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Elliott and Lancaster perform Wednesday evening at Gobin
Joel Karabo Elliott (world-folk-jazz fusion, post-genre), a DePauw alumnus, returns from his home in North Carolina to join the Greencastle Summer Music Fesitval’s family of “friends making music for friends” Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Gobin Church.
He’s sharing a program with Greencastle’s Bobbie Lancaster, the warm and engaging singer/songwriter who is a frequent performer at GSMF events. Lancaster’s musical collaborators will include Rick Provine on percussion, Parker Black on guitar, Veronica Pejril on piano, Ben Hogan on bass, Haley McGinnis on backing vocals and all the beautiful voices of the Fire & Love Choir.
As with all GSMF concerts, there is no admission charge. The 12-week series of indoor Wednesday evening concerts, celebrating community and “friends making music for friends,” is made possible by generous individual donations as well as support from the Inn at DePauw, the Doc’s Inn, First National Bank, North Salem State Bank, Old National Bank, Tri-County Bank and Trust, and an endowment at the Putnam County Community Foundation.
“Joel and Bobbie each are deeply creative and versatile musicians, who share a deep heart and love for community while having quite different personal and musical backgrounds” said Eric Edberg, the DePauw emeritus music professor who is the festival’s founding artistic director. “I’m delighted for us to present them together–and to report that the air conditioning at Gobin is working great during this heat wave.”
The festival continues next week on June 26 with “An American in Paris and a Frenchman in Greencastle,” as American pianist John Kamfonas, a GSMF favorite, returns from Paris to perform, along with other works, a four-hand arrangement of Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” with Greencastle’s own French-born pianist, Claude Cymerman.
Composer, multi-instrumentalist, poet and improviser Joel Karabo Elliott presents a unique sound journey known as musical ecology, inspired by his life and learnings as a global musician, educator and community regenerator in Southern Africa and Appalachia, U.S.A.
In performance, Elliott flows seamlessly between his poetic singer-songwriter repertoire (familiar to fans of his world music ensemble Roots Grown Deep) and sonic improvisations using the piano, guitar, flute and trombone, accentuated by his inspiring, inimitable vocal abilities. His music strikes a deep chord in the heart and uplifts the spirit, attaining natural connection with children, adults and elders alike.
Elliott is currently artist-in-residence at the Center for Conscious Living & Dying in Swannanoa, N.C., where he is creatively serving the rites of passage through community-supported, end-of-life care. For more background, discography, videos and recordings of Joel and his global musical journey, visit www.rootsgrowndeep.com/.
Singer-songwriter Bobbie Lancaster’s music career has been lively and diverse. From the Kerrvile Folk Festival and folk music circuit, to the Chicago Theater district, to writing and performing for children; Lancaster has always found value in diverse musical communities.
With nine albums to her credit, her music over the past 25 years clearly tells the story of a life full of transparency with an abundance of twists and turns.
“My songs are simply chapters in the story of my life,” Lancaster explains.
Lancaster moved to Greencastle 13 years ago with her husband, Jeff, and their two children. Shortly after the move, she left the touring lifestyle in order to focus more on her family and her new community. Lancaster has quickly become a pillar in the Greencastle music and faith communities by sharing her artistic vision and administrative talent.
For this concert, she’s chosen original songs inspired by this community, social justice, divinity, and of course ... stardust. Lancaster is committed to creating dignified, safe, living wage jobs for women worldwide, and is an affiliate for the fair-trade organization, Trades of Hope: www.tradesofhope.com/bobbielancaster.