Ian McLagan, fresh off Faces reunion show in London, plays the Iron Horse, Tuesday, November 17th at 8PM.

In case you haven’t heard, 3/5ths of legendary English rock outfit Faces (previously Small Faces) finally reunited this past Sunday (Oct. 25) for a one-off charity show at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Joining guitarist Ronnie Wood, drummer Kenney Jones, and keyboardist Ian McLagan was The Rolling Stones’ Bill Wyman, who replaced Ronnie Lane (RIP) on bass, and Spice Girls’ Mel C, Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall, and Kiki Dee, who all handled vocal duties while Rod Stewart was busy doing his own things.

With respect to a Faces tour, Kenney Jones (who also drummed for The Who post-Keith Moon) said, “I’d like to think it’s entirely possible and I think it’s on the cards, I’d love to see it in 2010, if not the following year but time’s not on our side, the sooner we do it the better. Like I said it’s all subject to everyone’s busy schedules.” Rod Stewart shared similar words in a recent interview with CNN saying, “[Faces had] a reunion… in London without me because I’m promoting my new album….Hopefully, I’ll get me old job back. It’s on the cards. I’ll do it eventually.” So, to summarize, a full Faces reunion will probably be happening sometime soon. Meanwhile, Ian McLagan will make a local appearance at the Iron Horse Music Hall at 7PM on Tuesday, November 17^th.

Here’s a clip of “Ooh La La” from the Royal Albert Hall Reunion Concert

Here’s Ian McLagan and Patty Griffin on Letterman playing “Never Say Never”

Ian McLagan along with singer/ guitarist Steve Marriott, bass player Ronnie Lane, and drummer Kenney Jones, was a member of the British pop/rock band the Small Faces. A teenybopper success at first, the band eventually gained greater critical standing by adopting a more psychedelic style. In March 1969, Marriott quit to form Humble Pie. Three months later, McLagan, Lane, and Jones combined with singer Rod Stewart and guitarist Ron Wood, formerly of the Jeff Beck Group, to form the Faces. The group developed a reputation for its freewheeling performances, but it was overshadowed by Stewart's solo career, which took off in the fall of 1971 with his hit "Maggie May." Nevertheless, the Faces also had considerable commercial success, reaching the U.K. Top Ten many times. Ian released his debut solo album, Troublemaker, in 1979, followed by Bump in the Night in 1980. As a session man he notably worked with Jackson Browne, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt, the Rolling Stones, and Bruce Springsteen, among many others. In 2000, he released his third album, Best of British, credited to Ian "Mac" McLagan & the Bump Band, and published his autobiography, All the Rage. The hard rocking Rise and Shine appeared in 2004 and was followed by Extra Live two years later. Never Say Never appeared in late 2008.

Never Say Never was mixed by Glyn Johns, Mac’s old pal from Small Faces and Faces. The self produced and directed album features McLagan's award winning Bump Band: 'Scrappy' Jud Newcomb, Don Harvey and Mark Andes, and includes all original songs written by one of the best-loved musicians of our time. Patty Griffin graces Never Say Never with her soulful vocals and she and the Tosca Strings can be heard on the final track, the heart wrenching When The Crying Is Over.

Tickets for all IHEG shows are available at the Northampton Box Office. Charge by phone 586-8686. Order online at www.iheg.com.

Robert Cray talks about his Animal House appearance and his role in the creation of the Blues Brothers

“It’s a classic now, but back when the movie Animal House was shot, nobody had any idea it was going to be so big,” says Robert Cray. “My band and I were living in Eugene, Oregon, at that time, and some lady came up and asked me if I wanted to be in a film. I sarcastically said, ‘Yeah, right.’ But, sure enough, she called back a few months later to ask if I could make rehearsals. They needed black guys to play the members of Otis Day’s band, the Knights. We got fitted for outfits, and we were on the set for three days. that’s me on bass, although I’m not really playing. “We also had something with the Blues Brothers. You see, Curtis Salgado was the frontman and harmonica player for another band in Eugene called the Nighthawks. We had a splinter band that worked Monday nights called the Crayhawks that consisted of Curtis, myself, Richard Cousins on bass, and Dave Olson on drums. John Belushi came in, and we invited him up on stage where he did the Joe Cocker impersonation he used to do on Saturday Night Live. Curtis and John became pretty tight while John was in town making Animal House, and Curtis was schooling John all the time with his great blues and R&B record collection. Curtis wore prescription Ray-Ban sunglasses, and he had a little growth of hair under his bottom lip. Right then, Belushi got the idea to start the Blues Brothers, basing his character on Curtis. They credited Curtis on the first record, and when Paul Schaeffer introduced the Blues Brothers for the first time on SNL—doing his impersonation of Don Kirshner from the Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert program—he said, ‘And with the help of Curt Salgado and the Cray Band, we give you the Blues Brothers.’ It’s crazy to look back, but that’s how it all started, and it lives on to this day with things like the House of Blues and Elwood’s radio show.”

Robert Cray and Johnny A play the Calvin Theatre in Northampton on Sunday, November 8th at 8PM.

Minds Behind Violent Femmes, Soul Coughing, Grant-Lee Buffalo, Toad the Wet Sprocket play the Iron Horse Nov. 11th-15th

Gordon Gano and the Ryans, Wednesday, November 11th - 7:00PM

Gordon Gano, co-founder/songwriter for alt-rock monoliths Violent Femmes returns to the scene he helped spawn with a new album Under the Sun on Yep Roc. Film-scoring brothers and Bogmen members Brendan and Billy Ryan join Gano for Gordon Gano & The Ryans' first collaboration and Gordon's first non-Femmes release as a front man. Gano's influence on alternative music is immeasurable and his latest work is sure to remind the music world of the force and presence with which he originally stormed onto the scene in 1983, paving the way for the commercial explosion of alternative music a decade later.

Mike Doughty Thursday, November 12th- An Acoustic Evening - 2 Shows- 7 & 10PM

Soul Coughing's Mike Doughty returns to Northampton, band in tow, for another undoubtedly unique performance. Doughty will be up to his usual surrealist and ornate tale weaving, exemplified by songs like "Looking at the World from the Bottom of a Well" and "I Hear the Bells," both of which were featured on popular television shows Grey's Anatomy, Bones, and Veronica Mars. Mike's new album, GOLDEN DELICIOUS, is a loose limbed, freewheeling set that brings all the aspects of his singular muse together in one smart, humorous and eloquent package.

Grant Lee Phillips, Winterpills, Friday November 13^th-7PM

You may know him as the street musician singing between scenes on dozens of episodes of the Gilmore Girls. With golden voice and silver-dipped pen Grant-Lee Phillips, former frontman of the legendary Grant Lee Buffalo, presents another milestone in a career brimming with the like. Little Moon, his first album since 2007's Strangelet, is track after track of well-anchored classic American music - rock and folk swirl under clouds of cinematic strings for a primer on the art of the timeless tune. His legendary well of melody is in full display on Little Moon, with even the most lilting piano ballad standing comfortably on a thick, powerful trunk. Northampton's own Winterpills open the show and will back up Grant-Lee as well.

Works Progress AdministrationSunday, November 15th - 7PM

Works Progress Administration takes its name from FDR’s 1939 New Deal initiative, which put millions to work making buildings, bridges, theater, art and music. WPA is an expandable collective, the core band comprised of Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket) Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek), and Luke Bulla (Jerry Douglas Band, Lyle Lovett.) WPA was born out of the musical community surrounding the legendary LA club, Largo, a place not unlike the Iron Horse. The collaborative's debut album came out this September ('09) and includes the other five members: Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek), Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Greg Leisz (Lucinda Williams), Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello and the Imposters) and Davey Faragher (The Imposters, Cracker). Glen, Luke & Sean are on the road in support of the new album, to be joined by additional band members along the way as individual schedules allow. WPA will be performing at Iron Horse as a Quintet - Glen Phillips, Luke Bulla, and Sean Watkins will be joined by Sebastian Steinberg (bass) and Jerry Roe (drums)."

Rickie Lee Jones at the Iron Horse Monday Night 10/26

Photos by Dave Barnum

Teach Your Children Well. Offspring of greats do their lineage justice at the Iron Horse as Liam Finn and Harper Simon come to town on 10/31 & 11/3.

Home to at least two generations of fans and performers, the Iron Horse hosts a steady stream of the musical progeny of great artists, many of whom have played the Horse for years; Sean Lennon, Sara Lee Guthrie, Justin Townes Earl, Ben and Sally Taylor, Rufus, Lucy, and Martha Wainwright and /or Roche, Devon Allman, Teddy Thompson, Shooter Jennings, and Jeff Buckley among them. When we book these sons and daughters, we strike a balance between promoting them on their own merits while also making reference to their newsworthy lineage.

Liam Finn, son of Neil Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House, burst onto the musical landscape with the force and presence of an artist twice his age. Recorded with a mixing deck that once belonged to The Who, the New Zealander, in his early 20s, plays nearly every instrument on his first solo release I'll Be Lightning. During his raucous yet intimate live performances Liam utilizes effects pedals to create, sample and loop bass, guitar, drums, vocals and even Theremin. Liam's sound ranges from foggy and intimate to fuzzed-out garage and Elliott Smith-style melodies are often part of the story. On I'll Be Lightning, Liam has translated the shambolic energy of his live show onto vintage 2-inch tape, yielding a studio album of frightening power and endless hooks. “The aesthetic is DIY, leaving the woolly edges,” he explains. His brand new EP, Champagne In Seashells, a collaboration with his live cohort Eliza Jane (daughter of Aussie music legend Jimmy Barnes) is bigger and bolder than its predecessor, revealing new lyrical complexities and pointing in daring new musical directions. The self produced EP was mixed by legendary sonic wizard Tchad Blake (Gomez, Pearl Jam).

Liam and Eliza KILL Neil Young’s Old Man- watch video.

Liam Finn-Second Chance-watch video from I’ll be Lightning

Listen to Liam and Eliza Jane’s new song Plane Crash.

At 37, Harper Simon apparently doesn't mind taking after his pops, Paul, who used to showcase the young, guitar-playing Harper when he was touring on Graceland. Paul co-wrote two tracks on Harper's debut, a friendly album recorded by Bob Johnston – who was behind the board for classic recordings from Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Leonard Cohen – backed by a Who’s Who of enduring session greats familiar from countless classics of the Sixties and Seventies, including the likes of Charlie McCoy, Lloyd Green and Hargus “Pig” Robbins. Working with Bob Johnston and all those Nashville session guys from the 60's was completely fascinating and totally satisfying,” says Simon. “Having Lloyd Green at my disposal, the pedal steel player from The Byrds’ Sweetheart Of The Rodeo LP. I can't tell you how much acid I dropped to that album. Charlie McCoy, Pig Robbins... holy shit. Blonde On Blonde, Nashville Skyline... whoa. I got to work with Al Perkins whose name I knew from Exile On Main Street. Although actually he's not on the album, he's on a bonus track. Gene Chrisman played drums on Aretha's “Natural Woman”... Mike Leech and Gene were ELVIS's rhythm section. Their musicianship was extraordinary, their attitude towards me was so supportive... it was very special.”

In search of a sound that satisfied him, Harper decided to take those basic tracks that he recorded in Nashville to Los Angeles and eventually to New York, and gradually brought in other great players associated with other eras, including a whole new generation of wildly talented musical friends into the mix including Inara George, Petra Haden and Sean Lennon, ultimately mixing the results with Tom Rothrock, known for his work with artists like Beck and Elliot Smith, who all helped bring the shock of the new. Also on board are Steve Gadd (drummer on “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover.”), Steve Nieve (Elvis Costello), and Marc Ribot. Sure, it may have taken a village, but the result reflects one man’s wide-ranging sensibility and influences perfectly. For the Iron Horse show Harper’s band will include bass player Jeff Hill (Rufus Wainwright), drummer Russell Simins (Blues Explosion, Catpower) and multi-instrumentalist Gregg Foreman (Catpower).

Here’s Harper Simon performing Nick Drake’s from the morning.

A young Harper and father Paul on Sesame Street- watch video.

Liam Finn and Eliza Jane plus Miracle Fortress (from Montreal), Saturday, October 31^st, 7PM at the Iron Horse. Tickets $14 in advance.

Harper Simon (plus local singer/songwriter & Winterpill) Dennis Crommett, Tuesday, November 3^rd, 7PM at the Iron Horse. Tickets $10 in advance

Tickets for all IHEG shows are available at the Northampton Box Office. Charge by phone 586-8686. Order online at www.iheg.com.

The Afro-Punk tour hits Northampton’s Pearl Street Clubroom on Halloween with slam champ Saul Williams and the original Living Colour

Saul Williams latest album is produced by Trent Reznor, a match made in anger management heaven. Saul is a renegade writer, actor and musician known for his synthesis of poetry and hip-hop. He was Nuyorican Poets Cafe's Grand Slam Champion and starred in the indie film Slam. On the Reznor produced 'The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!' Williams' firebrand rhetoric is delivered over punk and industrial undercurrents conjuring the Last Poets and Public Enemy. DJ’s CX KiDTRONiK & Tchaka Diallo join him onstage. And as if Saul wasn’t enough…

Living Colour, yes that Living Colour with Vernon Reid and Corey Glover, the funk metal band who formed in New York in ‘83 and broke big with their hit “Cult of Personality” are on the bill too. Their creative fusion of heavy metal, funk, hard rock, free jazz, punk and hip hop is as relevant now as ever. New Haven’s The Smyrk open the night at 9PM.

This show, loud and literate, will be the epicenter of energy in Northampton on Halloween.

Basics: Saul Williams’ Niggy Tardust Experience featuring DJs CX KiDTRONiK & Tchaka Diallo plus Living Colour and The Smyrk. Saturday, October 31^st at 9PM in the Pearl Street Clubroom in Northampton. Tickets are $15 in advance and available at Northampton Box Office, 413-586-8686, online at IHEG.com

Above: Saul WilliamsAbove: Living Colour

Saul Williams – Convict Colony Video

Saul Williams- DNA Video

Living Colour “Cult of Personality” Video

Five out of five music legends recommend Julian Lage.

Phenomenal San Francisco jazz guitar prodigy Julian Lage plays the Iron Horse in Northampton on Sunday, November 1^st at 7PM.

Gary Burton: "We had to do various takes on different tunes, and it struck me how none of his solos were alike. He was constantly inventive but without a need to show off. His way of proving himself is not by being flashy, but by discovering the meaning in the music."

Herbie Hancock: "Julian, you play with heart, mind, and soul. Where’d you find all this so early in life?"

Béla Fleck: “I really enjoy watching Julian develop as a musician…. He is one of the special ones!”

David Grisman: "I was amazed by the depth of his playing, he’s a real improviser who just goes with the flow. He’s not about anything other than making a beautiful musical statement.”

Martin Taylor: “My favorite guitar player!”

Julian Lage looks at his future from the front rank of performers of his generation – a composer, arranger and guitarist, who delights and inspires musicians and fans alike. Lage's virtuosity is only part of what makes him such a formidable artist; he also possesses broad musical wisdom, sophistication and wit. Educated at an early age in Western classical music at the San Francisco Conservatory Julian also pursued jazz studies at Sonoma State University, where he developed improvisational skill in parallel with his classical musical education. He also attended Ali Akbar College of Music where he studied Indian music. Currently he is studying classical composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Julian began playing guitar at 5 years old, in the blues tradition, but soon discovered jazz. At 12, Julian played on the nationally televised Grammy Awards telecast where Gary Burton spotted him. Burton asked Julian to join him on some performances and their collaboration developed. Julian toured with the Gary Burton GENERATIONS quintet contributing a number of original compositions to the quintet's repertoire. He also recorded with Burton on his GENERATIONS album and again in 2005 with NEXT GENERATION. Some of the festivals he performed with Burton's quintet are: the San Francisco Jazz Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Newport Jazz Festival, as well as several tours to Europe and Japan.

Julian has performed with Herbie Hancock, David Grisman, Bela Fleck, Charles Lloyd, Mark O'Connor, Lee Konitz, Martin Taylor, Billy Higgins, Jane Monheit, Billy Hart, Chris Thile, and Christian McBride, among many others.

JULIAN LAGE "Sounding Point" Emarcy

JULIAN LAGE was just 20 when he recorded "Sounding Point," his first album under his own name. The guitar prodigy played with Carlos Santana at age 8, recorded with David Grisman at 10, and toured with Gary Burton at 15. But he delayed making his own recording until now, and that patience is obvious in music that is astonishingly understated for a youngster with such obvious talent and ambition. Lage can play fast, difficult passages when the need arises, but he's interested in other things. On three tracks, Lage joins banjoist Béla Fleck and mandolinist Chris Thile. The trio's jaunty, string-band version of indie rocker Elliott Smith's "Alameda" is a welcome indication that Lage is willing to think outside the same old jazz box.

Discography:

Gary Burton "Generations", Gary Burton "Next Generation", Nnenna Freelon "Blueprint of a Lady: Sketches of Billie Holiday" (GRAMMY Nominated), Taylor Eigsti "Lucky To Be Me" (GRAMMY Nominated), Taylor Eigsti "Let it Come To You", David Grisman "Dawg Duo's"

Tickets are $15 in advance and available at Northampton Box Office, 413-586-8686, online at IHEG.com

State Radio play the Calvin Theatre in Northampton on Halloween, Saturday, October 31st at 8PM. 5K road race at 2PM for benefit of Sudanese women.

For STATE RADIO the music and the message have always been inextricably linked. Like Rage Against The Machine and System Of A Down before them, State Radio roll up their sleeves as they practice what they preach, whether it’s riding bikes to gigs to support Bikes Not Bombs, hosting food drives in conjunction with Rock For A Remedy, or playing shows to raise money for the Learning Center for the Deaf. How’s Your News?*, a film project created by Stokes while working at a camp for adults with disabilities, was picked up by South Park’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone for a run on HBO and MTV.

The Band Before: Stokes’ previous band, the roots rock outfit Dispatch, disbanded in 2002, but have reunited three times, the most notable being a three-night, sold out run at Madison Square Garden in 2007 to raise funds and awareness for poverty-stricken Zimbabwe.

The Records: State Radio’s first album, Us Against The Crown, introduced listeners to the band’s raw, pop-punk sound. Their second album, Year Of The Crow, was recorded in the UK and produced by Tchad Blake (Peter Gabriel, Pearl Jam, Soul Coughing).The album pushed the group’s socio-political motivations and broadened their sonic palette with bigger guitars and more diverse instrumentation. But the bridge between both records has always been Stokes’ transcendental storytelling, which continues to mature and evolve on their new album Let It Go.

The Northampton 5K Road Race: State Radio and Calling All Crows, the group’s platform for social action, have joined with Amnesty International and Oxfam America to organize 5K road races to raise money and awareness to help protect women against violence in Sudan. WRSI The River co-presents the race which takes place on Saturday, October 31^st at 2:00PM before State Radio's concert at the Calvin Theater that evening. The race kicks off at the Courthouse on Gothic St. and runs through downtown Northampton, Smith College, and Child's Memorial Park. Info on the run is here.

The Main Event: The Concert: State Radio plays the Calvin Theatre at 8PM, Saturday, October 31^st. Tickets are available at the Northampton Box Office, 413-586-8686. Online at IHEG.com.

*(You can rent “How’s Your News” at Pleasant Street Video in Northampton at the top of the stairs in Documentaries.)

Perennial Valley favorites Nanci Griffith and Rickie Lee Jones bookend the weekend of 10/24 – 10/26.

Nanci Griffith plays at 8PM on Saturday October 24^th at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton

With a recording and touring history that stretches back more than two decades, Nanci Griffith has established, what Madison Avenue would call, a “brand.” But her signature music is much more about art than commerce, which is why her fan base has remained incredibly loyal - fans include contemporaries such as Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and Emmy Lou Harris, all of whom have either recorded her songs or insisted she record theirs. At the age of 14, when a campfire turn at the Kerrville Folk Festival caught the ear of singer-songwriter Tom Russell, she was on her way. Having recorded 19 albums and performed concerts all over the world, it’s safe to say that she’s never looked back.

Her latest album The Loving Kind on Rounder Records finds Nanci Griffith at the top of her game as a songwriter, interpreter, and singer. Featuring nine songs written by Griffith and her collaborators, and four well-chosen covers, the album takes its place alongside the consistently acclaimed work of this Grammy® Award-winning, genre-defying artist. She skillfully touches on newsworthy issues as well as matters of the heart; the perceptive exploration of emotions, personalities, and relationships that Griffith is known for.

Rickie Lee Jones plays a rare small club date at 7PM on Monday October 26^th at the Iron Horse.

From the moment she first appeared in front of us on Saturday Night Live in 1979, Rickie Lee Jones has challenged her listeners and the establishment with an absorbing musical vision that defies border and classification. She rocked the culture of singer-song writerdom with her refusal to conform to the stayed and careful eloquence of the folk rock generation that came before her. She tottered on a thread of her own device, jazz - the old musical kind, and R&B - the Motown thread that permeates her work. Her sense of humor, musical dexterity and song craft is all evident on her exquisite new album Balm in Gilead.

At 54, with her deeply ingrained vaudevillian heritage well intact, from the heights of popular music to the deepest respect of her peers and appreciative fans, Rickie Lee Jones was, and remains, a unique artist of undeniable influence on singers and songwriters today. She has worked with artists as diverse as Walter Becker and Mike Watt and all points between. She writes albums, not songs, a rare art indeed in 2009. Celebrating her 30th anniversary making music, Balm in Gilead (released by Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group) promises to be one of the top recordings of the year.

Tickets for all IHEG shows are available at the Northampton Box Office. Charge by phone 586-8686. Order online at www.iheg.com

Iceland’s múm plus Sin Fang Bous play the Iron Horse at 8:30 on Sunday, October 25th

Since their foundation in 1998, múm have forged a sublimely bright, warm and rich take on electronica, imprinting it with their own unique sound and character. What sets the band apart from so many of their peers is both their strong, playfully haunted melodies, and sorcerous integration of analogue and digital technologies. Playing an assortment of instruments and percussion alongside some crisply programmed electronic washes, beats, dingdongs and beep-beeps as well as found sounds and field recordings, the band’s talent, inventiveness and nose for musical exploration is immediately audible. It's been a tremendous year for múm so far. Their fifth album, Sing Along To Songs You Don't Know, was released to incredible critical applause last month (see reviews here) and they've been working extremely hard playing their slightly eccentric and lovely new songs all across Europe.

The band are now regaling North America with their marvelous sound, joined by none other than Seabear frontman Sin Fang Bous - whose own debut solo album, Clangour, caused a splash earlier this year. Both these acts are wonderful to see live and we heartily recommend you don't miss this unique opportunity to see them both at the Iron Horse in Northampton on Sunday, October 25^th at 8:30.

This is another show from the Left Of The Dial: Brave New Music concert series co-presented by local college radio stationsWMUA, WOZQ, and WAMH.

Tickets for all IHEG shows are available at the Northampton Box Office. Charge by phone 586-8686. Order online at www.iheg.com.

A Wonderful Weekend with Women of Words Weaving Wistful, Witty, Wild, and Whimsical Works at the Iron Horse.

Dar Williams, Friday, October 16th 7PM and 9:30PM Iron Horse

One of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of her generation, Dar Williams has been engaging audiences with her musical artistry since the early 1990s when she rose from the Northeast coffeehouse circuit to the national spotlight. Dar’s most recent album, Promised Land, produced by Brad Wood (Pete Yorn, Liz Phair, Smashing Pumpkins), features 12 reflective songs that introduce a new pop sound to her repertoire. Lending support on the album are such renowned artists as Suzanne Vega and Marshall Crenshaw. Williams infuses intelligent songwriting with comforting melodies. A new generation of pop-folk enthusiasts lauds her as one of the genre's central figures.



Erin McKeown, Saturday, October 17th 7PM Iron Horse + Among the Oak and Ash

Ten years into a dynamic career marked by 7 LPs, 2 EPs and a live concert album, Erin McKeown delivers Hundreds of Lions, her first collection of original songs since 2005’s We Will Become Like Birds. Although Erin started writing songs while still in high school in hometown Fredericksburg, Virginia, she really began earning her chops while attending Brown University, releasing two albums before graduation and gigging on weekends whenever and wherever possible. She hasn’t slowed down, famously averaging 200 live shows a year. As a multi-instrumentalist, Erin’s become in demand as a session player, recording vocals, piano, bass lines and of course guitar tracks for other artists’ records all while steadily working material that became Hundreds of Lions. At the center of the album, the song “The Lions” brims with bright piano, cathedral spire atmosphere and traces of carnival-noir pop as Erin sings, “There’s a risk, there’s a twist, in anything worth doing,” with a voice clear and strong as glass ribbon.

Antje Duvekot, Sunday, October 18th 7PM Iron Horse + Peter Bradley Adams

The Valley Advocate recently reviewed Antje Duvekot’s latest album, The Near Demise of the High Wire Dancer, calling it one of the best records of 2009. “It is moody, introspective, dark, exquisitely crafted and brilliantly produced by Richard Shindell. Duvekot plays the tightrope walker on a life's thin wire and wears danger like a wispy carnival gown. When she describes a relationship as having "no safety net when I fall right out of the sky," it's how she sees life in general. "Long Way" is a double-edged song whose geographical journey is mere backdrop for an amble into the emotional unknown. Poetic writing and atmospheric arrangements enhance the tension in songs that blur the line between hopefulness and helpless illusion. With vocals that are a mash of Patty Griffin's tones and Kate Rusby's gentleness, Duvekot crosses the wire. Take a bow, Antje.

Tickets for all IHEG shows are available at the Northampton Box Office. Charge by phone 586-8686. Order online at www.iheg.com.

John Zorn says Ben Goldberg is "one of the greatest clarinetists I've ever heard.” Ben's quartet Go Home is Charlie Hunter, Scott Amendola, Ron Miles.

GO HOME. who performs on October 28th at the Iron Horse, has its origins in a recording project put together by Ben Goldberg in April 2008. Charlie, Scott, and Ben had been talking for a few years about recording together, and saw an opportunity when Scott and Ben would be at the Jazz Standard in New York for a week. When they learned that Ron would also be in town playing with Bill Frisell, they booked two days at the Bunker studio in Williamsburg. Ben provided the tunes and a lovely time was had by all. Of course, the rapport these musicians have with each other goes back to the vibrant Bay Area music scene of the 1990’s, an incredibly fertile moment when musicians from across a wide range of styles were working things out and learning from each other in clubs and concert spaces. One night might find Ben sitting in with Charlie and Scott in the Charlie Hunter Trio, followed by Charlie dropping by Scott and Ben’s underground collage-based quartet Snorkel, while down the street Tin Hat Trio was developing a new kind of composition-based chamber jazz. As musicians went their separate ways and involved themselves in new projects, the lessons of this time continued to reverberate in the work of those who were part of it. Working with Ben’s compositions, GO HOME brings together Charlie and Scott’s rootsy, hard-driving grooves and the astute, lyrical interplay of Ron and Ben. Spacious melody and an incisive feel combine to create a unique and compelling sound.

Clarinetist / Composer Ben Goldberg, whom John Zorn has called “one of the greatest clarinetists I have ever heard,” grew up in Denver, Colorado, and received degrees from the University of California and Mills College. He was a pupil of the eminent clarinetist Rosario Mazzeo, and studied with Steve Lacy and Joe Lovano. Ben’s group New Klezmer Trio "kicked open the door for radical experiments with Ashkenazi roots music." (San Francisco Chronicle). In addition to composing for and playing in the Ben Goldberg Quintet, he currently performs in the following groups: Tin Hat; plays monk, a trio with Scott Amendola and Devin Hoff; Myra Melford’s Be Bread; Nels Cline’s New Monastery; and Go Home. A new CD of Ben’s compositions featuring Joshua Redman will be released in 2009. He has performed with, among others, John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Roswell Rudd, Don Byron, Mark Feldman, Ellery Eskelin, Zeena Parkins, Mark Dresser, Vijay Iyer, and Jenny Scheinman.

Since coming to prominence in the early 1990’s, guitarist Charlie Hunter has become one of the leading names in jazz, recording 17 albums. Hunter is noted for playing custom-made seven and eight-string guitars, on which he simultaneously plays bass lines, rhythm guitar, and solos. Sean Westergaard describes Hunter's innovative guitar technique as "mind-boggling ... he's an agile improviser with an ear for great tone, and always has excellent players alongside him in order to make great music, not to show off." Charlie co-founded Garage A Trois, a jazz fusion band, with Stanton Moore and Skerik. He has collaborated with Bobby Previte for an ongoing project entitled Groundtruther, and appears on acclaimed jazz bassist Christian McBride's Live At Tonic. The Charlie Hunter Trio currently includes keyboardist Erik Deutsch and drummer Tony Mason.

Trumpeter Ron Miles’ resume includes time with Bill Frisell, Don Byron, and the Ellington Orchestra. A “phenomenally gifted trumpeter” (Bill Milkowski), Ron grew up in Denver and studied music at the University of Denver and the Manhattan School of Music. In addition to Ron’s acclaimed solo releases on Gramavision, he was widely recognized as a musical director and arranger on Ginger Baker’s Coward of the County on Atlantic Records. Ron is esteemed by listeners and musicians around the world for his melodic clarity and personal sound. As Bill Frisell has said, “What is so exciting about Ron is that he really has his own voice.”

Originally from New Jersey, drummer Scott Amendola has been a fixture of the Bay Area music scene for more than twenty years. First coming to prominence as a member of the hard-hitting Charlie Hunter Trio in the 1990’s, Scott has played with a range of musicians including Madeleine Peyroux, Dave Liebman, and Jacky Terrason. Currently a member of the Nels Cline Singers and plays monk, Scott also finds time to compose and record with the Scott Amendola Group, which features Jenny Scheinman and Jeff Parker.

Get tickets for GO HOME Wednesday October 28th at the Iron Horse here.