December « 2009 « Orchard House Cafe

Saturday, January 30, The Second Fiddles, 8 PM

Saturday, January 30, The Second Fiddles, 8 PM Come and experience the best in Americana and Early Roots Music. The Second Fiddles grew out of the vibrant roots music scene that is gaining momentum in New York City. A number of the musicians had previous experience in alternative rock, jazz and blues music, but their eclectic musical interests led to a rediscovery of Americana music from before World War II. For the past four years the Second Fiddles have built a following that is enjoying their lively brand of old timey jazz and country blues. Multi-instrumentalists and vocalists, Jon Vesey and Guillaume Goussalt have been performing together for the past five years. They were joined by local stalwart Trip Henderson, who has performed with a who's who of blues artists ranging from Otis Rush and Bo Diddley to the boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. David Bennett Cohen was a founding member of Country Joe and the Fish and has played and/or recorded with Jimi Hendrix, Hubert Sumlin, Mike Bloomfield, The Blue Project and Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones. Rounding out the Second Fiddles is bassist Jason Sypher who is on leave from his regular band Nikitov, based in Holland. Jason is in high demand on the Irish Folk Music circuit and has performed with Leon Redbone, Howard Fishman and Andy Statman. The Second Fiddles have appeared on WKCR's Honky Tonkin' Show, WFDU's Traditions with Ron Olesko, The Hoboken Music and Arts Fair, The Jugband Jubilee, The Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club, The Lawn Concerts at Shippen Manor and the Sheriff Sessions. They've shared the stage with many musicians including Chris Thile, and the The Infamous Stringdusters. Suggested donation $15 ($10 students and seniors) Reservations recommended: email requests to orchardhousecafe@gmail.com
Friday, January 29, On My Way to Someplace Else, 8 PM

Friday, January 29, On My Way to Someplace Else, 8 PM Book reading and signing with author Sandra Hurtes What was it like to have been born to people who survived the Holocaust? Award-winning writer Sandra Hurtes tackles this question in her just published essay collection, On My Way to Someplace Else (Poetica Publishing). Her essay, “A Quiet Ache,” which explores her relationship with her father, won a 2005 American Jewish Press Award. Other pieces in this collection originally appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Philadelphia Inquirer among other publications. "Sandra Hurtes writes with grace and delicacy about her not so ordinary life, about childhood as the daughter of Holocaust survivors, about the complexities of survival as a single woman in a great metropolis, about dating, knitting, strolling, writing. In doing so, she fronts the uncertainty of life as well as its mystery."  Meena Alexander, Fault Lines: A Memoir   Hurtes is an adjunct lecturer at John Jay College in New York City. Her recent work has been featured in Poets and Writers and The Writer. She is currently at work on a memoir, Halfway Home. This event is FREE.
Saturday, January 23, Live music with Port o’ Monkeys, 8 PM and 9 PM

Saturday, January 23, Live music with Port o’ Monkeys, 8 PM and 9 PM This eclectic band uses a wide variety of acoustic instruments, including flamenco guitar, oud, kanun, bouzouki, guitarrone, yayla tanbur, flute, harmonium, bass trombone, mandolin, afghan rebab, nyckleharpe, and various hand drums and other percussion. They carefully mix the aural timbres in each song to bring out its unique character. The interpretations of traditional pieces and the original compositions take their inspiration from sources as diverse as Flamenco, American folk, Basque, Celtic, ancient Greek, Afghani, Turkish, Armenian, Hindustani, Klezmer, Persian, and Gypsy. Some of their music could be called street music, the music of fiestas, the music people make when they get together in homes, folk music; other pieces are more directly meditative. The common denominator is a shared musical spirit, a sense of integrity and joy in our common humanity and aspiration. On this occasion Port o’ Monkeys will feature Chris Wertenbaker, Jeff Greene, Paul Harris, Don Hayward, Dolphi Wertenbaker, Nick Moon and Eve Moon (http://www.myspace.com/portomonkeys)
Saturday, January 16, Traditional Azerbaijani Mugham Music, 8 PM Jeffrey Werbock will present a program of instrumental solo improvisations based on traditional Azerbaijani mugham, played on oud - fretless wood face short neck lute; tar - fretted skin face long neck lute; and kamancha - skin face spike fiddle.

Saturday, January 16, Traditional Azerbaijani Mugham Music, 8 PM Jeffrey Werbock will present a program of instrumental solo improvisations based on traditional Azerbaijani mugham, played on oud - fretless wood face short neck lute; tar - fretted skin face long neck lute; and kamancha - skin face spike fiddle. Azerbaijani mugham is monophonic modal music, highly microtonal, meter free, densely ornamented, composed of complex melodic lines that are somewhat improvised according to the eastern tradition of theme and variation, and convey a mix of sorrow and joy, exhaltation and lament, and an overall sense of both antiquity and other worldiness. Mr. Werbock has been giving presentations for well over three decades and has performed often at Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History, Asia Society, World Music Institute, and presents lecture demonstrations at colleges and universities all over the English speaking world. He has been awarded an honorary degree by the National Music Conservatory of Azerbaijan, in Baku, and was recently sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan to perform a solo concert. Suggested donation $15 ($10 students and seniors)
Saturday, January 2, 7:30-9:30 PM

Saturday, January 2, 7:30-9:30 PM Slowly Waking: An evening of contemplative stories and melodies of love. Starting with one note, we will weave movement, story, and niggun to slowly wake the sleeping soul. At the start of the New Year Diane Wolkstein and Jeff Greene invite you to explore the meaning of beginnings and renewal through the exploration of stories from the Hasidic, Buddhist and indigenous traditions. Join us for an evening of contemplative stories and melodies of love--with savory surprises. Diane Wolkstein has been performing, writing and giving storytelling workshops for forty years. A special DVD, A Storyteller's Story, was recently released to celebrate Diane’s forty years of storytelling in New York City. Two of her books: Inanna and The Magic Orange Tree have become classics in the world of myth and folklore. She is the story editor at Parabola magazine and is currently immersed in the study of the Chinese epic, Journey to the West, (see: monkeykingepic.com). For more about Diane see: dianewolkstein.com. Jeff Greene grew up listening to the blues in Chicago. His time in college sparked an interest in ethnomusicology, which he has explored over the years during trips to Central Asia, the Balkans, and the Middle East. He has studied the mandolin and Afghan Rebab, and collected over 200 instruments, all of which he can (and does!) play. Jeff has performed with the New York Arabic Orchestra and currently plays with two groups: Port O’ Monkeys and TriBeCaStan. He is founder of the global roots company EverGreene Music, as well as president and founder of EverGreene Architectural Arts, an interior restoration and conservation company. Suggested donation $15 ($10 students and seniors
Saturday, January 2, 7:30-9:30 PM

Starting with one note, we will weave movement, story, and niggun to slowly wake the sleeping soul. At the start of the New Year Diane Wolkstein and Jeff Greene invite you to explore the meaning of beginnings and renewal through the exploration of stories from the Hasidic, Buddhist and indigenous traditions. Join us for an evening of contemplative stories and melodies of love--with savory surprises. Diane Wolkstein has been performing, writing and giving storytelling workshops for forty years. A special DVD, A Storyteller's Story, was recently released to celebrate Diane’s forty years of storytelling in New York City. Two of her books: Inanna and The Magic Orange Tree have become classics in the world of myth and folklore. She is the story editor at Parabola magazine and is currently immersed in the study of the Chinese epic, Journey to the West, (see: monkeykingepic.com). For more about Diane see: dianewolkstein.com. Jeff Greene grew up listening to the blues in Chicago. His time in college sparked an interest in ethnomusicology, which he has explored over the years during trips to Central Asia, the Balkans, and the Middle East. He has studied the mandolin and Afghan Rebab, and collected over 200 instruments, all of which he can (and does!) play. Jeff has performed with the New York Arabic Orchestra and currently plays with two groups: Port O’ Monkeys and TriBeCaStan. He is founder of the global roots company EverGreene Music, as well as president and founder of EverGreene Architectural Arts, an interior restoration and conservation company. Suggested donation $15 ($10 students and seniors)
Saturday, December 26, REJOICE, Stories, Songs and Music, 7-9 PM

Saturday, December 26, REJOICE, Stories, Songs and Music, 7-9 PM Orchard House Café is very happy to welcome back internationally celebrated storyteller Laura Simms for a magical evening of traditional stories and fairy tales interwoven with personal narrative. Laura's warmth, depth of understanding, diverse material, humor, gorgeous voice and range of characterizations will leave you spellbound. Musicians, Terre Roche, vocals and guitar, and Julia Haines, vocals, harp and accordion, will accompany Laura as she tells timeless stories that explore the alchemy of joy and peace. Laura is also author of the award-winning children’s book Rotten Teeth, the spoken word recording The Gift of Dreams and a longtime contributing editor to Parabola magazine. Her latest book Under the Currant Leaves (Codhill Press) will be out in the spring of 2010. Her book The Robe of Love is available for purchase in the café. For more about Laura see http://www.laurasimms.com/ Julia Haines, recognized for her unique approach to the Celtic harp, creates songs of immense grace and power. Weaving together the sounds of classical, jazz and world music influenced by her studies with West African jeli and kora virtuoso, Alhaji Bai Konte, Julia creates a music that is evocative and filled with a radiant energy. For more about Julia and her recordings see http://www.juliahaines.com Terre Roche is best known for her work as one of The Roches, her family's singing group, with whom she has created 13 CD's and toured extensively in the United States and Europe. Terre's most recent release "Us an' Them", a collaboration with jazz pianist Garry Dial, is being considered for a Grammy nomination. Terre is very happy to be performing with Laura Simms and hopes this is the beginning of many collaborations.
Saturday, December 19, Private Ear Audio Theater, 8-10 PM

Saturday, December 19, Private Ear Audio Theater, 8-10 PM Private Ear Audio Theatre presents The Private Ear Radio Hour Holiday Spectacular! Private Ear Audio Theatre has been captivating ears and imaginations since its formation in 2008. Created by Sarah Lawrence graduates, Ross Wade and Eli Taylor, PEAT performs classic and original radio plays LIVE!, capturing old time radio sensibility and fusing it with the energy and vibrancy of today. With live sound effects performed by Ien Denio, original scores by Nehemiah Luckett, and a youthful cast of varying tonalities, PEAT champions the power of the audience’s imaginations. This month’s Episode travels to the middle of Africa where love knows no boundaries in “Congo Christmas” from the classic series Tarzan!, and then to Nazareth where we witness the repercussions when two time travelling con-men will the Wise Men out of their gifts in Time Travel is Money! So Join PEAT for their first Holiday themed show while relaxing with a bowl of soup or a hot cup of cider at the intimate Orchard House Café.
Sunday, December 13, Hootenanny, 7 PM

Sunday, December 13, Hootenanny, 7 PM Come join fiddler/composer Andy Teirstein, Broadway Guitar/Actor David Lutken and their friends for a café blend of traditional folk, country blues, and original songs and tunes. The duo will come to the café straight from Carnegie Hall, where they premiere Teirstein’s new composition (2PM, with the Alaria Trio). Somewhere in the set the evening will open up into a hootenanny, so bring your instruments. There will be foot stomping and singing to melt the ice outside. Composer Andy Teirstein has just released a new CD on Naxos USA, Open Crossings. The New York Times and The Village Voice have described his work as “magical,” “ingenious,” and “superbly crafted.” An original cast member of the Broadway hit musical, Barnum, Teirstein's activity as a musician/actor continues in the new musical, Woody Sez, created by David Lutken, a hit at the Edinburgh Festival and The Lyric Theater. Teirstein has composed several film scores, two award-winning music-theater works, and many scores for choreographers. David M. Lutken has been making his living as a performer in music and theatre for 30 years. As a player of traditional American instruments, folk music comprises a very large part of his repertoire. His Broadway credits include Ring of Fire, The Civil War, The Will Rogers Follies, and the 2007 Broadway revival of Inherit the Wind. He has appeared at Carnegie Hall, with the New York City Opera, the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and internationally in the UK and Europe. David's original show, Woody Sez, is based on the life of Woody Guthrie.
Sat. December 12, Sun. December 13 In The Palms of Your Hands: Peggy Tissier

Saturday, December 12, Sunday, December 13 In The Palms of Your Hands: 'The Most Intimate of Stories' Come learn more about your own story in a palm reading session with Peggy Tissier. For those who know Peggy this is the tenth year of an annual holiday tradition of 'holding hands" with Peggy. For little more than twenty minutes of your time and a $20 suggested donation you are bound to be delighted. Ask anyone who knows! Reservations strongly recommended: Make an appointment now. Saturday, December 12, 5-8 PM Sunday, December 13, 4- 7 PM Bring a friend! Call 646-552-1279 to book now and "Happy Holidays"