2014! / Hurdy Gurdy Palooza / The Barn Swallows / Tell Me About Your Song

The Bosch Hurdy Gurdy with Rachel, Me and Chris Sadlers

         Two thousand fourteen has started strong for music!

        I got to crank Steve Jobe’s giant hurdy gurdys for Hurdy Gurdy Palooza 2014 down at the Sandywoods Center For the Arts in Tiverton (where I’ll be opening for Paul Geremia on 22 March, plug plug…).  Chris Sadlers and Rachel Rosenkrantz Reimer and I worked the hurdy gurdys for the Jobe/Redfearn Project which performs Steve Jobe and Alec K Redfearns composition on viola, accordion, violin, cello and… drum kit. This is a killer group of musicians and really beautiful, somewhat tricky to play music. Special guests for HG Palooza included the lovely magic man himself, Chris Turner (whose compositions (!) we played) and Lindsay Adler who did a hurdy gurdy duet with Steve (on lap-sized hurdy gurdys) and had Matt McLaren and I join for a spirited number.

        The Barn Swallows made their debut at the Driftwood Public House in Plymouth, MA mid January. So far, The Barn Swallows are Ginger Leigh on vocals, fiddle, banjo and guitar and me on vocals acoustic guitar and harp. We’re doing fiddle tunes, folk songs, and handful of covers and a few of my songs. We whipped up 22 songs in 6 weeks, and I’d say, had a pretty great debut gig. The Driftwood Public House is a great spot: an old pub, lots of dark wood, TVs but with the sound off even before we started playing. Ginger and I are looking for an upright bass player willing to learn 30 something songs and able to play in Boston, Plymouth and RI. Pass on the word!

        I was interviewed by Jake Haller for his Tell Me About Your Song podcast about my (probably best) song “The Eleven”. Jake’s podcast is good! Good questions, good editing.  Check it out. My episode is 27 minutes long. I think I accidentally did not swear at all.

        Thanks for Reading!

        -chris

        www.chrismonti.com

Upcoming Gigs:

Thursday, 30 January: Greg Burgess and Chris Monti, Dueling Electric Guitars
9pm at Nick-a-Nees, 75 South St, Providence, No Cover
(warm and welcoming, pool, meatball sandwiches, maybe escarole and beans)

Wednesday, 5 February: Chris Monti Solo Electric
9pm at The Grange, 166 Broadway, Providence, RI, No Cover
(killer vegetarian and vegan food, good beers and wines you’ve never heard of)

Gigs further in the future:

Saturday 22 March: Chris Monti opening for Paul Geremia
7pm Sandywoods Center for the Arts, Tiverton, RI $18/$20

Saturday 12 April: Chris Monti and Marjorie Thompson Double Bill
8pm Blackstone River Theater, Broad St, Cumberland RI, $12

---

The Barn Swallows, Me and Ginger Leigh