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Performing

I've always made at least part of my living performing, and it's been a curious assortment of gigs, from the Brass Balls Saloon to Carnegie Hall (Two Carnegie Halls, actually; the one in Manhattan and the one in Lewisburg, WV) and a lot in between. I don't do bar gigs any more (too hard on the body) but I still perform, and I'm still all over the map. Here's what I'm up to currently:

The Washington Bach Consort
Possibly the best baroque ensemble in the US and among the best anywhere. I sing bass. Mostly in the chorus, but last season I sang solos in two of their Noontime Cantata series and in a concert at Coolidge Hall in the Library of Congress. Read about them at www.bachconsort.org, or listen to their recording of the Gloria from BWV 235 (from their site).

The Robyn Helzner Trio
"World Jewish Music." Songs from the diaspora in Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino and even English. Some ancient, some written last year. Robyn is a wonderful performer and I've had the pleasure, along with Dov Weitman, of backing her on bass, keys and vocals for six years, in venues from Vancouver to Houston to the US Holocaust Museum. She's just released her 5th CD, "Signs and Wonders." See more (and hear samples) at www.helzner.com

Dinorock Productions
Astounding puppets, great scripts and classy music. (One CD features Danny Gatton and Beau Soleil.) They've piled up awards, including a Grammy nomination in 2000. They've been touring the US for about twenty years (38 states so far) and I've toured with them many times. (That's how I came to visit Carnegie Hall In Lewisburg, WV.) I have a separate page for a show for symphony orchestra and dinosaurs that we created in 2004. I still perform with them a few times a year, and always look forward to it. More at www.dinorock.com

Me and a guitar...
After some years off, I'm doing solo shows again. I've started with a regular gig at a cafe in Arlington, VA called Cassatt's. The first Saturday of every month, 7 to 9 pm. (Actually, it's no longer a solo gig. Roger Hart joins me on harmonica regularly.) Come by and listen some time. Duke Ellington, John Prine, Argentine Zamba, Verdi, Elvis, Paul Simon, Dave Frishberg.... No set list, no rehearsal and no apologies. Directions at www.cassatts.com. (It's always best to call and check!) mp3 of live show will be posted soon, so check back!
In the Works:
I'm working on a three-person live show "with video accompaniment," built around European art song of the romantic period. Not a recital, though. More an extended riff on the "Birth of the Modern," and the strange and often deranged characters who created that amazing literature. Somewhat in the style of the Reduced Shakespeare Company (only slowing down now and then) with emphasis on the colorful and the extreme, and lots of singing (unamplified, where possible). If all goes well I'll have a show ready by the fall of 2008.
     

Coming soon to this page:

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