This page includes biographical information for Mark Simos, the Cliffhangers, and other personnel on Clifftop Notes Vols. 1 and 2 (upcoming).
Mark Simos — Over the past three decades, Mark Simos has steadily built a reputation in progressive traditional music circles as a songwriter, tunesmith, fiddler, composer, and arranger; an innovative, harmonically adventurous accompanist on guitar and piano; and an engaging and dedicated teacher. Widely known for his songs recorded by the likes of Alison Krauss and Union Station, the Del McCoury Band, Laurie Lewis and others, Mark’s music combines a lifetime’s love and exploration of varied traditions with a continuing willingness to stretch forms and take musical risks. Mick Moloney describes Mark as “... a musician’s musician, versed in many musical idioms and excelling at all of them… one of the few musicians I know equally at home in the often incompatible roles of traditionalist and innovator.”
Coming of musical age in the eclectic California traditional music scene of the mid-1970s, Mark learned from a wide variety of both older and younger players, drawing ideas from styles ranging from Celtic, old-time, and bluegrass to Balkan and klezmer music. His old-time fiddle style was inspired early on by the haunting field recordings of older Kentucky fiddlers such as Luther Strong. As his playing has matured, Mark has continued to learn both directly from older players, friends and musical colleagues, and through intensive listening to source recordings. Mark earned 1st place in old-time fiddle at Clifftop 2003; and fiddles with his band of Clifftop friends Cliffhangers, who have regularly placed as traditional band finalists. As a dance fiddler or in the vigorous interplay of live sessions, Mark is known for his “hell of a bow arm,” subtle dynamics and ornamentation, improvisatory prowess, and penchant for making up tunes on the spot without telling anyone.
For Mark, writing new tunes has always been a natural extension of being a traditional player. Mark’s self-styled ‘traditional tunes from imaginary countries’ have entered the repertoire of dance musicians and players around this country; and more than 20 cuts of Simos instrumentals have been recorded by various artists. His 1995 debut solo album, Race the River Jordan (Yodel-Ay-Hee CD017), original fiddle tunes in a Southern old-time style, garnered critical acclaim and frequent radio play on traditional music programs. Art Menius, in Bluegrass Unlimited, called it “…my favorite almost all-instrumental album of the 1990s… Simos provides not just exciting new music that uses elements of traditional music; his work continues and gives back to the tradition. … Campground tunes for the 21st century…” In 2003, Mark released Crazy Faith, an album of original songs (and one original fiddle tune!) produced by master old-time fiddler Bruce Molsky. To date, songs from Crazy Faith have been recorded by Alison Krauss and Union Station, John Cowan, and others. Mark is also a long-time member of Childsplay, a diverse orchestra of fiddlers (and violinists) who play instruments made by Cambridge violin maker Robert Childs. Mark’s “orchestral fiddle music” compositions and arrangements have become signature pieces for the band.
Most recently, Mark recorded an album trilogy of traditional and original old time fiddle tunes with the Cliffhangers and other “campground friends” from the Clifftop festival, produced by Bob Carlin and engineered by Tim Brown of 5-String Productions. The first two volumes—The Cliffhangers: On the Edge, and Clifftop Notes Vol. 1: Original Old-Time Fiddle Tunes by Mark Simos, were released Summer ’06, with the third volume—Clifftop Notes Vol. 2: Big Ears due out in ’07. To celebrate the release of this project, Mark worked with organizers of the Clifftop festival to introduce and host a showcase of new tunes and songs in the old-time tradition; and was instrumental in adding new awards for original compositions to Clifftop’s (recently re-christened) Neo-Traditional Band Contest.
Playing with Mark in the Cliffhangers are:
Brendan Doyle (banjo) — Brendan Doyle developed an interest in old-time music while growing up in Minnesota, and picked up the banjo not long before he moved to San Francisco in 1975. He quickly tapped into the thriving traditional music scene there, and a few years later made several pilgrimages to the southern mountains, visiting older musicians like Luther Davis, the Hammons family, Melvin Wine, Tommy Jarrell, and Wilson Douglas. These visits left a profound mark on him, musically and otherwise. Since then, he and his wife Maxine Gerber have made many more trips, especially to West Virginia, to meet, visit, and play with their older mentors. The wealth of field recordings of great old-time musicians is also a deep source of inspiration to him; Kentucky in particular is a rich vein. There's always another tune to learn!
Karen Falkowski (string bass) — Has been playing bass for over 25 years; she was at the 1st Clifftop festival playing in a non-traditional band with Harry Bolick and Ken Bloom. Karen is a lover of old-time music and she also enjoys playing guitar, hiking, gardening, quiltying (and occasional skinny-dipping). She lives in Huntsville, Alabama and is a veteran Montessori teacher.
Rusty Neithammer (guitar) — Rusty got started playing old time music while in college in the 1970's. "It sort of landed in my lap, but it took a few years for me to figure out what it was. My early attempts at playing old time music began on a Sears banjo of Asian origin. Along the way came more banjos, fiddles, a mandolin, several guitars and best of all, getting to know the joy of playing each of them. My first old time musical focus was the fiddling of Tommy Jarrell. In the early 1980's, along with my soon to be wife, Nancy Dols Neithammer, it was a treat to have many opportunities to visit and become friends with Tommy, as well as Luther Davis and numerous other musicians in the Mount Airy, North Carolina “Round Peak” and Galax, Virginia regions, all of whom I had only heard about before then. Their playing and way of life has left a lasting impact on me. More recently, I have been learning tunes from many sources, including the Library of Congress greats, the Kentucky fiddlers Bruce Greene has collected, and even a few newly minted tunes from a certain contemporary fiddler."
Jody Platt (tenor guitar) — Jody Platt was first introduced to traditional music while attending boarding school in SE Ohio. This area of the Appalachian foothills has been home to many wonderful musicians. Her interest grew while attending college and working at Elderly Instruments. It was during this time she decided to experiment with the four-string guitar, an early koa tenor. The instrument has a short scale tenor banjo neck and ¹ size guitar body. It is perfect for tuning an octave low to the fiddle, all variety of open tunings, playing melody as well as rhythm. Her style of flatpicking follows the bowing patterns of the fiddler, adding an irresirresistibler* element of sound not quite like a banjo or guitar but blending with both. Jody's son Jamie Dougan is building copies of her little guitar, check the website for Dougan Instruments.
*Irresirresistibler (adj): meaning more irresisistable than the most irresistible of irresistible irresistabilities you can resistably think of — Rusty Neithammer, lexicographer.
Joining Mark and the Cliffhangers on Clifftop Notes Vol. 1 are:
Maxine Gerber — grew up in New York and was attracted to traditional music of various kinds from a very young age. Maxine sez: "Like many of my generation I cut my musical teeth playing folk songs on the guitar. As a teenager I went to the Fox Hollow folk festival in upstate New York and it was there I first witnessed groups of musicians entranced in fiddle tunes. In my early twenties I started playing old-time banjo. Initially I started because the people in sessions seemed to be having so much fun that I just wanted to be part of it." What started as a way to join in the fun became a lifelong passion that Maxine shares with her husband husband Brendan Doyle. Together they have spent many summers seeking out and visiting elders of old-time music in the Southeast, including Melvin Wine, Ernie Carpenter and Luther Davis. "Immersing myself, however briefly, in the culture of these players, has given me an appreciation for the history and emotion behind the music. It's a glimpse into another century. I'm especially drawn to the spooky, haunting tunes of West Virginia and Kentucky, but also have a great love for the Round Peak tradition. To me there's nothing more magical than the connection between a fiddle and banjo playing an old-time tune."
Rich Hartness — South Carolina native Rich Hartness grew up in a musical household in Rocky Mount, NC. He played acoustic guitar as a kid and became attracted to Black and White traditional music in his teens. Folk festivals and fiddlers conventions in the mid 70's exposed him directly to the infectious and irresistible sounds of banjos and fiddles to which he relented.
Rich has devoted his musical energy of the last 30 years learning to play the old fiddle tunes from fine old and young musicians and recordings alike. In the mid 70's he learned from many Mount Airy NC area and SW Virginia musicians such as fiddlers Tommy Jarrell, Ernest East, Old Man Luther Davis, fretless banjo picker Dix Freeman and guitar finger picker Chester Macmillian. In the early to mid 80s trips to Glennville and Pocahontas County WV led to formative relationships with old masters Wilson Douglas, Melvin Wine and the Hammons Family. He's drawn from Ot musicians from the Piedmont of NC such as 2 finger banjo picker and fiddler Marvin Gaster and fiddler Lauchlin Shaw. Like others of his generation Rich has devoted much energy into collecting and absorbing a variety of recordings of traditional American music. Playing tunes with contemporaries has always been an important component of Rich's musical experience.
Rich's fiddling style is unique and represents a synthesis of many different influences. Some call him an "up bow" fiddler as he gains much power and emphasis by "pushing" the bow up on the down beat. Rich attributes much of the drive and levity in his fiddling style to this approach.
Rich's finger-style guitar is also unique. It consists of a core alternating thumb bass rhythm punctuated by frequent connecting thumb and index finger bass runs. Slight variations on This approach allow it to work nicely as accompaniment to fiddle tunes, Carter sounding lead melody for duets or treble melody over alternating thumb bass rhythm for a very full sound when playing solo. Rich particularly enjoys applying his finger style guitar to the challenging progressions and rhythms of fiddled Rags.
For work, Rich is an Information Technology professional. Music is a very satisfying and meaningful avocation. He treasures the fellowship, necessary discipline and sheer joy associated with making music.
Deborah "Tolly" Tollefson —is a talented and versatile traditional musician who grew up in Oregon. She began playing old-time music in the '70s, on a fiddle passed down to her by her Norwegian grandfather. She was a dancer for years in Oregon. In addition to fiddling Southern Old-Time dance tunes, Tolly has become a connoisseur and strong purveyor of Old-Time Rags. She is a rock-solid rhythm guitarist and bassist. Today she is an important member of an active old-time music community in Greensboro NC singing, fiddling, and playing banjo, upright bass and guitar with a number of local bands for square and contra dances, performances, fiddlers' conventions and festivals.
Edwin Wilson — Edwin first got the urge to play music while a college student during the folk music revival, listening to Dylan and others and "wearing out the grooves on the vinyl LPs." He began playing guitar as a result, but really got inspired to play in the mid-70s after going to the music festivals at Horse Pens 40 in Alabama and hearing the Red Clay Ramblers, the Highwoods, Ace Weems, the Bent Mountain Band, the Swamp Cats and others. Edwin had a brief foray into traditional Irish music being particularly drawn to the open-tunings employed by the accompanying guitar and here first learned about the masterful playing of Mark Simos as a member of Knock Na She. Over 20 years later Edwin met and became friends with Mark at Clifftop and courageously attempted to accompany him on some of his original tunes-chord charts sure do help!
Over the years Edwin's musical focus has been as a guitar accompanist for fiddlers playing in the styles found on the old 78s, referring to himself as a "hillbilly guitar player". He discovered the joy of playing the ukulele about three years ago and has been smiling ever since.
Bob Carlin (Producer of the Cliffhangers and Clifftop Notes CDs) —
Bob Carlin (Car-Tunes Recordings) has devoted his life to the investigation, documentation and dissemination of the five-string banjo. As a performer, Carlin has appeared throughout the United States, Canada, Western Europe and Japan, both in solo settings and supporting the late John Hartford (who is most recently known for his work in "O Brother Where Art Thou?" and "Down From the Mountain"). His work on over sixty recordings has resulted in three Grammy nominations, including work as a musician, engineer and producer. In addition to the notes generated for many compact discs, Bob Carlin has published articles in such prestigious magazines as the Journal of Country Music and Bluegrass Unlimited. Most recently, he has written about the banjo for the catalogues of two exhibits, the touring The Banjo in Virginia, and The Birth of the Banjo at the Katonah Museum of Art (Carlin also served as an advisor on both exhibits). So well known is Bob Carlin as an expert on the history of the instrument that he has been called upon by the BBC to comment on the banjo's early roots and flown to Belgium to lecture at the opening of the national Musical Instrument Museum's exhibit on the instrument. Carlin's performances stress the African and African-American roots of the banjo, and he often appears and has recorded with the last living link to those American traditions, 87 year old fiddler Joe Thompson. Additionally, Bob Carlin has formed a performing partnership with Malian Jeli musician Cheick Hamala Diabate, with whom he will record at year's end.