2025 Lineup
The festival convenes some of the brightest old time musicians, singers, and dancers in the country to celebrate where this music exists today. Join host artists Ken & Brad Kolodner for the Baltimore Old Time Music Festival!
New DangerfieldA century of forgetfulness and erasure has led to diminished public awareness of the Black string band tradition - and similarly diminished numbers of Black string bands. New Dangerfield was originally conceptualized by award-winning banjoist Tray Wellington, who enlisted three other acclaimed Black roots musicians: multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Kaïa Kater, bassist Nelson Williams, and fiddler and singer Jake Blount. The members of New Dangerfield cut their teeth at fiddler’s conventions and folk festivals, and in the jazz bars of New Orleans. Deploying groove, technical skill and historical knowledge in the revolutionary spirit of their namesake, Dangerfield Newby, New Dangerfield is on a mission to liberate the Black string band tradition.
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Tall Poppy String BandTall Poppy String Band is a new Old Time trio featuring fiddler George Jackson, guitarist Morgan Harris, and banjoist Cameron DeWhitt. Drawing from the deep well of American string band music, Tall Poppy String Band approaches tradition with playful curiosity; each performance more a discussion than a statement. Whether they’re chasing the elusive downbeat of a source recording, playing with the pronouns in a bluegrass standard, or challenging the assumed roles of their instruments, Tall Poppy String Band endeavours to prove that tradition is still being written.
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Elizabeth LaPrelle & Brian DolphinElizabeth LaPrelle has been performing Appalachian ballads and old-time songs since she was eleven. Her magnificent voice, her respect for the songs, and her authentic mountain sound and style brought her to the attention of first Ginny Hawker and then Sheila Kay Adams. Raised in Rural Retreat, Virginia, Elizabeth attended old time fiddlers’ conventions and sang harmonies with her family, who taught her traditional singing styles and encouraged her to sing their own favorite American folk music. She received her undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary with a major in Southern Appalachian Traditional Performance, and now tours the US regularly both performing and teaching.
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The Canote BrothersGreg and Jere Canote are identical twins who have been playing music together for most of their 70-plus years. And not just any old music, but simply amazing, genetically-matched singing and musicianship. They quickly bring to mind the rich tradition of singing brother duets, evoking such seminal duos as the Blue Sky Boys, the Delmore Brothers, and the Everly Brothers. And they take it up a notch, because they’re not merely brothers, but identical twins. And as musician and editor Paul Kotapish put it, “They’re really ‘twinny’ twins.” Their delightful repertoire spans Americana including rare fiddle tunes, quirky novelty songs, and swing classics, all uniquely interpreted through their positive world view. They’ve shared their music for more than half a century, teaching and performing at countless festivals and workshops, and on radio and television.
Trish Fore & The WildcatsTrish Fore & The Wildcats specialize in playing hard-driving, traditional, old-time instrumental music from the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia and northwest North Carolina. Composed of Trish Fore on clawhammer banjo; Mac Traynham on fiddle; Kyle Dean Smith on guitar; and Chris Johson on bass, these folks have their wildcat claws sharpened and ready to play at the Baltimore Old-Time Music Festival. Trish enjoys carrying on the clawhammer banjo tradition and likes doing something generations of her family did before her, though they lived in very different times. Over the years she has played with groups including the Farmers' Daughters, Blue Ridge Mountain Ramblers, and Benton Flippen and the Smokey Valley Boys.
Ken & Brad KolodnerYour festival co-founders and hosts, the dynamic father-son duo Ken & Brad Kolodner weave together a captivating soundscape on hammered dulcimer, banjo and fiddles pushing the boundaries of the Old-Time tradition into uncharted territory. They'll be joined by Rachel Eddy on guitar/fiddle and Alex Lacquement on upright bass. The quartet won 1st place in the Neo-Traditional Band Contest at the Appalachian Stringband Festival in the summer of 2019.
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Alum Ridge Boys & AshleeMining the fertile common ground between bluegrass, early country music, and traditional mountain music, The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee are Virginia’s torchbearers of the old time sound. Featuring the classic quintet of fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, and bass, the band comprises five masterful musicians and singers who have immersed themselves in the dance music traditions of the Blue Ridge region and developed a deeply rooted old time bluegrass sound. Deep appreciation for Country and "Hillbilly" music of the '30s, '40s, and '50s enables the band to craft tasteful original songs and instrumentals that blend seamlessly alongside the classics. The band consists of Andrew Small on mandolin, Ashlee Watkins on guitar, AJ Srubas on fiddle, Rina Rossi on bass and Trevor Holder on banjo.
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Richie Stearns & Rosie NewtonRichie Stearns and Rosie Newton grew up 150 miles and a few decades apart. Having originally met at Saratoga Springs’ Flurry festival, the two reunited in the Ithaca old-time scene, where Richie grew up and Rosie had moved for college. During Rosie’s freshman year, they began touring together regionally as members of the Evil City String Band and eventually decided to pursue a more intimate musical project as a duo. After three years of touring and writing, Richie and Rosie released their second full-length album, Nowhere in Time in 2017, a junction of Americana, old-time, and folk, bringing a new sound to traditional music which highlights the incredibly-refined skill of both musicians. As musicians in two very different parts of life, Richie and Rosie are proof of two things: the power and magic of two people making music, and that the universal messages that lie within their songs remain timeless.
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Evie LadinBanjo player, singer, songwriter, percussive-dancer, choreographer and square-dance caller, Evie grew up steeped in traditional folk music/dance in Baltimore, and brings a contemporary vision to her compositions and choreography. Evie’s performances, recordings and teaching reconnect Appalachian music/dance with other African-Diaspora traditions. In 2024 she released two CDs, celebrating both of her musical sides: the second edition of Riding the Rooster, totally trad fiddle/banjo duets with 17 different fiddlers, and her fifth of adventurous originals, Evie Ladin LIVE. A highly entertaining performer, Evie enjoys facilitating arts learning in diverse communities. “The best example I have seen of a Neo-Trad band's sound being authentically anchored in old time music but extending it into new and entertaining directions.” —Founder, Clifftop Appalachian Stringband Festival
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Jamie FoxJamie Fox is a Métis fiddler of the Aaniih and Nakoda tribes of Montana. The Métis are members of ethnic groups native to Canada and parts of the United States that trace their descent to both Indigenous North Americans and European settlers. Jamie grew up on the Fort Belknap Reservation of Northern Montana where she was immersed in a lively fiddle and dance tradition. She is one of the most coveted and well-known players of Metis fiddle music — a tradition crossing ties of Celtic, French, and Native American music cultures. Coming from within the tradition themselves, she represents the continuance of this generation maintaining a style and repertoire that dates back to the fur trade era of the 17th century and the first generation of European and Aboriginal mixing in the upper reaches of the North American continent.
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George Jackson & Brad KolodnerBorn in New Zealand and now based in Nashville, George Jackson is one of today's most respected Old Time and Bluegrass fiddlers touring in the Jacob Jolliff Band while steeping himself in the traditional fiddle music of Appalachia and rural America. Brad Kolodner, Baltimore born and raised, is a force on clawhammer banjo and a founding member of the acclaimed roots quartet Charm City Junction. Together, there’s something in the synergy of their musical personalities that encourages exciting interplay, daring one another at a moment's notice to step to the side of a path for a spell and play something that keeps the listener, and player, on the edge of their seat. They do this while staying fully in the groove and true to the soul of Old Time banjo and fiddle music.
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Becky HillBecky Hill is a percussive dancer, square dance caller, choreographer, community organizer, and educator. As an avid organizer and teacher, Becky's work is deeply rooted in the connections between music and community. She believes there is always more to learn and is dedicated to creating innovative choreography rooted in Appalachian music and dance. She grew up in Michigan, spent extensive time in West Virginia and now resides in Brentwood, Maryland. Becky served as the Artist in Residence at Davis & Elkins College from 2013 - 2015 where she coordinated The Mountain Dance Trail of Augusta Heritage Center and co-directed the Appalachian Ensemble. She became the Events Coordinator for Augusta Heritage Center from 2015 - 2019 organizing their summer intensives.
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Brandi Waller-PaceBrandi Waller-Pace (they/she) is a Fort Worth-based musician, educator, and scholar-activist. They are the Founder and Executive Director of Decolonizing the Music Room, a nonprofit with a mission of centering Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Asian voices in music education, research, and performance. Brandi is the Founder and Organizer of the Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival, created to highlight blackness in American roots music. Brandi is moderating the Conversation with New Dangerfield.
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The Old Time CobrasThe Old Time Cobras are an old-time band dedicated to performing traditional old-time music, with roots deep in the musical heritage of Appalachia and the American South. Based in Washington, DC, and Maryland, they bring a unique blend of energy and passion to every performance. Our current lineup consists of a guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, and fiddle, each played by talented musicians who share a love for the genre and its timeless sound. The Old Time Cobras are playing for the Family Square Dance.
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Brendan Hearn |
Phillip McKnight |
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Brendan Hearn is a guitarist and cellist based in NYC with roots in Maryland. He's a member of the Clifftop-winning stringband Hemlock & Hickory. He'll be leading the Old Time Jamming 101 Workshop.
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Phillip is a Baltimore-based Old Time musician and certified mindfulness teacher. He'll be leading the Mindfulness in Music workshop.
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