Mark Simos & Friends
Clifftop Notes Vol. 1
© 2006 Mark Simos/Devachan Music (BMI). All Rights Reserved (837101209533)
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Champion fiddler and tunesmith Mark Simos leads old-time stringband the Cliffhangers and other Clifftop Festival friends in original old-time fiddle tunes (composed by Mark at Clifftop), played in the improvisational "campground" style.
tracks
- 1 Because It's There
- 2 Breaking in the String
- 3 Don't Know Where I'm Going, but I'm On My Way
- 4 Well Into the Double Digits
- 5 Maggie in the Doldrums
- 6 Little Asheville
- 7 Hogie in the Midst
- 8 Hel Amongst the Vetica
- 9 John Bloom
- 10 Dark of Hartness
- 11 Cliffhanger
- 12 Because It's Not There
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The Players:
Mark Simos - fiddle
with fellow Cliffhangers:
Brendan Doyle banjo
Karen Falkowski bass
Rusty Neithammer guitar
Jody Platt - tenor guitar
and special guests:
Maxine Gerber - banjo (track 6, 9, 10)
Rich Hartness - fiddle (track 1, 6, 10), guitar (track 5)
Deborah (Tolly) Tollefson - bass (tracks 5, 6, 10, 11)
Edwin Wilson - guitar (track 6, 10)
banjo-uke (track 5, 11)
From the liner notes by Bruce Molsky: Real, honest folk music at its best always represents some kind of confluence. Chance coming together of ideas and common experiences, when the conditions are right, paints a picture that's big, clear, colorful and completely in the moment. Since its very first year, the Appalachian String Band Festival in Clifftop, West Virginia has provided the right conditions for many "perfect storms" like this.
Each of Mark Simos' rich, new tunes on Clifftop Notes is an entry point to that special space that all musicians hope to enter when they play. Listen to these tunes, played with friends from the campground, and you can tell they never forget why they came to Clifftop in the first place, to enjoy each other and celebrate music. The Cliffhangers describe themselves as a "campground band," but that's unfairly modest. Mark, Brendan, Jody, Rusty and Karen each bring their own distinctive sound, and this core is as much celebration as unique artistic statement. With help from Rich, Maxine, Tolly and Edwin, it just feels like you've stumbled into one great tailgate party.
The natural and totally comfortable take on Mark's tunes leaves you aware of the connection to old traditions, but also reaching to see what else is out there. It all makes perfect sense and you want to stay there for the whole ride. It's extrospective music: you can stay inside of it, looking out to see what it touches, or you can be outside and just enjoy the experience. And this music will definitely touch a lot of people. It's just great music. — Bruce Molsky
Darol Anger: Here is not an oxymoron but a combination full of charm and challenge: modern old-time music. Like all great old-time music, it surges and breaks like the waves of the sea, as layers of groove advance and recede. The difference is subtle; here are strong grownup musicians in their prime, with wide-ranging worldly interests, spinning out byzantine but earthy melody. It's like how you heard this stuff the very first time, half awake, dreamy, freighted, alternately pastoral and frightening with unknown implication, like hiking up a twisting flash flood canyon on a blustery day.
From Liner Notes by Mark Simos: This is the second recording in a trilogy recorded in October 2005 at Tim Brown’s 5-String Productions in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The first album, The Cliffhangers: On the Edge, consists of older traditional tunes. This recording and its companion (Clifftop Notes 2: Big Ears) presents some of the tunes I’ve composed over the years at or around the Appalachian String Band Festival in Clifftop, West Virginia. (So, though I grew up in California, learned much of my old-time music in Philadelphia, and currently reside in Watertown, Massachusetts, these could be called “indigenous West Virginia tunes” if you were feeling particularly literal-minded!)
Many of these tunes first leaped from my fiddle spontaneously during sessions, a bit woozy on arrival but soon struggling to their feet. Others emerged after waking too early in the morning, ears still ringing from the music of the night before. Some are portraits dedicated to fellow musicians and other friends; others commemorate particular nights of music. I could draw a map of the Clifftop campground and point to the spots where most of these tunes were written. (Check the website!)
Since these tunes were steeped in the heady and hearty brew of the campground, I wanted to record them with Clifftop friends: mostly unarranged, played just like good old tunes. I composed several of these tunes in sessions with the Cliffhangers, and it is a delight to feature that spirited assemblage on this project. Brendan got the knack of recognizing when a tune I’d launched into was actually being invented on the spot; and many a sly look has passed between us on such occasions. We’re joined by various combinations of other friends and favorite musicians of mine: Maxine Gerber on banjo; Rich Hartness on fiddle and guitar; Deborah (Tolly) Tollefson, our “relief” bass player; and Edwin Wilson, on guitar and banjo-uke (which has—almost!—the last word).
Some of these tunes have already been in circulation for some time and have begun to sprout variants and versions. We reined them in, just barely, to record them, and they will no doubt soon wander off again with minds of their own. Enjoy them, play them, and write some yourself! — Mark Simos
All compositions ©1995-2005 Mark Simos / Devachan Music (BMI). All Rights Reserved.
Produced by Bob Carlin.
Recorded and Edited at 5-String Productions (West Chester, PA) by Tim Brown.
Mixed at Overdub Lane Recording (Durham, NC) by John Plymale and Bob Carlin.
Mastered at Northeastern Digital (Southboro, MA) by Toby Mountain.
Cover artwork by Sam Bartlett (www.sambartlett.com).
Notes by Mark Simos.
Graphic Design by Delpino Design.
Photo by Tim Brown.