Emilyn Stam and Nathan Smith, House Concerts, Feb. 13/14, Desbarats and the Sault

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AlgomaTrad is delighted to announce that  Emilyn Stam and Nathan Smith will be performing two local house concerts, in Desbarats on Thursday, February 13 and in Sault Ste. Marie, ON on February 14, as they return to Ontario from touring western Canada.

“Drawn together by their shared love of Québécois fiddle and piano music, Nathan and Emilyn’s combined influences and pursuits include bluegrass, old-time, Scandinavian, and Western European traditional music. Their strong vocals, clever songwriting, and unique instrumental magic are an enchantment and a delight to audiences”. (smithandstam.com)

Tickets to either house concert is $20 at the door and seating is limited (30 in SSM, 40 in Desbarats), so please contact either house concert organizer to confirm your reservation and get directions. Doors open at 7pm and concerts starts at 7:30 for both shows. All proceeds go to the artists. Contacts are:

• Sault Ste. Marie – Jim and Anne – (705) 254-4223 or jimandanne@shaw.ca
• Desbarats – Julie and Pat – 705 257 6106, 705 782 4311, or music@algomatrad.ca

Emily Stam is no stranger to the Algoma region, having instructed and performed as part of the AlgomaTrad Family Camp on St. Joseph Island numerous times in the past 10 years. Originally from Smithers, BC, Emilyn (piano, accordion, fiddle) was mentored by fiddle innovator Oliver Schroer and has toured and recorded extensively in North America and Europe with Eastern European party-punk-super-band The Lemon Bucket Orkestra, Italian accordionist Filipo Gambetta, clarinettist John Williams, and Dutch balfolk band Té. She co-founded Balfolk Toronto, a new movement of social folk dancing in Toronto which hosts weekly drop-in dance evenings with live music. She regularly crosses over into other art forms, collaborating with improvising clowns, theatre groups, contemporary dancers and poets. Emilyn has taught at various fiddle camps across Canada, teaching both her unique piano accompaniment style and fiddle classes in ensemble playing, fiddle composition, Canadian fiddling, and Oliver Schroer tunes.

A North Bay native, Nathan Smith (fiddle, guitar) grew up playing old-time fiddle tunes alongside classical violin. He now plays, sings, and writes for his bluegrass band The Barrel Boys in addition to appearing with show band Leisa Way and The Wayward Wind, Western Swing outfit The Double Cuts, bluegrass dobro master Ivan Rosenberg, and vocal trio The O’Pears. He has taught bluegrass and old-time fiddle at camps across Canada and plays regularly for balfolk and square dancing

It is going to be a wonderful evening of music and we hope you can join us! If you’d like to see Emily and Nathan perform, please click on the links below.

“Set Sail” (original maritime ballad)

“The Jasper Set” (original waltz, jig, and reel on fiddle and piano

“Scottiche Set” (original scottiches on two fiddles)