Album Notes

The hammer dulcimer is featured, while some of Sam's friends contribute tasteful piano, fiddle, flute, cello, vocal, or guitar on some cuts. This album has several pieces that have become dulcimer classics, including Augusta at Midnight, The Comet, and Russell Fluharty's Dream. Two pieces are played on the chromatic Piano Dulcimer, "Playing in the Mud," a ragtime novelty, and the evocative "Lilac Time." Sheet music for all the tunes can be found in various Rizzetta tune books; see samrizzetta.com.

Sam Rizzetta has recently been nominated for a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship for lifetime achievement in the arts. His many innovations helped create the modern hammer dulcimer, and his handmade instruments have been exhibited by the Smithsonian Institution, the National Folk Festival, the West Virginia Cultural Center, and featured in Fine Woodworking Magazine.