Kate Wegner with Chuck Donnelly, After Sunset (Standing Stones Records, 2004)
After Sunset may be the ultimate fiddle medley disk. Of the 11 tracks, all but two are medleys. There are, in fact, 35 tunes on the disk, all from within the transatlantic Celtic tradition, and I'd say that rightly includes Wegner's eight original melodies as well. Some tunes are more generally familiar, like "Boil the Kettle Early" and "The Rights of Man," while others might be well known to hardcore fiddle session aficionados, if not to less dedicated listeners like me. In any case, the medley approach seems well suited to Wegner and Donnelly, who work together seamlessly. Each set of tunes has a musical logic that ties the various elements into a coherent whole, like "George's Jigs," a set of three tunes Wegner learned from master fiddler George Fowler. I found myself thinking of a well-plated entree at a good restaurant as an analogy. The three or four items on the plate each complement and enhance their companions and the overall effect is pleasingly tasty, as are Wegner and Donnelly's medleys.
From the "then & now" photographs reproduced on the disc's spare liner notes, Ms. Wegner appears barely in her 20s, but also to have been playing violin/fiddle for nearly all of those years. Checking her similarly straightforward Web site reveals her age as 22 and credits among others her Suzuki instructor, with whom she began violin lessons at age three. There are also references to classical violin studies throughout her school years along with both formalized studies and "on the gig training" in folk fiddling. Where fiddling is concerned I confess to a personal preference for players who have studied classically as well as within the fiddling tradition. To my ear they seem to play with smoother transitions and fewer intonation problems. And by that I don't mean the use of "blue notes" or other purposeful microtonal elements. Wegner has nicely integrated the vibrato and other classical techniques that make for a competent violinist with the folk fiddling styles she's also studied to arrive at a comfortable point.
In recent years she has traveled on a number of occasions to Ireland where she undoubtedly did plenty of pub sessions along with working with County Clare fiddler master Pat O'Conner. Maine-based, Wegner has also made use of the excellent programs offered over the border in the Canadian Maritimes at the Cape Breton Ceilidh Trail music school.
From her Web site comes the following:
"In Maine, the Celtic music traditions are re-awakening after a period of decline. A small but growing community of musicians in Maine are now re-energizing New England's music style and once again the music is evolving in the spirit of its traditional roots. At age 22, Kate Wegner, from Wilton, Maine, is already one of Maine's new influential fiddlers. Kate is actively writing traditional-style music, recording, and performing regularly in a guitar/fiddle duo with Bar Harbor guitarist, Chuck Donnelly. Kate and Chuck also perform with the Green Mountain Railway band, a Bar Harbor area contradance band."
The only minor caveat I have with After Sunset is its somewhat narrow range of dynamics and tempo. For the most part the tunes are "sprightly" but never blazing fast or deliciously languid. And, even with some guest musicians credited, the lead fiddle with guitar backing format dominates in a way that could benefit from some more variation. I suspect this comes naturally from the combination of Wegner's youth and the project being her first real recording studio experience. Being in Maine, I'll keep an eye out for a nearby appearance by Wegner and Donnelly because I suspect they are far more dynamic in live performance.
I look forward to hearing more from Kate Wegner in the future. She may be young, but repeated listening to After Sunset proves her to already be a seasoned and talented fiddler with nearly all the necessary elements in place (save a few years of proper aging, like a fine single malt from the Scottish Highlands) to become a real force in folk fiddling circles and beyond.
