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Folkadelphia Presents: The Black Swans with Meg Baird and Glenn Jones

Presented by Folkadelphia at Studio 34

September 2, 2012

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“The arrangements that frame DeCicca's hypnotic incantations are steeped in gothic Americana, teeming with lonesome, reverb-laden guitar lines, back-porch banjo, and drunk-on-communion-wine organ.” – Jim Allen (Prefix Magazine)

Folkadelphia is proud to present Ohio’s The Black Swans, fresh off releasing their fifth full-length record Occasion for Song, an extremely affecting collection of songs that navigate the waters of grief, loss, acceptance, and recovery after the death of founding member Noel Sayre.

Also performing are Meg Baird, Philadelphia’s siren and the mesmerizing voice of the Espers, and Glenn Jones, founder of the progressive Cul de Sac band formed in the late ‘80s and torchbearer of the adept American fingerstyle guitar playing like John Fahey, Jack Rose, and the Takoma crowd before him.

The Black Swans:
Ohio has long been a breeding ground for strange beauty. Visionary natives include Scott Walker, Jim Jarmusch, Phil Ochs, Devo, Albert Ayler, Stiv Bators, Scatman Crothers.
Born from that state's capital city, The Black Swans drink the same water as their predecessors. Led by singer/songwriter and guitarist, Jerry DeCicca, the music skirts the cliches of roots music, remaining sincere, smart, soulful, weird and deep.
The Black Swans’ Occasion for Song, their 5th full-length, is a messy long-haul of emotions dealing with the death of founding member and violinist Noel Sayre, and the aftermath of memory, shock, and loss it created. It recalls lessons learned in 9th grade Health class — DABDA (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance). Without a textbook, however, The Black Swans are not so orderly. The guitars and banjo and vocals and drums and bass sound out dark thoughts, sad thoughts, silly thoughts, angry thoughts, and buckets of depression almost all at once. This is an album about loss, death, and trying to get to the acceptance at the end of grief.

Meg Baird:
A founding member and lead female vocalist of the Philly freak-folk group the Espers, Meg has ventured out successfully as a solo artist, releasing two full lengths, 2007’s Dear Companion and 2011’s Seasons on Earth, both on Drag City Records. With Seasons on Earth, Baird has truly come into her own as a masterful songwriter, crafting delicate and intricate pieces that continue to reward with each subsequent listen. It is no exaggeration to say that Baird is truly one of the greats of our time.

Glenn Jones:
A 30+-year devotee of the so-called American Primitive school of acoustic steel string guitarists, Glenn Jones has been playing guitar since the age of 14. He formed Boston psych-rock band, Cul de Sac, in 1989 and led it on its 20 year journey to nowhere, leaving nine albums in its wake, including collaborations with guitarist John Fahey and Can's Damo Suzuki. In 2011, Jones released The Wanting via Thrill Jockey Records, a collection of original compositions for solo acoustic steel string guitar, six-string, 10-string and bottleneck, and 5-string open-back banjo.

Folkadelphia:
The folk music organization and weekly XPN2 radio show created by Fred Knittel. Through Folkadelphia, Fred hopes to introduce people to exciting new musicians and, with luck, change the way they perceive modern folk music. Folkadelphia radio is broadcast on XPN2 on WXPN Sundays from 3-5 PM and Tuesdays 6-8 PM. Recent in-studio performers include Arborea, Kath Bloom, Poor Moon, Spirit Family Reunion, and Sea of Bees.