Tjärnblom Album Release Concert

Tjärnblom (Swedish for “woodland lake flower”) is an eclectic Minneapolis group of musicians with Cheryl Paschke on nyckelharpa, Val Eng, on harmonium, Joe Alfano, on mandolin, and Erin Walsh, on cello. Join them to celebrate the launch of their new album, Woods. The group travels a modern “Snoose Boulevard Highway” in a musical journey, and plays a repertoire of both old and new Swedish, Finnish, and Minnesota tunes for dancing and for listening. Reception to follow with a cash bar.

Almost six years have passed since Tjärnblom’s last CD, Starry-Eyed, was released. Band member Mary Crimi set off in pursuit of new adventures, opening the door for multi-instrumentalist Erin Walsh, whose cello has added a deep, rich layer to our tunes while her compositions enliven our repertoire. Erin joins founding members Cheryl Paschke on nyckelharpa and Joe Alfano on mandolin and guitar, along with long-time bandmate Val Eng on harmonium.

“As Tjärnblom transformed, political divides in our country intensified and then—a global pandemic struck. We were, you could say, lost in the woods. And when you are lost you begin to look for a path. After months of pandemic isolation, we made our first small steps toward reuniting—initially online via Zoom, followed by rehearsals outdoors in garages and on sidewalks, and finally, indoors, masked-up and with air purifiers going strong. Living through this time together as a band inspired a greater appreciation of our friendship and our love of making music.

As musicians, we don’t always stay on the well-worn path. We wander off into the undergrowth…sometimes dew soaks our cuffs…we discover new ways to play our tunes. The woods can be a dark and mysterious place, but they can also be a place of peace, beauty, and discovery. In the fourteen tunes we offer here, joy, sorrow, solitude, and resilience reverberate from the wood of each of our instruments and from our hearts. Journey through Woods with us as we find our way through these times … tillsammans (together).”

—Joe Alfano, on behalf of Tjärnblom