Looking Back at Norwegian-American Old-time Fiddling in the Heartland is a treasure for anyone interested in traditional music. It is the first CD ever to highlight the music of influential Norwegian-American fiddlers from a six state area of the Upper Midwest. It features field recordings of Julane playing both regular fiddle as well as the 8 stringed, Norwegian Hardanger fiddle.
Much research has gone into the making of this CD, which comes with a sixteen page informative booklet that describes the history and significance of Norwegian-American fiddling, as well as giving background information about the tunes.
The tunes on the CD were learned by Julane from the repertoires of:
Lloyd Larson, of North Dakota; Beth Hoven Rotto, of Iowa; Harold Sorenson, of Minnesota; and including the late Leonard Finseth, of Wisconsin; Jarle Foss, of South Dakota; and Anund Roheim, a Hardanger fiddler from Montana and Telemark, Norway.
Accompaniment on the CD is provided by some of the best players of Norwegian-American music today, including Beth Hoven Rotto (harmony fiddle and pump organ), Jon Rotto (guitar and jaw harp), and Bill Musser (string bass) of the Iowa (Scandinavian-American) band, "Foot-notes," and LeRoy Larson (tenor banjo), of "The Minnesota Scandinavian Ensemble."
The musicians playing for this CD have performed independantly for venues such as: The Library of Congress, The Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife, Russian Public Television, Norwegian Public Radio, Garrison Keillor's radio show, A Prairie Home Companion (NPR), and This Morning (CBS).
This CD is a wonderful reminder that not all old-time music is from the South. It has delightful tunes, expertly played with just the right accompaniment. It makes me feel like I'm in a farmhouse in the upper Midwest, seventy-five years ago. Julane continues the tradition of Norwegian-American music one more generation, and in grand style.
- Brad Leftwich
Master American Old-Time Fiddler
A review for this CD written by Bill Hicks is in the February 2007 edition of the Old Time Herald Magazine. You can see the review now from the reviewer's website. Click on the link below.
http://originalredclayramblers.com/bill/snappy/julanelund.htm
This cd, "Fest på låven!" (which means "Party at the Barn!") was recorded by Totak, a group that originates from Norway. The tunes on this CD are representative of the areas where each musician in the group is from.
Traditional melodies from Levanger i Trøndelag, Røros, Nordmøre, Jostedalen, and Norwegian settlement areas in the U.S. are performed. Julane is featured as a soloist playing Norwegian-American tunes.
