Concert: Craft in America at El Pueblo Feb 11, 11am

CRAFT IN AMERICA: THE CONCERT
An All-Day Free Festival of Music celebrating Craft in America’s 10 year Anniversary on PBS

Sunday, February 11, 2018, 11am–5pm
Plaza Kiosko at El Pueblo Historical Monument, Home to Olvera Street
125 Paseo De La Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Featured musicians include:
Tony Ellis
Scotty Barnhart
Alexander Noice Sextet
Maggie Hasspacher
The Withers
Colburn School Double Bass Ensemble
Katie and Ezra
Craft in America House Band

The Concert is presented in conjunction with the Craft in America exhibition, Borders and Neighbors: Craft Connectivity Between the U.S. and Mexico at the Biscailuz Gallery, El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument (Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-3pm). On February 11, 2018, this exhibition will be on view from 10am to 5pm.

Craft in America: THE CONCERT is partially underwritten by a grant from the Stolaroff Foundation and the Martin Guitar Charitable Foundation.

MUSICIANS

Scotty Barnhart is an acclaimed jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger, educator and author of the ground-breaking book The World of Jazz Trumpet – A Comprehensive History and Practical Philosophy. Scotty Barnhart is the Director of the Count Basie Orchestra and a two-time Grammy winner. During his prolific recording career, he has collaborated with Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Ray Charles and Tito Puente.

Tony Ellis is a virtuoso banjo player and composer of evocative, timeless tunes on banjo and fiddle that embrace and expand upon America’s folk traditions. His career began as a banjo player for Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys and occasionally plays with longtime fan Steve Martin. An acclaimed and prolific recording artist in his own right, he has appeared on countless film and television programs and has composed for some as well, from Ken Burns films to SpongeBob SquarePants. He will be joined by his son, Bill Ellis, guitarist and musicologist along with Larry Nager on washboard and bass.

The Alexander Noice Sextet is an inimitable modern ensemble melding the worlds of classical minimalism and contemporary opera with rock and jazz. The group has made a notable impact on the Los Angeles music scene with their stunning live performances. With an affinity towards Reichian minimalism, Stravinskyan episodic shifts, and lyrical melodic sensibilities derived from the pop world. Noice and his ensemble create a sound that defies any pre-conceived genre.

Maggie Hasspacher is a dynamic artist with diverse talents. From playing with professional symphony orchestras to her unique bass and voice combination, Hasspacher is capable of communicating a powerful musical message across a wide variety of genres. Of particular interest to her is social justice, which can be heard in her renditions of the classic folk songs Deportees, and We Shall Overcome. As well as having received a Doctorate in Musical Arts from the University of Michigan, Hasspacher has been performing her songs across North America and Europe. Most recently, she was a fellow in residence at the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland. Hasspacher will perform with Noah Reitman, a fellow bassist, as well as other members of the Craft in America House Band.

The Withers are a Los Angeles-based punk band with a flamboyant twist. Their genre-crossing sound includes elements of soul, 60s girl groups, garage, funk, and psychedelia. With luscious and complex harmonies, The Withers are an exciting live force.

The Colburn School Double Bass Ensemble is a group of passionate students of the double bass. Imagine six-foot-tall behemoth instruments playing everything from Bach chorales to Cuban Danzon with jazz, fun song arrangements, and Verdi in between! This group was founded by director David Young, faculty member at the Colburn School and former first chair of The Los Angeles Opera Orchestra. The Ensemble rehearses weekly and performs in the Los Angeles area.

Katie and Ezra are a Los Angeles based singer/songwriter duo from North Carolina. They moved to Los Angeles four years ago to pursue music and film.

The Craft in America House Band, a vibrant group of Los Angeles musicians and the main attraction at the Craft in America Window Concerts. The musicians, Terry de Castro, Melinda Rice, Maggie Hasspacher and Argenta Walther come from diverse musical backgrounds with formal training in classical, jazz and new music, and a deep appreciation of folk and bluegrass. The House Band started collaborating when Craft in America launched the first of its Window Concert Series in 2012. They will be performing pieces from the repertoire of the songs they collected from episodes of the Craft in America documentary series. Songs such as Simple Gifts, The Water is Wide, Deportee, and California Stars are among their favorites.