BIOGRAPHY

A dulcimer wizard and a pure-voiced poet are the heart and soul of Jubilant Bridge, a harmony-driven acoustic duo with a sparkling sound that is fresh and innovative.  Intricate arrangements, harmonies “so tight, they pulse” (Mary Cliff—WAMU-FM), and a sense of fun are the hallmarks of all Jubilant Bridge performances, which range from critically-acclaimed originals and contemporary songs to finger-dancing instrumentals and unexpected covers.  The duo comes from a rich aural tradition but surprises audiences with counter melodies, changing time signatures, and well-chosen dissonance.  The instruments go beyond simple accompaniment; the arrangements and the songs themselves are meshed.  They use the vocabulary, but step outside of the conventions, of folk, rock, and pop---not simply stitching together genres, but folding the seams under.  Every song becomes their own.

Mountain dulcimer wizard and vocalist Willie Jaeger takes what is often thought of as a “simple” folk instrument and discovers its complexity.  His unique style of playing, and his popularity as a teacher at the renowned Swallow Hill School of Music, inspired Westword, Denver’s alternative weekly, to vote him Denver’s “Best Local Folkie.”  He was a finalist in the national mountain dulcimer championship at Winfield, Kansas, and in 2009 he won a Gold Medal for Best Original Instrumental Composition at the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival.  An engaging singer with a lyrical baritone, he also plays hammered dulcimer and guitar, and composes instrumentals and the occasional song.      

Vocalist and guitarist Carol Van Alstine provides Jubilant Bridge with most of its distinctive original songs. She comes to songwriting by way of poetry.  Often inspired by dreams, her emotionally wise songs depict states of mind and heart and the conflicts between them.  She was awarded Silver for the song “Power Lines” in the 2010 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, one of the longest-running song competitions in the nation, and she also received the BMI Songwriter Award for the song at the MASC awards ceremony.  Several of her songs have also won Honorable Mentions in the Billboard World Song Contest, an international songwriting competition.  With a voice that has been described as “striking,” “ethereal,” and “far purer than Michael Jackson’s fondness for gloves,” she is often asked after a show, “How does such a big voice come out of such a small person?”  Her varied musical experiences range from performing at the bottom of the Grand Canyon to singing soprano in Renaissance choirs. 

Jaeger and Van Alstine have five recordings:  “Crazy Like The Wind;” “Another Run At the Mountain;” “Under Shattered Skies,” which Dirty Linen hailed for its“great harmony vocals,” “compelling dulcimer playing,” and “intelligent and thoughtful” lyrics, and Victory Review proclaimed as “a rich aural feast;” “Happenstance;” and the just-released “Power Lines,”  recorded at world-class studio Colorado Sound and featuring their compelling original songs as well as their unique take on songs such as Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”  Jubilant Bridge is a Finalist for Best Group/Duo for two songs from the new CD, “Power Lines” and “Waiting for Rain,” in the 7th Annual International Acoustic Music Awards (IAMA).

For more info on Willie Jaeger Click Here

For more info on Carol Van Alstine Click Here

© 2002-2011, Jubilant Bridge. All Rights Reserved

Website Design by Commotion Music Promotion, Inc.