The Flying Garbanzos
(aka The Flying Garbonzos)




The Flying Garbanzos are a four-piece contra dance band from western Massachusetts. We play original, contemporary and traditional instrumental tunes, generally of Irish, French-Canadian and Appalachian origin.


Personnel and instrumentation:

Eric Martin - Fiddle, Viola and Quebecois Foot Percussion

Tony Pisano - Guitar, Mandolin and Piano Accordion

Josh Pisano - Dumbek, Djembe, Bodhran, Ashiko and Other Percussion. Also Cumbus (a Turkish banjolin)

Dale Ott - Upright Bass


We play contra dances, concerts and private parties. Recent appearances include Dancing On The Air, WAMC Public Radio, Albany, NY; SolarFest, Tinmouth VT; The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Mass; Concerts on the Green, Adams, Mass; CC's Cafe Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams; MASS MoCA, North Adams; Porch Music, a local cable-access television show; appearances at food and ethnic festivals in Berkshire County, Massachusetts and many contra dances throughout western Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and eastern New York, including appearances at the Flurry in Saratoga NY, the Brattleboro (VT) Dawn Dance in September 2003 and The Old Songs Festival in Altamont NY in June 2004.

For booking or contact information click here


Quotes

From Gail Griffith, caller:

"I had a WONDERFUL time working with you guys last night! Your tempos were perfect, your arrangements were exciting, your musicianship was excellent, and you were right with me every step of the way. You guys are a joy. Thank you for asking me to call with you, and I'd love to work with you again."

From Joe Manning, as published in The Advocate October 24, 2001:

"Since I picked up Windsor Lake from the guys at the Bean in August, it has taken over the CD player in my car. The simple recording process results in a natural sound that you don’t hear in today’s high-tech world. The instrumentals, which Ott describes as ‘mostly jigs and reels,’ and Pisano characterizes as ‘Celtic with some Latin-style rhythms’ are irresistibly warm and tuneful. They sound perfect on my frequent drives over the hills from Florence to North Adams."

In 2003 we released our second CD Third Friday Contra. Here's what Seth Rogovoy had to say about it in the Berkshire Eagle, April 4, 2003:

"The North County quartet's recording makes for terrific listening, even for those with no interest in contradancing or no particular fondness for traditional music. Partly what makes the music by the Garbanzos so distinctive is its pancultural sound…The players - fiddler Eric Buddington, guitarist and accordionist Tony Pisano, percussionist Josh Pisano and bassist Dale Ott - also add an easygoing spirit and wit to the arrangements that, while not violating the basically traditional approach of the group -- nor engaging in any blatant attempts at jazzy fusion -- also aren't beholden to pristine tradition."

Copies of our CDs are available by mail. Contact us here for more info. We usually have copies available at our live appearances

Listen to the Flying Garbanzos

Click on a title below for an mp3 of the tune. All tunes were recorded live during a practice session at the Pittsfield Brewworks in February 2007

Fair Jenny's/Mug of Brown Ale (jigs)

Paddy on the Railroad (reel)

Mairi's Wedding (slow reel)

Hundred Pipers (jig)

Ranny McClelland's (slow reel)


Watch The Flying Garbanzos

We have 3 videos of the Flying Garbanzos currently on YouTube. These were recorded in 2005 and 2006, so Eric Buddington is playing fiddle instead of Eric Martin.

The first was recorded by Keith Forman at a concert we played at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown Mass. It is a short version of the reel Paddy on the Railroad. Click here to watch it.

The other 2 are excerpts from Voices, a Northern Berkshire Community Television show produced by Erica Varieur. The first medley is an old timey tune Lonesome John with our arrangement of a 14th century German tune Im Maien. It's here.
The second is a set of rags - our arrangement of Cuando Estaba Enamorado with The Beaumont Rag. It's here


Most of the tunes we play are contra dance tunes. We love to play contra dances. For more information about contra dancing and lots more links visit here


For a schedule of Flying Garbanzo appearances visit:
our schedule page or Ted Crane's DanceDB or Dance Gypsy


Some of the callers we like to work with are here


Some of the dances around here that we regularly play are the Dance Flurry Organization Dances, held in Saratoga Springs and Albany New York and the Lenox (Mass) Contra. Since 2002, we have played at the the Flurry, a whole weekend of dance held in Saratoga Springs NY each February. We also occasionally play the Guiding Star Grange in Greenfield Mass, the Montague Grange in Montague Mass and The Munson Library Contra Dance in South Amherst Mass. Labor Day weekend 2003, we played the Dawn Dance in Brattleboro Vermont. For links to more dances that we play at visit here.

There is an open band contra dance featuring various callers on the 3rd Friday of each month at St John's Episcopal Church Parish Hall, Summer Street, North Adams, Massachusetts. For directions to the Parish Hall, click here



For more information about the Flying Garbanzos, to contact a member of the FGs or for booking information click here

To view a demo page with more press and quotes from callers, dancers and organizers click here

If you are having problems with this site, contact info for the Webmaster is here

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