(Boston, MA-October 5, 2021) More than 50 years ago, Bill Staines, Mason Daring & Jeanie Stahl, Billy Novick & Guy Van Duser, and Stuart Shulman were up-and-coming artists playing clubs across New England and beyond. They have all gone on to achieve success. Now, the Passim All-Stars are returning to one of the spots where it all began, Club Passim Sunday, November 21st at 7:00 pm. Tickets are available online now at www.passim.org.
“The Passim All-Stars is a show with roots at the club from the mid-70s. Each individual performer was a regular at Passim and were there so much that they coined themselves the ‘Passim All-Stars’ with a wink towards Bob Donlin, who ran the club back then,” said Matt Smith, Managing Director of Club Passim. “They perform songs solo, duo and as an ensemble to make something magical and different from any of their individual concerts”
A New England native, Bill Staines became involved in the Boston-Cambridge folk scene in the early 1960s and, for a time, emceed the Sunday hootenanny at Club 47. Staines has been the quintessential folk troubadour, singing his songs at the country’s top festivals, concerts, clubs and coffeehouses. Playing 200+ dates a year and driving over 65,000 miles annually, his music is a slice of Americana, filled with cowboys, Yukon adventures, fishermen and everyday working people.
In the 70’s the Boston Globe dubbed noted film and TV composer Mason Daring and premier vocalist Jeannie Stahl “darlings of the folk scene.” Becoming a fixture at Passim, they recorded two albums together and garnered national attention with Mason’s original song, Marblehead Morning, Mason went on to become an award winning composer and Jeanie continued performing as a featured vocalist on videos for Masterpiece Theater, for films and as a solo recording artist. Their new album, 40, celebrates 40-years of musical collaboration and reflects a broad range of styles, from classic songs of the 30’s and 40’s to contemporary folk and country and original tunes.
Together as a duo for more than forty years, Guy Van Duser and Billy Novick have performed in concerts, clubs and festivals all over North America and Europe. They have been frequent guests of the Prairie Home Companion show, NPR’s All Things Considered, and heard on one of the numerous film and television soundtracks they have been featured on. Their music is based around Guy’s innovative finger-style guitar wizardry, and his uncanny ability to play bass lines, chords and melodies all at the same time. With his vast knowledge of the classic jazz era, his dazzling improvising skills, and his entertaining vocals, Novick is able to both add a melodic and dynamic spark to Guy’s guitar. Deeply rooted in the rich legacy of the classic jazz age, the duo can play any piece from their huge repertoire- an obscure Ellington tune, a Gershwin classic, a complex Jelly Roll Morton arrangement, or perhaps one of their originals- and immediately have it sound their own.
An incredibly talented musician, Stuart Schulman is equally at ease playing classical, pop, show tunes and, his favorite, the jazz violin. He attended MIT in the late 60s and became a part of the Cambridge music scene, playing with his friend Bill Staines and other well-known performers such as Tom Rush. Jonathan Edwards, and Kate and Anna McGariggle from Canada In addition to many live performances, Schulman recorded movie soundtracks. He now lives in Groton and continues to play the violin whenever possible.
Tickets for the Passim All-Stars performing live at Club Passim on November 21st are on sale now at www.passim.org or at the Club Passim box office sixty minutes before the show begins. Passim is located at 47 Palmer St in Harvard Square.. Tickets cost $30 ($28 for members). The show will also be livestreamed on Passim’s Facebook and YouTube pages, as well as www.passim.org/streams. The live stream is free to watch, although there is a suggested donation of $15. All proceeds raised will be shared between Passim and the artist.
Passim will require all staff, performers, and patrons to show proof of COVID-19 vaccine when they work, attend performances, classes, and workshops at Passim. Patrons will be asked to show their vaccination card or a photo of their vaccination card when they enter the club. Masks are also required inside the venue.
About Passim
The mission of Passim is to provide truly exceptional and interactive live musical experiences for both performers and audiences, to nurture artists at all stages of their career, and to build a vibrant music community. Passim does so through their legendary listening venue, music school, artist grants and outreach programs. As a nonprofit since 1994, Passim carries on the heritage of its predecessors-the historic Club 47 (1958-1968) and for-profit Passim (1969-1994). We cultivate a diverse mix of musical traditions, where the emphasis is on the relationship between performers and audience and teachers and students. Located in Harvard Square, Passim serves Cambridge and the broader region by featuring local, national and international artists. Our ultimate goal is to help the performance arts flourish and thereby enrich the lives of members of our community. For a complete schedule, visit www.passim.org.
###
