jody kruskal

Jody Kruskal from Brooklyn, New York is known for his distinctly American style of harmonic Anglo concertina playing. He has been energizing US dancers for years with the contra dance bands Grand Picnic, Squeezology and Hog Wild and brings a delightful selection of songs and tunes both old and new.

Jody plays from the heart and makes his concertina sound like a fistful of harmonicas, with rich harmony and melodic counterpoint while he pumps out dance rhythms with the bellows, much as a fiddler uses the bow. “I learned this kind of squeezing from playing hundreds of contra dances over the years. My Anglo style builds on the rhythms and double stop playing heard here in the old time string bands and fiddle traditions.”

Playing for sweaty contra dancers is only part of the picture for Jody, He plays for sweaty morris dancers as well, including the women of the award winning Half Moon Sword dance team at Sidmouth Festival in 1998 and the 2008 York Sword Spectacular with Orion Sword.. For the past few years Jody has been performing solo at a number of English festivals including the Sidmouth, Warwick, Ulverston, Bradfield, Broadstairs and Whitby festivals.

Back at home, Jody is a freelance educator who teaches traditional music and dance in local elementary schools, implements the education programs of organizations like Carnegie Hall and the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra, composes original scores for Shakespeare plays, puppet shows and modern dance performances.