Carol Rifkin Blog Page
Hi friends, thanks to all of you who came out to see us at shows this month. It’s great to be playing again. Troy’s playing some great banjo and flashy lead guitar and Jamie has been his usual competent self on bass. Tim Gardner has joined us several times on fiddle and it makes for a great show, he’s a young fiddler from Brevard (High Windy, Carolina Blue) and we really enjoy playing with him. The Shindig fundraiser at the Asheville school was really fun and the money goes to help pay for the Shindig on the Green. You can find out more at www.folkheritage.org. The Stoney Creek Boys all look great and sounded as good as i’ve heard in a while. I recorded a storycorps interview with fiddler Arvil Freeman yesterday that was really special and i’m happy it will go in the National Archives so other people will know more about his story.
I keep promising to update the blog calendar but now it will probably have to wait until after Merlefest, can’t wait to go this week! Find me at the dance or Watson stage and say hi.
“What it is” has become a really fun thing for me, Parrish Ellis from the Wiyo’s joined us recently and last week Fred Mills and Jeff Eason joined host Joe Kendrick and myself for musical talk. Those fellas sure are quick and smart! Fred’s new magazine BLURT is out in print and it’s awesome, it’s online too. I admit to being unfamiliar with some of the rock bands but the content and photos are great. Listen in to the “What It Is” podcasts http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wncw/.jukebox?action=viewPodcast&podcastId=13003.
AND the big news is that i have switched from “Goin Across the Mountain” on Saturdays to co-hosting “This Old Porch” (88.7 FM WNCW 3-6 p.m.) on Sundays and am thrilled with the switch. I can play Saturday gigs now and i can do radio, best of both worlds. My co-host John Fowler is awesome too and we both love the wide cross section of old time, early country and contemporary the show allows.
The trio heads into the studio after Merlefest to record some songs with Evan Bradford and Micah Hanks and we’re happy that we’ll be at the Bluff Mountain Festival again this year. More news and an updated playing schedule soon!