 Music from the new Cultural Crossroads of Europe
Belgian, Celtic & French music with world beat percussion
Meet the band! Listen to WAMU-FM Metro Connection's interview at Celtic DC-Part II Pavilion 3 from November 10, 2006.
Pavilion 3 brings together dance traditions from central Europe and adds the immigrant experience with Afro-Cuban, Persian & Latin drumming.
Stately Peruvian drumming joins with 18th century minuets from the courts of Europe. The Flemish Bear Dance swirls with the wild beat of the Persian daf frame drum. Irish reels, Galician muñeiras, sultry Parisian café waltzes and enchanting airs, old and new, are all part of the Pavilion 3 experience. Paul Oorts & Karen Ashbrook started playing as a duo featuring Celtic, Belgian and French music with the recording "Celtic Café" on the Maggie's Music label. They added master percussionist Steve Bloom in 2006. They have a new recording "Spring Will Come" from a live concert featuring their new sound with master percussionist Steve Bloom.
"Met Celtic Cafe onderzoekt het duo de pan-Europese muziek met eem ongewone geestdrift, gratie en fantasie. (With Celtic Café, the duo explores pan-European music with uncommon enthusiasm, grace and imagination.)"
the Belgian newspaper De Morgen.
Click here to hear
Pavilion 3 in concert at the Kennedy
Center's Millennium Stage from Oct 28, 2006!
(Note: the sound man was still balancing mics through the first few pieces.)
The
bandmembers
Karen
Ashbrook - hammered dulcimer, wooden flute, pennywhistle
"Karen has long been something of a heroine to me...Her style is at times traditional, then moves surprisingly at a tangent, making it more interesting in an unexpected way. And her whistle playing is excellent." Irish Edition, Philadelphia
In 1976, Karen built her first dulcimer as a high school project. For five years she lived overseas in pursuit of Irish music and learned her craft in the pubs of England and Ireland, while taking time to travel in Europe and Asia.
She subsequently wrote the first book for intermediate/advanced dulcimer playing in the States, "Playing the Hammered Dulcimer in the Irish Tradition," on Oak Publications. Karen plays a wide variety of musical styles including Appalachian, Belgian, English, classical and Jewish. She teaches at numerous festivals and music camps around the States, and is now central in bringing instruction to the revival of hakkebord (the Flemish hammered dulcimer) in Belgium!
Paul Oorts - harp guitar, cittern, accordion, hommel (the Flemish lap dulcimer)
Click here to watch Paul and Karen perform at the 5th Annual Harp Guitar Gathering in November, 2007!
Paul is from a small town near Antwerp in Belgium. He has delved extensively into primary manuscripts, mainly 19th century, from the dance masters and Carilloneurs (bell tower maestros) of Flanders. Paul has become an ambassador of Belgian folk music to America, teaching these old tunes in workshops at festivals.
Paul plays regularly for contra and English country dances with the groups Goldcrest and Gigmeisters, conducts "Carillion" a dulcimer orchestra and in his spare time, Dr. Oorts teaches French and Italian at Peabody Music Conservatory!
Steve Bloom - hand drums, percussion, set drums
"Steve Bloom has never met a rhythm he couldn't master. Throughout the evening he showcased a mind-boggling array of beats from Argentina, Bulgaria, Cuba, Morocco, Spain and Turkey."
The Washington Post
Starting with a strong academic musical foundation, Bloom has since achieved a command of African and related traditions of drumming and song by the Oral Tradition, apprenticing with several fine Cuban, Senegalese, Nigerian and Sufi master drummers. Bloom has performed and/or recorded with other noted artists like Tito Puente, Gregg Karukas, John Faddis, Dennis Cahill, bassists Andy Gonzales and Michael Manring, Paul Horn, Nestor Torres and Ensemble Galilei. Click here
for Steve's homepage.
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