Midnight Choir

Bluegrass endures because of bands like Midnight Choir that see limitless possibilities in the blending of mandolin, guitar, bass and voice. The twang and tenderness of the southern mountains whispers through the melodies of original songs by upstate New York's Midnight Choir. Introducing melodic and playing techniques drawn from jazz, classical and global traditions, they create brilliantly arranged stringband music that stands out like a cool island in a sea of bluegrass that sometimes gets overheated.

Inspired by progressive players from David Grisman to David Grier, this three-man ensemble is an exciting new arrival in the Northeast roots music scene. With deep respect for each other’s playing, and a willingness to explore musical ideas together, the strong line-up features:

Jake Ali |  Mandolin – Jake has been strumming bluegrass and folk music on stringed instruments for as long as he can remember. From plucking away on open-tuned instruments as a little kid at the Winterhawk Bluegrass festival to completing a double major in performance and composition at the Crane School, Jake is trained and proficient on several stringed and wind instruments. Jake is also an active member of Maggie’s Clan, playing fiddle for the Irish rock band.

Jon Doll | Bass – Founding member of Binghamton, NY’s Driftwood, Jon has been making waves in the Cincinnati, OH music scene for the past few years, earning a Best Of from CityBeat magazine, and providing music for Jerry Springer’s podcast. He’s thrilled to reconnect with the upstate music scene, working in a band “writing songs and arrangements that are awesome to listen to.”

Jeff Wasbes | Guitar / Vocals – Jeff's musical training was both formal and informal, ranging from deep listening to rock as a kid, to being emotionally blown away by the power of a church pipe organ, to getting everything he could out of an excellent public high school music program. Although he found bluegrass later in life, Jeff went on to help found Blind Crow, a progressive bluegrass quartet, and had the distinct pleasure of supporting Yonder Mountain String Band on one of their swings through the Capital Region. Today, Jeff continues to develop his guitar skills while soaking up inspiration at Grey Fox, Freshgrass, and various other well-known northeast music festivals and events.

SAMPLE SONG

Come hear a stringband unafraid to cool things down, stretch out, and let bluegrass speak in fresh, surprising ways.

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