Five buck Fiddle-about

The Musicians:

Uncle Buck (aka Richard Schoen):
fiddle, vocals, dancemaster
Band Founder and Provider of Spiritual
Guidance (recently returned from the injured
reserve list)

Pete Bowers: banjo, vocals

Joe Karson: guitar, vocals

Sherri !

Special Guest: Sherri Hadley: fiddle

Phil Cassel: acoustic bass, mandolin,vocals

Kliff Hopson: percussion, vocals

Nate Williamson: acoustic bass on CD
(currently not active with FBF; check out his
new band, the "Pilot Cracker Playboys")

Christa Wisneski: fiddle

About the Music:

Five Buck Fiddle plays high energy, old-time dance music (“the roots of bluegrass”) of several styles. The southern Virginia - western North Carolina region is perhaps the strongest influence on this music. “Old-Time” string band music is a blend of a number of styles from the Appalachian Mountains, originally from the 1800s and early twentieth century. The instrumental tradition of the Appalachians had origins with Anglo-Celtic dance tunes, later influenced by African-American rhythms, country gospel, ballads, and changes in instrumentation. This hard-driving music, made popular both in local country dances and in recordings and radio broadcasts of the 1920s and 30s, in many ways forms the “roots” of modern bluegrass and commercial country music.

About the Band:

Five Buck Fiddle is based in Fairbanks, and has been playing throughout Alaska for more than five years. The band recorded a CD at Tenth Planet Studios, Fairbanks. A demonstration CD is available on request, or purchase CD through CD Baby (go to "Listen").

Past Appearances:

The Marlin (College), The Dog House (College), Big I (Fairbanks), Ivory Jack’s (Goldstream Valley), Goldstream Lions Square Dances, The Howling Dog Saloon (Fox), University of Alaska Pub, The Loon (Ester), The Totem Inn (Healy), The Fairview (Talkeetna), Max’s Bar and Grill (Girdwood), The Hangar (Juneau), The Imperial (Juneau), Hunter Creek Bluegrass Festival (Palmer), Alaska Folk Festival (Juneau), Anderson Bluegrass Festival, Fairbanks Winter Folk Festival, Fairbanks Summer Folk Festival, Hope Hoedown (Kenai Peninsula), political rallies and fundraisers, Yukon Quest events, Fairbanks Golden Days, Alaska Craft Beer Festival, etc.

Some Reviewer Comments:

“You need three things to make great Old-Time music. First of all you have to play well. Then you have to pick good songs. Finally, and maybe even most important, you have to sound like you’re having a wonderful time. Five Buck Fiddle has an abundance of all that, and more. The only thing better than Five Buck Fiddle on this CD is being in the audience to hear them live. Now that’s some REAL fun!”
   -- Mike Flynn, The Folk Sampler on Public Radio, Siloam Springs, Arkansas

“…That’s why Five Buck Fiddle is such a great record – seven Alaskans from Fairbanks playing old time string band music, and playing it very well… Their formula succeeds because it has an authentic relaxed feel that’s hard to capture in the studio. It’s obvious these musicians are masters of the genre by the time “Cumberland Gap” (track 13 of 15) ends, with rolling banjo lines and fiddle accents, punctuated by mandolin chords over a thumping bass. There’s no need to reach for the old Carter Family 78s or buy a Gillian Welch CD.”
    -- Son Henry, CD Reviews, Alaska This Month, Anchorage, Alaska

“This first recording from Five Buck Fiddle is a great start. It features a nice variety of tunes and songs rendered with sound musicianship. More important, it is easy to feel the band’s love of this form of music and their desire to keep its traditions alive. I think the listener will hear and enjoy the energetic and “ragged but right” sound of the string bands of the early 20th century.”
    -- Tim Smith, Save the Banjos, Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania

“Alaska’s favorite late night old-time dance band.”
    -- The late Ken Terry, Promoter, Anderson Bluegrass Festival

News:
Five Buck Fiddle got a second place award in 2006 from Just Plain Folks for Album of the Year in one of their roots music categories (hint: although Kliffy plays a mean rub board, we are not a cajun band).
See: http://www.jpfolks.com/MusicAwards/2006/Winners

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