The long awaited solo debut from singer/fiddler/multi-instrumentalist Sara Milonovich is an explosion of music with as many colors and flavors as the melting pot that is New York - and not just the city, but the countryside too - a kind of “Downtown Upstate” music - rural roots with an urban edge.
Produced by Greg Anderson, and featuring special guests Mike Marshall, Eliza Gilkyson, Lloyd Maines, Viktor Krauss, John Doyle, Richard Shindell, André Brunet, Natalie Haas, Ben Wittman, Denis Frechette, Abbie Gardner, Natalia Zukerman, Gregory Liszt, John Kirk, Scott Petito, Matt Darriau, Buddy Connolly, Leo Traversa, Brian Melick, Nikki Matheson, Mark Dann and Greg Anderson, it’s been described as “acoustic and electric, agnostic and eclectic”, but it’s much more than that, and far trickier to pin down - it’s roots-rock, oldtime-newgrass, worldbeat-jazz with celtic & other european flavors... it’s alt-folk, alt-country, alt-pop, alt-all!
Sara Milonovich:
Sara is an award-winning fiddler, singer, and tunesmith who has been performing throughout the US and Europe as a solo artist, bandleader and in various collaborations in the roots, folk-rock, bluegrass, Celtic, and Appalachian music scenes. She has worked with artists such as Pete Seeger (on his 2009 Grammy-winning album, "At 89"), Richard Shindell, Cathie Ryan, Anne Hills, and Leslie Ritter and Scott Petito, among others.
From 1999 - 2002 she toured the US and Ireland as a member of the Celtic/bluegrass/roots band The McKrells. Her tune, Cead Caloigne Sneachta (The First Snowfall), from the McKrell's holiday album Merry Christmas, placed 6th in the 2001 Just Plain Folks Awards for best holiday song. Her fiddle and voice (and flute and whistles) were also featured on their 2002 CD Hit The Ground Running. In June 2001, Sara traveled to Mt. Airy, North Carolina with John Kirk & Trish Miller, where she competed in both the Bluegrass Fiddle and Folk Song contests, placing first and second, respectively. She has performed with various classical ensembles throughout New York State, including the Empire State Youth and Repertory Orchestras, several string quartets, and with members of the Albany, Glens Falls, and Schenectady Symphonies. In 1998 she released the CD Mrs. Ippy Fiddle, under the name Sara Miles (as her last name was often mispronounced), which was a nominated semifinalist for the 1999 Grammy awards.
CD Review (of pre-release 7 track "Daisycutter EP" : Wildy's World- Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Sara Milonovich - Daisycutter EP
I first became aware of Sara Milonovich during her stint as violinist for The McKrells, a Celtic/bluegrass band from Saratoga Springs, NY, who were well-known on the Celtic music circuit and were legends locally. Milonovich always managed to exude an energetic and sweet stage presence while ripping it up on the violin. I never really got to hear her sing anything other than background vocals however. In the summer of 2008 Sara released an EP as a preview for an upcoming full-length album. The EP is called Daisycutter. It proves her status as an incredible celtic/country violin player but also introduces Milonovich as a capable vocalist and front-woman.
Country Life opens the set as a banjo driven, celtic influenced country/rock tune. This tune was my first introduction to Milonovich as a lead vocalist and I have to say it's impressive. She has a rich, full sound that is pleasant to listen to but also carries an edge that can as easily be cutting or vulnerable, in turn. Fiona's Breakdown and The Lake Arthur Stomp allow Milonovich to show off her fiddle skills in amicable fashion. When Sara Milonovich is on her game she’s in the same league as Natalie MacMaster on violin.
Last Dance is a gorgeous country ballad that will have you on the edge of your seat. Willie Taylor is an interesting turn. This celtic tune mixes a dark violin bridge that sounds middle-eastern and also draws in jazz-style woodwinds. It’s a stunning musical choice and works very well after the initial adjustment (of the listener). Northern Cross comes across as extremely personal; nearly confessional in Milonvich’s rich alto. The most poignant and moving event on Daisycutter is the cover of Peter Gabriel’s Here Comes The Flood. Sara Milonovich was born to sing this song, or so it would seem. Her rendition encompasses all of the loss and loneliness the song implies and is overpowering in its emotional weight. I should add that I sat and listened to this in the wake of the September 2008 fiscal crisis, so the song had an added poignancy.
Sara Milonovich is the sort of musician we love here at Wildy’s World. Here is an incredibly talented independent artist plying her trade in a small market in the Northeast. The music and talent she brings to the world around her are more than worthy of the larger stages of Nashville, New York and LA (and all the stages/clubs between here and there). Milonovich is the sort of artist record execs should be lining up to sign (and she’s far from the only one we’ve reviewed here thus far). Daisycutter is an amazing debut, and means we will anxiously anticipate the forthcoming full-length release. There’s no doubt, Daisycutter is a Certified Wildy's World Desert Island Disc.
Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)
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