Artist Category: Fiddle | Page 9

The Quebe Sisters

When the Quebe Sisters from Texas take a stage, and the triple-threat fiddle champions start playing and singing in multi-part close harmony, audiences are usually transfixed, then blown away.

It’s partly because the trio’s vocal and instrumental performances are authentic all-Americana, all the time, respectful of the artists that inspired them the most. And whether the Quebes (rhymes with “maybe”) are decked out in denims and boots or fashionably dressed to the nines in makeup, skirts and heels, the fresh-faced, clean-cut sisters, all in their 20s, look as good as they sound.

The sisters’ past is as colorful and eventful as their future is bright. Growing up in Burleson, a southern suburb of Fort Worth, Hulda, Sophia and Grace were ages 7, 10 and 12 in 1998 when they attended their first local fiddle competition in nearby Denton, and decided fiddling was what they wanted to do.

The girls earned solo and group accolades early on, winning state and national championships in their respective age groups in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. The Quebes’ evolution from the whiz-kid Western swing fiddlers they were back then to the smokin’-hot
young adult Americana band they are today is a remarkable story, by any measure.

Kittel & Co.

Kittel & Co. stands at the forefront of American acoustic music. Jeremy Kittel, a GRAMMY-nominated composer, heads this extraordinary group of musicians – each recognized as an innovator on their instrument. They’ve graced the stage at Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Celtic Connections (UK), National Folk Festival – and their debut album, Whorls didn’t just make waves; it stormed to the top 10 on Classical Billboard charts and claimed the #1 spot on the Bluegrass chart.

Bluegrass Situation said it best: Kittel & Co. “accomplished a feat of new acoustic, string band-rooted chamber music… whimsical, alluring, and magnificent”. Earmilk calls them “a stunning melting pot of classical and folk music, featuring some of the greatest musicians in the genre.” Kittel & Co. is currently working on their next studio album.

The current lineup includes mandolin phenom Josh Pinkham (named “the future of the mandolin” by Mandolin Magazine), bassist Jacob Warren, guitarist Quinn Bachand (called “Canada’s top Celtic guitarist” by Ashley MacIsaac), and hammer-dulcimer wizard Simon Chrisman (acclaimed for bringing a new tonal flexibility to the instrument).

“(Kittel & Co.) takes the string band tradition to marvelously rarefied levels of collective virtuosity. Playing a repertoire from bluegrass to Bach to a strathspey and reel set… [they] sounded thrillingly spontaneous… Taking traditional music forward.” — Times UK

Miles of Music

Miles of Music Island Camp is a week-long retreat exploring traditional folk music, modern songwriting, and how they work together. The week includes classes, dances, jams, great food and plenty of free time on a gorgeous private island in New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee. We teach fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, bass, singing, and occasionally other instruments, and we also have instruction for non-instrument-specific musical skills like songwriting, ear training, ensemble playing, and performance. All ages and abilities are welcome.

Our staff and guest artists are a mix of renowned touring professionals, players steeped in regional traditional music styles as well as up-and-coming original musicians. With 120 creative people including instructors, guest artists, kitchen staff, boat pilots and students, we become a vibrant village for one week. There are moments of jamming and dancing in large groups as well as opportunities to steal away for one-on-one song sharing or tunes on the porch.

Julian Pinelli

Recently named the winner of the 2016 Fresh Grass fiddle competition, Julian Pinelli is a free-spirited violinist who spins a deep tone in his music. Rooted in the bluegrass of his home in Southern Appalachia, Julian taps into a new dimension combining diverse musical influences with the intricacies of acoustic sound.

Julian spent his childhood surrounded by many iconic acoustic musicians including fiddler Bobby Hicks – whose smooth and lush sound has had a big impact on Julian’s playing. Now residing in Boston and attending Berklee College of Music, Julian has been honored with both the 2016 Fletcher Bright Award and Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival’s 2015 Bill Vernon Memorial Scholarship.

Julian unites his passion for improvising with the earthy resonance of acoustic music. “I have always been drawn to the simple and pure tone of acoustic instruments and their inherent expressiveness.” Both adventurous and traditional, Julian creates music that respects traditions such old time and bluegrass while staying fresh at the cutting edge of musical innovation.

Katie McNally

Katie McNally grew up playing Scottish and Cape Breton music near Boston, Massachusetts and currently tours with her own projects, Fàrsan, Pine Tree Flyers, and the Katie McNally Trio. A member of the cross-genre fiddle supergroup, Childsplay, Katie has also toured with Karan Casey, John Whelan, and Galician bagpiper Carlos Núñez.

Now More Than Ever was recorded with the guidance of producer Anna Massie (Blazin’ Fiddles) and released Dec. 4, 2020. Her 2016 album, The Boston States, which explores the historic ties between her hometown of Boston, MA and Cape Breton, has been featured on NPR (The World, Thistle and Shamrock) and was hailed as “one of the best modern Cape Breton records of the past ten years” by Irish Music Magazine.

She has appeared at Celtic Colours, Celtic Connections, Newport Folk Festival, and The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, as well as countless folk venues throughout North America and Europe. In addition to her busy touring schedule, she is the artistic director of the Boston States Fiddle Camp and is a devoted educator who teaches regularly at fiddle camps across the country and gives private lessons at her home in Portland, Maine.

Eszter Balint

Eszter Balint released her new album Airless Midnight in late 2015. It was recorded at New York’s Brooklyn Recording and Richmond’s Montrose Recording, produced by JD Foster, and features Chris Cochrane, Marc Ribot, Dave Schramm on guitar as well as singer songwriter Sam Phillips on harmonies.

Eszter has been very busy for the past few years. In 2014 she was making progress gathering material for the new album when out of the blue-after a long hiatus from acting she was offered a part she couldn’t refuse. She agreed to star in a six-episode arc of Louis C.K.’s F/X series Louie, Season 4, a performance which would earn her considerable critical praise. Eszter also improvised compositions, sang and played violin for the episodes which featured her performance. As soon as filming wrapped, Eszter returned to work on her album.

The album boasts three of New York’s most distinguished and original guitarists: Chris Cochrane (John Zorn, Zena Parkins, long time EB alumni) Dave Schramm (The Schramms, Yo La Tengo, others) and Marc Ribot (too many to name!). They are joined by drummer Brian Wilson (Johnny Dowd, Neko Case), JD Foster on bass, and Sam Phillips on vocal harmonies. Andy Taub and Don Piper engineered at Brooklyn Recording, and Adrian Olsen mixed with JD and Eszter at Montrose Recording. Eszter is featured on vocals, guitar, violin, melodica, mandolin, random sounds, whistling, and she wrote all the songs.

Darol Anger

Grammy- Nominated Freestyle Fiddler, composer, producer and educator, Darol Anger is at home in a number of musical genres, some of which he helped to invent. Exceptional among modern fiddlers for his versatility and depth, Anger has helped drive the evolution of the contemporary string band through his involvement with numerous pathbreaking ensembles such as his Republic Of Strings, the Turtle Island String Quartet, the David Grisman Quintet, Montreux, his Duo with Mike Marshall, Mr Sun, and others.

He has performed and taught all over the world with musicians such as Dr. Billy Taylor, Bela Fleck, Bill Evans, Edgar Meyer, Bill Frisell, Tony Rice, Tim O’Brien, The Anonymous 4, Marin Alsop and the Cabrillo Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony, Bruce Molsky, Mark O’Connor, and Stephane Grappelli. Today Darol can be heard on NPR’s “Car Talk” theme every week, along with Earl Scruggs, David Grisman and Tony Rice. Alumni of his touring band The Republic Of Strings include Brittany Haas, Rushad Eggleston, Jeremy Kittel, Sara Watkins, Tristan Clarridge, Mike Block, Scott Law, Gabriel Witcher, Joy Adams, Maeve Gilchrist, Scott Nygaard, and Joe K Walsh.

Darol was also the violinist on the phenomenally popular Sim City computer games. In addition to performing all over the world, he has recorded and produced scores of important recordings since 1977, is a MacDowell and UCross Fellow, and has received numerous composers’ residencies and grants. He has been a featured soloist on dozens of recordings and motion picture soundtracks.

An Associate Professor Emeritus at the prestigious Berklee School of music, he now runs an ambitious online fiddle school at ArtistWorks.com. He is interested in 5-string violin technology and has built 2.

Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill

Irish fiddle virtuoso Martin Hayes and American guitarist Dennis Cahill possess a rare musical kinship, ranking them among the most memorable partnerships of our era. Together they have garnered international renown for taking traditional music to the very edge of the genre, holding listeners spellbound with their slow-building, fiery performances.

Hayes is a master of the slow, lyrical County Clare style of fiddling which he learned from his well-known father, P Joe Hayes. He is regarded as one of the most extraordinary talents to emerge in the world of Irish traditional music. Cahill is a sublime guitarist whose spare, essential accompaniment is acknowledged as a major breakthrough in the Irish tradition. He was raised in Chicago by parents from the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry. The two met in Chicago in the 1980s, and after early years as an experimental Irish fusion group they formed their groundbreaking duo. Martin and Dennis have gone on to tour the world, appearing at major concert halls including Lincoln Center and the Royal Albert Hall, and have three acclaimed albums on Green Linnet/Compass Records.

After more than twenty years at the forefront of traditional music, Hayes and Cahill are still breaking new ground. As The Irish Times declares, “If your live music rations were limited to a single concert in the entire year, you’d be either crazy or foolish not to pass that precious time in the company of Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill.”

Barnstar!

Barnstar! delivers an aggressively joyful and passionately positive musical experience that reflects the true mission statement of these mischievous music makers – a beacon of joy in a world that could use a bit more kindness.

The brainchild of bassist and impresario Zachariah Hickman, Barnstar! features some of the Boston area’s most dynamic seasoned musicians: Mark Erelli (vocals, guitar), Charlie Rose (banjo, vocals), Taylor Armerding (mandolin, vocals), and Jake Armerding (fiddle, vocals). Their music resonates with audiences who appreciate the artistry of traditional bluegrass as well as those who are drawn to the band’s innovative and boundary-pushing approach. The band continues to record and perform, while navigating solo careers and high profile side-person gigs (with the likes of Josh Ritter, Rodney Crowell, Lori McKenna, Elephant Revival, Ray LaMontange, ROSIN, and many more).

Building off the success of their previous efforts “C’mon” (2011) and “Sit Down! Get Up! Get Out!” (2015), “Furious Kindness” showcases the diverse songwriting talents within Barnstar! Featuring original compositions such as Jake’s soulful and plaintive “Anybody Got A Light?” and the collaborative effort “Believer” by Mark, Zachariah, and Charlie, there is a sense of hope and rebirth that underlies the whole project. Noteworthy co-writes with Chuck Prophet and Dinty Child add an extra layer of depth and creativity to the album.

Influenced by their musical peers, the band draws inspiration from the likes of Elizabeth and the Catapult, Dennis Brennan, and Dave Talmage, especially Taylor’s powerful reinvention of Brennan’s “Boulder On My Back.” The covers on the album pay homage to musical legends, with reinterpretations of songs by Elliot Smith and Van Morrison adding some unexpected new contributions to the contemporary bluegrass landscape.

Hanneke Cassel Trio

Effervescent and engaging, Boston-based fiddler Hanneke Cassel’s fiddle music fuses influences from the Isle of Skye and Cape Breton with Americana grooves and musical innovations. She has performed and traveled across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Hanneke’s music is a blend of the contemporary and traditional, described by the Boston Globe as “exuberant and rhythmic, somehow wild and innocent, delivered with captivating melodic clarity and an irresistible playfulness.”

The Hanneke Cassel Band features Keith Murphy on guitar/vocals and alternating string players Jenna Moynihan on 5-string fiddle/vocals and Tristan Clarridge on cello. Newfoundland-born guitarist Keith Murphy began absorbing his native musical languages – folksongs, ballads and dance music – from an early age. A proficient multi-instrumentalist, he has long applied considerable energy to the rhythmic side of music, becoming a valued band member and highly sought-after sideman on guitar, mandolin and foot percussion. Jenna Moynihan is regarded as one of the best in the new generation of fiddle players. Versatile and inventive, her fiddling style draws strongly from the Scottish tradition, but is in no way bound by it. An assistant professor at Berklee College of Music, Jenna performs as part of a duo with cutting edge harpist Mairi Chaimbeul and is the regular fiddler for the Seamus Egan Project.

Together, the Hanneke Cassel Band creates a cutting-edge acoustic sound that retains the integrity and spirit of the Scottish tradition.