Rachel Bell
Peregrine Road (I)
Karen Axelrod & Rachel Bell
​"Patio Coffee"
This audio recording features a performance by Peregrine Road:
Karen Axelrod: piano & accordion and Rachel Bell: accordion
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Composed by Rachel Bell www.rachelbellmusic.com
Performed by Peregrine Road: Karen Axelrod & Rachel Bell www.peregrineroad.bandcamp.com/
Recorded in Brattleboro, VT by musician and engineer Yann Falquet
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The track is available for download here: https://peregrineroad.bandcamp.com/
The Inspiration for "Patio Coffee"
A story of food - in this case, coffee - as a source of connection and expression of kindness.
By Rachel Bell
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Patio Coffee is a favorite Brattleboro spot to go for a top-notch cappuccino and a beautiful view of Wantastiquet Mountain. Owner and barista Corey DiMario is also a highly-respected professional musician, and perhaps that’s why Patio Coffee so often serves as a gathering spot for the many musicians of Brattleboro. I tend to meet up with some of my favorite accordion player friends there to enjoy delicious drinks and talk accordions.
Soon after the pandemic started, right in that moment when we full-time musicians were losing all of our gigs and wondering what we were going to do, the traditional music and dance community around the country rallied around to support us in a big way. There were a million ways they offered that support, everything from helping us figure out how to do live streams to actually tangibly stepping in to cover some of our bills during the months without work. But perhaps the most touching act of kindness was the continuous supply of Patio Coffee gift cards that arrived for my bandmate Karen Axelrod and me along with a couple other local musicians. The source of the cards, a generous group of friends from around the country, insisted on remaining anonymous for nearly 5 years as they supplied us over and over again with Patio Coffee gift cards. We were profoundly touched and felt very taken care of. It was really important for us, because meeting friends on the patio for coffee was one of the rare opportunities for in person connection during those isolated months. We cried when we finally found out who all had taken part in this gift for us, and I wrote this tune to honor Patio Coffee and to thank our gift card angels.
Karen Axelrod is my duo partner in the band Peregrine Road, and I’m lucky enough to have her right up the street from me. We recorded this tune with Yann Falquet engineering at his recording studio, which just happens to be upstairs from Karen’s apartment. We ran cables down through the stairwell so Karen could play her very own piano.
MORE ABOUT RACHEL BELL AND PEREGRINE ROAD
Rachel Bell is a performer, composer, and music teacher based in Brattleboro, VT. She is in demand throughout North America and abroad for concerts, contra dances, French bal folk dances, English country dances, workshops, and festivals. Drawing inspiration from Celtic, French, English, Quebecois, and New England traditions, Rachel enjoys surprising audiences with an accordion style that is much different than the stereotypical oom-pah polka sound. Her playing spans an enormous range of emotion, from nuanced and sensitive to exhilarating and powerful. Rachel thrives on ensemble work, evidenced by her flourishing bands Eloise & Co., Andromeda, Peregrine Road, Alchemy, and Constellation. She is a prolific tunesmith, with compositions traveling all over the globe and a book of sheet music that sold 800 copies in just the first few years. She collaborates with choreographer Susan Kevra, and their collection of English country dance and tune pairings will be available here in early 2026. Rachel plays a major role on 5 full-length albums and appears as a studio musician on numerous others. Her band Eloise & Co. released a new album called "avec Elodie" in Oct, 2025, available here. Rachel was awarded a Vermont Arts Council Creation Grant and spent much of 2025 writing new bal folk (French dance) music for that project. Rachel’s work is infused with a contagious enthusiasm for her instrument and a deep respect for the musical traditions she carries.
Peregrine Road plays captivating acoustic music that occupies a sweet spot somewhere between chamber music and folk music, with lush textures alongside raw energy and multi-cultural influences. Karen Axelrod and Rachel Bell are a powerhouse duo capable of a huge variety of styles, in demand throughout North America and beyond for concerts, workshops, festivals, English country dances, contra dances, and other events. Their music is rooted in Celtic, English, French, Quebecois, and New England traditions while at the same time being infused with the excitement of new compositions and dynamic improvisation. Audience members frequently remark on Peregrine Road's exquisite musicianship and mastery of their instruments, as well as their outrageous humor and ability to connect with listeners of all ages and walks of life. Please join us for a memorable evening sure to get your toe tapping one moment and tug at your heartstrings the next.