COUNTERCURRENT IS:

Brian Lindsay - fiddle, foot percussion, whistles, tenor and 5-string banjo, mandolin (8), percussion, vocals

Alex Sturbaum - acoustic and electric guitars, bouzouki, button accordion, bodhran, bass, mandolin (11), percussion, vocals

TRACK INFO:

1: Master Crowley’s / Asturian Way (Brian Finnegan)
A set of tunes we’ve been playing together for a long time. Master Crowley’s is a classic Irish session tune; Asturian Way is a much more modern entry into the tradition. As a band with feet firmly planted in both styles, we thought this a good way to kick off the album.

2: Lonely Road (David Francey)
A song that paints a vivid image of long drives on dark roads, and a deep yearning for the sense of place and constancy that comes from being home. After listening to David Francey’s music for years and wanting to bring one of his songs to Countercurrent, this turned out to be the one.

3: Junebug & Vaeda (Brian Lindsay/Alex Sturbaum)
We wrote this tune together for Alex’s niece and nephew when they were very young.

4: Her Bright Smile (W.T. Wrighton and J.E. Carpenter) / Skating on the Harborfront (Chris Coole)
Brian first learned this song when he was a teenager, and has been singing it ever since. Chris Coole is an amazing banjo player who writes lovely tunes; this is our favorite of his.

5: The Margaret Keene (Mile Twelve)
Alex fell in love with this song from Boston-based progressive bluegrass band Mile Twelve the minute they heard it. It’s a story that is at once heartbreaking and inspiring, depending on which character resonates more with you.

6: Arthur Darley’s (Arthur Darley) / Knocknagow
A set of unusual jigs that we have been playing together for years. Arthur Darley’s is also known as “The Swedish Jig”. We allowed Alex to thump the goat on this one.

7: Augusta Waltz (Bob McQuillen)
This tune has been the closing waltz for Irish Week at Augusta Heritage Center for decades. It’s Alex’s very favorite waltz, and was played at their wedding.

8: Cats in the Henhouse (Alex Sturbaum) / Free Little Bird / A Fair Wind
This song exists in many different forms in traditional folk music, and we love the optimistic and carefree feeling it evokes when we sing it for contra dances. The two instrumental tunes that book-end this set is typical of how we often arrange sets with vocals for dances.

9: Loftus Jones (Turlough O’Carolan)
Turlough O’Carolan composed many beautiful pieces. We love this one in particular for the way it builds, and the opportunity it gives us to play with dynamics.

10: The Jabberwock (Brian Lindsay/Alex Sturbaum)
We co-wrote this tune at the request of our friend Rose Hendrix, and hope you find it both brillig and frabjous.

11: Heartsprain (Brian Lindsay)
There are many, many songs about a broken heart, but far fewer that truly consider the medical implications of an injury to that muscle.

12: Homeland (Lester Simpson, Voice Publishing)
Coope, Boyes, and Simpson’s “What We Sing is What We Are” album has been a favorite of ours for years, and we have learned many wonderful songs from it. This one resonates especially strongly for us, as we now live far away from the places we grew up and have complex feelings about what home means.

13: That’s Right Too (© Liz Carroll / Grow Your Own Music - BMI) / Wissahickon Drive (© Liz Carroll / Grow Your Own Music - BMI) / Hull’s Reel (John Morris Rankin)
One of the first sets we ever arranged for contra dances as a duo. Liz Carroll and her frequent collaborator John Doyle have been huge influences on us through the years; we chose to record the first tune with just fiddle and guitar as a tribute to these two giants of Irish traditional music. For the next two tunes, though, all bets are off.

14: Two Rivers (Larry Unger, BMI)
This is probably Brian’s favorite waltz of all time. He first learned it from the playing of fiddle player Lissa Schneckenburger, who continues to be an inspiration and friend.

Songs and tunes traditional where not otherwise noted.
© ℗ Alex Sturbaum and Brian Lindsay 2023
All Rights Reserved