2011 Musicians

The 18 Strings Of Luv (Ken Zeserson, Jan Nigro and John Simon) sing great songs of the 60’s …. Beatles, Motown etc.

Air War is a new Indie electro dub step performer. Built upon samples and complex beats, Air War’s tunes will get inside your head and stay there. and he’s not even 14!

Alex Specker Trio featuring Wayne Gottlieb is Alex Specker (guitar, vocals), Donald Specker (bass), Michael Wellen (drums/percussion), and Wayne Gottlieb (guitar, vocals) playing a mix of vintage swing jazz and blues.

Babypony is super strong rock songs.

BadHand is a one-man band.

Bert Salmirs, piano [3], plays selections from the Great American Songbook, to include music by George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Leonard Bernstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber and others: — Songs from the American musical theater as well as popular songs that have become part of the standard repertoire.

Black is Green was born in the hill-nestled art-scene oasis of Ithaca, NY, where founders Jake Roberts and Arly Kamholtz first met as teenagers. The two collaborated musically since 1999, with Black is Green the culmination of many years of experimental rock. Working from a foundation of Kamholtz’s cerebral bass progressions and Roberts’s lyrical, dream-state guitar lines, the band incorporates the grit-infused vocals of lead singer Nick Gilbert and deep-pocketed beats of drummer Zaun Marshburn. With sonic filaments reminiscent of bands such as Radiohead, Tom Waits and Jeff Buckley the group weaves a sound that is entirely its own, a moody, wandering journey into the subconscious.

The Black Walnut Band plays original country soul music and features several veteran musicians of the local music scene.  A debut cd is in the works and will be released before the end of the year. For more information go to www.reverbnation.com/theblackwalnutband

The Blind Spots are Indie Pop Rock with powerhouse female vocals. www.TheBlindSpots.com

Bronwen Exter [1]: Performing Songwriter wrote, “Picture this: Lou Reed and Astrud Gilberto have a baby. She’s raised by the band Mazzy Star until the age of 16, when she falls in love with James Bond and runs away to Argentina.” Bronwen Exter recorded her first songs at age six–songs about cowgirls–sitting on a green shag carpet in front of a dusty tape recorder in Newfield. She returned to Ithaca last year from a 10 year exile in NYC, with a pile of new songs about tragic eccentrics, cheap suffering and coming home.

The Buffalo Horns of Ithaca [3], celebrating their third year in Porchfest, are hornists from all walks of life, with performers coming from Ithaca, Syracuse, Binghamton, Elmira, and points in between They play classical and modern works, traditional hunting tunes, jazzy compositions, and arrangements of standard classical fare

Burns And Kristy are singer/songwriters Terry Burns and Ron Kristy joined by Janet Cottraccia and Peter Wetherbee.

Chattering Walnut is Max, a second grader who likes to sing and play guitar. His favorites include the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, and Green Day. He plays solo and sometimes likes to play with friends or even his little brother Milo.

Cielle is a bluesy original singer songwriter with a hauntingly beautiful voice. Cielle’s lyrics entice you into conversation as though she has known you forever, the effect  staying with you long after the performance.

CORNUCOPIA is a trio of keyboard, violin, and bassoon.

Crush is loud on the corner! Drums and keys! Covers and originals! Dance-ready!

Djug Django is Ithaca’s premier Gypsy/Jazz/Swing/Country/Blues band, and this is a chance to hear them out of their regular Wednesday evening 6-9 Delilah’s venue. Comprised of some of the best musicians in Ithaca who have played together for 30 years. Don’t miss them as they christen the beautiful “East Stage” of 219 Auburn St!

Deixa Sambar , Ithaca’s own samba group, plays Brazil’s national music. Deixa Sambar’s current members include brasileiros as well as newcomers to Brazilian culture, including both “town and gown” denizens of the Finger Lakes, NY area. All of us share a love for this vital, community-based music—samba—and the culture that created it. ithacasamba.com

Dylan’s Desire is a loose group of performers from NY & NJ, who are gathering to perform the classic 1975 Bob Dylan album “Desire”

The Eclectics is Jan Nigro, Ken Zeserson, Alex Specker and Joe Bruno playing various genres: blues, jazz, rock, pop, folk.

El Caminos musical interests are fairly diverse, and sound could be described as Alt Country, Cowpunk, Rockabilly, or whatever our mood is at the time Fun and boot-stompin’, at any rate!

El Rumbon essentially means big dance party and that’s what they try to produce wherever they play El Rumbon is an 8-piece salsa band that plays dance music from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Columbia and beyond.

Ella, Miles and Friends is a jazz group that features Ithaca High Schoolers Ella Sarachan singing and Miles Allen on sax, accompanied by other talented musicians.

Ephemera is an a capella improv group with haunting harmonies that create magical musical mayhem.

The Experimenters is experimental improvisations from a 7-year-old drummer and his dad (Silas and Nate Richardson), with some classic rock thrown in for good measure.

The Fall Creek Bluegrass Partners entertain you with bluegrass favorites played on banjo, guitar, mandolin, dobro, bass, and maybe fiddle.

The Fall Creek Praise Band is acoustic praise and worship music performed by a group of Cornell students.

Fall Crikkers Barn Dance is swinging tunes, singing squares, waltzes and more with Vikki A, Dave D & Friends. Y’all come!

The Fly Rods take sonic inspiration from generally “basic” rock and roll bands like Crazy Horse, CCR, Ramones, Velvet Underground and a bunch of others. They play what could be called organic Americana rock and roll. http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fly-Rods/192553504121554

Geezer is the (anti)band… not interested in winning any fashion contest, we just lay down grooves that make you shake your booty down to the barrelhouse…

The Geronimo Line plays originals influenced by a wide variety of genres, including Spaghetti Western, grunge, reggae, African grooves and Latin ballads.

Glass Half Full is an acoustic duo featuring Tom Farrell and Liza Burger.

The GoCats play rockabilly originals, classic standards and Americana. www.myspace.com/thegocats

GoGone play original roots, rock, blues, capturing far away places, other times and the always changing human condition. Our music sings of joy and heartbreak; from ballads of longing to raucous tales of betrayal and adventure. We are R Cooper, Meryl Young, Lisa Bloom, Scott Wiggans, and Jon Pargh.

Gorges Tones is an energetic women’s acappella group that will leave you blown away. From classics such as Paula Cole to upbeat hits by Lady Gaga and Cee Lo Green, Gorges Tones will have you foot-tapping and smiling along with their strong voices and goofy sense of humor. This is not your mother’s acappella group!

Gospel Hymn Sing is Edna Brown and Susan Lytle doing mostly a cappella gospel and hymns in harmony. They welcome those who want to sing along.

The Grady Girls is toe tapping, heart lifting Irish tunes played by a group of sisters and cousins who have traveled far and wide (Cork, Limerick, Spain and beyond) to study and perform the traditional music of Ireland, music that has been an integral part of their lives since day one.  Oona (fiddle) and Nora (fiddle) are based in Ithaca, their hometown, and are currently drawing further musical inspiration from their old time neighbors, exploring the links between different genres of traditional music.  Marie (flute) has just returned from Ireland, having spent the last year in Galway.  The Girls are excited to announce that they will be joined by frequent collaborator Seph Murtagh (guitar) and invite you out for an afternoon of tunes and good cheer!

Gregor and Yossi have been friends since they were in kindergarten, have the same birthday–and just had their 30th.

The Gunpoets bring their revolutionary new school rap sound to the world with a passion and energy rarely seen, fusing cutting edge hip-hop with a call for strength and unity Explosive yet calm, cool and soothing, their vibe is one of rebellion and love.

Hanging Out the Wash plays traditional Celtic, French Canadian and Southern Old-Time fiddle music.

The Hilltoppers are acoustic bluegrassroots music.

The Hot Dogs are an acoustic duo consisting of Seadog Mickey on lead guitar and Dogberry on rhythm guitar. The Hot Dogs will be playing an eclectic mix of original tunes befitting a porch setting. Please feel free to bring along your best friends.

Hubcap is Electric Indie Power Pop.

Ironic is originals and some covers “our way” joined by our kids.

Ithaca Area Storytellers will share stories for all ages.

Ithaca Gay Men’s Chorus (ICMC) was formed a couple of years ago by a small group of men interested in singing together. We accept men of all sexual orientations. We currently have about 16-20 members who meet every Tuesday evening to rehearse at the First Baptist Church, which has been our home since we began. In the spring of 2011 we performed our second concert of the 10-11 season with our current director, Thom Baker. We make an effort to appear throughout the community and have sung at a variety of locations for a variety of occasions. Our repertory runs the gamut of music for men’s voices and four-part harmony, and also includes music composed and arranged specifically for IGMC. Our next concert will be 10/22 at 8PM at the First Baptist Church.

Ithaca’s Southern Old Time Jam is the weekly Old Time Jam, hosted by Laura Taylor, playing fiddle tunes in the southern old time tradition. This jam meets in Ithaca weekly, on Sundays, and floats to different hosts each week.

i venti dementi , established in 2006, is a light-hearted harmoniemusik-inspired chamber group consisting of a pair of clarinets, horns and bassoons, with an occasional stray contrabassoon or a brace of oboes. Expect everything from traditional classical music to tangos, jazz and 20th century works.

Jan Nigro Trio is Lisa Frank, Alice Saltonstall and Jan Nigro singing Jan’s original songs.

The JazzHappensBand specializes in traditional Dixieland music.

Jen Cork is soulful, original folk/jazz/blues.

The K.T.s: Kids playing swing, blues, and waltz tunes–come to listen, to dance, and/or bring an instrument to play our last tune with us (Blues in C)! See you there!

KlezEpic is a youth Klezmer band, led by Max Buckholtz. They play traditional Klezmer and Moldavian Jewish and Gypsy music.

The Lucky Pluckers perform old timey tunes with their own unique twist, and newer songs with old timey flavor. They also dabble in folk, rock, blues, and bluegrass. The multi-instrumentalist duo use stringed instruments hand-crafted by Lucky Plucker Tom, an accomplished master luthier. They often welcome sit-in guests, as well as audience participation – so come enjoy and be sure to be surprised!

Mad Goat is an old-time fiddle band playing songs and tunes in the Southern style. Bring your clogging shoes. With Joe Hayward, Marianne Marsh, Nancy Spero, Tom Ruscitti, and Peter Fraissinet.

Maplewood Jazz Team is Swing and Bossa Nova Standards and More.

Molly and the Motonix is a 4 piece Bluegrass Band (Marie & Tom Quigley, Sam Sadovnic, Paul Fairbanks). Their theme is Mo’ Fiddle, Mo’ Banjo, Mo’ Bluegrass, Mo’ Fun!!

Moonfish Ocean is progressive acoustic rock and folk.

Mosaic Foundation is a Roots Reggae band.

Nate & Kate deliver a mix of heartfelt modern folk songs, humor, and juggling that add up to a completely unique and dymanic show fit for old, young, and all in between. Did you know that they have a new kids’ album? – “The Nate & Kate Kids Album”

New Field Border is a 6-piece song & dance band. Original acoustic-electric guitar-piano roots rock with a little funk, a little jazz, a little country — both the wolves and the sheep’s clothing; everybody sings, everybody swings. This is what you want to hear and move to on a Sunday afternoon as summer fades to fall. “Why should the Devil get all the good tunes, the booze and the neon and Saturday night?”

Nina Svatovic is a singer songwriter whose music has been described as acoustic soul with folk roots. Her songs are original, powerful, at times hilarious, and each one is different from the next.

Not From Wisconsin is an alt-country, indie-rock inspired band comprised of Dave Yantorno on guitar and vocals, Angela Comprone on violin and vocals, Brett Powell on drums, and Rob Cook on upright bass.

The Origin Brass is a brass band that plays a mixture of jazz and funk heavily influenced by the New Orleans street band tradition.

The Pearly Snaps is hot old-time music with Rosie Newton & Stephanie Jenkins.

Polly & Travis is a fresh acoustic duo with an authentically uplifting vibe. Their heart music is infused with truth-telling and passion. Polly’s drum rhythms and Travis’ piano and guitar weave the cloth into which their smooth vocal harmonies are infused.

Professor Tuesday’s Jazz Quartet brings mainstream Tuesday Jazz to Sunday. This quartet includes Peter Forlano on Sax, Greg Evans on drums and Robert Sarachan on Bass and will be joined by other special guests.

The Purple Valley features the singing of Gina Smithson and the harmonica of Patrick Barrie, backed up by rhythm team of Sue Compton on keyboards, Joseph Rayle on bass, Curtis Kretz on drums and John Saylor on guitar playing blues, swing, and rock and roll to dance, or tap your feet to. The vocal harmonies and musical energy is meant to keep you smiling.

Richie Stearns & the Evil City String Band is old time Appalachian string band music.

Rosie Rocca Trio is a power trio of 3 women: Rosie (formerly of the NYC punk group The Stillettos) hails from an R&B tradition going back to early punk days of CBGB’s, performing with such artists as Debby Harry from Blondie. Rosie is a powerful stylist, making iconic R&B, rock and folk tunes her very own. Ceili Murphy on keys and Casey Georgi on bass bring a full rocking soulful sound to the mix….a team of generational mix and power. The addition of guest artist Katie McShane on cello will give the audience an eclectic set not to be missed. Casey and Katie both represent great musicality from IC!

Roy Hurd’s music is a breath of fresh mountain air and has been described as alt-country and/or americana with a twist of backwoods folk. His appeal lies as much in his storytelling as it does in his smooth vocal delivery and clear guitar work. Roy will be performing with his daughter, Meadow Merry. “You can feel the journey through Roy’s music and lyrics. That’s a rare gift. He is someone with a true identity, and one of my favorite songwriters.” —Michael Knox, Vice President, Production/Artist-Writer Development, Warner/Chappell Music http://www.royhurd.com

The Seneca Street Recorder Ensemble is a group of devoted recorder players who will be playing a wide range of appealing Renaissance, Celtic and Contemporary music.

Shimmer Lake is the duo of Amy Davis and Laura Peters. Their music features features radiant vocal clarity, shimmering harmonies and two guitars that express the deep joy this acoustic duo derives from singing together. Their repertoire includes folk, rock, country, blues—a mix of covers and original songs of life and love.

Shuhan Brothers and Friends are brothers Max and Sam and their talented musician friends. They have prepared another crowd-pleasing performance with bass, cello, piano, and many surprises!

Sing-along at the Ithaca Friends Meetinghouse [2]: Would you like to join a sing-along of favorite songs? Join us for a very informal sing-fest led by Susan Wolfe. We’ll be using Rise Up Singing. Come and join in.

Small Kings are Post-pop Funk-daddy Rockers on Bluegrass.

Spacetrain is Melodic Front Porch Indie Rock.

Squirrelroc is four dads with widely varying music tastes (hard rock meets stage musicals) joining forces to perform a tasty mix of cover songs from the ’70s to the ’90s, with flair.

State & Plain write pop songs that channel the melodies of the Beach Boys and Monkees through the sonics of Pavement, the Violent Femmes, and Yo La Tengo. http://www.facebook.com/pages/State-Plain/164635983593748

Sum Dude is Ross Feldman (lead guitar/vocals/most of the songs). The Friends are Joey Arcuri (Upright Bass) and Bruce Kornreich (guitar/vocal/some of the songs). Original Folk with a Rocky Blues thing that winds through it.

Tabernacle Baptist Church [1,2,3] will once again offer refreshments during Porchfest (cookies, cupcakes, and beverages) from the tent on our front lawn at the church.

The Tarps [2]: “We are a cover band for classic rock, thus we are the tarps.”

Technicolor Trailer Park is a duo that performs “in your face Folk.”

Teen Karaoke at the Ithaca Friends Meetinghouse is a gathering of teenage Friends (more commonly known as Quakers) and their friends singing together. There will be solos, duets and group numbers. This stop will feature talented youth from the community, including some Running to Places company members. The songs will mostly be pop songs and show-tunes. There will also be some instrumental pieces. Please stop by!

Tenzin Chopak and Eric Ott play originals and covers with an acoustic guitar, upright bass, a banjo, and singing.  Alt country, folk, and big love.

That Old Lovelight [1]: Singer/songwriter. Wife/husband. Pianica/Nashville-tuned guitar. With simple vocal harmonies, That Old Lovelight sing about the lost innocence, the joys of traveling, and other matters of the heart.

Timothy Weber grew up in Woodstock, NY and still likes to pretend he’s a hippie. So he plays guitar and sings the kinds of songs 40-year-old ex-hippies like. His voice and songwriting are somewhere between Cat Stevens, Michael Franks, and Jim Henson.

Tom Mank and Sera Smolen are modern folk blues improvisation, with Mank, a self-taught singer-songwriter, and Smolen, a conservatory trained cellist, blending their musical languages into an eclectic style.

Tribraco is from Italy! Rock punk jazz.

Tru Bleu is an acoustic blues/rock trio giving you original tunes with harmonies and soul.

Tubax is from Italy! Prog rock electronica.

Ukulelese as a Second Language is an impromptu workshop with performances on ukuleles with Auntie Emo & Friends. Co-leader Bruddah Robbert van Renesse adds some sweet lap steel for that Hawaiian je-ne-sais-quoi. This year, we welcome the participation of the Campus Club Ukees, organized by Auntie Ruth Hopkins. The little ukulele climbs every mountain, fords every stream, exalts every valley!

Uniit Carruyo – her gentle voice and  guitar will massage your ears and tune your heart to its rhythm. This music has the power to heal.  Open your heart to this honest and soulful set and let it come running in.  You’ll be glad you did.

Unity Studio is quickly becoming one of Ithaca’s hubs for new, original, up and coming Hip-Hop artists. A program of the Southside Community Center, Unity Studio offers high quality studio recording for free to all in Tompkins County. Come join us for performances by Ernest Verb, DJ Split Image, DJ Elev8, Marcus Collins, Kid Nova, Dani, Money Mars and some surprise guests!

Valerie Anne is a singer/songwriter with a soulful voice and insightful lyrics, and also a member of ephemera, an acapella improv group, who will be on hand for haunting harmonies and magical, musical mayhem.

Waiting for Edna is Marek Przezdziecki, Dave Wentzel and Edna Brown playing eclectic americana music.

Will Fudeman, Susan Lytle and the Ithaca Community Sing are originals and songs to sing along. Influenced by the music of Six Mile Creek and Water Street songwriters.

Yardvarks are Neo-Obscuro Favorites Nobody Else Plays.