San Diego Reader

Jeff Pekarek: Bass guitar, Composer | Tom Cunningham: Fiddle, Guitar (acoustic), Guitar (electric), Mandolin

Genre: Acoustic, World

RIYL: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Upcoming Local Shows

Synoposis

Inception: San Diego, 1979

Influences: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Kronos Quartet, Odetta, Bob Dylan, Tom Rush, David Bromberg, Dave Grisman

Background:

The folk music group the Jackstraws was founded in 1979 by classical musician Jeff Pekarek (aka Jeff Basile). In the mid-’70s, he was the youngest member of the San Diego Symphony when he joined the contrabass section at age 17. He performed with the orchestra from 1975-1979, and during the summer pops concerts he backed up such luminaries as Benny Goodman, Sara Vaughn, and Sergio Mendez.

The Jackstraws combine theater and folk music, with colorful (and culturally accurate) costumes. Themes range from Irish and English folk music, Bush Band, and Renaissance music to pirate ditties and nautical songs of yachtsmen.

The group regularly plays Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, Horton Plaza events, and at Seaport Village. Tom Cunningham (of Lighthouse and Grassology) is the band’s fiddler, but he’s also known as a virtuoso on guitar and mandolin.