| Ballad
of America songs and stories of people who
made a country |
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concerts & festivals: “Best
Acoustic Performer” "It’s
the kind of thing that will appeal to just about anybody," Sabatella
says of the songs on Ballad of America Volume 1 (the CD), most
of which date back to the early 1800s. The crowd at the Bamboo
Room reflected that sentiment, as moms, grandmoms, longhairs,
blue collars, and a gaggle of wine-sipping, Virginia Slims-puffing ladies
all clapped along and sang like ornery lumberjacks to lines like "And
we'll range the wild woods over, and once more a-lumbering go!" |
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Be sure to watch the video to see what Matthew Sabatella and the Rambling String Band and Ballad of America are all about. |
| Matthew Sabatella and the Rambling String Band With vocals, guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, bass fiddle, mountain dulcimer, and a wealth of traditional folk songs, Matthew Sabatella and the Rambling String Band bring the story of the United States vividly to life. The journey begins in Colonial America and follows the paths of the pioneers, sailors, lumberjacks, immigrants, ‘49ers, farmers, slaves, soldiers, cowboys, and railroaders who moved the country across the continent and into the 20th century. Each performance is tailored to delight whoever is in attendance: families at festivals, performing arts centers, and museums; adults in concert halls, nightclubs, and coffeehouses; young adults in colleges and high schools; and children at libraries, camps, and elementary schools. The show features well-known folk songs that will strike a familiar chord with most audiences, and will have those who are inclined to do so singing along: Buffalo Gal, Oh Susanna!, Shenandoah, and Down in the Valley. For the dancers there are lively fiddle tunes. But perhaps most striking are the virtually forgotten gems that reveal the experiences, dreams, hardships, and joys of those who came before; people who struggled to build homes and lives in a fledgling nation. Live performances are being booked for Matthew Sabatella, both as a solo artist and with the Rambling String Band featuring Jack Stamates (fiddle), Lynn Griffith (banjo and vocals), Chris DeAngelis (bass fiddle and vocals), and Sean Edelson (mandolin). recent
performances: |
| what the media has to say: “Led by Sabatella's
six-string guitar and his molasses baritone, the band's big sound rolls
from Luna's makeshift stage across a room filled with tri-county patrons…
Tonight's crowd is extra large, lining up against the walls and squeezed
three deep between cases of beer and the cafe's ancient black refrigerator.
Along with the band, almost everyone is singing: ‘Heigh, ho, and
away we go; Digging up the gold on the Fran-cis-co!’” “Miraculously,
Hollywood-based folkie Matthew Sabatella has packaged a history lesson
in the guise of a strikingly good album and a nerdaliciously compelling
live show that tell the story of western expansion across the American
heartland through song." "...when he
bangs out chords on his chocolate-brown acoustic guitar and sings deeply
into the mike, his songs begin to soar." “Sabatella
has found a mother lode of nearly forgotten gems, many pre-dating the
age of recorded music. He sings these work songs, laments and travelogues
with a plaintiveness and thorough appreciation of their meanings and
origins, and sets them to lively acoustic arrangements.” "Gold-throated troubadour Matthew Sabatella was
born to make an album like Ballad of America. This low-key,
acoustic opus is more a Folkways Smithsonian-style history lesson than
a random assortment of wispy, coffee shop folk. Casual listeners, watch
out: If you pay attention, you might learn something. Nothing if not
deeply humanist, these songs reveal the sober, hopeful spirit of the
men and women who found fortune, romance, and danger on the open range." “Matthew's
arrangements and deep, rich voice bring these olds songs to life. Ballad
of America is an important and enjoyable way to learn and remember
American History. It gives us a sense of place. That's what folk music
does -- it roots us in tradition. What he's doing is patriotic as much
as anything else. He's giving us a good sense of America." "I really enjoyed the more obscure songs which
brought history and past viewpoints to life.” “Over a Wide and Fruitful Land, the album's subtitle,
rather neatly sums it up. Matthew Sabatella has assembled a credible
song list, dappling America's pioneer landscape with evergreen folklore
balladry. His wide-ranging vocal approaches are sensitive when desired,
dynamic when untethered emotions dictate. The small group arrangements,
at times pared back to a single instrument, are the "just right"
sort of settings. This project works "because of", not "in
spite of", campfire minimalism. Matthew Sabatella surprises in
the most delightful ways. And this is only Volume One. Can't wait for
the next leg of the trail.” "Matthew Sabatella's
Ballad of America has been a wonderful audio accompaniment to the artworks
reflecting the American experience in Miami Art Museum's presentation
of the exhibit American Tableaux: Many Voices, Many Stories. The selections
fill a void in the historical/musical education of young people today.
Culturally significant and often rare, Matthew's appealing renditions
help preserve traditional folk songs while entertaining listeners of
all ages with his knowledge and talent." "It's a connection
to your past, to your history. People who don't know history don't have
any sense of perspective in their lives. History is a way of knowing
yourself, who you are. These songs are a window – one of many." |