a familiar face from SMF26 in 2015

I don't usually research the groups or musicians before my volunteer gigs.

I'd rather form my own opinions by experiencing their music for myself, right?

All I knew going in to the event at the Trustees Theatre was the concert was titled "Island Prayers", so I expected something along the lines of gospel.

That was not correct.

When I saw the name "Turtle Island Quartet", I assumed that these were local fellows who had named themselves for the nearby hammock of land.

As it turned out, they didn't realize that Georgia had a real Turtle Island.

Honestly, I probably wouldn't have known about that place either if not for the Muralcle on Habersham project that I supported on kickstarter years ago.

So, I was incorrect on that score, as well.

However, I'm glad I was there, for what turned out to be upscale bluegrass.

I'm glad that when I saw the volunteer slot open up a few days earlier, that I'd grabbed it.

It had been one of the events I wanted to usher from the beginning of this year's Savannah Music Festival, albeit based on faulty reasoning.

However, the concert had been reserved for the Student Ambassador volunteers.

Fortunately, some of them had to cancel, so... good luck for me!

This was my only bluegrass event this year, and I do like that music, thanks to Pete Derby, one of guys at Okinawa with me.

(smile!)

So, why were they named "Turtle Island"?

It all had to do with a creation myth that David Balakrishnan had taken a fancy to, naming his quartet in 1985 for that life-giving sea creature.

He's a violinist, as well as the only constant in this quartet, by the way.

The others are all fairly new, having joined in 2012 (Benjamin von Gutzeit, on viola), 2018 (Gabe Terracciano, violin), and 2021 (Naseem Alatrash, cello).

 

But, wait a minute... 

what's that middle name?

Gabe Terracciano... sounds familiar.

That's him, violin bow raised.

My goodness, he even looked familiar!

And didn't David just say something about Gabe having been here as part of a workshop, once upon a time?

So I promised myself I'd look him up on my blogsites, on the off chance that I'd written of him...

and I had!

The year was 2015, my first year as an SMF volunteer, and Gabe had been one of the 14 students in the Acoustic Music Seminar headed by bluegrass mandolin guy, Mike Marshall.

The students were all part of the Stringband Spectacular, showing off their original compositions and having one last chance to play with their classmates.

Gabe had been 22 then, and just 25 when he joined the Turtle island Quartet.

How wonderful to have that link with him on my tenth year as volunteer!

Now, I've found a video of him playing a Steely Dan song I love, "Home At Last"...

and he's singing it, too!

I'm going to listen to that again!

(smile!)