“The accordion isn’t usually considered a fearsome instrument. But there was a moment…when, with his squeezebox strapped to his chest, Sam Reider seemed suddenly to rear up, looming over the microphone with a fierce look in his eyes as he played a mighty chord to summon the mythical man of clay, the golem. This accordion conjures monsters.” – San Franciso Classical Voice

This will be Sam Reider’s third visit to the Lane Series and the second with his hotshot band, the Human Hands, a collective of innovative acoustic musicians exploring the intersection of folk, jazz, and traditional music from around the world. 

“So what is the link between Django Reinhardt, Planxty, Duke Ellington, Astor Piazzolla, Bernard Herrman and Raymond Scott?…[T]he answer is this wide-ranging combo….” – Folking.com

What can we say? Sam is brilliant. He grew up in San Francisco, California, raised in a family of artists. He learned piano from his father, a musical theater composer, and in high school he was featured on Marian McPartland’s “Piano Jazz” on NPR. He fell in love with folk music while majoring in American Studies at Columbia University. While writing his thesis comparing the songwriting of Woody Guthrie and Ira Gershwin, Reider picked up an old accordion and began learning bluegrass and old-time tunes. This set him off on a journey that has taken him from back porches and dive bars to concert halls and major festivals around the world. 

This concert will feature Sam and the band performing his latest composition, The Golem and Other Tales, based on the 16th century Jewish legend of a clay man brought to life, followed by a full set of Human Hands acoustic hijinks. This music is familiar, unforgettable, and beautifully strange – like nothing you’ve ever heard before. So. Much. Fun.