Howard Blumenthal
Howard's participation in folk music began while in
college. His buddy, Mark Josephs taught him to play the guitar. Once
back home in western New York, he formed a popular bluegrass band
called the Enchanted Mountain Green . He was also a disc jockey for a
local radio station in Olean, NY, and had his own folk music show on
the air for 10 years.
Howard has performed with many Western New York traditional music
bands including Hey Diddle Diddle! (contra dance band) and Wily Milo
String Band (old time string band). He plays a regular Square/Round
dance every Tuesday night at the Crook Farm in Bradford, Pa. where
they play Country, Gospel & Bluegrass.
Howard began performing folk, bluegrass and acoustic music in
Western New York State in the early 1970's. A week at Jay Ungar's
Fiddle & Dance Camp in Ashokan in 1983 convinced him that fiddling for Contra Dancers was his destiny. Fifteen or sixteen Northern Weeks at Ashokan and hundreds of fiddle tunes later, he finally had accumulated the skills (& courage) needed to play for dances. He has a rhythmic
style that dancers find irresistible and uplifting. He has been
playing for local & regional dances for over 20 years.
In real life, Howard is a Computer Network Engineer, and runs a
Computer Service, Internet Hosting & Design business from his home in
Bradford, Pa.
Jessi Combs
Jessi came from a family of musicians that have been celebrating traditional music for the past 70 years in the area and down south. With roots predominantly in central Kentucky, Jessi has been raised to play traditional music and really has a passion for it.
She began playing guitar at age 11, then continued on with the mandolin at age 16, then fiddle followed shortly after. She realized that she loved to play and sing for an audience at a young age, but started doing it more often at a weekly square dance in Bradford PA at the Crook Farm. She now plays for contra-dances in the area and hopes to expand her musical horizons.
She will be attending the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford in the fall.
Eric Dayan
Eric has been drawn to music all his life as well. He majored in music in college and has been playing guitar ever since he remembers! He is a great bass player and is beginning fiddle in the old-time style.
We often have various other guests, and will keep you posted on them.
Our influences include:
*Rodney and Randy Miller
*Jay Unger
*Hank Williams
*All traditional musicians!
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Our band incorporates many styles. We play contra-dances and coffee houses, square dances and churches. We have an old-time country sound that welcomes people to listen to what when we play, but we have a driving beat that carries dancers along the floor with ease.
Howard and Jessi met at a weekly square dance at the Crook Farm in Bradford PA that's held every Tuesday evening. They soon discovered that they could learn a lot of music and skill from each other, and began to attend local festivals and playing out together as much as they could.
Howard taught Jessi fiddle tunes, while she taught him how to express himself through his fiddle...and how to sing and play some harmonies! They learned from each other and can be seen taking jams by storm at all the local festivals.
They met Eric recently at the same square dance, where he began playing the bass with a funky, jazzy downbeat that really spices up the music.
Together, the band plans on playing many dances and festivals this summer, expanding their borders and having a lot of fun propelling dancers and encouraging traditional music. They add to their wide range of styles by doing singing waltzes for their contra dance venues.
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