ARTBEAT SATURDAY, JULY 17th

Music on the Park Stage

Revolutionary Snake Ensemble

Listed as one of the top CDs of the year in New York City, New Orleans and Milan, the RSE’s debut CD “Year of the Snake” been called “killer” and “audacious!” With multiple nominations for best local jazz act by the Boston Phoenix, the RSE is a funk & street beat brass band, playing New Orleans and other modern improvised celebratory music.

Bag Boys

Blending bluegrass and Western swing, the Bag Boys churn out infectious songs that conjure legends like Bob Wills and Bill Monroe. The five-piece band features “Harvey Bag” on stand- up bass, prodigal picker Otis Ray on mandolin, “Sister Gretchen” on banjo, “Becky Bag” on guitar and “Stan Bag” on fiddle. All musicians lend their vocals to the mix.

Mittens

Mittens are a trio from Boston whose music is melodic, enduring and concise. This trio, whose pop extends a nod to Squeeze, Nick Lowe and the Violent Femmes, celebrated the release of their debut CD at a sold-out Middle East show in June. The band is two parts Arizona ex-pats Tom and Andy, who write the numbers, and native Bostonian Nick, keeper of nice beats.

Sarah Borges

Sarah Borges has quickly garnered a reputation for powerhouse country-style crooning and a killer band. The Globe calls her “one of Boston’s best kept secrets” and the Phoenix says she’s “a mixture of tough and tender that’s heartbreaking in every breath.” Parts heartbreak and breakdown, Borges is likely to shake and seduce you.

Furvis

Furvis features musicians who have been playing Boston clubs since they were 16. In June the band released the “Bunny EP,” a collection of jagged, lovely indie rock songs that pay homage to Pavement. Live, the band explodes with big guitars and propulsive drumming—while front man Mike Cummings’ deep, deadpan vocals are punctuated with Beach Boys-styled harmonies. How did these 18-year-old kids get so good so fast?

Jama Jigi

Led by Malian native and master drummer Sidi Mohaned “Joh” Camera, Jama Jigi fuses contemporary arrangements of traditional West African songs and melodies with layers of funk, jazz, blues and reggae. Featuring drums, plenty of percussion, bass, trumpet and saxophone and powerful vocals, this decidedly upbeat, propulsive band is sure to heat things up at this year’s ArtBeat.

The Brett Rosenberg Problem

The Brett Rosenberg Problem plays guitar driven pop with a soulful tinge and lots of hooks. Recalling at once Alex Chilton and the Stones, Rosenberg's songs are pithy tales of romance, budding with personality and spark. Live, his band churns out high-octane Replacements-tinged pop-rock. Allmusic.com calls Rosenberg "one of the most talented and most prolific young songwriters of the early 21st century."

Music on the Elm Street Stage

Fiddle Beat

A celebration of violins and fiddles! Maggie Holtzberg, a folklorist and fiddler is rounding up fiddlers from various genres—classical, bluegrass, Irish —and asking them to showcase their talents. We will ask the various violin players to speak about their respective genres, first learned songs and the versatility of the instrument.

Meg Hutchinson

Somerville-based Meg Hutchinson is a lyric-based acoustic songstress. Her sound and songwriting reflects her music heroes, including Beck, David Gray, Patty Griffin and Beth Orton. She celebrated her latest release, “The Crossing,” this past June at Club Passim; the CD features songs full of ragged charm, layered with Hutchinson’s gritty, timeless voice. Hailing from rural west Massachusetts, Hutchinson has been taking the Boston area by storm since 2002.

Ziaf

This band performs the work of French Chanteuse Edith Piaf and comprises Catherine Capozzi (guitar), Tamora Gooding (drums) and Swiss-native Christine Zufferey along with the addition of Carol Naomkoong on piano. Live, the band captures the energy and beauty of the timeless songs Edith Piaf performed; Zufferey’s ethereal, yet sensual presence makes her the perfect vessel for the Piaf legend–the “songbird of France.” Zufferey’s flawless French and spot on intonation with the energetic reworkings of songs makes for a stunning performance that has charmed old and young alike.

Johhny Come Latelies

The Johnny Come Latelies met while playing in a pub at traditional Irish music session. Once formed, the band soon traded in their acoustic sound for amplification. The JCLs call themselves a jam-band whose music is a mix of folk-rock blended with what the world calls traditional music. Above all, their music is original, high-energy and full of invention. While Irish born lead singer and guitarist Robert Elliot jousts with Nova Scotia fiddle dynamo Damon Leibert, Neal Cadogan (bodhran, percussion & drums) and Drew Smith (fretless bass) keep the beat perfectly.