Join us for a fantastic night of folk and jazz from artists Ben Traverse, The Dangling Participles, and Whorled!
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Ben Traverse is a traditional folk singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, audio engineer, and member of the Earthwork Music Collective with deep roots in Michigan.
Despite not coming from a musical family, Traverse has been drawn to live music since he held his first guitar at 2 years old – a gift from his grandfather. Ben’s real musical journey truly began nearly a decade go with a collaborative after-school program presented by Earthwork Music and SEEDS celebrating Alan Lomax’s 1938 folksong recordings of Michigan.
After graduating high school and moving to Grand Rapids, Traverse quickly became heavily involved working behind the scenes with many West Michigan acts. If you frequent local concerts, you’ve probably seen Ben slinging merch!
Since then, Traverse has spent the better part of a decade cutting his teeth playing listening rooms, festivals, and bars. He’s found his passion steeping himself in the rich history of traditional folk music and using folk music as a vehicle for community, collaboration, education, and environmental and social activism.
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The Dangling Participles are a Lansing-based band with a diverse song set ranging from folk and Americana to Latin jazz and blues. The band’s soulful vocals—shared by Tamiko Rothhorn and Austin Kaufmann—give the group its signature sound, rich in harmonies. Austin anchors the group on guitar and harmonica, with Tamiko adding cornet and ukulele. Tim Patterson fills out the low end on his upright bass and adds backing vocals. Dan Moreno rounds out the rhythm section on drums.
The Dangling Participles have been performing genre-hopping originals and covers throughout mid-Michigan since 2015. Founded by three Michigan State University English language instructors (hence the band name’s grammatical flair), The Dangling Participles bring together their love of harmonizing, songwriting, and arranging to create a lively on-stage experience.
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A unique World Fusion band from day one, the trio of Whorled has been playing as if they’d been together their entire musical careers. Their fresh blend of re-imagined Celtic, bluegrass, French Café, and jazz influences have won over the hearts of music lovers from all walks of life.