Way back in 1986, Ray Schloeffel and Marcus Holden managed to get themselves onto an Australian comedy talent showcase called "Red Faces", looking as daft as possible and playing the fiddle with mates Pixie Jenkins and Andrew Clermont. Ten years on, somewhat more life-attuned and professional, the group got together again and took to the stage for their first Fiddlers Feast.
From there, things just took off. The audiences liked what they heard, the group took off around the country playing at festivals far and wide as The Fiddlers Festical, and the rest is history…
To date, 3 CDs have been released, of which I have taken a look at two for this review - the earlier offering "Fiddlers Festival Live" and the very latest "Strung Out". Both are quality works, showing real talent for an instrument much forgotten by the modern generation - music to get your feet tapping…
The earlier CD, recorded back in 1997, contains such well known tunes as Danny Boy, Slow boat to China and Rose of San Antone. This was recorded at Bloody Dog Studios in Sydney (where else could it be but Australia, with a name like that?), but manages not to betray the "flatness" so often apparent when a live band plays in the confines of a studio. The latest offering, Strung Out, takes us on a musical journal around the world from the far east to America and back, covering almost every style of music attainable on a fiddle from ballad and irish folk to jazz!
The tracks on these 2 CDs are so diverse that it is hard to imagine how such a group would advertise their style. Any audience who is lucky enough to stop by a Fiddlers Festival gig can expect to go away with a smile on their face and a spring in their step - this is superb material played with real verve and it just makes you want to get up and dance. Whether you are looking for something relaxing to kick back to after a long day, or you are a real fan of traditional world music on traditional instruments, you can't go far wrong here.
With national TV appearances behind them, you would guess that The Fiddlers Festival was already on the road to world domination. Certainly, it is rare to hear a band who can actually play traditional instruments and do it well - check out the website at http://www.fiddlersfestival.com where they have a quarterly newsletter, and I'm sure you'll be hooked!
