See the Future! Sampler Series at Caffe Lena - 07/29/2011

See the Future! Sampler Series Featuring Frank Fotusky & Will Scarlett and The Buskers

Come try our hugely popular "See the Future!" series. These shows offer a sample of the excellent artists who are creating a brilliant future for the world of folk music. Underwritten by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts, the tickets are an incredible bargain at only $10. Tonight we feature two ensembles notable for their superb instrumental talents. New Jersey's Frank Fotusky plays acoustic blues in the style reminiscent of the great Piedmont players such as Rev. Gary Davis, Blind Boy Fuller, John Jackson, and Blind Willie McTell to name a few. A majority of his material is culled from the '20s, '30s and '40s, but with this he blends original tunes rooted in the syncopated, finger-picked Piedmont Blues style. Tonight Frank will be joined by harmonica ace Will Scarlett, a legendary member of the Berkeley, CA music scene since the late '60s. Scarlett has performed and recorded with a huge a variety of top artists including Brownie McGhee, Hot Tuna (an offshoot of Jefferson Airplane), the bluegrass group Old and in the Way, David Bromberg, Rosalie Sorrels, Steve Mann, David Grisman, Jerry Garcia, and a number of Zydeco artists including Clifton Chenier and Buckwheat Zydeco. The Buskers are "folk impurists" from the state of Vermont with a smart, distinct voice and a kitchen sink repertoire where they mix everything from jug band and jazz to roots rock. "The Buskers tap the street music tradition for which they are named, then go much farther, with serious musicianship, a sense of humor, and energy to burn." (Weirs Times) Their sound is defined by deep respect for the craft of songwriting and arranging and a shared love for the inventive possibilities of improvisation.