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Contra Sutra
Dave Bartley, on guitar, mandolin and cittern, combines a broad musical background with the rhythm sense of a drummer, providing an exciting and musical whirlwind of sound. He has played with the groundbreaking trio, KGB, for 30 years, and many other bands. He has also written almost 400 contra, English and couple dance tunes!
Ben Schreiber, a fiddler and tune writer rooted in the contra dance scene, brings a diverse musical palette influenced by years in the San Francisco Bay Area. While best known for his contributions to contra dance bands like Uncle Farmer, the Dam Beavers, Offbeats, and Potent Brew, he also performs with the chamber-folk trio, Long Story Short.
Marni Rachmiel has been playing for contra and English country dances since 1990. Bringing soaring harmonies and funky groove on the flute & sax -- and matching tunes to dances for maximal dance ecstasy -- is her happy place. Her improvisational CD, “Violet” with Reverie, is available on Bandcamp
Rich Scher, percussionist, has incredible musical depth: keyboard
player and percussionist for contra and English; songwriter/producer for
well-known recording artists; composer of contemporary classical music; K-8 music educator; and workshop clinician for classroom and music teachers.
Swiftcurrent
Come and enjoy wild and scenic music from Swiftcurrent, an innovative and energetic band of accomplished musicians from the Flathead Valley and the Pacific Northwest.
Barbara Calm, an early member of Flathead favorite Tra le Gael, brings hammered dulcimer, bouzouki and the occasional trombone to the band’s eclectic mix of instruments.
Ed Boggs finds inspiration in almost every kind of music, from playing in reggae and rock bands, to founding the Tropical Montana Marimba Ensemble and playing in the Kalispell Irish Session and TLG. He is a fiddler at heart, adding a solid rhythm guitar and bass to this ensemble.
Jason Foy anchors the group with proficiency on whistles, flutes and winds, bringing complexity, variety and playfulness to this band as well as TLG and every Irish session he can manage to find.
Julie Bennett is a Drummer and Percussionist from Olympia, WA, and has been playing Contra dances since 2009. Drawing upon various styles of music, she adds a tasteful blend of instruments with the bands Contra Quartet, Olympia Volunteer String Band, Hot Seat, and many others. Julie is also part of the Vashon Sessions recording project and an Irish Session instigator.
Together they are Swiftcurrent, overflowing the boundaries of traditional Celtic music to lift your spirits as well as your feet!
Check the Dance Calendar for info on upcoming Contra Dances!
Subscribe to the MFS e-newsletter for info on other dance & music events in and around town. Typically the newsletter has the latest info before the website.
Last updated August 19, 2024