Album Notes

First picking up the fiddle at ages three and five, Rebecca and Gretchen Koehler have been playing music together for virtually all of their lives. During their childhood they were fixtures at fiddle contests throughout the North Eastern US and Eastern Canada winning numerous titles in nine states and three provinces including the prestigious Duet Class at Shelburne, Ontario. This album is a departure from their two previous releases New England Fiddles and Traditional Fiddling which feature their contest fiddling. Parallel Lines captures the sisters' joy of making music side by side without any strict guidelines. The multi-string arrangements of Celtic and New England Contradance tunes are at times whimsical, rocky, sultry, pensive, and jazzy without the abandonment of strong traditional melodies. Surrounding themselves with friends, the Koehlers team with energetic guitarist Brandt Kronholm who accompanies Rebecca in the Boston, MA area (and beyond) and cellist Beth Robinson and pianist Matt Bullwinkel who have been performing and laughing with Gretchen in their Potsdam, NY based contradance band Frog Bridge for the past four years.



Dirty linen review...

Sisters Gretchen and Rebecca Koehler have been fiddling together since the ages of three and five. While no longer performing together on a regular basis, they still retain that sense of togetherness bonded by years of playing together. Their repertoire is traditional and modern Celtic tunes, with arrangements varying from traditional and contra-dance styles to others with a jazzy, humorous, and more modern sound. The sisters are both highly skilled players, with Gretchen taking most of the solos. They're backed up by guitar, cello, piano, and percussion on most tracks, and the production is very clean and crisp. (JLe)





http://www.rambles.net/koehler_parallel.html
This is a fast-paced album, which is bound to find its way into my CD player quiet often... an excellent mix of tunes, wonderful fiddle harmonies and talented guest musicians...I will definitely be keeping my eyes (and ears!) open for more material from these Celtic fiddlers. -Rambles

Plenty of searing and sensitive leads... There is effective (sometimes adventurous) accompaniment by piano, guitar, bodhran, and some fine cello work by Beth Robinson. -Fiddler Magazine



Gretchen & Rebecca Koehler
with guest musicians

Matt Bullwinkel..............piano
Brandt Kronholm............guitar
Beth Robinson................cello
Ed Clark.................percussion
Joel Foisy..............percussion
Stuart Kenney..............bodhran

This is a worthwhile, meaty
album by two very important
and virtuosic contributors to
the current sound of contra-
dances, contest and fiddling
in the Northeast.
-Fiddler Magazine