Coming this winter-- a new compilation CD of young old time musicians: The New Young Fogies! Produced and recorded by Anna Roberts-Gevalt and Joebass Dejarnette, in Floyd, Virginia.

We are of the latest generation to take up playing Appalachian old time music. We are learning the music, the stories, the way of life, from countless incredibly generous teachers, mentors and friends. We play it like mad late into the night, play it on our porches and in the kitchen right after dinner. Fiddle and banjo tunes, square dance breakdowns, ballads and gospel songs, dance steps and stories, passed down to us from the generations before us.

Among our number, are so many incredible musicians and people, and a feeling of excitement amongst us about learning, playing and sharing this music.

In that spirit of excitement, Joe & I felt the need to record our peers, and share their music.

The Backstory

We began this project two years ago, gathering some of the finest young traditional musicians form Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and farther afield, and recording them, with the intent of making a compilation CD of young old time musicians.

It is not the first project of its kind: we named the project The New Young Fogies, after a similarly inspired CD put together by Ray Alden for Rounder Records. But that project was made two decades ago-- before many of us could even pick up a instrument.

Some of these young musicians found their way to the music through their families, following long lines of musicians and music; others happened upon it by chance or fate.  Some are performing, touring musicians, but many are porch pickers whose music hasn't otherwise been recorded, but whose playing often dazzles at small festivals, or on their front porch. We are excited to bring together all of these fine folk, on one CD.

The Music

The recordings are, at long last-- completed! There are are 25 tracks of traditional songs and tunes: Solo fiddling, solo banjo playing, solo ballad singing; rousing stringband numbers, fiddle-banjo duets, and songs sung in sweet harmony. The music is played—and played well-- by folks in their twenties and thirties. They've delved deep into the music. And you can hear it in their playing.

From North Carolina: the driving tunes and songs of Andy Edmonds, Seth Boyd and Wes Clifton; classic Round Peak fiddle/banjo duets of Nick McMillian and Kelley Breiding (Backstep), banjo players Mark Freed, Andrew Norcross, and Ben Nelson, and guitarist Sarah Jamison. 

From Kentucky: banjo pickers Brett Ratliff, John Haywood, and Seth Folsom, songstress/guitar player Karly Dawn Higgins and ballad singer Sarah Wood, fiddlers Jesse Wells and Nikos Pappas, and guitarist Don Rogers.

From Tennessee: fiddler Joseph Decosimo. From New York: fiddlers Emily Schaad and Rosie Newton.

From West Virginia, singers Jesse Milnes and Emily Miller (Sweetback Sisters) and master fiddler Andy Fitzgibbon. From Virginia, singing duets of Hannah & Aviva, fiddler Mary Jane Epps, ballad singer Elizabeth LaPrelle, and the fiddle/feet duet of Adrian Powell and Julie Shepherd-Powell.

The Record!

We are really excited to get this record out into the world-- scheduled to release right in time for the holiday season. The folks who came to be a part of this project recorded some incredible music-- what a variety of talent, what depth of knowledge (indeed, it's been tricky to figure out how to select which tracks make it onto the CD). We are putting together a long set of liner notes, with oral histories and original photos by Clara Williams, and artwork by Wild Bill.

One of the most exciting parts of this project, is that there are so many that we didn't get the chance to record. So, this is only Volume One-- the first in what must become a series of recordings!

We need your support. We’re producing and releasing this record ourselves, and a little financial support from you would go a long way, to get this CD printed and out into the world (and so we can get started, working on Volume Two!)

Thank you so much. Your support and encouragement means a lot to us.