The Range of Mountain Sounds
The Life & Times of the Fiddler of Banjo Branch
A Mighty Fine Memory pays tribute to regional treasure Roger Howell, the master fiddler from Madison County, North Carolina. The documentary tells the behind-the-scenes story of Howell’s music and offers a look inside his fiddle repair shop, which also houses a rare mineral and artifact collection.
Howell grew up on Banjo Branch Road in Mars Hill where he benefitted from a number of influences, including a woman named Pearl Ball who lived across the valley and would sit on her porch playing banjo. Howell used to wander across the field to her house and ask her to “pick the banjo” for him.
A protégé of local fiddlers Byard Ray and Tommy Hunter, Howell went on to win “Fiddler of the Festival” honors at the prestigious Fiddler’s Grove festival in Union Grove, North Carolina. In 2015, Howell received the Brown-Hudson Folklore Award for his work preserving regional music traditions, such as his impressive memory collection for Mars Hill University’s Southern Appalachian Archives. The 532 fiddle tunes he recorded include standards such as “Ragtime Annie” as well as a tune he calls “Asheville,” which he learned from Pearl Ball.
Asheville’s Altamont Theater will host a screening of A Mighty Fine Memory and a special concert by Roger Howell and Friends at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 25.
A New Virginia Songbird Soars
Hailing from a family of bluegrass and old-time musicians in Galax, Virginia, 24-year-old Dori Freeman released her first album this winter amid buzz in the New York Times and Rolling Stone, which declared it “a strong contender for Americana debut of the year.” Though that magazine says Freeman “seemingly came out of nowhere,” the musical community of southwest Virginia knows better. “There’s an undercurrent in my music shaped by my roots in Galax and the mountains,” Freeman says. “The traditional music here was a big part of my family and upbringing.” Featuring all original songs on themes of love and loss, Freeman’s relaxed vocals soar over each track. Discovered via Facebook by producer Teddy Thompson (son of British folk-rock legend Richard Thompson), Freeman transposes her heartfelt songwriting into many genres. Thompson showcases this in a variety of production styles, from stripped-down vocals and guitar to flavors of country, Americana, and even doo-wop. Dori Freeman’s self-titled album was released February 5 on Free Dirt Records. dorifreeman.com.
An Asheville Favorite Finds New Groove
Asheville bluegrass powerhouse Town Mountain’s fifth studio album, Southern Crescent, showcases the band’s signature energy and drive. That’s in part because the band recorded all of the tracks live with the musicians in the same room—a novelty in this age of complex recording software. Grammy-winning old-time and roots musician Dirk Powell, of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, produced the album, lending a Deep South groove and soul to the recording. Lead singer Robert Greer’s crooning vocal style serves the rug-burners, blues songs, and laments written by various band members, supported by the solid instrumental playing of Jesse Langlais on five-string banjo, Bobby Britt on fiddle, Phil Barker on mandolin, and Nick DiSebastian on upright bass. Southern Crescent was released April 1 on LoHi Records. townmountain.net.