Magpie

Greg Artzner and Terry Leonino, who perform as Magpie, began to play music together in Kent, OH, in September 1973. They have toured extensively, performing concerts, at folk clubs and festivals around the world, and recording. Terry's voice is a truly impressive instrument, with natural power and versatility. A gifted singer of jazz and blues in the tradition of Connie Boswell and Billie Holiday, she is equally comfortable with the subtle beauty of traditional folk and contemporary songs. Add to this her uncanny ability to find the perfect harmony line, and a powerful blend of their two voices and you have a real treat for the ear. Terry is also an excellent player of the harmonica, mandolin, fretted dulcimer and rhythm guitar.

Greg is an outstanding guitarist whose fingerstyle approach is the solid basis of Magpie's sound, providing whatever is called for, whether it is a hard-driving rhythm or a ringing lyrical beauty. From a slow Scots air or a plaintive balad to a rocllicking ragtime blues or infectious swing, Greg covers it all. His high baritone voice has equal range and his captivating interpretation gives power and beauty to the full spectrum, from growling blues, to a Chilean lament, to a sweet croon.

From the beginning, Terry and Greg's interests in various musical styles have led them to be eclectic in their repertoire. Rather than confine themselves to a single style, Magpie has embraced a musical rainbow, with impressive proficiency in each genre. With the power of their delivery, Magpie is well-known for their performances of hard-hitting topical songs, including as regular performers at Phil Ochs Song Nights, organized by Phil's sister, Sonny Ochs, since 1984. Their view point has been shaped by their life experiences. Greg began to play music in the early sixties as a direct result of the Civil Right s Movement. His father worked for the National Urban League and family members became involved in local action in the Movement. Terry, who also began singing at that time, spent many summers with her mother's family in the deep south where she witnessed the cruelty of racism and the power of the Movement. She also witnessed the shootings at Kent State on May 4th, 1970, when National Guard troops fired into a group of students protesting the war in Vietnam. Terry and Greg continue to reflect these experiences in their own work as they frequently raise their voices in support of the ongoing sruggles for civil rights, freedom, justice and peace.

Over the years they have become distinguished for producing programs of music for museums, (including the Smithsonian), schools and other special events in which they focus on music centered around the cultural history of an era or series of events or the environment. Terry and Greg are internationally known for their musical work in the environmental movement, supporting such groups as the National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, the National Wildlife Refuge System, the National Park Service, and Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. Earth Day 1998 found them performing at Harpers Ferry National Park, where their well-known anthem "We Belong to the Earth" was the perfect finale to a speech by Presdient Clinton.In 2000 Magpie collaborated with scientists at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center to create a "museum musical"-Tales of the Blue Crab - the first of its kind, using a museum display as the set for the show.

http://www.magpiemusic.com

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