with such luminaries as Sheila Jordan, Curtis Fuller, and George Garzone.