String Fever presents a fine blend of acoustic musical styles

The folk series sponsored by the Watchung Arts Center is proud to present String Fever for the second time. Last year, String Fever packed the house so early that reservations are suggested. The nominal $12 ticket price includes a light refreshment as well as a  chance to mingle with the musicians in the informal gallery arena.

String Fever is an exciting acoustic band from New Jersey. Blue grass is the heart of the band’s music with hints of folk, country and swing added in. The members, Peter Becker on mandolin, Ridley Enslow on fiddle, Bruce Jepson on guitar, Sandy Joren on bass and Mickey Maguire on banjo, have diverse musical backgrounds and are seasoned performers. Their close three and four-part harmonies give the band its distinctive sound. That sound is augmented by award winning songwriting and a number of acoustic instruments including five-string banjo and resphonic guitar.

String Fever enjoyed a second place title in the 1997 New York City Bluegrass Band Contest. “Rapid melodic notes sailing forth, great harmonies, and five guys having a lot of fun. Looking back it’s hard to know who enjoyed it more – the band or the audience,” wrote New Jersey Bluegrass.

A String Fever show is a well-paced blend of the old and the new. Traditional bluegrass and fiddle tunes are balanced with original music and songs from a number of modern tunesiths.