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New Release!
Sperantsa ~ Cathie Whitesides
These are some of my favorite tunes, some traditional and some fresh from contemporary tunesmiths Hank Bradley, Stuart Brotman, Liz Carroll, John Miller, Mark Simos, and me. We've woven together contra dance tunes, a couple of old-time tunes, Irish classics, two East Texas Serenaders gems, and some superb waltzes. The contra dance band features two musicians based in Berkeley, CA: Charlie Hancock on piano and Paul Kotapish on mandolin. The string band, based in Seattle, WA, consists of Hank Bradley on the other fiddle, and on bouzouki, Glenn Dudley on plectrum banjo, Tony Mates on bass, and W.B. Reid on guitar and 6-string banjo. Filling in with some European flavor are Seattle musicians Dave Bartley on mandolin, Lori Goldston on cello, and Kyle Hanson on accordion. I hope you enjoy! --Cathie
"Cathie Whitesides is a superbly versatile fiddler. She cut her teeth in the musically eclectic Berkeley, CA scene in the late 1960s, and is presently one of the most respected contra dance fiddlers in the country. She is adept in most fiddle traditions within the cultural and geographic boundaries defined by Eastern Europe and East Texas, and approaches each distinct style with a keen ear for idiomatic detail and expressive musicality... Cathie is also a precise and sensitive ensemble player with an uncanny ability to exploit timing, ornamentation, and phrasing subtleties to produce clear, danceable musical statements... The beautiful non-Celtic European waltzes included on Sperantsa especially moved this author... A bonus cut, Cathie's humorous song "Some Friendly Advice" (a paean to the joys of music and dance), is included. It is the world's sole example of the fusion of Greek bouzouki playing with Calypso traditions, to this reviewers' knowledge... This recording should appeal to fans of contra dance music and to folks who like to explore varied musical and cultural locales. Recommended!" ~ Steve Senderoff in The Old Time Herald Fall 2003.
Songs from Sperantsa: Liz Carroll's/The Eleventh Hour | Captain O'Kane | The Teabag Blues/Beasties in the Sugar | The Adeline Waltz | O'Meara's Jig/Bill Harte's/Wheels of the World | The Mountains of Pomeroy/Will You Come With Me Over the Mountains | Acorn Stomp | Waltz Roman a Clef | Cat in the Hopper/The Champion/Jeanette Beaton | Sicilienne | Galway Bay Hornpipe/Eileen Curran/The Girl That Broke My Heart | Sperantsa Pierduta
Sperantsa is available on-line for $10 plus shipping at CDBaby
Home Town Cafe ~ Cathie Whitesides
A fine collection of tunes from the traditions of Ireland, Scotland, Cape Breton, Greece, Romania and the former Yugoslavia, along with beautiful original compositions. Cathie is accompanied by Hank Bradley, Vince Delgado, Katherine Gardner, James Jacobs, Jeremy Kammerer, Paul Kotapish, Frannie Leopold, Jay Stebley, Jody Stecher and Daniel Steinberg.
Songs from Home Town Cafe: Bergin's/The Ivy Leaf | Doina din Berkeley/Hora din Arges | Geamparalele | Air for Hank/Cock of the North/Glengarry's Dirk/The Braes of Auchertyre | Kevin Keegan's Waltzes | Ballos from Andros | Tanjino Kolo | Madame Preston's March, Strathspey, and Reel | Lucy Farr's Jig/Banks of Lough Gowna | Goin' for a Swim/Berehaven | Salt Lake City Blues | Hughie Shortie's/Mary Claire/Tommy's Tarbuka | Frannie's Waltz | Mama Liga
Hassle The Caller ~ Hank Bradley
Instrumental compositions by Hank Bradley for an old Southern string band, whose members all seem to be named Hank Bradley. Said Hanks play fiddle, guitar, mandolin, tamburitsa, bouzouki and (gasp) plectrum, 5-string and guitar banjos. Take that, you Mustaphas
Songs: Hassle the Caller | Chase the Blues | Last Summer's Waltz | Planxty Stewart Mennin | Midnight in the Van | The Recuperation Waltz | Roscoe's Gone | Chase the Squids | Chase the Crickets | Katy | Bricks and Mortar | The Dance of the Music Critics | Taximi for Desert
Hand It Down ~ Bob McQuillen, Cathie Whitesides and Laurie Andres:
A collection of New England contra dance tunes composed by Bob McQuillen.
Songs: Father Charlie's/Frankie's Tune | Tony's Quadrille/Priscilla'sd Jig | Anne's Waltz | John Krumm's Hornpipe/Tolman's Reel | Rappaport's Jig/Dick Nevell's Jig | Bannerman's Quadrille/Mike's March | Argo's Reel/Terry Sherry's Reel | Lydia's Waltz | Kathy's Jig/Lilac Lady | Dale's Hornpipe/Segal's Flight/Corey's Reel | Brynne Marie | Roger's Reel/Culhane's Hornpipe | Lia's Jig/Hank's Mother/It's C-C-Cold Out! | Olde Tyme Quadrille/J.B. Milne | Sandy's Waltz/Cathie's Waltz
Hand It Down is available on-line for $12 plus shipping at CDBaby.
Ruze Damlatinke
Ruze Dalmatinke Orchestra and Vela Luka Croatian Dance Ensemble perform the traditional music and dance of Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina. From interior Croatia come the strident, joyful songs of the open framland: from Dalmatia the lyrical harmonies of the Adriatic; and from the brooding mountains of Bosnia come ballads of desparate love, echoing the haunting strains of Islam. Hank plays violin and prim on this record.
For more info about this record e-mail Ruze Dalmatinke and Vela Luka Dance Ensemble