TradCafe

Episode 70: Alicia Svigals

June 04, 2024 10:00 - 55 minutes - 50.7 MB

As she prepares to release her long awaited second solo album Fidl Afire, Alicia Svigals sat down with Neil to share stories from her life as a major figure in the revival of Klezmer music. Listen in to hear about the early days of the Klezmatics, the creation of Svigals seminal first solo album Fidl, Itzhak Perlman's In the Fiddler's House and more!

Episode 69: Esko Järvelä

April 03, 2024 12:13 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MB

Finnish fiddle powerhouse and founding member of the band Frigg, Esko Järvelä shares his journey from growing up in one of the most musical families in Finland to touring the world with Frigg, Baltic Crossing and Tsuumi Sound System. More info and links at www.tradcafe.org/blog-1/2024/4/3/episode-69-esko-jrvel

Episode 68: Cameron DeWhitt (Crossover with Get Up In The Cool)

March 05, 2024 17:39 - 1 hour - 66.9 MB

In this special crossover episode, Cameron DeWhitt, the host of Old-Time music podcast Get Up In The Cool trades off the host and guest roles with Neil in between taking breaks to play tunes together. Listen to Cameron share some of their journey with the Old-Time clawhammer banjo while interviewing Neil about his background growing up in a family band playing Scottish and Cape Breton music. As always, more details and info can be found at tradcafe.org Check out Get Up In The Cool wherever...

Episode 67: Caitlin Warbelow

September 23, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 62.4 MB

Fiddler, organizer, teacher and co-founder of Tune Supply-- you never know what Caitlin Warbelow will be up to next! In this episode Caitlin shares her unique musical journey growing up in Alaska before moving to New York. She talks about her relationship to music as a means of survival and shares some of the stories behind joining the broadway production of Come From Away and starting up the website Tune Supply to help traditional musicians during the pandemic lockdowns.

Episode 66: Sam Sadigursky and Nathan Koci

August 12, 2022 15:09 - 1 hour - 57.2 MB

In a special edition of TradCafe Neil sits down with Sam Sadigursky and Nathan Koci to talk about their recent triple album release The Solomon Diaries and how their musical lives have let up to this collaboration. Featuring some clips from the new project as well as the usual live music collaborations. Check out the Solomon Diaries at bandcamp: https://samsadigursky.bandcamp.com/album/the-solomon-diaries-vol-i

Episode 65: Maddie Witler

July 15, 2022 09:24 - 1 hour - 62.3 MB

One of the top mandolinists working today, Maddie Witler joins Neil for a conversation about music making, creativity and her experiences working in the bands Della Mae and The Lonely Heart String Band. maddiewitler.com della

Episode 64: Becky Tracy

June 17, 2022 14:43 - 1 hour - 57.9 MB

Iconic New England fiddler Becky Tracy shares her journey through fiddling and folk dancing including her years as a core member of two of the most important bands in New England traditional music, Nightingale and Wild Asparagus. More info and links at tradcafe.org blackislemusic.com rachelbellmusic.com wildasparagus.com

Episode 63: Joe K. Walsh

May 13, 2022 10:00 - 55 minutes - 51.1 MB

Mandolinist Joe K. Walsh joins Neil to share thoughts and stories on community, identity and artistry in the bluegrass and new acoustic music worlds. Opening music: Seneca Square Dance Closing music: Verona (by Bill Frisell)

Episode 62: Alasdair White

April 08, 2022 16:29 - 1 hour - 74.3 MB

Alasdair White kicks off the new season with a wide ranging conversation about growing up on the Isle of Lewis, touring the world with the Battlefield Band, developing his unique fiddle style and more! Opening Tunes: Keep the Country Bonnie Lassie, The White Houses of Shieldaig, Oran an Teine (Song of the Fire), Doctor MacPhail's Reel Closing Tunes: Trip to Jordan Jig and Trip to Jordan Reel by Alasdair White Alasdair's website: www.alasdairwhite.com More info and links at www.tradca...

Episode 61: Natalie MacMaster

April 01, 2020 21:18 - 48 minutes - 62.9 MB

The one and only Natalie MacMaster shares insights from her remarkable journey. From first learning how to open up to an audience to touring the world to raising a musical family, listen in as she shares why music is still such a central part of her life. More info: www.natalieanddonnell.com

Special Quarantine Episode

March 18, 2020 22:01 - 40 minutes - 55.5 MB

Here are the various initiatives/projects talked about in this episode: Stay at Home Festival (www.stayathomefestival.com) Tune Supply (www.tune.supply) Passim PEARFund / Keep Your Distance Fest (www.passim.org/pearfund) Artist Relief Tree (www.artistrelieftree.com) Equal Sound Corona Relief Fund (www.equalsound.org/corona)

Episode 60: Anna Massie

February 26, 2020 19:31 - 55 minutes - 69 MB

Brilliant Scottish multi-instrumentalist Anna Massie sits down with Neil in the middle of Celtic Connections to share her story growing up with traditional music in Scotland. Along the way she shares some of her strongest musical influences and tells the story of how she started playing with Blazin' Fiddles.

Episode 59: Mark Hellenberg (Pokey)

February 05, 2020 16:54 - 48 minutes - 62.6 MB

This episode features a legendary innovator in the world of contradance music. Mark Hellenberg is known for pushing the envelope with the role of percussion in this traditional music and dance scene and over the years he has worked with many of the top bands driving dance halls around the US. In this conversation he chats with Neil about his journey, variety of musical tastes and his perspective on experimenting without destroying the core traditional feel. Tunes in this episode: Sweet Su...

Episode 58: Jani Lang

November 20, 2019 11:00 - 40 minutes - 55.4 MB

Janos (Jani) Lang is a Hungarian fiddler living in Glasgow and in this episode he shares a unique story of moving to Scotland to follow his love of Celtic music only to find himself tapping back into his roots playing Romanian, Hungarian and Roma music. He talks about the experience of immigrating to the UK and his current work with Ando Glaso, featuring traditional musicians from the local Roma community to build bridges between them and the mainstream Scottish culture. Ando Glaso: https:...

Episode 57: Pete Sutherland

October 02, 2019 18:17 - 1 hour - 77.4 MB

A pillar of the traditional music community of northern Vermont, Pete Sutherland is widely recognized across the US and beyond for his unique musical voice on fiddle, piano, banjo, song and as a songwriter. This conversation focuses in on Pete's work mentoring the next generation and his thoughts on tune and songwriting, but hits on many other subjects in the process. It was recorded at the Northeast Heritage Music Camp, partly in front of a live audience and completed later in the week at a...

Episode 56: Chris Stone

September 04, 2019 10:00 - 51 minutes - 65.1 MB

Fiddler, composer and one of the lead organizers of the Stringmania camp in Australia, Chris Stone chatted with Neil live in front of an audience at Alasdair Fraser's Sierra Fiddle Camp 2019. The conversation ranges from Chris' search for his musical voice to the traditional music scene in Australia to the work of building communities and cultures that are open to connection and understanding across social boundaries. Music: And That’s Ok (Chris Stone) and A Song for All Seasons (Oliver Sc...

Episode 55: Flynn Cohen

July 17, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 87.9 MB

Flynn Cohen has toured the world with major Irish music acts and been a mainstay in the Irish and Bluegrass music scenes of New England. In many ways his path is a classic example of a folk musician growing up in the wake of the folk revival. In other ways it is a study in contradictions. In this episode Flynn shares his path discovering acoustic music through Led Zeppelin, Irish music while studying in America and Bluegrass while studying in England. Check out Flynn's new Irish Backup Gu...

Episode 54: Jim Malcolm

May 29, 2019 17:15 - 38 minutes - 53.2 MB

One of Scotland's top folk singers, Jim Malcolm is well known for both his original folk songs and his interpretations of great traditional Scots songs. He and Neil sat down backstage before a show in Boston to talk about his journey from aspiring rock star to being a key member of legendary folk band Old Blind Dogs to arrive finally at his solo show, which features his voice, musicality and humor front and center. For more on Jim: www.jimmalcolm.com Music in this episode is two songs b...

Episode 53: Mary Jane Lamond

May 08, 2019 18:26 - 57 minutes - 70.8 MB

One of the biggest names in Gaelic song today, Mary Jane Lamond can just as easily be found at a small Gaelic community event on Cape Breton, at an academic conference in Scotland or thrilling an audience of thousands at a folk festival somewhere around the world. She sat down with Neil to talk about her unconventional journey and her thoughts on practicing a traditional art in the 21st century. www.maryjanelamond.com Music: The Blue Mountains Lullaby (Jeff MacDonald and Brian O hEa...

Episode 52: Ruthie Dornfeld

April 03, 2019 10:00 - 41 minutes - 56.4 MB

Ruthie Dornfeld's fiddling has been a huge influence on dance musicians in New England and her native Northwest and her work with Scandinavian musicians over the years has seen her tour overseas extensively. Neil caught up with her at her home in Seattle to talk about her musical journey from her first experiences with the fiddle to current creative projects in the US, Denmark and Finland. Along the way she talks about following her ear to all kinds of musical projects like writing an album ...

Episode 51: Bruce Molsky

March 06, 2019 11:00 - 53 minutes - 60.9 MB

A legend of American Old-Time music, Bruce Molsky shares his story and philosophy towards playing traditional folk music with reverence, respect, and personal expression. He talks about his story falling head over heels for American folk music and names some of his heroes and mentors in the Round Peak style that is one of the roots of his sound. www.brucemolsky.com www.mountaindrifters.com

Episode 50: Roger Tallroth

February 20, 2019 11:00 - 56 minutes - 70 MB

There's no better way to reach our 50th episode than with the third and final member of Väsen, legendary 12-string guitarist Roger Tallroth. Roger has developed his own style, sound and tuning for playing Swedish music on the 12-string guitar and has composed some of the most popular melodies played by fiddlers around the world, including Josephine's Waltz. More info on Roger: http://tallroth.se/ and https://vasen.se More info on this episode: www.tradcafe.org

Episode 49: Susan Watts

February 06, 2019 11:00 - 43 minutes - 58.3 MB

Susan Watts is a brilliant trumpeter and singer who is also a fourth generation Klezmer musician and daughter of a legendary drummer who broke the paved the way for women in music. Neil caught up with Susan at her home in Philadelphia to chat about growing up in such a musical household, finding her voice on the trumpet and her ongoing work to promote women in Klezmer and female musicians in general. Music in this episode: Der Freiling Zeisinke (Sweet Spring) off of her album Hartsklap an...

Episode 48: Mikael Marin

January 09, 2019 11:00 - 54 minutes - 92.8 MB

The middle voice of Väsen, Mikael Marin brings a breadth of influences and musical influences to bear in his countermelodies and textures on the 5-string viola. In this wide ranging conversation he discusses the history of "second voice" playing in Swedish music, his own development as a classical and traditional musician and how a being passionate about your own specific culture and tradition can be common ground for connecting to traditional artists and cultures around the world. Music: ...

Bonus Episode: 2018 Retrospective

December 12, 2018 09:11 - 34 minutes - 97.1 MB

Neil looks back on some of the great music created in the TradCafe episodes that came out in 2018 while looking forward to the next year of episodes. This episode features Allison DeGroot (Ep. 44), Don Roy (Ep. 34), Soo Yeon Lyuh (Ep. 45), Kevin Henderson (Ep. 37), Hadith Bani-Adam (Ep. 26), Brittany Haas (Ep. 41), Andrea Beaton (Ep. 36) and a short preview of the music from Mikael Marin's upcoming episode. For more information on each of these, head to TradCafe.org and look them up in the ...

Episode 47: Steve Baughman (live)

November 07, 2018 11:00 - 50 minutes - 64.4 MB

Orkney tuning, clawhammer guitar, zen banjo and everything in between. Steve Baughman is a master musician, entertainer and creative personality who is one of the most engaging performers you'll ever meet. In this episode, taped live at the Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp, Steve tells Neil about exploring his love of music while travelling the world as the son of American expats and how all that time alone with his instrument has led him to develop his unique and beautiful musical style and techn...

Episode 46: Olov Johansson

October 24, 2018 10:00 - 58 minutes - 71.6 MB

Olov Johansson is perhaps the best known Nyckelharpa player in the world today. As one third of the Swedish power-trio Väsen he has toured the world as an ambassador for Nordic folk music for several decades now. He sat down with Neil to share his journey exploring traditional melodies and fresh collaborations all while building a unique and influential musical identity. Olov's website: olovjohansson.se Väsen: vasen.se

Episode 45: Soo Yeon Lyuh

October 10, 2018 09:00 - 47 minutes - 61.5 MB

A pioneering artist on the South Korean Haegeum, Soo Yeon Lyuh has been bringing improvisation back to a traditional instrument which hasn't done it in generations. Neil chats with her about her journey starting in Western Classical music, transitioning to the traditional music of her home and then bringing that tradition into the Western world collaborating with the Kronos quartet and teaching/studying improvisation at Mills College in Oakland, CA. More on Soo Yeon: www.sooyeonlyuh.com

Episode 44: Allison de Groot (Live)

July 11, 2018 10:00 - 39 minutes - 36 MB

In this episode, recorded in front of a live audience at the Sierra Fiddle Camp, clawhammer banjoist Allison de Groot shares her story of delving deep into the Appalachian Banjo tradition while growing up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She talks about working with luminaries like Bruce Molsky and Tatiana Hargreaves and talks about her work researching the playing of great woman banjo players from the past. The opening tune "Wabash Blues" is from the playing of Virginian banjo player Hobart Smith ...

Episode 43: Ward MacDonald

June 27, 2018 19:28 - 52 minutes - 48.1 MB

A major figure in the traditional music scene of Prince Edward Island, Ward MacDonald sat down with Neil in the midst of preparing for his CD release at the Festival of Small Halls. Their conversation is wide ranging, darting between Ward's personal musical journey and the wider role of traditional arts in the modern world. Closing waltz in this episode: "Sweet Dreams Eloise" by Ward MacDonald for his baby daughter.

Episode 42: Olav Mjelva

June 13, 2018 10:00 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MB

A great player of the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle and the standard fiddle styles of his native Røros, Norway, Olav Mjelva is the third and final member of Nordic Fiddlers Bloc to be featured on the show and the third member of Sver (out of five). He takes Neil along for his journey through Norwegian traditional music from picking up the fiddle by the chance of a random childhood choice to mastering the regional style of his home town and writing some of the best new Scandinavian tunes being c...

Episode 41: Brittany Haas

May 30, 2018 10:00 - 48 minutes - 44 MB

A legend of American fiddling already at a young age, Brittany Haas chats with Neil about her musical journey, from touring with Darol Anger at the age of 13 to breaking new ground in the neo-Bluegrass band Crooked Still to playing regularly with Chris Thile on his NPR show "Live From Here" (formerly Prairie Home Companion). This episode also features Brittany's answers to listener questions submitted through Patreon. Music: opening tune is Calum Finlay and closing tune is Booth Shot Linco...

Episode 40: Anders Hall

May 16, 2018 12:30 - 59 minutes - 54.7 MB

The Swedish third of the Nordic Fiddlers Bloc, Anders Hall sits down with Neil to talk about getting all of his gigs as a result of late night parties, living on the farm where his family has lived as far back as anyone can trace, and the intricacies and history of the Polska. Music in this episode: Troll Kärrings Låten, march from right where Anders' family farm is located, and Polska after Jonny Schönning. More info at http://www.tradcafe.org/blog-1/2018/5/16/episode-40-anders-hall

Season 4 Teaser

May 09, 2018 10:00 - 2 minutes - 2.34 MB

A preview of some of the upcoming episodes for the second half of Season 4 while we take this week off! Hear some of the music that will be featured in the next few episodes and sneak peek of who is coming up..

Episode 39: Laurel Martin

May 02, 2018 13:13 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MB

A great teacher and performer of Irish fiddle in the Boston area, Laurel Martin talks about her journey from taking up the instrument for the first time in her 20's and studying with the great Seamus Connolly under a master/apprentice grant to becoming a teacher herself, and taking on the "master" role in passing on and sustaining the tradition.

Episode 38b: Doug Protsik (part 2)

April 25, 2018 10:00 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MB

In the second part of the Doug Protsik episode, Neil and Doug discuss the power of music to transcend cultural and political differences as Doug shares his experiences playing traditional music in central Asia, eastern Europe, the middle east and Africa. Doug also shares the story of Maine Fiddle Camp and what he has done to build it into a powerhouse of traditional arts in Maine. Music in this episode: Opening is "Ida (sweet as apple cider)" Closing is "The Tajik Two-Step" [by Doug Prots...

Episode 38a: Doug Protsik (part 1)

April 18, 2018 10:00 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MB

The first in a two part episode featuring Doug Protsik, director of Maine Fiddle Camp and passionate supporter of the traditions of Maine and surrounding regions. In this episode Doug shares his early journey with music from quitting the piano as a child to rediscovering it while living in a $500 log cabin in Maine, and talks about the intertwined histories of American folk music, Jazz, fiddling and foxtrots.

Episode 37: Kevin Henderson

April 04, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 55.6 MB

Shetland fiddling wizard Kevin Henderson talks about growing up in the Shetland Islands, where Scottish and Scandinavian culture collide and many fiddle tunes are written by the mysterious and magical Trows. Kevin opens up about the experience of making music and touring with Boys of the Lough, Fiddlers' Bid, Nordic Fiddlers Bloc and Session A9 and discusses the challenges and rewards of balancing new musical projects with fatherhood.

Episode 36: Andrea Beaton

March 28, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 58.8 MB

Fiddler, pianist and tune writer Andrea Beaton caught up with Neil just before playing a dance at the Canadian American Club in Watertown, MA. She talks about growing up in Cape Breton as the child of Kinnon and Betty Lou Beaton, two giants of traditional music on the island and how her relationship with music changed from being embarrassed to be associated with the fiddle to recording her own albums and writing some of the most popular contemporary tunes.

Episode 35: Hanz Araki

March 21, 2018 10:00 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MB

Hanz Araki is a long established Irish flute player and singer from the Pacific Northwest now based in Maine; but he is also a master of the Japanese Shakuhachi flute. He shares his wide-ranging musical journey from moving to Japan and practicing Shakuhachi 6 hrs a day with his father to touring 200 days a year across Canada playing the Irish flute.

Episode 34: Don Roy

March 14, 2018 20:52 - 49 minutes - 45 MB

Franco-American fiddler Don Roy has been a central figure in Maine fiddling for decades. He joins Neil for the first episode of Season 4 to talk about learning music from his uncle (and Maine fiddling legend) Lucien Mathieu, the connections between Maine French fiddling and traditional music from New Brunswick and Cape Breton and his own creative work writing new tunes and leading the massive fiddle group Fiddlicious.

Episode 33: Kevin Doyle

November 29, 2017 18:27 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MB

Irish-American dancer Kevin Doyle joins Neil this episode to share his story of growing up in a strong Irish community in Providence, RI, learning to dance from his mother who emigrated from Ireland. He also tells Neil about the connections between American tap dance and Irish step dance and talks about what it was like to get the phone call saying that he was being named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Episode 32: Corey DiMario

November 15, 2017 10:30 - 1 hour - 55.6 MB

Bassist of Crooked Still and CEO of Concert Window, Corey DiMario joins Neil to share his journey from completely dropping music after his sophomore year at Eastman School of Music to rediscovering his passion through the traditional music scene in Boston, going back to music school and founding one of the most distinctive bands in American folk music.

Episode 31: Frank Ferrel

November 08, 2017 10:00 - 54 minutes - 49.7 MB

Master Downeast fiddler Frank Ferrel is a fixture in the New England traditional music scene. He shares his musical journey with Neil: from playing banjo in Pacific Northwest bluegrass bands to falling in love with the fiddling of Gerry Robichaud and following that trail to the nexus of New England and Canadian fiddling that is Boston. Along the way he shares stories about discovering little known home-made 78's of the great Franco-American fiddler Tommy Doucet and his compatriots.

Episode 30: Allan Henderson

November 01, 2017 14:45 - 56 minutes - 52 MB

One of the foremost exponents of Scottish Highland music and Gaelic culture around today, Allan Henderson sat down with Neil while on a solo tour of storytelling and fiddling in the Northeast US. Listen in as they discuss the current state of Gaelic, Allan's years as a member of Blazin' Fiddles and how much of an invasive species the piano accordion has been in that part of the world.

Episode 29: Emerald Rae

October 18, 2017 09:00 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MB

Boston based fiddler, stepdancer, singer and tune/songwriter Emerald Rae connects with Neil over their common experiences growing up around the Boston Scottish/Cape Breton scene of the 1990's and early 2000's and they delve into what it really means to become part of a culture--does one actually need to have the heritage in order to have a place in the community?

Episode 28: Hanneke Cassel

October 11, 2017 10:00 - 1 hour - 60.1 MB

A driving force of the Scottish fiddling scene in the United States, Hanneke Cassel shares her story from discovering fiddle music through local competitions to travelling the world performing and teaching her own iconic compositions, which fuse Scottish and Cape Breton traditions with a sound all her own. She and Neil also chat about her tune writing process and what influence her travels to China and Africa have had on her music.

Episode 27: Lamine Touré

October 04, 2017 15:12 - 40 minutes - 37 MB

One of the top traditional musicians of Senegal, Lamine Touré shares his depth of knowledge as the latest in a 1000+ year line of tradition bearers in his family. Lamine sits down with Neil to discuss how he ended up living and teaching in the Boston area while travelling the world sharing his sabar drumming, singing and dancing. [music in the episode: Jang (meaning "study") which speaks about the importance of studying hard in order to have a good life; and Donald Willie and his Dog, whi...

Episode 26: Hadith Bani-Adam

September 27, 2017 13:12 - 47 minutes - 43.2 MB

Somali peace and de-radicalization activist Hadith Bani-Adam shares his relationship with Somali traditional music and his mission to promote inclusivity, understanding and positive life choices in his community. He discusses the role Somali traditional music plays in his own original songs, his style of Oud playing and some similarities between the music of Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia and the music of Western Europe.

Episode 25: Alasdair Fraser

September 20, 2017 12:55 - 1 hour - 55.2 MB

Master Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser kicks off Season 3 of TradCafe, sitting down with Neil for a wide ranging conversation about the variety of approaches he has taken over the years to playing traditional Scottish music and the new horizons he is looking towards, exploring new music styles and traditions. www.alasdairfraser.com

Episodes