Professor Kerssen- Griep's four-piece band 'Wild Hair' popular in contra dance circuit
By Olga Mosiychuk
Jeff Kerssen-Griep's four-piece band Wild Hair recently released its new album "Buzz Cuts" featuring folk and contra dance music. Kerssen-Griep has been in multiple bands throughout his life and frequently performs.
It is a sunny Sunday afternoon and Jeff Kerssen-Griep is on stage strumming away on his acoustic guitar, fingers running wildly over the strings, foot moving vigorously with the beat of the music.
"I thought I was going to break multiple strings on that last one," said Kerssen-Griep after his performance. "And I was stomping my foot ... hard."
Communication Studies professor and department chair by day, musician by night, Kerssen-Griep has participated in countless bands from the time he was a teenager.
"I couldn't not play in a band," he said.
Kerssen-Griep came from a background in rock, but is now playing folk and contra dance music.
"Mostly, we just play regional dances," he said. "There are dances from Seattle to Corvallis."
According to Kerssen-Griep, contra dancing closely resembles square dancing, but participants dance every other number with a different partner. Dances are simple to learn, and people of all ages come out to try them.
"It's not technical, like learning the tango," Kerssen-Griep said.
One recent afternoon, spectators witnessed his upbeat performances at the Cascade Promenade event with one of his two bands, Joy Ride. Sophomore Erica Havey looked on as dozens of couples danced intricate numbers around the Portland Road House to the tunes of Joy Ride.
"The whole thing just looks like so much fun!" she said. "I was asked to dance a few times, and the music was so cheerful. It was an awesome environment, though I was kind of scared to dance because everybody seemed to know what they were doing."
Kerssen-Griep's other band, Wild Hair, played later that evening and has recently released an album titled "Buzz Cuts." The group was created in 2006 to perform at the Northwest Folklife Festival and stuck together from then on.
"We couldn't play with the same band two years in a row," Kerssen-Griep said. "So we did what every other band does, which is make a new one."
Hopping through the loopholes gave way to a three-piece band, comprised of dynamic fiddler Betsy Branch, percussive guitarist Kerssen-Griep and creative pianist Mark Douglas. Todd Silverstein, who plays the bouzouki, whistle and sax, later joined the ensemble.
"The band is very melody driven on the top, Betsy and me, and rhythm
driven on the bottom, Jeff and Mark," Silverstein said. "It makes for a good combination
that the dancers thrive on."
Wild Hair's new album contains everything from fast-paced folk music to touching waltzes. Kerssen-Griep noted that his band's music is the kind that "makes your butt move sideways" and the Wild Hair website proclaims that this band has been "wiggling fannies on the dance floor since 2006!"
This is just the kind of quirky impulsiveness that the group thrives on: "Buzz Cuts" was recorded without rehearsal and most live performances are spontaneous.
"It's a really fun band," Kerssen-Griep said. "And it's very spontaneous. We haven't practiced for this show."
According to Silverstein, Wild Hair went into the studio only expecting to get an EP's worth of music in that afternoon but found that those recordings, coupled with a few live cuts, were enough to make an entire CD.
"I was surprised by the quality of the final recording, Jeff and Betsy did a great job editing, and I'm proud of it," he said. "It captures some great moments of excitement, high energy and also sweetness."
Wild Hair will continue to perform its uplifting music and Kerssen-Griep will resume his position as the passionate musician, playing the guitar and percussion as if his life depended on it every chance he gets.
"Everybody should find something they can't not do and keep doing it," Kerssen-Griep said.
And he is doing just that. To check out "Buzz Cuts" visit http://cdbaby.com/cd/WildHair.
