CARTHAGE – New England Celtic Arts will present The Press Gang at Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center in South Carthage, Maine on Wednesday April 28th, and at Unity College Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday April 29. Curtain is at 7:00 pm at Skye and 7:30 pm in Unity. There is a pre-show jam session 45 minutes prior to curtain at all three venues. Audience members are encouraged to bring their instruments and jam with the artists for a few minutes.
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The Press Gang fuses the talents of squeezebox player Christian “Junior” Stevens, fiddler Alden Robinson, and guitarist Owen Marshall into a high-octane musical partnership. The trio blends their skill and fluency in traditional Irish music with their curiosity and aptitude for other styles. The result is a unique sound—at once energetic and sensitive, innovative and reverent. A debut CD, to be released in the spring of 2010, gives a generous helping of Irish tunes spiced with Appalachian music and original compositions. The joy that these musicians take from playing with each other shines brightly, both in the recording and on the stage. Flutist Nicole Rabata will join the “Gang” for this tour of Central Maine.
Junior has become an influential part of the Irish Traditional Music scene in America. Gracing stages across the country, he has performed with some of the genre’s most talented artists and is an in demand performer and teacher.
Alden’s innovative interpretations of traditional melodies blend a fluent command of Irish ornamentation with the rhythms and harmonies of Canadian and Appalachian music. Now a fixture of the Irish music scene in Maine, Alden is respected as a performer throughout New England’s traditional music community.
Multi-instrumentalist Owen is a highly sought-after accompanist in many genres. With his unique sense of harmony and rhythm, he has traveled and performed all over the world with many of traditional music’s top acts.
Nicole has performed extensively throughout Europe and the United States as a traditional Irish flutist on the wooden flute. She has appeared at the International Flute Festival of Lund, Sweden, the Magic Flute Festival in Stockholm and the Temple Bar Trad Fest in Dublin, and has performed at the National Flute Conventions in both San Diego and New York City. She is currently recording her first solo album featuring traditional Irish, Breton, Scandinavian and French Canadian repertoire in addition to her own compositions.
Skye Theater is located 3 miles West of East Dixfield village at 2 Highland Drive off Winter Hill Rd and US RT. 2 in South Carthage. Unity Center for the Performing Arts is at 42 Depot Street in Unity. For reservations call: Skye Theatre at (207) 562-4445, or UCCPA at (207) 948-7469. Tickets are $10.00 at both Skye and Unity. More information is available at: http://www.necelticarts.com
