Corn Potato String Band, Vol. 2
Corn Potato String Band
More of the Good Stuff from the “Eyes and Ears of America” — Twin fiddling, Mexican string band music, mountain gospel from 1507, familiar favorites and obscure rarities, this trio of multi-instrumentalists has done it again!
“I’ve heard quite a lot of old-time fiddle and banjo playing, trust me, but I’ve never heard it like this… played at break-neck speeds, Aaron’s fiddle whipping around tight corners like a high-end sports car. It was like watching Bach hopped up on speed, composing kickass barn dance tunes in Appalachia. Kind of.” -No Depression
The Corn Potato String Band are a trio of multi-instrumentalists dedicated to continuing the traditional fiddle and banjo music and dance of the Central Southern US. In addition to being champion fiddlers, they play banjo and guitar and cover many different antiquated styles including ballads, “ho-downs,” country “rags” and southern gospel, specializing in twin fiddling and double banjo tunes.
Aaron Jonah Lewis – fiddle, banjo, guitar
Lindsay McCaw – fiddle, guitar, banjo, Hawaiian steel guitar, baritone fiddle
Ben Belcher – banjo, guitar
Aaron Jonah Lewis is a multi-instrumentalist, performer and educator. He has won awards at the Clifftop Appalachian String Band Festival, including First Place Neotraditional Band in 2008, and at the Galax Old Fiddlers Convention, including First Place Bluegrass Fiddle in 2007, and he has performed at major festivals from the US to the UK and from Italy to Finland. Lewis has appeared on dozens of recordings from bluegrass and old time to swing jazz, modern experimental and Turkish classical music projects. He has taught workshops at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow and at the English Folk Dance and Song Society in London. He also plays and teaches banjo, mandolin, guitar, and bass and is currently based in Nashville, Tennessee.
Lindsay McCaw has been playing American old time music for over 15 years. She performs music and calls dances around the country. McCaw plays fiddle, banjo, guitar, accordion and piano. She is also part of several theater and puppet companies, including her own, called The Dolly Wagglers. She has won several musical distinctions such as two-time winner of the Minneapolis Jug Band Contest and four-time first-place winner of the Sheffield Field Days Fiddle contest.
Ben Belcher is an accomplished banjo player and a talented artist. He has distinguished himself with such awards as the Independent Music World Series, which he won with The Hot Seats in Nashville, TN, in 2006, First Place Neotraditional Band at the Appalachian String Band Festival in 2008 and a Herald Angel award at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe. Belcher has toured extensively in the US and in Europe and the UK since 2001. He has been a regular at the Edinburgh Fringe with The Hot Seats and recently appeared at the Shetland Folk Festival. He also plays guitar and fiddle.
- All songs public domain, all songs arranged by Corn Potato String Band
- Artwork by Ben Belcher
- Recorded and Mixed at Sheriff Bob’s, NYC, by Max Johnson – maxjohnsonmusic.com
- Mastered by Richard Morris Mastering – richardmorrismastering.com
- Agilest Music 2014
“Power-packed performance!” -Hindustan Times
“Impressive fiddle work… authentically raw and homespun” -The Scotsman
“A concert with the Corn Potato String Band is sure to entertain, while building bridges between cultures and embracing with melodies the rich, cultural diversity in the United States.” – India Blooms
“A unique slice of American culture” -The Times of India
“They blew the audience away. A half-hour of standards, obscurities and charming banter later, the decidedly hip multi-instrumentalists received one of the most thunderous ovations of any opening act I’ve witnessed in quite some time.” -PopMatters