[Classifieds] Musical Maverick Joel Mabus Returns to Woods Hole

[MBL Classifieds]

The Woods Hole Folk Music Society’s 46th season will continue on Sunday, October 15, with a performance by singer-songwriter Joel Mabus. The concert takes place at 7:30 PM in Community Hall, 68 Water Street, Woods Hole. Doors open at 7 PM. Admission is $20 with discounts for members, seniors, youth and children; season passes are also available. Community Hall is handicapped accessible, and street parking is free after 6 PM.



Singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Joel Mabus will return to Woods Hole after a seven-year hiatus for an evening of original songs, musical pyrotechnics and witty commentary. A self-described maverick in the folk world, Mr. Mabus defies easy pigeonholing. He may play fiddle or mountain banjo to accompany an ancient ballad, sing a witty song about modern life, pair a Carter family classic with a lilting Irish guitar melody, swing a hot jazz tune, or reach deep for commentary on finding value in today’s troubled world.



Joel Mabus was born in Belleville, Illinois, into a highly musical family. His father was an old-time fiddling champion and his mother was a banjo-picking farm girl. When he was young, his parents barnstormed the Midwest playing homegrown music with other family members at road shows, medicine shows and small-town radio programs. This experience strongly influenced the young man; in the 1960s, when friends were listening to rock ‘n roll, he was more interested in banjo legends Earl Scruggs and Bill Monroe.



Mr. Mabus's first instrument was the family mandolin, which he took up at age 9. He later added guitar, banjo and, in college, fiddle. While studying anthropology and literature in college, he was drawn to the coffeehouse scene at night, where he launched his performing and recording career. His first LP was recorded in 1977 with mandolin legend Frank Wakefield on the Flying Fish label. Further albums led to the launch of his own recording label, Fossil Records. He was one of the first contemporary folksingers to venture into the recording business, long before the proliferation of digital recording made it widely accessible.



Joel Mabus has since produced more than two dozen recordings; the latest, “Different Hymnals,” exploring songs of many faiths, was published in June of this year. Previous albums range from blues (“A Bird in This World”) to Christmas music (“A Parlour Guitar Christmas”) to “No Worries Now,” blending swing, bluegrass, jazz and ragtime with lyrics of politics, history, humor & philosophy. The album “Rhyme Schemes” showcases his wit through original songs such as the tongue-twisting "The Druggist" and "Bubba's 3 B's (Barbeque, Banjos & Beer).”



Mr. Mabus tours regularly throughout the country, teaching music and songwriting workshops at festivals and camps. He has played at seminal folk clubs from Cambridge to Berkeley, as well as major folk festivals from Philadelphia to Kerrville, TX and Vancouver, BC. He is known for his mastery of a wide range of musical styles, from traditional folk to bluegrass, blues and original songs, and hailed for his instrumental prowess and unique flair for witticisms and anecdotes. His performance style has been likened to a favorite uncle telling stories at a family picnic. His original songs range from humorous to sad, but are always thought-provoking.



The Cornell Folk Song Society describes Joel Mabus as “a free-ranging fretboard genius and funny, deep songwriter whose warm voice, sly humor, and musicianship sweep audiences along for the ride.” A review from the Vancouver Folk Festival states: “Joel Mabus has a style we will always associate with Will Rogers or Mark Twain, and a great sense of humour which complements, rather than contradicts, some very serious material … and he does it all with great style.”


Upcoming WHFMS performances include: Oct. 29, Geoff Muldaur; Nov. 12, The Johnson Girls; Jan. 14, 2018, Debra Cowan and John Roberts; Jan. 28, Bill Staines; Feb. 11, Cindy Kallett and Grey Larson; Mar. 25, Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters; Apr. 8, Joe Jencks; and more to be announced.

The Woods Hole Folk Music Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering enjoyment of folk music in all its forms. Concerts are made possible by support from its members, season subscribers, volunteers, and performers. Refreshments are served at intermission, and donations of baked goods are always welcome. More information is available at woodsholefolk at gmail.com and www.arts-cape.com/whfolkmusic.



Carolyn L. Johnson

Coordinator, Development & Communications

Marine Biological Laboratory

7 MBL Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543

(508) 289-7650

cjohnson at mbl.edu<mailto:cjohnson at mbl.edu>


<mailto:cjohnson at mbl.edu>

<mailto:cjohnson at mbl.edu>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.mbl.edu/pipermail/classifieds/attachments/20171002/232fd220/attachment.html 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Joel Mabus 2017 6in.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 2544899 bytes
Desc: Joel Mabus 2017 6in.pdf
Url : http://lists.mbl.edu/pipermail/classifieds/attachments/20171002/232fd220/attachment.pdf