Joy Kills Sorrow: press

It was 27 strings on stage at Sacred Heart Music Center on Wednesday night creating a rainbow of sound and color. Joy Kills Sorrow, an outstanding five-piece Boston-based acoustic string ensemble, held forth and gave a crowd of more than 150 a textbook lesson in what an American string band is all about.

Drawing on sources from traditional to the most contemporary — and using the standard instrumentation of acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, upright bass and occasionally ukulele — Joy Kills Sorrow created a panorama of sound that was both skillful and uplifting, and wove aural tapestries that were so vivid that they were almost visual.

Emma Beaton’s sultry soprano wrapped itself around the standard “Fall Down On My Knees” as guitarist Matt Arcara’s blazing solo filled an extended section, with guitar and mandolin exchanging rapid-fire riffs. Arcara, originally from Pennsylvania and the 2006 National Flatpicking Guitar Champion, drew cheers throughout the night for his nimble picking. Tight arrangements, supple vocal harmonies and outstanding individual solo statements made this tune a concert highlight.

Mandolinist Joe Walsh, who spent his high school days in Duluth, wrote an instrumental piece called “From Montreal With Love,” which had a mandolin intro that seemed to float into a lovely harmony line with Wes Corbett’s banjo. Corbett’s banjo provided instrumental high points all night, and showed an adventurous debt to Bela Fleck and Tony Trishka in style, far more than to a traditionalist like Earl Scruggs.

Beaton’s simple ukulele strumming was up front on “Let Me Die In Your Arms,” a gorgeous ballad that let her honey-coated voice suspend notes in mid-air, and let them hang there for what seemed an eternity. Supple guitar and mandolin continually made the quintet sound like a much bigger ensemble.

Banjo ace Corbett — who has been with Joy Kills Sorrow for almost a year and hails from Bainbridge Island, Wash. — has played with acoustic music giants David Grisman and Darol Anger. He delivered an original instrumental piece called “Rockville,” spotlighting his speed and agility on the five-string instrument.

Hank Williams’ “Weary Blues From Waitin’ ” featured a very deliberate tempo and a lovely reading from Beaton, who has the ability to slide into her falsetto with remarkable ease. Solos lingered around the minor blues pentatonic scale and helped give this classic tune a Joy Kills Sorrow stamp.

Johnny Cash’s “I Still Miss Someone” was a lilting torch song that demonstrated Beaton’s vocal power, which could have just about filled the Sacred Heart auditorium without any amplification. She’s only been with Joy Kills Sorrow since June, but sounds like she was made for the spot.

These five talented musicians have come together from all over the country (Duluth, Vancouver, Iowa and Washington state). They’re based in Boston — not the acoustic music capital of the country — but they displayed the depth and breadth of performance a progressive American string band can achieve.

A couple of generations ago, Harvard University played the role of academic spawning ground for the Boston area's bluegrass/old-time music scene. These days, it's the New England Conservatory and the nearby Berklee College of Music, neither of which has historically been known for its folks/roots culture, but both of which are turning out a stream of talented young musicians who combine serious technical skills with a love for old sounds that they picked up along the way. The latest emerging group with multiple connections to those two schools is Joy kills Sorrow, a promising quintet of young neo-traditionalists whose debut CD is full of bright, engaging music.
Joy Kills Sorrow's basic concept is a familiar but effective one in the current Americana revival: a splendid vocalist, virtuoso bluegrass instrumentalists who draw their influences from multiple genres including jazz, classical, and pop, and a creatively arranged mix of old and new material. The music here emphasizes thoughtful, melodic attention to detail rather than breakneck speed or overpowering flash. Lead singer Heather Masse (who has also worked with the Wayfaring Strangers and who recently joined the Wailin Jennys) has a dreamy voice and a comfortable contemporary style. She adds her own expressive vocal twists to familiar songs like the band's stately arrangement of the Johnny Cash classic "I still Miss Someone" and its upbeat, free-form take on the traditional "Liza Jane."
Banjoist Adam Larrabee, mandolinist Joe Walsh, and 2006 National Flatpicking champion Matthew Arcara share the instrumental leads, reliably backed by bassist Bridget Kearney. The original instrumental "1216 Two Step" is a series of crisp, carefully-executed solos, "Land of Lost Grasses" is a minor-key newgrass showpiece, and the minimalist accompaniment of Masse's slow, lonesome vocals on Hank Williams' "Weary Blues from Waitin'"- just an occasional banjo plink and mandolin strum against a bass note here and there- is a fine example of the less-is-more principle.

Their name or home town may not quite suggest it, but the Boston area-based quintet Joy Kills Sorrow is one of those young bands that manages to meld bluegrass, old time and country into a cohesive sound that makes them almost "poster children" for the burgeoning Americana format, demonstrating deep knowledge of and respect for the history and sources of the music, yet producing music that is easily accessible to listeners who often think they don't like country music.
The band's four instrumentalists (Joe Walsh, mandolin; Matt Arcara, guitar; Adam Larrabee, banjo; Bridget Kearney, bass) work together seamlessly on arrangements that allow each to demonstrate their talents while complementing the others, in contrast to the series of revolving solo breaks that bluegrass often turns out to be. It's an eclectic sound that contemporaries like Crooked Still have used to capture a new audience and these folks prove adept at it in their own way.
The icing on the cake, though is vocalist Heather Masse, whose voice hovers somewhere between Alison Krauss and Marura O'Conneli, with the versatility to take on material as widely diverse as Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone", Hank William's "Weary Blues from Waitin'," Paul Seibels's "Louise" and old time standards like "Train on the Island," yet give them each her own intriguing twist. Self-released projects like this sometimes tend to be overlooked when they're not on a "known label," but this is more than worth taking a chance on.

CORBETT, CHRISMAN & TICE
[November 2008]
Patuxent Music CD164

Dulcimerdriven instrumental newgrass music is what this is, and if the hammered dulcimer's oldtime, Appalachian associations make that idea seem odd, then what about the banjo before people such as Adcock, Trischka, and Fleck transformed the fivestring into an instrument fit for any music?
Banjoist Wes Corbett, hammered dulcimer man Simon Chrisman, and guitarist Jordan Tice are not the only newgrass ensemble out there driven, at least in part, by the hammered dulcimer. Aaron O'Rourke's mountain dulcimer is at the center of another progressive and excellent trio with mandolinist Mickey Abraham and guitarist Mike Snelling. Heck, the hardtoclassify rock band, Macha, even uses one to good effect. And, of course, the late David Schnaufer broadened the instrument's terrain and grabbed Mark O'Connor's attention along the way.

Yet, it's still a rarity to see and hear one in a newgrass band, though this compelling album that Corbett, Chrisman, and Tice have forged suggests that plenty of great modern string music is just itching to get hammered out to receptive ears. And if the label of "newgrass" has sent you running in fear of long jams filled with complex rhythms and strange structures, fear not. This stuff is melodic, accessible, direct in its emotional appeal, impressively performed, and perhaps most of all, joyful. All ten pieces are originals by the trio, each ranging from under three minutes to over six, and none meander. This is focused music, the soloing thoughtful yet concise, free of grandstanding or indulgent meanderings. And while the band lacks a bass, their sound is rich and full, with abundant drive when desired.

Corbett, Chrisman, and Tice have hit upon a new sound, but what is most exciting is not the "newness," but the music—which is simply wonderful.

What a voice! Every once in a while I happen on a voice so pure, with such great texture, intonation, time and phrasing that it stops me in my tracks. Heather Masse has all that and more. Joy kills sorrow is a bluegrass band from Boston whose players have almost too much education (they all seem to have either been students or faculty at The New England Conservatory or the Berklee Collage of Music). Not to worry, they play great, write great, play well with others and choose great covers.

Best Bet

Boston's impressive Joy Kills Sorrow dips into blazing David Grisman-style improvistion, bringing a shimmer to simple folk songs and pretty much demonstrating that conservatory training can be a very good thing indeed.

The Joy of Music
The band delighted an enthusiastic crowd with top-notch instrumental prowess, dynamic arrangements and the silky yet bluesy vocals of lead singer Heather Masse, who has now gone to join Americana stars 'The Wailin' Jennys."
Although rooted in bluegrass, the band injects a healthy dose of classical, jazz, old-time and pop through its arrangements, dynamics, difficult time signatures, and individual solo styles. Country and bluegrass classics such as "I Still Miss Someone" and "Train on the Island" were interspersed among original instrumentals and vocal tunes and an impromptu version of the jazz classic "Honeysuckle Rose." It was a great experience at for students at Loomis, said Faith Miller, Head of Music Department. "The kids were fascinated with the range of instruments in the band, and the repertoire generally," she said. "There was great enthusiasm for the band." Miller added that one violin student, who is part Greek, was even excited about excited about learning mandolin, since the instrument (or the sound, at least) plays a prominent role in much Greek folk music.
And just to add a little more variety, came the first Golberg Variation by Johann Sebastian Bach with Larrabee on mandocello and Joe Walsh on mandolin.
A look at band members' backgrounds explains the diversity of musical influences. Walsh (who was not a member of any prominent rock bands) was the very first student admitted to Berklee College of Music to study mandolin. Matthew Arcara is a long-time practitioner of the "flatpicking" style of guitar playing and last year won the National Flatpicking Contest in Winfield, Kansas, widely agreed to be the most coveted prize in the field. (Flatpicking has many stylistic characteristics but essentially means the guitarist uses a plectrum for rhythm and solos as opposed to a multi-finger approach that classical and some blues, folk and rock musicians use.) Upright bassist Bridget Kearney has played since fourth grade, studies at the New England Conservatory and Tufts University and has many jazz accolades to her credit, including a Best Small Group by the Downbeat Student Music Awards for her trio "Sax Attack." Singer Heather Masse grew up Maine, sang as a young child was later schooled at the New England Conservatory of Music in Jazz voice. She performs with the "The Wayfaring Strangers," a group that still plays occossionally and has played numerous folk and bluegrass festivals. Seeing such high caliber musicians is great for students.
"Surely, it is a good thing for our students to have more than passing exposure to professional musicians or artists more generally ... We try to include in our guest musician series at least Loomis alum: such folk know the school, the kids, and the very demanding non-arts components of the kids' schedules," Miller said. "They can speak realistically about what it takes to make a living in the arts, and what choices need to be made beginning even on the high school level." One of those realistic challenges in the music world can be the need to regroup every so often. Since Masse has now gone to sing with the "Wailin' Jennys," and other members are contemplating moves to different parts of the country, Joy Kills Sorrow plans to regroup a bit after finishing its current tour with a temporary vocalist.
In addition, nearly all the band members find themselves juggling the schedules of teaching, other musical projects and making a living in the arts. Those interesting in keeping up with them can visit www.joykillssorrow.com.

A Great Night at ST94

Mark Cosgrove and his band were scheduled to play at Sellersville Theater on Saturday, October 15th. I’m so glad that I decided to attend, as it turned out to be one of the most extraordinary concerts I have ever seen. Opening for Mark was a band called “Joy Kills Sorrow.” Half way through their first song, I knew that I was witnessing a very special music performance. What gifted musicians! The vocalist Heather Masse has one of the more distinctive country voices, in spite of the fact that she was born in Maine. She was three-time winner of Best Female Vocalist at both the Maine State Vocal Jazz Festival and the Berklee Jazz Festival in Boston. Joe Walsh played an incredible mandolin. He is the first mandolin student at the Berklee College of Music, and has performed on stage with Bela Fleck, Earl Scruggs, and Ricky Skaggs. And you can see why. Matthew Arcara is a talented guitar picker, and recently placed second at the National Flatpicking Contest. Rounding out the quartet was Karl Doty on a bass stick, who used a bow. He studies bass at the New England Conservatory of Music. You can check out the band at www.joykillssorrow.com, where you’ll find some MP3 files of their songs that you can download for free, as well as their performance schedule. If you get a chance to see these folks, do not miss them. And on top of all this, we got a full set of music from Mark Cosgrove and company. Mark is an international flat -picking talent who lives right here in Bucks County, and is a familiar performer and teacher for many BCFSS members. As always, he did not disappoint and I must say that this show was one of their best that I’ve ever seen. And to top it all off, Mark invited the opening act to join his band on stage for the final two songs. Wow! Awesome! Nothing left to say.

New Release Highlight

On his first selftitled solo release, Matt Arcara.. has shown that he has a solid knowledge of traditional flatpicking tunes and he has also innovatively explored his flatpicking craft beyond those traditions. In releasing his new CD, Matthew has shown that he is well on his way to creating a sound that is identifiable as his own...His original compositions display innovation and creativity beyond his years...

VARIOUS ARTISTS—SONGS FOR SOPHIE: A COLLINGS COLLECTIVE [October 2005 Issue]
FGM Record, FGM 116 (FGM Records, P.O. Box 2160, Pulaski, VA 24301, www.fgmrecords.com.)

Even if all the proceeds were not going to a worthy cause (medical support for Collings Guitar manager Steve McCreary's daughter, Sophie), I'd have the same good things to say about the music and performances found on this compilation.

The music here comes from a diversity of acoustic styles. There are fifteen tracks, half vocal, half instrumental. At the core are several guitarbased, fiddlestyle instrumentals. Of those, the most traditional is the Irish jig, "The Geese In The Bog," performed by Tim O'Brien in duet with himself on guitar and mandolin, playing propulsive twin lead sans rhythm backing throughout. Cody Kilby, Steve Kaufman, and Matthew Arcara contribute fine, original fiddlestyle tunes of their own; Kilby's "Old Bud" is the closest to straight bluegrass, Kaufman's "McCreary's March" is colored with ragtime, and Arcara's Celticsounding "Burdock Root" is underpinned with earcatching cello.