Northern Roots

Saturday night we went to the Northern Roots concert at the BMC. It was fantastic. The first group to play was called Triga. They are a Boston-based trio composed of Anna Breger,from Vienna, who plays an unusual instrument - the Nyckelharpa; Eric Boodman from Montreal who plays the fiddle, and Yaniv Yacoby from Boston who plays Irish Bouzouki. They created an almost other-worldly sound that I could have listened to all night. The program described them as having roots not only in Swedish Nyckelharpa music and Irish Bouzouki but also "Quebecois fiddling and Baroque improvization." That's a rich tradition.

Triga: Yaniv, Eric and Anna, from a publicity shot.

Yaniv and Anna in Saturday's concert - part of a Finale that involved everyone.

The amazing Nyckelharpa.************************* Another group was Eight Feet Tall, a four-person group with two instrumentalists: Dan Accardi, accordian, and Armand Aromin, fiddle; and two dancers: Rebecca McGowan and Jackie O'Riley. They were fabulous too. The dancers were doing a more gentle type of Irish step-dancing than one usually sees, the name of which I don't remember, but it was quite lovely.

Eight Feet Tall in a publicity shot.

Armand and Dan.************************* Other performers included Amanda Witman, vocalist, who is local, and has worked a lot with Tony Barrand; Jake Greico, flute, and Cedar Stanistreet, fiddle; and Lissa Schneckenburger and Laurel Swift, fiddlers.

Amanda.

Jake and Cedar.

Lissa.

Laurel.******************* It was a great evening of music.