Jeremy Kittel Band performs Dune Climb
From staff reports
The Manitou Music Festival’s annual free family Dune Climb Concert takes place on Sunday, July 11 at 7 p.m. at the base of the Dune Climb in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. This year’s concert will be exceptional with a performance by Michigan’s own Jeremy Kittel and his band.
Jeremy Kittel is one of the foremost performers among a new breed of fiddlers and violinists who navigates a multitude of musical styles and traditions, while cultivating new ground. Jeremy is currently the violist for the Grammy-winning Turtle Island String Quartet. He has toured and recorded with such musical giants as Mark O’Connor, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, and Darol Anger. He has appeared on the NPR radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, has been a guest performer with multiple symphony orchestras, and has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Jeremy is a National U.S. Scottish Fiddle champion as well as a multiple winner of Detroit Music Awards. He has a masters degree in jazz violin. He leads his namesake group, The Jeremy Kittel Band, in performances across the country this summer.
Hammered dulcimer wizard Simon Chrisman tours with the Bee Eaters, has performed with Mike Marshall, Darol Anger, and opened for Bill Frisell. His sophisticated rhythmic sense and ingenious tonal flexibility, on an instrument usually considered limited, has created a buzz among musicians all over the world.
Paul Kowert, bass, is a classically trained musician and has performed with various orchestras, most recently playing in the Verbier Festival Orchestra in Switzerland. He has appeared in concert with, among others, Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings, Tristan and Tashina Clarridge, Alex and Tatiana Hargreaves, and Futureman’s Black Mozart Ensemble. Paul is the newest member of Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile and is also a new resident of Brooklyn, NY.
Josh Pinkham has made a true mark for himself as a mandolin player, composer, recording artist and concert performer. By the time Josh was 14 he had played on stage with nearly all of his mandolin heroes. He continues to push his mandolin into new and old territory composing and adding new genres of music to his pallet. Joshua is at home with Bluegrass, Newgrass, Jazz and Classical music. His amazing improvisational skill is a joy to hear and see. David Grisman described Josh “as one of the most important young improvisers on the acoustic scene today”.
The concert at the Dune Climb is presented annually by the Glen Arbor Art Association and is free to the public. Because of the unique venue and incomparable music it routinely draws an audience of several thousand. There is no charge for the 7 p.m. concert. However, a National Park pass is required for parking. Free shuttle busses will provide transportation to overflow parking lots. In case of rain, the concert will be held at the Glen Arbor Town Hall. Bring picnics, chairs, and blankets! It’s a magnificent event not to be missed.
The Manitou Music Festival is presented by the Glen Arbor Art Association and is underwritten in part by a grant from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, Anderson’s Market, Art’s Tavern, Cherry Republic, Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce, and The Homestead Resort. Individual contributions also make the Festival possible. To see the full schedule of concerts visit www.glenarborart.org or call the friendly staff at the Glen Arbor Art Association (231) 334-6112.