Colin Cotter & Sumaia Jackson w/ Anna Colliton

There’s a certain feeling musicians get when they decide to collectively leap into the unknown together, a thrill born of endless possibilities - there’s nothing like it to breathe a little fire into a performance. This collaboration, a pickup band of sorts, features three such thrill seekers - three artful musicians at the top of their game, eager to make some magic together as they embark on their first performances as a trio. The band isn’t completely without a foundation, as Colin Cotter (vox / guitar) and Sumaia Jackson (5-string fiddle) gig as a duo, performing Sumaia’s original tunes, Colin’s original songs, and music from the Celtic & American folk traditions. Joining them is Anna Colliton on bodhrán (the traditional Irish drum), one of the finest musicians around whose creative instincts create endless marvelous possibilities.

With plenty of new music in tow, this band will take you on quite a journey as they shift from blazing fiddle tunes to beautiful slow songs, sing silky vocal harmony, pull off tightly arranged pieces, and let loose with improvised solos and spontaneously crafted arrangements, all the while sharing the joy of organic interplay between musicians openly expressing in the moment.
Colin Cotter is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and creative-at-large who has played gigs from coast to coast in the USA, toured internationally in Canada, Ireland, and Spain, and teaches regularly at some of the top folk music camps in the country. He has released several albums with bands he co-founded, MAC and A Thousand Years at Sea. Always looking to color outside the lines while still making music that rings true, the main musical endeavors Colin is working on include an edgy, electro-acoustic adventure with fiddler / violist Ryan McKasson called Old Growth Graveyard, duos with fiddlers Sumaia Jackson and Adrianna Ciccone, and one-off collaborations with artists from a wide range of genres.
With driving groove and a smooth, open sound, fiddler and tunestress Sumaia Jackson is a quintessential modern West Coast fiddler who effortlessly weaves together Celtic, Old-Time, Bluegrass, and Swing traditions. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in the American Roots Music department on a full scholarship, Jackson toured the globe with Jayme Stone’s Folklife and Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards, playing places such as the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Celtic Connections, Planet Bluegrass, and the Edmonton Folk Festival. A former member of the Real Vocal String Quartet, she plays in duos with award-winning Canadian fiddler, Adrianna Ciccone and Colin Cotter. Jackson released her debut record, Möbius Trip, in 2019.
Anna Colliton’s lively, inventive playing has made her one of America’s leading exponents of the bodhrán. She has shared the stage with Cherish the Ladies, Eileen Ivers, Comas, the Paul McKenna Band, and many more. Following her 2013-2017 Walt Disney World residency where she performed daily, she was a sub for the bodhrán chair with the original company of the Broadway hit “Come From Away” in New York City. She performs and teaches at top festivals like Catskills Irish Arts Week, Swannanoa Gathering Celtic Week, O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat, CCE MAD Week, and Augusta Celtic Week. Anna is dedicated to advancing the bodhrán tradition, masterfully incorporating both “the old” and “the new” into her expression on the instrument.

Tickets are $20 general admission. Children under 12 are free. Advance tickets are available here, or if the show is not sold out, you may purchase your tickets at the door before the show.

Doors open one half hour before show time. We accept cash or Venmo only at the door.

The Back Room is an all-ages, BYOB (for those 21+) space, dedicated to (mostly) acoustic music of all kinds. You are welcome to bring your own food and beverages. The venue is ADA accessible. If you need more information or have any questions, please call us: #510-381-1997.

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Please note: Although masks are no longer required, we strongly encourage their use to keep everyone safe in our intimate space.

Host or Publisher Sam Rudin