Bob Vasile - guitar, bouzouki, vocals
Jane Peppler - fiddle/violin, viola, concertina, piano, vocals
Influences
Peter Bellamy, Kevin Burke, June Tabor, Maddy Prior, Tony Cuffe, Dick Gaughan, Touchstone, Martin Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Dave Swarbrick, Battlefield Band, Artie Fisher, Cilla Tresize, Jean Redpath, Robin Williamson, Vasen, Cordelia's Dad, Gamarna, Jeff Davis, Chava Alberstein, Custer LaRue, Michael O'Domnhaill, Tommy Peoples, Nic Jones, Bulgarian traditional music, British Isles, Celtic, Jeff Davis, Bob Fox, the Watersons, Freyda Epstein, Gordon Bok, Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Klezmatics, Pierre Bensusan, Riverdance, Kentigern, De Dannan, Sweeney's Men, Jez Lowe, Jacqueline Schwab, Bare Necessities, Johnny Cunningham, Bonny Rideout, Nightingale, Eileen Ivers, Dougie MacLean, Jock Tamson's Bairns, Easy Street, Rod Paterson, Martin Hayes, Bruce Molsky, Adrienne Cooper, Zalman Mlotek, Michael Alpert, Aly Bain, Klezmatics, Lorin Sklamberg, Judy Bressler, Ossian, Trapezoid, Mark O'Conner, Howard Levy, Darol Anger, Seamus Eagan, Mick Moloney, Zan Mcleod, Tommy Hayes, Jay Ungar, Tim O'Brien, Liz Carroll, Louis Killen, Young Tradition, Northern Harmony, Larry Gordon, Peter Rowan, Natalie MacMaster, Sequentia, Fretworks, Anonymous 4, Alasdair Fraser, Alison Krauss, Paul Brady, Fairport Convention
If you like our music, PLEASE join our list! We promise not to spam you! Thanks from Bob and Jane.
Jane and Bob Vasile began performing together as the Pratie Heads in 1981. Their newest cd, "We Did It! Songs of People Behaving Badly" is now available.
In late 2006 they released the cd "Rag Faire" as well as a two-cd compilation of their recordings from the 1980s, "Early Fare." Both are available at the Skylark Productions website. They are members of the North Carolina Touring program.
They play for weddings and other private functions (see Wedding Music in North Carolina). Many wedding mp3s available on that site. Also available: a wedding sampler ("Hearts' Delight") and an early America/seafaring sampler ("Jamestown Homeward Bound").
Their St. Patrick's performance for the Smithsonian Institution (Associate Artist Series at the Baird Auditorium in Washington DC) was broadcast over Voice of America in countries including Greece and Albania.
Jane Peppler plays with the world music band Mappamundi, directs the Triangle Jewish Chorale, and owns "Skylark Productions," a recording company.
She's taught for Larry Gordon and Patty Cuyler's Village Harmony camps the past two years. She variously taught beginning and ensemble singing and led a Celtic "Slow Jam" for the Duke University Short Course program for over twenty years.
She instituted the "Solstice Extravaganza," a Christmas Revels type event, in Durham in the late 1980s and produced it annually for seven years; as part of that gigantic project, she created the 16-voice a cappella group called the "Solstice Assembly," which made three recordings, was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition, and played at Piccolo Spoleto. She was an arranger, transcriber, and singer for the a cappella women's Balkan group, "Laduvane," in Cambridge MA in the 1970s. In college, she sang, arranged, and transcribed for the Yale Slavic Chorus and played in the Yale Symphony Orchestra and the Yale School of Music Orchestra.
Bob Vasile played with Freyda Epstein and Ralph Gordon (both formerly of Trapezoid) 1989-1995 in the group Acoustic Atta-tude. Their Red House recording Midnight at Cabell Hall was recognized as one of the three best folk recordings of the year by NAIRD (INDIE Award); they opened for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones and shared the stage with Tony Rice, Darol Anger, Mike Marshall and Mark O'Conner at Mountain Stage.
One of Bob's guitar composition was featured in the Jan 2004 issue of Fingerstyle Guitar magazine; another has been featured on All Things Considered and Minnesota Public Radio's The Morning Show. He won a signed Wayne Henderson guitar at the 1996 Wayne Henderson Music Festival and guitar competition and was featured in the Tenth Annual Wayne Henderson Guitar Competition In June 2004, with the nine previous winners for another Wayne Henderson Guitar.
Bob taught guitar at the Augusta Heritage Schools "Irish Week," the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and the Black Mountain Music Festival; he has shared the stage and recordinged with Seamus Eagan, Mick Maloney, Zan Mcleod, and Riverdance's Tommy Hayes.
Discography:
Bob and Jane together
We Did It: Songs of People Behaving Badly (2008)
Jamestown Homeward Bound (sampler) 2008
Hearts' Delight (2007)
Rag Faire (2006)
Early Fare (2006)
Heritage (1988)
Kiss Quick, Mother's Coming! (1986)
Todling Home (1985)
Flowers of the Forest (1984)
Jane with other people
World Music Our Way (Mappamundi) 1998
Sedgefield Fair (with Jacqueline Schwab and Robbie Link) 1993
Courting Disaster (with Beth Holmgren, Joe Newberry, and others) 1991
Some Assembly Required (with the Solstice Assembly) 1990
Under the Drawbridge (with the Solstice Assembly) 1989
Three Log Night (with the Solstice Assembly) 1988
Roses and Rainclouds (with Laduvane) 1979
Turn Your Radio On (with Laduvane) 1978
Laduvane (eponymous) 1977
Bob with other people:
Midnight at Cabell Hall (Redhouse Records, with Freyda Epstein and Ralph Gordon) 1995
House on Fire (Redhouse Records)
Live at the Courthouse (with Brian Grim, Mark Rose. Helen White and others)
"Ticklin' The Strings" by Sweet Hollywaiians
Amazing Japanese hot string band playing 1920's, 30's, 40's style hawaiian, swing, calypso, blues, italian music and originals,featuring vintage instruments.3 songs with Robert Armstrong and Tony Marcus(from Robert Crumb and His Cheap Suit Serenaders)
"The Sweet Hollywaiians have probably the best feel for this 20's music of any string band working today. They manage the rare feat of sounding relaxed even when their playing is hot, are top notch musicians with tasteful arrangements and a full, rich, warm sound.Plus, they have a nice gamut of tunes, from King Nawahi to Giovanni Vicari to Bobby Leecan. See them live, if you can, for an unforgettable experience. If you can't, buy their Cds!" ~ Terry Zwigoff
I have been writing about our vital presidential election for the past year. I have compiled my top ten stories - five praising Obama and five blasting McCain-Palin. If you have not voted, learn why Obama deserves your vote. If you already voted for Barack - these will reinforce the choice you made!!
When I listen to your lilting melodies and the Jane's angelic voice, I am taken to a place long ago and far away. I feel a sense of nostalgia and languish for a life that I was too-late borne to have lived. I am filled with awe and respect for your gift
Hi Bob - this is Patrick Phelan, I met you in Summer 2006 at the opening of Derrick Acker's Quetzal Recording studios. I played some songs, you played some songs. Randy Reed was once my teacher. I was recording with Derrick in Summer 2006 and we ran into each other. Remember? Well, hope you are well, and of course I dig the tunes.
