Peter Bonesteel (http://www.hudsonwinds.com/) and I met up for the Grey Larsen and Cindy Kallet concert at Caffe* Lena in Saratoga Springs on Friday. Before the show, Grey sat down with Peter and me and checked out our whistles. What a joy to hear someone who really knows how to play them! He was most gracious with his time and suggestions and also gave a tip of the hat to “my whistle making friends” during the concert.
The concert itself was terrific. It started with a short set by a Canadian singer/songwriter named Eve Goldberg. This was a perfect warmup for what was to follow. Eve has a great voice and an effective, straight forward guitar style.
Grey and Cindy’s sets were wonderful. They covered a wide range of music from Celtic (natch) to Appalacian fiddle, to Swedish duets, etc. Grey played whistle (Copeland Bb), flute, alto flute, concertina, fiddle, and harmonium ( a small hand pumped organ from India). I may have forgotten something. Oh, he sang too.
Cindy has a marvellous, clear voice and her guitar playing is extraordinary. Some of her songs were humorous, others extremely touching and all were very enjoyable. Check out www.greylarsen.com for their touring schedule and go to the show if it comes your way.
*their spelling, not mine