Concert: "Simple Pieces in Difficult Times"

Töbi Tobler, a veteran of the Swiss alternative folk music scene, has been performing for some time now with bassist Patrick Sommer. Now, with Reto Suhner, another like-minded partner has joined the group. Suhner comes from a jazz background and is at home in improvisation. As a trio, , they are redefining free folk music. On their new CD, it becomes exciting world music. Tobler’s hammered dulcimer remains the dominant instrument. Most of the compositions are his. Pieces in the rhythms of waltzes, schottisches, and polkas, paired with many creative excursions. This transforms the pieces into jewels. They sparkle like crystals in a clear mountain lake. Summer’s bass instruments—the Moroccan gimbri, the (plucked and bowed) double bass, the bass guitar, and the tuba provide them with a foundation of warm sounds.

"Simple Music for Difficult Times" is the title. It’s no empty promise: The new CD exudes warmth, confidence, cheerfulness, and hope; it celebrates, in a complex way the lightness of being. Deeply rooted sounds, ranging from lively to jazzy, that make us dream, dance, smile, and marvel. Music that sometimes turns a turn a blind eye, evoking the past with a touch of irony. Unmistakably are the echoes of the Appenzell region. One track is called "Efach," another "En alte Suchog." They are waltzes, blues, and polkas; they spin endlessly, constantly reinventing themselves , nothing can touch them. Exactly what we need in uncertain times.

Reservation required.