Described by SF Weekly as a “collision of Django Reinhardt and David Grisman,” the acoustic string duo Taarka is coming to Alamosa, along with virtuoso bassist Eric Thorin, presented by the Alamosa Live Music Association (ALMA) and the Adams State University Music Dept., Thu., Nov. 8, 7pm, at Adams State University’s Leon Memorial Hall.
Taarka features the husband-and-wife team of David Pelta-Tiller, on mandolin, tenor guitar and vocals and Enion Pelta-Tiller, on five-string violin and vocals. David, a versatile picker raised on a steady diet of bluegrass, Celtic, classical and jazz, and Enion, a classically-trained violinist who can switch seamlessly between Bartók and bebop, not to mention Gypsy jazz, punk, rock and bluegrass, have been playing together since 2001.
The band’s calling card is its colorful live show. At the Oregon Country Fair, “Taarka began driving the crowd into a frenzy. They combined Roma, Klezmer and jazz, infusing their rousing and exciting tunes with breakneck Zappa-esque breakdowns and insurmountable gusto,” according to “Synthesis” magazine. “Regardless of your particular musical tastes, Taarka is a band that simply must be witnessed,” the publication also said. Sophisticated listeners will be able to distill flavors of Western and Eastern folk traditions, jazz, rock, bluegrass, old-time, Gypsy, Indian, and Celtic styles in their mix.
Taarka @ Mystic Hot Springs Instrumental
David and Enion have performed with members of the Grateful Dead, Phish, String Cheese Incident and Yonder Mountain String Band, as well as Darol Anger, ALO, Keller Williams, Mike Marshall, Steve Kimock, Taj Mahal, Widespread Panic, the Samples, Aquarium Rescue Unit, Kaki King, Rob Wasserman, Tony Furtado, and the Motet. They’ve also performed at major festivals across the country, including Telluride Bluegrass, Oregon Country Fair, Bumbershoot, and Nedfest. Bassist and tuba player Eric Thorin is also part of the Matt Flinner Trio, has studied with MacArthur “genius grant” awardee Edgar Meyer, and has performed with stellar artists such as Tim O’Brien, Darrell Scott, salsa maestro Eddie Santiago, Billy Eckstine, Tony Trishka, the Open Road Bluegrass Band, Tony Furtado Band, Mollie O’Brien, the Drew Emmitt Band, and a host of other diverse artists.
Admission is $8 for ALMA members, $5 for students, seniors, full-time volunteers and active duty military, $10 for the general public, and free for Adams State University students.
