Evie Ladin continues her ongoing mission to meld old-time banjo with modern folk sounds with her newest EP titled Playing Our Hand, released last month. Calling this an album of cover songs is perhaps redundant (what old-time music isn’t a cover?) but still accurate, since these are covers of contemporary pieces that range from Paul Simon to the Greatful Dead, and the result is surely not what we usually call old-time music. An ambitious project to be sure, but this was not her first rodeo, and she nails it. Relying on her long-time rhythm section Erik Pearson on guitar and Keith Terry on bass fiddle allows Evie to successfully explore this rare intersection of two worlds.

In a pre-pandemic 2019 the trio released two CDs: the band’s fourth album of adventurous originals, Caught On A Wire, and the traditional Riding the Rooster, a collection of fiddle/banjo duets. In the percussive dance world, Evie directs the moving choir MoToR/dance for live performance and award winning dance films, is Executive Director, artist and choreographer with the International Body Music Festival, and a well known freestyle flatfooter. She is a 2020 Jubilation Fellow, awarded to artists with an exceptional talent for bringing joy to people through music and movement. In the traditional music world, Evie calls community square dances and teaches clawhammer banjo, old time harmony singing and buck dancing. Her adventures in body percussion with partner Keith Terry are a sight to behold. Here’s a taste of that, and a track from the new CD. Enjoy!

Body Music from Evie and Keith at Music City Roots Nashville: