Let me say right up front that Marc Rennard is my kind of fiddler. Marc’s fiddling is a proper extension of himself: powerful, engaging and steeped in the tradition. Earthenware is a welcome and long overdue introduction to Marc’s fiddling, both in terms of his creativity and his well-chosen, thoughtful repertoire of tunes. Marc Rennard hails from the great state of Missouri, though he now lives in Tucson, Arizona. On this recording, he presents the work from two different recording sessions, one based in St. Louis, MO and the other in Tucson, AZ.
Imagine for a moment a person who has spent his life holding, playing and working on fiddles– and listening to fiddle music. Marc could make music out of a shoebox fiddle; but that’s just to say that his feel for the instrument is visceral, knowledgeable and natural. You want to listen. There is humor here, but no nonsense. His original tunes are sculpted from the meanderings of the mind, but the framework is pure old-time fiddle.
On this recording, he has mixed in his original tunes with tunes he has gathered from Midwestern fiddlers like Cleo Persinger, Bill Driver and Earl Collins. It is also a delight to see the inclusion of “Black Mount Mazurka,” a tune from the Tohono O’odham fiddle band, The Gu-Achi Fiddlers. For all you bluegrass fans, he has also included a fine version of “Methodist Preacher.” That ought to wet your appetite right there.
“Wings Of A Hawk”
A stocking stuffer? You betcha. Go ahead. Get your guitar out and play along with this CD, because it’s what you are going to want to do. And if you ever in your life have the good enough fortune to run into Marc at a festival or jam session, you can bet that his fiddling will be a lightning rod to your next memorable music session.
CD Records 0001
Mark Rennard
Comments
Glen Herbert: love that line, “there is humor here, but no nonsense.” Great piece, great album
