Steve's Blog
Reminder: The Jaybirds / Contra Dance / Radio Waves / Calendar
Friday December 5, 2014

 

With five critically acclaimed albums and two Juno nominations, the Jaybirds have established themselves as one of the freshest, most tasteful bands on the acoustic music scene today. The group fashions a stylish, elegant take on bluegrass that is at once innovative and unadorned, sophisticated and stripped-down, happily old-fashioned, yet unselfconsciously new. Their live shows feature their studied performance of original songs, instrumentals, and newly arranged traditional material mixed with the fun of watching the Jaybirds skillfully weave around one central microphone, and topped off with the band’s genial and often humorous MC work. 

Now The Jaybirds return for their annual migratory stopover at The Rogue and they have hatched a wonderful new CD - "On A Winter's Night" - to mark the onset of Winter. This is not a selection of hackneyed Christmas songs and carols, but rather an 8 song EP inspired by the album "American Folk Songs for Christmas" recorded by Mike, Penny & Peggy Seeger and members of their families, and from the book of the same name  by their mother, Ruth Crawford Seeger. Songs include one of my personal faves "A-Roving On A Winer's Night" (made famous by the late Doc Watson) and "The Cherry Tree Carol" to soaring instrumentals "Breaking Up Christmas" and "Christmas Eve". There's also a truly gorgeous new song (to me) "Oh Watch The Stars".

All this seasonal cheer will be further enhanced by the ability to purchase some of Trisha's Gagnon's award-winning home-made jam!

There are still tickets left! They can be purchased at Highlife Records, Prussin Music, Red Cat Records, Rufus' Guitar Shop and here They will also be available at the door at St. James Hall (3214 West 10th Avenue) up to show time at 8pm.