No Strings Attached concert September 29, 2007

A favorite in the librarys Dewey Decibel Concert Series, No Strings Attached, an award-winning quartet based in the Roanoke/Blacksburg area actually features hundreds of strings playing music described as "eclectic, jazz on acoustic instruments and world beat." The band makes its first visit in eight years to the Williamsburg Library Theatre, 515 Scotland Street on Saturday, September 29 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for students and $7 for those under 16 and can be reserved by calling (757) 259-4070.

No Strings Attached at first appears to be a traditional string band focusing on instrumental arrangements, but they consistently stretch the boundaries of string music beyond traditional concepts. They play the instruments string bands have been playing for years and some you would have never imagined: hammer dulcimers, guitar, bass, harmonica, bouzouki, pennywhistle, flute, kalimba, synthesizers, bass and tenor clarinets, bass and tenor saxophones and percussion. The Washington Post calls them "one of the most adventurous string ensembles today."

A typical concert features music by Dave Brubeck, Thelonius Monk, Sonny Rollins, the Chieftains, Bill Spence, their own original songs and vocal selections by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Dan Hicks and the Coasters. The group's rendition of the Brubeck classic, Take 5, remains one of their most requested works in concert. Their eclectic style has allowed them to open for such varied artists as Mary Wilson and the Supremes, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Nickel Creek, Doc Watson, Stephen Bennett, Tommy Emmanuel, the Dixie Chicks, Turtle Island String Quartet, John Hartford and John McCutcheon.

One of their strengths in concert is the fact that they have fun performing on stage for an audience. They've been known to dance the tango with their instruments, parody old rock and roll bands, clog while playing old-time tunes and use a toy Slinky as a percussion instrument. Their original compositions, which comprise a large part of their concerts, reflect this basic attitude, poking fun at themselves and situations they see around them.

The band members cite varied musical influences, so perhaps the band's selection of material isn't all that unusual.
-- Bassist Bob Thomas comes from the jazz, rock and bluegrass worlds and is one of the vocalists in the group. He takes his role as "bassist" to heart, playing acoustic bass, bass clarinet and bass saxophone, with the goal of "owning a bass instrument from every instrument family."
-- Wes Chappell, the other vocalist, is the multi-instrumentalist of the group. His background is rock and roll, but he plays in a variety of styles.
-- Harmonica player Pete Hastings has become well known for his virtuosity on the chromatic and diatonic harmonicas, having studied under harmonica master Howard Levy for a number of years. Hastings also doubles as the group's guitarist.
-- Randy Marchany, who plays the hammer dulcimer and keyboards, was trained as a classical pianist.

No Strings Attached has played in European venues and in U.S. settings ranging from the Kennedy Center, public radio's "Mountain Stage," and CBS-TV's "Morning News" program to major festivals such as the Walnut Valley Festival, Kan.; Augusta Heritage Week, Elkins, W.Va.; and the Pacific Rim International Music Festival, Los Angeles.

Four of their albums have either been nominated or won the "INDIE" award for "Best Album in the String Music Category."

Event submitted by Eventful.com on behalf of programs.