Dear Ears,
Thank you for visiting our space in space in the 21st Century! We invite you to become magic yourself and spin up and whiz and glow and take everyone with you in a spinning society change, a heart reaching, a LOVE revolution !
We met at Barbara's birthday in 2006 and have been making music ever since - like a glowing fire. We make records and perform live shows for people. Music is a feeling to us, shared in moments, and we are continually ripped open as we become and become and become and become.
And community is our treasure! Over 50 people from our dexterous community in Philadelphia have given their talents to our music, and we see it glow with the streets, parks, houses, and bonfires of where we all happen. The Spinning Leaves would not be, were it not for the continual flow of vibrant people we know and meet.
Through the journey of music-making and our travels everywhere, we have learned and grown not only from music feelers, but artisans and crafters and farmers and families and travelers and visionaries and workers and teachers and children that ~ LOVE is bold. In all of its manifestations, love can be everything and all that brings folks together. Everyone has more force to move when we move as one!
We use our music as a tool to help build this community movement ~ the power of true feeling to bring folks eye to eye and form real relations in the face of a society where so much is based on the flow of money and the illusions which administer it. We wish a swirling of sounds to help spawn in you the burst you may need to become your wildest, most keen visions.
Love to you ~
Dream and dream dream.
~ The Spinning LeavesMichael Baker and Barbara Gettes
~~~~~~~~~ And people say nice things: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How do you explain "loose but tight" or " melodically funky" ? You don't -
you just point to The Spinning Leaves, a fresh new band from Philly that I
find indescribably delicious."
Gene Shay - WXPN, Co-Founder - Philadelphia Folk Festival
"Spinning Leaves has proven to be an unmistakable part of the new folk
phenomenon in Philadelphia and beyond. Their sound, for one, is a whistle at the
start of a great sprint, the bell of human musical freedom: spurts of gang vocals,
slide guitars, dulcimers, and foot stomps over America melodies. And still, Spin-
ning Leaves, the force, transcends the sound. They connect with artists, organiza-
tions and individuals to create movement in the Philadelphia musical landscape.
Nearly anywhere you hear of innovative artistic activity, you hear this name in
association."
Levi Landis - Executive Director, Philadelphia Folksong Society
"The Spinning Leaves are a fantastically talented duo that play acoustic music
with air and warmth and vibrancy. This ain't your old folk. It's new folk steeped in
tradition for the modern world."
Bruce Warren - WXPN, Executive Producer, World Cafe on NPR
"The Spinning Leaves defy easy classication - they just make excellent music.
Superficially a Folk/Americana duo (Barbara Gettes and Michael Baker), their
music is rich enough to lend itself to complex treatment, as witness the lovely
brass band accompaniment on "Try Try Try Try Try Try Try." When they stick to a folk/country
sound, as with "Bridges for Free," it works just fine. Their music can be wistful or
raucous or, I suspect, anything you want. As music oughta be."
Dennis McNally, former publicist of The Grateful Dead
".I was blown away by some of the other bands on the bills - particularly the stunning The Spinning Leaves. Their song Bridges for Free is jaw-dropping, reminiscent of Desolation Row-Dylan and Return of the Grievous Angel-Gram Parsons with Emmylou. Besides this juggernaut of awesomeness, the song Marigolds is fantastic and a little Vetiver-y, Sad Maggie's a melodic marvel and Transistor Radio is gorgeous pop ditty with Barbara Gettes on lead vocals."- Morgan King, Yer Bird Records
"There's a lot of Kentucky in 'em. It had all the right moves to be Appalachian country--harmonies and harmonicas, deep drawl and bent notes. They are really finding an old and comfortable sound in their new songs."- Brad Hoffman, from review of our Show at the Tea Bazaar in Charlottesville, VA
FOR BOOKING INFORMATION AND INQUIRIES write:
thespinningleaves@gmail.com
