Artist: Ben Krakauer
Hometown: Swannanoa, North Carolina
Song: “Brushy”
Album: Hidden Animals
Release Date: March 22, 2023
Label: Adhyâropa Records
In Their Words: âI was thrilled and honored to have such wonderful companions on this album â Duncan Wickel and Ella Jordan on fiddles, Dan Klingsberg on bass, and Nick Falk on drums â that really brought this music to life. âBrushyâ is a burning banjo and fiddle tune that I originally envisioned as slow and moody, but we recorded it at twice the intended speed because Dan, Ella, Nick, and Duncan were all feeling it as a rager! I had a hard time keeping up, but it was fun to do. I wrote it to feature the open tone of the banjo and to explore one of my favorite pentatonic modes (1 2 4 5 b7). A centerpiece of this recording is Nickâs drumming, which is wonderfully nuanced, explosive, and intricate, and is informed by the best of banjo/fiddle/flatfooting tradition; it also echoes further back to the banjoâs African roots and its place within a percussive ensemble. Also listen for the twin fiddling and the traded phrases between Duncan and Ella, like a nouveau old-time âTenor Madness.ââ — Ben Krakauer
Photo Credit: Aaron Stone
