Like the European string quartet, the string band has become a musical institution. It was America's dance band until the jazz age and it has left its imprint in every corner of our musical culture, from old-time country to rock and roll. The American experiment has evolved as various instruments came and went, has spawned entire musical traditions and proved adept at change and innovation into the 21st century.
Chico Schwall's American Roots will showcase a number of styles representative of this wonderful evolution, from 18th century European fiddle music, African American dance music, and 19th century popular song, to Hillbilly string bands, the Carter Family, early jug bands, Hawai'ian music (& steel guitar) and regional styles that were heard-beyond-their-regions-for-the-first-time fueled an explosion of music, which in turn spawned "country music," bluegrass (Don Reno, Flatt & Scruggs, et al), Newgrass (John Hartford, David Grisman, et al.) and tried its hand at ragtime, jazz, comedy and everything else in its path.
| |
| Event Personnel |
| |
| |
Chico Schwall, vocals, banjo, fiddle, lap steel, accordion, guit. |
| |
| Musicians |
| |
Alli Bach, vocals, autoharp, accordion, danceCorwin Bolt, guitar, banjo, bassTony Cipolle, banjos, bassMeg O'Keefe, fiddle, viola |
| | Mother Flanagan traditional, Irish (m) |
| | Le Reel de Courville traditional, Cajun (m) |
| | Take Your Shoes Off, Moses traditional (w/m) |
| | Minor Swing (1937) Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli (m) |
| | Forked Deer traditional (m) |
| | We'll Understand It Better By And By (1905) Charles A. Tindley (w/m) |
| | Way Down The Old Plank Road traditional (w/m) |
| | Say Darlin' Say traditional (w/m) |