If you are looking for a truly unique concert performance from a world-class musician, head to the Montague Common Hall on Saturday, Sept 27, at 7 p.m. and experience the captivating music of violinist, singer, and composer Iva Bittová. Her unique vocal and instrumental techniques have led to her music often being described as avant-garde or experimental.
The concert is presented by Good Music Makes Good Neighbors, and they will also present a workshop with Bittová during the day on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. that is open to vocalists and instrumentalists of all levels.
Bittová’s musical journey is a fascinating one. Born in what was then Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic, she grew up with musical parents and was immersed in a wide range of music – from gypsy to klezmer to classical and jazz. Bittová began playing the violin at a young age, but as she grew older, she found herself setting aside music in favor of studying drama and appeared in several Czech and Slovak feature films.
In the early 1980s, Bittová picked up the violin again and became quite passionate about the instrument. She would go on to create music that is a blend of the various styles she was exposed to during her upbringing. Moravian, Slovak, and Romani folk traditions play a major role in her music.
At the same time, her violin playing mixes different techniques from plucking the strings to even playing with various objects. She vocalizes while playing the violin, sometimes singing or creating other sounds with her voice. She believes in using the voice as a tool for expressing our deepest needs and desires. All the while, she draws from her theatrical background and dramatically moves about as she is playing.
The manner in which Bittová pushes musical boundaries and uses improvisation to create music that is new and exciting has won her great acclaim.
Bittová has released 37 recordings and collaborated with many well-known musicians, including Fred Frith, Bill Frisell, Bang on a Can All Stars, and Bobby McFerrin. Bittová has performed all over the world, and despite her success in music, she has continued acting and even appeared in the 2003 film “Želary,” which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Bittová is also deeply devoted to teaching. She currently lives in New York, where she operates the Zingora vocal school in Rhinebeck and also conducts workshops when she travels. As part of her teaching, she emphasizes free expression, improvisation, and connection with nature.
The workshop that she will offer at the Montague Common Hall on Saturday won’t focus on technique as much as on improvisation, being present, and finding your authentic voice. While primarily geared toward vocalists, her teaching is open to and can be beneficial to other instrumentalists as well.
The cost of the workshop is $50 to $70 (with $70 preferred). To pre-register or for more information, call Matthew at 314-504-6142.
Admission to the concert is $20 at the door, cash, check or Venmo.
Reprise at the Shea Theater
If you’re a fan of the Burlington-based jam band Phish, get ready to take a trip down memory lane and enjoy a night of early Phish music when the group Reprise performs at the Shea Theater Arts Center on Thursday, Oct. 2, at 8 p.m.
Reprise aims to recreate the entire experience of a Phish concert by performing a past Phish show in its entirety, much like the Dark Star Orchestra does with Grateful Dead shows. Reprise has only been together for a little over a year but has won a considerable following already.
They focus on covering Phish music before 2000 and for this performance, they will recreate the music from Phish’s concert on Nov. 28, 1997, at the Worcester Centrum. This show featured a setlist that included “You Know Myself,” “The Curtain,” and “Maze.”
The members of Reprise are all accomplished musicians, as they’d have to be to perform the complex music of Phish.
Reprise is actually a jam band supergroup. Guitarist Cal Kehoe is the longtime leader of Pink Talking Fish, a band that fuses the music of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish. He also has a history of working with Phish lyricist Tom Marshall. Drummer Adrian Tramontano works with Twiddle, Kung Fu, and the Breakfast. Bassist Chris DeAngelis also plays with Kung Fu and the Breakfast and is a member of the Machine, a group that performs Pink Floyd music and is one of the most successful tribute bands working today. Keyboardist Scout Chasolen is also a member of The Machine.
Given their backgrounds, it is fitting that they would come together to play Phish’s music.
Phish has a long history here in western Massachusetts, having played the area multiple times early in their career, including a 1989 show at Northfield Mount Hermon and a 1991 show at the Greenfield Armory (referred to as the “Armory Castle” in Phish history). Thanks to a devoted Deadhead-like fan base who would often follow the band on tour while taping and sharing their music, Phish’s popularity grew rapidly. By the mid-1990s, they were playing arenas and would go on to perform at the Mullins Center in Amherst four times. Today, Phish continues to play arenas all over the world and even had a successful residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas earlier this year.
If you attended the packed shows that Reprise performed at the Iron Horse this past year, you know that the band has won the approval of serious Phish fans and is ready to take on a bigger venue like the Shea. They have also won a big thumbs up from Phish lyricist Tom Marshall.
As Phish doesn’t play locally very much anymore, save yourself some traveling and enjoy the next best thing by heading to the Shea next Thursday.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $30 (with fees) on the day of the show. They are available at sheatheater.org. The show is all ages. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Music at the North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival
As we welcome fall, there are still a few remaining opportunities to enjoy music outside. One of these is the North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival held this weekend, Saturday, Sept. 27, and Sunday, Sept. 28, at the Forester Farm in Orange from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
In addition to all the garlic-flavored food and various vendors at the festival, there will be two stages featuring live music.
On Saturday, some of the acts that you can check out are singer-songwriter Wallace Field, rockers LuxDeluxe, and bluegrass band Pre-Emption Road. On Sunday, you can enjoy the “witchy grunge” of Ex-Temper, the rock and soul of SpaceBar, and the Americana sounds of the Moon Shells.
Much more is scheduled and you can see the full list at garlicandarts.org.
Admission is $10, or $5 for seniors (65 and older), students, EBT, WIC, and Connector Care card holders. Children 12 and under are free.
Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at Soundslocal@yahoo.com.