bluegrass – [art]seen

I found myself back at the Ark Sunday night, listening to the five piece band that goes by the name of Kittel & Co. Combining elements of classical, jazz, celtic, and bluegrass music, the group played music spanning from Bach to Charlie Chaplin, adding new arrangements and spin to these pieces. They also played many new compositions which can be found on the band’s album “Whorls.”

The show featured Jeremy Kittel on fiddle, Josh Pinkham on mandolin, Ethan Jodziewicz on bass, Quinn Bachand on guitar and Simon Chrisman on hammer-dulcimer. I had never seen this combination before, let alone seen a hammer-dulcimer in concert, and I was blown away by the skill and communication shared between all of the players.

Kittel & Co. define themselves as a contemporary string band who progressively fuse together elements of folk, classical, Celtic, bluegrass, and jazz. Their first album “Whorls” was released in 2018, and the track “Chrysalis” composed by Kittel, was nominated for a Grammy that year.

Starting off with a set of tunes called the Boxing Reels, the band brought an exciting energy to the stage. The first reel started with the mandolin with the fiddle joining in on the second time around to build up for the much faster second reel. The two tunes flowed effortlessly into each other, carefully building excitement and interest for the audience.

Kittel looked comfortable on the stage of the Ark, having played there many times before. As a U of M grad, his roots tie back to Michigan, and the venue was packed with friends, family and familiar faces. A picture of Kittel hangs on the Ark wall in direct eyeline with the stage which he remarked was the best marketing he could have ever asked for:) He had many stories about their experiences at the Grammys (including a run-in with Cardi B), and really connected with the audience.

As a fiddle player myself, I find Kittel’s tunes catchy and distinct. He is a technical player with lots of control, but sounds free on stage. I am amazed by how he is able to fuse genres and create his own new identity through his compositions. I am excited for what he will compose next and for what’s to come with Kittel & Co.

Band Website:

https://jeremykittel.com/pages/kittel-co

Purchase Whorls:

https://store.compassrecords.com/products/whorls

Artist Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3uRqP5x3yw7M7lLOD4oRLz

The Steel Wheels at The Ark

On Thursday night, I did two things that every dignified, rising adult Ann Arbor-ite should do: have a tasteful glass of wine with an Italian dinner at a restaurant on Main Street and see a show at The Ark. The glass of wine being because I recently turned 21 and a friend’s uncle was in town and treated us to a fancy meal, hadn’t had a drink at a swanky restaurant yet. The show at The Ark because, its my third year at U of M and I’ve never set foot in the famous concert house. Following dessert, we crossed the street and entered into an evening of blues and bluegrass that was absolute entertainment. As part of their album release tour. The Steel Wheels were in Ann Arbor, all the way from Appalachia, bringing sounds and songs of the mountains. Think “O Brother Where Art Thou?” with a modern twist; a younger Old Crow Medicine Show, though no less soulful.

The Steel Wheels have produced six albums in their seven year run together. Band members include Trent Wagler, Jay Lapp, Brian Dickel, and Eric Brubaker. Of the four, the only locally sourced musician was Jay Lapp, who, half way through the show gave an adorable shout out to his wife and baby daughter who were in the audience. Their instruments ranged from bass, guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, a stomping stick, and a stomping block. But best of all, in my opinion, were the a Capella renditions. One of the charming things about the performance was that all four musicians shared one centrally-hung microphone, so when they sang in unison they had to lean together and be close. Their harmonies were pitch perfect! The band mates shared a heart felt energy for one another that was evident throughout the entire show. And hose musicians were workin’! Sweating profusely through their neatly buttoned up oxfords, suspenders, and cowboy boots they entertained the entire crowd of folks for ours on end.

To get a taste of what I experienced- minus the wine and fancy Italian dinner- check out The Steel Wheels! Either listen to a taste of their newest album, Lay Down Lay Low, on their Soundcloud. My favorite songs are Endure, Rain in the Valley, and the one that shares the name of album title. Fun facts about the song Halfway to Heaven and Nola’s First Dance: they named after The Steel Wheel’s specialty coffee blend and Jay Lapp’s daughter respectively. How precious.

Do all that and enjoy, or, just cut to the chase and watch their most famous song, Red Wing.

The main act was prefaced by an equally talented group called Honey Honey. Another band absolutely worth clicking on. Another bluesy-bluegrass group, Honey Honey made a great appetizer for the harmonies that were to follow. Suzanne Santo and Ben Jaffe, who appear to be a duo in more than just a musical way, performed perfectly, accompanied by a bassist and drummer in their traveling band. Funny thing about their gig, the lady singer sprained her ankle and had to sit throughout the very danceable performance. Somehow though, she still looked stunning and absolutely captured the audiences hearts, mine included. Last year I saw Alice Glass of Crystal Castles rock out with a crutch on stage and it was awesome. Turns out the crutch is the most underestimated prop.

Check out Ohio, my favorite from their repertoire of the evening.

Tag: bluegrass

REVIEW: Kittel & Co.

REVIEW: The Steel Wheels