The Minor Planets is one of the many irons I have in the fire right now. It’s my countrypolitan collaboration with the amazing singer/songwriter Dana Thompson. We have a new CD coming out in January (and a CD release show scheduled — see the calendar page for the particulars), but in the meantime, we thought we’d record a couple of Christmas songs.

They can be downloaded at http://mpxmas.bandcamp.com/.

The download is available in multiple low- and high-resolution formats…and it’s free!  We won’t even ask for your email address (but if you’d like to sign up for our email list, we’d be more than happy to oblige!).

And if you like what you hear, make your reservation to come down to our holiday show at the Aster Cafe on December 21st at 9:00pm. Call 612 379-3138 for reservations.

Enjoy!

Eric

The Minor Planets will be playing this Saturday night at the Dakota in Minneapolis, our first (public) full-band, Minor Planets gig since we went into the studio to record our new album Shadow in the Water. We’re SO ready for it.

We’ve got a fantastic line-up for this show, with Jimmy Johnson on pedal steel, Richard Medek on drums and Eric Paulson on upright bass. We just rehearsed with the full line-up yesterday…would it be conceited to say that we sounded amazing?

Come on down!

Show starts at 11pm.

The Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant
1010 Nicollet Avenue
Minneapolis
612-332-1010

Just got back from the Bluegrass in the Pines Festival in Rosholt, WI (near Stevens Point), and I’m physically exhausted but spiritually recharged. Outstanding picking (both onstage and off), good people and an almost magical vibe. Really. I love, love, love this festival.

If you’re thinking about going to a bluegrass festival next summer, put this one on your calendar now: http://www.highwatermusic.com/BluegrassInThePines.htm

EC

P.S. My apologies for the pun. I couldn’t help myself.

While the 48s have been taking a little break from the road, things have been hopping around here on the recording front.

The amazing Dana Thompson and I have just finished our first new Minor Planets record in a decade. The album is called Shadow in the Water and it’s a departure from the traditional bluegrass that’s been my modus operandi in recent years.

Shadow in the Water is our take on the classic countrypolitan sound. We had a chance to work with a lot of new musical colors on this album. In addition to steel, fiddle, mandolin and banjo, this album has strings, loops, vibes, even celesta. We had a lot of fun working on this one and are proud as can be about how it turned out.

Shadow in the Water will be released early fall with an official CD release show(s) later in the season. I’ll be posting more info here, but in the meantime, you can find more info at www.theminorplanetsmusic.com.

I’ve also been working on a soon-to-be-released CD by my High 48s bandmate Anthony Ihrig. In addition to being a world-class banjo player, Tony is a fine songwriter and is now taking a turn as a band leader.

His new CD was tracked last winter and spring at Wild Sound in Minneapolis, with Jed Germond on mando and steel and Dan Christensen on bass.  I’m told that a CD release show is in the works, and I’ll be plugging that on my website just as soon as the details are confirmed. In the meantime, you can find out more at www.anthonyihrig.com.

I’ve also been plugging away at my first fiddle CD, which is being funded by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. The working title of the album is North, Vol. 1: Fiddle Tunes from the Upper Midwest, and as the title suggests, it’s a collection of tunes from the Upper Midwest!

I’m in the process of collecting the tunes right now and have been making a lot of exciting musical discoveries, which I’ll be detailing here later. Recording will begin in late fall/early winter and I’ll be working with some of my favorite acoustic musicians, including some non-bluegrass musicians. Look for a spring ’12 release on this one.

Also just wrapping up work on a new CD from Art Stevenson and Highwater. Let me say this: I’m a huge Art and Highwater fan. Huge. They’re not just one of my favorite Midwestern bluegrass bands; they’re one of my favorite bluegrass bands period. So it’s been a thrill to contribute fiddle to this project. Art tells me that the album is being mixed right now, and I can’t wait to hear it! More on that soon.

Finally, in September I’m going to be going back into the studio to work on a bluegrass project with Dana Thompson. I’ll be making an announcement about this project and that recording later in the fall. Stay tuned…

EC

Kenny Baker with his fiddle, Blackie. © Jim Moss

Kenny Baker, longtime fiddler for Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys, died of a stroke last week in Tennessee at the age of 85.

Kenny’s passing didn’t make headline news [although the "newspaper of record" did finally publish an obituary: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/02/arts/music/kenny-baker-bluegrass-fiddler-dies-at-85.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries] , and unless you were reading a bluegrass blog or heard it through the bluegrass grapevine, you might not have known about Kenny’s passing at all.

But for fans of traditional bluegrass, and particularly for bluegrass fiddlers, Baker’s contribution to the sound and musical vocabulary of the genre was in a league with the brand-name band leaders who get most of the credit.

His smooth “long-bow” style of fiddling is as essential to the classic bluegrass sound as Earl Scruggs’ three-finger banjo style, Bill Monroe’s “high lonesome” tenor and Lester Flatt’s guitar “G-run.”

When I teach beginning bluegrass fiddlers, I assign two albums as required listening — I refer to these as the Old and New Testament. The Old Testament is Kenny Baker’s “Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe” and the New Testament is Bobby Hicks’ “Fiddle Patch.”

But if you were learning to play bluegrass fiddle and had to pick just one album to learn from, “Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe” would be your best bet. On this album, Kenny takes the Scots-Irish and blues influences that are the heart and soul of bluegrass and adds a touch of western swing…and nothing else. There was nothing extra in Kenny Baker’s playing, no hokum, flash or filigree.

More than anything else, I think Kenny Baker’s restraint, that elemental quality in his playing, helped sell the notion that bluegrass was an ancient music, worn smooth over the ages like a river rock. And of course that wasn’t the case.

Bluegrass was built from parts in the mid-twentieth century, drawing on a range of musical influences, from blues to ragtime to country to Scots-Irish old-time fiddling. It’s only about as old as be-bop.

I got a chance to meet Kenny Baker when I was playing the Mountain Top Bluegrass Festival in Tarentum, PA, with the James King Band. Breakfast for the performers was being served up in a cabin on the festival grounds and I found myself sitting at table eating biscuits and gravy with Eddie Adcock, James King and Kenny Baker.  To a bluegrass-obsessed Midwesterner, it seemed a bit like having breakfast with Mount Rushmore.

Onstage, Kenny Baker was a gruff, imposing figure, but when I finally got a chance (and the courage) to talk to him, I found him to be gracious and kind. He took the time to answer all of my questions, all of which I’m sure he’d been asked thousands of times before.

I was especially curious to know more about Bluegrass in the Backwoods, one of Kenny’s most beautiful and mysterious tunes. Bluegrass in the Backwoods draws on so many different influences, the challenge in playing the tune, at least for a bluegrass fiddler, is to make it sound like bluegrass. In this tune, I hear shades of gypsy jazz, classical music, even Russian or Ukrainian music.

So I asked him about Bluegrass in the Backwoods, where it came from, what inspired it. At first he misunderstood me and shot back, a little gruffly, “I wrote it.” After I made myself a little clearer, he thought for a moment, shrugged, told me a story about another tune he wrote and promptly changed the subject.

And maybe the point was, sometimes the inspiration for a tune just comes out of the blue. Who knows where it comes from, really?

But wherever it came from, when Kenny Baker played it, he made it sound like it had always been there.

EC

A big thanks to everyone who joined me for the IMC fiddle camp last weekend. It was so much fun working with all of you.  I was awed by your enthusiasm and sheer persistence: two full days of learning fiddle tunes can be a bit much, but you all hung in there like crazy.

It was especially fun comparing our versions of Canadian/bluegrass crossover tunes!

As promised, here are a few quick transcriptions of some of what we covered last weekend. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.

Hope to see you next year!

Best,

EC

Blackberry Blossom

OBS B part

Getting a fiddle to sound natural and warm through a microphone is a problem that just about every fiddle player I know struggles with. So if you’re frustrated by the sound you’ve been getting either in the studio, know this: it’s not just you.

Over the years, through (often painful) trial and error, I’ve a learned a few things that have helped me get a better sound live and in the studio.

The microphone

There are three different types of microphones you’re likely to encounter as a fiddle player: small-diaphragm condenser mics, large-diaphragm condenser mics and ribbon mics.

Because they pick up a broad range of frequencies and therefore tend to capture a natural sound, condenser mics (both small- and large-diaphragm) are probably the most commonly used microphones to record acoustic instruments.

Large diaphragm condenser mic (LDCs)

Large diaphragm condensers are often used to record vocals because they tend to capture a big sound, often with a lot of high-frequency detail (though this varies quite a bit model to model). And I find that it’s often the amount of high-end detail that determines whether a mic is good for the fiddle or not.

Too much detail, and you’ll pick up a lot of bow noise and get a grainy, rosin-y, sometimes scratchy tone. Not good.

That said, there a few large diaphragm condensers that fiddle players tend to have good luck with. The bad news is that a lot of them cost as much as a car…well, at least the kind car I drive.

But if you’re in a professional studio, you’ll probably have one or more of these at your disposal.

Neumann U87:  Generally a safe bet for recording the fiddle. I’ve noticed a fair amount of tonal variation among the U87s I’ve recorded with. Some U87s tend to be a little on the bright side. If your fiddle is bright-sounding to start with, the U87 may or may not be the best match.

Neumann U47: A large-diaphragm tube condenser mic (more on tube mics later), is a fantastic-sounding microphone. It sounds big, warm and natural…but on a champagne budget.

AKG C12 or C24: The C12 (mono) and C24 (stereo) are large-diaphragm tube condenser mics and can sound very nice on a fiddle. I find them to be a little brighter than the U87 and particularly the U47. Also car-priced.

LDCs for home studios:

Audio Technica 4040 and/or 4050:  Both are good fiddle mics and fairly versatile (they’re also solid live mics, if you’re doing the single-mic bluegrass setup). If you’re going to buy one condenser mic to use in your home studio, this would be a good pick. Also good for mando, vocals, upright bass, sometimes guitar.

Shure KSM32: Like the Audio Technica 4040 and 4050, the Shure KSM32 is a versatile microphone that works well both in the studio and live, especially if you’re playing bluegrass single-mic style. It has a fairly flat frequency response, which means it will capture the sound of your instrument without over-emphasizing the high-, low- or mid-frequency range.

Small-diaphragm condenser mics (SDCs)

Small diaphragm condenser mics tend to be my first choice for recording fiddle. The rep on SDCs is that they generally capture the sound of your instrument without favoring (or “hyping”) any particular range of frequencies. Often true, not always. Here’s what what has worked well for me.

Neumann KM64: This small diaphragm tube mic is my hands-down favorite for recording fiddle. The KM64 sounds warm and natural, with smooth high-end detail and a tight-sounding low end.

Neumann KM84: The tube-less version of the KM64, just about every medium-to-large studio has at least a pair of these, and for good reason. A fairly flat, neutral frequency response, so a good and versatile choice for acoustic instruments.

There’s a more-recent version of the KM84, the KM184. Avoid this mic, it’s a fiddle killer. Super bright, picks up a lot of bow and rosin.

Schoeps SDCs: I’ve had good luck with a variety of Schoeps SDCs, though in general they seem to sound a little grainier and harsher than the Neumanns. To my ears.

SDCs on a budget:

Audio Technica Pro 37: This is a nice little mic and cheap, cheap, cheap. I bought mine for $99 (it’s a great live fiddle mic, and it’s super small, so I can keep it in my fiddle case and always have it on hand). Can be a little on the bright side, so some EQ might be necessary, but you could spend a lot more and get a lot less.

M-Audio Pulsar II: A good, neutral-sounding SDC in the same price range as the Pro 37.

Beyerdynamic MC903: This has a reputation for being the poor feller’s KM84, though it seems a little warmer, less bright than the KM84. Depending on the fiddle, I usually prefer it to the 84. Quality build, excellent sound.

A note on ribbon mics:

I’ve noticed that there are a fair number of engineers who like to put ribbon mics on violins/fiddles. I find that this works well only if your fiddle is very small-sounding and dog-whistle bright (in other words, not a good fiddle). Most good bluegrass fiddles sound muddy and two-dimensional through ribbon mics. Play your fiddle with earplugs in, and that’s about the sound.

If the engineer sets up a ribbon mic in front of you, politely inquire if he/she can set up an SDC alongside it for comparison. When you listen back, you’ll pick the SDC. I’d put money on it.

Mic technique

Finally, a word on where to put the mic. In the studio, fiddle players tend to go with an overhead mic positioned about 8-10 inches from the instrument. Beyond that point, use your ears. Some mics sound better right over the bow, others are better down the fingerboard. Some mics sound better on axis, others are better off axis. Sometimes it depends on the song.

If the triple digit temperatures weren’t a dead giveaway, the my/the 48s’ schedule this week clinches it: festival season has arrived.

This Thursday and Friday, I’ll be teaching a two-day bluegrass fiddle workshop up at the International Music Camp in Peace Gardens, on the North Dakota/Manitoba border. For more info, visit http://www.internationalmusiccamp.com/.

On Saturday, the 48s will be playing our first outdoor bluegrass festival of the year: the Northwoods Bluegrass Festival. We’ll be joined by our good friends Art Stevenson and Highwater and the Wildwood Valley Boys, among many other great bands. Set times: 2pm and 7pm. Can’t wait!

Okay, gotta run!

By far, the question I’m asked most often by students and ordinary civilians is this: “What’s the difference between a violin and a fiddle?”

There are the standard joke answers that string players are required by law to give (e.g., “About $15,000,” or “It’s a violin when you sell it and a fiddle when you buy it”), but the short answer to the question is that there is no difference.

When classical music is played on a high-pitched, four-stringed, bowed instrument, we call it a violin. When non-classical music (bluegrass, old-time, Irish, traditional country, Cajun) is played on the same instrument, we call it a fiddle.

And mind you, there are plenty of exceptions to this rule. For example, the classical violinist Itzhak Perlman famously refers to his 1714 Stradivarius as a fiddle. And many jazz players use violin and fiddle interchangeably. Same goes with pop musicians.

But in general, violin equals classical and fiddle equals non-classical.

In general…

Because although that’s the short answer, and the one I’ve been giving for decades, in recent years I’ve been tempted to add an asterisk to it.

Since I’ve been playing fiddle/violin (several decades), the differences between how fiddle players (especially bluegrass and country players) and violinists are having their instruments set up/made/voiced have become very dramatic. So much so, I’d argue, that the violin and fiddle are on the verge of evolving into two distinct instruments. Or at least different versions of the same instrument, like the nylon-string classical guitar and the steel-string acoustic guitar.

So, what are fiddle players doing to their instruments that makes them so different from violins?

For one, fiddle players often use a flatter, less arched bridge than violinists do. The flatter bridge makes playing double stops (two notes played together) and even triple stops (three notes played together) easier. And increasingly fiddle players are using steel strings instead of the nylon or synthetic gut strings that violinists prefer. But fiddlers have been flattening their bridges and using steel strings for a while.

The really crucial difference is in how fiddles are being voiced. In the last decade or so, luthiers like Jonathan Cooper, John Silakowski and Bob Kogut (who built my main fiddle) have been making instruments that are dramatically darker and fatter in tone than traditional classical violins. In the case of Bob Kogut’s instruments, the tone is almost viola-like.

In addition, fiddle players (e.g., Ron Stewart) and luthiers have been buying up old, mostly student-quality instruments and re-graduating or re-voicing them. This procedure is considered major surgery and involves removing the top of the instrument and thinning it out with a finger plane. When done effectively, re-voicing gives the instrument a deeper, darker, woodier tone — similar to the new fiddles by Cooper, Silakowski, Kogut, et al.

But as with most things in life, opting for one thing means forgoing something else. And what you give up when “going dark” tonally is having an instrument with a lot of projection and volume.

A good classical violin will have plenty of projection. Enough projection to be heard above the sound of an orchestra, or at least to be heard with little or no amplification in a concert hall. The most important measure of a classical violin may not be how it sounds under your ear but how it sounds to someone sitting in the audience fifty feet away. Under the player’s ear, a good classical violin might sound harsh and thin; at a distance, that same instrument might sound rich, sweet and three-dimensional.

For most fiddlers, projection isn’t critically important. Whether we’re playing live or in the studio, most of us play close to a microphone when we’re performing acoustically — generally within 8 inches to a foot away.  And given that we’re playing so close to the mic, and that a mic responds to sound pretty much as your ear would, a fiddle needs to sound rich and warm close up, as if it were next to the player’s ear.

So the microphone seems to be changing the instrument. Just as it’s already changed the way singers sing. Case in point: compare a recording of Enrico Caruso singing to a concert hall at the beginning of the 20th century to Elliot Smith at the end of the 20th century whispering into a microphone from inches away and you’ll understand that the microphone is not the passive bystander we sometimes mistake it for. In fact, it’s anything but passive. Since Les Paul began experimenting with close-micing in the 1940s, it’s been an active participant in the music-making process.

And it may be bringing about the next stage in the evolution of this centuries-old instrument whose name we just can’t seem to agree on.