|
Event
Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards + Lost Lakes
"Ambition often follows talent, and Laura Cortese has an embarrassment of both. Her open-armed approach to her art reveals a determination to spread the word about folk music and dance without watering down their distinctiveness."
- John Wenzel, The Denver Post
Cutting her teeth as a sideman in Boston's roots music scene, Laura Cortese forged a unique path through a pool rich in talent (due to a large population of Berklee School of Music graduates like herself) including stints as an instrumentalist with Band of Horses, Pete Seeger, Rose Cousins, Jocie Adams (of the Low Anthem), and Uncle Earl. Her Compass Records debut, CALIFORNIA CALLING, is the next step in her career as a frontwoman and bandleader - she and her Dance Cards, break new ground with a bold and elegant new album, based in the lyrical rituals of folk music but exploring new territories of rhythm and sonics. With the support of Sam Kassirer, album producer of folk-pop favorites like Lake Street Dive and Joy Kills Sorrow, they've created something that's simultaneously rowdy, delicate and cinematic. This is post-folk that seriously rocks. On their CD release tour, Cellist Valerie Thompson (cello/vox), fiddler Jenna Moynihan (fiddle/vox), and Zoe Guigueno (bass/vox) pair their sophisticated string arrangements and rich vocal harmonies to band leader Laura Cortese's poignant and powerful singing.
https://youtu.be/ow1baf3NUDk
Photo Credit - Louise Bichan
//
Lost Lakes is a collaboration between Corey Mathew Hart and Paul Mitch. The two met during a songwriting competition held by a local radio station. It wasn't until they returned for a duets portion of the follow year's competition that Corey saw Paul play bass and singing harmonies. The first time Corey and Paul played together, they clicked musically and personally. The collaboration has grown over the years, developing into a strong songwriting and production team with a focus on well-crafted tunes and tight vocal harmonies. Lost Lakes' self-titled debut record bears witness to their talents and the fact the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts.
Recorded over a 9 month period, the recording process was a labor of love. Paul and Corey produced the record and enlisted percussionist Shane Leonard (Field Report, The Stray Birds) along with longtime bandmate Rusty Lee on keyboards to fill out the sound. The project was recorded in a shared warehouse space called the Dojo. Many of the basic tracks were recorded live in 2 separate sessions with overdubs done in small Thursday night sessions. Being fairly porous to the outside elements, the temperature in the Dojo ranged from 41 degrees to well over 100 over the course of the project, adding a sense of adventure to the sessions. Being able to take their time for this project gave Corey and Paul a lot of freedom to try different sounds and arrangements for songs they have been playing live for a couple of years. With no pressure, no deadline, and a giant warehouse space filled with eclectic gear, the two managed to create a record of the highest quality.
When it came time to mix the album, Corey and Paul called on an old acquaintance, Grammy award winning engineer Justin Guip. The two had met Guip years ago when they opened for The Amy Helm (daughter of Levon Helm) at a Barn show in Spring Green, WI. Guip also happened to have just finished a record with the Stray Birds that Shane Leonard played percussion on. The past and present collided, and the timing couldn't have been better. Corey and Paul approached Guip about mixing the record and he was very excited about the songs and tracks that were laid down at the Dojo. Guip's aesthetic greatly aligned with the vision that Paul and Corey had for the record, and the result is a compelling masterpiece.
|
|
 |
LocationCRESCENDO ESPRESSO BAR + MUSIC CAFE (View)
1859 Monroe Street
Madison, WI 53711
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 18 |
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
|
Contact
|
