Breaking Sound Barriers: Edel Meade and Colm O’Riain • Koret Center, SFPL, April 8
Join Crossroads for Breaking Sound Barriers: Edel Meade and Colm O’Riain in Conversation. Edel Meade, an artist working in the field of jazz, folk and contemporary music understands artistic expression as less about playing within the confines of a particular genre or medium, and more about stretching her abilities as a creative artist with something to say. She is a 2023 Fulbright award recipient in residence at the California Jazz Conservatory. Colm O’Riain, a fiddler and composer, has absorbed lessons from jazz, blues, and the music cultures of India, Brazil, Cuba and many more. O’Riain, this year’s “Human and Machine” Artist Partner at Cal Performances, coordinates philanthropic strategy and hiring at the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, Berkeley. This promises to be a fascinating conversation between two musicians on the cutting edge of their fields. They will also have their respective instruments with them to add to the conversation! Free event – register here
Lisa O’Neill • Swedish Hall, May 13
Lisa breathes new life into traditional songs and has garnered huge acclaim both at home and abroad. Her soundtrack on Peaky Blinders or the recent documentary about Violet Gibson, the woman who shot Mussolini, might be familiar to some. Her Rough trade album, Heard A Long Gone Song, sees her remarkable voice breathing new life into traditional songs and has garnered huge acclaim both at home and abroad. Tackling songs passed through generations, some mixed with political messages giving a voice to a community, or dark tales of the past, Lisa performs all with ease. tickets
San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers w/ Alasdair Fraser • Freight & Salvage, May 19
The San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers formed in 1983 when small group of Bay Area friends, led by acclaimed Scottish Fiddler Alasdair Fraser, gathered to play traditional and modern Scottish tunes together.
Current members are a mix of amateurs and professionals of all ages. Their one musical imperative, regardless of the tune or tradition, is never to be boring. Come share the joy as Alasdair Fraser leads the fiddlers in a concert of rousing tunes from Scotland and beyond.
Alasdair says “it’s not an orchestra but an unruly, rabble-rousing, anarchistic bunch.” Let the Scottish Fiddlers take you on a high-energy, family-friendly musical adventure you’ll never forget! tickets
Additional concerts: May 20 (Palo Alto) May 21 (Carmel) – visit sffiddles.org for more information
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Van Morrison • SFJAZZ Center, September 12-14
A six-time Grammy winner and 1993 inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Van Morrison is the definition of a living musical legend. Morrison’s career as a solo artist began auspiciously with the release of the smash “Brown Eyed Girl” in 1967. The song is still Morrison’s calling card and even forty years after its release remained the 4th most requested song on American radio. His other unforgettable songs have become part of the cultural fabric, including “Moondance,” “Wild Night,” and “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You.” Morrison returns to SF for three exclusive concerts in SFJAZZ Center’s Miner Auditorium. more
Clannad • Palace of Fine Arts, October 6 – Crest Theater, Sacramento, October 7
Clannad is back with their “In A Lifetime: The Farewell Tour.” Clannad, formed in 1970 in Gweedore County Donegal by siblings Ciarán, Pól, and Moya Brennan and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan. They have won numerous awards throughout their career, including a Grammy. They have recorded in six different languages and scored eight UK top 10 albums. They are widely regarded as a band that have brought Irish music and the Irish language to a wider audience, often experiencing more popularity abroad than in their native Ireland. more