If you’re in the Knoxville area you can see the show live, for free, at the Square Room, 4 Market Square. Otherwise, listen online, again for free, at WDVX.com.

Enjoy the music!

I couldn’t have told you exactly what my expectations were. I just knew I was expecting to hear some innovative music played with consummate skill and artistry on banjo and fiddle. When I finally got the CD in the mail, it did not disappoint.

I should probably dispel a couple preconceived notions you might have about what to expect from a banjo/fiddle recording.

First, most of the tracks are vocal. This is NOT a recording of banjo-fiddle instrumental duets in a purely old-time style. That historic style makes its influence felt throughout the CD, but you’ll not mistake this for an old time record. In fact, you’ll not mistake this for a bluegrass record either. This CD is something more than can be easily defined by convenient labels.

Second, I never once missed the presence of a full band. Not once in the 11 tracks did I think “This would have been better with a full band.” I never even thought about a band, I just enjoyed the music. That’s the way this CD presents itself to the listener. There is nothing missing. This music is exactly as “full” instrumentally, and vocally, as it should be. Nothing is underdone or overdone, they got is just right. I would advise the listener not even to think of this as banjo/fiddle or duet CD, as that might mislead your expectations.

The only guests on the entire recording are the addition of vocals and handclaps by Mike Anglin and Eleanor Cross on one track. Other than that the CD is just Bill and Megan…well almost. The third member of the duet is Stephen Mougin, who served as co-producer and recording/mixing engineer. Stephen is an impressive musician in his own right, having toured extensively with Sam Bush. I had a chance to speak with Stephen about the recording, and he shared some great comments.

I “co-produced” the record with Bill and Megan, which meant that I offered lots of performance/arrangement ideas.

Working with Bill and Megan on this new album was a musical treat. They were on a mission both to take fiddle and banjo in entirely new directions and explore what could be done with just two people on two instruments! The tracks range from sparce (1 banjo and 1 vocal) to dense (3 banjos, 17 fiddles, 12 vocals, etc.), but the album really feels like a unified collection of songs. It was a blast to have a project where we could throw out the rules and try anything! We employed several non-traditional techniques such as pickless banjo, double-delayed fiddle chops, group handclaps, and fiddle choirs, and that allowed us to highlight the SONGS rather than the players. One of my favorite tunes is “The Distance Between Two Points” a stunning example of Banjo tone from a true banjo guru! I was continuously impressed by the musicianship of Bill and Megan… I kept pushing them and they kept raising the bar both vocally and instrumentally! I hope folks have as much fun listening to the album as we had making it!!

If this CD was an experiment, it was successful. With only two musicians and two primary instruments (Bill plays guitar on one track and dobro on another), the varied range of sound textures is quite surprising, and enjoyable. The song selection is varied as well. I especially enjoyed Megan’s renditions of two songs brought in from other genres. The first is the tune Check Yes Juliet from the pop band We The Kings. The song is fun and catchy, pulling you into the rhythm. Bill’s banjo treatment is so masterful that the comparison wasn’t even made in my mind with the original pop version. The second in Mark Knopfler’s tune Song for Sonny Liston. Bill evokes a very bluesy feel on this track and Megan’s rhythmic treatment on the fiddle is infectious.

Another track I found myself playing receptively is a lovely arrangement of Bill’s composition Sleeping Lady One of the few strictly instrumental performances on the CD, this track again defies being tagged with a label. Bill’s banjo is tasteful with beautiful tone and Megan’s fiddles are layered into a nice string arrangement.

The vocals are impressive throughout. Megan proves herself to be much more than an accomplished fiddler. Her voice is pleasant and appropriate for each tune. Bill’s vocals are smooth and relaxed. The blend is just right between the two and nothing ever feels out of place.

A hat tip to Stephen for a delightful mix which conveys all the nuances of the acoustic instruments and vocals, preserving the dynamics and tone, while sounding full at the same time. His use of the stereo spectrum is exactly what a recording like this needed.

UPDATE: Stephen wrote in to share two additional pieces of information.

The album was mixed by myself and Ryan Reynosa (former front of house engineer for the Sam Bush Band).

Not a correction but an omission, the record was recorded at Dark Shadow Recording (my shameless self-promotion!!).

This CD should not be relegated to only to those who enjoy banjo and fiddle. I commend this recording to anyone who enjoys good acoustic music.

Let’s Do Something is available for purchase directly from Bill’s website. Samples are available on the duo’s MySpace page.

The adult camp is scheduled for April 30-May 9 and, in addition to Megan, will feature legendary fiddler Bobby Hicks as guest instructor. Stephen Mougin will offer a vocal workshop over this same weekend, included in the camp tuition.

The youth camp will run June 29-July 3 with Daniel Carwile assisting with the teaching chores.

Rates are available for on or off-site registration, and there is a special rate for parents to stay on-site during the youth camp.

You can find further details at FiddleStar.com.

The week of July 16-20, 2007 will see the first FiddleStar Youth Fiddle Camp. The camp will be held in Ridge Top, TN. Megan will be teaching fiddle tunes, but there will be much more than that at this camp.

Every day from 9AM – 3:30PM we will work on fiddle tunes, learn how to rehair bows and do basic fiddle repair, take hikes, learn to dance to fiddle music, and lots more. We’ll even get a chance to record in a real recording studio and the students will get a CD of their hard work!

Megan told me her goal with this camp is to create a new generation of bluegrass and traditional fiddlers. Assisting her with the camp will be Mike Anglin from the Lonesome River Band. Plans are in place to host several camps in 2008, adding an adult fiddle camp, and a full-on bluegrass camp.

The cost of attending the camp depends on your plans. They have different rates for daytime attendees and sleep-over attendees. Parents are welcome as well. Costs for students range from $250 – $425. Various meals are provided depending on the package purchased. All student fees include camp t-shirt and CD.

Visit FiddleStar.com for more information, or register by phone at 615-428-1681.