Charm City Junction

Charm City Junction is a new band combining old-time, Irish, and bluegrass music into their own unique mix featuring Brad Kolodner on clawhammer banjo, Patrick McAvinue on fiddle, Sean McComiskey on button accordion, and Alex Lacquement on stand-up bass. About the Members: Rooted in the traditions of Appalachian folk music, Brad Kolodner represents the next generation of old-time musicians pushing the boundaries of the tradition into uncharted territory. Son of Ken Kolodner, a world-renowned hammered dulcimer player and old-time fiddler, Brad is regarded for his delicate touch, expressive style, and original compositions, Kolodner has rapidly gained national attention for his unique approach to the banjo at just 23 years of age. Clawhammer banjo is experiencing a rebirth in American folk music and Kolodner is helping to lead the charge as a performer, teacher, Strathmore Artist in Resident, radio DJ for WAMU’s Bluegrass Country, jam leader, community builder and ambassador for Appalachian folk music. www.bradkolodner.com Patrick McAvinue, four-time Candidate for International Bluegrass Music Association’s Fiddle Player of the Year, is regarded as one of the most innovative fiddlers in the industry, able to translate the traditions of Bluegrass into a fresh, eclectic, forward-thinking language of his own. Patrick’s CD release, Rutland’s Reel, is described as, “a roller coaster of pure uncut fiddle nirvana” (Joseph Scott, Country Music Pride). A highly in-demand sideman, he has performed and recorded with Bluegrass music icons Bobby Osborne, Del McCoury, Marty Stuart, Paul Williams and J.D. Crowe, to name a few. He and his fiddle have appeared at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Birchmere, The Country Ren-dez vous Festival in Crappone, FR, The U.S. Embassy in Quito, EC, Die Dreikönigskirche in Dresden, DE and The Koppernik Theatre in Prague, CZ. Currently, Patrick tours with the acclaimed Bluegrass super-group Audie Blaylock & Redline and is a featured recording artist for the Patuxent Music record label. When home from the road, he enjoys sharing his passion and love for music with his private students. www.patrickmcavinue.com! Alex Lacquement swears that it was beautiful sirens who lead him to the upright bass at the impressionable age of seventeen. His first music love which lead him to the upright bass was jazz music, something he studied vigorously at Eastman (MM) and James Madison University (BA). Years later he found himself chasing every opportunity to play some happy thumping lines with bluegrass and old-time string bands. Alex also plays with Bumper Jacksons, Brad and Ken Kolodner, Tom Cunningham Orchestra, pick-up groups, and Leah Shaw. Sean McComiskey is among the most innovative young performers on the button accordion, with a unique harmonic style that has earned him a spot in the pantheon of Irish accordionists far beyond his native Baltimore. As the son of legendary button accordion player Billy McComiskey, Sean has been surrounded by Irish Traditional music his entire life and has developed a deep appreciation for the rich tradition of which he is a part. This has helped Sean establish a reputation as a highly regarded teacher and promulgator of Irish music and earned him teaching positions with the Catskills Irish Arts Week, the Augusta Heritage Center’s Irish Arts Week, the Chris Langan Weekend in Toronto, the CCE Musical Arts and Dance Week in Washington, DC, the Baltimore Irish Arts Center, and the Spanish Peaks Celtic Festival. Irish, Old-Time and Bluegrass collide in this Baltimore-based traditionally rooted acoustic quartet.