Birds of Play
"Birds of Play is an acoustic Americana Roots quartet born from a mutual love of desert canyons, raging rivers, and rocky mountaintops. These multi-instrumentalists and dearest of friends effortlessly weave together a unique tapestry of blues, bluegrass, folk, and funk into a glorious blend of humor, honesty, and harmony. With a dynamic mix of sentimentality and playfulness, Birds of Play's original music will take you on a joyous journey filled with tales of love lost and found, ballads of wild places, and the radical idea that being happy for no reason at all is reason enough.
Upcoming Shows
“Birds of Play is an acoustic Americana Roots quartet born from a mutual love of desert canyons, raging rivers, and rocky mountaintops. These multi-instrumentalists and dearest of friends effortlessly weave together a unique tapestry of blues, bluegrass, folk, and funk into a glorious blend of humor, honesty, and harmony. With a dynamic mix of sentimentality and playfulness, Birds of Play’s original music will take you on a joyous journey filled with tales of love lost and found, ballads of wild places, and the radical idea that being happy for no reason at all is reason enough.
Joe Crookston
Songwriter, Performer, Artist, Facilitator & Producer
BIOGRAPHY
From Ithaca, NY…
Songwriter, guitarist, painter, fiddler, slide player, eco-village member and believer in all things possible. Named 2016 Folk Alliance International Artist-in- Residence and signed to I Book Shows along with David Francey and Irish Mythen. His songs are being made into films.
He’ll surprise you and awaken the cynics. He’s plumbing for lyrical gold like a social archeologist. His songs are universal, his rhythm infectious and in concert, he is funny as hell one moment and transcendent the next.
Caleb and Reeb bring their full country band to the Longstaff House featuring Mike Bub, the best bass player in the business. The show will start at 7:30.
Eli West Well-known for his work with Norwegian fiddler Olav Mjelva, Cahalen Morrison, Jayme Stone and more, the Seattle-based singer and multi-instrumentalist oozes understated talent. We recently witnessed both Martin Simpson and Richard Hawley utterly floored by his skill. Truly a sublime musician!
John Reichman Grammy Award-winning musician John Reischman has been a foundational mandolinist, composer, bandleader, and musical educator in bluegrass and North American roots and folk music since emerging from the vibrant “new acoustic” bluegrass music scene of the Bay Area in the 1980s. A member of the groundbreaking Tony Rice Unit, Reischman’s mastery of bluegrass, old-time, swing, and multiple Latin American musical styles, coupled with an Old Master’s sense of tone, taste, and musicality, has brought him a global reputation as one of the finest mandolinists of his era.Birds of Play is a musical collaboration born from a mutual love of desert canyons, raging rivers, rocky mountaintops, and juice picnics. These multi-instrumentalists and dearest of friends effortlessly weave together a unique tapestry of blues, bluegrass, folk, and funk into a glorious blend of humor, honesty, and harmony. With a dynamic mix of sentimentality and playfulness, Birds of Play’s original music will take you on a joyous journey filled with tales of love lost and found, ballads of wild places, and the radical idea that being happy for no reason at all is reason enough. Add in a smattering of bird calls and crowd-inclusive banter and an evening with Birds of Play will surely leave you feeling all the feels and wanting more. Their debut album, Anthrophony was released mid summer 2019 and they plan to return to the studio Fall of 2020. Influences include the Wood Brothers, Gregory Alan Isakov, Mandolin Orange, and so, so many more.