A dulcimer wizard and a pure-voiced poet are the heart and soul of Jubilant Bridge, a harmony-driven acoustic duo with a sparkling sound that is fresh and innovative. Intricate arrangements, harmonies “so tight, they pulse” (Mary Cliff—WAMU-FM), and a sense of fun are the hallmarks of every Jubilant Bridge performance, which range from critically-acclaimed originals and contemporary songs to finger-dancing instrumentals and unexpected covers. They come from a rich aural tradition but surprise audiences with counter melodies, changing time signatures, and well-chosen dissonance. The instruments go beyond simple accompaniment; the arrangements and the songs themselves are meshed. They use the vocabulary, but step outside of the conventions, of folk, rock, and pop---not simply stitching together genres, but folding the seams under. Every song becomes their own.
Mountain dulcimer wizard and vocalist Willie Jaeger takes what is often thought of as a “simple” folk instrument and discovers its complexity. His unique style of playing, and his popularity as a teacher at the renowned Swallow Hill School of Music, inspired Westword, Denver’s alternative weekly, to vote him Denver’s “Best Local Folkie.” He was a finalist in the national mountain dulcimer championship at Winfield, Kansas, and in 2009 he won a gold medal for “Best Original Instrumental Composition” at the National Veteran’s Creative Arts Festival. An engaging singer, he also plays hammered dulcimer and guitar, and composes instrumentals and the occasional song.
Vocalist and guitarist Carol Van Alstine provides Jubilant Bridge with most of its distinctive original songs. She comes to songwriting by way of poetry. Often inspired by dreams, her emotionally wise songs depict states of mind and heart and the conflicts between them, and several songs have won Honorable Mentions in the Billboard World Song Contest, an international songwriting competition. Her voice has been described as “striking,” “ethereal,” and “far purer than Michael Jackson’s fondness for gloves.” “How did such a big voice come out of such a small person?” audiences frequently ask. Her musical experiences range from performing at the bottom of the Grand Canyon to singing soprano in Renaissance choirs.
Jaeger and Van Alstine have five recordings: “Crazy Like The Wind;” “Another Run At the Mountain;” “Under Shattered Skies,” which Dirty Linen hailed for its “great harmony vocals,” “compelling dulcimer playing,” and “intelligent and thoughtful” lyrics, and Victory Review proclaimed as “a rich aural feast;” “Happenstance;” and the just-released “Power Lines,” recorded at world-class studio Colorado Sound and featuring their compelling original songs as well as their unique take on songs such as Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”
Harmonies so tight, they pulse.
(Mary Cliff, WAMU-FM, Washington, D.C.)
In an ocean of floating-on-the-surface popular music, Jubilant Bridge is a deep sea dive into a magical world of iridescent color, a mysterious coral reef, brilliant with flickering, darting images.... (Nancy Weaver, Wit’s End Productions)
Not to say that, as far as singer/songwriter duos go, Simon and Garfunkel have been outdone, but I think Jubilant Bridge is close. Their songs are characterized by very intimate musicianship coupled with strong emphasis on what exactly the songs are saying. They have created a refreshing brand of music rooted in tradition that goes far beyond the reaches of any normal acoustic duo, but into that of the omnipotent observer of their bittersweet, and sometimes, ironic world.
(Chris Galis, Scene)
Gorgeous. Jubilant Bridge is well worth crossing. (Michael Roberts, Westword)
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