The Chocolate Church Arts Center, located at 804 Washington Street in Bath, welcomes the Sultans of String on Friday, Aug. 4 at 7:30 p.m. on the main stage. This much anticipated stop on their 10th Anniversary Celebration Tour supports their new, special edition vinyl album celebrating this milestone decade, aptly titled “10”.  The Sultans of String will have local musicians Heather Pierson, and The Hollowbody Electric Band as their two opening acts. 

Touring non-stop in support of their latest CD, “Subcontinental Drift,” the Sultans of String are an “energetic and exciting band, with talent to burn!” (Maverick Magazine, UK). They serve up a musical passport of Celtic reels, Flamenco, Gypsy-jazz, Arabic, and Cuban rhythms, with fiery violin dances and kinetic guitar, while funky bass lays down unstoppable grooves. Throughout, acoustic strings meet electronic wizardry to create layers and depth of sound.

The band is led by 5-string violinist McKhool (Jesse Cook, Pavlo) who was raised in a Lebanese-Egyptian household just bursting with music and diversity. Growing up, Chris was fed a steady diet of delicious musicality alongside Middle Eastern cuisine and violin lessons. At the core of the band’s sound is his bold and fiery fiddle, melded seamlessly with founding guitarist Kevin Laliberté’s (Jesse Cook) rumba rhythm. Together their musical synergy created Sultans of String’s signature sound – the intimate and playful relationship between violin and guitar. Added to this rich foundation is bass master Drew Birston (Chantal Kreviazuk). 

Sultans of String have been criss-crossing North America for the last several years at many taste-making forums such as NYC’s legendary Birdland, Boston’s Scullers and California’s hip music scene including the San Jose Jazz Festival. They recently sold out with Kingsfield POPS in Maine and Maryland’s Annapolis Symphony. Sultans of String were filmed by MPBN’s Maine Arts! in a feature concert, and have performed live on BBC TV, BBC Radio, Irish National Radio, and the internationally syndicated shows WoodSongs, World Cafe, and on SiriusXM in Washington.

Ticket prices are $25 advance and $28 at door. Tickets are available by calling the Chocolate Church box office 207-442-8455 or purchase online: www.chocolatechurcharts.org.