Performers 2016

Jim Kimball

Master of Ceremonies

Jim teaches music history, world music and folklore, and directs the Geneseo String Band in the Music Department at the State University at Geneseo.  He plays several traditional instruments, including fiddle, button accordion and concertina, calls square dances and frequently lectures and presents papers on many musical subjects.  Jim has collected tunes and stories from several old time musicians and callers, written articles and presented at folk arts and museum venues.  He has performed regularly at the Farmer’s Museum in Cooperstown and the Genesee Country Museum in Mumford, New York, where he specializes in 19th century popular and folk music traditions.The Geneseo String Band, made up of SUNY Geneseo students, alumni and local residents, has been in existence since 1976 and has played concerts, receptions and dances in a wide variety of venues. The band was organized as an ensemble within the music department to perform a variety of old-time American popular and folk music especially that characteristic of central and western New York and in the Irish-American community.

Jessica Boss Collins and the BossTones

Irish, Bluegrass, and Swing from New York State

Saturday June 18, 1:00pm

The Bosstones are a fiddle music trio comprised of Jessica Boss Collins on fiddle, Darcy Collins on guitar, and Jack Metzger on bass.  Jessica was first exposed to fiddle music through her grandfather, Roland Huehn, a musician himself.  When she was growing up, Roland took her to a local fiddle club, The Fiddlers of the Genesee, where Jessica met her musical mentor, Jack Metzger.  As the BossTones, they play a wide variety of music ranging from Irish, Bluegrass, and Southern Appalachian to Jazz and Swing throughout New York State.

Chad Miller and Jessie Gotham

New York and French Canadian Fiddle Tunes

Saturday June 18, 2:30pm

Chad Miller first became interested in fiddling when he was about 7 years old, coming to the Fiddler’s picnics hosted by the New York State Old Time Fiddlers Association in Osceola, NY with his grandparents.At the age of about 10, Chad began taking fiddle lessons from Winifred “Murph” Baker, an old time fiddler originally from Champion, New York who taught him by ear.  Chad has also been influenced by Canadian fiddlers Graham and Eleanor Townsend, Ed Gyurki, Tony Burtnik. Chad focused heavily on learning the various Canadian fiddling styles in addition to the regional tunes and old time standards taught to him by Mr. Baker, in addition to Irish and Scottish repertoires.  For many years, Chad has been a member of the New York State Old Time Fiddlers Association.  More recently, Chad has been teaching his skill to other aspiring fiddle players, so that the tradition of fiddling may be passed on to future generations.

The Henrie Brothers

Old Time Family Band from the Finger Lakes

Saturday June 18, 4:00pm

Brothers Bill, John, Bobby, and Doug have played old time music across the Northeast since growing up together in Upstate New York.  Joined by guitarist Aaron Lipp, the Henrie Brothers bring a family music tradition to life at the Fiddlers Gathering.

George Wilson and Peter Davis

New England, French Canadian, and Cape Breton Fiddle

Saturday June 18, 5:30pm

A talented, multi-instrumentalist and singer, George Wilson’s repertoire samples a wide variety of traditional and folk styles. As a fiddler, he has over 500 tunes for dancing and listening — tunes from New England, Quebec, Cape Breton, Scotland, Ireland and Shetland. His dynamic fiddling, strongly influenced by Cape Breton and French Canadian styles, has been popular with contra dancers and concert-goers since the late 1970s.George has performed and recorded with the popular “Fennig’s All-Star String Band”, featuring Bill Spence on hammered dulcimer, since 1975. He has performed and recorded with the “Whippersnappers” (Wilson, Peter Davis and Frank Orsini) since 1976. He plays at contradances, festivals and dance camps on both coasts and in between with Selma Kaplan, Groovemama, the Beaudoin Legacy, Bruce and Sue Rosen and more. http://georgewilsonmusic.com/

Stefhan Ohlström with Toby Weinberg

Swedish Traditional Music

Sunday June 19, 1:00pm

Stefhan Ohlström is a Rikspelman (Fiddler of the Realm), a winner of the prestigious silver medal in Swedish traditional fiddling in 1983. Stefhan has roots in Uppland & Västmanland. He performed with Ceylon Wallin & other great musicians of the folk revival, and continues to teach & play for dancing in both Sweden & the USA, where he makes his home in Ithaca NY. Stefhan has recorded three CDs of Scandinavian music with Laurie Hart, and two more CDs are in the works to complete the Scandinavian Fiddle Traditionseries.http://lauriehartfiddle.com/

Toby Weinberg

Norwegian Hardanger Fiddle

unday June 19, 2:15pm

Toby Weinberg is widely recognized both in this country and in Norway as one of North America’s pre-eminent performers and teachers of the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle.   He has performed an taught at festivals and courses and on tours in North America as well as in Norway and Germany.  In recent years Toby as concentrated on programs that combine traditional slåttar (Hardanger fiddle tunes) with the old stories that accompany them and illuminate their meaning.  Already a trained classical violinist and an experienced performer of Norwegian and Swedish traditional fiddle music played on ordinary violin, Toby began his study of the Hardanger fiddle and its music in 1986 – thirty years ago.   He also performs and plays traditional music for dancing on a number of the Norwegian “elder instruments” including seljefløyte (willow flute), munnharpe (jews harp) and sjøfløyte.  Toby lives in Syracuse NY where he also pursues an active interest in early classical music, playing both viols (violas da gamba) and baroque violin.

Metku: Mike Ludgate, Katrina Mackey, and Phil Robinson

Finnish Traditional Music

Sunday June 19, 3:30pm

Michael and Katrina have both been inspired by their Finnish ancestral heritage to learn more about traditional music and folk dances. The result is the band Metku. Katrina and Mike play as a duo but often are fortunate to have a talented third such as Phil. In addition to the traditional Finnish repertoire, we play music for contra dances, square dances,  private parties and weddings.. http://canaaninstitute.org/metkumusic/

TOiVO

Finnish Dance Music

Sunday June 19, 5:30pm

Toivo is a dance band from Trumansburg, NY playing the traditional music of the Finnish community of the south-central Finger Lakes region. Much of this music was learned from Richard Koski and his father who both played for Finnish dances in the area from Spencer to Trumansburg. Besides the Finnish polkas, waltzes, and schottisches, the band also plays music from Cajun country and the Tex-Mex borderlands. Added to the mix are tangos, fox trots, classic country tunes, and plenty of Toivo originals. Toivo plays at local restaurants, bars, wineries, dances, and festivals, and has been the featured dance band at national Finn Fests in Hancock, Michigan and Buffalo, N.Y. The band consists of Richard Koski on button accordion, Jason Koski on mandolin, Jim Reidy on guitar, Stefan Senders on banjo, Harley Campbell on upright bass, Annie Campbell on snare drum, and Paul Martin on guitar. Toivo (pronounced toy-vo) is the Finnish word for ‘hope’. It is also a very common male Finnish first name. There are ‘Toivo & Eino (pronounced ay-no)’ jokes about Finns, just like there are ‘Pat & Mike’ jokes about the Irish. The band is very happy that Rich didn’t choose to call it ‘Eino’ Contact Richard atrkoski@zoom-dsl.com or go to their website: .http://toivo.honkingduck.com/