guitar

Jessica Graae

Sarah
Jessica Graae

Jessica Graae

Today on the Music Room, we talked to Jessica Graae, a folk singer and songwriter whose latest album, Sea Dream, was released November 2015, and who performed its song “Sea’s Siren” on December 5, 2015, at the World Café in Philadelphia, PA. Operating from Philadelphia along the Eastern coast from Maryland to New York City, she has won 6 2013 WSTW Hometown Hero Homey Awards nominations, the 2013 Philadelphia Folk Factory contest, and placed as a finalist in the 2012 and 2014 Delmarva Folk Hero contests.

Her guitar music juxtaposes the dark, haunting, and even psychedelic with the lyrical and wistful, with similarities to the work of Jill Andrews, Sarah McLachlan, and Sufjan Stevens. Her singing voice, described as “angelic,” also bears resemblance to that of Joni Mitchell.

After all, Jessica Graae has an extensive singing career in classical music ranging from opera to musical theater and sacred music, and has offered vocal lessons for over 20 years to singers of all levels and styles, including actors. She is a member of the NATS (National Association for Teachers of Singing), and also performed the song “Wait by the Water” for the 2013 independent film “Yes, Your Tide is Cold and Dark, Sir“.

Jessica Graae and Mandorichard

Jessica Graae and Mandorichard

For a chance to hear her music, click on the link below for her radio performance here at WVUD, and for a live performance, she will be performing on Saturday 12/19 at 7pm at the Bus Stop Music Café, Pitman NJ, and Sunday 12/20 at 7pm at Andrea Clearfield Salon, Philadelphia, PA.

The Interview

Coming soon!

The Music

Artist / Song / Source and Notes
Jessica Graae / Sea Siren / Live performance at WVUD, 12/15/15
Jessica Graae / Tomb in the Sea / Live performance at WVUD, 12/15/15
Jessica Graae / Wait by the Water / Live performance at WVUD, 12/15/15

Jim Hurst: An Intrepid view of the Looking Glass

Richard Gordon

Jim Hurst: Looking Glass coverAt the 2014 Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival, as one band stepped off the stage, this guy stepped on with just his guitar. His set just captured the audience’s imagination. It was spell-binding to watch and listen to this man and his guitar take control of the entire audience.

That guy was Jim Hurst.

Jim has been known as a consummate guitarist and singer for a long time, whether on the road with Claire Lynch, or adding his amazing guitar licks to someone’s recording, or touring by himself. His two most recent CDs, Intrepid, and Looking Glass, feature some of the best of Jim’s solo work–with some fun collaboration with others added in for good measure.

Jim was kind enough to let us interview him on October 21. It was great talking with him about his guitar style, fitting in when he’s playing with others, and about the songs we played during the show. It was also fun learning where a country boy picked up the nickname “Guido”!

The Interview

Jim Hurst
(Recorded live 10/21/14; host: Mandorichard), 25:21, 24.3 MB.
Note: Full version of all the tracks were played in the radio broadcast, but, due to copyright considerations, two of the tracks are excerpted in the podcast version.

The Music

The following music is heard in this episode of The Music Room:

  • Artist / Song / Album (or note) / Label (or source) / Date / Notes
  • Jim Hurst with Mac Wiseman / The Preacher and the Bear / Looking Glass / NN Guido Music / 2014 (Excerpt in podcast)
  • Jim Hurst / Dew on the Mountain / Intrepid / NN Guido Music / 2012 (Excerpt in podcast)
  • Jim Hurst / (All of this,) Just one man / Looking Glass / NN Guido Music / 2014

Djam Time = Gypsy Swing Time

Richard Gordon

Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was one of the first non-Americans to have a major influence on the sounds of Jazz. Born to Romani (Gypsy) parents in Belgium (1910), Reinhardt had a triumphant career as a guitarist in spite of being severely injured in a fire–it took him about a year to start walking again, and he never regained full use of two fingers on his left had.

Together with Stephane Grappelli, violin, he was invited to form the Quintette du Hot Club de France in 1933. The band began performing in 1934 with a new instrumentation: violin, three guitars, and bass. The guitars had smaller sound holes — often D-shaped — to help create a percussive sound in the rhythm section. The original quintet was all strings; however, sometimes the group would add a clarinet or vocalist.

After his death in 1953, Django’s influence waned until Stephane Grappelli began touring again in the 1970s. Since then, the manouche jazz sound has grown and grown in popularity. Django lives in the large number of guitarists who emulate his sound today.

The Interview

On October 20, 2013, I was invited to the Delaware Valley Djam–a monthly gathering of players from all over the general area–from from Reading, PA, to Millville, NJ. I had a blast listening to them play and we had fun talking about Django’s influence and gypsy jazz today.

Delaware Valley Djam: music and commentary (Recorded 10/20/13; original broadcast date: 1/28/14; host: Mandorichard). 33:59, 32.7 MB. The version linked above contains a longer excerpt of “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” than appeared in the radio broadcast.

The following musicians were present on October 20:

  • Josh Taylor, Reading, PA, guitar.
  • Trey Larue, Reading, PA, bass.
  • David Turanski, Berwyn, PA, guitar and bass.
  • Bill Nixon, Philadelphia, violin.
  • Michael Nikolidakis, Runnemede, NJ, guitar.
  • Lou DePietro, Ridley Township, PA, guitar.
  • Jon Davis, Downingtown, PA, mandolin.
  • Fred Frayer, Malvern, PA, mandolin.
  • Dave Kutzik, Mt. Airy (Philadelphia), clarinet.

The members of the jam also play in a variety of gypsy jazz bands:

and attend events like Django in June (Northampton, MA), the East Coast Django Fest (Spring Grove, PA), and Festival Django Reinhardt (Samois sur Seine [near Fontainebleau], France).

The Music

The following music is heard in this episode of The Music Room:

  • Artist / Song / Album (or note) / Label (or source) / Date / Notes
  • Delaware Valley Djam (Django Reinhardt Jam) / Swing ’39 / October Djam / WVUD / 2103
  • Delaware Valley Djam / Douce Ambience / October Djam / WVUD / 2103
  • Delaware Valley Djam / Tchavolo Swing / October Djam / WVUD / 2103
  • Delaware Valley Djam / Nuages / October Djam / WVUD / 2103
  • Delaware Valley Djam / I Can’t Give You Anything But Love / October Djam / WVUD / 2103