Andrea Hoag Review from the Washington Post

Reviews

A review for Hambo in the Barn, from Sing Out! Vol. 42 #1

This work is remarkable not only for the brilliance of the playing and the beauty of the recording itself, but also for the range and depth of the material collected here. For years, the folk music community, particularly the dance community, has been tantalized by the lovely melodies and challenging rhythms of Scandinavian dances, particularly the Swedish hambo and polska. It has seemed, though, that the same tired half-dozen tunes have served over and over again for the entire oeuvre.

Now come Hoag, Kelley and Pilzer with a collection of 18 Scandinavian dances suitable for dancing, listening or dreaming. Hoag has spent years traveling, collecting and polishing her *svikt* technique (that's Swedish for "up and down-ness") and it shows in the drive and emphasis of her fiddling. Listen to her solo playing on "Polska From Boda" and you understand why so many people love this kind of dancing.

Loretta Kelley plays *hardingfele*, the ancient sympathethic-stringed fiddle of Norway, giving to her pieces a truly authentic feel, and Charlie Pilzer's bass and piano playing carries everything along with an emphasis on the one-and-three phrasing: the heart of *hambo*. The trio is enhanced here by the playing of Frank Brown on guitar, and Larry Robinson on bouzouki.

Masterfully recorded and produced, and guaranteed to make you roll up the rug.

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