MP3 The Donkeys - COUNTRY: Progressive Bluegrass

New acoustic, bluegrass, old time, Indian, and swing songs by two of the world's top Dobro players.

10 MP3 Songs
COUNTRY: Progressive Bluegrass, FOLK: String Band



Details:
Ivan Rosenberg and Billy Cardine are well known individually as being among the most creative composers and players from the today's generation of resonator guitarists. Far from being competitors in the Dobro world, Rosenberg and Cardine were roommates in North Carolina, during which time they put their musical ideas together to write new songs specially conceived for two Dobros. The result is a fresh approach to instrumental interaction on tunes in the new acoustic, bluegrass, old time, swing, and Indian genres.

While each player has his share of hot licks, the focus of The Donkeys is on melody, harmony, and exploring the soulful, beautiful sound of the Dobro in new musical contexts. In addition to Dobro, Rosenberg and Cardine both play banjo and Cardine is featured on the Chaturangui, a 22-string slide instrument that combines a guitar with the sympathetic and drone strings of a sitar.

Guest musicians include Mary Lucey, Shannon Whitworth, Dan Bletz and Jon Stickleyâall present or past members of The Biscuit Burnersâas well as Darrell Muller (Old School Freight Train), David Keenan, and Billy Constable. The CD was engineered by Cardine at Indidog Studio and mastered by Bill Wolf, with graphic design and original artwork by Spencer Waltz, winner of the 2006 IBMA Graphic Design award, and liner notes by Derek Halsey.

With each song, Cardine and Rosenberg explore a different idea of instrumental interaction. On "No Ash Will Burn," Mary Lucey beautifully interprets this Walt Aldridge classic with just Dobro and clawhammer banjo accompaniment. "Cecil's Jogging Otter" and "Far in the Wind" showcase the rich and subtle interplay of two Dobros in a new-acoustic setting. "The Creptid Donkey" goes through several movements and genres, while "Chatuvondoo" is an Indian/old time fusion of Chaturangui and clawhammer banjo. "Gone and Done It" features two Dobros in a call-and-response swing setting, and "Rough and Rocky" contrasts Shannon Whitworth's sultry vocals with and old-school country solo where two Dobros take the place of twin fiddles.

Billy Cardine has been earning praise for his astounding chops and creative approach to slide guitar. When asked about him in a recent Bluegrass Unlimited article, Jerry Douglas said, "Billy Cardine is an amazing Dobro player... He could be the next big thing." Best-known for his work with The Biscuit Burners, Cardine has played MerleFest, The Ryman, Mountain Stage, and Carnegie Hall. He was hand picked for Edgar Meyer's "Porous Borders of Music" symposium, has recorded with banjo whiz Ryan Cavanaugh, and will tour with the legendary Debashish Bhattacharya next year. Visit www.thebiscuitburners.com for more information.

With several solo albums of original material to his creditâand having toured with bands such as Chris Stuart & Backcountry, Hit & Run, Mighty Squirrel, and The BreakmenâIvan Rosenberg has been called "one of the more prolific masters of the resonator guitar" by Bluegrass Unlimited. Banjo Newsletter editor mentioned Rosenberg's last CD as one of the best instrumental albums of the year. Rosenberg's songs have appeared in over 60 film and television scores including "Deadwood," "Kangaroo Jack," "The Daily Show," and "Oprah." To find out more, visit www.ivanrosenberg.com.