LIVE: Bearfoot @ Caffe Lena, 1/8/10

The young and vibrant bluegrass outfit Bearfoot rolled into Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs on a cold Friday night in January to light the musical fires for a full-house of music fans.

Originally from Alaska and touting themselves as Bearfoot Bluegrass, the band soon shortened their name, moved to the east coast and a year ago added Nashville-bred fiddler-guitarist-singer-songwriter Odessa Jorgensen to its line-up.

With their combination of silky-smooth vocal harmonies and impeccable ensemble musicianship, Bearfoot sounded something like a cross between the Dixie Chicks and Nickel Creek. Highlights of the evening included a Mike Mickelson-led version of Doc Watson’s chestnut “Deep River Blues” and the vocal interplay between fiddler Angela Oudean, bassist Kate Hamre and Jourgensen on the many selections culled from their 2009 album, “Doors and Windows” (on Compass Records).

Throughout the evening’s two marvelous sets, Jason Norris added intricate mandolin solos – even to the Beatles’ classic, “Don’t Let Me Down.”

The evening concluded with a lyrical Odessa Jorgensen original, “Follow Me.”

After the show, the band chatted with fans and a few friends who remembered them from their previous Lena’s appearance over a year ago. Mickelson put the whole night into perspective, saying, “You could feel the electricity going on between the band and the audience.” Looking at Joe Alper’s Dylan photograph hanging above the Caffe’s stairs, Jourgensen added, “You could also feel the spirit of Bob Dylan here.”

Photographs and review by Andrzej Pilarczyk