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Chicago based Tangleweed consists of Billy Oh:
fiddle - vocals, Kenneth P.W. Rainey: mandolin -
vocals, Paul Wargaski: bass, Timothy Ryan Fisher:
banjo - vocals and Scott Judd: guitar. Chicago seems
an unusual area to find bluegrass music, but over the
years some excellent bluegrass music has come to my
notice form this part of the USA.
Tangleweed formed after Ryan Fisher, Paul Wargaski and Billy
Oh met on the set of the Jeff-nominated local theatre production
The Cotton Patch Gospels. After the production closed, they
found there was a chemistry between them and Tangleweed was
born. Kenneth Rainey (veteran of Chicago's Kennett Brothers)
was added to the line-up after he and Fisher found a common
bond when they were admonished at a local bluegrass jam for
attempting a Thelonious Monk tune. Rainey's neighbour Scott
Judd (long-time acoustic guitarist and co-founder of local psych-rock
trio Magnetosphere) soon sat in at one of the band's Sunday
evening sets at Metropolis Coffee House, and instantly added
as a  permanent
member.
Since the early summer of 2004, Tangleweed have
performed at a myriad of local venues. Now a popular
band around the Chicago area, playing in the usual
drinking establishments and gathering holes, they
incorporate a differing approach to a
bluegrass-generated blueprint. Their music is a
contrasting range from the old timey style of "Old
Joe Clark" to the jazz based "C-Jam
Blues", written by Duke Ellington…the
band say; "It's written in the Key Of 'C'. It's a
'Blues'. We 'Jam' on it." The track runs for a
merger two minutes and seven seconds and has you
jumping from beginning to end!! The traditional "Spoonful"
follows with the striking sound of mandolin and banjo
undercurrent that carries on with a jazzy 30's sound.
A complete change in style comes with The Dillards "Banjo
In The Holler". This 60's bluegrass supergroup are
well remembered in the UK with the number (which incorporates
a few bars of the traditional fiddle tune "Cripple Creek")
being a solo piece for banjo player Doug Dillard. Tangleweed
give the number all they've got as banjo player Tim Fisher's
 fingers
travel at breakneck speed. Please note…never once does his fingers
leave his hands…magical-!!!!!!!!
The slow "Make Me A
Pallet On The Floor" slows down the
proceeding greatly with this song of love's eternal
triangle. I wouldn't want to point out a single
standout track as all 12 tracks are so well performed
with an-all burning passion. To soon we arrive at the
last track on this album, so climb aboard the "Orange
Blossom Special", sit back and relax for a
non-stop dash on the train that ran from New York to
Florida.
The recordings were made with two AKG C41-ULS
microphones, set up as a stereo pair, with one RCA
Type BK5A ribbon mike, four channel Apex tube mixer
and an Otari MX5050 quarter-inch two track tape deck.
'Just A Spoonful And Other
Folksongs Of Rural Cook County' is full of fun,
good music and a heap of musical talent.
Check out their website http://www.tangleweed.org
CD is available at CD Baby or Amazon.com
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