Republic of Strings
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. OnRepublic of Stringshe and his American Fiddle Ensemble use relatively simple tunes such as Irish fiddlerLiz Carroll's "Lost in the Loop" orBill 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 includeNickel Creek's Sara Watkins, who lends vocals to a slightly spooky version ofStevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," andLaurie Lewis, who delivers a bluegrass-tinged take onJoni 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.--Michael John Simmons