Folk music duo to play at Pepper Park Coffee

Music runs in the blood of the Risches, a family of seven kids raised by bluegrass musicians who toured the Midwest and lived in Barrington for several years.

Carter Rische, 23, of Freeport was exposed to several different instruments at a young age, the first of which was violin at age 6. He plays acoustic and electric guitar, bass, drums, mandolin and fiddle. They were played by everyone in the family, he said.

"We tried to learn from each other," said Carter, who makes up one half of the duo Quarter Moon, which is performing at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, at Pepper Park Coffee, 22000 N. Pepper Road, Lake Barrington.

"All I had to do was ask and somebody in the family knew how to teach," Carter said.

Carter passed down some musical knowledge to his nephew, Jordan, 20, of Cary, who is mostly self-taught on acoustic guitar, ukulele and mandolin. The other half of the group, Jordan, is a tenor/alto who harmonizes with his uncle.

"We sing everything from Bob Dylan to Death Cab for Cutie," said Jordan, who began working at Pepper Park Coffee in May.

When Jordan saw there was a need for musicians to play at the shop, he offered to perform with Carter.

"I was happy that they did live music," said Jordan. "I worked in corporate coffee shops that didn't allow it."

Quarter Moon's genre is mostly bluegrass and folk, with popular songs occasionally tossed into the mix like "Wagon Wheel" and "Riptide."

"We play our own little folky rendition of those," Carter said.

Quarter Moon's first performance in mid-July was well received. Of course, Carter's parents were thrilled to see the music they love being passed down to their children and grandchildren.

"I think they like the fact that the genre is staying pretty close to where the roots are," Carter said.

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