MATT BROWN: Lone Prairie

Matt Brown

Lone Prairie

© 2006 5-String Productions, Inc. (837101155564)

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Haunting and powerful fiddling by a young master rooted in traditional Appalachian music.

notes

"Matt Brown can take his place among the finest fiddlers of his generation" - Sing Out!, Fall 2006

"Matt Brown is an old-time fiddler who has amassed quite an impressive musical resume. For his latest project, he has gathered some of his favorite Appalachian fiddle tunes...The extensive liner notes documenting the songs adds further luster to this first-class production. Anyone who appreciates authentic old-time fiddling would be well-advised to add "Lone Prairie" to their library" - Bluegrass Unlimited, August 2006

"This is a very tasty CD from the fine young old-time fiddler, Matt Brown...both Paul Brown and Beverly Smith provide perfect instrumental accompaniment for the central voice on this CD, Matt's fiddle...I don't see how these three fine musicians could have done a better job of this."
-The Old-Time Herald, August-September 2006

"Matt Brown is a talented and disciplined fiddler with a strong command of his bow. There is a sureness to his work that makes it a joy to hear...A real gem of a first recording from a very promising young fiddler."
-Fiddler Magazine, Winter 2006/07


Matt Brown plays traditional Appalachian music with a command that belies his age. Onstage, Matt is entertaining and informative, presenting an eclectic mix of tunes and songs. He has established himself as a master fiddler, both authentic and innovative. He has studied with fiddle greats Brad Leftwich, Rafe Stefanini, Bruce Molsky, Dirk Powell, and Bruce Greene.

“Lone Prairie,” is a collection of 18 traditional Appalachian tunes and songs. On it, he presents a range of material spanning from the common (Arkansas Traveler, Old Joe Clark) to the unusual (Cookhouse Joe, Stuart’s Long Bow). Brown's fiddling is clean and powerful, well grounded in tradition, but also innovative and playful. He is joined by two veterans of traditional music, Paul Brown and Beverly Smith. Paul, who is no relation to Matt, plays a variety of old-time banjo styles masterfully. Beverly plays rhythm guitar and sings in a beautiful, unadorned voice.

Matt performs as a musician with Rhythm in Shoes, a percussive dance ensemble based in Dayton, Ohio. Under the direction of bandleader Rick Good (of the Hotmud Family), Matt plays a range of music, including hoedowns, jazz ballads, rock grooves, calypso waltzes, and hornpipes. His band-mates include Pete Sutherland, Ben Cooper, and Kevin Anderson. Rhythm in Shoes is a touring group equally at home in a theater and in front of a festival crowd.

Matt Brown has appeared as a guest artist with Uncle Earl, The Wilders, and Crooked Still. He has performed at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, The Wheatland Music Festival, The Cityfolk Festival, The Appalachian String Band Music Festival ("Clifftop"), The New England Folk Festival, The Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival, and The American Roots Festival. He also performs with Paul Brown as the Brown Brothers, with singer Annie Patterson (co-editor of Rise Up Singing), and with multi-instrumentalist and singer Joe Newberry.

In addition to performing, Matt has taught fiddle workshops in the United States and England. He is an active studio musician and producer. A majority of his recorded work, including “Lone Prairie,” is on the 5-String Productions label (www.5-string.com).

reviews

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  • Just superb
    author: Michael J Feeney

    If you really love traditional mountain music, I think you will find that this young guy is the real deal. I've only heard Matt play on this one CD, but that was enough to convince me. Enough so that I found Matt’s website and his concert schedule, and discovered he has a concert only about eight hours away this weekend. So, I'm taking along that beautiful girl who's put up with me all these years and we're heading out from the Buffalo area all the way down to West Chester, PA to hear Matt play in person. If this CD is any indication, it will be memorable .

  • A very enjoyable listening experience- not a bad cut on the album!
    author: Michael Springer

    Not only can Matt, Paul, and Beverly play- and Beverly sing- (I'm a fiddler myself and I know!) but Matt did a great job of producing this album to give it variety and make it listenable. This CD would make a great way to introduce someone to Old Time Fiddling. It represents some of the best Old Time Music has to offer. Slow tunes, fast tunes, and songs in various major & minor modes and tempos are all arranged in such a way that not only does it never get monotonous; it all manages to work together for an emotional impact.

  • Matt's fiddle playing is exciting, gritty, sinuous, and gorgeous. Suberb trio!
    author: Dick Swain

    Matt Brown shows a profound understanding of old time music for a young player. The tunes are all interesting, and the trio is superb. The fiddle playing is in turns exciting, gritty, sinuous, and gorgeous. Paul Brown's banjo playing is wonderfully nuanced and fits perfectly with Matt Brown's fiddle. (Paul Brown is the NPR announcer. He shares a profound musical connection with Matt Brown, but he is no genealogical relation.) Beverly Smith provides rock solid and tasteful guitar backup, and her singing is delightful. Matt Brown's maturity as a musician is shown particularly in his song accompaniment - subtle and perfectly in accord with the singing. The performance of "Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still" from the Warner Collection is a knockout.

  • buy this cd
    author: Jerry James

    chock full of great songs, super clean and super tight old time music. The kid can play.

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