Eagle River, Alaska Musicians?

Subject: Eagle River, Alaska Musicians?
From: Groverola
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 03:17 PM

Can you play fiddle, banjo, mandolin, accordian, anything? Fiddle and Washtub Bass player interested in starting a band in the Anchorage/Eagle River area. We used to be in a very fun band in Nome, but have recently moved to Eagle River. We would be happy to play with people of modest talent and equally modest ambition. Our old band started with people of no prior Old Time/Folk/Bluegrass etc. experience. The guitar and accordian had no prior experience with hillbilly music and the "fiddlers" only had training in classical violin. Only the banjo/mandolin player had Old Time experience. I (the washtub bass player and singer) was pressed into service never having sung before and, indeed, never having even heard of a washtub bass. In a couple months we turned it into a heck of an Old Time and Irish band and ended up playing publicly for a couple of years on a very regular basis. Thankfully, the band lives on in Nome, but we have moved. We know it's possible to make a band out of people who have never thought they could be in a band. The main objective is fun, and if we eventually get gigs, all the better. We have run into a couple of very talented Old Time players in the area, but we got the impression that they had an ideal of purity for Old Timey that seemed inconsistent with our goal of having fun while making fun music (besides, they are probably too talented to play with us). So, if you are interested please feel free to email me, or if you know someone who might be interested, please show them this message. [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Eagle River, Alaska Musicians?
From: Ebbie
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 10:45 PM

Groverola, I hope you get a lot of response to your post! I live in Juneau and though I certainly hope there are more, I know of only one other Alaskan Mudcatter. Seems like the odds would dictate there are others.

Will you be coming to the Alaska Folk Festival in a couple of weeks? Do you know Robin Hopper? Or Richard Gelardin? Or David Mannheim? Or Michael Richardson? Or Peter Zug? Joe Page? etc, etc... There are a great many wonderful musicians in the Anchorage, Chugiak, Girdwood areas who come to the folk festival every year.

Ebbie

Subject: RE: Eagle River, Alaska Musicians?
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 11:29 PM

Oh, man, I wish you folks would come to Hawaii! Except for Hawaiian music, I can't seem to find any folk music here. And I think I'm the only Hawaiian Mudcatter. I love playing backup guitar for old-time fiddle tunes (and I sing, too), and would love to join your band if you ever move out here to the OTHER paradise.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Eagle River, Alaska Musicians?
From: Groverola
Date: 04 Apr 01 - 02:06 PM

Ebbie,
I don't know any of those people, but my wife might have met some of them at the Fiddle Camp in Wasilla last summer. I hope I get some responses too. Our former band is going to Juneau, which is something we never pulled together during our two years in Nome. There is a homepage for them at http://www.nook.net/~jdory/landbridge.htm. It would be great to have experienced Old Time musicians interested, but the reality is that such people probably are already involved in something. We were lucky to have one experienced player who took the reins musically - the guy who put together the web page. Then we had one very experienced fiddle player come through Nome one summer and play with us who just brought the band ahead by light years with his instruction. I don't know what his real name is, but he was called Wolf. His last name sounded very Italian as I recall. He worked (works) seasonally for Fish and Game in Nome. I have heard he is something of a minor legend so maybe you know who I'm talking about.
Thanks for the encouragement. If you know of anyone in the area who might be interested, it would be much appreciated if you directed them to this post.

Oh, and Mark, we would already be in Hawaii if we could find paying jobs. We went to Maui a year and a half ago or so and we sought out Hawaiian music because we had a vague notion that there was a type of Hawaiian folk music out there. Well, we found some and it's great! Then later we found a bar band that fuses Hawaiian and rock and they were very entertaining.

Subject: RE: Eagle River, Alaska Musicians?
From: BRG
Date: 04 Apr 01 - 02:29 PM

I live in Valdez and play (mostly for fun) with a variety of friends from here and Copper River Valley. Wish I could join you but with Alaskan logistics it's only slightly less likely than me joining Mark in Hawaii.

I have yet to make it to the Alaska Folk Festival but would love to. Heard of some of those folks but never met them.

Good luck in your search for musicians you can enjoy the music with.

Bruce