The Folklorkestra – A Strange Day in June (2024)
The Folklorkestra, led by multi-instrumentalist and composer John Kruth, is a remarkable and multiflavored ensemble based in New York City. The Folklorkestra includes six former members of the recently disbanded world music act TriBeCaStan and features some of the city’s top jazz, western classical and world music veterans. Indeed, the ensemble includes musicians who have collaborated with Ornette Coleman, Patti Smith, John McLaughlin, Santana, and Eddie Harris. Notably, both John Kruth and Premik Russell Tubbs studied composition under Ornette Coleman.
In terms of musical influences, The Folklorkestra’s new album, A Strange Day in June, combines Balkan, Middle Eastern, Indian, Latin American, and African musical elements intertwined with Americana, jazz and chamber music with assertive, joyful and scintillating effect.
Recent live performances have taken place at prestigious venues such as the Rubin Museum of Art, Joe’s Pub, Le Poisson Rouge, and the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, as well as various locations across the United States and Europe.
John Kruth’s compositions tend to combine folk music from around the world with American blues, jazz, and chamber music. Decidedly, the ensemble pays tribute to the late jazz trumpeter Don Cherry with West African-influenced numbers featuring instruments like the hulusi, a Chinese flute.
A Strange Day in June was made possible by a grant from Chamber Music America and the Howard Gilman Foundation.
The Folklorkestra includes: John Kruth on mandolin, mandocello, banjo, 12-string guitar, harmonica, flute, sitar, bird whistles, zither, topsur (2-string Mongolian guitar), and Irish whistle; Premik Russell Tubbs on clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, alto and bass flute, lap steel guitar; Kathy Halvorson on oboe, English horn; Kenny Margolis on accordion, electric piano, organ, electric harpsichord, clavinet; Ray Peterson on bass; and Rohan Khemani on tabla, dumbek, assorted percussion.
Special guests: Gaia Murasecco vocals on “The Girl I Never Knew”; Gideon Freudmann on cello; Boris Kinberg on congas, timbales, maracas, rubboard, triangle; Ömer Doğramacı on Turkish kanun; Deirdre Áine Eilís Morgan on Jew’s harp; Sam Margolis on trombone; and 戴秦 (Dai Qin) voice on “Ancestor Dancer.”
Buy A Strange Day in June at Bandcamp.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.