I’m excited to announce that my traditional Irish group Murphy Beds will be performing live in-studio this Friday, Oct. 1 on WGBH Boston’s Celtic Sojourn program with host Brian O’Donovan. The incredible Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill will be playing as well. We’re honored to share the stage with them.
The concert will be broadcast live on Saturday, Oct. 2 from 3-6 PM. Visit the WGBH website and stream the concert live here:
Mike + Ruthy’s Folk City, the new 4th-Wednesday series at Cornelia Street Cafe, will debut with a festival-style evening of new talent! Rusty Belle, from Northampton, MA, will be bringing their backporch-slash-granny’s-attic-inspired hootenanny, Brooklyn balladeer Jefferson Hamer will alternately shred and wail, and Nina Violet “a modern, funky Edith Piaf” will draw you into her beautiful world of indie folk. In a grand finale, they’ll all join Mike + Ruthy on the cafe’s small stage for what promises to be an epic jam.
Bellingham, WA – Monday, Aug. 30, 2010. Weather: partly cloudy, 75 degrees, dry, beautiful. Coffee: overrated. hell-bent for purgatory
Pacific Northwesterners are coffee snobs, which might have been justifiable in the first decade A.S. (After Starbucks) but I have Southside Coffee two blocks from my Brooklyn apartment and they draw espresso as good as anything I’ve had anywhere, with elbow room for exceptions here and there. Gene in Vancovuer was in fine form last week. I had a crush on one of the espresso girls until one day she put Aerosmith on the stereo and I judged her musical tastes incompatible with mine. Her boyfriend came in the last day, looking like an Aerosmith roadie with long, long curly hair, babyface, and ripped jeans, which all made me feel better about her not giving me any special attention or smiles. But enough about coffee.
My spine is a total nightmare and I could barely hold my electric guitar last night at the Green Frog Acoustic Tavern. I’m doing push-ups and back-bends to try and regain my gait and stature. When your back hurts nothing goes right. You can’t sing, flirt, read, or think, and all your tele-bends go sharp. After our gig with Robert Blake, drummer Jordan Rain from the Yogoman Burning Band cracked my back and it sounded like champagne corks at midnight. But enough about the pain in my neck.
I’ve been away from home for almost a month. I’d say I was homesick, but what is home but a creaky bed, a cluttered desk, and a wilted basil plant? You can have my home. And while I’m thinking about it, my rent payment. I miss a few people. Maybe I could convince them all to move into a big house with me somewhere in western Massachusetts and we can plant a garden, full and leaden at harvest time with tomatoes, kale, peppers, and flowers. I’m thinking about gardens a lot these days. Vancouver is a garden town. That’s where Anais Mitchell and I recorded an album of traditional ballads with producer John Raham. We reinvented the wheel on Tam Lin. Willie’s Lady is our hit. We’ve already got a vision for the video, which we’re going to shoot in Brooklyn. Betsy Plum, Alex Battles, and I were talking about shooting a video in Prospect Park this fall, but Anais and I have a different idea. Hold tight Betsy and Alex, I think you’ll like it. We’ve got more tracking to do, both in New York and Vancouver, and the record probably won’t be out until sometime next year. I was hoping for sooner, but everyone is busy and that’s just how it is. I’m going to stop talking about this record now, because it won’t be out for ages and I don’t want to make myself or anyone else sick hyping it up.
It was an incredible weekend in Bellingham, WA! The 10th annual Subdued String Band Jamboree was a smashing success, culminating in the closing moments of Robert Sarazin Blake’s finale set, when the stage floor collapsed under the weight of the 30-odd performers massed together. Everyone was fine, and nobody missed their ending cue.
I’m sure the recordings will surface soon, and I can’t wait to hear them. Blake was on fire. A meteor shower light up the sky. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun.
Thanks also to Taarka and Anais Mitchell, who had me play guitar with them during their sets. Over the course of the weekend played 5 sets on the main stage, including electric and acoustic solo sets. I would have gladly played 5 more. Thanks again Robert and crew!
Happy Summer’s End to you! I’m heading out to the west coast for some shows with Anais Mitchell and Rachel Ries in Berkeley, Portland, and Vancouver, and then Anais and I are going into the studio to record an album of traditional British and Scottish ballads. We’ve been working steadily on these classic songs since last February, rewriting and revamping them to suit our own fiendish purposes! We’ll be recording in Vancouver with John Raham, Be Good Tanyas’ drummer and the engineer and co-producer for Reed Foehl’sOnce an Ocean album I worked on couple years ago. Keep in touch for news about the new ballad record- we’ve been previewing some of the songs at our live shows lately, and judging by the reaction, we’ve got something special in the works!
I’m adding more shows all the time, including some acoustic duos in the northeast with award-winning fiddler Tashina Clarridge, some full-band electric shows in New York City, the return of The Murphy Beds to WGBH’s Guest Street Sessions in Boston, and an October tour down to Florida with the amazing Mike and Ruthy! Check thiswebsite for updates, or follow me on twitter for breaking news. I’ve also got a facebook music page with songs, videos, and last-minute concert updates.
The Summer String Summit All-Star Concert, held 7/7/10 at the College of the Siskiyous in Weed, CA was one of the most incredible musical events I have ever witnessed. The list of performers goes on and on and included such string-music luminaries as Tim O’Brien, Darol Anger, Bruce Molsky, Natalie and Brittany Haas, Billy Contreras, Tristan and Tashina Clarridge, and I’m going to stop there because it would take me hours to get everyone’s name on the list. To learn more about the event, and keep tabs on what’s in store for next year, check the website: www.SummerStringSummit.com
I got to make a few appearances at the concert. I sang with my good friend Kristin Andreassen on her song “Pale Moon,” I also appeared as Johnny Shasta with the acapella singing group the Shastations. Here’s a photo:
Jesse Harper, Kristin Andreassen, Sarah Jarosz, Joel O’Brien, Margaret Glaspy, Tim O’Brien, Hannah Read, Kellen Zakula, Liddy Grace Voetberg, Jefferson Hamer
Maeve Gilchrist, Paul Kowert, Tashina Clarridge, Jefferson Hamer, and Sarah Jarosz – photo by Ian Hutchinson
I also played my song “Seed and a Feather” with Maeve Gilchrist on Harp, Paul Kowert on bass, Tashina Clarridge on fiddle, and Sarah Jarosz singing vocal harmonies. That was sweet.
What a time at Mt. Shasta fiddle camp! I’m in awe of what Tristan and Tashina Clarridge have accomplished in 6 years since the camp’s founding.
Here’s a live show from the Rockwood Music Hall in NY, NY, recorded by John Mahon on June 29, 2010. The band is Erik Deutsch on piano, Jacob Silver on bass, and Marc Dalio on drums. You can download the songs individually by right-clicking or control-clicking on the links, or just listen to them here with the embedded mp3 player. There’s also youtube videos of this concert available online. Big thanks to John for filming, recording, and uploading these songs!
Happy summer to you! Here in New York, the weather services are celebrating by issuing a severe weather warning due to heat and humidity. Standing today one block from my Brooklyn apartment, looking down 23rd Street across the East River, I could barely make out the Statue of Liberty through a hazy mirage of heated, 95 degree smog. Humbled by the swelter, I can’t help but look forward to this week’s trip to dry, breezy California! This Friday, Laura Cortese and I return to Berkeley’s Freight and Salvage for a headlining show, following up our opening set for David Lindley last March. Then I join up with acclaimed Boston fiddler Tashina Clarridge for a Sacramento concert before heading up to Mt. Shasta Fiddle Camp, where I’ll be teaching and performing with some of the best acoustic musicians on the planet. New Yorkers take note- before leaving the subways behind, I’m doing a full band show at the Rockwood Music Hall this Tuesday. Joining me are some of my best friends and favorite musicians in New York City- Erik Deutsch on piano, Jacob Silver on bass, and Marc Dalio on drums. I’ll be playing electric guitar and singing original and traditional songs. This show starts early- 6:00. I hope to see you there!
There’s lots happening later this summer, including the live-performance debut of my Child Ballads collaboration with Vermont songwriter Anais Mitchell. We’ve been interpreting these classic songs from England and Scotland for an album we’re recording this August. Come to the Jalopy Theater in Brooklyn on July 9th for a sneak preview of these rich, melodic stories reinvented. We’re co-headlining with our favorite duo Mike and Ruthy!
There’s new shows being added to the schedule all the time, so stop by this website to keep in touch. If you like, you can sign up for the RSS feed to get new blog posts sent to your favorite reader or email!
Laura Cortese and Jefferson Hamer’s debut album, Two Amps, One Microphone is available for download here.
Finally, you can listen to some of my newest songs on the Facebook Music Page.
Thanks for your support, and I hope to see you soon.
-Jefferson
upcoming shows:
Tuesday, July 29 – 6:00 PM
Rockwood Music Hall
New York, NY
Jefferson Hamer Band
featuring Jake Silver on bass, Erik Deutsch on piano, and Marc Dalio on Drums
Friday, July 2 – 8:00 PM
Freight and Salvage
Berkeley, CA
Laura Cortese and Jefferson Hamer
excerpt from the Freight and Salvage website:
Electric guitar and fiddle meld in intriguing new ways, entwined with sweet harmony vocals in the original songs performed by Laura Cortese and Jefferson Hamer. Last seen wowing the Freight audience with an opening set for David Lindley, Laura and Jefferson explore new ways to combine their copious instrumental, vocal, and songwriting talents. Tonight they spotlight tunes from their new duo CD, Two Amps, One Microphone.
buy tickets here: http://www.thefreight.org/laura-cortese-jefferson-hamer
Saturday July 3 – 7:00 PM
Anderson House Concert
Sacramento, CA
Jefferson Hamer and Tashina Clarridge
Tashina is an award-winning fiddler currently living in Boston. We’ll be playing an acoustic mix of traditional and original songs, as well as some choice arrangements of fiddle tunes.
Please reserve your seat by contacting Paul & Candy Anderson by email – paulncandy@comcast.net or phone – 916-455-6312
Wednesday, July 7th – 7:30 PM
Kenneth W. Ford Theatre at College of the Siskiyous
Weed, CA
Summer String Summit All-Star Concert featuring Tim O’Brien, Darol Anger, Bruce Molsky, Natalie and Brittany Haas, Jeremy Kittel, Nic Gareiss, Billy Contreras, The Bee Eaters, and many more www.SummerStringSummit.com
Fri, Jul. 9 – 9:00 PM
Jalopy
Brooklyn, NY
*SPECIAL BALLADS SHOW*
Anais Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer sing traditional ballads from our upcoming album on a co-bill with our friends Mike & Ruthy http://www.jalopy.biz
and looking further ahead:
Fri, Aug. 13
Subduded String Band Jamboree
Bellingham, WA
playing solo, with Robert Sarazin Blake, and with Anais Mitchell http://www.stringbandjamboree.com
other July dates with Anais Mitchell:
Sat, Jul. 10 – 8:00 PM
Albany, NY
The Linda, WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio
339 Central Ave
August West Coast Tour with Anais Mitchell
Full Band with Anais, Rachel Ries on drums and vocals, and Jefferson Hamer on guitar and vocals
check http://www.anaismitchell.com for updated schedule
September Midwest Tour with Anais Mitchell
Thu, Sep. 2 – 7:30 PM
Ginkgo Coffeehouse
721 N. Snelling Ave
St. Paul, MN
651-645-2647
Fri, Sep. 3 – 7:30 PM
New York Mills Regional Cultural Center
New York Mills, MN
Sat, Sep. 4
Storyhill Festival Midwest
Brainerd, MN
Wed, Sep. 8 – 8:00 PM
Cafe Paradiso
Fairfield, IA
Fri, Sep. 10
Evanston Space
1245 Chicago Avenue
Evanston, IL
Sat, Sep. 11 – 7:00 PM
WFMT Folkstage
5400 N St. Louis Avenue
Chicago, IL
