& The Mallet Band

Saturday, February 1, 2025
7:30 PM

The Mallet Band rides again…

What is the difference between a xylophone, a marimba and a vibraphone? We know you’re dying to find out! The history of those instruments is so deep, it goes back to primeval ages. Once humans found out that trees have pitch, and not just the sappy kind, it marked the beginning of rudimentary mallet instruments.

The Mallet Band is a group of percussionists dedicated to combining pitch and rhythm into something much more than a primal caveman celebration. (Although we do like caveman celebrations…) We literally strike the instruments with mallets in order to create music that resonates through several ethnic idioms, Latin, Jazz, Brazilian, African, Jamaican.

Onstage will be a concert marimba, vibraphone, xylophone, steel drums, a one-of-a-kind bass marimba and a drummer. Also included are orchestra bells, as well as crotales — which is not something you want to eat with a salad. All instruments are played acoustically, no electronics needed.

The Mallet Band will be performing original compositions written to show off the capabilities of these instruments when played by virtuosos. Since those virtuosos won’t be available, Michael Hatfield has scoured the Bay Area (and gone as far as importing a player from Colorado) to find the finest local mallet percussionists that can read music and find their way to the gig. OK< that’s just a joke. Maybe.

Come check out our website!