IMAGES /  SKEUDENNOÙ

NEWS / NEVEZIOÙ

NAME CHANGE? 

Queen Amann is a new band, brought to you by the main people from our prior group, Bara Gwin. If you liked that band, you will love this one.

We’re busy building a new repertoire and lineup - working on intriguing pieces of music and exploring opportunities to collaborate with new musical partners.

WE’RE VERY INTERESTED IN EXPANDING THE BAND!

To learn more click the button to the right.

Queen Amann est un phénomène inhabituel dans le monde de la musique bretonne. Depuis la musique bretonne n'est pas bien connu en Amérique, les quelques groupes qui font l'exécuter normalement le faire comme un bibelot. Queen Amann interprète cette musique avec sérieux, avec des arrangements sophistiqués et puissants. Nous pensons que la musique bretonne est aussi importante et distincte que bien d'autres genres musicaux d'intérêt universel comme le rock ou jazz.

Queen Amann zo ur strollad divoas e bed sonerezh Breizh.

Dre ma n'eo ket gwall vrudet sonerezh Breizh en Amerika, ne vez ket sonet alies gant an nebeud strolladoù a anavez anezhi. Ar sonerezh-se eo plad pennañ ar Queen Amann, ha kempouezañ a reont o tonioù gant soutilded ha nerzh. Degas a reont da soñj ez eo ken pouezus ha ken liesseurt sonerezh Breizh ha doareoù sonerezh a zo brudet er bed a-bezh, evel ar rock pe ar jazz.

SONA GREENBERG

ABOUT US / AR STROLLAD

A new project by two musicians from the group Bara Gwin, Queen Amann performs Fest Noz (Night Party) music with daring and imagination. We are passionate about creating intense, beautiful, noteworthy music and delivering it to a global audience via recording and performance. 

We believe that the Fest Noz genre is as significant and distinctive as other great musical idioms of universal appeal such as tango or jazz.  

‘Queen Amann’ is a light-hearted bilingual pun on the delicious Breton pastry ‘kouign amann’ (butter cake), inspired by a humorous ad for a Breton language class.

RON REED

INVITÉS

SOUNDS / SONIOÙ

Samples from unmixed, test recording sessions.

QUEEN AMANN BRETON MUSIC SEATTLE WA

COME PLAY MUSIC WITH US!

What’s going on here: This is a new band ‘rising from the ashes’ of a prior project. Unlike most new bands, we therefore already have a body of quality material and know that we work well together. 

This band plays Breton Fest Noz (Night Party) music, with an imaginative dose of jazz and other sounds. We place an emphasis on compelling melodies and finely-developed arrangements. 

We/you are: a solid musician, friendly, inquisitive, relatively disciplined, interested in performing and recording. Jazz & rock chops a plus! We’d like to collaborate with other musicians along these lines: everyone pulls their weight musically, and respect, kindness, and professional honesty are the norm. 

What instruments: Bass, clarinet, cello, sax, trumpet, drum-kit, violin, guitar, biniou, etc. You’ll be playing with chromatic accordion and woodwinds.

Unfamiliar with Breton music? If you’re interested in genres like Balkan music or early jazz, or enjoy tritones or modes such as Locrian and Phrygian, you might well like what we do. To better get the vibe, we have a downloadable playlist of genre material. 

Process: We develop scores and sound files using MuseScore, which is free and available for Linux, Mac, and Windows. Rehearsals start in our woodwind player’s south Seattle home. You’d typically begin as a guest and see how it goes from there.

Contact us if you are interested or have questions.

Queen Amann is a music group based in Seattle, WA that presents a bold, imaginative take on contemporary Fest Noz (Night Party) music from Brittany, France. Queen Amann is passionate about creating intense, beautiful, challenging, and engaging music. We use powerful instrumentation, thoughtful arrangements and a generous serving of original compositions.

INVITÉS

With the time-honored Breton duo format at the heart of the band, we look forward to high-quality musical encounters at whatever quantity is mutually agreeable; from a guest on a single recording track or one tune in a performance to part- or even full-time band members. To learn more about us and our interest in expanding our lineup, click HERE.

SONA GREENBERG

Sona (Chromatic Accordion, Fender Rhodes Piano) spent years as a jazz pianist and symphonic oboe player but found  the accordion in her group The Splendour Girls. Her musicianship and phenomenal talent with composition and arrangement are essential ingredients in our sound.

RON REED

Ron (Woodwinds) soaked his brain in Breton music to an unnatural degree starting in adolescence. He is a bombard (Breton oboe) player with a sound inspired by masters such as Youenn Le Bihan, Christian Faucheur, and Jean-Claude Petit. He also plays the tarogato, an oboe-like single-reed instrument originally from eastern Europe.