Call in your reservations for our February 2 show with Quinn Bachand’s Brishen to 401-725-9272.
Brishen, Romany for ‘bringer of the storm,’ is what Quinn Bachand, one of Canada’s most outstanding young musicians, and his band serve up with their original western and euro-gypsy swing homage. With a tight grasp on the music that embraces the swing tradition, Quinn Bachand’s Brishen takes audiences on an inventive journey which, through its technical virtuosity, brings together a range of musical history to reinvent the categories of swing jazz, pop and country, celebrating the music of the ‘30s up to and including the ‘60s. Brishen creates a space where virtuosity meets vibe, leaving audiences with a sense of jubilant nostalgia as they give new life to the music of Bob Wills, Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt and many more. Quinn Bachand, 23, who is a Berklee Presidential Scholar, is Winner 2018 Independent Music Awards (Jazz Song with Vocals), has been nominated for 5 Canadian Folk Music Awards and for 2 Western Canadian Music Awards (Jazz Artist of the Year) and is a Saga Djangofest Award Winner. Acclaimed American jazz and bluegrass violinist and roots music expert Matt Glaser says: “Welcome to the visionary musical world of Quinn Bachand. I was flabbergasted when I put on this recording for the first time, and you will be too, as you take a journey into the wild imagination of Quinn … sit back, enjoy and let this amazing music wash over you.”
*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge
Masks are required for all patrons and staff until further notice. Patrons will also be asked to show their vaccination card or a photo of their vaccination card when they enter the club. Patrons will be asked to show proof each time they attend BRT. If a patron is not able to show proof of vaccination they will not be allowed to attend the performance. Call in reservations for our Oct. 9 show with Mari Black and Cory Pesaturo to 401-725-9272.
Get ready for another unforgettable musical extravaganza as fiddler MARI BLACK and accordionist CORY PESATURO return for another concert together! The BRT release of their duo album “Unscripted” sold out last time … Drawing on their instrumental virtuosity, the pair embark on a playful exploration of their favorite musical styles that celebrates improvisation and reveling in the unexpected. Rhythmic jazz tunes, blazing klezmer horas, passionate tangos, playful American rags, driving Celtic reels, and more …
Mari Black burst onto the international stage when she became Scotland’s Glenfiddich Fiddle Champion, 2-time U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, and 2-time Canadian Maritime Fiddle Champion, all within a 3-year period. Mari has performed on five continents, playing everywhere from Celtic Festivals to Carnegie Hall. Holding advanced degrees from the Yale School of Music and Columbia University, Mari teaches regularly at fiddle camps and workshops around the county. Three-time world accordion champion and Cumberland native Cory Pesaturo is on the forefront of the accordion world, pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Cory is the only person to ever win the trio of World Championships on Acoustic, Digital & Jazz Accordion, and is the only accordion graduate of New England Conservatory of Music. He has given two TED talks about his work to revolutionize the much maligned instrument and also teaches masterclasses on improvisation worldwide.
*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge
YES THE SHOW WILL GO ON TONIGHT! We will end by 10:15 PM at the latest! Call in your reservations for our January 19 show with The Neon Valley Boys to 401-725-9272. ONLY 20 LEFT AS OF 3:15 P.M.
The Neon Valley Boys will reunite 40 years after making a huge splash on the New England Bluegrass scene in the ’70s and ’80s. Returning to the Blackstone River Theatre for the first time since 2004, they will revisit their bluegrass hits and unique brand of hilarity in an evening of incredible picking and grinning. Even after forty years, they are still speaking to each other and are as nimble as ever at presenting original and classic bluegrass favorites. It promises to be an evening of toe tapping, laughter, and memories as one of the area’s favorite bands. This progressive bluegrass band was formed in Providence in the late 1970s. The Neon Valley Boys is comprised of Mike Bresler (mandolin), Eddie Stern (banjo), Jeffrey Horton (bass), Karl Dennis (fiddle) and Paul Mellyn (guitar). Mike, Ed, Karl and Jeff were original members of the group when it was formed in the late 70’s. Paul later replaced Ray “Wyatt” Lema. The “Neons” played continuously until 1986, touring throughout New England and beyond. They were regulars at The Met Café, played the first seven years of the Cajun and Bluegrass Festival, and performed at many other local and regional venues. All have continued to be close friends and share a fan base which lasts even until today. Don’t miss an incredible evening of music, laughs and memories!
*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge
Torrin Ryan is from Attleboro, Mass., where he began playing music at a young age and discovered traditional Irish music on the tin whistle at age 9. After hearing the uilleann pipes for the first time, he decided to learn how to play them himself. Since then, Torrin has competed in several Mid-Atlantic Fleadhs where he’s won first place on both whistle and pipes. In Ireland, he has won five All-Ireland medals across Tullamore, Derry, and Ennis, and is the 2013 All-Ireland Uilleann Pipes Slow Airs champion. He performs at many sessions in New England, has frequently performed with Pendragon, and in 2018, Torrin was the recipient of a grant from the Southern New England Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program in order for him to teach Irish music and history to several apprentices and further the art of the session in New England.
*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge
Our April 18 show with Torrin Ryan & Kyle Forsthoff and Ryefield Cove has been postponed due to the coronavirus. We will reschedule as soon as it is safe to do so.
Torrin Ryan is from Attleboro, Mass., where he began playing music at a young age and discovered traditional Irish music on the tin whistle at age 9. After hearing the uilleann pipes for the first time, he decided to learn how to play them himself. Since then, in Ireland, he has won five All-Ireland medals across Tullamore, Derry, and Ennis, and is the 2013 All-Ireland Uilleann Pipes Slow Airs champion. He performs at many sessions in New England and in 2018, Torrin was the recipient of a grant from the Southern New England Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program to teach Irish music and history to several apprentices and further the art of the session in New England. Kyle Forsthoff has been studying and playing Irish percussion for over ten years. He performs as a member of Fellswater and has also shared the stage with artists including The Vox Hunters, Lindsay Straw, and Joey Abarta. Forsthoff competed in the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Sligo, Ireland in 2015 and also attended the 2014 Craiceann Bodhran Summerschool in Inis Oirr, Co. Galway. Kyle teaches bodhran at Blackstone River Theatre.
Our December 7 “Christmas from Ireland” show with Lúnasa and special guest Ashley Davis is SOLD OUT! Thank You!
We are thrilled to bring back our friends Lúnasa with their “Christmas from Ireland” concert with special guest, Ashley Davis. Lúnasa is widely acknowledged as being the finest traditional Irish instrumental band of recent times, renowned for stunning shows featuring superb musicianship. Lúnasa’s inventive arrangements and bass driven grooves have steered Irish acoustic music into surprising new territory. Their recordings have sold over a quarter of a million copies while being hailed as some of the best and most important world music albums anywhere, while their blend of intelligence, innovation, virtuosity, and passion has brought them to the forefront of Celtic music. Lúnasa — featuring Kevin Crawford on flute, low whistle, and tin whistle; Trevor Hutchinson on double bass; Ed Boyd on guitar; Collin Farrell on fiddle and low whistle; and Cillian Vallely on uilleann pipes and low whistle will be joined by Ashley Davis, a native of Kansas. Ashley has emerged as a leading singer/songwriter in the Irish tradition, performing as soloist for “Lord of the Dance” and named as one of the most influential Irish Americans under 40.
*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge
Our December 6 Christmas Celebration with Cherish the Ladies is SOLD OUT as of Nov. 30. Thank you!
Celebrating 32 years of music making, Cherish the Ladies continues to delight audiences with its beautiful vocals, captivating arrangements and stunning step dancing. You’ll delight in the special Christmas music that embodies the beauty of the season – Celtic style! “It is simply impossible to imagine an audience that wouldn’t enjoy what they do,” says the Boston Globe speaking of Cherish the Ladies, the long-running, Grammy Award-nominated, Irish-American super group formed in New York City in 1985 to celebrate the rise of extraordinary women in a male-dominated Irish music scene. The past three decades have included world tours, concerts at the White House and the Olympics and 17 critically-acclaimed albums including their Emmy Award-winning special, “An Irish Homecoming,” which was broadcast on PBS. Under the leadership of All-Ireland Flute and Whistle Champion Joanie Madden, named by The Irish Voice Newspaper as one of the Top 25 most influential Irish Americans of the past quarter century, Cherish the Ladies create an evening that includes a spectacular blend of virtuoso instrumental talents, beautiful vocals, captivating arrangements, and stunning step dancing. Join Joanie and Mary Coogan (Guitar, Mandolin), Mirella Murray (Accordion), Kathleen Boyle (Piano, Harmony Vocals), Nollaig Casey (Fiddle), Don Stiffe (Lead Vocals), and 5-time World Champion step dancer David Geaney.
*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge
Call in your reservations for our November 10 show “The Delhi to Damascus Project” to 401-725-9272.
“Delhi to Damascus” is a celebration of the historical and cultural ties between India and Syria. The two countries have a deep connection that dates back to when they were integral to the legendary Silk Road. This connection facilitated a vibrant cultural, linguistic and musical exchange as witnessed in their common Sufi music tradition and the ancient Indo-Iranian and Indo-European Sanskrit language that originated from Syria and traveled to India. This shared heritage inspired Tabla maestro Sandeep Das to create “The Delhi to Damascus” project. For this concert he will bring in Syrian oud master Issam Rafea joined by Indian vocalist and sarangi player, Suhail Yusuf Khan, and sitarist Rajib Karmakar. All of these musicians are master performers and audiences will hear Indian and Syrian music, many for the first time. Equally important is the concept behind the HUM project – Harmony and Universality through Music. In Sandeep’s own words: “Having performed and composed for Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble and having had the added experience of performing for 20 years with the best artists that India has produced, I felt it was time I did something to carry forward Yo Yo Ma’s idea of connecting the world’s neighborhoods again – through music and other art forms. I strongly believe that in current times one cannot live insulated lives anymore and the more we care about and share one another’s treasures, the better it is.”
Funding provided in part by a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, through an appropriation by the Rhode Island General Assembly, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and private funders.
*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge
Call in your reservations for our November 17 show with Newpoli to 401-725-9272.
Newpoli is a group of skilled musicians who specialize in southern Italian folk music, primarily from the regions of Campania and Puglia. Their music crosses through time culture and musical styles. The South of Italy has a multicolored past with influences from northern Africa, the Middle East and ancient Greece. These influences can still be heard in the traditional melodies and rhythms of the pizzica, tarantella and other musical genres of the South. Called “…a brilliant outfit…who grab southern Italian traditional music by the neck and recast it in a dramatic style” by Songlines (UK), Newpoli is a unique group with a powerful sound and a 21st century take on tradition. With exciting interpretations of traditional music plus originals that draw deeply from one of the world’s lesser known music traditions, Newpoli is Italy’s next inspiring interpreter of southern Italy’s taranta tradition. The group produces a mesmerizing sound that melds traditional Italian folk music, Greek and Turkish grooves, and Mediterranean and Spanish accents, while adding a contemporary sensibility they call “Mediterranean Pulse – Ritmi della Terra.” The eight-piece ensemble is fronted by singers Carmen Marsico and Angela Rossi and concert audiences hear the tamburello, played by virtuoso Fabio Pirozzolo, pounding out the heartbeat of Newpoli’s music. When the two female singers start up a wild, frenetic dance audiences have a very hard time sitting still as the drama and passion can be heard in every note. Newpoli was named the 2016 Winner – Independent Music Awards for “Best World Traditional Album.”
*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge
Call in your reservations for our October 20 show with Tony McManus & Julia Toaspern to 401-725-9272.
Tony McManus has come to be recognized throughout the world as the leading guitarist in Celtic music and has been named among Guitar Player Magazine’s 50 Best Acoustic Guitarists of all time. From early childhood his twin obsessions of traditional music and acoustic guitar have worked together to produce a startlingly original approach to this ancient art. In Tony’s hands the complex ornamentation normally associated with fiddles and pipes are accurately transferred to guitar in a way that preserves the integrity and emotional impact of the music. Joining him is Julia Toaspern, a multi-talented musician from Berlin who combines classical training on violin and voice with a wide interest in genres such as jazz, baroque and traditional music. Their twin guitar treatment of traditional music is unique and each supports the other in exploring the harmonic possibilities of these old, and not so old, tunes. Each of the pair both flatpicks and fingerpicks at the highest level but always at the service of the tune rather than a display of technique. Her violin can effortlessly morph into a fiddle as she weaves from Italian madrigal to Scottish reel. As a singer, Julia’s songs go to the heart of love and loss, hope and survival and are inflected with musical influences from an eclectic experience of musical life.
*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge