Music brought Jane Rothfield and Linda Schrade and their husbands together about 20 years ago.
Rothsfield plays the fiddle and the banjo, and her husband, Allan Carr, plays guitar and bass. Schrade also plays the guitar, and her husband, Dave Kiphuth, plays the banjo and dobjo, a combination steel guitar with a five-string banjo neck.
Two decades ago, Rothsfield and Carr were living in Scotland. Schrade and Kiphuth made their home in New Hampshire.
But both couples traveled around the U.S. to play their instruments and enjoy traditional music. When their paths crossed, there was an instant connection.
We just liked each other right off, Schrade said.
Both couples coincidentally moved to the Capital District years later. But as much as they may have wanted to revisit those days of playing together, they were busy working and raising their families.
`Circumstances didn’t make it possible,` Rothsfield said.
Circumstances have a way of changing, though. Their kids have grown, and recently, music brought the couples back together. They formed a band, Red Hen, which is going to play at Old Songs in Voorheesville Saturday, Jan. 31, at 8 p.m.
Carr and Rothfield have a thick catalog of original songs. They couldn’t perform the tunes by themselves, though, Rothfield said. Schrade and Kiphuth have proved the perfect complement.
`Our voices blended really, really well,` Rothfield said, noting all four band members sing. `It just really blended beautifully.`
Schrade said another key is that `we have the right instrument mix.`
Beyond that, `We just like each other. We get along well,` she said.
Schrade, who owns Saratoga Beads, grew up in Delmar and took up the guitar when she was 14. She loved to sing and needed an instrument to back herself.
As she got older, Schrade started to attend musical festivals. At one, she met Kiphuth, who had been `totally smitten` with the banjo since the first time he’d heard someone play the instrument.
Soon, the two were smitten with each other. Schrade called music `a really good connecting force.`
She and Kiphuth played together in New Hampshire in a band called First Ticket. Later, after they had their daughter, they moved to Saratoga to be closer to family.
Schrade said Red Hen, whose repertoire includes old time, country and bluegrass music, has `kept that festival feeling.`
That means high-energy shows that are fun for all ages.
`We’ll make you smile,` she said.
Rothfield promised `fabulous harmonies and fabulous instrumentals.` Red Hen’s previous shows have gotten an `incredible response` from audiences, and she’s particularly excited about performing at Old Songs, where she does a lot of work.
`They just put on the best traditional music,` she said.
Rothfield, who co-owns Rothfield-Daniels Media Services, teaches banjo workshops at Old Songs, as well as across the country. She also teaches fiddle classes and performs with Jane’s Gang, a contradance band, and Donna Hebert in Groovemama. In addition, she plays southern style dance music with fellow banjo player Hilarie Burhans and pianist Bernie Nau.
Fellow band members have similar resumes that are heavy on playing and teaching. Kiphuth was part of the 1970s bluegrass band Apple Country, which was hugely popular in New England, and both he and his wife have both taught at banjo camps. Carr is a prolific song writer and performs often with Rothfield.
Jimmy McCown, another banjo and fiddler player who has a long history with the Red Hen members, will join the band at Old Songs.
`You’ll hear old friends playing together,` Schrade said. `It will be a really fun night.`
Old Songs Community Arts Center will host `Music from Kentucky and Beyond,` a concert featuring Red Hen and Jimmy McCown, Saturday, Jan. 31, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children 12 or younger. They can be purchased by calling 765-2815. Old Songs is at 37 S. Main St. in Voorheesville.“
