Brendan Taaffe and Kelsey Wells to perform at Catamount Arts Cabaret Room February 11th

Deeply versed in Irish and American traditions, it is on the mbira that Brendan Taaffe has found a truly distinctive voice, blending old-time ballads with traditional Zimbabwean rhythms. The ripple of the mbira, an instrument over a thousand years old, and Taaffe's lush tenor casts old songs in a new light, creating "the kind of hushed, lonely warmth you experience sitting by a fire in a drafty house."

A multi-instrumentalist on guitar, fiddle, banjo, and mbira, Brendan has toured with many different groups, including nationally acclaimed dance band Magic Foot and the internationally acclaimed vocal ensemble Northern Harmony. In addition to performing solo, he currently directs The Bright Wings Chorus, a vocal ensemble, and is the front man of The New Line, a band that blends mbira with banjo, electric guitar, and percussion, creating a bridge between American and African traditions.

Dan Bolles of Seven Days says, "In the tradition of Abigail Washburn's Sparrow Quartet or, more famously, Paul Simon's landmark album Graceland, Brendan Taaffe is a savvy composer who brings disparate musical cultures together with enlightening results."

Brandan will be joined by master fiddler and multi-instrumentalist Kelsey Wells who hails from Tennessee. Though much of her music is rooted in the heritage of Appalachia, Kelsey’s unique sound has been influenced by her keen interest in the fiddling styles of Western North Carolina, southern Sweden, and a few places in between. Currently the assistant director of World Music Weekends, she was the 2013 U.S. delegate to the world folk music project Ethno Denmark. She has also taught and performed in Norway, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Costa Rica.

As both Brandan and Kelsey use CRANKIES, (a scrolling illustration, wrapped up inside a wooden box and then hand-cranked so that it moves across a viewing screen) in their performances, guests will be treated to an unforgettable evening of complete magic, filled with music and song. The performance which is being provided by a suggested donation of $10.00 or $25.00 per family will take place in Catamount Art’s Cabaret Room at 7:30 Saturday February 11th.