Jutta And The Hi-Dukes

Boogie around the world without leaving town as Jutta & the Hi-Dukes™, a slammingly fun, acoustic world music band, leads you through the Balkan-Gypsy-Greek-Klezmer-Dixie-Scandinavian traditional circle and line dances that go with the music. Founded in 1990, the eclectic, energetic, multi-instrumentalist group tours internationally, performing at festivals, in concert, at private parties, and at schools/universities presenting cultural lectures, ethnic music and dance residencies, and assemblies. “[Their] music is exciting and listeners will find it hard to keep from leaping up to dance,” - Music reviewer for The Round Table newspaper. Michigan's BlissFest wrote: "amazing repertoire, authentic chutzpah that makes the music come alive, knows how to reach everyone, regardless of age or background."

"After over twenty years of focusing on rootsy Blues acts, I decided to branch into World Music because of this eclectic band. Their enthusiastic and authoritative approach to music convinced me to sign them to the Earwig Music label. Their CD, 'On the World Beat', is a fine overview of their work. I imagine you will find Jutta & the Hi-Dukes™ as exciting as I do!" -- Michael Frank, owner of Earwig Music Company, a roots-blues record label. The energetic sound of the Hi-Dukes is as unusual as its repertoire because both of the core duet are multi-instrumentalists. Seven instruments (Mandolin, Violin, Greek Baglama, Guitar, Bulgarian Flute, Ocarina, and Balkan Percussion), with two voices singing in up to eighteen languages, allow the duet to create an ever-changing spectrum of musical color that crosses musical borders by, for example, using a Bulgarian Flute on a Danish tune or a Balkan Drum on a French-Canadian song. But whatever its sound, every number grabs your attention, gets your feet tapping, urging you to dance.

Whenever feasible, extra players are brought on board, drawn from various ethnic communities. Notable players include: Velizar Shumanov (Bulgarian, accordion, tupan - leader of Orkestra Izgrev), George Petrov (Bulgarian, tupan, accordion - recorded and performed with Yuri Yunakov), Blagoj Lamnjov (Macedonian, clarinet, tupan), Mark Gavoor (Armenian, oud), Donovan Mixon (jazz guitarist), and Marc Edelstein (American Bluegrass, acoustic bassist for the Broadway play, "Million Dollar Quartet"). Hi-Dukes co-founder and leader Terran Doehrer has performed professionally since 1980 when he formed his first band, the N.A.I.R.D. award-winning Balkan Rhythm Band™, which evolved into Jutta & the Hi-Dukes in 1990. He has founded or co-founded Ensemble M'chaiya™ - Chicagoland's first Klezmer band, Terran's Greek Band™, the Nordland Band™, and Razzemetazz™, as well as performed with internationally known musicians including the Macedonian Gypsy singer, Esma Redzhepova, and the Greek clarinetist, James Stoynoff. Terran speaks five languages, plays six instruments, teaches dance, and is the band's main singer. Danish-national Jutta Distler is the Hi-Dukes co-founder and namesake. She speaks four languages, plays four instruments, teaches dance, and is the band's second singer. Together, Jutta and Terran are dance instructors at the Arcturus Waldorf Teacher Training Program in Chicago. The Hi-Dukes' appearances of note include the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Earthsong Fest, Hiawatha Fest, Bliss Fest, Shawano Folk Fest, Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music Folks and Roots Festival, and Taste of Chicago.