Grammy-nominee Bruce Molsky, “widely regarded as one of the best living practitioners of Appalachian old-time fiddling” (WBUR), will share three spellbinding sessions of traditional music and stories streamed from his living room. For each show, Molsky will be joined by a different artist and friend who holds a special place in his musical life: Alasdair Fraser (8/13); Ellika Frisell (8/29); and Michael Doucet (9/8). The ‘We Went to Different Schools Together’ concert series is presented by OurConcerts.live.
“As the old adage says, ‘We went to different schools together,’” explains Molsky. “There’s a reason the music we play is so often called ‘social music.’ We all came to it looking for something to bring us together, to sing and dance and celebrate life. The cultural confluence is absolutely clear. My experiences and collaborations with Alasdair, Ellika, and Michael bring that all home for me once again, and I’m excited to share our music in this series!”
Details of each concert including the UK time (BST) are below. There are currently no plans to rebroadcast the concerts so the only concert which may prove difficult to watch unless you’re a night owl is the concert with Michael Doucet which starts at 1am UK time, the rest start at 6pm.
Alasdair Fraser & Bruce Molsky, Thursday, August 13, 6pm BST / 1pm ET / noon CT / 10am PT, $15 – Legendary Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser and revered Appalachian old-time fiddler Bruce Molsky will trade some well-loved tunes found in both their cultures and swap stories from a musical partnership that extends over more than 25 years. Appalachian and Scottish music share centuries of melodies and songs, and it was Alasdair’s and Bruce’s curiosity and wide-open ears (and also some good luck) that brought them together. Both have dug deep into the musical traditions of other countries and integrated what moved them into their own voices. Bruce was a guest artist on Highlander’s Farewell, an album by Alasdair and Alasdair’s longtime collaborator, cello phenom Natalie Haas, and regularly teaches at the five camp retreats established by Alasdair throughout the world where players come to learn, share community, and celebrate all kinds of fiddle music. Alasdair and Bruce believe that music exists to bring people together, and their vast works are joyful living proof.
Ellika Frisell & Bruce Molsky, Saturday, August 29, 6pm BST / 1pm ET / noon CT / 10am PT, $15 – Friends and peers for over 25 years, Molsky and acclaimed Swedish folk violinist and violist Ellika Frisell will perform and share stories about their parallel folk experiences that occurred on different continents. Frisell became a central figure in the Swedish folk music revival, performing with important groups such as Filarfolket, Den Fule, and Rosenberg 7, and with Senegalese kora legend Solo Cissokho. Molsky became one of the most influential old-time fiddlers on the scene today, earning two Grammy nominations and even the title “the Rembrandt of Appalachian fiddlers” from Darol Anger. Though both Frisell and Molsky were considered outsiders when they first fell in love with folk music, they each went on to learn at the feet of masters Frisell learning from Gustaf Päkkos and Molsky from Tommy Jarrell. Today, both Molsky and Frisell draw modern ways into how they carry forward their tradition, including collaborating with twenty-first-century global musicians and incorporating contemporary instrumentation in their musical storytelling.
Michael Doucet & Bruce Molsky, Tuesday, September 8, 1am BST / 8pm ET / 7pm CT / 5pm PT, $15 – It’s time to dance! Molsky and Grammy Award-winning Cajun songwriter and fiddler Michael Doucet will have audience members stamping their feet as they trade tunes and stories that traverse the Louisiana bayou, the Appalachian mountains, and beyond. Over the years, both artists have unearthed the almost-forgotten rarities of their respective musical traditions, giving voice to the lineage of players who have carried these songs forward over the centuries and showing us all why these songs continue to move us. Best known for his Grammy-winning group BeauSoleil with his brother David, Doucet has been one of the movers and shakers bringing the excitement and danceability of Cajun music back to prominence in traditional American music. Molsky, “a brilliant old-time fiddler and living repository of mountain fiddle tunes” (Greg Cahill, North Bay Bohemian), Doucet, Darol Anger, and Rushad Eggleston were Fiddlers 4, a Grammy-nominated quartet revelling in the rich common ground between Cajun, old-time, early jazz, and R&B.
“My friends and I are a link in the musical chain and are grateful to be part of a community of people who play it and love it. This virtual concert series offers a wonderful stage so that we can share these traditional songs that are somehow so prescient to the realities of our modern world. Join us for a folk-music journey that will make your feet tap, blood pump, and soul soar,” adds Molsky.
Described as “an absolute master” (No Depression), Grammy-nominated Bruce Molsky’s take on tradition has landed him in collaborations with some of the world’s most highly respected players, from roots to rock. He is a special guest on legend rocker Mark Knopfler’s recent album, Tracker. His 1865: Songs of Hope & Home, with Anonymous 4, was on Billboard’s Top 10 for weeks. He appears on the third record with Andy Irvine & Donal Lunny’s supergroup Mozaik, released this year. You can see Bruce on the BBC TV Transatlantic Sessions videos with Aly Bain and Jerry Douglas and on David Holt’s State of Music, airing nationally. His trio, Molsky’s Mountain Drifters, includes banjo virtuoso Allison de Groot and genre-defying Stash Wyslouch on guitar. Their self-titled album has been released to great acclaim, and their most recent release, Closing the Gap, topped the Folk-DJ charts last April. Molsky is Berklee College of Music’s Visiting Scholar in the American Roots Music Program.
Where: https://brucemolsky.com/ourconcerts
Tickets: $15, https://brucemolsky.com/ourconcerts