Tag Archives: bluegrass

The Blind Owl Band

SARANAC LAKE – For newcomers to the Blind Owl Band – a hard-driving, heavily bearded, original string music quartet that’s caught the ears of music aficionados from across the North Country – there are a few ways to tell the group’s story.

For starters, there’s the bit about how the band – which consists of Eric Munley (mandolin, vocals), Arthur Buezo (guitar, vocals), James Ford (banjo, vocals) and Christian Cardiello (bass) – got its name.

“We were at Paul Smith’s College, and we just finished playing a song, when this bird slammed into a window,” Munley said during a recent interview with the Enterprise. “It was a saw-whet owl. It got up and just stared at us for 45 seconds or so, then it took off. And one of the nicknames for a saw-whet is a ‘blind owl.’”

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The Blind Owl Band — Revolving Door

The Woes

The music of The Woes is a stew of Delta blues and early Country, of bluegrass and New Orleans marching band music, dished out by banjo, harmonica, accordion, French Horn and organ. The five piece hails from New York City.

At the center of their distinctive sound is frontman Osei Essed’s inimitable voice and expert songwriting. The songs are alternately chant-like, rhythmically driving, lyrical, haunting; his voice is sweetly controlled or as frightening as (the early blues preacher) Blind Willie Johnson.

Alongside Essed is his longtime musical collaborator, Cicero Jones, a French Horn player and gospel organist. The two formed The Woes in 2002, inspired by a love of traditional American music. Their idiosyncratic approach to those roots, however, is what defines The Woes sound, which Essed tellingly terms “Post-Apocalyptic traditional music.” The addition of Ronen Ben, an accordionist and blues harpist, completed the frontline, and also allowed Essed and Jones more drink tickets…READ MORE

The Woes on MySpace

The Woes – “Let Me Ride” 4/21/09 Brooklyn, NY Part 1 of 4