Annie and the Hedonists as time-tested as their songs
Band’s decades-long run showcasing roots music still going strong
Schenectady’s Annie and the Hedonists has been playing their lively blend of acoustic blues, vintage jazz, swing, and folk roots Americana across the Capital Region for decades. This past weekend, the group played one of its highest-profile shows to date, performing at the Belmont Stakes at Sartaoga Race Course.
Now, they’re prepping for two more major shows. On June 29, they will be at the Old Songs Festival in Altamont. And this Saturday, the band will be headlining a concert at Caffe Lena.
For founding members singer Annie Rosen and her guitarist/vocalist husband, Jonny Rosen, these highprofile dates show the resilience of their genre of choice and keeping that brand of music before audiences of all stripes is both essential and a lot of fun.
“It’s really important to play songs that are the roots of American music, and highlight the contributions of Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Bessie Smith, Rosetta Tharpe, Memphis Minnie,” said Honny. “It’s important to talk about and play this music and keep it alive for people.
“The women that performed a lot these songs were strong, powerful women, guts performers with songs I love to sink my teeth into,” added Annie. “They’re interesting characters with these amazing life stories; it makes it fun to sing these songs. We did a few shows virtually, but just being back in front of live audiences, having that ability to connect with people, there’s nothing like it.”
The roots of Annie and the Hedonists predate the 34 years that the Rosens have lived in the Capital Region.
Jonny met Annie when she was singing at a coffee shop in their native Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He fell for her instantly, and the pair performed as a folk/early blues duo in the late ’80s.
The Rosens moved to Albany in 1990. After a neighbor heard the pair playing music and invited them to a party, they met local musicians Steve and Betsy Fr,y and the first incarnation of Annie and the Hedonists was born.
For the first decade as that outfit, live performances and recordings were inconsistent; both the Rosens and Frys were working and raising families, making music a secondary concern. But around 2000, Annie and the Hedonists were able to focus more regularly on music and released a debut LP, “Side of the Road.”
In 2009, the Frys got out of the music game and multi-instrumentalist/singer Peter Davis and bassist/ vocalist Don Young joined the band, with drumming veteran Jerry Marotta coming in to play the kit every once in a while. The new blood added a new dynamic and peppy range of influences to the Hedonists, turning the outfit into a unit ideally suited for the stage.
“Peter, Don, Jerry, they’ve been full-time musicians their entire lives, they’re devoted to music,” enthused Jonny. “(As) part of the bonding experience of playing with them, our act became more upbeat, entertaining. Our focus is on having fun, playing kneetapping music that also has social meaning and connects with people.
“Everybody takes turns singing lead, everybody sings harmony,” he continued. “It’s fun, it makes people happy, it’s good for the
soul. Everybody brings songs and ideas and has input on arrangements; it’s a rich experience the way everybody works together as a band.”
At this point, the Rosens have released six Annie and the Hedonists albums, three with the Frys and three with the present lineup. They’re currently putting the finishing touches on a live LP, recorded at Caffe Lena. Since first being booked to play there roughly 25 years ago, Caffe Lena has become one of their favorite spaces. Their Thanksgiving night shows at the venue have become a beloved local tradition that has sold out for each of the past five years.
For the upcoming Lena show, sax man Cliff Lyons will be sitting in with the group. Annie expects it to be a lively time out and looks forward to getting on stage and singing material that still feels and sounds vital.
“Cliff Lyons is an unbelievable saxophone player; there’s times when we’ve played together when I’ve just wanted to stop because I’m just in awe of him,” she said. “I’m really excited for this and what we have planned this summer. It’s so much fun. Now that Jimmy and I don’t have to work to make a living, we have this chance to be creative, doing something we love.
“I love going out and listening to music; I love jazz, blues, pop, country, gospel, all of us have a variety of tastes and it all gels when we play together,” Annie continued. “I get excited to bring a new song to the band. Even if some of them are 100 years old, they still have feelings, they’re relatable. I have a really had time singing a song unless I feel it. If you don’t love the song, the audience knows.”