With an attitude that mixes equal parts whimsey and subversion, the imaginative chamber jazz group Tin Hat mines its original tunes from all over the map. Whether the first notes of a number are plaintive cowboy or seductive bossa nova, you never know where exactly they're headed—but you can always be sure it is somewhere intriguing. The group's hybrid of Old World exotica and New World chutzpah combines tango, bluegrass, Eastern European folk, and contemporary classical music with elements of Klezmer, Cajun, and much more.

Tin Hat's current lineup features violinist Carla Kihlstedt, guitarist and dobro player Mark Orton, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, and the Rob Reich on accordion. Together the four create rich, wonderfully compelling music, memorably described by the New Yorker magazine as "a soundtrack for the kind of puzzling dream which leaves you sitting awake in the middle of the night."

Tin Hat pursues an active touring schedule in the U.S. and Europe, as well as a number of special projects. In 2003, they performed Mark's triple concerto for trio and 21 strings, commissioned by the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. The group's evocative compositions are also featured on their own CDs, most recently Foreign Legion, and a number of film soundtracks, including The Good Girl, Everything is Illuminated, and the upcoming release The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond.

As part of the Chamber Folk Series, a year long set of conversations with notable artists, we start off this evening with a pre-show question & answer session with the members of Tin Hat, moderated by Derk Richardson.

Visit Tin Hat's website

Listen to a track from Tin Hat: