Album Notes

Hotpoint is first and foremost a dance band, characterized by their own brand of sizzlingly hot contradance tunes, high-energy squares, and string swing.

Playing an eclectic mix of high-energy original and traditional old-time and Celtic fiddle tunes, Hotpoint is known for their ability to maintain a deep groove at any tempo. The core of the band is the driving fiddle and clawhammer banjo of Mark and Hilarie Burhans, who have been playing music together for 28 years. Add to this the solid piano of Marlene Shostak and incomparable percussion (doumbek, djembe, kanjira, bones, shakers -- you name it!) of Mark Hellenberg, firmly grounded by Joe Crum on bass and didgeridoo, and you have a band whose legendary energy has made them a favorite at contradance weekends across the country. Some of these include:

Northern CA Dance Awakening • Cincinnati Pigtown Fling • LEAF (Lake Eden
Arts Festival) • River Rendezvous • Pittsburgh Fall Dance Weekend •
Charlotte, NC Gypsy Meltdown • Montana Bear Hug • American Fall Dance
Weekend at Buffalo Gap • Nashville's Music City Masquerade • Michigan
Looking Glass Weekend • Missouri Solefest • Owen Sound (Canada) Weekend • and many more.