Of the scores of musicians billed as "versatile," Peter Davis may be most deserving of the accolade. Proficient on an astonishing variety of instruments, including clarinet, alto sax, 5-string & tenor banjo, piano, guitar, mandolin and whistle, Peter boasts an intuitive approach to all manner of traditional folk, blues, vintage pop and jazz forms... He holds a Masters Degree in Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University and taught in Malawi, Africa for 3 years with the U.S. Peace Corps.   Peter performs as part of Jay Ungar and Molly Mason’s band, for their monthly radio program, “Dancing on the Air” and for festivals and other special events. He appears on Jay and Molly’s Cds including “the Lover’s Waltz” and “Relax Your Mind.” and played with them on many productions of “A Prairie Home Companion” in the 1990s.  Peter also leads his own swing and jump blues band called “Lindy Hop Heaven” which is at the forefront of the Northeast’s swing  dance scene. They play many dances, festivals and camps and have released two CD’s: “Lindy Hop Heaven” and “Goin’ to Lindy Land”.  Peter’s other projects include, The Clayfoot Strutters, Reggie's Red Hot Feetwarmers, and the Whippersnappers.   He has helped raise 4 children and lives with his wife in Saratoga Springs, NY.   
             

Paul Rosenberg
Organizer of Traditional Dance and Music Events / Dance Caller

Paul has been leading dances throughout the northeast since 1986.

He is known for his gentle (but energetic) encouraging style, concise teaching and offbeat sense of humor. He presents old time community dances from many traditions, as well as international folk dancing and African-American singing games.

He is equally comfortable leading "'hot shot" dancers as he is at teaching traditional dance to children. He has led dances at major festivals such as the Old Songs Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, New England Folk Festival (NEFFA), Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival, and the Dance Flurry in Saratoga Springs, a festival which he founded and produced for eighteen years. He also organizes a monthly family dance and a weekly acoustic fiddle tune jam session in the Albany area.

George Wilson
Fiddler / Banjoist / Singer / Humorist

George is a multi-instrumental virtuoso and singer whose repertoire encompasses a variety of traditional and folk styles. As a fiddler, he has mastered nearly 400 tunes for dancing and listening-tunes from New England, Quebec, Cape Breton, Scotland, Ireland and Shetland.

Accompanying himself on the 5-string banjo, George performs songs of Uncle Dave Macon of early Grand Ole Opry fame. He also presents the gutsy, bluesy songs and 12-string guitar style of the African-American folk legend Huddie Ledbetter (Leadbelly). George has performed and recorded with the popular Fennig’s All-Star String Band since 1975 and with the Whippersnappers since 1976. He plays at contradances, festivals, and dance and music camps nationwide.

George has two recordings featuring his fiddling-Northern Melodies from 1995 and The Royal Circus; A Menagerie of Northern Fiddle Tunes, released in 2000. Both are upbeat collections of his dynamic fiddling which is strongly influenced by Cape Breton and French Canadian styles.