The Americana string duo of multi-instrumentalist Grant Flick and bassist Jacob Warren will perform Sunday, Jan. 21, at 6 p.m. at Grounds for Thought, 174 S. Main, BG. The free show is part of the monthly concert series co-sponsored by Grounds for Thought and BG Independent News.
Warren & Flick explore the nuanced textures of a two-person ensemble. Using both original material and arranged standards from many genres, this ensemble finds new depth in the simplicity of a duo. Jacob Warren plays double bass. Grant Flick plays violin, tenor guitar and nyckelharpa. He grew up in Bowling Green where he first attracted attention as a fiddle prodigy.
Warren and Flick met at the 2015 Acoustic Music Seminar (AMS), a program for young string players from around the world to collaborate and hone their improvisation, composition and performance abilities.
Their music is a reflection of their friendship and wide musical interests. Warren and Flick spend much of their time arranging, composing and performing together primarily developing original works. The duo documented their sound with their first album “Kestrel,” released in 2019, and their second album “Waxwing” released in May 2022.
Their latest album shows an evolution in both their individual playing and ensemble with a great variety of stylistic foundation and a gentle curiosity for moving between and away from conventional idioms. With Jacob’s classical foundation and Grant’s experience in bluegrass and jazz, their contrasting backgrounds give this collaboration a unique and compelling musical narrative.
In addition to performing and recording, they also strive to share their knowledge and often lead workshops/clinics for young musicians who are interested in making their own music.
Here’s what Jacob and Grant say about their mission: “Through the wide spectrum of acoustic music, our goal is to inspire and educate each individual we serve to personally connect to music. Our combined experience in classical, bluegrass, jazz, and original/improvised music is something not typically offered in the standard curriculum found at most K-12 schools. Because these styles, among others, give each student the chance to make their own music, valuable lessons in creativity, listening, and leadership are achieved. By learning music passed down and played by ear, students learn to associate with the tradition of acoustic music while also finding its inherent freedom which allows them to discover and explore their own inner musicianship.”
Both Jacob and Grant are graduates of University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.
