The award winning Ameranouche (pronounced uh-Mare-uh-noosh) plays a passionate style of music they call “Gypsy Flamenco Swing.” They are veterans of the Newport Jazz Festival, Djangofest Northwest, Muzikfest Bethlehem, PA and the National Press Club. The name is derived from two words: American and Manouche, the gypsy tribe of guitarist Django Reinhardt. The rip-roaring ensemble is a super force of hot acoustic Gypsy inspired music mixing Flamenco, Bebop and Jazz swing influences. Played on traditional French jazz guitars, the music is rhythmic, vigorous, and elegant. Whether they’re playing a musette waltz from 1930 or an Andalusian inspired original tune, Ameranouche’s Gypsy Flamenco Swing style is a fresh and highly enjoyable new sound for the 21st century.
Richard “Shepp” Sheppard, Guitar, comes from southern New Jersey. He attended the Berklee School of Music, studied guitar and composition with Pat Martino in Philadelphia, studied composition and aesthetics with Dr. Frank Haas in Vineland, NJ and studied guitar with Attilla Zoller in Southern Vermont. He has taught guitar, composition, and music theory as a faculty member of Bennington College (Bennington, Vermont) and Pittsfield Community Music School (Pittsfield, Massachusetts). He has performed and done shows with many different artists. Among these are John Jorgenson, Ritary Ensemble, Rick Danko, Taj Mahal, Hot Tuna, and Vassar Clements, to name just a few. His passion for Gypsy music and love for the guitar in general are what drew him to form Ameranouche. He has written hundreds of compositions and continues to invest his time in the evolution of Ameranouche. Shepp is an endorser of Dell Arte guitars, Wegen picks and John Pearse strings.
Michael K. Harrist is a musician and educator based in Boston and Southern Maine. Michael performs and works with artists in a wide array of world traditions including Turkish art music, Hindustani music, Jazz, Western art music and American roots music. He has performed throughout North America, Europe and Turkey with various ensembles including Ameranouche, Cesni Trio, Ross Daly and Kelly Thoma, Orchestrotica, Sol & Kiel, Capillary Action and the Labyrinth Modal Music Orchestra. Michael teaches workshops and private lessons in world music traditions (primarily Turkish makam and Hindustani raga), monophonic and polyphonic composition and instrumental practice and performance. His workshops for children focus on pitch and rhythm acquisition through games and play. Michael studied double bass with James Macdonald at the Open Music Collective in Brattleboro, VT. He received his BA in music and religion from Marlboro College from composer Stan Charkey and religion scholar Amer Latif. Michael continues his studies with composer W. A. Mathieu, sarangi maestros Aruna Narayan and Pandit Ramesh Mishra, sarodiya George Ruckert, neyzen Fred Stubbs, and contemporary modal musicians Ross Daly, Evgenios Voulgaris and Kelly Thoma.
Julian Loida is a percussionist, multimedia artist, and curator exploring repertoire spanning Western Classical Music, to Cuban Bata drumming, to Jazz and R&B. Julian grew up in St. Louis with his rock band Project 324 along with the St. Louis Youth Orchestra. Since then he has gone on to perform with Alarm Will Sound, the Callithumpian Consort, and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. He has attended some of the country’s most prestigious music festivals such as Spoleto Music Festival USA, the National Orchestral Institute, the Chautauqua Music Festival, and Round Top Music Festival. Though Julian is a proficient sideman, he is a passionate entrepreneur, curator, and producer as he has directed interdisciplinary projects such as Versus through Verses, Zeitgeist, as well as his solo project Recital of Dedications. His leadership extends beyond the Western Art tradition as he leads a folkloric Cuban and Brazilian band called INA (formerly Bata Boston), a modern world-jazz quintet called Mojubá, as well as his awarded folk band Night Tree that is the 2016-17 New England Conservatory Wildcard Honors Ensemble. In his final year at New England Conservatory, Julian will be receiving a Master’s Degree in Classical Percussion.
Doors: 7pm / Music starts sometime after 8pm
Thursday November 21, 2019
The Down County Social Club at Race Brook Lodge
864 South Undermountain road ( AKA Rt 41 ) Sheffield, MA
$10 donation for the artists
For packages, including accommodations at Race Brook Lodge and dinner at The Stagecoach Tavern, check out the DCSC Special Package!
DINNER RESERVATIONS:
The Down County Social Club features a handpicked selection of extraordinary and rare entertainment presented in an intimate speakeasy-style environment. Our live performances include music, dance, performance art, poetry and multimedia works. We also occasionally offer films and academically themed events. Our programming is as eclectic as you can imagine!
For info/directions and dinner reservations at The Stagecoach Tavern, call 413-229-8585. Visit our Facebook Page!
