Alexander Mitchell

Candles in the Dark Friend, musician and composer extraordinaire, Jonathan Jensen, wrote this haunting waltz-time piece. This tune was written when Baltimore experienced an electrical “brown-out” during a summertime heat wave. Colleen Malone This song was popularized by Tim O’Brien & the bluegrass group Hot Rize. The theme of loss typifies both the bluegrass and Irish sensibilities, while the northern fiddle tune, “The Golden Wedding Reel” segues beautifully with the music and the story as well. Smoke In The Hollow An original old-timey bluegrass fiddle tune that I wrote several years ago while exploring the feeling and sound of the music originating out of Appalachia.

Candles in the Dark

Friend, musician and composer extraordinaire, Jonathan Jensen, wrote this haunting waltz-time piece. This tune was written when Baltimore experienced an electrical “brown-out” during a summertime heat wave.

Colleen Malone

This song was popularized by Tim O’Brien & the bluegrass group Hot Rize. The theme of loss typifies both the bluegrass and Irish sensibilities, while the northern fiddle tune, “The Golden Wedding Reel” segues beautifully with the music and the story as well.

Smoke In The Hollow

An original old-timey bluegrass fiddle tune that I wrote several years ago while exploring the feeling and sound of the music originating out of Appalachia.

Say No More/Beaumont Rag

A contemporary rag written by the prolific and talented song and tunesmith, Mark Simos. It’s written in the key of C, as are many fiddle -based rags. The tune segues perfectly into the time honored Beaumont Rag, (in F) which is named after the town in Texas, a part of fiddle heaven.

Past The Point of Rescue/Master Crowley’s Reel

Irish song and tune writer, Mick Hanley, did it right on this lost love song. The chords and melody are what first hooked me into learning it. Obviously others felt the same way. Hal Ketchum, Irish singer Mary Black, and bluegrass artist Gary Ferguson have all recorded it.

The Jew from Montreal/ Evit Gabriel/Evil Diane

The first tune so named by Marc Glickman who was the first to play along with my transference of this Finnish Schottische into a somewhat split personality, Klezmer/Quebecois tune. Very fun to play!!! Evit Gabriel, the second tune, is a true contemporary Quebecois tune penned by Daniel Thonon of Quebec City. This has become a very popular contra dance tune, partly because its jazzy chord progression allows so much room for improvisation. Equally popular is Evil Diane, a Sam Bartlett composition that rocks from the get go and never lets up.

Tenderly Calling

A contemporary waltz-time gospel sprung from old Protestant roots. I heard this first from Tim O’Brien, so again I have to thank him for sharing another great song with us. Most everyone can relate to its straightforward message of despair & salvation.

Tango Mimosa

Dave Wiesler writes many great tunes in many styles and I feel lucky to have been able to record this one with him and the band. You may be inspired to try a step or two even if it’s not a dance hall setting.

Bye Bye Blues/Stomping at Decca

This is a romp through swing land with an old jazz standard and a Django Reinhardt tune. Both have such a similar chord structure that I couldn’t resist pairing and mixing them up.

Y’ishmachu & Tantz a Freylach

This is a pair of very different Klezmer tunes, the second taken from an old Abe Schwartz recording. I got these from playing with the group Klezmos, a DC area Klezmer band that to my biased ears have by far the coolest “authentic” Eastern European sound of any local bands doing this kind of music. Join the camel caravan and come along for the ride.

Celtic (Mostly) Medley

Arran Boat/Paddy Fahey’s/Devlin’s/Baghdad Bully

My favorite Scottish air plus two of my favorite Irish jigs (minor of course) and then the decidedly non-Celtic reel I wrote to Saddam in ’89 when he was kicking up dust before invading Kuwait. Little did I know how much dust was going to get kicked around in that part of the world.

Chinkapin Hunting/Krazy for Kasha

Everyone asks what a Chinkapin is. Well, it’s a nut! And you can hunt for them if you want below the Mason/Dixon line.There must be half a dozen ways of spelling it. Kasha is that grain cereal and I guess like Cocoa Puffs, you can go crazy for it, at least if you are Jody Kruskal, who wrote this tune. Either way you krack it these are two great tunes.

Song for you far away/Doctor Gilbert’s

One of my favorite James Taylor songs sequencing into one of my favorite Irish reels. Sometimes you can like the sound and feel of a song before even listening to the words. That’s the way this song was with me. Doctor Gilbert’s played half time was the right ending to this beautiful song.

Additional Resources

Millennium Stage Home Page

Watch Past Performances

11/10/05: Alexander Mitchell

The fiddle and mandolin player leads his own ensembles, including Alexander’s Reel Time Band and Fiddlestyx.

Alexander Mitchell

The fiddle and mandolin player leads his own ensembles, including Alexander’s Reel Time Band and Fiddlestyx.

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