Fiddle & Banjo Duets with 17 of my favorite Old Time Fiddlers + Bonus Track of Say Darlin Say with my Retort Verse!
credits
released November 27, 2018
Evie Ladin banjo, engineer
Joseph Dejarnette mixing, mastering
Chip Reardin bloomington engineer
Angelina Elise cover art
Debbie Berne design
w/ Aaron Jonah Lewis, Suzy Thompson, Dave Bass, Earl White, Amy Alvey, Rob Mangum, Brad Leftwich, Michelle Yu, Rhys Jones, Emily Mann, June Drucker, Karen Celia Heil, Dane Miller, Jake Blount, Rosie Newton, Nancy Sluys and Sami Braman
Fans often ask “which of your records is most traditional?” to which I’ve had to answer “none.” Though all of my records have a mix of original and traditional music, I’ve focused on recording my own songs, my personal creative expression, and unusual arrangements of traditional material. Growing up surrounded by old-time and other folk music and dance, I always felt like “this is what people do,” and it was the experience rather than the capture of that music that interested me the most. While I straddle many musical worlds in my career, I work often in the traditional Appalachian arts, and it’s time to acknowledge the foundation of everything I do professionally, and record a totally trad record. For a year while on tour in the US, I visited some of my favorite fiddlers, age 20-65, men and women, and honestly I could keep going, as there are so many gorgeous fiddlers I love.
This record is a field recording - a good visit, mostly unrehearsed, looking for that vibe, that energy, the beautiful confluence of fiddle and banjo that draws me back into the music forever, no matter how far I take it. Almost all public domain, I note the source that was the inspiration for the version played here, which for some is simply the folk process (FP).
My favorite thing in this milieu is to sit down with a fiddler and launch fast into some crooked tune I’ve never heard. Every cell kicks in, and the experience is as much like I imagine Riding a Rooster to be - visceral, in the moment, somewhat off the chain. I hope you enjoy this collection.
Many thanks to all the musicians who unblinkingly agreed to join me here, and especially to my boys Keith & Clay who support me on this amazing journey of a musical life. This CD goes to print as I learn of the passing of Michael Defosche, who long ago made the neck of my banjo - affixed to a Slingerland pot - that has become my dear companion. I dedicate this record to him in gratitude. - Evie Ladin, October, 2018
The polyrhythmic heat and funk of Evie Ladin's clawhammer banjo, resonant voice, real stories and rhythmic dance - have been
heard from A Prairie Home Companion to Celtic Connections, Lincoln Center to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. The Evie Ladin Band is an expansive stringband, with Keith Terry - bass and percussion, and Erik Pearson - guitar. Body-slappin neo-trad urban folk....more
supported by 18 fans who also own “Riding the Rooster”
Great choice of music, expertly played and sung. Nicely produced. I hope to see The Onlies live, asap. This is an album I listen to over and over. Karamogo
supported by 13 fans who also own “Riding the Rooster”
This rendition of Virgil Anderson's "Jenny Hang the Kettle On" is wonderful. It perfectly grabs the simplistic beauty of Virgil's version, but has such clarity. Amazing album! Payton Scott
Bright and skipping songs that foreground the sound of the banjo and fingerstyle guitar in music that feels timeless. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 5, 2020
Sweet harmonies & strummed melodies; the duo delve into decades-old folk, jazz, and country to find a timeless kind of love and connection. Bandcamp New & Notable May 23, 2018