Their
Story
The partnership began in a jam session in the wee-hours
of the morning at the National Old Time Fiddle contest
in Weiser, Idaho. Jamie and Ashley connected instantly
on both musical and personal levels and have since
fuelled each other’s creativity in a non-stop
musical exploration.
Prior to their meeting, Jamie simultaneously pursued
careers as a revered solo fiddler and a professional
symphony violinist. Subsequent to his winning the
U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championship in 2002,
he devoted himself entirely to touring throughout
the States and Scotland and appeared regularly on
NPR radio, concert series, and large festival stages.
Meanwhile, Ashley had competed regularly in fiddle
contests, ultimately winning the Western Open Picking
Championship in 2003 and 2004. She went on to collaborate
with world renowned mandolinist Mike Marshal on
his method books, taught at the Mandolin Symposium
in California, and played in a number of LA area
bands while studying classical violin and cello
in college.
Accolades
The San Diego Tribune recently featured the new
duo in a full-page spread, calling Ashley a “mandolin
phenomenon.” Mike Marshal admiringly refers
to Ashley as “A rising star in the world of
traditional and alternative music who is as comfortable
playing in formal musical settings as in spontaneous
jam sessions.”
Following his 28-concert tour of Scotland, Jamie
was heralded as “A new star for the Old World”
(FiddleOn Magazine) and “The next Alasdair
Fraser” (Scotland Press and Post). In the
U.S., Jamie is said to be “One of North America’s
finest practitioners of traditional Scottish music”
(San Jose Mercury News) and “A fantastic fiddler…Laval
captures the essence of Celtic sentiment and yearning”
(Olympian Weekender).
Audience Appeal
The pair consistently creates rapt audiences every
time they take the stage, mixing intense passion
and tenderness with a coyness and playful interaction
that has become their trademark. Their popularity
earns them invitations to venues such as The Freight
& Salvage (Berkeley, CA); Club Passim (Cambridge,
MA); Don Quixote’s (Santa Cruz, CA); Duke
University (Durham, NC); California Traditional
Music Society’s Solstice Festival (Los Angeles,
CA); Sutter Creek Theatre (Sacramento, CA); Blackstone
River Theatre (Providence, RI); Northwest Folklife
Festival (Seattle, WA); The Hollywood Theatre (Portland,
OR); Arts West Theatre (Seattle, WA); Swallow Hill
Productions (Denver, CO); Grandfather Mountain Highland
Games (Boone, NC); and many others throughout
the U.S. and Scotland.
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