THE JUDAS OF FOLK
About the Program | Program Repertoire |Digital Program| About the Artists | Community Project | Our Sponsors
Photos by Haoyuan Ren
Bob Dylan broke music wide open one fateful day in 1965.
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Bob Dylan’s performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival is the stuff of American folk legends. By all accounts, folk music was not supposed to be electric. Electric guitars belonged to other genres and certainly not on the storied stage at Newport, where the conventions of folk were upheld and celebrated. And yet, in a singular set, Dylan tore the fabric of American music and redefined what it could be.
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When Dylan picked up his Fender Stratocaster, he sparked controversy and left audiences divided—some in stunned silence, others in outrage, and even some in awe. He electrified not just his sound but the very soul of American music and, in doing so, changed the conversation about the rules of music and art forever.
Dylan and an all-new American sound
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Dylan’s impact as a musical revolutionary stretches beyond Newport. In his unrelenting pursuit to be true to himself and his art, he showed us how rejecting the confines of “how things are done” could make room for a bold, bright “way things could be.”
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His commitment to authenticity and rule-breaking makes him one of our most profound and enduring cultural icons and reminds us what it means to Make Some Noise.
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Join MUSE/IQUE for a wildly fun celebration of rock, folk, and everything between, and the man that changed the landscape of American musical history forever.
THE JUDAS OF FOLK
Program Repertoire
House of the Rising Sun - Traditional Folk Song, arr. Matt Rohde
Rachel Gonzalez, LaVance Colley, Chris Pierce, DC6 Singers Collective, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
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Lucille - Albert Collins and Richard Penniman, arr. Jamey Tate
LaVance Colley, DC6 Singers Collective, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
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Water Boy - Traditional Folk Song, arr. Gabe Witcher
Rachel Gonzalez, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
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Blowin’ in the Wind - Bob Dylan, arr. Jamey Tate
Rachel Gonzalez, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
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A Change is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke, arr. Jamey Tate
LaVance Colley, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
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We Shall Overcome - Charles Albert Tindley, arr. Bishop Paul S. Morton
DC6 Singers Collective, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
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Times They are A-Changin - Bob Dylan, arr. Matt Rohde
Rachel Gonzalez, LaVance Colley, DC6 Singers Collective, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
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Give Me One Reason - Tracy Chapman, arr. Rachel Gonzalez
Rachel Gonzalez, Jacob Scesney, Jamey Tate, Matt Rohde, Mike Abraham, Jon Button, Mona Tavakoli
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It Ain’t Me Babe - Bob Dylan, arr. Gabe Witcher
Rachel Gonzalez, Chris Pierce, Gabe Witcher, Jamey Tate, Michael Abraham, Jon Button, Mona Tavakoli
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In My Life - Paul McCartney and John Lennon, arr. David Lee
DC6 Singers Collective
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Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan, arr. Jamey Tate
Chris Pierce, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
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Time is on My Side - Jerry Ragovoy, arr. Matt Rohde
Chris Pierce, DC6 Singers Collective, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
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Mr. Tambourine Man - Bob Dylan, arr. Paul Cartwright
Ira Ingber, Rachel Gonzalez, LaVance Colley, Chris Pierce, DC6 Singers Collective, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
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This Land is Your Land - Woody Guthrie, arr. Gabe Witcher
Ira Ingber, Rachel Gonzalez, LaVance Colley, Chris Pierce, DC6 Singers Collective, MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
THE JUDAS OF FOLK
Program
LAVANCE COLLEY, VOCALS
LaVance Colley has fused the presence, range, and fervor of a Gospel singer with the versatility of Jazz, and the heart of R&B to develop a style all his own. As an accomplished vocalist his credits include working with legends like: Beyonce Knowles, John Legend, Shawn Mendes, Pharrell Williams, Diana Ross, and Lizzo, to name a few. LaVance is also widely recognized as the lead vocalist, and Emcee on tour with international sensation group Postmodern Jukebox. His live performances and studio sessions are truly spectacular and highly sought after by many artists in the industry.
rachel gonzalez, VOCALS
LA native Singer-Songwriter Rachel Gonzalez is a blend of soul driven melodies & intentionally honest storytelling. Her voice carries her message of healing straight to your heart, and is something you can’t quite ignore. Growing up singing in church and high school choir sparked her love for music, and her time at Berklee College of Music inspired her to develop her voice and sound as an artist. Now, she is pursuing her love for music as an artist, vocalist, and songwriter creating music in so many different facets with so many amazing musicians.
chris pierce, vocals
Chris Pierce is a singer-songwriter who blends Americana, folk, blues, and soul. His hit song “We Can Always Come Back to This” reached #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart. Pierce has also done worldwide headlining tours and has performed with: Neil Young, B.B. King, Seal, Al Green, Steve Earle, Allison Russell, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Jill Scott, Blind Boys of Alabama, Aaron Neville & others. Other recent highlights include: a solo concert at The Kennedy Center, a duet with Sara Bareilles, a sold-out concert with Allison Russell, and performance/interviews on NPR’s WORLD CAFÉ, MOUNTAIN STAGE, AMERICAN FOLK SHOW, SoCAL SOUND, and more. Stellar performances at Newport Folk, AmericanaFest, Folk Alliance, Rancho La Puerta Folk Fest, Four Corners Folk, MerleFest & NC Folk Festival led to further acclaim.
dc6 singerS collective, vocals
The DC6 Singers Collective are a Los Angeles-based ensemble of dynamic and energetic a cappella, gospel, and Motown singers. Together, the DC6 Singers Collective have brought their shared passion for music as well as their uplifting and charismatic performances to audiences across the country. In harmony, the DC6 Singers Collective delivers a unique approach to gospel and Motown standards and breathes new life into classic and current pop standards.
GABE WITCHER, FIDDLE AND MANDOLIN
Gabe Witcher is a Grammy®-winning multi instrumentalist, producer, composer, and arranger best known for his work with the genre-bending acoustic quintet, Punch Brothers. Throughout his nearly 40-year career, he has worked with a wide range of artistic luminaries including Paul Simon, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Willie Nelson, the Coen Brothers, Jon Batiste, and Bela Fleck. Witcher frequently appears as a featured soloist on many award-winning film and television scores including Oscar® winners Brokeback Mountain, Babel, and Toy Story, Cars, The Good Dinosaur, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Better Call Saul. Over the past decade Witcher has premiered works with the San Francisco Symphony, Boston Pops, and the National Symphony Orchestra among others. His ongoing collaboration as orchestral arranger for MacArthur Award-winner Rhiannon Giddens continues to delight audiences around the world. In the fall of 2023 Witcher premiered an adaptation of Copland’s Rodeo for bluegrass ensemble, commissioned and performed by the Martha Graham Dance Company to commemorate their 100th anniversary.
ira ingber, special featured guitarist
Minneapolis-born, Los Angeles raised, Ira Ingber recorded his first original song at the age of 15 at the fabled Gold Star recording studio in Hollywood, and the path to his future was clearly marked. Ira was asked to form a band for fellow Minnesotan, Bob Dylan that led to the recording of two Dylan albums, “Empire Burlesque” and “Knocked Out Loaded”. One song, the 12+ minute epic “Brownsville Girl,” went on to appear on Dylan’s Greatest Hits Vol. 3. In 2021, Ira reunited with Bob, performing on the majority of the songs on the album, “Shadow Kingdom,” released in 2023. A long working relationship with Van Dyke Parks resulted in Ira’s involvement as both musician and producer of scores with a wide range of film, television, record and commercial projects, including Brian Wilson’s and Van Dyke’s “Orange Crate Art” and Van Dyke’s “Songs Cycled.” The motion picture, Midnight Run, score written by Danny Elfman, prominently featured Ira’s slide guitar. Ira has composed and performed numerous original scores and songs for film, television and commercials.
MUSE/IQUE orchestra
Led by Artistic & Music Director Rachael Worby
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This special group works closely with MUSE/IQUE to develop and produce arrangements, advise on repertoire, and help bring the music to life.
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Resident arrangers Jamey Tate and David Lee (DC6 Singers Collective).
Guest arrangers Paul Cartwright, Matt Rohde, and Gabe Witcher
Jamey Tate, arranger / drums
Matt Rohde, arranger / keyboards
Paul Cartwright, arranger / violin, viola
Michael Abraham, guitars
Jon Button, bass
Mona Tavakoli, percussion
Mark Cohen, pedal steel guitar
Isaiah Gage, cello
Mike Stever, trumpet
Chris Gray, trumpet
Jacob Scesney, saxophone and woodwinds
Ryan Dragon, trombone
Brady Steel, Orchestra Manager. Caroline Boyce, Librarian.
THE JUDAS OF OF FOLK
In the Community
Connect with our community through the magic of art and music at The Judas of Folk
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Did you know Bob Dylan is also a visual artist? As part of our Studio program, we invited students from Learning Works Charter School to create drawings inspired by Bob Dylan’s paintings, sketches, and sculptures which local artist Sergio Hernandez will take to create a one-of-a-kind collage piece.
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Participants learn about the curation and repertoire from our events and gain an understanding about a profession in the arts. We invited students from Learning Works and local artist Sergio Hernandez to create a collage piece inspired by Bob Dylan's artwork. Screen-printed posters of this design are available for free as our gift to you.
Amplifying music makers in our community
We spotlight the many creative individuals we meet through community partnerships and invite them to participate in our shows. At this program, we welcome talented musicians from Jazz Hands for Autism and Urban Voices Project.
Support MUSE/IQUE’s mission by giving back to our community
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Each season, MUSE/IQUE activates our audiences to give back to our community. This annual program furthers the impact of our mission by engaging the community, encouraging connection, and creating change.
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This year’s donation drive benefits our nonprofit partner Learning Works Charter School. Their mission is to decrease the dropout rates of underserved, at-risk students in grades 7-12. They combine academic intervention and social support services such as childcare for teen parents and access to basic living accommodations which include food and showers.
This season is presented by LeeAnn and Ron Havner / JCS Family Foundation.
Additional Sponsors:
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Anonymous, Avery and Andrew Barth, Michael Casey, Nancy and Michael Harahan, Ellen and Harvey Knell, Ambassador Robert Kohorst and Shelley Allen, The Jerry and Terri Kohl Family Foundation, Debbie and Rick Powell, and Alyce de Roulet Williamson.