Lanesboro, Minn. – Lanesboro Arts proudly presents Mediterranean music group, Other Country Ensemble (OCE), at the St. Mane Theatre in downtown Lanesboro on Saturday, March 29th at 7:00 p.m. OCE will take listeners on a sonic journey, traveling from old Spain though France, Italy, Albania, Greece, and landing in Turkey. Tickets are available for purchase now through the Lanesboro Arts website for $25 for General Admission; $22 for Lanesboro Arts Members.
ABOUT OTHER COUNTRY ENSEMBLE:
Other Country Ensemble is a Twin Cities-based group that performs original compositions and traditional music from the northern Mediterranean region. These veteran musicians will tell many historical tales of the music and the wide swath of instruments they perform including oud, bouzouki, mandocello, alto and concert flute, soprano sax, bass and alto clarinet, flamenco guitar and vocals, and various percussion including doumbek and frame drums. Their latest disc Convivencia relishes the medieval era when Muslims, Jews and Christians co-existed in relative peace – highlighting music is the common thread that brings people together.
Steve Clarke is a founding member of OCE and performs on soprano saxophone, flute, alto and bass flute, and bass clarinet. He is a winner of eleven Minnesota Music Awards with three Grammy Nominations including one for work on a Ringo Star recording. He teaches at Groth Music in Bloomington and also is the band leader for the jazz swing band ‘Steve Clarke and the Working Stiffs’. He first started working with Scott in the medieval rock band ‘Felonious Bosch’.
Laurie Knutson performs alto and bass clarinet for OCE. She is a degreed Music Therapist (MT-BC) and recently retired from the Veteran’s Hospital providing music therapy services. She also teaches clarinet and saxophone at Groth Music in Bloomington and is the singer in the ‘Working Stiffs’. She is a member of the ‘One Hit Wonders’ cover band performing on baritone saxophone.
Scott Nieman is a founding member and the band leader of OCE, performing on various ‘things with strings’, primarily Greek bouzouki, Turkish oud and baglama saz, and Italian mandocello. Scott has been researching Sephardic Jewish music for over 25 years and its linkages throughout the Mediterranean and Balkan regions. Scott also owns a sizable but private recording studio, which is where he composes his music. Originally from rural WI, he has performed world music in the Twin Cities metro for over 40 years including ‘Felonious Bosch’, ‘seven thieves’ (early music ensemble), ‘The County Popes’ (Celtic), and also currently performs with ‘Makam Baklava’ (Turkish/ Bulgarian Balkan band).
Michael Zieghan has been with OCE for roughly six years and is a long standing name in Flamenco music in the Twin Cities. He teaches guitar and continues to perform with various flamenco dance troupes on-stage and in the classroom. He is a former president of the MN Guitar Society and one of the earliest MN Renaissance Festival performers.
Mark Black has been with OCE for just over ten years performing on frame drums, dhol, doumbek, and various other hand percussion. Like Michael, Mark was one of the earliest medieval/ early music performers of the MN Renaissance Festival. Mark is also a co-founder of the legendary odd-metered industrial band ‘Savage Aural Hotbed’, which features handmade drums made of found objects ranging from oil barrels to Skil saws! He lives only one block from Scott’s studio which makes for great fun.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
