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Online Lessons
In addition to private lessons and workshops, Jody now offers lessons online.
She has had students from as far away as Russia and Japan!
Contact Jody for more info.
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Jody's Music Receives Award Nomination!
The Just Plain Folks Music Organization has nominated a medley of three of Jody's
original tunes for an award in the Celtic Instrumental Song category! The medley,
"Ragtime Tabby," "Catnip Fling," and "Scattercat Polka," was inspired by the antics of
several of Jody's four-footed friends. Stalking the butterfly, tossing the catnip mouse,
climbing the curtains, attacking the evil paper-bag monster. . . it's all in this musical
homage to felines, which Jody recorded on her "Cottage in the Glen" CD.
DIGITAL DOWNLOADS OF
"CAROL OF THE BELLS" NOW AVAILABLE!
Carol of the Bells is available on Apple iTunes:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=265710606
MP3s are also available at CD Baby:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/jodymarshallmusic
Carol of the Bells
A sparkling collection of Christmas music old and new, featuring hammered dulcimer with Celtic harp, fiddle,
recorders, guitar, piano, and other instruments.
Tracks include Carol of the Bells, Nutcracker "Mini-Suite," Gesù Bambino (The Infant Jesus), It Came Upon
the Midnight Clear, Christmas Day in the Morning, Vivaldi's Winter (2nd Movement), and much more.
Click here for more information about the CD.
Click here to see reviews of "Carol of the Bells."
REVIEWS
Praise for "Carol of the Bells"
Washington Post, Dec. 1, 2006
Count the hammered dulcimer as an instrument seemingly designed for holiday music, whether folk variations on
classical standards by Tchaikovsky (a "Nutcracker" mini-suite) and Vivaldi ("Winter" from the
"Four Seasons," with Marshall's dulcimer in graceful counterpoint to mandobass and mandocello); wassails and
carols from England, Sweden, Ireland and France; or brisk Marshall originals such as "Star of Wonder" and
"Merry Greet the Day," in which Grace Griffith's crystalline vocals set the mood for a Celtic ensemble's sprint through
a trio of traditional melodies. The CD features several lullabies - the lulling "Still, Still, Still" and
"Gesù Bambino," but the charms of this centuries-spanning collection are in the sparkling interplay
between Marshall's hammered dulcimer and piano and various other instruments, notably John Guillory's recorders
and other wind instruments, Andrea Hoag's fiddle and Ellen James's Celtic harp. When these folks swing through
"Sleigh Ride Set" (a Marshall original cleverly paired with Prokofiev's "Troika"), you'll feel the
spray of snow on your face.
-- Richard Harrington
Dirty Linen, Dec. '07 / Jan. '08:
" . . . a generous 57-minute selection of well-played and thoughtfully offered tunes
for the winter season."
Dulcimer Players News, Fall 2007 (Vol. 33, No.4):
" . . . outstanding dulcimer playing . . . a terrific collection of holiday cheer . . . "
Dulcimer Players News website:
http://www.dpnews.com
Christmasreviews.com:
"A Celtic delight."
(See the whole review at
http://www.christmasreviews.com/wjodymarshall.shtml.)
Praise for "Cottage in the Glen"
Dirty Linen, April/May 2006:
One of the most pleasant dulcimer albums I've heard recently is Cottage in the Glen [Maggie's
Music, MM232 (2005)] by dulcimer player and pianist Jody Marshall, who's joined by fellow members of
the Washington, D.C.-area Celtic community. Some of the material is from the customary dulcimer realm,
like Turlough O'Caroloan's quiet air "Mrs. Anne McDermott Rowe"; the rest is a mix of Marshall's
originals and some delightful adaptations, such as a hammered version of Duane Allman's guitar instrumental
"Little Martha," on which Marshall overdubs the dulcimer to create a sweet wall of sound. She also
doubles up piano and dulcimer on a couple of sets with good effect.
The Washington Post, April 1, 2005:
Jody Marshall keeps fine company on "Cottage in the Glen." In fact,
the enchanting vocal cameos by Grace Griffith, who first appears on Gordon
Bok's "The Brandy Tree (Otter's Song)," are reason enough to recommend this
release. But Marshall, who plays hammered dulcimer and piano here, is quite
capable of casting a spell on her own. Her imagination and musicianship are
equally evident, beginning with the Waterford, Ireland-inspired portrait
"Three Sisters of Erin," and her repertoire takes some delightful twists,
embracing everything from ancient odes (a soulful reprise of Turlough
O'Carolan's "Mrs. Anne McDermott Rowe") to tunes associated with the Allman
Brothers ("Little Martha") and Jethro Tull ("In the Grip of Stronger
Stuff"). Ragtime syncopations, too, help make "Cottage in the Glen" all the
more inviting. . . Celtic soul and rhythmic vitality to spare.
-- Mike Joyce
Sing Out!, Fall 2005:
Jody Marshall . . . is a master of both piano and hammered dulcimer,
and in her first solo outing gives us a taste of her broad range and virtuosity. . .
Takoma Voice, December 2005:
Way before I knew what "folk music" is, I loved hammered dulcimer...
... I feel a personal joy when I listen to Jody Marshall's latest recording.
Her dulcimer and piano arrangements are seamless and so pretty, belying
the complexity of their heritage as recounted in Jody's liner notes.
Also just under the smooth surface is a piping-hot list of contributing
talent -- Andrea Hoag, Al Petteway, [and] Charlie Pilzer among them.
Rising up from the overwhelming depths of Celtic music history,
Cottage in the Glen feels as fresh as a new memory.
- Carolyn Feola
New Age Retailer Magazine, Fall 2005:
Sounds From the Ground Up
Featuring sweet Celtic tunes, bright reels, and Scottish jigs, "Cottage in
the Glen" is a perfect showcase of the talents of hammered-dulcimer player
Jody Marshall. Her adaptive creativity is undeniable. Marshall transforms the
Allman Brothers' "Little Martha" and Jethro Tull's "In the Grip of
Stronger Stuff" into fabulous Celtic masterpieces. Other tracks are more
traditional, including the 17th century "Mrs. Anne McDermott Row" and the
18th-century "Vivace."
The title track, an original, highlights piano, fiddle, flute, and guitar,
demonstrating Marshall's liner-note sentiment, "Oh, to have a little cottage
where friends can drop by and share tunes around the hearth!" Listeners who
appreciate Celtic and acoustic music will love this album.
-Mara Applebaum
Keltika Magazine, Sept. 2005
(translated from the original Italian):
" . . . strongly evocative . . .[Jody's dulcimer] emerges faultless, smooth and precise."
The Midwest Book Review online
"Cottage In The Glen" features the impressive and memorable instrumental
performances of Jody Marshall with twelve spirited Celtic music selections enhanced
with hammered dulcimers, piano, and harmony vocals. Backed up by an impressive roster
of guest musicians...Featuring superbly recorded performances, "Cottage In
The Glen" is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to any personal,
music department, or community library music CD collection.
Dulcimer Players News, Spring 2005:
Jody Marshall is a veteran performer and teacher from the Washington, D.C. area. She
started playing hammered dulcimer in 1988 and, as a member of several bands -- first
Ironweed and now MoonFire and Connemara -- has long been a staple on the Washington
Celtic scene. On "Cottage in the Glen" she plays both hammered dulcimer
and piano and enlists the help of a truly superb group of accompanying musicians,
including Paul Oorts, Andrea Hoag, Al Petteway, Karen Ashbrook, Myron Bretholz,
Grace Griffith, Ellen James, Zan McLeod, Amy White, Cathy Palmer, Elise Kress,
Charlie Pilzer, Rico Petruccelli, Carey Creed and Paul Nahay -- in short, the
absolute cream of Washington's Celtic music community. As one would expect,
the album's focus is spirited Celtic music and the material ranges from 17th-century
Irish harp composition, to jigs and reels from Ireland and Scotland, to
contemporary acoustic compositions by Gordon Bok, Duane Allman, and Ian Anderson. It
also includes a generous helping of Jody's originals. There's a classical influence
here too and "Words Unspoken/Labyrinth" and "Vivace" are chamber
music at its best. Jody's dulcimer playing is impeccably clear, confident and
precise. Her arrangements are wonderfully developed and she draws considerable
strength from the marvelous talents that surround her. Tunes include "Three
Sisters of Erin" /
"Little Martha," "The Gaudy Bauble" / "In the Grip of Stronger
Stuff" / "Ides of March," "Brandy Tree," "Ragtime
Tabby" / "Catnip Fling" / "Scattercat Polka" and more.
-Neal Walters
The Sounding Board, June 2005:
(Excerpt - to see the whole review, go to
www.newagereporter.com.
"Cottage in the Glen" [is] the latest offering from talented musician
Jody Marshall...[she] has put together a delightful work of old and new sounds
and traditional as well as Celtic music that are a welcome companion to any
kindred spirit. "Cottage in the Glen" has passion as well as appeal. I
like her style.
-R J Lannan
All Music Guide, 2005:
You have to hand it to Jody Marshall. She doesn't stand on ceremony with her music.
The hammer dulcimer player isn't afraid to expand from the traditional Irish material
she does so well into some unexpected, if not unrelated areas. Her own material fits
the bill well, especially the title track, and she does a lovely version of O'Carolan's
"Mrs. Anne McDermott Rowe." But she veers from that into a John Kirkpatrick
tune, a hornpipe, and even to Scotland for a Gow piece. The joy is that everything fits
together so well. Her playing is crisp and clear, the arrangements well thought out and
highlighting the melodies. She's an excellent musician, not only technically, but in
terms of taste, too.
- Chris Nickson
Greenman Review, 2005:
Jody Marshall has a distinct facility for drawing together a variety of musical
threads into a rich and engaging weave. Cottage in the Glen was my
introduction to her music, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. One hallmark of this
collection is the astonishingly fluent musicianship: flawless performances by
all hands. . . . Needless to say, [Cottage in the Glen] has a Celtic flavor. "Mrs.
Anne McDermott Rowe" is a tune that comes from the Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan
(1670-1738), which Marshall has deftly transposed to the hammered dulcimer. The
opening track, on the other hand, begins with Marshall's own song, "Three
Sisters," which segues into Duane Allman's "Little Martha," performed on
hammered dulcimer and percussion, and moves immediately into Fernando Largo's
"Cau'l Chouzano," a tune from Asturias in Spain, where the Celtic legacy is
still strong; it's a lovely ballad, with dulcimer, harp, flute and fiddle blending
together seamlessly. Dulcimer and guitar take on eighteenth-century composer Adam
Falckenhagen's "Vivace," which is rather less energetic than its title might
lead you to suspect, at least in this rendering, but engaging, nevertheless.
- Robert M. Tilendis
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