Mel Bay Deluxe Anthology of Fiddle Styles (Book/CD Set)
Although he had taken violin lessons in grade school and high school, David Reiner heard old-time fiddling for the first time in 1970 at a Cornell University square dance. Captivated by its rough and hypnotic sound, he asked the fiddler to show him how it was done, and eagerly learned his first tune, Hop High Ladies. During a two-year stint with the Peace Corps in Zaire, he brought along a mandolin and Cole's 1000 Fiddle Tunes book, completely puzzling listeners and dancers there.Returning from Africa to study for a Ph. D. in Computer Science at Madison, Reiner spent most of his free time jamming and working out fiddle tunes. He tried them out at dances and innumerable bar gigs with the Arkansas Travelers, the Irish Brigade, Country Caravan, the Pitz Valley Boys, and Bluegrass Caravan.For five years, Ranier taught old-time, bluegrass, Irish, and jazz fiddle at Pickin' and Grinnin' Workshops in Wisconsin, idyllic weekend gatherings concentrating on acoustic folk music. There he was continually challenged by fiddle students wanting to understand and play these different styles. He won a few fiddle contests in Wisconsin, ranging from the World Dairy Expo, where the cows were a bigger draw than the music, to the 1978 and 1979 State Fiddling Championships. In 1980, he moved to Boston, playing with Fire on the Mountain and Southern Rail before co-founding Hot Off the Frets with Pete Anick.His first book for Mel Bay was Anthology of Fiddle Styles, which covers old-time, bluegrass, swing, blues, Irish, Scandinavian, Texas, Cajun, and twin fiddle tunes. He had the most fun with Old-Time Fiddling Across America, thanks to the trips to Galax and other fiddle festivals, the hours spent poring over the fiddling literature, and the wonderful story- and tune-swapping sessions with his fiddling friends across America.