Donna Hébert & Max Cohen

“A fabulous concert! It was so great to have you both here. You and Max truly make beautiful music together – a very rich and sweet collaboration.” Robin Russell, Strafford VT Folk Series

“They are really a treat – fabulous musicians with a wonderful way of playing together.” Jay Ungar, Dancing on the Air: WAMC – Albany NY

New “Orange on Blue” CD listening samples | Press release | Tech sheet | Photos | Donna bio | Max bio | Winter 2012 Southern Tour

Contact donna@fiddlingdemystified.com – 413-658-4276

AUDIO: Circular Reel / Dad’s Reel- first tune by Daniel Boucher, second Beaudoin family version of “Reel des eboulements.” Donna Hébert/Pascal Gemme fiddles, Max Cohen guitar, Pascal Gemme feet, from Donna’s 2009 “In Full Bloom” CD.

VIDEO: “Dad’s Reel/Circular Reel” (11/19/10, Fiddle Summit, Shepherdstown WV):

VIDEO: Raven’s Wing (11/19/10, Fiddle Summit, Shepherdstown WV):

AUDIO: Hector the Hero - Max Cohen solo –  traditional Scots air by J. Scott Skinner, from Max’s “In the Wood” CD.

VIDEO: Da Slockit Light  by  Tom Anderson  -11/19/10, Fiddle Summit, Shepherdstown WV:

PRESS RELEASE . . .

Donna Hébert’s fierce fiddle rhythms and Max Cohen’s impeccable groove guitar link to create an orchestra of sound from a simple fiddle-guitar duet. Said Irish fiddler and Gaelic Roots concert series director Seamus Connolly at their recent Boston College concert:

“Donna is a gem – one of the best. And the ‘Raven’s Wing’ she and Max have written is a brilliant tune!”

Concerts draw from Donna’s 40 years of French-Canadian and Celtic fiddling with seminal folk bands. Her original tunes and songs are shared with Max’s effervescent guitar solos and original songs. Demonstrating their amazing musical chemistry, their joint composition, Raven’s Wing, (written in memory of Donna’s father), has become an audience favorite – a perfect example of the magic they create together!

Performing as a duo, Donna and Max expand into a Celtic music trio, Mist Covered Mountains, adding Donna’s daughter, singer Molly Hebert-Wilson. Donna teaches fiddle at Amherst and Smith Colleges. Molly, Max and Donna also teach The Great Groove Band of young musicians at Old Songs and Philadelphia Folk Festival every summer.

Max and Donna’s new “Orange on Blue/Orange sur bleu” instrumental CD is available at Christmas 2011. Donna’s “In Full Bloom” CD features Max on guitar and co-producing. Featuring Raven’s Wing, with 10 other tracks of French-Canadian music with Pascal Gemme, André Brunet, Rachel Aucoin, Sabin Jacques. Max’s “In the Wood” guitar CD is also available, like the others, for online download and mail order.

Upcoming 2011-2012 dates:

Oct 15 - Lanaudiere, Quebec – Le Crapo concert
Dec 2 - NYC Barn Dance – Manhattan
Dec 3 - Branford CT Folk Music Society concert – with Mist Covered Mountains
Jan 13 – Brasstown NC/ John C Campbell Folk School – concert
Jan 14 – River Falls NC Contradance
Jan 15 – River Falls NC Contradance
Jan 17 – Winston Salem NC Fiddle & Bow Contradance
Jan 18 – Charlotte NC Harvest Moon Contradance
Jan 19 – Asheville NC Old Farmers’ Ball Contradance
Jan 20 – Atlanta – Chattahoochee CD – Contradance
Jan 21 -Atlanta – Chattahoochee CD – Fiddle/Guitar workshop
Jan 21 – Atlanta – House concert with Donna & Max
Jan 22 – Chattanooga Folk School workshop, concert
Jan 23 – Knoxville Contradance
Jan 24 - Johnson City TN – Acoustic Coffeehouse
Jan 27 – Glen Echo MD Friday Night Contradance
Jan 28 – Leonardtown, MD – Winter Celtic Music Festival with Mist Covered Mountains
Jan 29 – Glen Echo MD WAFMS Contradance
Jan 31 - Baltimore – Fiddle & Guitar workshop
Feb 1 – Baltimore – Contradance
Feb 2 – Philadelphia Contradance
Feb 4 – Philadelphia fiddle/guitar workshop
Feb 4 – Philadelphia house concert with Mist Covered Mountains
Feb 16 - Concord MA – Scout House dance with Stuart Kenney, bass
Mar 3 – Northampton MA – Smith College concert with Mist Covered Mountains
Mar 31 – Cumberland RI – Blackstone River Theatre with Mist Covered Mountains, Jane Rothfield, Allan Carr
Apr 1 – New Haven CT house concert with Mist Covered Mountains, Jane Rothfield, Allan Carr
June 22-24 - Old Songs Festival – Great Groove Band, with Groovemama
Aug 2 – Toronto, Ontario, Harbourfront Concert Series, with Mist Covered Mountains
Aug 5 – Summerfolk Series, Owen Sound, Ontario, with Mist Covered Mountains
Aug 5-13 – Goderich Ontario – Celtic College, Celtic Festival, with Mist Covered Mountains
Aug 19-21 – Philadelphia Folk Festival, Great Groove Band, with Groovemama

about Donna Hébert . . .

Recognized by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick for “outstanding artistic achievement” at the 2009 Commonwealth Awards, Donna Hébert was a 2008 Massachusetts Artists’ Fellow in the Folk Arts for fiddling. A pioneer in the Boston contradance revival, Donna founded seminal dance band Yankee Ingenuity in the 1970s and produced the Monday Scout House contradance until 1985. Winning an INDIE Award for ‘Best String Band’ for her Flying Fish recording with edgy all-women’s group Rude Girls in the 1980s, in the ’90s Donna formed Franco-American heritage group Chanterelle with iconic Franco singer Josée Vachon, recording tracks with them for a Smithsonian- Folkways anthology, “Mademoiselle, voulez vous danser?” “Donna’s fiddle speaks fluent français,” says Boston Globe columnist and NPR commentator Scott Alarik.

A fiddle instructor at both Smith and Amherst Colleges, Donna also performs and teaches with dance band Groovemama at festivals in the northeast. She tours and records with guitarist Max Cohen, featured on Donna’s “In Full Bloom” CD of French-Canadian fiddling. Max and Donna are often joined by Donna’s daughter, Molly Hebert-Wilson in a Celtic trio, Mist Covered Mountains.

Says fiddle master Darol Anger in his Foreword to her Fiddling Demystified for Strings Vol. I, “Donna gets it all right!”

RECORDINGS:

• 2009 – Donna Hébert: In Full Bloom/en pleine floraison book & CD- available in store
• 2008 – Fiddling Demystified book / Fiddlejam CDs – available in store
• 2008 – Beaudoin Legacy
• 1999 – Donna Hébert: Big Boned Beauty – available in store
• 1999 – Mademoiselle voulez vous danser? (Smithsonian/Folkways)
• 1996 – Chanterelle: Soirée chez nous – available in store
• 1994 – Chanterelle: French in America
• 1987 – Rude Girls: Rude Awakening (1988 Indie Award, Best String Band
• 1977 – Gerry Robichaud: Maritime Dance Party
• 1977 – Yankee Ingenuity: Kitchen Junket.
• 
  

about Max Cohen

Max Cohen’s natural humility hides a huge talent. A virtuoso fingerstyle guitarist, his original melodies shine with elegant simplicity and his spacious arrangements leave room for the listener. Dar Williams calls him “an endearing and inspiring performer. I love Max!” A natural teacher and the ultimate accompanist, Max finds himself an essential member of  several groups with fiddler Donna Hébert, singer Priscilla Herdman and more. Influenced by guitar icons like Michael Hedges, Pat Metheny, Alex DeGrassi and Pierre Bensusan as well as the hot traditional musicians he plays with, Max fuses fingerstyle artistry with solid groove.

A guitar teacher and mic technician based in Massachusetts, Max joins Groovemama at Old Songs and Philadelphia Folk Festivals to coach youth performances with the Great Groove Band. Max also teaches every summer at Old Songs Fiddle & Strings Camps in upstate NY. A songwriter with Kerrville honors, Max co-writes with Richard Berman. He composes instrumental music with Donna Hébert. His new guitar CD “In the Wood,” was released in Spring 2010.

A studio musician, producer and digital editor, Max has worked in rock, children’s music, country, traditional folk and singer-songwriter genres. In the past two years, he’s helped produce CDs for Richard Berman, Katherine First, Donna Hébert and his own Renaissance Faire band, the Misfits of Avalon.

RECORDINGS:

2011: Orange on Blue/orange sur bleu – with Donna Hébert, instrumental
2010: In the Wood – instrumental
Saltwater Color – 2007, 1993 – instrumental

GUEST PERFORMANCES: Dar Williams: Honesty Room; Richard Berman: Love, Work & Play, Holding Hands, Now and Then; Katherine First: Sweet Spot; Coyote Sisters; Donna Hébert: In Full Bloom, Mrs. McLeod’s Reel, Fiddlejam

PHOTO

Donna and Max – JPG – 1 MB – 587x 640 pixels credit: Liz Marcotte photo