Mark Schatz & Bryan McDowell dig into Grit & Polish, July 8
Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell will stop by WTJU Thursday afternoon, July 8, at 4 (edt) to go track by track through their new album, Grit & Polish, out now on Patuxent. Folk & Beyond airs Thursday afternoons from 4-7 (edt) at 91.1 FM, streaming at wtju.net, or by asking your smart speaker to “Play WTJU.”
Grit & Polish presents a striking and colorful range of traditionally oriented music, both old and new, by two of the most versatile and respected players in today’s American acoustic music scene. Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell bring their different generations and backgrounds together in an unparalleled synergy, humor, beauty, and ease, taking the listener on a delightful, toe tapping journey through a landscape of fiddle and banjo tunes, songs, lilting waltzes, and searing guitar solos. Stir in some clogging, hambone, and jaw harp, then sit back and enjoy an eclectic musical feast!
In January 2020, Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell started working up a duo show for festivals, small venues, and a Canadian fall tour. The time they spent together touring with the Claire Lynch Band had fostered a personal and musical rapport, which has made for a fruitful collaboration. Their show offers stylistically diverse material, ranging from traditional fiddle tunes and ballads, a Bob Dylan song, and a Louis Jordan boogie-woogie number to an Eastern European folk song on bowed bass and bluesy renderings on fretless banjo. Recorded in Mark’s basement recording studio, most of the songs in this collection were recorded “live,” with very little overdubbing added. With such spontaneous performances, listeners will feel as if they’re in the room with the musicians.
Mark is a prominent figure in the contemporary acoustic music world who has recorded and toured with Bela Fleck, Tony Rice, Tim O’Brien, Nickel Creek, John Hartford, The Claire Lynch Band, and Sarah Jarosz. Though best known for his work on acoustic bass, Mark has released two of his own solo recordings on Rounder Records which feature his original compositions and clawhammer banjo playing. He is the Musical Director for the acclaimed dance troupe Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble, and is currently touring with Bryan McDowell and his own solo show, Mark Schatz – The Solo Concert.
Western North Carolina native Bryan McDowell grew up in a rich musical environment where he learned everything from Doc Watson to Charlie Parker. His extraordinary facility on several instruments, his sure, sweet tenor voice, and his stylistic versatility have made him a much sought after sideman, landing him tours with the likes of Molly Tuttle, Mountain Heart, Sierra Hull, and a long stint with The Claire Lynch Band. Most recently Bryan has been focused on recording sessions, teaching, and studying for his BA.
