SMOKE DAWSON - Fiddle

Recorded as a lone private-press release in 1971, Fiddle's a slight misnomer in that there's a minute-long solo bagpipe piece thrown in amidst the unaccompanied traditional jigs, barndances, and instrumental folk ballads, resulting in a one-of-a-kind, one-off branch between the old and the not-so-old weird America.

"Fiddle offers a fitting document of all Dawson's qualities: precision, humor, and wildness are all on display here. The longest track on the album, the three-part 'Connaughtman's Rambles/Devil's Dream/March Venerie,' gives Dawson an opportunity to show his chops and even, during the third section, to pick up the bagpipes. 'Drowsy Maggie' and 'Turkey In The Straw' also spotlight what could be termed Dawson's wildness, or, better, his loose precision: he misses not a note but is often content to let them slide together, intoning heart and informality, evoking an impulsive dance. 'Wild Goose Chase' and 'Cackling Hen' capture the frenetic nature of their subjects and are as like to evoke a chuckle as a tapping foot." - PopMatters