Jeremy Kittel Band performs at CMC in Steamboat Springs, Glenwood March 21, 22
What do you get when you put together a violinist, a mandolinist, a cellist and a hammered dulcimer player?
You might think “basic folk music,” but in the case of the Jeremy Kittel Band, you would be wrong. Way wrong. The musical compositions they play can be as diverse and unpredictable as jumping from a Beatles cover to an old Irish folk tune to a jazz improvisation.
That’s because the young and multitalented Kittel said his band, set to perform at two campuses at Colorado Mountain College in March, draw from a number of influences.
In explaining his band’s sound, Kittel said, “It’s jazz meets folk meets rock.”
With a background in Irish and Scottish music, Kittel is no lightweight when it comes to the music scene. At 28 years old, he is one of the leading improvisational violinists of his generation.
He has a master’s degree in jazz violin from the Manhattan School of Music and was the recipient of the 2010 Emerging Artist Award from his alma mater, the University of Michigan. He is also a National U.S. Scottish Fiddle champion as well as a multiple winner of Detroit Music Awards and ASTA Alternative Style awards.
Kittel tours internationally with his namesake group. He said the diverse backgrounds of the band members allow them to play a wide spectrum of music.
“As a group that plays string instruments, we have these beautiful tones,” he said, “but we can also just really groove. There’s so much possibility to our music.”
Has recorded with ‘Who’s Who’ of progressive acoustic music, jazz
In addition to touring, Kittel also maintains an active schedule of collaborations with some of today’s most innovative and influential artists. He recently completed five years as a full-time member of the Grammy-winning Turtle Island Quartet and he has also toured and recorded with such musical giants as Mark O’Connor, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, Paquito D’Rivera, the Assad Brothers, Stefon Harris, My Morning Jacket, Jars of Clay, Abigail Washburn and Ben Sollee.
Most recently, he has arranged and recorded orchestral-style strings for several major-label releases: Washburn’s “City of Refuge,” My Morning Jacket’s “Circuital” and an upcoming release by the platinum-selling, Grammy-winning band Jars of Clay.
Kittel has appeared on the American Public Media radio show “A Prairie Home Companion,” has been a guest performer with multiple symphony orchestras, and has performed at venues as diverse as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Bonnaroo and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.
He has released four CDs; his most recent solo recording is Compass Records’ “Chasing Sparks.”
Kittel said his music brings together a multitude of musical styles and traditions, while cultivating new ground and redefining the role of the instrument.
“My main goal as a musician doesn’t have to do as much with the craft – even though that is important – as it does with moving people and making music that is deep and relevant,” he said.
Concerts honor college supporters
As with all Calaway Honors Series performances, the concerts will acknowledge local philanthropists: the Steamboat concert honors Denny and Joy Swanson and the Spring Valley concert honors Jon and Connie Warnick.
Kittel will perform in the Allbright Family Auditorium on Thursday, March 21, at Colorado Mountain College in Steamboat Springs, 1275 Crawford Ave., and at the New Space Theatre on Friday, March 22, at Colorado Mountain College in Spring Valley (near Glenwood Springs), 3000 County Road 114.
Both evenings feature a dessert reception at 6:30 p.m. and the concert at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for full-time CMC students and children up to 17 years. Advance ticket sales are available at 970-947-8367.
For more information about the Jeremy Kittel Band, go to www.jeremykittel.com.
By Stefanie Kilts.