ThisBigStringBand's "first and last" album "The Next Small Thing. . ."is a collection of old-time fiddle tunes arranged and produced by three talented players. David Algeo Smith on fiddle is the 2004 Nevada State Adult Fiddle Champion and a fifth place finisher at the National Old-Time Fiddlers'Contest in Weiser, ID (2004) and at the Appalachian String Band Festival, Clifftop, WV (2002). Formerly a member of Thai "country and eastern" group Banjoman Band, and Euro-American street band sensation The Rhythm Pygmies, he now teaches Suzuki violin and fiddle in Wisconsin and Illinois.
Jim Marks is the 6-string and tenor guitar player in the group. He was a founding member of the Michigan acid country outfit Les Tabourets Laches and in the 90s he spent time in the Austin,TX bands Busted Still and The Stonecutters. An itinerant laborer, he is currently to be found in north Florida.
Steve Noel rounds out the trio with his clawhammer banjo. Formerly of the eight-piece Celtic band The Dogs of Bryan, he's also been a featured performer on various street corners and seedy bars. "The Next Small Thing. . ."is Steve's major debut as a recording artist. His solo project "Out on a Limb" is taking shape between caring for three young boys, a loving wife, and managing his career as a Chicago public school librarian/computer geek.
TBSB is the culmination of two years of jamming and rehearsal in a small, dimly lit apartment in Hyde Park on Chicago's South Side. Steve and Jim each met David during the course of the latter's busking at local art fairs and on the el rapid transit lines, and from July 2002 until March 2004 the trio cultivated and refined their sound with a large and varied repertoire. Ultimately their work on "the classic American fiddle tune" led to the inside of Delmark Records' house studio, Riverside Studios, and the steady hand and ear of engineer Steve Wagner. "The Next Small Thing. . ." is the final result of their efforts together. The original artwork and graphics on the packaging was designed by K.Kim.
ThisBigStringBand's "The Next Small Thing. . ." is the first release on the group's own label, This Small Record Label, which is dedicated to "documenting and recording independent acoustic folk music in the U.S. and around the world." Temporarily disbanded, TBSB's members are currently engaged in intense negotiations with their wives and girlfriends to work out the logistics of a Midwest tour in 2005. Also looming on the horizon: a busking trip to Switzerland and Germany; a guided-tour holiday to Solzhenitsyn's legendary sharashka "First Circle" of the Gulag Archipelago for the dissident elite; and a pseudo-documentary film capturing David's meandering musings along the IL-WI state line in mid-winter.
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.thisbigstringband.com
Track List:
1. Cousin Sally Brown
2. Squirrel Hunters
3. Redhaired Boy
4. Ebenezer
5. Leather Breeches
6. Tugboat
7. Cluck Old Hen
8. Sally Ann
9. Blackberry Blossom
10. Jimmy in the Swamp
11. John Riley Shepard
12. Five Miles Ellum
13. Paddy on the Turnpike
14. Over the Waterfall
15. New Liberty
16. Frosty Morning
17. Stony Point
18. Arkansas Traveler/Peter Francisco
19. Double File
20. June Apple
21. Wagoner
22. Lee Highway Blues
Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
Jim Marks is the 6-string and tenor guitar player in the group. He was a founding member of the Michigan acid country outfit Les Tabourets Laches and in the 90s he spent time in the Austin,TX bands Busted Still and The Stonecutters. An itinerant laborer, he is currently to be found in north Florida.
Steve Noel rounds out the trio with his clawhammer banjo. Formerly of the eight-piece Celtic band The Dogs of Bryan, he's also been a featured performer on various street corners and seedy bars. "The Next Small Thing. . ."is Steve's major debut as a recording artist. His solo project "Out on a Limb" is taking shape between caring for three young boys, a loving wife, and managing his career as a Chicago public school librarian/computer geek.
TBSB is the culmination of two years of jamming and rehearsal in a small, dimly lit apartment in Hyde Park on Chicago's South Side. Steve and Jim each met David during the course of the latter's busking at local art fairs and on the el rapid transit lines, and from July 2002 until March 2004 the trio cultivated and refined their sound with a large and varied repertoire. Ultimately their work on "the classic American fiddle tune" led to the inside of Delmark Records' house studio, Riverside Studios, and the steady hand and ear of engineer Steve Wagner. "The Next Small Thing. . ." is the final result of their efforts together. The original artwork and graphics on the packaging was designed by K.Kim.
ThisBigStringBand's "The Next Small Thing. . ." is the first release on the group's own label, This Small Record Label, which is dedicated to "documenting and recording independent acoustic folk music in the U.S. and around the world." Temporarily disbanded, TBSB's members are currently engaged in intense negotiations with their wives and girlfriends to work out the logistics of a Midwest tour in 2005. Also looming on the horizon: a busking trip to Switzerland and Germany; a guided-tour holiday to Solzhenitsyn's legendary sharashka "First Circle" of the Gulag Archipelago for the dissident elite; and a pseudo-documentary film capturing David's meandering musings along the IL-WI state line in mid-winter.
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.thisbigstringband.com
Track List:
1. Cousin Sally Brown
2. Squirrel Hunters
3. Redhaired Boy
4. Ebenezer
5. Leather Breeches
6. Tugboat
7. Cluck Old Hen
8. Sally Ann
9. Blackberry Blossom
10. Jimmy in the Swamp
11. John Riley Shepard
12. Five Miles Ellum
13. Paddy on the Turnpike
14. Over the Waterfall
15. New Liberty
16. Frosty Morning
17. Stony Point
18. Arkansas Traveler/Peter Francisco
19. Double File
20. June Apple
21. Wagoner
22. Lee Highway Blues
Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
- COUNTRY: Traditional Country
- FOLK: Traditional Folk
- TYPE: INSTRUMENTAL