Meet The Band — GET REEL!
DECK NIEFORTH Deck Nieforth’s grandmother carried a harmonica around in her apron pocket; his father was a carpenter and old-time fiddler from Nova Scotia. Apprenticed in the family construction business since childhood, the now Master Finish Carpenter always loved this music, but he was in his fifties before a local fiddler put him and his harmonica in her band. Soon he had two contra dance bands of his own, playing the hundreds of traditional tunes he’d learned by ear. Deck handcrafts fiddles and wooden musical spoons which you’ll hear during French Connection performances because he plays the spoons and Dan plays a 5-string fiddle that Deck made for him. Deck plays drums, feet, harmonica, and washtub bass in some other bands. |
Howie Bursen plays banjo, guitar, and a bit of piano. He has 3 solo recordings, and several with his wife, Sally Rogers. Howie lives in Connecticut, where he is the winemaker at Sharpe Hill Vineyard. He is the proud father of Maya and Malana. |
Hardy Award for the best acoustic blues recording of 2000 and they've just been nominated for two more W.C. Handy Awards for their 3rd CD, "Goin' Home." Audiences may recognize Martin Grosswendt from the Cajun group Magnolia; at home in folk, blues and country music, he is a master of the guitar, mandolin and banjo and in recent years has added the fiddle. He's also an earthy singer of country blues and old timey songs. Last year, Martin released his first solo recording in 24 years, "Call and Response," at BRT featuring performances of songs from the Golden Age of blues, the late 1920s and '30s. |
Marie Malchodi is a bookbinder who works in the Preservation Department of the Brown University Libraries. She lives in Cranston, RI with her musician husband, Martin Grosswendt, and twin daughters, Lydia and Sophie. |