Radim Zenkl, mandolin & winds–Saturday, December 3

Radim Zenkl, the internationally renowned mandolin and flute virtuoso, performs a solo concert at Fifth Street this Saturday, December 3. Radim emigrated from the Czech Republic just before the fall of communism in 1989.  He arrived in the Bay Area and quickly found himself performing with The David Grisman Quintet, Jerry Garcia, Tim O’Brien, Dan Hicks, Mike Marshall’s Modern Mandolin Quartet and others.  He recorded two CDs on David Grisman’s Acoustic Disc label and later signed with Shanachie Records, recording a CD of duets with Tony Rice, Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Rob Wasserman, and others.

Radim plays mandolin, mandola, Irish bouzouki, ukulele, tinwhistle, ethnic flutes, didgeridoo. Original music crossing the tracks of folk, string jazz, new age, bluegrass, flamenco, gypsy, Irish, and classical music, combined with Czech and eastern European traditional songs and instrumentals. Radim has extended the technical possibilities of the mandolin by inventing a masterful technique, the “Zenkl style,” in which a single mandolin sounds like two.

“Radim has reinvented the mandolin in several different ways.” – David Grisman
“Imaginative and great.”  – Jerry Garcia
“Excellent technique and lots of great ideas!”  – Bela Fleck
Video samples: here and here
Reservations: fifthstfarms@gmail.com or 510 525-9248.

Radim will also host an Improvisation Workshop (for all instruments)
December 3, Saturday, 3:00 – 5:30 pm at Fifth Street Farms Cost: $40
Hands-on instruction, bring your instruments! Topics include:
1) Improvisation: step-by-step system–how to improvise in various music styles
2) Get the most out of your practicing
3) Overcoming stage fright
Reserve for the Workshop here

Beverly Smith & John Grimm–Saturday, December 10

Beverly Smith & John Grimm are two of the country’s most accomplished and respected players and singers of old-time American music. Their resumes are long and rich–you can check out their website here, and listen to tunes here. I can’t wait to have them back at Fifth Street.

Upcoming shows:

Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms, Friday, January 6

Runa, Thursday, January 19