DESCRIPTION:
Dennis Stroughmatt et l'Esprit Creole play the music of the upper Louisiana Creole culture. A vibrant blend of Celtic, Canadian and Old Time sounds, this music bridges the gap between contemporary Canadian and Louisiana Cajun styles. Preserved by families in the Ozark foothills, the music remains largely intact and true to the traditions that have been passed down for over 3 centuries. Dennis was taught to play fiddle by local Creole fiddlers Roy Boyer and Charlie Pasha in the tradition of their fathers, and he gradually became an adopted son of the French midwest Creoles living along the Mississippi River near St. Louis. The band shares its music at festivals and venues all around the country, including the Library of Congress and Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and is called a "national treasure" by the Missouri Humanities Council. Their leader, Dennis Stroughmatt, is called by Dirty Linen Magazine, "a jaw dropping fiddler."

Free, live concert recorded on June 25, 2015.

The free series is produced and hosted by Todd DeGarmo, founding director of the Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library in the community room downstairs off the Library’s Glen Street entrance, and made possible with funds from the Friends of Crandall Public Library, and the New York State Council on the Arts –Folk Arts Program with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Legislature.