Today I swam in a river by the woods, with a buzzard shrieking overhead and very few people to be seen. The overriding and now quite uncommon feeling was that it could have been a hundred years ago, which is a similar feeling to what North Carolina-based Old-time fiddler, banjoist and interpreter Joseph Decosimo’s music gives me when I hear it.
For his new release, Fiery Gizzard, Joseph has looked at more other-worldly tunes, with a slight leaning towards the weird and psychedelic side of Old-time music. This is possibly the best version of Shady Grove I’ve heard, a key track at the core of the record and the longest here at just over seven minutes. The tune is built around Joseph’s beautifully played fiddle reel and embellished by the low drone notes of Matthew O’Connell’s synth (I think), sympathetic banjo playing and the shimmering sounds of Jay Hammond’s electric guitar. The blend of lower notes with the high guitar strings gives the song a broad range of sounds and adds depth and intrigue to a tightly played, addictive tune. It’s completely enchanting, and its seven minutes could be doubled.
Guest fiddler Stephanie Coleman almost steals the show on the opening track Ida Red, a lovely piece that brings in Hammond’s guitar alongside Joseph’s banjo and plaintive vocals. Her fiddle injects a shot of life at the halfway point, sweeping in to transform a hazy, dreamy piece into something with plenty of pep in its step. Both sides of the tune are delightful and blend perfectly together, resulting in a song with plenty of character.
Although not technically a band record, Fiery Gizzard has a lot of fun with its contributors (the sessions had a ‘trusting open-door policy’, the notes sweetly state), not least on songs like the slightly ramshackle Flowery Girls, a piece inspired by ‘one man band’ folk blues musician Abner Jay and played here on fretless banjo through a tube amp. Cool enough indeed, but added drums and Andy Stack’s bass turn this one into a totally ace junkshop jam.
A slight lean on the strange is nicely demonstrated on Joseph’s version of the traditional Billy Button, a tune I first came across on Jake Xerxes Fussell’s What in the Natural World. Joseph’s take utilises the same tune as his friend and collaborator, with the banjo providing the framework, but twinkling keys and darts of Kelly Pratt’s horn bring a less solid, more ethereal character to the song that suits its innocent nature.
And there are numerous other delights to be had throughout these ten tracks, all of which showcase the talents of Joseph as musician, interpreter and band leader. Each song brings something different (big credit to the guest musicians), and the album flows beautifully, before finishing on the touching miniature Boatsman, a banjo ditty complete with birdsong and the chatterings of a small child. It’s an uplifting end to an energetic and often quite joyful set that is a real pleasure to listen to. Seek this one out.
Guest musicians include: Stephanie Coleman (fiddle, banjo, vocals), Jay Hammond (guitar), Matthew O’Connell (drums, synth), Joe O’Connell (pump organ, guitar, vocals), Cleek Schrey (fiddle, pump organ), Libby Rodenbough (piano, vocals), Joe Dejarnette (bass), Kelly Pratt (brass, woodwinds), Andy Stack (bass).
Fiery Gizzard (August 15th, 2025) Dear Life Records
Pre-Order Fiery Gizzard via Bandcamp: https://josephdecosimo.bandcamp.com/album/fiery-gizzard
Ida Red Live:
Live Shows
September 3 @ The Showdown – Portland, OR
September 4 @ American Banjo Camp 2025 – Port Orchard, WA
September 7 @ The Yodeling Goat – Seattle, WA
September 11 @ AyurPrana Listening Room – Asheville, NC
October 3 @ Wide Open Music Festival 2025 – Raleigh, NC
November 8 @ Bowerbird – Philadelphia PA
November 9 @ Brooklyn Folk Festival – Brooklyn, NY