swallowtails

Swallowtails emerged from the cocoon of their living room laboratory at the persistent coaxing of Tenayas late grandmother, Anne Kael Wallach. Upon her demand, Jason and Tenaya did their first performance as a duo in August 2005 for a crowded house of family and friends.The name Swallowtails comes from a story Tenayas grandmother told from her early days teaching in a one room schoolhouse in Graton, Ca in the early 1930s. She would often take her students out in the countryside to learn about plants and collect wildflowers. They would carefully take specimens back to the classroom to press, catalogue and display them. On one such adventure, wading through creeks they found a branch with hanging chrysalis. She described the childrens awe and amazement as they watched the seemingly inanimate chrysalis come to life. Out of the delicate skin emerged long tailed yellow butterflies swallowtails!Individually Tenaya and Jason have been writing and playing music most of their lives. Tenaya founded the group Copper Wimmin with Alyx Benham and Sophia Mallie in 1994. They have toured nationally and have three recordings out, the latest entitled The Right To Be Here. Jason Grew up with Bach and Dylan in one ear and Rhassan Roland Kirk and John Cage in the other. As a guitarist he has worked with Artists such as Casey Neill, Joanne Rand and Anne Weiss. Together Jason and Tenaya form Swallowtails and bring something new to flutter and shimmer above your listening ears.