Concert Review: Plucked Courage

The Jake Schepps Quintet at SubCulture.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Members of the Jake Schepps Quintet with Mr. Schepps second from right,
onstage Wednesday night at SubCulture.
Photo by the author (who's no photographer--give him a break.)

The instruments of traditional Appalachian string music (banjo, mandolin, fiddle, double bass, acoustic guitar) are generally associated with American roots rather than the performance of classical or modern "art" music. Sure there are a few recent examples of cross-over (Peter Schickele's "Kentucky cantata" Blaues Gras coming immediately to mind) but it's not a group of instruments one associates with cerebral music.On Wednesday night, the Jake Schepps Quintet challenged that thesis with a bright and innovative performance at the downtown performing arts space SubCulture.