Gypsy Tears Crying Again

The planets have aligned and Heartwood is proud to present a spontaneous evening of terrific gypsy jazz with a blend of virtuoso players from near and far. Gypsy Tears couldn’t let this rare opportunity to play together go by, and any lover of music shouldn’t either.

The Gypsy Tears feature:

Accordion virtuoso Michael Ward-Bergeman, a collaborator with Yo Yo Ma,  who led the terrific New Orleans brass band Jackson Square All Stars in their sell out shows at Heartwood in March.

Guitarist Jason Shooster fell in love with Django Reinhardt at an early age. Currently a resident of Thailand, Jason has toured the world with the likes of Jimmy Rosenberg.

Violinist Jacob Lawson is a respected Nashville producer whose chops are guided by a keen ear and arranger’s sensibility. He’s been camped out in Gainesville for a couple of years but is likely to move on soon. If you haven’t heard him, this may be one of the last opportunities.

Guitarist Howard Wapner is one of Gainesville’s best known jazz musicians, and the glue that holds this band together.

Geoff “Fitz” Perry is a versatile violin virtuoso.  In his hometown of Buffalo, NY, he was a member of the critically acclaimed bands Babik and Gamalon. He is the creator of the Fiddle Jam Method, author of the Hal-Leonard book “Fiddle Jam,” and the creator of the online school for improvisation, The Fiddle Jam Institute. We are fortunate that he now calls Gainesville home.

Bassist Erik Alvar took a break from touring full time out of Nashville, TN to teach jazz and complete a masters in classical bass at UF. He has performed in 46 states and worked with everyone from bluegrass legends to Broadway musicals.

We also expect a surprise guest or two.