This Saturday, April 18, vocal jazz from Bidi Dworkin and her band, which includes two-time Grammy winning pianist-composer Peter Eldridge along with Jamie MacDonald on bass, Matt Steckler on horns, Claire Arenius on drums — plus a special surprise guest.They're bringing a set of Bidi's new original songs for a live run before taking them into the recording studio... this is a chance to get in on the ground floor of her next album. Peter has described the new work as “equal amounts of light and dark, whimsy and reflection, each song evolving into what’s starting to feel like a set of jazz art songs.”Bidi draws from a deep well of influences — the jazz-folk lineage of her childhood, the Middle Eastern melodies of her ancestry, the fluidity of Vedic meditative traditions… a fusion enriched by intuitive language and a dreamy interior landscape. She honed her chops the old-fashioned way: Gigging in New York City, Montreal, New England.“A warm and distinctive voice, and not shy to take chances.” — LA Jazz Scene“In light of the vast majority of music released, Dworkin’s heart stands well above the rest.” — All About Jazz“Distinctive vocals free of plasticity and pretension.” — Stage & CinemaThis is a 3:00 matinee show. Tickets are $20 in advance through stage33live.com, or at the door as available (cash or check, no cards). Advance tickets guarantee entry. Advance ticket sales will automatically close once 40 tickets are sold, or at midnight the day before the show if it hasn’t sold out. 

And then on the 26th — a Sunday — one of Austin's favorite sons (by way of Ireland), Pat Byrne, and global troubadors Los Lorcas. The flyer calls it "an exceptional twofer" and we ain't even kidding. Pat migrated from County Carlow to Austin, Texas to take the US by storm, with breakout performances at the 30A Festival, SXSW, Kerrville Folk Festival, and the Americana Festival. Highly respected in the Texas music scene, he melds two musical cultures known for introspective lyricism and raw, from-the-heart emotion with a voice that ranges from seductive whisper to full-bodied rock ‘n’ roll growl.“Irish Americana, by turns rollicking and resonating, driven by his gruff growl of a voice — he’s one to keep an eye on.” — The Boston Globe“The raspy melodic soul of Byrne’s voice recalls the emotional spells the late Austin troubadour Jimmy LaFave used to cast, though Byrne’s songwriting bears a distinctive Irish stamp. He’s more contemporary than strict traditionalists, putting him more in the league of Glen Hansard or Luka Bloom.” — The Austin American StatesmanLos Lorcas is celebrating the release of their new album, Wild Island, with a concert blurring the boundaries between spoken word and song, weaving poetry with Andalusian ballads, blues, rock, folk, reggae, Americana, and jazz in pursuit of the cante jondo (“deep song”) In the spirit of Federico Garcia Lorca — gifted musician, legendary poet/playwright, and ebullient performer. Troubadouring widely in the US, Ireland, Canada, and Slovenia, their timely and soulful compositions weave themes of love, loss, empathy, activism, and gratitude through a filter of the American dream.“An Orphic voice… absolutely gorgeous.” — Chard deNiord, Vermont Poet Laureate“Inspiring the quietest observer to reach for each word as if they were Federico Lorca himself, meditating on song and poetry mid-stage, arms outstretched.” — Bianca ViñasThis is a 3:00 matinee show. Tickets are $20 in advance through stage33live.com, or at the door as available (cash or check, no cards). Advance tickets guarantee entry. Advance ticket sales will automatically close once 40 tickets are sold, or at midnight the day before the show if it hasn’t sold out.