'Reunion Concert' with Sim Redmond, Nate Silas Richardson and Hank Roberts

Saturday, December 6th @ 8PM

Admission: $10 or free with a 2008 Passport

'Crossing Borders'LIVE, is pleased to present the 'Reunion Show' featuring Sim Redmond, Hank Roberts, and Nate Silas Richardson in concert together on Saturday, December 6th 8pm, at the Lost Dog Lounge, 106 S. Cayuga Street. The two-hour broadcast can be heard on 93.5fm, or streamed online at wvbr.com. For information about the series, go to crossingborderslive.org. Admission for the live audience is $10, or free to Passport subscription holders.

The concert is the recreation of a joint concert first presented on Crossing Borders to conclude its 2005 live season, on December 17th, 2005 at the Carriage House Café; hence the "reunion" billing for the acoustic collaboration for these three beloved artists.

Sim Redmond

A long time favorite of the Ithaca music scene and a solid hit in the Japanese underground, (with five+ Japanese tours under his belt), Sim Redmond, leader of the Sim Redmond Band has been at the top of local readers' polls and in the center of the hearts of many a fan since the release of his band's first CD in 1998. There have been seven SRB albums in total, with each one showing off a more diverse yet refined sound. The latest release, Room in These Skies, was released this year. Sim's 2003 solo effort, entitled "Wishing Well", solidified his reputation as a gifted song writer and also a tasteful producer. His music resonates in a way that is beyond style or technique. His honest portrayal of emotion and fearless approach to song writing is inspiring and moving for anyone with open ears and a bit of life experience to reflect off of the music. Besides the SRB and solo projects, Sim appears on three other releases, including the self-titled TalkToMes, of which he is a member.

Each New Day, the latest release from the Ithaca, NY based Sim Redmond Band is the type of album that should put anyone with an open musical mind in a good mood. If you let them, the sounds of this band can wash over you and make you feel something akin to that content half-awake bliss you feel after spending a few hours basking in the summer sun: warm, relaxed, yet undeniably energizing. Their infectious blend of African-influenced reggae-tinged roots rock combined with beautifully sung lyrics full of hope, love and lessons learned give the band a deeply honest, positive sound.

...Matt Brockett, JamBands.com

Sim Redmond Band's music oozes over your brain like a comforting blanket with its sunny sound and earthy rhythms rooted in reggae, folk, and world music. The warm vocal harmonies and heartfelt lyrics are the extra flavor on top of their hypnotic musical dish. Bubbling bass and drums will put you in a trance while sparkling guitar opens your mind to the peaceful world this band has created. Well established in the NY-PA area, Sim Redmond Band has made recent trips to Colorado, New Mexico and the southeast

...Homegrown Music Network

Hank Roberts

For 43 years improvisational cellist Hank Roberts has been creating new sounds on the cello. His rhythmic, harmonic, emotional, and timbrel approach to the cello distinguishes him as a unique voice on the instrument and in the world of new music. He is."one of the most respected improvising cellists on the international scene.".according to Jazz Express. He's created an extensive body of music as a composer and recording artist, and collaborates with world class artists such as Bill Frisell, Hal Willner, Tim Berne, Andy Summers, Dave King and Ethan Iverson from "The Bad Plus", Donna the Buffalo, Sim Redmond Band, Kevin Kinsella, Wingnut, and Ti Ti Chickapea.

Hank is able to shift through the best elements of European classical music, pop and jazz, and bring them to an approach that sounds new.

...THE NEW YORK TIMES

In the 80's and early 90's he lived near New York City and was active in the music community performing and recording with artists such as The Bill Frisell Band, Tim Berne,John Zorn, Stefan Winter of 'JMT Records' (now 'Winter and Winter'), Mark Feldman, Marilyn Crispell, Mark Dresser, Joey Baron, Marty Ehrlich, Gerry Hemingway, Mark Ribot, DK Dyson, and Jerome Harris. In recent times he's happy to be working again with longtime friends like Tim Berne and Bill Frisell, while also enjoying his active musical life in Ithaca.

One of the most underrated superb artists in the world.

...Thumbs Up Disc

Among other self-released recordings, 'Hank Roberts and Wiggy Dog Boy - The Truth and Reconciliation Show' came out on Ithaca's 'I Town Records' label. He has nine CD releases on the 'Winter and Winter' label, including several with The Arcado String Trio and Miniature. The latest, 'Green', was recorded with touring partners Marc Ducret and Jim Black in June 2007. A June 2008 review of that project:

Those who have been attuned to jazz and improvised music in New York may associate the cellist Hank Roberts with the 1980s. That was when he was making records like 'Black Pastels', an elegant, meditative, original album with flowing melody, a guitarlike approach to his instrument, and singing-as-chanting. That was also when he was playing with the Arcado String Trio, an improvising chamber group with the violinist Mark Feldman and the bassist Mark Dresser. He hasn't toured much since 1989, when he moved up to Ithaca, N.Y., and what he has recorded since hasn't been that easy to come by. So it's good to hear his new record, 'Green' (JMT), made with two frisky accomplices, the guitarist Marc Ducret and the drummer Jim Black. There's a lot of information here; there are a lot of languages at work. But the best moments shut down the distances among folk and rock and classical and a more ancient kind of song, sometimes suggested by the Lenni Lenape Indian tribe, whose songs he has studied and internalized and sings in their proper language. There's a wisdom and patience and catholicity in this record. 'It's all one song,' goes the hip musician's cliché but Mr. Roberts walks that walk.

...Ben Ratliff, Music

Nate Silas Richardson

When he came to Ithaca, Nate Silas Richardson spent time touring and recording with John Brown's Body for over seven years and was integral in shaping the evolving sound of the band. He delved deeply into traditional Mandenka music of West Africa through studies with Malian kora master Mamadou Diabate and guitarist Musa Cissoko. Nate's solo performances became well known in the Ithaca area, leaning toward the sweeter, mellower side of his music. He also recorded with Sim Redmond Band, worked with 10ft Ganja Plant, and Crow Greenspun and found time to produce several episodes of Crossing Borders in 2005/2006, for which he presented several African artists and introduced the debut of Black Castle.

Since then, Nate has officially joined forces with the Sim Redmond Band and toured Japan. He appeared on "Each New Day" (2006), "LIVE at Grassroots" (2007), and the recent "Room in These Skies" (2008). He also released a collaborative CD titled Malang Jobateh and Nate Silas Richardson "BADEMA" (2007).

Nate has taken the helm as Head Engineer at REP Studio here in Ithaca (repstudio.com), where he has produced several independent solo artists including Alesa Shawn from South Carolina, the Basabakwinshi Choir from Rwanda, and Miriam Aziz from Hyères, France (who appeared on Crossing Borders in fall of 2007 for a pre-release of her European debut Cd). Nate also mixed the second release for Thousands of One, titled "Soulforce" (2008).

He appears on the soon to be released new Water Bear CD "Live at the Congo" (forthcoming 2009), Samite Mulundo's soundtrack to the film "Taking Root: the Vision of Wangari Maathai" (2008), Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad's debut release "Slow Down" (2006), Dufus "King Astronaut" (2007), and Five2 "Sweet End" (2006). He edited and mixed audio for the feature film "INVISIBLE INK" by filmmaker Christopher Julian (2007), and is now the proud papa of a second baby boy, Ansel Richardson.