Evento

Fugue Mill with special guest Britt Connors

Mark Shilansky and his group Fugue Mill weave jazz through the fabric of Bluegrass, Celtic, and Classical music, creating a complex yet attractive blend of musical styles and traditions. Original group pieces are featured side by side with music by such composers as Thelonious Monk, Leonard Cohen, and Samuel Barber. Violin and mandolin augment the lineup, creating a transparent and vibrant palette of improvisation and counterpoint. Members of the group combine their wide-ranging experience into a musical melange that explores diverse idioms, linked through improvisation and groove.

Mark Shilansky - piano/voice
Sara Caswell - violin
Ethan Setiawan - mandolin
Eric Byers - guitars
Mark Poniatowski - bass
Mike Connors - drums
Kathleen Flynn - voice

Special Guest: Britt Connors - voice

Singer/Songwriter Britt (Sawdon) Connors was born and raised singing in small-town West Boylston, MA before taking her studies to Ithaca College in NY. But, the lure of the talented Boston singer/songwriter scene, the thought that she may someday try her hand at songwriting, and the dream of playing at Club Passim brought her to Boston in 2001. In trying to return to her music, she took a roundabout way, getting certified and eventually making her living as a Pilates instructor. But, she kept her music dreams alive, learning guitar and starting to write her first songs. She then did a 4-year stint as the featured vocalist for the 20-piece Compaq Big Band (swing, jazz, and American Songbook), singing to audiences at Scullers, Ryles, and Regattabar while building a loyal following and honing her songwriting craft. Her first original tunes appear on her 2010 release The Bad Side of Good," which was debuted to a sold-out crowd at Johnny D's in Somerville, MA.
Britt's new album "Warmer Season" was also released to a sold-out crowd at the venerable Club Passim, where her musical goals started to come full-circle. The record features her original tunes that are alternately rockin', country, sweet, rootsy, New-Orleans-street-parade-style, or just plain fun. With its clapping, foot-stomping, and even some whistling, the record could be said to belong in its own sub-category of Americana they've dubbed "Y'all-Ternative" music. Britts current working band, "Bourbon Renewal," is comprised of some of Bostons most in-demand musicians, a tight working unit that brings her music to new heights.