The Crooked Jades—Sunday, December 6 door opens at 7, music at 7:30 (album release event)
The Crooked Jades—well, kind of an old-time string band. Kind of—they don’t stop at fiddle, guitar, and banjo, and they don’t limit themselves to, well, anything. They’re genuine, careful, committed. They’ll use a harmonium, a dobro, a jaw harp, whatever they need to build their unique sound. The core of The Crooked Jades are co-founders Jeff Kazor (vocals/guitar/ukulele), Lisa Berman (vocals/slide guitar/banjo/harmonium), and Erik Pearson (vocals/banjos/ukulele/harmonium/slide guitar.) The current line-up features two sensational new band members: the phenomenal Amy Kassir, from Durham, North Carolina, who released her acclaimed solo fiddle tune album, 2024’s “Bread and Butter,” plays fiddle; on bass, the multi-talented Joshua “JZ” Zucker brings a cinematic sensibility to the Jades’ sound. Pedal steel virtuoso Bruce Kaphan joins the Jades for this show, reason alone to attend. Bruce, an adjunct member of the Jades for 25 years, has played sessions with John Lee Hooker, R.E.M., Sheryl Crow, and Chris Isaak, and toured with David Byrne.
We’re lucky to be alive at the same time as this band, one of the best of the contemporary string-band era. It’s energetic, deep, thoughtful, serious, spirited, uncommon music. We can’t guarantee a religious experience, but spiritual? That we can promise. This weekend the band’s releasing “Beautiful World.” Don’t miss this show. Listen to some tunes here.
