If you go
Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer’s 24th annual Winter Concert, with special guests Scottish fiddler Bonnie Rideout and Pipe Band
Where: Takoma Park/Silver Spring Performing Arts Center
When: 1 p.m. Dec. 5
Info: $10 in advance, $12 at the door; [email protected]
Tribute to Hank Williams with Bill Kirchen, Robin and Linda Williams, Cathy and Marcy and band
Where: The Birchmere
When: 8 p.m. Dec. 30
Info: $29.50; 703-549-7500; birchmere.com
When Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer met at the Toronto Folk Festival in 1980, they admired each other’s talents, never dreaming that they would form a partnership within the next few years destined to soar for more than a quarter-century. Today the duo is a mainstay in the folk community as performers and teachers of ukulele, banjo, guitar and songwriting. Along the way, they have composed hundreds of songs, recorded extensively, worked as studio musicians, appeared on national TV and radio programs, and produced albums for major artists. They received Grammy Awards in 2004 and 2005, along with numerous Grammy nominations and 50 Washington Area Music Association, or WAMMY, Awards for folk, bluegrass and children’s music.
“Ever since we started performing together, we’ve had a parallel focus on both adults and children,” Fink said. “Marcy and I have a real dedication to making music with families. There’s nothing more fun for families than singing along and laughing together. We love the giggles and looks of awe we get from the kids.”
Fink and Marxer are nothing if not diverse. Their repertoire encompasses contemporary folk, old-time country, swing and jazz. Along with family sings up and down the East Coast, they balance folk festivals worldwide and frequent appearances at local venues with their weekly songwriting classes at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda and ukulele, banjo and guitar classes at the House of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park.
Later this year, their series of instructional materials will be available on computer; for now, their instrument lessons are presented on DVDs with hands-on instruction by a dog puppet character named Ginger who works along with the kids.
Between them, they own and play many vintage and custom guitars, mandolins and ukuleles, even a Bob McCluskie Ukeyola, one of two in the world. Each has a Martin signature model guitar named for her. They are identical except for the cutaway near the neck of Marxer’s instrument.
“Marcy’s the lead player, so she needs to get to all frets in a hurry, while I’m a rhythm player and don’t need the cutaway,” Fink said. “In banjos, my specialty is the clawhammer five-string instrument that’s played down-picking style, while Marcy’s favorite is her cello banjo. It’s modeled on Mike Seeger’s 1918 Gibson cello banjo and has four thick strings. It resembles a tenor banjo that plays bass parts, but it’s tuned like a cello.”
Fink and Marxer start the busy holiday season with their 24th annual Winter Concert, featuring special guest Scottish fiddler Bonnie Rideout and a pipe band at the brand-new Montgomery College Performing Arts Center in Silver Spring. To welcome in the new year, they pay tribute to Hank Williams at the Birchmere with folk artists Bill Kirchen and Robin and Linda Williams backed by a band.
“Hank Williams was the consummate performer and songwriter in country music, and his work is still around after 50 years,” Fink said. “Everyone knows ‘Hey, Good Lookin,’ ‘ but Hank wrote others just as great even though they’re not as well-known today. Except for Stephen Foster, there aren’t many other composers whose work stayed around to be sung and recognized by so many people. Hank’s music represents the gold standard for great country songs, and this show is the coming together of great country performers.”
