Verch has never sounded more comfortable in her skin than she does now, in the second decade of her career as an internationally touring Canadian fiddler, step dancer and singer-songwriter. Her ninth album, Bright Like Gold, captures a woman who’s fleshed out her identity and is in full command of her gifts, a woman who’s grown from a prodigy into an enduring artist — one of music’s most unforgiving public transitions — with grace and grit to spare.
The April Verch Band is rounded out by bassist and clawhammer banjo player Cody Walters; and guitarist Hayes Griffin, who has a master’s degree in jazz improv from the New England Conservatory. The trio is an energetic, virtuosic, tradition-celebrating outfit, not to mention one that’s not soon forgotten when they depart the stage. It doesn’t hurt that the thrilling grand finale involves Verch fiddling and step dancing and often executing two entirely different intricate rhythmic patterns at once.
Something else that’s downright impressive is the range of material Verch, Walters and Griffin inhabit on the new album. She’s so fluent in folk traditions including the Canadian ones she was born into and the American ones she later found her way to, that old fiddle tunes like those featured in the Canadian medley “Dusty Miller,” “Fiddle Fingers” and “Grizzly Bear” and the Appalachian medley “Edward in the Treetop,” “Yellow Jacket” and “Quit That Tickling Me” sound positively reinvigorated. Originals like her instrumental waltz “Morris & Boris” and country courting number “The Only One” are clearly made to last.
Tuesday, Sep. 24 – Route 27 Arts, 88 Main Street, Stratton. For more information, call 207-246-2300.
Wednesday, Sept. 25 – Skye Theatre, Winter Hill Rd., Carthage. A jam session at Skye Theatre will start at 6 p.m. For more information, call 207-562-4445.
Thursday, Sept. 26 – Phillips Area Community Center, Depot Street, Phillips. Tickets at the door or www.necelticarts.com.
For more information on the performers, visit http://aprilverch.com/ or www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvNXfw4S_VQ&feature=player_embedded.
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- Sandlin Gaither photo The April Verch Band includes fiddler April Verch; bassist and clawhammer banjo player Cody Walters; and guitarist Hayes Griffin.
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