Fiddle maestro Michael Cleveland is back with his touring band, Flamekeeper, and a new instrumental with the intriguing title, Big Daddy Rabbit, written and led by mandolinist Nathan Livers.
It seems of late we’ve been mostly hearing from Michael with Jason Carter, and their twin-fiddle spectacular, Carter & Cleveland. But, of course, he is still out there with Flamekeeper, and just the lone five string fiddle, with a heavy-hitting band behind him. And here we have their first new music in three years.
The title, Big Daddy Rabbit, comes from a nickname Nathan’s dad picked up. He explains…
“My dad was a tall, dark, and handsome fella with a lot of charm and a very quick wit. He never tried to be in the spotlight, but he always kind of ended up there with the people around him. One time we were sitting around with family telling stories, and someone mentioned that when he was younger he had the nickname, ‘Big Daddy Rabbit.’ Around that same time I had just written this tune, and when I heard that nickname, I thought it was the perfect name for it.”
With Michael on fiddle and Nathan on mandolin, support comes from Flamekeepers Josh Richards on guitar, Cody Looper on banjo, and Chris Douglas on bass.
This one is stout. Check it out.
Big Daddy Rabbit is available now from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via Get It Played.