WHAT: Helicon’s 38th Winter Solstice Concerts with Helicon, members of Charm City Junction, The Ken & Brad Kolodner Quartet, Scottish National Fiddle Champion Elke Baker, The six-time North American Irish Step dance Champion Jonathon Srour

YOUTUBE: Helicon and Friends at Helicon’s 30th Annual Winter Solstice Concert

Two Shows: 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

WHO: A Baltimore tradition featuring the Baltimore-based trio, Helicon (with Chris Norman, Ken Kolodner, Robin Bullock) with special guests Charm City Junction and The Ken & Brad Kolodner Quartet, Jonathon Srour, and Elke Baker. Internationally renowned traditional folk musicians -Ken Kolodner (hammered dulcimer, fiddle, hammered mbira); Chris Norman (wooden flutes, tin whistle, small pipes, piano); and Robin Bullock (guitar, cittern, mandolin, piano)—play a unique blend of original, seasonal, and traditional music from Ireland, Scotland, Appalachia, Canada, Europe, Africa and the Far East–a great way for families to kick off the holiday season with an extremely energetic and varied performance. Kolodner’s son, Brad Kolodner, will join the fun as a guest on
clawhammer banjo, fiddle, and vocals (a frequent winner/finalist of national banjo contests, former Strathmore Hall Artist in Residence, WAMU and Folk Alley DJ, 2016 International Bluegrass Music Association [IBMA] Momentum Award Winner; Nominated twice for IBMA DJ of The Year; Charm City Junction, The Ken & Brad Kolodner Quartet). Joining Ken and Brad is one of the best-known acoustic roots musicians in the U.S. Rachel Eddy (fiddle, vocals, guitar), and the mid-Atlantic’s go-to bassist, Alex Lacquement (Charm City Junction).

Helicon and Friends celebrate the release of a 77-minute live recording of the 2021 concert: Live with Helicon!

The Ken & Brad Kolodner Quartet celebrates ten years of performing together. Their latest CD, Stony Run, which hit #4 on The Billboard Bluegrass Charts in 2020. The Quartet won 1st place at Neo-Traditional Band Contest in 2019 at Clifftop, the largest festival celebrating Old-Time music in the world. The Kolodners, Alex Lacquement and Charm City Junction are among those driving Baltimore’s vibrant acoustic music scene. Charm City Junction features button accordionist Sean McComisky (son of Irish music legend Billy McComiskey), fiddler Patrick McAvinue (The 2017 International Bluegrass Music Association Fiddler of the Year, Country Currents), Brad Kolodner, and Alex Lacquement. Charm City Junction’s last release Duckpin hit #3 on The Billboard Bluegrass Charts. The electric North American Irish step-dance champion Jonathon Srour is returning once again to light up the stage. Ken Kolodner’s collaborator of 25+ years, Scottish National Fiddle Champion Elke Baker, joins the show once again. Baker and Kolodner released On a Cold Winter’s Day in 2021.

Helicon toured widely throughout North America and Europe for many years. The members ceased touring in 1998 to pursue solo careers. They are internationally recognized as among the finest practitioners of their respective instruments, collectively recording over 75 CDs. Together, the members of Helicon continue to work their magic year after year. The trio has roots in the Baltimore/Washington area: Kolodner was born here and still resides in Baltimore, Norman lived in Baltimore since age 11 and now has returned to his native Nova Scotia; and Bullock now lives in NC but was originally from the DC area.

“…marvelous…delightful…” (The Washington Post)
“…a best bet…” (USA Today)
“…beautiful musicianship.” (The Albuquerque Alibi)
“…Quite wonderful! They respect the music they play, they play with spirit and sparkle, and they obviously love what they do. So do I. So will you.” (Stereo Review)
“All three of these guys rank at or near the very top of their profession. The musicianship is uniformly outstanding” (Dulcimer Player News)
“Virtuosic!” (H & B Recordings Direct)
“…outstanding!” (The New York Times)
“Most impressive!” (Baltimore Messenger)