MUSIC TOWN

Population 5. Founded 1977

Next Major Gigs:

• Nov 29^th Fri 8:00pm FolkProject Battle of the Bands, with Betsy Rose and the Chicago Fire, WASAG and TBD. At the Minstrel Coffeehouse.
• Aug 30^th Sun 7:00pm “Breast Cancer Benefit Concert” with , Little Toby Walker and Dave Kleiner & Liz Pagan. To join us Contact robin.schaffer@nice.com or (973) 989-4429.
• March 31^st Fri 8:30pm Minstrel Coffeehouse at the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, Morristown NJ.

The story of Music Town is more than a story about banjos, fiddles and three-part harmonies. It’s the story of musical friendships that reach back over 25 years and culminate in an exciting blend of down-home folk tunes, boot-kicking mountain instrumentals, and heart-felt original songs. To spend an evening with Music Town is a chance to share an evening of excitement, love, talent, and … food.

The group met at The Folk Project, a folk music club based in Morristown, New Jersey. They spent years playing together at jam sessions, festivals, parties, and eventually in their own homes, where the band’s lineup became obvious: Ken on guitar and on salads with his beloved wife Judy; Andy “cooking” on the bass and cooking the main dish with his soul chef and wife Barbara; Jeff on banjo and Evelyn on guitar combining their love for each other and their love for baking desserts; and Mark playing fiddle, “fiddling” with his wife and part-time percussionist Robin, and supplying the living room and the drinks.

The music is rocket high, bullet fast, and daisy sweet.

Guitar virtuoso Jeff Loy is a disciple of flat-picking pioneer Doc Watson, but adds many styles and flavors to that genre. Jeff is also a sterling banjo player and the group clown. His quotes, such as “They spend less time tuning, so you get more music,” “They’re not half as bad as they sound,” and “They put the harm in harmony,” would never be included in this promo.

Ken Galipeau is a widely-known singer, songwriter, storyteller and recording artist. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of songs that have been left out of the music encyclopedia, and he is always adding new, crowd-pleasing material to the old chestnuts that Music Town’s audiences love.

Andy Koenig is a world renowned and best-selling author of computer books, and in Music Town he plays bass and does much of Music Town’s vocal arrangements. If you hear a slight twist in the band’s traditional folk and country harmonies, it is probably influenced by Andy’s vast musical experience, from Baroque and Bach, to Grateful Dead jamming, to Sondheim musicals.

At the heart of Music Town is singer and rhythm guitarist Evelyn McNally. Her clear harmonies and loving spirit are at the heart of all the joy and music these friends share and bring to their audiences.

And last, but also least, is Mark Schaffer, a fiddler, guitarist and songwriter. Mark is a lover of folk, country and swing music and his exciting improvisational fiddling touches on all three styles.

Music Town has been channeling their love for music and each other into concert audiences for many years, and audiences have been channeling their appreciation back to the band for an enjoyable and impressive musical experience.

Music Town sightseeing with our spouses during our last world tour.

To Contact Music Town, call Mark Schaffer, 973-989-4429.