A seminal figure in the world of modern bluegrass, Darol Anger has shared his talents with any number of essential outfits over the past few decades — among them, Republic Of Strings, the Turtle Island String Quartet, the David Grisman Quintet, Montreux, Psychograss, and others too numerous to mention. In addition, he’s Professor Emeritus at the Berklee College of Music and a contributor to any number of film soundtracks. In addition, he also runs an innovative online fiddle school courtesy of Artist Works.
A much belated successor to the first volume of his standout set, Diary Of A Fiddler, which was released in 1999, this new double disc from Adhyâropa Records, Diary Of A Fiddler #2 – The Empty Nest, features an all-star list of contemporary fiddlers, including Brittany Haas, Mike Barnett, Casey Driesen, Alex Hargreaves, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, and Ella Jordan, among the many. The duet format allows the musicians to demonstrate a variety of fiddling skills, while elevating them above the radar. Where Diary #1 brought together an international series of styles, Diary #2 coalesces those intents and finds a connection to the contemporary community.
It’s also a testimony to Anger’s efforts to instruct and inform a new generation of fiddle aficionados. Each of his duet partners is a former student or someone that he has mentored to one degree or another. The connection is clear, and as Anger states on his website, if it turns out to be his final work, he’ll consider it a fitting epitaph.
To be sure, the tracks that grace this double CD set are fairly low-cast and unassuming at best, most coming across as a seemingly a spontaneous set of songs that likely arose from a series of informal jams. While many of the interludes seem to play out randomly at times, arising organically from the players’ collaborative ideas, the instrumental interplay often spawns some unexpected intrigue. That’s the case with The Amen Corner, which pairs Anger with Casey Driessen, and then leads into the free-flowing finesse of The Dysentery Stomp with Alex Hargreaves. The oddly-titled Ouditarus Rex with Enion Pelta is particularly intriguing.
So too, the fanciful The Unbearable Gift, featuring John Mallander and Ella Jordan, and its companion piece of sorts, Melt the Teakettle, co-starring Jenna Moynihan, provide a sharp contrast to the agitated intrigue sustained by The Coal Burnin’ Grease, which finds Avery Merritt literally playing second fiddle.
In fact, each offering takes its own unusual turn, as if to follow the whims and whimsy of each fiddler involved. It’s an obviously instinctive endeavor from start to finish, which makes each turn of the page in this particular Diary an engaging experience all its own.
