Album Notes

Announcing the re-release of

TWO TRADITIONS Balaphon, Banjo, Fiddle and Drum

FEATURING THE HORSE FLIES
August 19, 2006
Calling the Kettle Black Music

This disc features the Horse Flies from Ithaca, NY and friends. Originally released in 1999, this disc features a sometimes wild, sometimes moody combination of old time string band instruments and array of hand drums and other percussion from the traditions of West Africa and Cuba. The result is music both ancient and new, primitive and beautiful. In July of 1996, the Horse Flies played a fiddle music set in the dance tent. With their drummer, Taki Masuko, and percussionists, Jim Roberts and Nery Arevalo, they created an experience that was sort of a large wall of fiddle-music voodoo.

Afterwards, Roberts suggested the group go into a studio to record the kind of thing that happened in the tent. The following October, they convened at Pyramid Studios in Ithaca, NY and did a live session that has become the cornerstone of what has become, Two Traditions. Sadly, this was of the last sessions that the Flies did with their longtime bass player and best friend, John Haywood, who passed away June of 1997. In the spring of 1999, Roberts returned to the project and led more sessions with additional musicians.

This result has been a recording featuring the fiddling of Judy Hyman (Horse Flies), Chad Crumm (The Hix), Rickie Simpkins (Tony Rice Unit and Pinecastle Recording Artist), the banjo playing of Richie Stearns (Horse Flies), and Nancy Sluys (Pilot Mountain Bobcats); the banjo uke of Jeff Claus (Horse Flies); upright bass of John Hayward (Horse Flies); congas, timbales, talking drums, and bongos by Taki Masuko (Horse Flies) and Nery Arevalo; and balaphon, djembe, mbira and more from Jim Roberts. Compositions are both old and new and range from full band grooves to sparse, emotion filled grooves slow pieces. Two Traditions is dedicated to the memory of John Hayward.

The re-release of Two Traditions is made possible by the Nancy Sluys and Bobville Music.
This special recording represents an exploration of the link between African percussion and American
fiddle music, which has its roots in both Scots/Irish and African music.

We hope this contribution is a timeless and important cd in the continuous evolution of new musical
frontiers.
.

Info: www.thehorseflies.com and www.jimrobertspercussion.com
Order: www.cdbaby.com or www.bobvillemusic.com
Contact:
Jim Roberts
jim@jimrobertspercussion.com