July Local Concert Series. Barefoot John Whipple/SYNKOFA

1443 East Kensington Avenue,Salt Lake City UT 84105

09 July, 2021

Description

The July Local Concert Series features Barefoot John Whipple with Erin Stout and the Celtic roots/Jazz fusion sound of SYNKOFA. This show will also be livestreamed on IAMA Face Book Live and The IAMA YouTube Channel for FREE! Please consider donating to the artist through their venmo account which will be listed on the broadcast screen. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING VENUE GUIDELINES IF YOU ARE ATTENDING IN PERSON! Carolyn's venue has set the following guidelines for shows this summer at her venue: You are welcome to attend if you are fully vaccinated. There will be no shared food or drink this summer. You are welcome to bring your own. Chairs will be provided and will be spaced according to current CDC guidelines. Please wear your mask until you are seated. The upstairs restroom will be available , one person at a time in the house. There will be a sign on the back door indicating if the restroom is open or closed. Otherwise, the house is not available for entry. Please consider parking on 1400 or 1500 east because Kensington is a narrow street. John Whipple is a veteran singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist currently residing in Salt Lake City. He takes elements of pre-War blues and roots to tell the stories about the underclass of post-millennial America. His music has garnered a small but devoted following in the United States and Western Europe. John is also a writer and visual artist. His other projects include the psych-rock band Tycoon Machete and a satirical video series called “Sunday Churching”. Erin Stout is a musician and visual artist. Her first instrument was a singing saw that brought out her well-tuned sense of harmony. She also performs bass for the band Tycoon Machete. Erin is a painter and sculptor and also works with John Whipple on various video projects. The Celtic Jazz ensemble SYNKOFA builds upon innovative folk song arrangements of violinist Theresa Ellis and adds the original compositions of guitarist Eric McKenna. The four-piece instrumental band features soloist extraordinaire Steve Wesson on the upright bass and the skillful cello lines of their newest member Aisha Zuiter. Together, they play Celtic and world roots music with a Gypsy flair, carrying listeners to the misty Irish Highlands, the hot jazz clubs of 1950’s Paris, the stone cathedrals of the Renaissance, to the porch steps of Appalachia, and beyond! The English word Jazz may have been derived from the Irish Gaelic T'chass, which means "fiery and full of life", as Theresa's surprising twists on traditional melodies and rhythms exemplifies. But the Celtic Jazz approach is just a springboard for the SYNKOFA Ensemble as they pluck pieces from the vines of Praetorius, Eric Satie, and David Grisman before infusing them with swing tempos, juxtaposed melodies, and extended improvisations. Each member bestows instrumental proficiency as though it were a solar flare upon the material. Upright bassist Stephen Wesson, equally competent with fingers or a bow, traverses syncopated lead lines to deep sustained tones while holding down the groove. Guitarist Eric McKenna artfully employs harmonics and pull-offs with rasgueado flamenco strums to craft his chords and solos. Masterful techniques underpin fiery leads and stirring melodies by violinist Theresa Ellis. A distinctive feature of the group is their employment of “Verdi” or “Pythagorean” tuning of A to 432Hz. Historically prevalent and sonically organic, the 432 tuning is designed to speak to your soul and sync with universal vibrations! More info about 432 tuning here. The name SYNKOFA is a play on the West African concept of "Sankofa", meaning that we should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us so that we may use it to gain our highest potential as we move forward. SYNKOFA the ensemble seeks to transport listeners to distant times and places only to bring them back again to the present with eyes and ears wide open. Intermountain Acoustic Music Association, a non-profit tax exempt organization dedicated to the preservation, furtherance and spread of acoustic music, including bluegrass, British Isles, folk, old-time and related musical forms.