Folk/Pop Duo Aaron Nathans, Michael G. Ronstadt to Perform in Falls Church

Singer-songwriters Aaron Nathans, on guitar and Michael G. Ronstadt on cello will present their original, often-humorous songs Saturday, Jan. 17, at Celebration Center for Spiritual Living, 2849 Graham Rd. Falls Church, 22042.

Admission is $18 or $15 in advance.

Nathans and Ronstadt, both successful musicians in their own right, this year released their duo debut album, “Crooked Fiddle,” blending wild-mind, bittersweet songwriting and virtuosic cello into musical combustion. “Crooked Fiddle” rose to No. 12 on the DJ folk charts in September, and “Old Joe’s Chair” was the 10th most-played song on folk radio that month.

SingOut magazine this month called “Crooked Fiddle” “an engaging, warm and intimate collaboration” with songs that are often “contemplative and thoughtfully constructed . . . Throughout the songs are stirring and they leave you thinking.”

Nathans, an American University graduate and 2011 Kerrville New Folk finalist, has opened for Lucy Kaplansky, Tracy Grammer, Vance Gilbert and The Kennedys. With his off-kilter view of the world, Nathans adds humorous set-ups that are as captivating as his beautiful guitar work, catchy melodies and sweet baritone voice.

Ronstadt, who also plays guitar and mandolin, hails from music royalty. The nephew of Linda Ronstadt, he carries on his family’s eclectic music tradition, performing more than 200 nights a year with various projects, including his Southwestern family band The Ronstadt Generations with his father and brother. He’s also a songwriter, known for mind-bending, wildly creative tunes.

Linda Ronstadt said of her nephew: “Mikey’s a master’s level cellist and he also plays the guitar really well. He can play anything really with strings that you pick up, and is really well versed in various rhythm cultures,” like Caribbean and Mexican.

From Gordon Nash’s Wise Madness music blog: “Musically, they come from different worlds. Aaron is a clever songwriter whose greatest strength is his wit and use of language. Michael is a conservatory trained cello virtuoso who reveals a winning playfulness when he performs... They take your mind places it has not been before.”

Read more about the performers’ at their Web sites: http://www.aaronnathans.com, http://michaelronstadt.com/ and watch a video of a performance below: