Jubilee Mule is a New England band with deep roots in American traditional music. Founded ten years ago here in Marblehead, Jubilee Mule features Tim Rowell on banjo & vocals; John Price on vocals, guitar & mandolin; Tim Baldanzi on mandolin & vocals; Ren Price on percussion, banjo, uke & vocals; and Etienne Cremieux on the fiddle. JM has established itself as a vital part of the Boston music scene, it is a mainstay in the monthly Bluegrass Night series at the Cantab in Cambridge. Utilizing instruments from various countries, they deftly weave melodies from Appalachia to Bulgaria with harmonies straight out of Cold Mountain and weird tunings from somewhere in the future. If Bill Monroe’s daughter married Frank Zappa’s son and they had a kid that turned into a band, you’d have Jubilee Mule.

Session Americana is simply the cream of the local roots music community. Perfecting the “less is more” approach to performing, the group has grown from a rag tag jam at a local pub to a regional institution, with Jim Fitting on harmonica; multi-instrumentalists Jon Bistline, Sean Staples, Dinty Child and Ry Cavanaugh; along with Billy Beard on drums. Their collective resumes would fill our program booklet. Session Americana sets up in a “round” to capture the complete sound of the voices and instruments with a suitcase drum kit, an old electric bass, a field organ and a collection of acoustic instruments. This unique format feels fantastically theatrical and although the musicians face each other, the audience feels drawn into the circle by the warmth, joy and camaraderie that emanates outward from this all-star cast of characters. The magic that keeps fans coming back show after show is the same thing that any audience member longs for: great songs performed by a great band with humility, lots of laughter, and the kind of cool that makes you wish you were part of the band too! Don’t just take our word for it…