Dave Kobrenski & Jed Wilson’s collaboration brings together traditional West African and contemporary American styles, creating a vibrant and eclectic musical ecosystem.
Often accompanied by drums, Wilson and Kobrenski create an improvised musical experience that combines Wilson’s virtuoso acoustic piano playing with Kobrenski’s nimble plucking of the 10-stringed West African harp known as ngoni, and the multi-timbred voices of the three-holed Fulani flute. The result is both enchanting and original, inviting listeners on a musical journey that weaves through unexplored territory while remaining grounded in their instruments’ varied traditions.
Upcoming Events:
Friday, May 3, 2019
Wilson/Kobrenski/Bryan Trio
Leura Hill Eastman Performing Arts Center
Bradley Backstage series
Fryeburg, ME
Time: 7:30 pm
Buy Tickets
Thursday, June 27, 2019
Brick Church for the Performing Arts
Lovell, ME
Time: 7:00 pm
Friday, July 26, 2019
St. Lawrence Arts
Performance Arts Hall
Portland, ME
Time: 7:00 pm
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Bowls and Brews / Fundraiser
Lovell, ME
Time: 4:00 pm
About the Musicians
Dave Kobrenski
Dave has traveled extensively in West Africa to study music with master musicians such as Famoudou Konaté, Sayon Camara, Nansady Keita, and other musicians of the region. During this period of almost yearly sojourns to Guinea, he became proficient on the Fula flute, kamale ngoni (10-string harp from Mali), and djembe drum. His ongoing apprenticeship with a master of the Malinké flute tradition, Lanciné Condé, has already spanned a decade, and he continues that apprenticeship with frequent trips back to villages in the Niger River valley, in the heart of West Africa. Dave weaves his accounts of these voyages into entertaining and enriching cultural experiences for his audiences.
Jed Wilson
Jed has been an active performer since his teenage years in Portland, Oregon. He received a bachelor’s degree in jazz performance from the New England Conservatory, where he formed a long-standing musical partnership with jazz vocalist Dominique Eade. The two have toured widely, and in 2006 released a critically acclaimed CD that appeared on many of the year’s top-ten album lists. More recently, Jed has performed extensively with singer/songwriter Heather Masse. The association with Masse has resulted in a host of appearances across North America, including multiple appearances on NPR’s “A Prairie Home Companion.”
Bookings and Info
Use the form below to inquire about bookings for Jed Wilson and Dave Kobrenski.