Gianmaria Testa, Bleckmann, Bensusan & More Set for Joe's Pub

APR 1 - APR 3 AT JOE'S PUB

FEATURING
AMONG THE OAK & ASH FEAT. JOSH JOPLIN & FRIENDS
Thursday, April 1 at 7:00 PM

Pennsylvania-porn Josh Joplin draws from a massive wealth of inspiration stretching from traditional Apalachian songs & the American vocal tradition

 

GIANMARIA TESTA

Thursday, April 1 at 9:30 PM

In an intimate solo performance, Italian guitar maestro Testa tells the story of his life-long career creating beautiful and power musical works of art & poetry

 

Theo Bleckmann: HELLO EARTH - THE MUSIC OF KATE BUSH

Friday, April 2 at 7:00 PM

Backed by an incredible rhythm section, Grammy nominated vocalist Bleckmann tackles the songbook of cult musical hero Kate Bush

 

ONE RING ZERO

Friday, April 2 at 9:30 PM

An unequalled band of theremin, claviola, acordian, trumpet, bass & drums One Ring Zero create a quirky & pensive blend of indie-rock

 

LA CUMBIAMBA eNeYé

Friday, April 2 at MIDNIGHT

After rocking the ballroom at Webster Hall during globalFEST 2010, la Cumbiamba eNeYé return for a much more intimate Columbian dance party

 

PIERRE BENSUSAN

Saturday, April 3 at 7:00 PM

Algerian-born, Paris-raised guitarist Pierre Bensusan has proven himself to be a world-wide guitar legend by interweaving intriguing melodies, rich ornamentation, and sheer dexterous intrepidity

 

PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER

Saturday, April 3 at 9:30 PM

From Hasidic Brooklyn to Global Psychedelia, Basya Schechter leads her band through a hypnotic landscape of pan-Mediterranean sensuality

 

JOSEPH KECKLER: EASTER MIDNIGHT MASS

Saturday, April 3 at MIDNIGHT

"Although this writer and performer can flip styles as though responding to a switch, take on myriad voices, and draw on an extensive musical repertoire, his vocal skills are just one aspect of this gifted storyteller..." -BACKSTAGE

 

APRIL 1-3

AMONG THE OAK & ASH FEAT. JOSH JOPLIN & FRIENDS
Thursday, April 1 at 7:00 PM

Among The Oak & Ash, fronted by Pennsylvania-born New Yorker Josh Joplin, filters a rich blend of traditional folk songs drawn from Anglo-American musical idioms and his own original material through a contemporary context. Although much of the material is centuries old, the songs' eloquently simple melodies, and their universal themes of love, loss, longing, cruelty and death, give them a timeless resonance. With Joplin's evocative voice complemented by his compelling arrangements, Among The Oak & Ash is a powerful testament to Joplin's interpretive abilities and to the ageless appeal of these ancient tunes. $15

 

GIANMARIA TESTA

Thursday, April 1 at 9:30 PM

"Gianmaria Testa's gravelly, nicotine infused voice often reminds listeners of legendary cabarettista Paolo Conte. Both hail from Italy's northwestern Piedmont region, and both write timeless, bittersweet songs drawing on a sophisticated palette of sounds, including tango blues and bossa nova. But where Conte's muse is baroque and exuberant, Testa's work is resolutely intimate, as insidious as a twilight fog and as beguiling as the touch of silk...there's something about the simplicity of guitar and melodica that best shows off the earthy warmth of this extraordinary artist, whose smoky tones and beautifully crafted melodies always find their way straight to the heart." - Time Out NY

 

Gianmaria Testa was born near Cuneo (in Italy's Piedmont region) in 1958. He grew up in a family of farmers and he learn as self -taught to play guitar, writing his first songs as soon as he learned his chords. Tonight's show tells a the story from humble beginnings to a life-long career creating beautiful and power musical works of art & poetry. Tonight's is a solo performance so intimate and familiar, full of emotions and unmatched intensity. A concert essentially based on Gianmaria Testa's songs, the old and the new ones, including new arrangements, new suggestions and new emotions.. $20

Theo Bleckmann: HELLO EARTH - THE MUSIC OF KATE BUSH

Friday, April 2 at 7:00 PM

After tackling American maverick composer Charles Ives and being rewarded with a Grammy nomination for it, vocalist Theo Bleckmann now takes on the mysterious songbook of British pop recluse Kate Bush. This project goes beyond merely re-creating Kate's Bush music but taking it to even further realms of sound and interpretation. Joining him in this venture will be long-time collaborator percussionist John Hollenbeck, bassist Tim Lefebvre and keyboardist Henry Hey. $15

 

ONE RING ZERO

Friday, April 2 at 9:30 PM

"Your coolness quotient shoots up a few points if you're in the know about One Ring Zero." -The Washington Post
"Accordions, organs, theremins, and the occasional brass horn and homemade instrument combine to make soundscapes that are both haunting and entertaining." -The New Yorker
"...gypsy-klezmer circus-flea-cartoon-music you mainly hear in your dreams." -The Forward

 

One Ring Zero is Michael Hearst (theremin, claviola), Joshua Camp (accordion), Ben Holmes (trumpet), Ian Riggs (bass), and Timothy Quigley (drums). Using odd-ball instruments and peculiar recording techniques, the band has released six CDs, including their album, As Smart As We Are, which features songs with lyrics contributed by such authors as Jonathan Lethem, Margaret Atwood, Paul Auster, Dave Eggers, A.M. Homes, Rick Moody, Neil Gaiman, and Denis Johnson. Currently One Ring Zero is working on an album of songs about the planets (including Pluto), as well as an album of songs with 'lyrics' by celebrity chefs. One Ring Zero's music has been featured in dance concerts, films, television, animations, fashion shows, and NPR programming including This American Life, Fresh Air, and Morning Edition. $15

 

LA CUMBIAMBA eNeYé

Friday, April 2 at MIDNIGHT

With their densely danceable percussive grooves, punctuated with brass accents, indigenous flute overtones, festive horn lines and gritty guitar riffs, La Cumbiamba eNeYé invites listeners to join their celebration of Colombian culture. Capturing the inclusive spirit of the outdoor parties that take place in Colombia, known as "cumbiambas", this ensemble revives several distinct Colombian/South American musical genres by reworking these traditions within a contemporary cosmopolitan sonic context.

 

While founded by percussionist, arranger/composer Martin Vejarano and a group of Colombian musicians based in New York City, the band also develops its sounds and influences beyond their native country as they include members from diverse backgrounds such as the Middle East, Europe and the United States. As a testimony of their traditional, contemporary and cosmopolitan approach to Colombian music, the band has recently released a double album entitled "La Palma" where entirely traditional formats contrast harmoniously with the powerful large band format and features "as good as it gets" collaborations with greats such as Marc Ribot (guitar legend), Lucia Pulido (Colombian singer) and King Gully (Jamaican rapper). All these opulent mixtures take place in "La Palma". Still, the band keeps its characteristic sound which has made it one of the most reliable and successful dance party ensembles in New York City's music scene as well as the in the east coast. $15

 

PIERRE BENSUSAN

Saturday, April 3 at 7:00 PM

"With a rare elegance, Mr Bensusan measures every detail of tone, articulation and counterpoint in pieces that covered a lot of geography. The sounds he makes are ravishing. " - The New York Times

 

Algerian-born, Paris-raised guitarist Pierre Bensusan has been called "...an acoustic visionary, who combines sensibility with shadings of ethereal jazz, pop, ethnic and classical melodies with a feel to soothe and remove the listener to a warm, luxurious mindset. Absolutely stunning." (Winnepeg Sun) Bensusan plays with passion, soul, intensity, and a rhythmic complexity that mark even his quietest and most elegant pieces, establishing him as a compelling concert performer and a stellar contributor to worldwide music festivals. Bensusan can generate real excitement and drama with his solo work through intriguing melodies, rich ornamentation, and sheer dexterous intrepidity. $22

 

PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER

Saturday, April 3 at 9:30 PM

From Hasidic Brooklyn to Global Psychedelia: The Bottomless Well of Pharaoh's Daughter's melodies is a long hitch-hike from Yeshiva, where she had her earliest education in communal singing, and gefilte fish jar clanking rhythm making around her family table. Today, Basya Schechter leads her pan Mediterranean band, Pharaoh's Daughter, through doors-like improvisations, liturgical chants with Middle Eastern, and spiritual stylings filtered through percussion, flute, strings, oud, saz, bass, rhodes and electronica. Their sound has been cultivated by Basyas Hasidic musical background and by trips to the Middle East, Africa, Israel, Egypt, Central Africa, Turkey, Kurdistan and Greece. There she has studied in ethnomusicology centers as well as learning through meeting internationally renowned folk musicians in cafes, and from street performers, who have taught her songs from their musical heritages. Inspired by world instruments, but also influenced by Western song structure, she began retuning her guitar to sound like a cross between an Arabic oud and a Turkish saz, with harmonic minor melodies, and odd time signatures. They have released two CDs on John Zorn's Tzadik label, two on Knitting Factory Records, and their latest, 'Haran' on Oy!hoo records, their fifth, has been awarded the 2007 "The Indie Acoustic Project Award," in the World Music- Eurasia & Global Category for the best CD of 2007. This show will be a celebration of the many projects, older and new that have their debut, and releases at Joe's Pub, which is celebrates their 10th anniversary. $15

 

JOSEPH KECKLER: EASTER MIDNIGHT MASS

Saturday, April 3 at MIDNIGHT

"Of particular interest to me is the opera singer spoken-word performance artist Joseph Keckler. He is the real deal and I can't recommend anyone more." -- BlackBook Magazine

"Divine!"-- Time Out New York

"Sensual, cathartic, overwrought and deeply philosophical, his psychotic twists and turns can bring his audience either to tears (from laughter) or to a numbed silence." -- New York Press

"Keckler's voice [has] extraordinary range, richness and malleability, as he sings from low baritone to glass-shattering falsetto." -- The Irish Times

"Although this writer and performer can flip styles as though responding to a switch, take on myriad voices, and draw on an extensive musical repertoire, his vocal skills are just one aspect of this gifted storyteller..."-- Backstage

In his solo debut at Joe's Pub, Joseph Keckler performs a special Easter Midnight Mass.

Accompanied by violinist Dan Bartfield and a band, he performs a theatrical set of original songs from his forthcoming EP and intersperses blues dirges, operatic arias, and unusual covers of Siouxsie Sioux, David Bowie, and others.

Joseph Keckler is a classically trained singer and performance artist. Nights of his work were recently presented at The New Museum and Ars Nova. $12 in advance, $15 at the door

TICKETS Online at www.joespub.com or Phone 212-967-7555,