Paginini of the Texas Fiddle (NMC) The Urban Pioneers

[Mark Gunter]

Man oh man. I went to a "Night of Bluegrass" in Abilene last night to hear a local BG band that features one of my buddies on mandolin . . . I was not prepared for the sonic assault I received when the final band, The Urban Pioneers took the stage. I'd like to write a review on this 3-piece band, but just had to post here about the fiddle player, Liz Sloan. This lady is a true fiddle virtuoso who must be seen live - incredible. The act itself is great, the band gels well and they are showmen, showcasing Jared McGovern's songwriting and Liz's violin/fiddle virtuosity.

Tough to find a YouTube clip that reveals the depths of this lady's talent - if you can catch her live, you probably won't regret it - but here's a couple of pretty tame, "just-for-the-camera" videos. If you like what you hear, you can find bunches more on YouTube, and a tour schedule at their website.

The show in Abilene last night was the last American show before they start their third European tour in July. If you are in Ireland, England, Sweden, or Norway and interested in catching this act, check out the tour dates at their website: http://www.urbanpioneersmusic.com/



"Lazy Bones"

[Sandy Beckler]

Thanks for sharing Mark...in my humble opinion....there just ain't nothing better than good fiddling whether or not it be Aly Bain, Johnny Gimble (RIP) Bob Wills or Liz Sloan

Sandy

[HonketyHank]

Thanks Mark. The fiddle lady was good, but my attention was soon drawn to the banjoman. Frailing (not clawhammering) away with an unusual wristy flicky style to good effect, on an OT800 just like one of the ones on my wall. I do like banjo-fiddle stuff.

[Mark Gunter]

Thanks Mark. The fiddle lady was good, but my attention was soon drawn to the banjoman. Frailing (not clawhammering) away with an unusual wristy flicky style to good effect, on an OT800 just like one of the ones on my wall. I do like banjo-fiddle stuff.

Hank, that guy, Jared McGovern, is a monster on the banjo. His hand moved so fast on most tunes in the live show that it was nearly invisible - just beyond a blur. He is definitely the leader in this ensemble, but Liz is a true virtuoso. From the first song, I thought Paganini-level talent, and although her playing is definitely rich in 'Texas fiddler', I thought that this girl must have been trained as a formal concert violinist. Sure enough, online bios indicate that she began violin at three years of age, continued through College playing violin, got burned out on it and turned to country fiddling.

This group does old-time and bluegrass tunes, and new tunes by McGovern in similar styles. In the show I saw, McGovern played banjo, dulcimer and guitar. An interesting show.

Liz Sloan at age 9: