Al Berard & Karen England
Feet Off The Ground
(Swallow Records)

Al Berard
Al Berard & Friends
(Swing Cat Enterprises)

Twenty-two years ago Karen England fell under the spell of Cajun fiddling at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes. Shortly thereafter she co-founded the Northwest’s first Cajun band How’s Bayou (fine, thank you) that remains a mainstay of the Seattle dance scene. Two years ago she met Louisiana fiddler Al Berard, now of T-Mamou, at the same festival where each became bow-struck with the other’s musical sphere. Berard played on How’s Bayou’s fine 1999 imprint and England returned the favor on Berard’s last album. This particular recording shows the magic they stroke together, two distinct entities rolled into one sonic soul. Though it’s solely a twin fiddle affair, it’s nonetheless quite captivating and moving if you like passionate and emotional fiddling. Seven tracks are Dennis McGee staples, which makes sense considering McGee is a revered spirit of both. Additionally, there are selections from Dewey Balfa, Cheese Read, Michael Doucet and an original a piece from England and Berard. England seconds Berard marvelously: her’s is truly an arty style but she also takes commanding leads or alternates with Berard on several tunes. Perhaps it goes without saying but this is one of those pivotal recordings that will have a lot of rusty fiddlers dusting off their axes again.

Imaginably a title like Al Berard & Friends would likely feature intimate performances with longtime friends that are sparked with creativity and spontaneity. And it does. Besides Acadiana musicians Erroll Verret, Kyle Hebert, Tony Latiolas, Dwayne Brasseaux, Blair Scrantz, Gary Newman and the late Tommy Comeaux, Berard’s Seattle soulmates England and Dave Lang are here too. The 27-track extravaganza resembles a weekend Cajun festival with the rich variety presented from track to track. One tune may feature Hebert, accordion; Scrantz, t-fer; Brasseaux, guitar; and Berard, fiddle and bass; a subsequent track may contain the same personnel except Hebert’s on lead fiddle while another may be only Berard on fiddle and mandolin (“McGee’s Tune”) or just fiddles (“Kye-Yet”). There’s a couple of live cuts like “Catch My Hat” from “Café” T-George and the Berard-Hebert twin fiddles on  “Courville Special” that was recorded at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes. And, of course there are a few Berard-England twin fiddle duets that, like the aforementioned Feet Off The Ground, are just as soulful. Come to think of, “feet off the ground” aptly describes both of these recordings.