Jordan Tice
March 7th – Jordan Tice is a musical seeker of the most dedicated sort. Growing up in Annapolis Maryland, as a teenage rocker and student of jazz and music composition at Towson University, he has become among the most innovative acoustic guitarists of the modern age. Surrounded by a family of bluegrass musicians and opening for American music luminaries such as David Bromberg and Tony Rice at an early age, Tice found his musical center, one which he now channels into a refreshing approach to songcraft.
Having occupied the roles of guitar ace, sideman, songwriter and student of American music for the better part of his life, Jordan’s songs are enriching for all manner of listeners, from guitar fanatics to more casual fans of Americana music; bending form and tradition through his singular approach, he delivers performances that are not weighted by any one area of his prowess, allowing listeners to join his world of candor, wit and ineffable facility with comfort. Equally virtuosic as a flatpicker and fingerstylist, and with a casual vocal style, Tice conjures ingredients from seemingly far-flung worlds with ease that have earned him glowing press from such outlets as NPR Music and American Songwriter and taken him to stages such as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Ryman Auditorium (among many many others).
As a side musician, Jordan has worked with a great number of disparate artists, including Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse), Steve Martin, Aoife O’Donovan, David Rawlings, Tony Trischka, Väsen, and Yola.
Listening to the breadth of Jordan’s discography, which includes seven projects as a solo artist and four as a founding member of the preeminent string band, Hawktail (formerly Haas Kowert Tice), one will hear these sorts of abstractions at play in his own work. Equally virtuosic as a flatpicker and fingerstylist, and with a casual vocal style, Tice conjures ingredients from seemingly far-flung worlds with ease that have earned him glowing press from such outlets as NPR Music and American Songwriter and taken him to stages such as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Ryman Auditorium (among many many others).
On his newest project, Badlettsville, Tice brings together an all-star ensemble of acoustic musicians to realize his take on several of his favorite covers and originals that, while staples of his live show, never made it on to a previous release. The EP begins with his acoustic treatment of Bob Dylan’s, “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven,” featuring impressionistic lyrics flowing over a trancelike backdrop of guitar, fiddle, bass and bongoes. The second track, “Mean Old World,” is an anthemic folk original reflecting on the inevitable change life brings, featuring lush harmonies from Aoife O’Donovan and Andrew Marlin. The collection ends with two duets featuring Hawktail bandmate, bassist Paul Kowert: the jaunty instrumental, “Badlettsville,” and a jazzy, whimsical romp through Randy Newman’s “Dayton, Ohio- 1903.” The seamless combination of covers and originals further cements Tice’s reputation as a bold and inventive voice in folk music with his eye on an earnest prize: generating a body of work that stands up to the test of time.
General admission: 25.00
Bar area open:7pm
Main Concert Hall opens at 7:30pm
Music starts at 8pm