have been digging among the roots of pop music since they
met at an open mic in a basement dive in New Hampshire in
1993. With more or less old school instruments they tap
the street music tradition for which they are named, then
go much further, with serious musicianship, a sense of humor,
and energy to burn. Their kitchen sink repertoire ignores
boundaries between jazz, folk and rock. Their sound is defined
only by deep respect for the craft of songwriting and arranging
and a shared love for the inventive possibilities of improvisation. |
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Washington, D.C. native Craig
Jaster (piano, bass, accordion,
vocals) has played professionally since age 15. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, he accompanied modern dance in NYC before moving to New Hampshire, where he has gone on to play jazz with Delfeayo Marsalis, Tiger Okoshi and Big Joe Burrell and opened for The Yellowjackets,
Arturo Sandoval, Dianne Reeves, and
the immortal Ray Charles. He has also recorded with many New Hampshire artists. including Rik Pfenninger and Sweet, Hot & Sassy, as well as a CBS TV production
of the play On Golden Pond. He taught jazz piano at Plymouth State College from 1999 to 2004, and is currently Performing Arts
Department Head at the Sant Bani School, an independent K-12 school in Sanbornton,
NH.
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Kathy (KZ) Sommer
(acoustic & electric violins, mandolin, vocals) has
studied with latin jazz maestro Eddie Palmieri, the Turtle
Island String Quartet, national fiddlers Matt Glaser, Mark
O’Connor, Jay Ungar, and mandolinist Peter Ostroushko.
She lived in New Hampshire for many years, where she played
and recorded with the swing band Sweet, Hot & Sassy,
played for contra and square dances, taught violin and gave
fiddle workshops. Since moving to northern New York State
in 2004, when not touring with The Buskers, she plays freelance
with a number of area bluegrass and jazz musicians. She
returns to New Hampshire every September to run a weekend-long
acoustic music camp (www.fiddleheadscamp.com)
with old fiddling friend Ellen Carlson (High Range Band). | |
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Paul Hubert
(guitar, voice) has performed extensively as a solo
artist on classical guitar and as a singer/songwriter,
and with various musical groups, including since
1973, the rock group White Light; in the 1980's
as half of The Marty & Paul Show (a.k.a. The
Party & Maul Show); and in the early '90's,
with the new age group Earth Ecos. He also plays
trombone with The Baker Valley Band, a central New
Hampshire wind band. He has produced three solo
recordings and recorded two albums with White
Light. Paul has an ongoing
relationship with the New Hampshire Very Special
Arts program. His day job is teaching music at the
Andover, NH Elementary/Middle School. | |
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Drummers: The
Buskers tour and record with fine freelance drummers: Kyle Tupper, who sings and plays jazz piano as well as drums, has performed with the 5th Edition, Radio Bob Band, Two Man View, Out of the Blue, The Jazzoholics and the Seba Molnar Quartet as well as with his own trio. A senior at Crane School of Music, Kyle studies percussion with James Peterczak and is pursuing a degree in Music Ed. Kyle is also the percussion instructor at St. Lawrence University in his hometown of Canton, NY, Tim
Gilmore has performed with Lester Bowie, Marian McPartland, Fred Hersch,
and Tower of Power, and teaches at Plymouth State University and the Concord Community
Music School. Drummers
emeritus include Kyle Crane (the Minor Canon, The Grownup Noise, Tim Hughes); Ted Zarras (The Chicken Wire Gang,
Kathryn Whelan's Jazz Squad, The Countdown Quartet); Bob Woodbury
(USMC Band, The Rusty Rockstar Road Show) and Barry
Nelson (Annie & The Orphans). | | |