Darol Anger, The American Fiddle Ensemble - Republic of Strings (2003)

Tracklist

01. Lost in the Loop
02. Higher Ground
03. Grigsby's Hornpipe
04. Old Dangerfield
05. Help Me
06. Andre de Sabato Nuovo
07. Sneezin'
08. Ouditarus Rez
09. Where to Now?
10. Evening Prelude
11. Evening Prayer Blues
12. Dzinomwa Muna Save
13. Sand

Darol Anger isn't the sort of musician who stretches musical boundaries; he's the sort of musician who refuses to concede that such boundaries even exist. On Republic of Strings he and his American Fiddle Ensemble use relatively simple tunes such as Irish fiddler Liz Carroll's "Lost in the Loop" or Bill Monroe's "Old Dangerfield" as a starting point to create harmonically complex, rhythmically rich arrangements. The band consists of guitarist Scott Nygaard, the brilliant young fiddler Brittany Haas, cellist Rashad Eggleston, and Natalie Haas, who takes Eggleston's place on three tracks. Guest artists include Nickel Creek's Sara Watkins, who lends vocals to a slightly spooky version of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," and Laurie Lewis, who delivers a bluegrass-tinged take on Joni Mitchell's "Help Me." You might call this improvised Afro-Scandinavian Irish old-time string band music, but it would be equally true, and much simpler, to just say they play great music.

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