Molly’s Revenge

David Brewer: Highland bagpipes, border pipes, uillean pipes, whistles, bodhran.
John Weed: Fiddle.
Stuart Mason: Guitar, mandola.

David Brewer has been playing whistle and four types of bagpipes for about 20 years. He studied in Scotland at the Ceolas Music School in South Uist under the tutelage of some of the best pipers in the world. His authentic and unique style of playing has earned him the reputation of being one of the most accomplished pipers on the West Coast. David has composed close to 200 traditional style tunes, many of which have appeared on recordings, independent films, and television. WEBSITE

John Weed is a classically-trained violinist who switched to playing Irish fiddle about 15 years ago. John lived in Ireland in 2000 and taught fiddle workshops at the Flowing Tide International Music School in Doonbeg, County Clare. He hones his skills annually by attending the Frankie Kennedy Winter School in Dunlewey, County Donegal where he has studied with Ciaran O'Maonaigh and Dermot Mcloughlin.

Stuart Mason has been collecting and performing traditional music for over 30 years. He has appeared on stage from Ireland to China performing Celtic, old time bluegrass, and his original compositions, which have won awards from the West Coast Songwriters Association. He leads workshops and classes in traditional music techniques at music festivals and camps. WEBSITE.

"There is an engaging freshness and yet an impressive maturity in their playing. There is also a lovely balance of repertoire, alternating a familiar with a most arcane selection of tunes and songs." --Mick Moloney, National Heritage Award recipient.

A vast majority of Scottish bagpipers in the world today musically reside in military-style pipe bands, while fiddlers keep to their piper-free sessions. Rarely do their paths cross, and when they do, only briefly. Rebecca Lomnicky and David Brewer have forged their duo in the spirit of merging these two similar but very different worlds to create a new seamless sound--tight and kinetic. In 2009, Rebecca won the Glenfiddich International Scottish Fiddle Championship at Blair Castle in Scotland. This invitation-only championship is widely regarded as the most prestigious in Scottish fiddle, as the rigorous scrutiny of the judging focuses on an extremely pure representation of the Scottish fiddle style. With his in-depth knowledge of traditional style, tunes, ornaments, fused with contemporary performance elements, David Brewer offers authentic yet unique and fresh insights into his primary instruments: the Irish pennywhistle, bodhran frame drum, and the Scottish bagpipes. Visit davidbrewermusic.com and rebeccalomnicky.com

What do you get when you mash up a virtuosic bluegrass mandolinist, a traditional Irish fiddler, and an old-timey songster? Kenny Blackwell (mandolin and guitar), John Weed (fiddle), and Stuart Mason (guitar, banjo, and mandola) are the bluegrass-roots trio Little Black Train. This all-acoustic trio of veteran pickers mixes up an unlikely blend of old-timey songs, bluesy mandolin, and Celtic fiddle to create their unique breed of oldternative Americana. “Each of these three is amazingly accomplished, but something magical happens when they play together, their instruments swirling around one another like curls of smoke from a smoldering fire. This is old-time music at its most riveting!” --Glen Starkey, New Times SLO. Visit littleblacktrain.com