Here’s a video I’ve been dying to get out there. Rachel and Roger very graciously took time at this year’s Clifftop to talk about how they got into playing oldtime. Rachel also shared her thoughts on the role of guitar backup and how she approaches it. Together, they played John Salyer’s Last of Harris and Roger slowed down his part for those who might want to learn his take on this classic tune.
“Rachel Eddy hails from West Virginia, where she grew up steeped in Appalachian music and dance. Rachel’s multi-instrumental talents and soulful singing bring an incredibly powerful energy to the stage. She performs as a soloist in addition to touring with The Early Mays (Pittsburgh) and The Kolodner Quartet (Baltimore). Rachel was born and raised in rural West Virginia, just south of Morgantown, where her musical family inspired her to play and sing as a little girl. She grew up listening to local fiddlers, her father among them, going to old-time festivals, and attending square dances. The old-time bug bit her early in life and Rachel now performs and teaches full-time on fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin and bass. She has taught fiddle, banjo and guitar at the Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins WV, at Sore Fingers Summer school in the UK, and different various weekend workshops from the hills of West Virginia to Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, London and Wales. Rachel’s love of music comes from the heart and she loves every part of her job from performing, to educating dedicated students, and the electrifying charge of playing in jam sessions around the world!”
Check out more about them here:
