PFS Presents Barnes, Gordy, Walsh **** Sunday, December 8, 2019Doors
7:00pm | Music 7:30pm $12 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $15
Not-Yet-Members | $18 Doors CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK About
Barnes, Gordy, Walsh **** In the world of bluegrass and folk, where
the collaborative possibilities are endless, what draws some musicians
together in formal collaborations is hard to pinpoint. For Joe K.
Walsh, Grant Gordy, and Danny Barnes, a newly formed bi-coastal ****,
curiosity is the rule, and tunes are just a starting point. “We
approach every tune with an open attitude everyday. There’s a sort
of tacit undiscussed flexibility that we all honor when we play
together”, explains Walsh. For three musicians who have vibrant
solo careers, as well as multifaceted musical collaborations under
their belts, the **** has sparked a new level of creative inspiration,
a venue to push and pull, learning and speaking with one another
through improvisation. “We are in some ways three very different
musical pieces, but the thing that unites us is a deep respect and
affinity for anybody who is improvising,” says Walsh. The
**** is anchored by banjo player and singer/songwriter Danny Barnes.
Barnes is best known as the frontman of the Bad Livers, for his
collaborations with Dave Matthews and Bill Frisell, and as the 2015
winner of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and
Bluegrass. He is an innovative banjo player and songwriter
originally from Texas whose solo album “Pizza Boz”, garnered him a
sort of cult following, and led Sam Bush to describe him as “The
Great American Un-Sung Hero”. The elder of the group, Barnes
brings an element of fierce individuality to the ****, with
wisdom-infused vocals and straightforward, no nonsense banjo picking.
Gordy and Walsh come from a more jazz and swing influenced background,
having first bonded over their mutual obsession with learning David
Grisman solos. For Walsh, hearing some of the early Dawg records was
his first impetus to learn the mandolin. However, he is now equally
renowned for his bluegrass and old-time sensibilities. Growing up in
Illinois and later Minnesota, Walsh first established himself on the
East Coast as the co-founder of progressive bluegrass band Joy Kills
Sorrow, and as a long time member of The Gibson Brothers. He went on
to become a faculty member at The Berklee College of Music, and launch
a solo career with his albums Sweet Loam and Borderland. Gordy, who is
originally from Colorado and now lives in Brooklyn, went from being a
fan of David Grisman, to playing in his band. Having spent six years
in the David Grisman Quintet, Gordy released a self titled solo album
in 2010 to critical acclaim, and has been featured on NPR’s Morning
Edition, Tiny Desk Concerts, and All Things Considered, as well as The
Fretboard Journal, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and Flatpicking Guitar
Magazine. Darol Anger, with whom Gordy has collaborated frequently,
describes his playing as containing “Kaleidoscopic excellence,
startling emotion, and personal revelation”. The three friends first
crossed paths at a music camp in Grand Targhee, Wyoming, where they
were each employed separately to teach and perform. But rather than
sitting down to play together, they first bonded during a game of disc
golf, which became a venue for philosophical musing and discussion.
A desire for intellectual growth and challenge became a theme for the
three, and their tours often involve car discussions on everything
from French Literature to meditation. Perhaps because of this, their
music feels like an infinitely extending plane. “When we play,
everybody is leading with their ears, and everything is possible,
it’s hugely omnivorous”, says Walsh. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT BARNES, GORDY, WALSH **** CLICK HERE TO WATCH A BARNES, GORDY,
WALSH **** VIDEO
music
100
Views
10/12/2019 Last update