Tag: Ben Krakauer

WATCH: Zoe & Cloyd, “Up and At ‘Em”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Zoe & Cloyd
Hometown: Asheville, NC
Song: “Up and At ‘Em”
Album: Songs of Our Grandfathers
Release Date: May 19, 2023
Label: Organic Records

In Their Words: “‘Up and At ‘Em’ is one of my favorite Jim Shumate compositions and the title track to his 1991 album of that name. Jim was always proud that this record made it onto the Library of Congress/American Folklife Center’s list of outstanding folk recordings of that year, as it marked his return to recording after a decade-long hiatus. Since this tune is in a minor key, it really dovetails well with the klezmer material on Songs of Our Grandfathers, especially with Natalya’s added doina intro. We were psyched to have Andy Statman play mandolin on it for the album and he gave it a really cool treatment using the Monroe ‘Get Up John’ tuning for some old school flavor.

“For the video we had Kevin Kehrberg and Ben Krakauer with us and Aaron from Old Home Place Recordings thought it would be fun to have the camera in the middle while we played the tune in a circle, jam style. It’s a different approach that makes you feel like you’re inside the performance and it turned out great!” – John Cloyd Miller

Photo Credit: Sarah Johnston

LISTEN: Ben Krakauer, “Brushy”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Ben Krakauer
Hometown: Swannanoa, North Carolina
Song: “Brushy”
Album: Hidden Animals
Release Date: March 22, 2023
Label: Adhyâropa Records

In Their Words: “I was thrilled and honored to have such wonderful companions on this album – Duncan Wickel and Ella Jordan on fiddles, Dan Klingsberg on bass, and Nick Falk on drums – that really brought this music to life. ‘Brushy’ 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 Nick’s 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 banjo’s 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 ‘Tenor Madness.’” — Ben Krakauer

Photo Credit: Aaron Stone

LISTEN: Ben Krakauer, “Heart Lake”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Ben Krakauer
Hometown: Black Mountain, North Carolina
Song: “Heart Lake”
Album: Heart Lake
Release Date: December 17, 2019
Label: Blue Hens Music

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘Heart Lake,’ along with the rest of the tunes on this album, with these particular musicians in mind. ‘Heart Lake’ was my attempt at a fiddle tune, which morphed into something different by the time I finished writing it. Like John Hartford’s string band records, it shifts in texture every 16 or 32 bars. It’s named for one of my favorite places, near Mt. Shasta, California. Featuring Duncan Wickel on fiddle, Nick Falk on drums, and Dan Klingsberg on bass.” — Ben Krakauer

Photo credit: Laura Ogburn