Aircastle

Aircastle founders Robert Gilmore and David Godet met in 1973, when they were assigned as roommates in the Sonoma State dorms in Northern California. The band name was inspired by the Maxfield Parrish painting entitled "Air Castles." They soon started playing around Sonoma County as a flute and acoustic guitar duo, in an English folk/classically influenced style. The late Kate Wolf took Aircastle under her wing when she interviewed them on her radio show "Singer's Circle" on KSRO, and they performed their music on the air. Aircastle also played in a number of her concerts. Later, with the addition of violin, cello and female vocalist, the band became known for its complex acoustic material as well as for the excellence of its string players, including Jeremy Cohen (Quartet San Francisco) and Teri Lee (National Symphony Orchestra). Aircastle gained popularity throughout the SF Bay Area, calling their music Renaissance Jazz. The late 1970s saw the addition of bass, drums and keyboards, transitioning to a more electric progressive rock approach. They shared the bill with George Winston, David LaFlamme (It's a Beautiful Day), Robin Williamson (Incredible String Band), Merle Saunders (Jerry Garcia) and were joined onstage and jammed with Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin). Aircastle was initially active from 1973-1982. They reunited in 2006 thanks to their longtime friend Michael Fleshman, an anti-apartheid activist who worked for the UN at that time.