The Flagpole Radio Café ^™

Flagpole Radio Café  Press Release

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FOLK – JAZZ DUO BETHANY AND RUFUS

TO PERFORM AT

THE FLAGPOLE RADIO CAFÉ

Bethany Yarrow is Daughter of Folk legend Peter Yarrow

Newtown, CT - the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission is pleased to announce that acclaimed jazz-folk duo Bethany and Rufus will be the guest artists for the February 5^th edition of The Flagpole Radio Café.  Tickets are now on sale at www.flagpoleproductions.org .  The show begins at 7pm at the Edmond Town Hall in Newtown, CT.  Ticket prices are $18 for adults, $15 for students and senior citizens.  If further information is needed, please contact us at info@flagpoleproductions.org .

            Bethany & Rufus are a cello and voice duo that push the boundaries of American roots music far into unexpected territories, sliding seamlessly between groove, world, blues, and traditional folk music – and when Bethany Yarrow and Rufus Cappadocia join forces on stage they spark a fire-in-the-belly, soul-stirring experience of American roots music that lingers long after the concert ends .

            As the daughter of folk legend Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary), Bethany Yarrow absorbed much of this music through osmosis in her early childhood, but it’s her tour-de-force stage presence, mesmerizing voice and deep knowledge of the material that allows her to turn these songs inside out and find their less explored, enchanted underside. Rufus Cappadocia is renowned for his cross cultural collaborations, taking the cello into previously unexplored realms. Cappadocia has collaborated with a wide spectrum of world music artists, and through his work with West African, Haitian Vodou and Arabic Music his unique musical voice traces the lineage of American music back to its root sources.

            In January 2007 Bethany & Rufus released their debut record “900 Miles” on Hyena Records. The press was universally positive.  For the duo, it was a great triumph for them and for the genre of folk music. “It was so rewarding to get folk music out of the box of the usual expectation of voice and strummed guitar and turn a whole other kind of audience on to these old songs,” says Rufus. “It was like putting American folk music back into the context of the folkloric traditions of the world.”

Executive Producer Martin Blanco remarked, “Peter Yarrow had such fun performing in our show last May, that he encouraged his daughter Bethany and her partner Rufus to perform at our show.  Once we heard Bethany’s sultry voice coupled with Rufus’ infectious cello, we knew we had to bring them to Newtown.  Their music is as beautiful as it is fiery; I can only hope the Fire Marshall doesn’t have issue with their appearance.”

For those not acquainted with The Flagpole Radio Café, it is an engaging variety show created by Jim Allyn, Martin Blanco and Barbara Gaines in conjunction with the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission. It features music by Jim Allyn and the Flagpole Radio Café Orchestra, a dynamic ensemble created for the show, and radio style comedy sketches by the hyperbolically named Flagpole Shakespeare Repertory Theatre. The Flagpole Radio Cafe is hosted by musician and radio personality Chris Teskey, who also broadcasts the show on his celebrated program on WPKN radio. Each show features a musical guest artist such as Peter Yarrow, Vanesse Thomas, Phil Bowler and Yale’s internationally acclaimed male choir The Whiffenpoofs.