Ordinary Elephant and Early Risers at Next Stage

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present an evening of acoustic folk music from far and near by Louisiana-based Ordinary Elephant and Putney-based Early Risers at Next Stage on Friday, April 12 at 7:30 pm.

Mesmerizing folk duo Ordinary Elephant has spent the better part of the last decade on a never-ending tour that’s earned Crystal and Pete Damore widespread critical acclaim and made fans of luminaries like Tom Paxton and Mary Gauthier. In 2017, the couple took home the International Folk Music Award for Artist of the Year on the strength of their breakout album “Before I Go,” and two years later, they returned with the similarly lauded “Honest,” which the Associated Press hailed as “one of the best Americana albums of the year.”


Violinist Johnny Gandelsman Presents “This Is America: Part III” at Next Stage Arts

Next Stage Arts presents violinist and former member of Silkroad Ensemble Johnny Gandelsman, performing works written in response to the turbulent and disconnected time of the early pandemic and the murder of George Floyd. The anthology of compositions will be performed at Next Stage as part of Gandelsman’s year-long residency at the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth on Wednesday, April 3 at 7:00 pm. Part II of the series was performed at Next Stage in February, to a deeply appreciative audience.

“We are thrilled to host Johnny Gandelsman at Next Stage Arts for an extraordinary evening of music that transcends boundaries. Johnny’s upcoming show, a co-presentation with Dartmouth Center for the Arts at Dartmouth, is not just a performance; it’s a journey into the heart of his latest project, ‘This is America.’” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “With roots in the groundbreaking Silk Road Ensemble and as a founding member of Brooklyn Rider, Johnny brings a wealth of cultural influences to the stage. His ability to seamlessly blend genres is a testament to his artistry. Join us for an unforgettable night as we explore the musical landscapes he has crafted through his collaborations and solo endeavors.”


Rob Flax’s Boom Chick Trio to Perform at Next Stage on 4/6

Next Stage Arts presents eclectic jazz combo Boom Chic Trio on Saturday, April 6 at 7:30 pm. Equal parts hot swing, snarky songwriting, and lyrical storytelling, this energetic trio of virtuoso violin, guitar, and bass plus three part harmony vocals will transport you to a speakeasy somewhere in the back of a bar. You might not be able to sit still in your seat, and you’ll have a smile on your face most of the show!

“BOOM CHICK! What a name to express the hot jazz trio that are masters of their craft,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “We’re excited to introduce these musicians to our community because they cross some interesting lines between traditional sounds while making it feel exciting and new.”


Next Stage Arts Presents Cuban Quintet Espirales Project

Next Stage Arts presents Cuban quintet Espirales Project on Friday, March 29th at 7:30 pm, at Next Stage Arts, located at 15 Kimball Hill, Putney, VT. Tickets are $20 in advance / $25 at the door / $10 livestream. Next Stage will provide a beer, wine, and cocktail cash bar. Advance tickets are available at nextstagearts.org. For information, call 802-387-0102 or visit nextstagearts.org.

Newly emerging on the Cuban music scene in 2023, the Espirales Project brings together five top graduates of Cuba’s Instituto Superior de Arte performing across several genres—Cuban, jazz, world, and chamber music. Tania Haase, Olivia Rodríguez, Alejandro Aguiar, Jesús Estrada and Rodrigo García have led or contributed nationally and internationally to projects across all these styles, performing at Cuba’s International Jazz Plaza Festival and the Habana Clásica concert music festival. They are also teachers who have designed a development program on Cuban music and culture.


The Gaslight Tinkers at Next Stage

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present roots and world music quintet The Gaslight Tinkers at Next Stage on Friday, March 22 at 7:30 pm. Blending African, Caribbean, Funk, Reggae, and Latin grooves with traditional fiddle music, the quintet creates the genre-bending future of the music of the past.

The Gaslight Tinkers’ mix of global rhythms creates a joyous world beat sound around a core of traditional New England old time and celtic fiddle music, merging boundless positive energy with melody and song. Drawing from their extensive musical backgrounds in traditional folk, Caribbean, old time, Celtic, and rock, I-Shea, Clara, Garrett, Elie, and Peter craft a sound that brings world traditions together.


Next Stage Arts Presents Vermont Premier of Works From Grammy-Nominated Album by Tasha Warren & Dave Eggar

Next Stage Arts presents the Vermont premier of works from Tasha Warren & Dave Eggar’s Grammy-Nominated album “Ourself, Behind Ourself Concealed,” on Sunday, March 17th, at 7:00 pm. The performance will be held at Next Stage Arts, located at 15 Kimball Hill, Putney, VT. Tickets are $20 in advance / $25 at the door / $10 livestream. Next Stage will provide a beer, wine, and cocktail cash bar. Advance tickets are available at nextstagearts.org. For information, call 802-387-0102 or visit nextstagearts.org.

Introducing to the Vermont area, for the very first time, the music from their Grammy-nominated record “Ourself, Behind Ourself Concealed,” classical virtuosos Tasha Warren (clarinet and bass clarinet) and Dave Eggar (cello) invite the audience on a captivating musical odyssey through the realms of classical, jazz, tango, and beyond. Joining forces with the duo is the exceptional Martha Redbone, who brings her distinctive blend of folk, gospel, and blues, accompanied by the masterful guitar virtuoso Phil Faconti. Together, they create an unforgettable evening, weaving an immersive tapestry of musical storytelling that promises to be a unique and enriching experience.


The Christine Correa Ensemble Highlights Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite and Percussion Bitter Sweet at Next Stage Arts

The Christine Correa Ensemble will highlight Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite and Percussion Bitter Sweet at Next Stage Arts on Sunday, March 10th, at 7:00 pm, at 15 Kimball Hill in downtown Putney, VT. Tickets are $20 in advance / $25 at the door / $10 livestream, and may be purchased at nextstagearts.org.

“Max Roach broke the mold with his ‘We Insist!’ record in 1960, being one of the first jazz records that publicly proclaimed racial injustice. Christine Correa is bringing an all-star lineup of New York-based Jazz musicians to play Roach’s album live, allowing the audience to hear its ferocity and message live,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Through the generosity of Chamber Music America, we’re able to bring this to our region.”

The Christine Correa Ensemble will highlight Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite and Percussion Bitter Sweet in order to celebrate the creative and activist legacy of Max Roach, a high-profile artist who was an outspoken civil rights advocate and who used the arts as a catalyst for change.


Biribá Union to Perform at Next Stage Arts in March

Next Stage Arts presents Biribá Union, a dynamic musical trio featuring Grammy Award-winning cellist Mike Block, Progressive Hip-Hop artist Christylez Bacon, and electric bass player Patricia Ligia, at Next Stage Arts on Sunday, March 3rd, at 7:00 pm, at 15 Kimball Hill in downtown Putney, VT. Tickets are $20 in advance / $25 at the door / $10 livestream, and may be purchased at nextstagearts.org.

Mike Block (Cello, Vocals), Christylez Bacon (Beatbox, Guitar, Rhymes), and Patricia Ligia (Electric Bass, Pandeiro, Vocals) form a dynamic trio, blending original music with global influences to form a fresh and accessible sound. Each member of the collective brings influences and repertoire from their diverse backgrounds, such as Brazilian, Hip-Hop, Classical, Jazz, Bluegrass, Funk, and Pop styles, synthesizing them through original compositions and songs that highlights their improvisational spontaneity and high energy stage presentation.


Genticorum, with Special Guests Seamus Egan and Lissa Schneckenburger at Next Stage Arts on 2/10

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present Québécois trad trio Genticorum, with special guests Seamus Egan and Lissa Schneckenburger, at Next Stage Arts on Saturday, February 10th, at 7:30 PM.

Genticorum is among the most distinctive voices of Québécois traditional music.

In French, to describe the chemistry between people, you say they have atomes crochus — literally, that their atoms are interlaced. There’s no better way to talk about Genticorum. The trio’s connection is magnetic. In the filigree of their arrangements, seamlessly melding fiddle, flute, accordion, guitar, foot percussion, and voices, there’s always an organic spark: at its root, this is social music, and audiences can’t help but feel the pleasure these three musicians get from playing together.


Johnny Gandelsman: This Is America: Part II

Putney, VT – Renowned violinist and former member of Silkroad Ensemble, Johnny Gandelsman, invites audiences to a unique musical experience, “This Is America: Part II,” on Wednesday, February 7th, 7:00pm at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, Putney, VT 05346, USA.

In response to the tumultuous times of the early pandemic and the tragic murder of George Floyd in 2020, Johnny Gandelsman initiated a profound musical project. Collaborating with a diverse group of American and US-based composers, Gandelsman sought to reflect on the current state of society in a personal and intimate way.


George Lernis Quintet at Next Stage Arts

Next Stage Arts presents world-recognized percussionist George Lernis and his quintet, performing the music from his latest album “Between Two Worlds” at Next Stage on Saturday, January 27 at 7:30 pm.

The name of the album was inspired by the 15th century Turkish mystic Hacı Bayram Veli’s poem “Between Two Worlds” and depicts Lernis’s journey as an immigrant originally from Nicosia, Cyprus who eventually moved to the U.S. The music showcases Lernis’s bi-musicality, blending Jazz and Middle Eastern music in a tasteful and respectful manner to both of these rich musical traditions. Lernis’s quintet features a stellar group of musicians including the wonderful Turkish vocalist, Heiraza AKA Burcu Gülec, Swedish born bassist Bruno Råberg, American trumpeter Emiel De Jaegher, and Turkish piano, oud, and ney player Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol.


Lonnie Holley with Mourning [A] BLKstar at Next Stage

Next Stage Arts presents improvisational artist and musician Lonnie Holley in performance with multi-generational, gender, genre non-conforming amalgam of Black culture Mourning [A] BLKstar at Next Stage on Friday, January 19 at 7:30 pm 

Since 1979, Lonnie Holley has devoted his life to the practice of improvisational creativity. His art and music, born out of struggle, hardship, but perhaps more importantly, out of furious curiosity and biological necessity, has manifested itself in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, performance, music, and filmmaking. Holley’s sculptures are constructed from found materials in the oldest tradition of African American sculpture. Objects, already imbued with cultural and artistic metaphor, are combined into narrative sculptures that commemorate places, people, and events. His work is now in collections of major museums throughout the world (The Museums of Fine Arts, San Francisco; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; The Philadelphia Museum of Art; The Smithsonian American Art Museum; The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, and many others), on permanent display in the United Nations, and been displayed in the White House Rose Garden.


DiTrani Brothers and Jason Scaggs at Next Stage

PUTNEY – Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present roots, ragtime, and jazz quartet DiTrani Brothers plus Jatoba’s multi-instrumentalist /singer Jason Scaggs at Next Stage on Saturday, January 6 at 7:30 pm. 

DiTrani Brothers, by way of bent melodies and driving rhythms, play perilous tunes for the hopeful, with elements of Balkan music and early American jazz/swing. They deliver both wistful and raucous performances at venues ranging from The House of Blues in New Orleans to DIY backyard stages. Originally from North Bend, WA, brothers Bobby and Walker DiTrani began writing songs together while traveling across the country, playing music on the streets. Since then, they’ve recorded two albums and toured throughout the US with drummer Eddie Gaudet. Now a quartet with acoustic bassist Benjamin Richards, they just released their third album “Dust Harvest.” 


The Rasa String Quartet at Next Stage

Next Stage Arts presents Boston-based Rasa String Quartet at Next Stage on Saturday, December 9 at 7:30 pm.

The Rasa String Quartet celebrates the art of strumming and works inspired by strummed instruments, for string quartet! This program pairs old masterworks from Beethoven, Debussy, and Turina alongside newly celebrated classics from Jessie Montgomery and Caroline Shaw:

Program:
Claude Debussy: String Quartet in G Minor, II. Assez vif et bien rythmé
Jessie Montgomery: Strum
Caroline Shaw: Valencia
Joaquín Turina: The Bullfighter’s Prayer
L.V. Beethoven: String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat Major, Op. 74 “Harp”


Argentinian Duo Lerner and Moguilevsky To Perform at Next Stage 12/2

Next Stage Arts presents Argentinian duo César Lerner and Marcello Moguilevsky’s unique musical fusion of klezmer, tango, jazz, and South American folk music at Next Stage on Saturday, December 2 at 7:30 pm.

“Lerner & Moguilevsky are masters of their craft, threading various cultural ideas together into something new and exciting,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “Bringing an artist to Putney from Argentina is an exciting opportunity. The thought that we’re bringing artists from around the world to our region feels positive for our community.”


Kat Wright and Brett Hughes Holiday Show at Next Stage

PUTNEY – Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present singer/songwriters Kat Wright and Brett Hughes with their quartet performing songs of the season at Next Stage on Friday, December 1 at 7:30 pm.

Kat Wright and Brett Hughes, two of Vermont’s most beloved songbirds, join forces once again this December for their 10th annual Vermont holiday tour. The show, a true Christmas gift featuring Tyler Bolles (Swale, Rough Francis) on upright bass and multi-instrumentalist Will Seeders (Carling & Will, Caitlin Canty), offers songs of holiday heartbreak and holiday cheer. It is bejeweled with storytelling, originals, and beloved classics alike. It’s guaranteed to warm your heart, pique your nostalgia, and create a loving container for those good ol’ holiday blues that we all know so well.


The Clements Brothers and Geneviève Racette at Next Stage

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present an evening of contemporary folk music with The Clements Brothers and Geneviève Racette at Next Stage on Friday, November 3 at 7:30 pm.

Québécois folk-pop singer/songwriter Geneviève Racette captivates listeners with her gentle, yet compelling, emotional resonance. Through her vulnerable lyricism and ethereal vocals, Geneviève has emerged as a rising star in both French and English-speaking Canadian music scenes. She is currently on her fifth US tour, collaborating with artists such as The Bros. Landreth, Abbie Thomas, and Halley Neal.

Since the release of her first EP in 2014, Genevieve has steadily gained recognition across Canada and the US, winning a Canadian Folk Music Award and earning glowing reviews from major outlets including Rolling Stone, Exclaim!, CBC, Women of Americana, Americana Music Association, and Sirius XM. Her latest CD “Satellite” is a collection of honest stories of self-discovery and reflection through the cycle of love which evoke moments of love, heartbreak, healing, forgiveness, and ultimately falling in love again.


Vermont Jazz Center Presents: Cyrus Chestnut Trio

The Vermont Jazz Center will present Cyrus Chestnut in a trio concert on October 14th at 7:30 PM. Called “the best pianist of his generation” by Time Magazine, Chestnut will appear with bassist Herman Burney and drummer Kelton Norris. 

Chestnut’s repertoire includes selections from the Great American Songbook, spirituals, jazz standards, and original music as well as surprising transformations from other genres. Along with his interpretations of jazz-related gems, his recordings include compositions by Elvis Presley, Erik Satie and even Beethoven. Chestnut carefully arranges each piece, developing it with reharmonizations, introductions and interludes. His approach is characterized by two constants: a deep connection to gospel music and a resounding sense of swing. 


Vermont Jazz Center Presents: Cyrus Chestnut Trio

The Vermont Jazz Center will present Cyrus Chestnut in a trio concert on October 14th at 7:30 PM. Called “the best pianist of his generation” by Time Magazine, Chestnut will appear with bassist Herman Burney and drummer Kelton Norris. 

Chestnut’s repertoire includes selections from the Great American Songbook, spirituals, jazz standards, and original music as well as surprising transformations from other genres. Along with his interpretations of jazz-related gems, his recordings include compositions by Elvis Presley, Erik Satie and even Beethoven. Chestnut carefully arranges each piece, developing it with reharmonizations, introductions and interludes. His approach is characterized by two constants: a deep connection to gospel music and a resounding sense of swing. 

As a youth Cyrus Chestnut was immersed in, and continues to follow, the spiritual beliefs of the Baptist church. His training as a musician followed a path from church musician to the Peabody Conservatory Preparatory Program and the Berklee College of Music. He quickly became knowns as a consummate sideman, touring the world and making recordings with jazz several jazz legends. He is now recognized as a leader in his own right. Chestnut currently holds the position of Master Instructor of Jazz Piano and Improvisation at Howard University. He continues to tour and record as a soloist, with his own groups, and as a high-level sideman at noted jazz festivals and venues.