LAST NIGHT WE SHOWCASED A DUO FROM NYC THAT LITERALLY BLEW THE SOCKS OFF EVERYONE IN THE PLACE! TOTALLY UNEXPECTED! BRAZZ TREE FEATURES MAZZ SWIFT: VOCALS & VIOLIN AND BRAD HAMMONDS 6/12 STRING ACOUSTIC GUITARS. EVERYONE WAS WONDERING WHY SUCH TALENTED, MIND-BLOWING, SUPER CONSCIOUSNESS-RAISING ARTISTS WOULD EVEN BOTHER STOPPING IN A TINY TOWN LIKE CARLISLE, MA., INSTEAD OF GRACING THE STAGE AT CARNEGIE HALL, WHERE THEY BELONG! THE TRUTH IS, I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING. I HEARD THEM, AND I SIMPLY GOT ONLINE AND BEGGED THEM TO COME AND PLAY FOR US. THEY SAID THEY'D BE DELIGHTED. (TO BOOT, THEY'RE THE NICEST PEOPLE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH!)THERE ARE COFFEEHOUSES, AND OTHER PERFORMING VENUES BOTH NEAR TO, AND FAR FROM US, BUT, EVEN THOUGH I LOVE IT, I REFUSED TO HITCH MYSELF TO THE TOTAL FOLK BANDWAGON, BEING THAT I LOVE ALL KINDS OF MUSIC, AND THIS WORLD IS JUST OVERFLOWING WITH UNKNOWN MUSIC GIANTS TRYING TO SCRAMBLE UP THEIR OWN BEANSTALK, JUST TO BE SEEN AND BE HEARD. BRAZZ TREE BILLS THEMSELVES AS A BAND THAT BLENDS TRADITIONAL MUSIC FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE WORLD INTO ONE, NEW SOUND. AND HERE IS WHERE THE WORD `TRADITIONAL' AS IT IS COMMONLY KNOWN, STOPS! BECAUSE, THERE ISN'T A SINGLE THING TRADITIONAL ABOUT THEM. MAZZ' VOICE IS SO POWERFUL AND SO DAMN CONTROLLED (YES, SHE'S THAT GOOD) THAT SHE'LL START RIPPING OUT YOUR SOUL, THEN EVER SO GENTLY PUTTING IT BACK, BEFORE YOU EVEN KNOW WHICH WAY THE WIND IS BLOWING. BRAD, UNDOUBTEDLY HAS THE FASTEST FINGERS IN THE EAST. I HAVE NEVER, EVER SEEN FINGERS FLY UP AND DOWN THE NECK OF A GUITAR, AT THIS SORT OF BREAK-NECK SPEED. IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME FOR THESE TWO. BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, THEY'LL GET TO THE TOP OF THAT BEANSTALK, WITH ALL THE WORLD AT THEIR FEET, AND I FOR ONE WILL BE IN THE CROWD. TO HEAR THEM GIVES YOU GOOSEBUMPS. TO SEE THEM PERFORM LIVE CAN NEARLY MAKE YOU BLEED. NOW, THAT'S PASSION, MY FRIEND. www.brazztree.com


Dian @ Union Hall Coffeehouse
Carlisle, MA