Album Notes

What a treat to to have these three fiddlers--among the best in the Northeast--get together to play the music they love the most. Here, they bring us their remarkable individual skills and an exciting selection of favorite tunes, with a bonus of three part harmony. Musical soulmates, they all grew up with these traditional tunes and, as fate would have it, they now live close enough to each other that they can get together to swap music and stories and have a grand old time. In this collection, they share that joy with us.

Varick Chittenden, Folklorist, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York [TAUNY]


Don Woodcock and sisters Gretchen and Rebecca Koehler grew up in musical families surrounded by the rich traditions of old time fiddle music. As a young boy, Don began to play for local dances with his father Howard. By the 1970s, when fiddling contests became a popular way to promote old time fiddlers and their music, Don started competing locally and throughout the Northeast, eventually winning the state contest three times and becoming Grand Champion Fiddler of New York State. The Koehlers, from Massachusetts, were introduced to contest fiddling early in life and, through the years since, have won championships in nine states and three provinces. As their family travelled, the sisters gained a wealth of knowledge about fiddle styles from the New England melting pot of Old Time, Contra Dance, Celtic, and Québécois music--making them sought after teachers and clinicians. These three fiddlers' paths have crossed at many fiddle festivals over the years, but when Gretchen moved to the North Country a few miles from Don, they found their mutual joy in casual get togethers, just swapping tunes they had each learned over the years and sharing an interest in preserving the music for the generations to come.

Varick Chittenden, Folklorist, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York [TAUNY]