Ruthie Dornfeld

The latest record from Seattle fiddler Ruthie Dornfeld is a wide-ranging collection of traditional folk tunes, originals, and early music titled “Duets Abroad.” Why not let Ruthie introduce it?

Duets Abroad

Last year I traveled to Finland, Denmark, France and Hungary to record duets with some of my favorite European musicians: Petri Hakala, Tapani Varis, Pekka Pentikäinen, Jouko Kyhälä, Morten Alfred Høirup, Patrick Desaunay, and Balázs Dongó Szokolay. The music covers quite a range – traditional tunes, some originals, and a bit of early music. I play both violin and vielle (medieval fiddle) in duets with bagpipe, shepherd flute, jaw harp, accordion, mandolin, guitar, singing bowls — it’s an adventure!

Here are two samples: the first a Finnish polska with Petri Hakala on octave mandolin, the second an American fiddle tune with Petri on mandolin. Brilliant!

LISTEN: Savioja’s Polska

LISTEN: Garfield’s Blackberry Blossom

Artist Website HERE

Rebecca Lomnicky and David Brewer

Inspired

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. One of the best things about being a music blogger is when one of my friends releases a record that turns out to be Fiddlefreak-worthy. Such is the case with the album “Inspired,” a lovely new collaboration from champion Scottish fiddler Rebecca Lomnicky and piper David Brewer, of Molly’s Revenge.

Oregon native Rebecca Lomnicky is an award-winning young fiddler whose playing brims over with grace and passion, while David Brewer shreds just about any instrument he can get his hands on (on this record: highland bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, bodhran, whistles, guitar, bouzouki, and mandolin.) Most of the tunes on this all-instrumental release were written by either Rebecca or David, or both. The repertoire here runs the full gamut from grand marches and sentimental airs, to whimsical jigs and raging reels. Recommended for all fans of traditional Scottish music, this record from Rebecca and David is truly an “Inspired” piece of mighty music! With special guests Natalie Haas on cello and Jeffrey Spero of the Syncopaths on piano.

LISTEN: The Panda

David Brewer Website

Rebecca Lomnicky Website

Listen or Buy on CD Baby

WATCH: Brewer & Lomnicky, with Cary Novotny on guitar:

YouTube courtesy of David Hopfer and Pagurus13

Old Blind Dogs

Wherever Yet May Be

The top dogs in the Scottish trad music scene will release their eleventh album on September 7 on Compass Records titled “Wherever Yet May Be” (COM 4542). Old Blind Dogs members Jonny Hardie (fiddle), Aaron Jones (bouzouki), Ali Hutton (pipes and whistle), and Fraser Stone (percussion), prove again that they rule the roost where Scottish trad bands are concerned. The material here ranges from ancient to contemporary, and comes from Scotland, Ireland, the States, and beyond. Newest member Ali Hutton brings a vibrant creativity to the mix, with his original compositions, wailing bagpipes and chirping whistles. The band states:

“After eighteen years together, a strong shared musical vision has allowed us to ride out our inevitable lineup changes and we feel like Wherever Yet May Be takes us bravely forwards whilst remaining loyal to our wonderful fan base who have supported us over the years.”

LISTEN: Psychopomps

LISTEN: Copper Kettle

OBD Website

Buy Now

Julie Fowlis

Uam

Julie Fowlis has the voice of a Celtic angel. With her ancient Scots Gaelic songs of earth and sky, she calls up a salty North wind that whistles through the mossy crags of remote, forgotten islands. On her latest release Uam (Cadiz Music/Shoeshine Records) she harnesses a stable of veteran musicians, including her Dublin-born husband Éamon Doorley (of Danu fame) and Scottish fiddler Duncan Chisholm. This flawless album is a gorgeous nod to the now-thriving but almost-lost Scots Gaelic tradition. And a smattering of lively Irish tunes keeps it fun.

From her press release:
Here, she has brought a grandaughter of Scotland and Ireland back to its roots with a bilingual version of “Wind and Rain,” a mystically gory folk song from the Scots-Irish tradition that American folkies will find familiar … the next track, “Thig am bàta,” is the same song, but preserved in the Hebrides by generations of waulking women, sitting around a table hand- (and sometimes foot-) massaging tweed as part of the shrinking process.

LISTEN: Wind And Rain

LISTEN: Thig Am Bata

Julie Fowlis Website

Buy Now

Battlefield Band

Photo Credit Rob Van Sante

For about 30 years now, the Battlefield Band has been a mainstay of the Scottish traditional music scene. Here’s a brand new sneak preview from their new album, as well as a video from a couple years back. Enjoy!—Fiddlefreak

Battlefield Band are still hard at work in the recording studio at Temple Records, working on their new ‘Zama Zama’ album. The album’s full title is ‘Zama Zama – try your luck’ and the core theme running through it is the pursuit of wealth and its effects. All of the tracks are now recorded, and mixing is well underway, so if all goes to plan the new album should be out in late summer or early autumn this year.

We promised to bring you a few sneak previews from the album, so here’s the first one: a new song written by Alan Reid called ‘Robber Barons’. The song looks at greed through the ages, from the ‘Robber Barons’ of the Middle Ages in Germany to the modern day politicians and bankers.

LISTEN: Robber Barons

© & ℗ Kinmor Music/Temple Records 2009

Temple Records

Band Website