Artist Category: Fiddle | Page 11

Ryan McKasson

Ryan McKasson has gained a reputation as a performer, composer, collaborator, and teacher. In 1996 he was the youngest to win the National Scottish Fiddle Championship. In 1997 he was awarded a Merit Scholarship for Viola Performance from the University of Southern California where he studied with Donald McInnes.

Ryan has also been a member of a baroque/celtic/fusion combo, Ensemble Galilei. He helped co-write and co-produce First Person: Seeing America with them, a collaboration between Ensemble Galilei and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This multi-disciplinary project includes photographs from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, poetry and prose about America, and the music of Ensemble Galilei. He also recorded with Ensemble Galilei on A Change of Worlds (2012), and Surrounded by Angels: A Christmas Celebration With Ensemble Galilei (2013).

Ryan has recorded with Hanneke Cassel on her albums Silver, For Reasons Unseen, and Dot The Dragon’s Eye, and also with Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas on their album Highlander’s Farewell.

Ryan has also taught at fiddle camps around the US and New Zealand, most notably: Boston Harbor Scottish Fiddling School, Southern Hemisphere International School of Scottish Fiddle, Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School, Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp, and Swannanoa Gathering.

The Mammals

Indie-roots trailblazers, The Mammals, are a high-octane Americana quintet from New York’s storied Hudson Valley carrying on the work of Pete Seeger & Woody Guthrie with a deep original repertoire, searing American roots sound, and a message of hope for humanity.

Known for their jubilant, high-energy shows, The Mammals deftly move from older-than-dirt banjo duets to sound-the-alarm topical fare that’s right in line with the times, bouncing from rafter raising hoe-downs to hear-a-pin-drop a cappella balladry.

The new album, Sunshiner, bottles The Mammals’ on-stage effervescence and lyrical intellect along with some very beautiful studio magic. Sunshiner bursts open with the soaring, up-tempo idealism of Merenda’s “Make It True,” with echoes of The Byrds, and then takes a more modern, Feist-inspired, turn with Ungar’s soulful plea,“Open The Door.”

The Mammals treasure the timeless traditions of song, story-telling and dance. Their work is to continue a musical odyssey so that the same handmade music passed down to them makes it thru to future generations one song, one concert at a time.

Joe Crookston

Joe is a force of nature on stage. He is in his power AND he communes with his audience and welcomes them into the magic.

From touring with Gordon Lightfoot, headlining major US festivals, receiving Folk Alliance International “Album of the Year,” releasing NINE BECOMES ONE (2023) to being named Folk Alliance International Artist-in- Resident, Joe is on fire. He’s played with Suzanne Vega, Dar Williams, David Francey, John McCutcheon, John Gorka, Judy Collins and 100’s more.

He’ll surprise you. He awakens the cynics. He’s plumbing for lyrical gold.

His rhythm is infectious. In concert, he is funny as hell one moment and transcendent the next. photo: Linda McDonald

HE BELIEVES IN STORIES
Come to a show. Visual, artful and surprising. Brooklyn in July, Oklahoma towns, rattlesnake tails, turbary thieves, meter maids and drunk roosters. At the end of the night, you’ll leave inspired. “The Long Note” is a phrase in Irish culture. “The Long Note” is that place of resonance and transcendence where the music, the voices, the instruments, and the community ALL come together and unite.

THERE IS A LONG NOTE & JOE IS REACHING FOR IT
Whether he’s weaving through lap slide songs or fiddling an American Southern tune, he’ll draw you in. It happens every time. Watch a YouTube video…it’s fine, but it’s not the same. You gotta come to a show. With unwavering courage to be himself, he is literate, poignant and funny as hell.

He lives in Ithaca NY, and tours regularly in the US, Ireland and Canada.

Jake Armerding

The Boston Globe calls violinist-composer Jake Armerding “the most gifted and promising songwriter to emerge from the Boston folk scene in years.” Armerding grew up playing classical violin and listening to 80’s pop radio. His neo-classical string quartet ROSIN released their debut at Carnegie Hall in 2018, and he splits his time between that ensemble, his Patreon project Shelter Island, and a ridiculously high-testosterone bluegrass band called Barnstar!. Over the course of three thousand performances, he has shared the stage with Bela Fleck, Nickel Creek, Josh Ritter and Toad the Wet Sprocket.

Jenna Moynihan

Jenna Moynihan is regarded as one of the best of the new generation of freestyle fiddlers. Versatile and inventive, her fiddling style draws strongly from the Scottish tradition, but is also influenced by American, Irish, and Scandinavian styles. Jenna has performed and taught around the world, including performances at Celtic Connections, Celtic Colours, Scots Fiddle Festival, and Festival Interceltique. She has performed as a soloist with The Boston Pops, and appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and CBS Sunday Morning.

Jenna is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, where she received the Fletcher Bright Award & The American Roots Music Scholarship, both given annually to one outstanding string-player. In addition to her solo work, she performs with Seamus Egan Project, Hanneke Cassel Band, and in a duo with harpist Màiri Chaimbeul. Jenna is also a dedicated teacher and teaches at various camps and courses throughout the year, and is an Assistant Professor in the String Department at Berklee College of Music, in Boston, MA.