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Our selection this week brings you another male-female duo with a strong interest in vintage music and quirky, charming intrumentation. Sami & Sarah are part of the Brooklyn roots music scene and draw from eclectic sources ranging from the Great American Songbooks to old-time to Latin string bands, infusing all with a creative sense of whimsy. Their ‘Got You, Banjolele!’ is a take on Ernesto Nazareth’s 1915 choro classic ‘Apanhei-te Cavaquinho!,’ transposing the lead from cavaquinho to Sami’s guitar, and the rhythm chop to Sarah’s banjolele, and gives the tune an easy swinging feel perfect for a late summer afternoon.

Q & A

What is your goal in recording and sharing music?

We first started making music together to cheer ourselves up during a long NYC winter. Our goal is really to have fun when we are playing, and hope that this comes through on our recordings. If one of our songs makes someone smile, it is a success.

Come up with a descriptive, original genre name for your music.

Kitschy vintage jazz-world-folk hodgepodge.

Who do you view as a likely audience for your music?

All kinds of people. We’re pretty non-exclusive, but a lack of cynicism helps.

If trapped on a desert island with only 3 songs, which would they be?

Sami:
1. “Lush Life” Johnny Hartman/John Coltrane
2. “O Leaõzinho” Caetano Veloso
3. “Bohemian Rhapsody” Queen

Sarah:
1. “Take the A Train” – Duke Ellington
2. “Mindless” – Okay/Marty Anderson
3. Beethoven’s 7th, second movement

Is there an instrument you do not currently play that you’d like to learn?

Sarah has always wanted to learn the fiddle, and has been making (slow) progress. Sami wants to learn how to play the accordion, we’ll keep you posted!

Who is your musical hero(es), if any?

Erik Satie, Vashti Bunyan, Bill Murray

You can hear more from Sami and Sarah on their website: Click Here