Two Traditions

Song List:
     1. Candy Girl 3:27
2. Ride Ol' Buck 4:26
3. You're Never Promised Tomorrow 1:42
4. Jimmy Sutton 3:42
5. Emory Bailey 4:33
6. Zone Blue 2:12
7. Wooden Thumbs 0:52
8. John Brown's Dream 4:55
9. Praying Mantis 1:56
10. Devil In The Strawstack 4:29
11. Sugar Babe 2:26
12. Hangman's Reel 3:18
13. Mountain Water 1:00
14. Good Night 1:01


Appearing on this recording:
     Judy Hyman - Violin
Richie Stearns - Banjo
Jeff Claus - Banjo Uke , Synthesizer , Electric Guitar
John Hayward - Electric Bass
Peter Dodge - Piano , Harmony Vocals , Keyboards , Accordian
Liner Notes:
This disc features a sometimes wild, sometimes moody combination of old-time string band instruments and an array of hand drums and other percussion from the traditions of West Africa and Cuba. The result is music both ancient and new, primitive and beautiful. In July of 1996, at the Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg, NY, The Horse Flies played a fiddle music set in the dance tent. Their drummer Taki Masuko played bongos with sticks, and they were joined by additional percussionists and friends Jim Roberts and Nery Arevalo. The experience was sort of a large wall of fiddle-music voodoo.
Afterwards Roberts suggested the group go into a studio to record the kind of thing that had happened in the tent. The following October they convened at Pyramid Studios in Ithaca, NY and did a live session that has become the cornerstone of Two Traditions. Sadly, this was one of the last sessions the Flies did with their longtime bass player and best friend, John Hayward, who passed away in June of 1997. In the spring of 1999, Roberts returned to the project and led more sessions with additional musicians.

The result is a special recording featuring the fiddling of Judy Hyman (Horse Flies), Chad Crumm (The Hix), and Rickie Simpkins (Tony Rice Unit and Pinecastle recording artist); the banjo playing of Rich Stearns (Horse Flies) and Nancy Sluys (Pilot Mountain Bobcats); the banjo uke of Jeff Claus (Horse Flies); upright bass by John Hayward (Horse Flies); congas, timbales, talking drum and bongos by Taki Masuko (Horse Flies) and Nery Arevialo; and balaphon, djembe, mbira and more by Jim Roberts. Compositions are both old and new and range from fat, full band grooves to spare, emotion-filled slow pieces. Two Traditions is dedicated to the spirit, love and memory of John Hayward.

Produced By Jim Roberts and Jeff Claus