Description
'Cross the Rolling Water' is the debut collaborative album from Hannah Reed and Michael Starkey. Acclaimed singer-songwriter and fiddler Hannah Read met banjo player Michael Starkey at an Appalachian old time session in Edinburgh in late 2019.
The moment they first struck up a tune together there was an immediate meeting of musical minds and they have since become a formidable and dynamic fiddle and banjo duo, playing repertoire deep from the old time tradition like Apple Blossom as well as newly composed tunes and songs Shenandoah by Anais Mitchell.
Hannah is an award winning Scottish musician based in Brooklyn, NY. She moved Stateside to study American fiddle styles and to immerse herself in the thriving string music scene. She has toured extensively, performing solo and collaborating with musicians far and wide including Tony Trischka, Sarah Jarosz and Jefferson Hamer, as well as being one part of the BBC Folk Award winning Songs of Separation. Her previous album was the well-received 'Way Out I'll Wander' from 2017.
Michael is a multi-instrumentalist, music teacher and old time banjo enthusiast living in Scotland. His mission as a musician is to keep things simple - clear melody lines underpinned by solid, infectious rhythm. Recent collaborations include with Wayward Jane (Edinburgh-based UK/US folk and roots music 4-piece) and 'Faultlines', a collection of Lisa Fannen's poetry set to music.
"Hannah and Michael have arrived at a way of playing old-time music that's refreshingly dynamic, expressive, and toneful. Every track makes me feel like I'm sitting right next to them, eyeing my fiddle case, just hoping they'll let me join in" - Stephanie Coleman, old time fiddler
