About Le Bon Vent

Le Bon Vent, the good wind, is a celebration of the music of France and the lands touched by French culture. When this wind blows, a song in Medieval French dialect might mingle with a New England dance tune, a rootsy Mazurka from the Limousin region may be accompanied by instruments from North Africa and the Middle East, or a set of pieces from the Court of Louis the XIV could find their way into a jazzy Parisian Waltz. With an ear for improvisation and experimentation, the music of Le Bon Vent is both traditional and contemporary, described by Radio Espace Musique of Montreal as "a fresh spring breeze that pleasantly ruffles our feathers." The members of the group, all celebrated musicians in folk, classical, and jazz idioms, come from across the United States to bring their collective breath to this ensemble.

Formed in 2003 by acclaimed Vermont accordionist Jeremiah McLane, Le Bon Vent has received grants from the Vermont Arts Council and has presented concerts at The Flynn Space in Burlington, Vermont, The Intercultural Institute of Boston, The Blackstone River Theater in Rhode Island, and featured at the Maison de la Culture in Montreal, Quebec, a concert broadcast live across Canada on Canadian Public Radio. Le Bon Vent is a member of the performing arts collaborative New England Music & Stage Co. Ltd.

"The initial inspiration for Le Bon Vent came from French author Jean Giono's novel Regain" says ensemble director Jeremiah McLane. "The protagonist, Panturle, struggles to survive in a tiny village in the south of France. One by one the few remaining residents die or leave to live in other towns, until finally he is left completely alone. I imagined him asleep, dreaming of the village of his youth: musicians playing the town square, villagers gathering around, dancing, singing and laughing. Upon waking he hears only the wind in the trees and an owl hooting in the distance. Eventually Panturle finds a wife and together they raise a family, bringing life back to the village. Le Bon Vent hopes to capture the sense of loss and renewal that is at the heart of Giono's novel by presenting music that is both foreign and familiar, music we've lost yet can still regain."

Bios

Jeremiah McLane -accordion, piano

Le Bon Vent's musical director, Jeremiah McLane, has toured the U.S. and Europe at such venues as the Philadelphia Folk Festival, London's Royal Festival Hall, Le Carrefour Mondiale de l'Accordeon (Quebec), The Picolo Spoleto Festival, St. Chartiers Festival (France), The Sidmouth Folk Festival (England), and Memoires & Racines Festival in Quebec. He has composed music for theater and film, including Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind, and released four CDs, including Smile When You're Ready (1996), nominated by National Public Radio as a 'favorite pick of the year.' His CD, Hummingbird, with Ruthie Dornfeld, won the French Magazine TradMag's Bravo! award in 2002. He lives in Sharon, Vermont and also performs with Nightingale and The Clayfoot Strutters.

Cristi Catt -vocals

Cristi Catt of Cambridge, Massachusetts, has performed in concerts and theatrical productions internationally, including appearances at Tanglewood, Holland Festival, Flanders Festival, and the Bergen Festival in Norway. A Los Angeles Times reviewer praised her "stunning solo excursions . . . as radiant and exciting as any singing I've heard all season." She has recorded on the Telarc label with Tapestry, and has also appeared with leading early music ensembles such as Ensemble PAN, La Donna Musicale, and the Boston Camerata. Cristi teaches at the Longy School of Music.

Ruthie Dornfeld -violin

Ruthie Dornfeld has performed traditional fiddle styles throughout the United States, Europe, Russia, and Brazil at folk festivals, clubs, cafes, and weddings. She has also been a guest teacher at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland and at the Carl Nielsen Academy of Odense, Denmark. She lives in Seattle, Washington, where she performs with guitarist John Miller and in the French cabaret group Rouge.

James Falzone -clarinet, tin whistle

Chicago based clarinetist and composer James Falzone's diverse career, which includes a graduate degree from New England Conservatory's innovative Contemporary Improvisation Department, exists at the intersection of a multitude of musical styles and traditions. His current projects include his own ensembles Allos Musica and Klang as well as performances with Le Bon Vent and Dutch saxophonist Jorrit Dijkstra's Flatlands Collective. James’ 2007 recording, The Sign and the Thing Signified, was highly regarded by critics around the world and included in New York Public Radio’s top releases of 2007. Also the Resident Composer and Director of Music for Grace Chicago Church since 2002, James’ compositions have been performed by US orchestras and chamber music ensembles. His Beri’ah, commissioned by the Tapestry Vocal Ensemble, was premiered at the University of Denver in December of 2007 and his one-act children’s opera based on The Song of Roland will see its premiere in May 2008. James is also a respected educator at North Central College in Chicago and a traveling lecturer and clinician who has presented masterclasses and workshops at institutions across the US, Canada, and Europe. More information about James is available at his website: www.allosmusica.org

Adam Larrabee -guitar, mandolin, mandocello

Adam Larrabee teaches at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts, performs with Enigmatica and Andromeda, and has composed works for The New England Conservatory's Contemporary Music Festival, the Milton Academy Chamber Orchestra, and the Virginia Commonwealth Classical Guitar Ensemble.

Taki Masuko -percussion

Taki Masuko came to Boston from Japan in 1979 after playing percussion in the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra. He is a faculty member at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA, and performs in Balmus, Hourglass, and Sabana Blanca, a musical group specializing in silent film accompaniment.