8pm $22/$18 students
The Crooked Jades, called the finest string band in America by The Boston Herald, will be live in concert, celebrating their brand new release of “Empathy Moves The Water”, the band’s first original album in over 10 years.
Across the wide seas, distant mountains, and the vast complexity of the soul, The Crooked Jades’ new release “Empathy Moves The Water” emphasizes the lonesome in “High Lonesome” music. The band’s old-time roots reflect the cultural melange and longing implicit in the shadows of America – from haunting ballads punctuated by hypnotic fiddles that express digital isolation and humanity lost in a rapidly changing land, to the high-energy revival songs inspired by early rural gospel blues. Reaffirming their reputation as an innovative old-time string band closer in spirit to Tom Waits and Nick Cave, The Crooked Jades create a unique and soulful modern sound by exploring the roots of Americana and interweaving the diverse musical influences of Europe and Africa.
With a bold vision and drive to innovate and inspire, The Crooked Jades released their brand new album “Empathy Moves The Water” on their own label, Jade Note Music. Largely recorded at Berkeley’s Fantasy Studios, this new album is produced by the highly celebrated Bruce Kaphan. The band once again features their signature mix of inspired re-arrangements of rare and obscure old-time gems and beautiful original compositions, all played on vintage and eclectic instruments, including Hawaiian slide, Vietnamese jaw harp, harmonium, ukulele, banjo, ukulele, arco bass, and minstrel banjo.
The band’s current line-up (Jeff Kazor, Lisa Berman, Erik Pearson, Emily Mann, Megan Adie) builds on 24 years of The Crooked Jades performances and recordings. The band has traveled countless miles across 5 continents, 10 countries, and countless festivals, resulting in 9 critically acclaimed albums, including “World’s On Fire” (chosen by Sean Penn for the soundtrack of Oscar-nominated film “Into The Wild”), “Seven Sisters: A Kentucky Portrait” – the soundtrack to the award-winning PBS documentary of the same name, two albums co-produced by alt-country’s Richard Buckner, and a segment as featured artist on KQED arts program SPARK. Recently the band broke new ground with “Bright Land,” their collaboration with the critically- acclaimed New York modern dance group Kate Weare Company. This unprecedented partnership of modern dance paired with old-time music dramatizes the cyclical nature of human experience with piercing powerful choreography and music to match, the charismatic musicians performing on stage together with the dancers. Kazor and Weare are are currently reviving and evolving Bright Land in San Francisco for Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) in March 2019. The Crooked Jades continue their mission to move old-time music out of segregation and show its relevance in modern times.